IAE 2956 Best in Show: The Four Ships and Their Rewards

The RSI Perseus heads into IAE 2956 as Ship Showdown champion, joined by the Drake Ironclad Assault, Origin M80 and Drake Corsair. All four have a Best in Show paint and challenge coin announced for this year’s expo. Perseus owners also have a champion’s bomber jacket to look forward to.

Best in Show takes place on 22 November at New Babbage’s Tobin Expo Center. For anyone choosing a ship before the rewards arrive, the shortlist covers very different jobs: heavy gunship combat, troop and vehicle transport, heavy-fighter combat and expedition flying.

The four Best in Show ships

The images below show the ships in their standard finishes. They do not show the 2956 reward paints.

RSI Perseus — champion

The Perseus won on its first appearance in Ship Showdown, beating the Ironclad Assault in the final. RSI’s heavy gunship is built around confronting large ships, with its prominent gun turrets giving the crew a very different role from the pilots of a conventional fighter.

RSI revived the name of its historic Perseus gunship for a modern vessel intended for civilian and paramilitary use. Blockade and patrol operations sit at the centre of that brief, with the ability to engage several threats at once.

Announced rewards: Perseus Best in Show paint, challenge coin and an in-game bomber jacket for owners of the winning ship.

Browse Perseus offers at The Impound

Drake Ironclad Assault — runner-up

Drake took two places in the final four, and the Ironclad Assault went furthest. Its heavy-dropship role centres on transporting troops and vehicles, with room for cargo and small ships as part of a combined-arms operation.

Its broad ramp serves a substantial enclosed transport space, making the Assault a candidate for groups organising vehicle deployments and ground operations. The finalist is specifically the Ironclad Assault; the standard Ironclad is a separate heavy-freight model.

Announced rewards: Ironclad Assault Best in Show paint and challenge coin.

Browse Ironclad Assault offers

Origin M80 — third place

Origin’s first heavy fighter carries the manufacturer’s smooth exterior design into a more heavily armed role. Retractable weapons and missiles are central to the M80, which Origin describes as a ship for sustained combat.

The M80 is the only fighter in the final four and the only Origin ship receiving this year’s Best in Show rewards.

Announced rewards: M80 Best in Show paint and challenge coin.

Browse Origin M80 offers

Drake Corsair — fourth place

The Corsair returns to the final four after winning Ship Showdown 2953. Its asymmetric wings and heavily armed nose are familiar by now, but its expedition role still separates it from the other three finalists.

The Corsair combines exploration, combat and delivery in one expedition ship. Of these four finalists, it has the broadest brief for players who want to move between those activities. Owners who already have a previous Corsair Best in Show paint should keep the year in mind: the announced 2956 reward is a separate annual paint.

Announced rewards: Corsair Best in Show paint and challenge coin.

Browse Drake Corsair offers

What owners need to know about the rewards

The announced delivery window is IAE 2956. 22 November is the showcase date; the announcement does not establish that every reward will appear in an account that day. Detailed ownership cutoffs, variant exceptions and the distribution timetable are still to be announced.

Before upgrading, exchanging a ship or buying an edition for its rewards, check the exact ship and package contents. A standalone paint does not include the ship, and the standard Ironclad should not be assumed to qualify for the Ironclad Assault’s rewards.

Earlier years have used different eligibility rules. Our Best in Show editions and rewards guide explains those differences, including legacy liveries and later removable paints.

Planning a Best in Show visit

Visit on 22 November for Best in Show, or use the 23–27 November finale to compare the expo’s rental selection across manufacturers. The IAE rental forecast groups anticipated ships and vehicles by manufacturer. The final individual rental lineup remains subject to CIG’s announcement and the show-floor kiosks.

For the Galaxy, Liberator and other ships appearing around the expo, see our IAE 2956 ship overview.

Sources: Ship Showdown 2956 winners, IAE 2956 announcement and schedule and the RSI Ship Matrix. Ship artwork: Cloud Imperium Games.