Elvira Martuuk
EDFM // Engineering / Engineers
An independent starting Engineer based in Khun, providing Grade 5 Frame Shift Drive engineering along with lower-grade shield and thruster upgrades.
Elvira Martuuk is a ship Engineer based at Long Sight Base in the Khun system. She is one of the independent starting Engineers: no referral from Felicity Farseer or any other Engineer is required before a Commander can meet and unlock her.[1][2]
Elvira is particularly notable for providing Grade 5 Frame Shift Drive Engineering. She also engineers Shield Generators through Grade 3, Thrusters through Grade 2, and Shield Cell Banks through Grade 1.[1]
Field note
Elvira and Felicity Farseer are separate starting Engineers. Unlocking Felicity is not required to discover, meet, or unlock Elvira.
Location
- System: Khun
- Facility: Long Sight Base
- Engineer type: Ship Engineer
- Referral required: No
How to Discover Elvira Martuuk
Elvira Martuuk's whereabouts are public knowledge. She does not require a referral from another Engineer.[1][2]
This makes her one of the independent entry points into the ship Engineering network.
How to Receive an Invitation
Reach a maximum distance of at least 300 light-years from your career start location.[1]
This requirement is based on how far you have travelled from the location where your Commander began their career. It is not a requirement to accumulate 300 Ly of ordinary travel; your recorded maximum distance from the starting location must reach at least 300 Ly.
Once this requirement has been satisfied, Elvira can be visited at Long Sight Base in Khun.
How to Unlock Elvira Martuuk
Unlock requirements summary:
- Reach a maximum distance of at least 300 Ly from your career start location.
- Obtain 3 units of Soontill Relics.
- Donate the three Soontill Relics to Elvira Martuuk.
Important
Soontill Relics are a rare commodity. They are not Raw, Manufactured, or Encoded Engineering materials. They occupy cargo space and must be physically transported to Long Sight Base.
Tip
If you are collecting the Relics specifically for Elvira, make sure your ship has at least 3 tonnes of cargo capacity before travelling to Ngurii.
For the complete step-by-step process, see Unlocking Elvira Martuuk.
Increasing Engineer Reputation
Reputation with Elvira Martuuk can be increased by:
- crafting Engineering modifications at her workshop; or
- selling exploration data at Long Sight Base.[1][2]
Higher Engineer reputation gives access to the higher grades Elvira supports for each blueprint.
Tip
Because the meeting requirement already encourages travelling away from the Bubble, you may have exploration data available by the time you reach Elvira. Selling that data at Long Sight Base can help increase her Engineer reputation without relying entirely on repeated Engineering rolls.
Engineer Unlock Chain
Elvira Martuuk is one of the independent starting points in the ship Engineer network.
After reaching Grade 3 access and progressing at least one-third of the way toward Grade 4 with Elvira, she can provide referrals to three Engineers:[2]
- Marco Qwent
- Zacariah Nemo
- Mel Brandon — Colonia
Marco Qwent subsequently leads farther into the same branch:
Elvira Martuuk ├── Zacariah Nemo ├── Marco Qwent │ ├── Chloe Sedesi │ ├── Lori Jameson │ └── Professor Palin └── Mel Brandon [Colonia]
Current Engineer data independently lists Marco Qwent, Zacariah Nemo, and Mel Brandon as being discovered through Elvira Martuuk.[3][4][5]
Field note
A referral does not automatically unlock the referred Engineer. Marco Qwent, Zacariah Nemo, and Mel Brandon each have additional meeting and unlock requirements of their own.
See Engineer Unlock Guide for the complete referral network.
Available Engineering
Elvira's Engineering coverage is shown below. The listed grade is the highest grade she can apply to that module.[1]
| Module | Available blueprints | Maximum grade |
|---|---|---|
| Frame Shift Drive |
|
Grade 5 |
| Shield Generator |
|
Grade 3 |
| Thrusters |
|
Grade 2 |
| Shield Cell Bank |
|
Grade 1 |
Elvira's Frame Shift Drive coverage is therefore equivalent in maximum grade to Felicity Farseer, while her other modules stop at lower grades.
Experimental Effects
Experimental Effects are separate from the main Engineering blueprint. A compatible module can normally have one Experimental Effect in addition to its blueprint modification.
Elvira can apply Experimental Effects to modules she engineers even when her maximum blueprint grade for that module is lower than the grade already applied by another Engineer.
For example, a Shield Generator engineered beyond Grade 3 elsewhere can still be taken to Elvira for a compatible Shield Generator Experimental Effect.
Frame Shift Drive
Available Frame Shift Drive Experimental Effects include:[6]
Shield Generator
Available Shield Generator Experimental Effects include:[7]
Shield Cell Bank
Available Shield Cell Bank Experimental Effects include:[8]
Thrusters
Available Thruster Experimental Effects include:[9]
See Experimental Effects for the effects, tradeoffs, and material costs of each option.
Field note
Experimental Effects cannot be applied through ordinary Remote Engineering. The module must be taken to an Engineer who works on that module.
Recommended Early Engineering
For many Commanders, Elvira's most immediately useful capability is her Grade 5 Frame Shift Drive Engineering.
Tip
Common general-purpose choice: Increased Range + Mass Manager
For many ships, Increased Range Frame Shift Drive combined with the Mass Manager Experimental Effect is a strong general-purpose choice for increasing jump range.
This is a recommendation rather than a requirement. Different ships and specialised builds may benefit from different Engineering choices.
Elvira's Shield Generator Engineering can also be useful early in progression. Although she only provides it through Grade 3, this allows a Commander to begin improving shields and apply Shield Generator Experimental Effects before unlocking an Engineer with Grade 5 Shield Generator access.
Her Grade 2 Thruster Engineering serves a similar early-game role, but Commanders seeking maximum Thruster performance will eventually need a higher-grade Thruster Engineer.
Blueprint Pinning
After earning sufficient reputation with Elvira, one of her blueprints can be pinned for use through Remote Engineering.
Tip
EDFM recommendation: Increased Range Frame Shift Drive is a strong default blueprint to pin at Elvira.
Elvira provides the blueprint through Grade 5, and Increased Range is useful across a large number of ships. Pinning it here also leaves Felicity Farseer available to pin a different blueprint if both Engineers have been unlocked.
New Pilots Initiative's current Engineering guidance likewise assigns the Increased Range FSD pin to Elvira in its suggested Engineer pinning plan.[10]
Important
A pinned blueprint does not allow you to apply Experimental Effects remotely. Experimental Effects still require visiting an appropriate Engineer workshop.
What Elvira Cannot Fully Engineer
Only Elvira's Frame Shift Drive Engineering reaches Grade 5.
Her other maximum grades are:
- Shield Generator: Grade 3
- Thrusters: Grade 2
- Shield Cell Bank: Grade 1[1]
This makes Elvira useful for both early Engineering and Grade 5 FSD work, but she does not replace Engineers who provide higher grades for her other specialties.
For maximum-grade alternatives:
- Grade 5 Shield Generator Engineering is available from Lei Cheung and Mel Brandon.
- Grade 5 Thruster Engineering is available from Professor Palin, Chloe Sedesi, and Mel Brandon.
- Grade 4 Shield Cell Bank Engineering is available from Mel Brandon.[2]
What Next?
After unlocking Elvira, you do not need to immediately follow her referral branch.
If you want to continue her branch, progressing Elvira's reputation will eventually open three different paths.
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Elvira Martuuk — Engineer, Inara.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Engineer Highlight, New Pilots Initiative.
- ↑ Marco Qwent — Engineer, Inara.
- ↑ Zacariah Nemo — Engineer, Inara.
- ↑ Mel Brandon — Engineer, Inara.
- ↑ Frame Shift Drive — Increased Range, Inara.
- ↑ Shield Generator — Enhanced Low Power, Inara.
- ↑ Shield Cell Bank — Specialised, Inara.
- ↑ Thrusters — Dirty, Inara.
- ↑ Engineering Guide, New Pilots Initiative.