Vehicles

Vehicles can provide both transport and combat capabilities, and are customizable with many different components and features, depending on the player's preferences.

The game currently features 6 drivable vehicles:


Type	Vehicles
Ground	Sandbike	Buggy	Sandcrawler
Aerial	Scout Ornithopter	Assault Ornithopter	Carrier Ornithopter

Vehicles in-game

Vehicles have a variety of utility purposes, such as swift traversal and cargo transport across the untamed lands of Arrakis, and as such are a vital asset to players looking to venture beyond the beginning stages of the game.

Some vehicles are single-seated, while others are able to carry several players, either inherently or through modifications.

Vehicles can sustain damage due to natural phenomenon, such as sandstorms, or through damage by both enemies and hostile players, requiring maintenance.

Some vehicles can also be outfitted with weaponry, like rocket launchers.

Vehicle Backup Tool

Only specific vehicles can be stored in a Vehicle Backup Tool (VBT). Specifically, only a Sandbike or a Scout Ornithopter can be stored.

A player can only store one vehicle across all VBTs at any point of time, so crafting more VBTs does not allow you to store multiple vehicles at once.

Customization

Vehicles can be customized in two ways, color (swatches) and appearance (variants).

Ground Vehicles

Travelling in a ground vehicle across the open sands attracts sandworms. Players should look out for wormsign before attempting to cross to another region.

Ground vehicles cannot be used to travel to the Overland Map.

Aerial Vehicles

Ornithopters (also known as "thopters") are an iconic aerial vehicle of the Dune universe. They feature a slim fuselage with large, folding wings that deploy to each side and "flap" up and down (instead of a rotary motion like a helicopter) to generate lift in the same manner as a bird or dragonfly.

Ornithopters have two flight modes: Dragonfly and Vulture.

As the name suggests, Dragonfly mode has the wings beating, so the vehicle can hover in place and move in any direction — forward, backward, up, down or sideways.

On the other hand, in Vulture mode, the engine powers down and the wings are set to horizontal positions, allowing the vehicle to glide and reach higher speeds than in powered flight, especially with thrusters.

All aerial vehicles can be used to travel to the Overland Map.

Trivia

In Frank Herbert's Dune universe, ornithopters are inspired by the flapping-wing flight of both birds and insects, with a particular resemblance to dragonflies in their design and maneuverability.