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Are there any powers in Elite:Dangerous that you can work for and increase your standing through bounty-hunting or combat missions rather than delivering endless piles of contracts?

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  • Increase your standing as in earn merits, or improve your power's position on the power play standings?
    – Unionhawk ♦
    Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 12:41
  • Earn merits to increase your standing with the power.
    – Rob
    Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 13:00
  • @Unionhawk this is a complex question requiring a fairly lengthy answer. While it is probably a subset of the question you've marked it as a duplicate of I think it merits a question of its own.
    – Keith
    Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 14:03
  • @Keith The question is asking how to earn merits in ways other than trading. How is that not a duplicate of a question asking more broadly how to earn merits?
    – Unionhawk ♦
    Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 14:07
  • @Unionhawk it's a subset. A full explanation of all the ways you can make merits in Elite would cover several pages of printed content, and would not be a good fit for this Q&A format. A subset question, like this one, allows for more detailed answers on a more narrow and specific case that can be much easier for users to find and digest. If that wasn't the case I'd just ask "how do you play Elite?" and then close every other question as a duplicate of mine.
    – Keith
    Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 14:12

2 Answers 2

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Yes, you can undermine or expand, and there may be others depending on the power you're pledged to.

To undermine:

  • Go to a control system for a hostile power. You'll be marked as 'Hostile'.
  • Land in any station (don't get scanned - you'll get shot at).
  • Check your contact menu - this will tell you the kind of target you need to attack.

These targets take two forms:

  1. If the power is in another major faction (for instance you're Empire and the system is Federation) the mission will be to kill couriers.
  2. If the power is the the same faction (say you're both Empire) then the mission is to pirate the cargo without killing the target.

As the latter is harder I tend to find enemy powers in a different faction.

Then go kill these targets. You'll probably need an FSD Interdictor and you'll get Wanted immediately. You'll also find a lot of agents hunting you after a while, and they'll try to follow you home. I found it helps to also pack a fuel scoop as you can only convert the powerplay vouchers into merits back in your own non-turmoil control systems, so you often have a trek home.

To expand:

  • Travel to expansion systems.
  • Look for the activity zone - these are like the combat zones or resource extraction zones, but will be specific to your power. Examples include "Military Strike" and "Crime Sweep".

I don't think all the powers have combat expansions, some involve trade instead.

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Yes you can fight in contested sectors where get power play merits per kill.

You join the battles from super cruise mode in the contested sector.

You can see which sectors your leader is attempting to expand to or defending in the power play screens (expansion and control tabs I believe).

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