The Moraine Data Retrieval contract is new Recco Battaglia content in Patch 4.9. Short version from my runs: mediocre pay, solid loot, and a real shot at the new CQ7 Infantry Rifle. Run it once or twice for gear and blueprints — don't farm it for credits.

Mission

How to Unlock It

Grind Battaglia rep to the second tier (Associate). The contract then rotates into your mission pool.

One warning before you accept: check the jump distance first. My run required a 90+ GM quantum jump. At 30.5K aUEC, travel time kills the efficiency. Treat this as a content/loot run, not a money run.

Loadout Checklist

Enemies here throw grenades and at least one carried a Pulverizer LMG. Gear up like a bunker run:

• Rifle or LMG + spare mags (I entered low on ammo — don't repeat my mistake)
• Medium/heavy armor
• MedPens — grenade spam punishes greed
• Medium+ backpack for loot
• Tractor beam optional

If you're light on ammo, loot enemy mags early. Most NPC weapons share magazine types.

Entry: The Weapon Draw Bug

Heads-up: near the entrance/customs area, your weapon may refuse to draw. This is not a broken mission.

Fix: keep moving deeper into the facility. Once the game registers you're in the hostile zone, weapon handling returns. Just don't sprint blindly forward — enemies can spawn right past the checkpoint, and you don't want to eat rifle fire empty-handed.

Combat & Enemy Types

NPC loadouts are noticeably less copy-paste in 4.9 — mixed armor sets means better loot checks per body.

What to expect:

• Standard rifle enemies throughout
• Grenade users behind cover — reposition immediately
• Heavy weapon carriers (Pulverizer LMG) — kill these first
• Some enemies carry the CQ7

Clear corners slowly, confirm kills, and loot each section before pushing. Don't tunnel vision on blue boxes while hostiles are alive.

CQ7 Infantry Rifle Spawn

The headline loot. I found mine on an NPC in the upper area of the facility. It's an enemy loot pool spawn, not guaranteed — check every body before you leave.

Attachment transfer tip:

1. Strip optic/laser/suppressor off your current rifle

2. Pick up the CQ7

3. Reattach everything

4. Verify magazine compatibility

Do this on the spot. Swapping weapons in a hurry and leaving your suppressor on a dropped rifle is a classic self-own.

Loot Priorities

Notable pulls from my run: CQ7 rifle, Crease Copperhead Jacket, Strata backpack/core pieces, Supernova legs, Palatino armor, and a Pulverizer LMG. Loot value can outperform the mission payout — sweep side rooms.

Objective Walkthrough

The step that traps people: the mission does NOT end at the server room.

1. Land close, enter, clear hostiles

2. Follow the marker to the server room

3. Pick up the data drive and interact with the server

4. Retrieve the drive again — do not leave it behind

5. Follow the new marker ~70m to the drop-off terminal (mailbox-style)

6. Select the drop-off option, place the drive, wait for confirmation

If the terminal says no appropriate item: open inventory, move the drive to your hand, close inventory, interact again. Same logic applies to keycards and fuses in other contracts.

Don't drop the drive on the ground. Mission items despawn or bug — losing it means the whole jump was wasted.

Is It Worth Running?

Yes for loot and blueprints. No for farming.

The blueprint pool is the real long-term value here. If you're grinding Battaglia rep, do this once for gear, then rotate back to the 300-rep contracts.

FAQ

What rep level unlocks Moraine Data Retrieval?

Associate (second tier) with Recco Battaglia. It appears in the contract pool after that.

Is the CQ7 rifle a guaranteed spawn?

No. It's part of the enemy loot pool. Check every armed NPC — mine was in the upper section.

Why can't I draw my weapon at the entrance?

The customs/transition zone temporarily blocks weapons. Keep moving inward; it resolves once you're fully in the hostile area.

Where do I deliver the data drive?

A separate drop-off terminal roughly 70 meters from the server room. The mission only completes after this handoff — don't leave early.

Is this good for reputation farming?

No. 200 rep with long travel time loses to ship distress contracts at 300 rep. Run Moraine for loot and blueprints, farm rep elsewhere.

Summary

Moraine Data Retrieval is a fun 4.9 addition with weak economics. ~30,500 aUEC and 200 rep won't justify repeat runs, especially with a long quantum jump attached. But the CQ7 spawn chance, mixed-armor loot, rare metals, and blueprint rewards make the first clear absolutely worth it.

The formula: check jump distance before accepting, bring spare mags, expect the weapon-draw delay at entry, sweep every body for the CQ7, and remember — the contract ends at the drop-off terminal, not the server room. Run it, loot it, then go back to higher-rep contracts.