How to Get Ornithopter in Dune Awakening: The Ultimate Guide

Greetings, sleepers! Now that Dune Awakening is in full swing, fast travel and aerial control have become game-changers—especially when chasing spice blows or escaping sandworms. If you're looking to master the skies solo or with your squad, this blog with LDShop will walk you through everything you need to know about crafting, upgrading, and using ornithopters efficiently.

What is Ornithopter

In Dune: Awakening, if you want to move fast, explore freely, and reach the game’s most rewarding areas, you’ll need an ornithopter. These flying machines are the key to traversing Arrakis and accessing rare resources and dangerous zones.

 

Ornithopter Types & Use Cases

Scout Ornithopter

• Pros: Ultra-fast, super mobile, great for exploration, long-range scouting, and scanning resources
• PvP Notes: Often seen as the only option for combat (maybe too often… nerfs incoming)
• Tiers Available: MK4 to MK6
• Heads-up: Scout rockets are getting nerfed soon (slower handling, more heat when equipped with rocket launcher), but MK4 Scouts still serve as the foundation for unlocking mid- and high-tier crafting.

 

Assault Ornithopter

• Pros: Decent armor and weapons, made for PvP
• Reality: Kinda underwhelming right now. Most players prefer the Scout for combat due to better handling.
• Tiers Available: MK5 to MK6

 

Carrier Ornithopter

• Pros: Massive storage and hauling capacity, exceptional resistance to damage
• Cons: No weapons, not for solo players—think transport truck, not fighter jet
• Tier Available: Only MK6

 

Ornithopter Modules & Custom Builds

Every ornithopter is crafted piece by piece—here’s what you’ll need:

Mandatory Core Modules (varies slightly by model)

• Cabin / Hull (Carriers use 5 hull pieces: main hull, side hull x2, tail hull x2)
• Chassis
• Engine
• Generator
• Cockpit (not on Carriers)
• Wings (Scouts use 4, Assaults come with 6, and Carriers need 8.)
• Tail

 

Optional Modules

Once you’ve got the essentials in place, you can also equip optional modules based on your playstyle.

 

Rocket Launcher

(Scout & Assault only)

Rocket launchers turn your ornithopter into a flying gunship. They’re the go-to choice for PvP, allowing you to deal burst damage while staying mobile. On Scout models, they make you a deadly hit-and-run specialist. But there’s a tradeoff: rockets generate heat fast and add weight, so if you’re just exploring or gathering, you might want to skip them.

 

Scanner

(Scout only)

The scanner is your best friend when you're scouting new territory or hunting for specific resources. It highlights materials, nodes, and points of interest across the map, making it much easier to plan your next move. It's especially useful for solo players who need to gather efficiently or locate high-value targets in risky areas.

 

Storage Compartment

(Scout & Assault)

Need to bring home a big haul? The storage compartment adds inventory slots to your ornithopter, letting you carry more materials on each run. Great for gathering missions or team support roles—but like all modules, it adds weight and affects flight handling. PvP players often skip it to stay agile.

 

Thruster

(Available for all models)

The thruster boosts your flight performance, giving you faster takeoff, better climbing speed, and smoother control overall. It’s the utility pick for any build—whether you’re escaping a fight, chasing down a target, or just crossing long stretches of desert, having a thruster can make your ride feel way more responsive.

 

Do I Need to Equip Every Module and Max Them Out

Not at all. In fact, trying to load up every possible module at the highest tier can backfire. Every module adds weight, and all flight systems draw from the same energy pool. That means a fully loaded ornithopter might struggle with speed, maneuverability, or fuel efficiency—especially if you’re flying solo.

The best builds are role-specific. If you're focused on scouting and gathering, skip the rocket launcher and go light to maximize range and scan efficiency. If you're diving into PvP, drop the storage and load up on firepower and thrusters. In team play, it’s smart to specialize—let your fighter handle the weapons, while your gatherer carries the cargo.

Bottom line: build smart, not heavy. More modules don’t always mean more power.

 

How to Unlock Ornithopter Crafting

Crafting your own ornithopter isn’t instant—it takes some legwork, but the payoff is huge once you’re flying over spice fields and danger zones with ease.

Research & Intel Requirements

• Spend at least 300 Intel Points on any available research
• Then another 30 Intel Points to unlock the actual Ornithopter blueprint

You’ll also need to set up essential facilities like a Medium Ore Refinery, Chemical Refinery, and a Vehicle Fabricator at your base. This will let you process raw resources into advanced components and assemble your vehicles.

 

How to Get MK4 Scout Ornithopter FAST

The MK4 Scout Ornithopter is your golden ticket to upper-tier gameplay. It gives you access to higher-tier zones and advanced materials, which are crucial for building stronger vehicles. So if you’re just starting out, this is the one you should aim for first.

MK4 Scout Ornithopter Crafting Materials:

• 241x Aluminum Ingot
• 82x Cobalt Paste
• 46x Advanced Servoks
• 22x Particle Capacitor
• 22x Armor Plating
• 8x Complex Machinery
• 8x Industrial Pump
• 14x Diamondine Dust
• 7x Carbide Scraps
• 3056x Water

 

Aluminum—The Real Bottleneck

Aluminum is the hardest material to gather early on. Still stuck at Mk3? No problem. Just grab your Cutteray, start mining by hand, and work on your tech. As soon as you craft Buggy MK3 and hit Buggy Cutteray Mk4, your aluminum yield will explode—totally worth the grind.

Tool	Aluminum Output/Node	Relative Efficiency	Carrying Capacity
Cutteray Mk3 (handheld)	~36	Base	~175
Buggy Storage Mk4 + Cutteray Mk4	~90	~2.5x	2000+

So how much does it actually cost to get your Buggy up and ready for efficient aluminum mining? Here’s exactly what you’ll need for the Buggy MK3 and the Cutteray MK4 setup.

Buggy Cutteray Mk4 Crafting Materials: 70x Aluminum Ingot 30x Particle Capacitor 27x Cobalt Paste 15x Ray Amplifier 510mL Water

Buggy MK3 Crafting Materials: 1390mL Water 240x Steel Ingot 122x Advanced Servoks 120x Cobalt Paste 75x Particle Capacitor 23x Holtzman Actuator 26x Armor Plating 10x Complex Machinery

You don’t need a top-tier buggy to run top-tier modules—feel free to slap a Cutteray MK4 onto your Buggy MK3. As long as the module type fits, it works. No level gates at all.

Building the Cutteray MK4 consumes only about 30% of the aluminum required to craft a Scout MK4 Ornithopter. That means you’ll be airborne faster—and with a simple mining setup, your total aluminum collection time drops by over 31% compared to doing it all by hand.

 

Where to Mine Aluminum Ore Efficiently

If you’re struggling to gather enough Aluminum for your MK4 Scout or module upgrades, head Wreck of the Limos, which is located in the Eastern Shield Wall subregion in Hagga Basin —specifically, the red-framed zone shown in the photo. For faster and safer farming, go during off-peak hours and use scanner modules to locate dense clusters.

 

Don’t wanna grind? You’ve got options:

• Join Atreides or Harkonnen, grind reputation to Level 4, and spend 125,000 Solari to buy an ornithopter from the faction vendor
• Buy modules from vendors in Arrakeen / Harko Village
• Check the auction house—grab full builds or modules

All these mean one thing: you’ll need a mountain of Solari. Skip the struggle—buy discounted Solari now at LDShop and soar ahead of the competition!

 

How to Upgrade Your Ornithopter

Once you have your ornithopter, upgrading it is straightforward. Head to the assembly station, remove any old components, craft higher-tier parts, and install them. Each module can be upgraded individually, and as long as you’ve researched the tech, you can jump straight to MK6 without needing the earlier tiers. Just remember: all wings must be of the same tier, or the system won’t let you fly.

 

Use Solari to Fast-Track Your Ornithopter Progress

A better Ornithopter means faster spice runs, safer travel, and stronger combat power—key advantages that turn survival into dominance. Don’t let slow crafting or missing parts hold you back when you could already be flying high.

With extra Solari from LDShop, you can skip the grind and grab rare modules, upgrade parts, and even full builds. Buy faster, fly farther, and make every run count.