Mass Effect 3 Model Ship Guide: Where All 17 Silver Ships Are Hidden
Model ship hunting in Mass Effect 3 is a surprisingly detailed scavenger hunt: the game features seventeen silver ship and station models displayed in the Captain’s Cabin on the Normandy. Ten of these are tucked away across the Normandy’s decks, six can be bought from stores on the Citadel, and the last one is tied to a pickup you make at the end of a downloadable story from Mass Effect 2. This guide lays out where every model ship is and how to secure the full set.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
“Model Ships” refers to the seventeen silver ship-and-station collectibles pulled from across the Mass Effect universe. Once obtained, they’re displayed in the Captain’s Cabin aboard the Normandy.
- Ten models are hidden somewhere on the Normandy’s decks.
- Six models are purchasable from shops across the Citadel.
- One additional model is only available if you picked it up at the conclusion of one of Mass Effect 2’s DLC episodes.
For the items you can buy, each purchasable Model Ship shares the same starting cost: a base price of 1,000 credits.
Purchasable Model Ships on the Citadel
The six collectible models sold on the Citadel are not all available at the same time. They generally become accessible after you’ve encountered certain content early in the main story.
Many of these purchasable Model Ships also showed up in Mass Effect 2. With a single exception, they’re available to all Mass Effect 3 players—assuming you can locate them in the first place.
When you’re not buying them, remember the inconvenience: the hidden models are spread across the Normandy’s decks, but the Captain’s Cabin itself is not where you’ll find them.
Where to Find Every Hidden Model Ship
Task Search
This section is about locating the hidden ship models aboard the Normandy by deck and room. Use the directions below to pinpoint each collectible.
All Mass Effect 3 Model Ships
These are the collectible model ships you can obtain throughout the game, whether by purchase on the Citadel or by searching specific areas on the Normandy. Buying options unlock gradually rather than all at once, and many models previously existed for purchase in Mass Effect 2—again, with one exception.
CIC & Crew Deck Model Ships
Alliance Shuttle
On the CIC deck, the only collectible is tucked into a hallway that connects the War Room to the CIC. Look for the wooden Briefing Room Table. Between the Briefing Room and the War Room there’s a corner area with stacked boxes and displaced floor tiles. In that corner, you’ll see a pile of crates glowing amber; the Alliance Shuttle Ship Model sits on top of those crates.
Destiny Ascension
On the Crew Deck, the only collectible is in the Life Support room. When you enter from the elevator, face the room and find the door to Life Support on the right, next to the Memorial Wall. The Destiny Ascension Ship Model is in the back-left corner of the room, positioned near a white table.
Engineering Model Ships & Space Hamster
All Engineering ship models, plus the Space Hamster, are located on the Sub-Deck. To reach it, use one of the doors that sits on either side of the elevator, then walk down the stairs along the side of the hallway.
Turian Cruiser
The Turian Cruiser Ship Model is on the right side of the Sub-Deck. Find it along the edge of a white crate tucked under the right side of the thick metal frame archway that runs across the room.
Sovereign
The Sovereign Ship Model can be found at the back of the Sub-Deck. Check the edge of a crate positioned behind a desk illuminated in white light.
Shadow Broker Ship
The Shadow Broker Ship Model is on the left side of the Sub-Deck. It sits between the left side of the thick frame archway spanning the room and two stacked cube crates—white-and-grey in color. These are placed in front of a white-lit desk.
Space Hamster
The Space Hamster is a moving target that scurries across the Sub-Deck floor. It follows a repeating route: it runs from left to right, pauses for roughly 25 seconds, then travels from right to left, continuing back and forth. Picking it up is difficult because you need to get close and line up your aim almost directly at it while trying to chase it.
Cargo Bay Model Ships
Geth Cruiser
In the Cargo Bay, the Geth Cruiser Ship Model can be found from the entry elevator. Stand facing down the Cargo Bay. On your right, look past the Armor Locker terminal toward a pile of crates. The Geth Cruiser is hidden on one of the crates in the middle of that pile.
Alliance Cruiser
The Alliance Cruiser Ship Model is in the same crate pile you find on the right when exiting the elevator. It’s located toward the back of that crate pile.
Freighter
The Freighter Ship Model is tucked into a hidden nook. From the entry elevator, face down into the Cargo Bay. Look left and pass the Weapon Bench to locate a gap between two large boxes. Go to the end of that gap, then turn right to find the Freighter Ship Model sitting on top of a white crate.
Quarian Ship
The Quarian Ship Model is near James Vega’s bodybuilding area along the left-hand side of the Cargo Bay. Find it on a white box to the left of the entryway.
Normandy SR-1
The Normandy SR-1 Ship Model is in the back-left portion of the Cargo Bay, in the area with the backup Kodiak Shuttle. The model sits on top of a small box close to the shuttle’s nose, positioned near two white crates.
Want more Mass Effect 3 help? Check out the following pages:
- Legendary Edition Changes
- How-To Guides
- Key Choices and Consequences
- Romance Guide
- Walkthrough
- Side Missions
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