4. Ship Builds
SHIP BUILDSNote that these ship designs have been space-tested, but we are always looking to improve, so if you have suggestions, please contact CMDR Either.
Note that all these ship builds are in Coriolis.io. if you'd like to know where you can buy all the modules etc. there is a dollar symbol in the top right of the screen. click that and it will take you to Eddb.io with a search all set up for buying every module required for the build. Note that you may want / need to eliminate modules like the fuel tank etc from the search in order to increase the number of systems where you can find them.
All these builds are designed for specific activities, since typically building "general purpose" ships perform poorly at many different tasks. We'd recommend you build ships for each specific type of gameplay you want to engage in.
The ships in each activity type are arranged in order from the most basic to the most advanced, both in terms of price and engineering. The activity types we have builds for are as follows:
- Trade
- Laser Mining
- Core Mining
- Exploration
- PVE Combat
- Anti-Xeno Combat
- PVP Combat
Note that many of these ships, particularly the higher end versions are very heavily engineered, if you haven't got into engineering yet, and would like to. It may be worth reviewing the Engineering guide document.
Trade
Note that all of these ships are built without fuel scoops and as such are good only for short range trades. If you want to use them for longer range trades, make sure you install a scoop. Note that unlike some of the mining ships for example, none of these ships have a PDT, the logic here is that if you are trading your goods are likely to be much less valuable per tonne than if you are mining, and as you spent more time moving in supercruise you are more likely to come under attack from gankers.
Starter Trade Adder
• Cost - 1M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
A ship that many pilots skip over after making themselves a few credits with the Sidewinder and Hauler. But the Adder also makes a solid first ship purchase. This one costs just under 1m credits, and carries 26t of cargo with a passable 18ly jump range.
Trade Adder Link
Basic Trade T6
• Cost - 6.6M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
This tidy little dedicated trade vessel is the cheapest ship by far that can haul over 100t. This one takes a slightly smaller payload of 98t in exchange for improved shields that should help you survive longer against pesky pirates. She still has a laden jump range of just 18Ly, but can travel further than the Adder thanks to her larger fuel tank.
Trade T6 Link
Intermediate Trade T7
• Cost - 40M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
The T7 is the cheapest LARGE ship in the game, note that this means that this ship cannot land on outposts. However, it also means that it carries an incredible amount of cargo for the cost. The next ship that can haul more than it is it's big brother, the T9. This version carries an impressive 278t of cargo. But the real weakness here is the jump range of just 16ly. So, if you can get access to Farseer to engineer that FSD (and maybe the shield boosters too), I would strongly recommend it.
Trade T7 Link
Intermediate Trade Python
• Cost - 89M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
The Python is the medium ship with the largest capacity in the game. While this is slightly lower capacity than the T7 above, it is also significantly tougher, and has the ability to land on outposts. So once you can afford the python, the T7 is effectively obsolete. This build also for the first time comes with some engineering, as by the time you buy your first python you should really already at least have Farseer unlocked.
Trade Python Link
Heavy Trade T9
• Cost - 197M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatic Shields
• Suitable for Open? - No.
The mighty space cow, the T9 is a ship which is hated by many due to it's lumbering nature. However, she's second only to the Cutter in terms of absolute capacity and has the advantage of being much cheaper and not needing any rank to buy. Sadly the jump range sucks, and the shields aren't great either, because of that I've given this build a guardian FSD Booster to make up for the poor range, and done the best i can to beef up her shields too.
Trade T9 Link
Advanced Trade Cutter
• Cost - 624M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Vaterman, Palin
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatic Shields
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The Cutter, the ultimate trade ship. This is thanks to both the vast quantity of cargo she can transport and her incredible shields. On this build I have installed Prismatic shields, to make the point regarding how indestructible she can be, however, even with normal 6A shields you should always have plenty of tank available to escape from any situation. This build comes racked out for 730t of cargo for when you have a lot of stuff to shift.
Alternative builds have a fuel scoop, and FSD Booster for longer range trading. Or a Supercruise Assist module for faster arrival at stations (see the mini-guides section for how to use the SCA for faster drops).
Trade Cutter Link
Laser Mining
Please note the following:
- These ships have been designed to mine quickly, not to travel long distances. If your sell location is far from your mining location, I would strongly advise to park at a nearby station after you’ve filled your cargo hold and switch to a transportation loadout. Store the collector limpets, improve the shields, add a fuel scoop, (and if you have them unlocked, an FSD booster).
- All these ships CAN be used shieldless to get you space for more collector limpets on board for faster mining. This is a VERY high risk strategy, it is very likely to get you killed at some point, but will also mean faster mining in the meantime. If you do this I would strongly advise you NOT to fly in Open
- Note that the larger ships in this set carry Point Defence Turrets, the logic here to protect your cargo hold from hatch breakers. The smaller ships are likely to be able to able to out-manoeuvre those limpets to avoid them while you escape (roll the ship so that they can't get under you). In order to perform this role, the PDT needs to be close to your cargo hatch.
Starter Mining Keelback
• Cost - 6.2M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
Not got much cash? Want to change that? Don't like the frustrations of deep core mining? Build yourself one of these, and find a suitable hotspot and start lasering rocks. This ship will set you back less than 7M credits, but can haul 64t of valuable commodities, potentially worth about 20M credits. Not a bad start but suffers from a number of shortfalls, if you have the cash, look further down the list.
Laser Mining Keelback Link
Basic Laser Mining AspX
• Cost - 15.7M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
If you have just slightly deeper pockets, the AspX represents a major step up in your laser mining equipment. With 4 collector limpets instead of 2, and a distributor which can actually make a decent stab at powering those mining lasers, this will give you a vastly better mining speed. It'll also move faster, carry more and jump further than the Keelback, an upgrade in every respect.
Laser Mining AspX Link
Intermediate Laser Mining Python
• Cost - 114M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Dweller
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
This mining Python may lack a little in terms of jump range, but it's been engineered a bit to partially make up for that. The benefits more than make up for those issues though, the 7A Distributor, means you'll be mining fast enough to keep all those 7 collector limpets busy. Or, if you want a shorter but faster mining session, trad out one of the cargo racks for another collector for 10 limpets.
Just make sure you're working close to a suitable sell location or you have a suitable transport ship or modules nearby as the jump range on this ship is very poor.
This build comes with some weapons as you will be able to use it to handle pirate NPCs without difficulty.
Laser Mining Python Link
Heavy Laser Mining T9
• Cost - 146M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Vaterman, Palin, Dweller, Hera Tani
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatics, Mining Lances
• Suitable for Open? - No.
Finally, a good use for everyone's favourite Space Cow. This Type 9 Transporter is ideal for long, LONG mining sessions, with 512t of cargo space. With an army of 13 collector limpets, it'll have you grabbing goodies lightning fast. The mining lances here are intended to help make up for the slow movement speed of the T9. Allowing you to get started on an asteroid as you approach it, then switch to the main Lasers once you get within a 500m.
Just don't expect the ship itself to move that quickly... or travel that far. Even with the FSD engineered you’ll only get 20LY jump when you’re fully loaded. So it's highly advisable to switch to something else to sell.
Laser Mining T9 Link
Large Laser Mining Anaconda
• Cost - 440M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Vaterman, Palin, Dweller, Hera Tani
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatic Shields
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The Anaconda makes a great mining ship too. With plenty of internal space and a much better distributor, the Conda is suitable for shorter, more rapid mining sessions. The Prismatic shields here are a nice to have, if you haven't unlocked them, the 6A shield will work just fine. This build comes with 192t of cargo space, and runs 15 collector limpets. But it can be modified in a number of different ways. For example, to carry 128t of cargo and run 19 collectors, or 256t of cargo and 13 limpets. If you are operating further from the sell location, consider a FSD Booster. Engineered FSD, shields, thrusters and distro for good efficiency and toughness.
Laser Mining Anaconda Link
Advanced Laser Mining Cutter
• Cost - 636M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Vaterman, Palin, Dweller, Hera Tani
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatic Shields
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
Another great ship for mining, the Cutter performs the same task, but faster and tougher than the T9, running 12 collectors and still carrying 512t of cargo. Or, for smaller, faster runs, you can swap out half the cargo for 4 more collectors. This one is also armed well enough to deal with NPC pirates who may try to cause you issues. Again, the prismatic shields are a nice optional extra here for the extra toughness. As always, make sure the Point Defence Turret is positioned to protect your cargo hatch.
Laser Mining Cutter Link
Core Mining
Starter Core Mining Cobra
• Cost - 2.2M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
Not tried core mining before? This is the ship for you. Fast, manoeuvrable, and above all, cheap. It's got good speed for hunting for those elusive core asteroids and is quick and easy to get around the fissures. One successful session mining, and this ship will bring in well over 10 times it's value in mining goods. Plenty of room to upgrade here if you have the cash. But be cautious with the jump range, and with pirates as this ship is not great for travelling and may die quickly.
Core Mining Cobra Link
Basic Core Mining AspX
• Cost - 16.7M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
The AspX offers increased cargo hold (96t), and more collector limpets for faster collecting, plus a better jump range so you can travel to where you need to sell those Void Opals. The big bonus though comes from the cockpit, because with the huge windows, it makes spotting core minable asteroids much easier. If you want to be tougher and use an A-rated analyser, you'll need to switch to the 5A power plant (or engineer the 4A).
Core Mining AspX Link
Intermediate Core Mining Phantom
• Cost - 81M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
The Phantom offers a lot of benefits over the AspX, more cargo space (128t), better jump range, faster, and still an incredible view for core hunting. This is as much a straight upgrade as you can get. This one has been engineered slightly to give you an idea of options for improvement. This is a great ship for core mining if you want speed over capacity. It even comes with some weapons for dealing with low end NPCs.
Core Mining Phantom Link
Intermediate Core Mining Python
• Cost - 114M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Dweller
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
The Python isn't as fast as the Phantom but with over 190t of cargo space and plenty of room for an army of collector limpets, while still being small enough to get in between fragments of asteroids. This is one of the best mining ships in the game, and a solid contender for those who want to go out for longer sessions hunting for VoidO's. Because of that it is also equipped with weapons to ensure that any NPC pirates you encounter don't bring your operations to an early finish.
Core Mining Python Link
High-Speed Mining Clipper
• Cost - 60M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Dweller, Hera Tani, Selene Jean, Prof Palin, Didi Vaterman, Dorn, Tiana
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatics
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
This ship actually comes in slightly cheaper than the mining Python, but requires the Imperial rank of Baron to unlock, and a lot of engineering to fully appreciate. The key advantage here is that this ship is FAST - over 640m/s compared to the python's 300m/s this makes a huge difference when you are zipping along above the asteroid field looking for that signature glow, and given that it still carries 190t of cargo. The only slight downside is that you don't have the same field of view you would if you were in the Phantom, otherwise, hands down the best core mining ship out there.
Core Mining Clipper Link
Exploration
Note that most of these ships should not be considered "Open Safe", get attacked by a ganker, and you are very likely to die. Want to explore in Open? Look at the "Toughened" versions. Remember that while you are least likely to encounter a hostile player out in the black, you also have more to lose through dying than any other type of player. So don't just go for jump range on exploration ships, consider survivability too.
Starter Exploration Hauler
• Cost - 700k Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
Very cheap ship with a reasonable jump range to get you up and running around, widely used as a taxi even by more experienced players (once engineered). It requires nothing to be unlocked and will make 22Ly jumps.
Exploration Hauler Link
Basic Exploration Diamondback Explorer
• Cost - 11.4M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
The best jump range of any small ship, and one of the best in the game. The DBX lacks a little on Optional Internals, meaning that it takes longer to fuel still a great exploration ship though, carrying most exploration tools, and this one has a jump range of almost 36LY with no engineering. If your budget can stretch further, the first thing to upgrade is the fuel scoop. an A-rated one will refuel about 10% faster, but add over 2.5M credits to the cost of the ship.
Exploration DBX Link
Mid-Range Exploration Asp Explorer
• Cost - 24M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - No
Arguably the best cockpit in the game for looking out at the universe. Great jump range and enough Optional Internals to carry most stuff you will want. This build is lightly engineered requiring only Farseer and delivers an impressive 53Ly jump range. The only snag with this is that it is pretty much tissue paper weak, this isn't something you should be flying in Open without a stack of more serious engineering to toughen you up.
Exploration AspX Link
Advanced Exploration Phantom
• Cost - 83M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Dweller, Hera Tani, Selene Jean, Prof Palin, Didi Vaterman
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian FSD Booster
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
One of, if not THE best exploration ships in the game, the Phantom beats the Asp for jump range and does so with much more internal module space. This build is fully engineered with all the bells and whistles and comes with a jump range of 62Ly. Which is impressive for a ship which boasts over 700MJ of shields, and if you are careful should be fine surviving ganks etc. It also has a mining laser to allow you to gather jumponium out in the black if needed, repair limpets in case the landings are too rough, and a research limpet controller for investigating the strange things you find out in the black. Plus, it looks awesome, both from inside and outside.
Exploration Phantom Link
Deep Space Exploration Conda
• Cost - 293M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Dweller, Hera Tani, Selene Jean, Prof Palin, Didi Vaterman
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian FSD Booster
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
For when you absolutely, positively have to get somewhere far away and quickly. Alas, it doesn't have the manoeuvrability of the Asp and Phantom, nor their speed, but the Anaconda has the best theoretical jump range in the galaxy.
This build comes with all the best fittings that you could require to spend the rest of your life out in the void without having to land, and while that means it sacrifices a little jump range, it still manages 73Ly at a bound. And is tough enough to give you a good chance suriving against whatever you find out there.
Exploration Anaconda Link
Toughened Exploration Phantom
• Cost - 86M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Dweller, Hera Tani, Selene Jean, Prof Palin, Didi Vaterman
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian FSD Booster
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
With a little over 1000MJ of shields, and almost 1000 hull, this ship can take a bit of a pounding. It is by no means a combat ship, but it should buy you valuable seconds to escape a gankers clutches, despite this, it still comes in with over 60Ly jump range, but alas does lose a little of the utility options. If you want to fly faster at the cost of a little jump range, upgrading the thrusters to 5A will improve your speed from 528m/s to almost 580m/s at the cost of 1.5Ly jump range. You may also want to consider the research limpet controller instead of the repair limpet controller if examining life in the black is of more interest to you than the ability to fix up.
Toughened Exploration Phantom
Toughened Exploration Conda
• Cost - 282M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Lei Cheung, Dweller, Hera Tani, Selene Jean, Prof Palin, Didi Vaterman
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian FSD Booster
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
Now we're talking, well over 2000MJ of shields, over almost 2000 hull and reasonable resistances too, not bad for a ship that jumps 70Ly.
It is however pretty slow, so make sure you know how to deal with the cycle time of grom bombs, or you may be slowly ground down while trying to escape. the other downside is that this isn't that much fun to fly, so if you're thinking of having fun among the asteroids. you might wanna pack a fighter (swap it in for one of the Hull reinforcements).
Toughened Exploration Anaconda Link
PVE Combat
Starter Combat Viper Mk3
• Cost - 2.5M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Maybe (gank escape training required)
Fast and fun to fly with reasonable damage output the viper makes a great introduction to combat. However, it’s weak shields mean that it can’t take much of a beating. This is, in many ways the ideal for an introduction to combat, as it will teach you to juggle pips, fly evasively, and avoid being shot in the first place, a skill that will serve you well later down the line.
The point defence here is intended to protect you against the missiles that NPCs then to fire rapidly once your shields drop. If you're really struggling with the fixed lasers, then you can you can trade for gimballed lasers but the damage bonus of fixed is worth it if you can hit with them. If you have access to any engineering, then the first place to work is to upgrade the thrusters to the enhanced versions (sold by Farseer) to capitalise on your speed.
PVE Combat Viper Link
Basic Combat Vulture
• Cost - 24M Cr
• Engineers Required - None
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The Vulture is an incredibly manoeuvrable ship, especially on the thrusters. Really needs engineering to make her shine (this one is not engineered) but still a lot of fun to fly. With the large weapons, this ship can pack a lot of punch and still do healthy damage even against larger ships which the Viper would struggle with. Tougher than the viper too, but still much better at dodging fire than simply absorbing it. Good ship for practicing fixed weapons, good loadouts include a pair of fixed multicannons, a fixed laser and a gimballed multicannon, or even Plasma Accelerators once you have some engineering available.
Note that this build takes the ship very close to the power limit, so much so in fact that you’ll need to turn off your cargo scoop and AFMU when you deploy the weapons. If your modules are taking a pounding, disengage from the fight, move to a safe distance, retract your weapons , then set the AFMU repairing. Note that once you can do some engineering, working on the power plant rapidly gives you more flexibility.
PVE Combat Vulture Link
Mid-Range Combat Chieftain
• Cost - 83M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer & Blaster
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
Great combat ship with some serious damage output and thanks to the massive number of hardpoints a lot of flexibility in loadout. It's also MUCH more rugged thanks to the Chief's incredible hull, this ship can really soak up some damage. We've added some very basic engineering in here, only the two engineers who most CMDRs unlock first - these two alone make an enormous difference to what you can do with this ship.
The shields on this thing are not great, so you should expect to lose them periodically. However, that strong hull will help you shrug off attacks, combined with the Module Reinforcements, and the AFMU to repair you back up, you should be able to hunt for long periods of time. Note that if you are finding the ammo limit on the rails a problem, you can always switch to plasma slug as the experimental. You lose the ability to cancel shield cell banks of enemy ships, but you gain a lot of longevity.
PVE Combat Chieftain Link
Mid-Range Krait Mk2
• Cost - 180M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Blaster, Liz Ryder, Lei Cheung & Dweller
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The Krait Mk2 is a staple combat ship for commanders all across the galaxy, from mission runners, to conflict zones, to AX. She's fast, extremely tough and versatile and has very well placed weapons.
She loses out a little to the chieftain in terms of agility, but instead she is faster, has tougher shields, and much more well protected modules and a bigger distributor to keep her firing longer.
Once you can, i would recommend unlocking the engineer Selene Jean too, to really toughen up that hull a lot further.
PVE Combat Krait Link
Advanced Combat Anaconda
• Cost - 434M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Blaster, Lei Cheung, Dweller, Hera Tani, Selene Jean, Prof Palin, Lori Jameson, Didi Vaterman
• Unlockable Modules - None
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The Anaconda has the toughest maximum hull in the game, it has arguably the highest maximum sustained damage output. It isn't the most manoeuvrable ship in the game, but it's hardpoints are well located for maximum application of fixed hardpoints if you can use them well.
It's also the first ship on this list with a full set of 8 utility slots offering some impressive shields. This build aims to achieve long duration sustain through the use of bi-weave shielding which give the shields a great recharge rate. Should the primary buffer provided by the shield not be sufficient, shield cell banks are used as backup health pool.
PVE Combat Anaconda Link
Advanced Combat Corvette
• Cost - 688M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Blaster, Lei Cheung, Dweller, Hera Tani, Selene Jean, Prof Palin, Lori Jameson, Didi Vaterman
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian FSD Booster
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
One of the most popular combat ships in the game. The vette comes with significantly better shields than the conda, but not as much hull. Not quite a match for the firepower, or the clustering of the hardpoints, but better turn rate and thus it's easier keep the target in front of the guns, it's also slightly faster.
This is a fully engineered build, capable of taking on any human NPCs in the game and obliterating them. Perfectly capable of taking on multiple full wings NPC ships at the same time and soloing High Intensity Conflict zones.
This build takes a different approach to managing the heat from the Shield Cell Banks, here it is to use thermal vent on the lasers, effectively using the enemy ships as your heat sinks. But thanks to the recharge rate of the bi-weaves you shouldn't need the banks often anyway. There are many other loadouts that the Vette can fit and work very well with.
PVE Combat Corvette Link
Anti-Xeno Combat
Here are a small subset of some of the better known bug hunter ships. For a full set of Thargoid hunting vessels, please take a look at the AXI repository where you will find a full selection along with a massive selection of useful information about AX Combat:
AXI Website
AX Chieftain
• Cost - 83M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Lei Cheung, Palin, Vatermann, Ram Tah ,Selene Jean, Broo Tarquin.
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian Gauss Canon, Guardian Module Reinforcement, Guardian Shield Reinforcement
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The chief is well known for it's impressive hull, and as such, it excels in combat against the shield penetrating effects of some of the Thargoid weaponry, and it's fast enough to control range against anything other than a basilisk. The Chieftain has slightly lower overall firepower than the Krait below however it is able to equip a Thermal Vent Beam laser allowing pilots to begin to learn cold orbiting techniques. The Chieftain has the added bonus of also being much more agile than the Krait Mk.II.
AX Chieftain Link
AX Krait Mk 2
• Cost - 186M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Lei Cheung, Palin, Vatermann, Ram Tah ,Selene Jean.
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian Gauss Canon, Guardian Module Reinforcement, Guardian Shield Reinforcement
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The favoured workhorse of many an AX pilot, the Krait despite offering one hardpoint less than the Chief actually has a loadout more suited to AX weapons. This build features the maximum of 4x Guardian Gauss Cannons and still has space to fit the flak launcher for dealing with the swarms and results in a much higher damage output. It's shield is slightly better than that of the Chief, but it's hull slightly worse, and it's slightly faster. Still, it's a hefty pricetag for these improvements.
AX Krait Link
AX Cutter
• Cost - 1,050M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Lei Cheung, Palin, Vatermann, Ram Tah ,Selene Jean, Broo Tarquin.
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian Gauss Canon, Guardian Module Reinforcement, Guardian Shield Reinforcement
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
Finally, a big ship that can stay ahead of a Thargoid interceptor in a straight line race. The Cutter is the other side of the triangle in terms of performance against the other two big ships. It's faster than either of the other ships, but turns worse. It's shields are even better than the Corvette, but it's hull is worse.
AX Cutter Link
Advanced AX Chieftain
• Cost - 81M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Palin, Ram Tah ,Selene Jean, Broo Tarquin.
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian Gauss Canon, Guardian Module Reinforcement, Guardian Hull Reinforcement, Corrosion Resistant Cargo Rack (optional)
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
Shieldless AX builds offer the advantage of lower base thermal load, lower power requirements, easier pip management, a smaller cross-section, lower weight and better hull strength. The addition of a repair limpet controller give shieldless AX builds an enormous total health pool.
The shieldless Chieftain is widely considered to be the most effective all around ship for AX combat, as it has the speed to effectively engage multiple interceptors, excellent pitch rate for orbiting, versatile hardpoints with good convergence, and a large health pool.
Advanced AX Chieftain Link
Advanced AX Krait Mk 2
• Cost - 149M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Palin, Ram Tah ,Selene Jean, Broo Tarquin.
• Unlockable Modules - Guardian Gauss Canon, Guardian Module Reinforcement, Guardian Hull Reinforcement
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
While not as agile or versatile as the chieftain, this shieldless version of the Krait Mk2 offers formidable firepower with it's four medium Guardian gauss cannons, and can be outfitted with either a flak launcher for dealing with swarms, or a large thermal vent beam laser able to quickly cool the ship and rapidly drain interceptor shields.
Advanced AX Krait Link
PVP Combat
Standard META Fer-de-Lance (Large Prismo MetaLance)
• Cost - 104M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Lei Cheung, Palin, Jameson, Vatermann, Ram Tah, Blaster, Bill Turner, Selene Jean
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatic Sheilds + Imperial Hammers
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The prismatic Fer De Lance is the current META PVP ship because it is the most versatile medium ship that strikes the best balance between shielding, manoeuvring, speed and damage output. The standard plasma/rail loadout works on the theory that you will use your agility and positioning to do big damage in single blows while evading for the rest of the fight.
It has chaff to counter gimbals and shield cell banks to recharge its shields, because prismatic shields recharge too slowly to matter during a fight. The choice between big prismatic (with the shield gen in the size 5) and small prismatic (shield gen in size 4) is simply a question of whether you want more total hit points (small prismatic), or safer hit points (big prismatic).
Any hit points contained in the shield generator and boosters are "safer" than hit points contained in shield cell banks, because shield cells can be countered if you are shot at the right time with a feedback cascade railgun (which is why this gun is always equipped in the META).
The effectiveness of this build scales with the skill of the pilot. It is hard to use, but the better you get with it, the better it becomes. Furthermore, it forces you to learn all the manoeuvring, positioning and timing skills that you will need to excel in any build. This build is highly effective for PVP duels and wing fights, as well as bounty hunting or winging up for combat zones. It suffers for ammunition during extended PVE encounters, and prismatics in general require the occasional "reboot & repair" or trip to a station to regain lost shields once the shield cells are used up.
Large Priso Metalance Link
Small Prismo META Fer-de-Lance
• Cost - 100M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Lei Cheung, Palin, Jameson, Vatermann, Ram Tah, Blaster, Bill Turner, Selene Jean
• Unlockable Modules - Prismatic Sheilds + Imperial Hammers
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
As above but with the Small Prismatic:
Small Prismo Metalance Link
Bi-weave pacifier Vulture
• Cost - 33M Cr
• Engineers Required - Farseer, Hera Tani, Dweller, Lei Cheung, Palin, Jameson, Vatermann, Ram Tah, Selene Jean, Nemo
• Unlockable Modules - Pacifiers
• Suitable for Open? - Yes
The bi-weave pacifier vulture is a small ship with more hull than many medium ships. It relies on speed, agility, and an annoyingly fast shield regeneration to stay alive. Its large incendiary pacifier frag is effective at 1km or closer, and does substantial shield damage, while the drag-munitions pacifier strips the opponent's ability to manoeuvre as you spin around and fire from behind.
In PvP encounters, this build provides an excellent opportunity to practice evasive, high alpha (high alpha means lots of damage all at once) flying, and it can prove the equal or better of many pilots in medium ships. Other common weapons loadouts for this build include dual plasma accelerators (efficient engineering with experimental choices depending on whether you're building for PvP or PvE) which have a similar play style to the pacifier build, or dual multi-cannons (overcharged incendiary/high capacity corrosive) for a build that relies on "time on target:" circling the opponent at medium range while doing steady damage.
The vulture's agility has long made it the standard ship to first learn how to use fixed weapons. This is an excellent build for bounty hunting, assassinations, winging up for CZs or PvP duels. Like the bi-weave FDL, it's lots of fun to fly, forces you to learn effective evasion techniques and how to bring those shields up quickly. It also has a fraction of the rebuy...
Pacifier Vulture Link