3 - Recommended Ship Guide
Providing a full description of each ship, along with its uses, outfitting and engineering, is beyond the scope of a simple guide like this one. Instead, the links below provide useful ship builds for different stages in the game. Each link not only gives a build but describes the design process for selecting the ship, modules and engineering to help you build and fly better ships. Even if you use other ships, each one is intended to be educational.Early Game (no engineering and minimal credits):
- Beginner exploration Diamondback Explorer: A great starting ship if you want to head into the black and explore.
- Beginner combat Vulture: This ship punches above its weight while teaching good practices like pip management and weapon damage types.
- Beginner passenger Type-6 Transporter: Useful for transporting passengers, such as out of burning stations for superpower reputation.
Middle Game (engineering is helpful but not required):
- PvE combat Mamba: A surprisingly effective combat ship that supports different tactics and choosing who and when you fight.
- Multi-purpose mining Python: Capable of laser, surface, subsurface and core mining while sacrificing little.
- Bulk laser mining Type-9 Heavy: The second best ship in the game for bulk mining materials from asteroids for fun and profit.
Late Game and Specialist (engineering, powerplay modules and/or reputation-locked ships required):
- On-foot support Cobra Mk III: Reuse that Cobra Mk III you left the starting zone with to help with on-foot missions and material gathering. It has huge shields for surviving on-foot assaults, speed to get in and out quickly, weapons to clear areas of on-foot targets and multiple SRVs.
- Bulk laser mining Imperial Cutter: A step up from the Type-9 Heavy, with greater speed and manoeuvrability and enough hardpoints to mine solo in some resource extraction zones.
- Fixed weapon Fer-de-Lance: Become a better pilot using fixed weapons along with juggling heat for greater damage. Similar to many PvP combat builds, too.
- PvE combat ship and healer Krait Mk II: A ship that both dominates smaller ships and can heal shields of wingmates. No ammunition means endless pirate hunting.
- Shield-lite Federal Assault Ship: A niche PvE combat build, demonstrating how to work with minimal shields and describing armour piercing and hardness. Crazy yet fun.
- Racing builds: How to build the fastest ships in the game.
Anti-Xeno Builds:
- AXI Ship Build Guilde: The best source for Anti-Thargoid ships and tactics.