NO
It's faster than anything but perhaps the Clipper.
It can carry enough cargo to make money trading.
It has enough jump range to go exploring.
It can hold it's own in combat.
Certainly the best all rounder in it's size/price class.
The Asp is close until you look at the speed hit. After that, it's not until you get to the Anaconda that you see anything as well balanced, but there again you run into a hit against overall speed, but in the Conda, it probably doesn't matter much.
So, it's overall top speed and ability to adapt nicely to any role keep it at the top of the heap for best overall balance IMO.
I trade in an Anaconda
I explore in an Asp
I fight in an FDL
but I still love to hop in a Cobra and just enjoy ED
It's faster than anything but perhaps the Clipper.
It can carry enough cargo to make money trading.
It has enough jump range to go exploring.
It can hold it's own in combat.
Certainly the best all rounder in it's size/price class.
The Asp is close until you look at the speed hit. After that, it's not until you get to the Anaconda that you see anything as well balanced, but there again you run into a hit against overall speed, but in the Conda, it probably doesn't matter much.
So, it's overall top speed and ability to adapt nicely to any role keep it at the top of the heap for best overall balance IMO.
I trade in an Anaconda
I explore in an Asp
I fight in an FDL
but I still love to hop in a Cobra and just enjoy ED
For the money no, the Asp has better range, potential firepower and cargo capacity but at a significantly higher cost, my ships are a mix of Cobra explorer, Cobra miner, Vulture heavy and Vulture light and a Viper for the engine noise 
Even a fairy modest Asp build mainly D grade with A FSD and power dist is almost 17 mil, you can have an exploration and mining Cobra for less than half that cost, 5 or 6 LY less range but at a fraction of the purchase cost and insurance.
Even a fairy modest Asp build mainly D grade with A FSD and power dist is almost 17 mil, you can have an exploration and mining Cobra for less than half that cost, 5 or 6 LY less range but at a fraction of the purchase cost and insurance.
I got a way to go before owning those ships!!
The true currency in ED is time...
Thanks guys! I'm still a newbie so it's great to have information at hand. I'll stick to the cobra for now!
I still keep Gladys around.
Just got enough to buy a Cobra MK III and have about 160k after the buy (I'm in a system with current discount ongoing too).
If I want to keep it all-round but improve performance, should I just upgrade some modules?
Upgrading cargo looked to be pretty cheap, so 32 ton is a nice start for trading (if I remove the small module). If I wanna do some newbie exploring, I have to add a Detail Surface Scanner and Fuel Scoops at least I guess. I'm checking out some ideas on Coriolis ship builder.
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_iii/
If I want to keep it all-round but improve performance, should I just upgrade some modules?
Upgrading cargo looked to be pretty cheap, so 32 ton is a nice start for trading (if I remove the small module). If I wanna do some newbie exploring, I have to add a Detail Surface Scanner and Fuel Scoops at least I guess. I'm checking out some ideas on Coriolis ship builder.
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_iii/
The Cobra is definitely the best sounding ship out of them all. It sounds like a jet fighter mixed with an angry Ferrari, I just can't get enough of that ship.
Forget "all rounder". This is hands down the best ship in the game for PP, rares trading, undermining, Open exploration, or even PvP. You may not win every encounter, but you can't lose either. The more I fly it, the more I wonder why anyone flies anything else. I could afford a Python, but why bother? Silly big slow ships and their silly big guns.
Also, it has probably the best selection of paint jobs. Currently have the Tactical Graphite and I'm damn near invisible in Silent Running.
Also, it has probably the best selection of paint jobs. Currently have the Tactical Graphite and I'm damn near invisible in Silent Running.
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For smuggling, PP, missions etc. the Cobra is great. But the Asp is clearly superior for rare trading (where increase cargo space and jump range = increased CR/hr), and for exploration. I would say they are about the same in combat, where the Cobra wins on speed, but the Asp wins on firepower.
I love the Cobra, but every time I fly it I think "I could do this, and more, in the Asp", so I just stick to the Asp ^^
I love the Cobra, but every time I fly it I think "I could do this, and more, in the Asp", so I just stick to the Asp ^^
If you play Solo, the Asp has better cargo for bulk trading but trading rares in open? Nah. That is counter productive and risky. In fact, for any kind of Open play, the Cobra is almost always the better choice.
I raced a Cobra in my Asp on a diso run, and only beat him to the station by 2 seconds, and I am something of a speed jumper. If I had been interdicted I would have been dead in my Asp, and yet the Cobra would have been too fast to catch even fully loaded. Rares trading is almost always under 16 T, so an Asp is over kill for cargo space.
As for exploration, I made about 750k per hour in my Cobra doing econ jumping (refueling once every 300Ly) within 600LY of the bubble last night. In my Asp while using its superior jump range to get 1st tags <1kly out while taking the fastest routes and refueling under the FSD cooldown, I average a mere 250k per hour.
I have flown an Asp for about 300 Hrs in game, and the only reason I'd chose it over the Cobra would be for a Sgr A* speed run. And I would make sure to keep a cobra docked at the edge of the bubble for a ship change to hand in my data safely.
You might want to try a DB Scout for now. They are easier to learn on. You probably won't appreciate the Cobra fully until you've flown all the other ships and realize what makes her so special.
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Not sure I understand what you are saying.
I'm near 100+ T of rares when going from one rare hub to another.
Now as "best all rounder", I vote Python.
OK, it cost a lot more, but on my Python I can do :
Combat zone missions, Bounty hunting missions, Assassination missions with Interdiction on any type of target, Transport mission (128t cargo), Smuggling missions, Full exploration fitted.
Could do mining missions as well if I would and I can go on any outposts.
In a Cobra, you could not go from station to station, picking up the most interesting missions whatever type of missions they are.
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From yesterday i started to fly cobra again, to try my hand at piracy (not just as usually destroying other player ships). It's really a very versatile ship but it takes time to fully appreciate it. I dare to say is like an swiss army knife.
P.S. the graphite paint from tactical pack really worth every penny, it saved my hide when i run silent from a gang.
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