Yeah I cant forget about that important rule, I have been seeing that rule pop up a lot lol
Road to Imperial Cutter
- Thread starter calmBlooper
- Start date
Yeah I cant forget about that important rule, I have been seeing that rule pop up a lot lol
I've done it twice, now, on 2 accounts. It takes a very long time to a) get the rank, and b) get the funds. Although you can buy a stock cutter for under 200 million, you'll need closer to 500 million to fully outfit it, and then there's the Engineering to do. Hundreds of hours.
I absolutely love the Cutter, though. I like how it looks, how it flies, how powerful it is, how flexible...everything about it, really. It's worth the effort, if you ask me.
But it IS a lot of effort
I absolutely love the Cutter, though. I like how it looks, how it flies, how powerful it is, how flexible...everything about it, really. It's worth the effort, if you ask me.
But it IS a lot of effort
Yeah so far I am going to shoot towards the T-7.
If you want to explore but not with an ASPX, then you can use a Diamondback Explorer or if you can afford it an Anaconda. If you are on a budget, an Adder with A rated FSD and a fuel scoop, plus D rated modules is a good starter for exploration
Type 6s make pretty good explorers in their own right, and with the same Lakon cockpit style as Asps the view is great.
I am in the process of ranking up to Duke, to purchase the Imperial Cutter. so beware it is a grind. I have been playing since 2014, for a total of 0ne month in game time or 720 hrs. So far I have 135million in credits, one Imperial Clipper and a Python and a T6. For the new player that wants to trade , I would recommend that you work your way up as follows, quickly get to a T6, good cargo hold and decent range for trading and travel. than when you have the cash or find a short range trade route with 1000 credits a ton, Buy a T7 and grind enough credits and rank for an imperial Clipper or Python. I tried a T9 but I found that the range was very short, to many jumps for the money. my favorite Trader so far for my trade route is the Imperial Clipper, I can turn over 200000 every fifteen minutes on continuously. At the moment I am ranking up to Duke using a Python and focussing on reputation enhancing missions, and I am running a 2M and hr credit run. My reason for getting he cutter is to achieve Elite Trader status, I am now at Tucoon with a long way to go, but the Cutter with over 700 tons cargo space will help me along. Also I wan to have enough Credits on hand when the Targoids make their appearance , that I can go Hunting.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Cowards creed.
Be a real pilot, and fly right after you buy.
Meh - I prefer not to suffer a whole hull loss....
Actually, there's not a ship in the game that I could not afford the rebuy on at the moment (and that's after buying and outfitting my Cutter earlier).
That is just to purchase the ship. Wait till you mod the beast and upgrade the systems. That is another 50Mil just A rating these big ships. Then you need the money to buy the ship back if you happen to die. Big ships need big bank accounts!
Meh - I prefer not to suffer a whole hull loss....
Actually, there's not a ship in the game that I could not afford the rebuy on at the moment (and that's after buying and outfitting my Cutter earlier).
Well Richy Rich, hope ya like your winder. LOL
Kind of like lambo's and other exotic auto's here. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
There might be a BIG reward for bringing back a live Thargoid...
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
I still enjoy my Sidewinder, now and again.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Right up until the point it spawns uncontrollably.
I started the Imperial rank grind two months ago, with 440mil in bank, and I am 3% rank away from getting the next naval rank mission, and have 700mil in the bank. Should get that tonight.
All done mostly in an engineered, unarmed, aspx, the 'Fetid Frog of Fortune'.
If you just concentrate on the data missions, you could use a sidey.
All done mostly in an engineered, unarmed, aspx, the 'Fetid Frog of Fortune'.
If you just concentrate on the data missions, you could use a sidey.
How did you grind the credits?
Last edited:
On my PC save i'm almost at 1200 hours. I've played "normally" so never done any rank exploits. My imperial rank is only Squire, so not even unlocked the Clipper, and miles off the Cutter.
Many players got their ranking done when there was exploit, and your best bet at unlocking it fast is definitely if another one gets discovered - assuming you don't mind such things.
The grind for the Cutter is big. Like you'll not get this from "just playing" in a reasonable timeframe, and you'll need to dedicate serious time into unlocking it (and a similar massive grind for the Corvette).
As for the Cutter itself, I've tried every ship in the beta (as FDev unlock them all, except for the Cobra MK4), and was not impressed. The Clipper's interior is better for an imp ship IMO (and aesthetics are subjective afterall), while it does little better than any other ship.
Beluga and Conda have no rank requirements, and are arguably better ships (outside of certain Cutter niche roles).
I'd really not worry too much about unlocking it fast.
tl;dr don't grind, you'll burn out.
Last edited:
A Cutter is a worthy goal. It's a trading and combat (yes, combat) powerhouse that commands respect, but it takes a loooooooong time to get one. Stop and take the time to appreciate the Courier on the way, as well. Also to appreciate that this might be the only game you'll play where one ship can take a year or more to work up to.
Find a spot close to the frontier of Imperial territory, with minor Imp factions that are common in the two or three adjacent systems, and run missions, take medicines to outbreak quarantines, bounty hunt in lockdown states, and in general make friends with the local corps and politicians. Try to run missions that are beneficial to all, like data and cargo delivery, or salvage - assassinations and ground assaults and the like tend to irk one side unduly, and being wanted in one system by a faction who also have influential offices in the next three systems can make you wanted in all three. Once you build everybody up to "allied", you have a good toehold to your Cutter, and can just play the game while increasing your ranks and cashflow.
Or, you can grind for it, get it quick, and be the pilot at the CG who's showing up on HUDs as Mostly Harmless in a Cutter, and have every gank-nado and grand gank-typhoon in the system sticking his interdictor all over you.
(Crap, page 3...I've probably been ninja'd like a muppet fogger by now)
Find a spot close to the frontier of Imperial territory, with minor Imp factions that are common in the two or three adjacent systems, and run missions, take medicines to outbreak quarantines, bounty hunt in lockdown states, and in general make friends with the local corps and politicians. Try to run missions that are beneficial to all, like data and cargo delivery, or salvage - assassinations and ground assaults and the like tend to irk one side unduly, and being wanted in one system by a faction who also have influential offices in the next three systems can make you wanted in all three. Once you build everybody up to "allied", you have a good toehold to your Cutter, and can just play the game while increasing your ranks and cashflow.
Or, you can grind for it, get it quick, and be the pilot at the CG who's showing up on HUDs as Mostly Harmless in a Cutter, and have every gank-nado and grand gank-typhoon in the system sticking his interdictor all over you.
(Crap, page 3...I've probably been ninja'd like a muppet fogger by now)
Last edited:
'Tis a long, rocky road and an espresso grind. Grind it for a while and when you get bored, do something else for a while then go back to it or sometimes, a simple change of venue helps. Do not fixate on this single goal! You will find that in order to complete your primary, long-term goal with a minimum of frustration and effort, you will be required to set and achieve several, lesser goals first, for instance: in order to earn the credits necessary to purchase and outfit an Imperial Cutter, you will first (almost definitely) go through several other ships, each with varying capabilities as you strive toward your ultimate goal of a Gutamaya Cutter. You will probably engineer those ships to get the best performance out of them that you can and in order to do that, it will be necessary for you to engage in mining, exploration, combat, trading, surface prospecting, etc., etc.
This is the essence of Elite Dangerous: You must set your own goals and then strive to achieve those goals. Good job on a good start CMDR. o7
Last edited: