Best ship for role of blockade runner?

5AmpFuse

5AmpFuse
You need to supercruise through hostile space with no wing mates about 20,000 ls, carrying a small quantity of extremely high value cargo (about 8 tonnes), which must arrive at all costs. You are not there to fight, you are there to run, hard.


The destination is a station not an outpost, and the cargo is considered legal in that jurisdiction, what ship would you choose and why?
 

AhabTheBad

A
Personally I would go with an Imperial Clipper (although the Cobra or Viper could also be a good choice).

A Clipper with A-rate thruster will cruise in normal space at around 350 and will boost to around 430.

If you get interdicted in supercruise, just submit. When you transition to real space, stick 4 pips in engines and gun it. Nothing will catch you and the ships that can (Viper, Cobra) you can turn around and wipe out with the weapons on a Clipper.

If you are interdicted by a group of fast vessels, the clipper has the shields and armour to withstand the incoming fire whilst your frame drive cools and spools back up.
 
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bossbrigand

B
Clipper. Speed, elegance, power. If I'm interdicted by something I can't outrun, I can kill it while looking slick.

The Clipper is effectively a purpose-built blockade runner.
 
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Kzak

Kzak
Agreed, the Cobra fits the bill if you're on a budget. Smaller, perhaps easier to miss when you go into Silent Running before entering the station.
 

-SOVEREIGN-

-SOVEREIGN-
5AmpFuse said:
You need to supercruise through hostile space with no wing mates about 20,000 ls, carrying a small quantity of extremely high value cargo (about 8 tonnes), which must arrive at all costs. You are not there to fight, you are there to run, hard.


The destination is a station not an outpost, and the cargo is considered legal in that jurisdiction, what ship would you choose and why?
Click to expand...

An Anaconda with full Shield Booster+Cell Bank+4 SYS-Pip setup. Outtank anything while waiting to jump away.
 

Dommarraa

Dommarraa
I'd rather did it in a clipper, but getting docked without getting scanned might be a problem.

Asp with a huge scoop, will be charging fsd as soon as cooled down, so wont get interdicted, or have to stop to scoop. Can shoot straight in through the slot

Edit : oh I read 'illegal'. Clipper is the one then
 
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Ben Ryder

Ben Ryder
Cobra. Its the fastest on the market. Its an all purpose ship. It can land on any size pad. It doesnt draw attention. It can pack a punch. Its got good light year range.

Vulture - no range. Says I'm here for a fight. Its a combat ship.
Anaconda - obvious, huge and over kill if you are onyly carrying a few tonnes.
Clipper - expensive, shiny, says rob me. Need to have gained a high imperial rank to even buy one. Shoot at me please I'm a military man worth killing.
 

Quineloe

Quineloe
SOVEREIGN said:
An Anaconda with full Shield Booster+Cell Bank+4 SYS-Pip setup. Outtank anything while waiting to jump away.
Click to expand...

This. Not even another Anaconda and three more will get through your shield in time for a high jump. However, this means you will have to start your journey over. Depending on how often that happens, it may be better to use a Clipper with A thrusters instead.

The whole 8t scenario is pretty far fetched right now, we're more likely talking about open play enforced community goals in the future, so you want to move as much cargo as possible to advance the goal. The Anaconda flat out wins there.

However, we're also looking at an upcoming fix for submitting into interdictions to escape right away, once that is in, I think the Clipper will pull out ahead due to its high speed and its ability to shake interdictions
 

bossbrigand

B
Ben Ryder said:
Cobra. Its the fastest on the market. Its an all purpose ship. It can land on any size pad. It doesnt draw attention. It can pack a punch. Its got good light year range.

Vulture - no range. Says I'm here for a fight. Its a combat ship.
Anaconda - obvious, huge and over kill if you are onyly carrying a few tonnes.
Clipper - expensive, shiny, says rob me. Need to have gained a high imperial rank to even buy one. Shoot at me please I'm a military man worth killing.
Click to expand...

The Clipper doesn't say rob me. It says try me.
 

waimser

W
Cobra is the best by far for this purpose. I use the Cobra for smuggling, its tough hull allows for the occasional mistake if you clip something while in silent running. Its the fastest ship and can get away from anything if you survive long enough. It can carry quite a bit of cargo, has good jump range and fuel tank, and is still pretty cheap to replace if someone does manage to catch you.

Clipper would be my 2nd choice, but you are far more likely to be interdicted while using it. Also with the recent change, there is an increased chance of local security scanning you if you are in a big ship.
 

Rankaze

Rankaze
If money is no object, FdL. Nobody but an Anaconda or another FDL can masslock you, and you have all the speed you need.

Elsewise, for that small an amount of cargo? Cobra or Viper. A-rated thrusters a must.
 

Loskene

L
The Cobra is without doubt the best blockade runner for small cargo loads. Nothing can catch it, and it's capable of defending itself if cornered long enough to escape. The clipper is close second as the next fastest ship and as a more defensible platform, and while it has the advantage of never being masslocked by any faster ship (currently only the Cobra), it has the downside of being a more visible scan target and just being heaps more expensive to fit up to A-grade. The Cobra is for getting things done. The Imperial Clipper is for getting things done in style.
 

5AmpFuse

5AmpFuse
Thanks for your responses. It sounds like my cobra would fit the bill out of the ships I have now, assuming fsd cooldown stays the same after submission. What if people camp the station itself and open fire when you are lining up for the toaster? I'm worried about the shields on it, maybe I should take the weapons off and fit shield boosters and a cell bank? How fast does an A-spec cobra go down against say two vultures?

Out of interest, what did the people who won the graphics cards fly? They must have thought this through too and succeeded against determined opposition.
 

Kzak

Kzak
They'd have to spot you visually first, which isn't easy if you're in silent running and off their radar. Choose a dark-ish paintjob, too.
 
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