I don’t really have a favourite, but I’ll list my guilty pleasures I guess...
The DBX
This ship is usually my first build when I start a new CMDR. Its jump range and modules make it perfect for unlocking engineers, collecting materials, visiting aliens....etc.
It’s like a JCB, an ungainly tool, but far too useful to ignore...
Another of the DBX’s intrigues are its rather powerful hardpoints and class 4 distributor, a large hardpoint combined with its two mediums grant the DBX near Vulture firepower if you can learn to live with its handling.
And when you’re done with her that engineered 5A FSD can be dropped straight into a number of the games most popular mid tiered ships. FDS, FAS, FGS, all alliance ships, Clipper, Python, Krait... all utilise that 5A FSD.
The Viper Mk4
This ship is locked in a very unfortunate position. Those who have flown the Viper mk3 will no doubt be disappointed with the Mk4’s speed and handling and you really can’t talk about the Viper Mk4 without comparing it to a Cobra3, it’s similarly priced and shares its core internals...
But for me the Viper4 is the definition of a diamond in the rough, and it has secrets that aren’t always apparent on a mere test flight. It’s really a multi role ship with a very bloody nose.
For a start, I’ve always loved its combination of optional internals. It now has 3 class 1 slots for a wider assortment of gadgets. The class 3 slot allows a smaller 3A shield to be fitted yet still manages to pump out more defense than a Cobra can hope to get.
On top of this is its armor. The stock Viper4 is naturally better shielded and armored than the Cobra but it gets really interesting when you upgrade...
Its military grade armor weighs just 9t because the ship is so tiny! The Cobra’s weighs 27t, more than three times heavier!!
Just this one change means an upgraded Viper4 jumps further than an upgraded Cobra. And as a cheeky bonus the Viper4 has a class 3 military slot to boot for even more tanking. It’s also a really good looking ship and sounds like a caged animal when boosting. Just minor engineering to its thrusters and it’ll break 400m/s which combined with its tiny size is more than enough to escape combat every single time...
It’s a little sod that refuses to go down without a fight...a real brawler, I just love it. You can crash it into a planet and the planet will come off worse...