I have now owned and operated all 3 ships that make up the "Big 3". Having used all three I feel like I have gotten a good grasp of each ship and its capabilities, strong points, and weak points. I have used all 3 for all major content types. I have mined, traded, explored, and bounty hunted with all of them. And I have also upgraded and engineered all of them reasonably well along the way. I will now give out my experience by breaking down each ship in the categories that matter most to the average player. Maneuverability, combat effectiveness, cost, looks, and versatility. I hope this all can be of help to anyone who is considering taking the plunge when it comes to any of these ships.
Federal Corvette
Maneuverability - The Vette has easily the best handling of the 3 ships in question. It feels like a ship half its size once you get the thrusters properly engineered. This not only makes the ship feel better for everyday use, but also provides invaluable advantages when it comes to combat. The ability of the Vette to keep its guns on target is unmatched by the other two ships in question. It also allows the Vette to be able to better handle smaller more maneuverable ships that the other two might have a bit more trouble with. It also has an acceptable top speed for a ship of its size. It will never be a burner, but it won't let you down in clutch moments either.
TL;DR = There is no real downside for the Vette in this category in my opinion.
Combat Effectiveness - The Vette in my experience is the best at pure combat in the Big 3. (Notice how I say "pure combat". I will get to that phrasing later when I address its versatility) It has good shields, good armor, and its maneuverability gives it a huge advantage over the other two ships in this category as well in my opinion. However the major selling point of the Vette when it comes to combat is not its shields, its armor, or even its maneuverability. Its the two massive as all hell guns that behind the cockpit and the ease at which you can bring them to bear. The positioning of the two huge hardpoints and the advantages it provides the pilot cannot be overstated. Their position on the top of the ship allows the Vette to have the easiest time bringing it biggest guns to bear out of the Big 3. Especially if you choose to have gimballed guns. This provides the Vette an absurd amount of DPS capability in dogfights. While the Conda or the Cutter is busy maneuvering themselves into position to bring their big guns to bear the Vette is likely already shredding whatever it is they are aiming at. Now granted it may only take a few extra seconds for the Conda or the Cutter to do that, but in prolonged dogfights those few seconds can add up as time goes on.
TL;DR = The Vette is the best pure combat ship of the Big 3 in my opinion
Cost - The Vette is not a cheap ship to buy and it is not a cheap ship to engineer and upgrade. In fact aside from the Cutter it is the MOST expensive ship to fully outfit in the game unless I have forgotten another ship. Between the armor, the core internals, the shields, and the 2 huge hardpoints you can expect to empty a sizable amount of your bank account when building this ship. But the cost of the Vette is not only in credits, but in time as well. Like the Cutter the Vette is locked behind a sizable rank grind that will require dedication on part of the player and ALOT of time spent in Federal space.
TL;DR = Between the credit cost and the rank grind the Vette falls short in this category in my opinion.
Looks - The Vette is not a "sexy" ship. It is a scary looking one though. And with the right paint job and weapons detailing you can make the Vette one of the most visually imposing ships in the game. Nothing makes a unsuspecting player say "Oh crap" quite like a blood red Vette coming into a ring system firing red lasers in all directions while flanked by its red SLF.
TL;DR = The only downside for the Vette in this category in my opinion is if you don't like a more industrial aesthetic.
Versatility - And now we have arrived to the category where the Vette falls the shortest compared to its sister ships. It is not a very versatile ship in my opinion. Yes it has the ability to carry a sizable cargo, but it comes at the cost of its already terribly low jump range. Which can obviously be boosted through engineering and FSD boosters, but the same can be said for the other two ships. So the Vette will always be dead last of the big 3 when it comes to jump range. And when it comes to trading a bigger jump range is always better. Time is money after all and if you are a trader you want to be as efficient as possible. The jump range also affects the Vettes ability to be a viable mining ship and exploration vessel. Its limited jump range will make trips between ring systems and selling take alot longer than other options that are available. It also limits its ability to dive deep into the black to explore the more remote parts of the galaxy. Of course you can explore in basically anything if you really want to, but the Vette was clearly not designed with exploration in mind. Which finally brings me back to the wording I used earlier when I said "pure combat ship". The Vette is a battleship. Its purpose is to bring death and destruction to anything in its crosshairs. Thats what it was designed for and thats what it does best. You could make it do other things if you want. You could also go to the grocery store in an M1A1 Abrams battletank, but that doesn't mean that is the easiest way to go about the task.
FINAL VERDICT - The Vette is the ship you want if all you are going to do is bounty hunt and harass other players. No other ship in the game is as well suited for lengthy and dangerous combat in my opinion.
Imperial Cutter
Maneuverability - I was sorely tempted to just put "lol" here and just move on to the next category, but I feel like that would be a bit much. The Cutter is by far and away the worst handling ship of the Big 3 and among the worst handling in the game. There are worse handling ships in the game don't get me wrong, but not many. However the Cutter does have straightline speed on its side and is the fastest of the Big 3, but do not mistake its speed for maneuverability. Trying to do high speed combat in the Cutter is like trying to win a drift competition with a double-decker bus. And if you try do a boost turn or slam on the brakes while at top speed you will discover very quickly that the Cutter is one of the driftiest ships in the game. Which funnily enough can be used to its advantage when it comes to combat, but we will get to that shortly.
TL;DR = The Cutter falls short in this category in my opinion.
Combat Effectiveness - Now you would think that with the Cutter having terrible maneuverability that it would also be terrible at combat right? Wrong. It has two things that works in its favor that make it a formidable combat ship. Firepower and shield strength. And I mean like ALOT of shield strength. In fact the most shields that any ship can have in the game by quite a large margin. And its firepower is quite impressive as well. With 4 Medium hard points, 2 Large hardpoints, and 1 Huge hardpoint it has the ability to shred through enemy ships once you do finally get the target in your crosshairs. Add to this an SLF and you have a solid ship ready for combat. And another thing it has going for it is its ability to drift at high speeds. The Cutter's maneuverability or lack thereof is actually a bonus in certain situations believe it or not. Its ability to completely flip itself over backwards during a boost turn allows you to get the drop on any ship that happens to be chasing you and can provide a valuable opening to land some solid shots on your enemies.
TL;DR = The Cutter is a surprisingly capable ship for combat. Not the best. But certainly not the worst.
Cost - Oh my sweet lord the cost. Not only is the Cutter the most expensive ship in the game to buy, but it also the most expensive ship in the game to outfit and engineer. And whats worse is the modules you use on the Cutter are not as interchangable and usuable on other ships like the Vette and Conda modules can be. Fully upgrading the Size 8 thrusters sets you back a 162 million credits alone. That not including the 162 million credit Size 8 Shield generator or the 51 million credit frame shift drive. And do not even get me started on the over 400 million credit armor options. And as with the Vette it has the added time cost of a rank grind. A grind that takes time and dedication in its own right.
TL;DR = The Cutter is going to set you back nearly 1 billion credits and that only if you skimp out on a few things. If not then you can expect to spend well over 1 billion credits.
Looks - Where the Vette was scary the Cutter is the exact opposite. Its pretty and slightly odd. No amount of paint or detailing is going to make it imposing and it won't change the fact that the ship looks like a Clipper had a baby with a 747 passenger jet. Though it does have one of the best looking ship-butts in the game so it has that going for it.
TL;DR = If you like Imperial ships you will like the Cutter. If not? You won't like it.
Versatility - The Cutter boasts one of the largest cargo capacities in the game. That combined with its immense straightline speed for its size and its fairly impressive jump range makes it an EXCELLENT ship for large volume trading in an Open setting. Almost any ship that is fast enough to catch you is not going to be big enough hurt you. And almost any ship that is big enough to hurt you is not going to be able to catch you. And if you do happen to come across a rare pilot that is not going to allow you to get away you will have the shields and firepower at your disposal to make them think twice about it. However its drifty handling makes it a poor choice for mining in general as you will find yourself bumping into things or things bumping into you as you maneuver your way through asteroids. And while its not the worst ship for exploration its also not the best.
TL;DR = Its a versatile ship that can do most jobs in the game.
FINAL VERDICT - The Cutter is an extremely interesting ship to own and fly. Its shield tank style of combat is fun and engaging and its ability to be a money making machine outside of combat makes it an attractive choice for traders as well. All in all a very solid ship.
Anaconda
Maneuverability - To put it simply. Its not as good as the Vette, but its not as bad as the Cutter. Its thoroughly middle of the road. There are worse handling ships and there are better handling ships. Its hardpoint placement however makes its maneuverability an afterthought though because as long as you have turreted weapons (which I highly recommend for this ship) most of its guns will be firing no matter where the enemy is so keeping the enemy in immediate view is not as important for this ship as it is on others. Its also the slowest of the Big 3. You won't be chasing down anyone in this thing.
TL;DR = Its alright. Not the best. Not the worst.
Combat Effectiveness - The Anaconda is a battlefield beast in my opinion. 2 Small hardpoints, 2 Medium hardpoints, 3 Large hardpoints, and 1 Huge hardpoint puts this ship in the upper echelon when it comes to overall DPS. Combine its absurd firepower with its thick hull and you have a tank of a ship that is able to hold its own against any other ship in the game. Never once in all my hundreds of hours flying the Conda did I ever lose the ship in combat (I lost it a few times while exploring, but thats more because I'm an idiot and stars are very hot) and I never even got close enough to even having to worry about it. In fact for me personally I wouldn't choose any other ship in the game to do dedicated combat in even though it may not be the best at it. I enjoy fighting in the Anaconda that much.
TL;DR = It can hold its own against anything and its hull allows it to take an absurd amount of damage
Cost - You would think that a ship that is so versatile and powerful would also cost a fortune to outfit right? Wrong. The Anaconda is the most affordable of the Big 3. Size 7 thrusters and a Size 6 FSD means that this ship is actually very affordable to fully upgrade. It may get a bit costly to fully A rate the entire ship and fully engineer everything on it, but even then compared to its sister ships the Conda is a downright bargain for what you get when you are done.
TL;DR = Conda is a cost effective monster.
Looks - There is no easy way to put this. The Conda is ugly as hell. From its fat undercarriage (which you WILL hit on the mailslot sometimes no matter how long you have been flying it) to its hanging duct-taped wires in the cockpit the ship just looks like a mess. You can try and cover it up with some nice paintjobs/shipkits or you can embrace the grunge and buy a Raider pack. Just accept that no matter what you do your ship is never gonna win a beauty contest.
TL;DR = Looks like butt.
Versatility - And here we are. Where The Conda shines brightest. It may be the ugliest. It may be the slowest. But oh my god can you do anything in this ship. It is quite literally the most versatile ship in the game. You want to explore? Cool! The Conda boasts the highest possible jump range in the entire game thanks to its magical hull. (Yes you have to build it like a tin can, but shush its still impressive) You want to go mining? Awesome. Its sizable cargo capacity, numerous hardpoints, thick hull, and great jump range means that not only can you mine in relative safety, but you can get to your offload quicker even if you have a full load. You want to trade? Great. Its sizable cargo space combined with its jump range means that there is no better big ship for transporting large amounts of cargo long distances. You want to bounty hunt? Thats even better. Enjoy your decked out battleship that can not only rain down hell to anyone who gets on your bad side, but you can still have a sizable jump range even fully decked out in guns and armor. It can do it all and it does it well.
TL;DR = There is no more versatile ship in the entire game than the Anaconda.
And that is how my experience has been. I hope this can be of help to anyone out there who is looking to jump into one of these behemoths. Also if anyone has anything to add or disagrees with something I have said I would love to hear from you. I love debating and discussing the ships of Elite.
Federal Corvette
Maneuverability - The Vette has easily the best handling of the 3 ships in question. It feels like a ship half its size once you get the thrusters properly engineered. This not only makes the ship feel better for everyday use, but also provides invaluable advantages when it comes to combat. The ability of the Vette to keep its guns on target is unmatched by the other two ships in question. It also allows the Vette to be able to better handle smaller more maneuverable ships that the other two might have a bit more trouble with. It also has an acceptable top speed for a ship of its size. It will never be a burner, but it won't let you down in clutch moments either.
TL;DR = There is no real downside for the Vette in this category in my opinion.
Combat Effectiveness - The Vette in my experience is the best at pure combat in the Big 3. (Notice how I say "pure combat". I will get to that phrasing later when I address its versatility) It has good shields, good armor, and its maneuverability gives it a huge advantage over the other two ships in this category as well in my opinion. However the major selling point of the Vette when it comes to combat is not its shields, its armor, or even its maneuverability. Its the two massive as all hell guns that behind the cockpit and the ease at which you can bring them to bear. The positioning of the two huge hardpoints and the advantages it provides the pilot cannot be overstated. Their position on the top of the ship allows the Vette to have the easiest time bringing it biggest guns to bear out of the Big 3. Especially if you choose to have gimballed guns. This provides the Vette an absurd amount of DPS capability in dogfights. While the Conda or the Cutter is busy maneuvering themselves into position to bring their big guns to bear the Vette is likely already shredding whatever it is they are aiming at. Now granted it may only take a few extra seconds for the Conda or the Cutter to do that, but in prolonged dogfights those few seconds can add up as time goes on.
TL;DR = The Vette is the best pure combat ship of the Big 3 in my opinion
Cost - The Vette is not a cheap ship to buy and it is not a cheap ship to engineer and upgrade. In fact aside from the Cutter it is the MOST expensive ship to fully outfit in the game unless I have forgotten another ship. Between the armor, the core internals, the shields, and the 2 huge hardpoints you can expect to empty a sizable amount of your bank account when building this ship. But the cost of the Vette is not only in credits, but in time as well. Like the Cutter the Vette is locked behind a sizable rank grind that will require dedication on part of the player and ALOT of time spent in Federal space.
TL;DR = Between the credit cost and the rank grind the Vette falls short in this category in my opinion.
Looks - The Vette is not a "sexy" ship. It is a scary looking one though. And with the right paint job and weapons detailing you can make the Vette one of the most visually imposing ships in the game. Nothing makes a unsuspecting player say "Oh crap" quite like a blood red Vette coming into a ring system firing red lasers in all directions while flanked by its red SLF.
TL;DR = The only downside for the Vette in this category in my opinion is if you don't like a more industrial aesthetic.
Versatility - And now we have arrived to the category where the Vette falls the shortest compared to its sister ships. It is not a very versatile ship in my opinion. Yes it has the ability to carry a sizable cargo, but it comes at the cost of its already terribly low jump range. Which can obviously be boosted through engineering and FSD boosters, but the same can be said for the other two ships. So the Vette will always be dead last of the big 3 when it comes to jump range. And when it comes to trading a bigger jump range is always better. Time is money after all and if you are a trader you want to be as efficient as possible. The jump range also affects the Vettes ability to be a viable mining ship and exploration vessel. Its limited jump range will make trips between ring systems and selling take alot longer than other options that are available. It also limits its ability to dive deep into the black to explore the more remote parts of the galaxy. Of course you can explore in basically anything if you really want to, but the Vette was clearly not designed with exploration in mind. Which finally brings me back to the wording I used earlier when I said "pure combat ship". The Vette is a battleship. Its purpose is to bring death and destruction to anything in its crosshairs. Thats what it was designed for and thats what it does best. You could make it do other things if you want. You could also go to the grocery store in an M1A1 Abrams battletank, but that doesn't mean that is the easiest way to go about the task.
FINAL VERDICT - The Vette is the ship you want if all you are going to do is bounty hunt and harass other players. No other ship in the game is as well suited for lengthy and dangerous combat in my opinion.
Imperial Cutter
Maneuverability - I was sorely tempted to just put "lol" here and just move on to the next category, but I feel like that would be a bit much. The Cutter is by far and away the worst handling ship of the Big 3 and among the worst handling in the game. There are worse handling ships in the game don't get me wrong, but not many. However the Cutter does have straightline speed on its side and is the fastest of the Big 3, but do not mistake its speed for maneuverability. Trying to do high speed combat in the Cutter is like trying to win a drift competition with a double-decker bus. And if you try do a boost turn or slam on the brakes while at top speed you will discover very quickly that the Cutter is one of the driftiest ships in the game. Which funnily enough can be used to its advantage when it comes to combat, but we will get to that shortly.
TL;DR = The Cutter falls short in this category in my opinion.
Combat Effectiveness - Now you would think that with the Cutter having terrible maneuverability that it would also be terrible at combat right? Wrong. It has two things that works in its favor that make it a formidable combat ship. Firepower and shield strength. And I mean like ALOT of shield strength. In fact the most shields that any ship can have in the game by quite a large margin. And its firepower is quite impressive as well. With 4 Medium hard points, 2 Large hardpoints, and 1 Huge hardpoint it has the ability to shred through enemy ships once you do finally get the target in your crosshairs. Add to this an SLF and you have a solid ship ready for combat. And another thing it has going for it is its ability to drift at high speeds. The Cutter's maneuverability or lack thereof is actually a bonus in certain situations believe it or not. Its ability to completely flip itself over backwards during a boost turn allows you to get the drop on any ship that happens to be chasing you and can provide a valuable opening to land some solid shots on your enemies.
TL;DR = The Cutter is a surprisingly capable ship for combat. Not the best. But certainly not the worst.
Cost - Oh my sweet lord the cost. Not only is the Cutter the most expensive ship in the game to buy, but it also the most expensive ship in the game to outfit and engineer. And whats worse is the modules you use on the Cutter are not as interchangable and usuable on other ships like the Vette and Conda modules can be. Fully upgrading the Size 8 thrusters sets you back a 162 million credits alone. That not including the 162 million credit Size 8 Shield generator or the 51 million credit frame shift drive. And do not even get me started on the over 400 million credit armor options. And as with the Vette it has the added time cost of a rank grind. A grind that takes time and dedication in its own right.
TL;DR = The Cutter is going to set you back nearly 1 billion credits and that only if you skimp out on a few things. If not then you can expect to spend well over 1 billion credits.
Looks - Where the Vette was scary the Cutter is the exact opposite. Its pretty and slightly odd. No amount of paint or detailing is going to make it imposing and it won't change the fact that the ship looks like a Clipper had a baby with a 747 passenger jet. Though it does have one of the best looking ship-butts in the game so it has that going for it.
TL;DR = If you like Imperial ships you will like the Cutter. If not? You won't like it.
Versatility - The Cutter boasts one of the largest cargo capacities in the game. That combined with its immense straightline speed for its size and its fairly impressive jump range makes it an EXCELLENT ship for large volume trading in an Open setting. Almost any ship that is fast enough to catch you is not going to be big enough hurt you. And almost any ship that is big enough to hurt you is not going to be able to catch you. And if you do happen to come across a rare pilot that is not going to allow you to get away you will have the shields and firepower at your disposal to make them think twice about it. However its drifty handling makes it a poor choice for mining in general as you will find yourself bumping into things or things bumping into you as you maneuver your way through asteroids. And while its not the worst ship for exploration its also not the best.
TL;DR = Its a versatile ship that can do most jobs in the game.
FINAL VERDICT - The Cutter is an extremely interesting ship to own and fly. Its shield tank style of combat is fun and engaging and its ability to be a money making machine outside of combat makes it an attractive choice for traders as well. All in all a very solid ship.
Anaconda
Maneuverability - To put it simply. Its not as good as the Vette, but its not as bad as the Cutter. Its thoroughly middle of the road. There are worse handling ships and there are better handling ships. Its hardpoint placement however makes its maneuverability an afterthought though because as long as you have turreted weapons (which I highly recommend for this ship) most of its guns will be firing no matter where the enemy is so keeping the enemy in immediate view is not as important for this ship as it is on others. Its also the slowest of the Big 3. You won't be chasing down anyone in this thing.
TL;DR = Its alright. Not the best. Not the worst.
Combat Effectiveness - The Anaconda is a battlefield beast in my opinion. 2 Small hardpoints, 2 Medium hardpoints, 3 Large hardpoints, and 1 Huge hardpoint puts this ship in the upper echelon when it comes to overall DPS. Combine its absurd firepower with its thick hull and you have a tank of a ship that is able to hold its own against any other ship in the game. Never once in all my hundreds of hours flying the Conda did I ever lose the ship in combat (I lost it a few times while exploring, but thats more because I'm an idiot and stars are very hot) and I never even got close enough to even having to worry about it. In fact for me personally I wouldn't choose any other ship in the game to do dedicated combat in even though it may not be the best at it. I enjoy fighting in the Anaconda that much.
TL;DR = It can hold its own against anything and its hull allows it to take an absurd amount of damage
Cost - You would think that a ship that is so versatile and powerful would also cost a fortune to outfit right? Wrong. The Anaconda is the most affordable of the Big 3. Size 7 thrusters and a Size 6 FSD means that this ship is actually very affordable to fully upgrade. It may get a bit costly to fully A rate the entire ship and fully engineer everything on it, but even then compared to its sister ships the Conda is a downright bargain for what you get when you are done.
TL;DR = Conda is a cost effective monster.
Looks - There is no easy way to put this. The Conda is ugly as hell. From its fat undercarriage (which you WILL hit on the mailslot sometimes no matter how long you have been flying it) to its hanging duct-taped wires in the cockpit the ship just looks like a mess. You can try and cover it up with some nice paintjobs/shipkits or you can embrace the grunge and buy a Raider pack. Just accept that no matter what you do your ship is never gonna win a beauty contest.
TL;DR = Looks like butt.
Versatility - And here we are. Where The Conda shines brightest. It may be the ugliest. It may be the slowest. But oh my god can you do anything in this ship. It is quite literally the most versatile ship in the game. You want to explore? Cool! The Conda boasts the highest possible jump range in the entire game thanks to its magical hull. (Yes you have to build it like a tin can, but shush its still impressive) You want to go mining? Awesome. Its sizable cargo capacity, numerous hardpoints, thick hull, and great jump range means that not only can you mine in relative safety, but you can get to your offload quicker even if you have a full load. You want to trade? Great. Its sizable cargo space combined with its jump range means that there is no better big ship for transporting large amounts of cargo long distances. You want to bounty hunt? Thats even better. Enjoy your decked out battleship that can not only rain down hell to anyone who gets on your bad side, but you can still have a sizable jump range even fully decked out in guns and armor. It can do it all and it does it well.
TL;DR = There is no more versatile ship in the entire game than the Anaconda.
And that is how my experience has been. I hope this can be of help to anyone out there who is looking to jump into one of these behemoths. Also if anyone has anything to add or disagrees with something I have said I would love to hear from you. I love debating and discussing the ships of Elite.
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