I like the Mandalay. I have three of them in my fleet.
My "main" Mandalay is called "
Barry Mandilow" and is an armed multipurpose powerplay / mission runner. It carries 64t of cargo (96 if I ditch the scoop), has 1300 shields and 1400 armor and still jumps 46 ly. It's a nasty fighter and a joy to fly. If it wasn't for the Cobra V, this would be my daily driver.
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My second one is called "
The Core", and it's purpose it in its name - it's my core miner. As such, it's shields and armor are less impressive, and I don't take this one into open. The shields protect from even the worst bumps and boosts into asteroids, so they do their job. It carries 112t of cargo, just about my amount of attention span, and jumps 35 ly.
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My third Mandalay is an exploration build. I don't really explore anymore, but I felt the need to have one, just in case. Previously, my main explorer was a Dolphin which I adored.
The explorer Mandalay is called "
EV Jimmy Blenkinsop" after the greatest mountaineer that ever lived. It jumps just shy of 75 ly and brings close to 900 shields and 2900 armor. It can only carry 16 tons of corrosive cargo, but that's enough for the occasional limpet synth or other finds. (Yes, it's the same paint as Barry (chrome for the win), but the ship kit parts are different).
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I really like the Mandalay. It's an impressive ship, good looking, and a joy to fly.