What is the Best Ship for?

Given the relative cost, and depending on your current Credit Level, which ship in each class is best suited to the following:
Trading
Mining
Exploration
Combat
 
Research, research research. "Best ship", as stated is more a personal preference. For trading I use a Type 9, others may use an Anaconda, Cutter or Corvette. All depends on your playstyle, bank account and preference.

Some ships excel at certain things than others. This is where your research comes into play.

Gary
 
Given the relative cost, and depending on your current Credit Level, which ship in each class is best suited to the following:
Trading
Mining
Exploration
Combat

Once you get to mid game, money shouldn't be a problem for you. Other factors such as Pad size have a greater influence on the 'Best' ship.

Trading - For out and out haulage - the Type 9 with docking computer is a brilliant trader but there is an argument for the Cutter although the rank lock causing problems.
Mining - I use the Type-10 as it has excellent cargo capacity, space for a fighter bay and a reasonably good weapons layout.
Exploration - For out and out jump range, the DBX but I know other people prefer the Anaconda as you can take everything and the kitchen sink with you. I prefer the Asp Explorer as it was the first ship I explored in and holds a soft spot accordingly.
Combat - This is where pad size is important. The Corvette is an all-out arsenal and unrivalled when fully kitted out. It does however cost a fortune to kit out. I enjoy the maneuverability of the Chieftain and with a good engineering build out provides a good medium pad combat ship .
 

Yaffle

Volunteer Moderator
The best ships are the ones that work best for you. I could name the best ships that work for me and I would be shouted down in a hurry that their picks are better. Yeah right.

I'd go with this advice, try them and see. What works for you is the right choice for you, As Capt Willard says we can post our choices, but other forumites would disagree.
 
Given the relative cost, and depending on your current Credit Level, which ship in each class is best suited to the following:
Trading
Mining
Exploration
Combat

I'm intrigued why you're asking, so feel free to chime in. I'm reasonably well off now, so credit level isn't much of an issue.

I use a T9/Imperial Cutter for trading; T9 for low risk, Cutter for high risk.
I use the Anaconda for mining.
I use an Anaconda/AspX for exploration; Anaconda for social exploration events to provide support, AspX for solo.
For combat I use a Corvette, sometimes a FDL.
 
I’m baffled that out of all the comments here the FDL got one mention. Personally I love the chief but the FDL will fly circles around any ship in combat. I’d rather fly that than the vette for combat as well
 
I use my beluga for mining,exploration,passenger missions and Planet Harvesting.For Cargo missions i use a Krait Mk 2 and combat my trusty Cheiftan.
 
If anything else, this thread will confuse the OP even more, as you can see, personal choices as to "what is best" are all over the map. Personally, for combat, Krait MkII, Chieftain and yes, Viper MkIV. As I've stated, check out ship configurations and different roles for all ships.

It might take a you while, but you'll figure it out. At least you'll have some framework here.

Gary
 
Given the relative cost, and depending on your current Credit Level, which ship in each class is best suited to the following:

my advice is to try them all, with the probable exception of combat most ships are viable for any task. fun factor is important so i fly what i like, disregarding efficiency a bit.

however, some basic guidelines (which you don't necessarily have to follow):


any small ship that can sport a few cargo containers will do for rare commodities trading. you'll want to maximize jump range.
for bulk trading, total cargo capacity would be the relevant factor: all T's, conda, cutter, etc ...


you can mine in a cobra for fun. to be efficient, you want enough optional slots for cargo containers, refinery (10 bins), limpet controllers (ideally around 7 limpets at a time, maybe more), so any medium/big ship.

Exploration

some relevant factors:
good cockpit views (asp explorer, t6, krait)
good jump-range (if you want to go far or to sparse sectors, otherwise not that important)
enough optional internals for scanners (2) and fuel scoop, and probably a srv. most ships can do this except a few small ones or some pure combat ships (eg fdl is quite constrained).


this depends a lot on your style (tanky, evasion, stealth, etc) and purpose (pve/pvp). whole topic in itself, so i'm not going to say anything except the 'canonical' combat ships are:

ModelTypeJump Range
[Laden]
(LY)
Mnvr
Rating
Cargo
[Max]
(T)
Pad SizeSpeed
[Boost]
(m/s)
ArmourShield
(MJ)
Cost
(CR)
Hull
Mass (T)
Mass Lock
Factor
Optional Modules
(Restricted)
Model
Eagle MkIICombat8.47
[8.27]
72
[16]
S239
[349]
727844,8005064 (1)Eagle MkII
Imperial EagleCombat8.22
[8.03]
52
[16]
S298
[397]
108104110,8305064 (1)Imperial Eagle
Viper MkIIICombat7.67
[7.35]
44
[22]
S315
[394]
126137142,9315074Viper MkIII
Viper MkIVCombat10.36
[9.69]
318
[50]
S271
[342]
270103426,99019076 (1)Viper MkIV
VultureCombat7.93
[7.75]
58
[56]
S215
[348]
2882934,925,615230105 (1)Vulture
Alliance ChieftainCombat9.59
[-]
440
[120]
M235
[338]
50416219,382,250400135 (3)Alliance Chieftain
Federal Assault ShipCombat8.33
[7.69]
432
[96]
M214
[357]
54013319,814,205480146 (2)Federal Assault Ship
Alliance ChallengerCombat8.58
[-]
440
[152]
M204
[316]
54020830,472,265450136 (3)Alliance Challenger
Federal GunshipCombat6.66
[6.54]
116
[168]
M171
[282]
63018635,814,210580145 (3)Federal Gunship
Fer-de-LanceCombat7.00
[6.59]
424
[70]
M265
[357]
40527151,567,040250125Fer-de-Lance
Federal CorvetteCombat6.31
[6.03]
276
[616]
L198
[257]
666516180,327,0229002410 (2)Federal Corvette
 
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Python works well for mining, trading and can be a tank. The beauty of the python is rigged for cargo it will fit on an outpost
 
I’m baffled that out of all the comments here the FDL got one mention. Personally I love the chief but the FDL will fly circles around any ship in combat. I’d rather fly that than the vette for combat as well

The only combat I do really is Res PvE. Yep, the FDL is awesome for this but at some point I'll bite off my than I can chew and have to return somewhere to lick my wounds. Whilst the Corvette is not as much fun to fly you can stay in a res almost indefinitely in a res and bust out your fighter for some fun flying. My primary trait is laziness so the Corvette is going to win more often than not.

But yeah, lack of love for the FDL is a bit odd.
 
The best large trader for capacity vs price is by far the Type-9. The Cutter is locked behind 2 grinds and only holds a few more tonnes so I laugh when people recommend it for trading nowadays.
 
The only combat I do really is Res PvE. Yep, the FDL is awesome for this but at some point I'll bite off my than I can chew and have to return somewhere to lick my wounds. Whilst the Corvette is not as much fun to fly you can stay in a res almost indefinitely in a res and bust out your fighter for some fun flying. My primary trait is laziness so the Corvette is going to win more often than not.

But yeah, lack of love for the FDL is a bit odd.

Is your FDL engineered fully? If it isn’t I would probably suggest that’s why it has those issues where it is more than one could handle sometimes. Mine has 2k in shields with good resistances and I don’t think I’ve come up against an issue where there is too much for it. Especially since you have that speed you can outrun any issue if it comes down to that and engage on your own terms
 
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