Guides // Ships

Recommended Ships

Our picks for the best ships and builds, curated for the way commanders actually play.

Beginner

First hulls after the Sidewinder. Cheap, small-pad, and good enough to learn on.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Sidewinder Mk I	Small	4.6K CR	Your free starter ship. Learn the basics, complete a few missions, and save your credits for your first real ship.	—
Cobra Mk III	Small	208.4K CR	Your first true all-rounder. Cheap, versatile, and capable of combat, trading, mining, exploration, and missions without a painful rebuy. You do not need any modules except for trying different roles.	—
Cobra Mk IV	Small	623.4K CR	A natural step up from the Mk III, offering more internal space and better staying power. A great early ship if you want to experiment with different activities.	—
Cobra Mk V	Small	1.5M CR	If you have the credits—or an ARX-backed prebuilt ship—the Mk V is the fastest way into a capable modern small ship. It can comfortably explore multiple roles while you build your fortune.	—
Python	Medium	55.3M CR	Your first serious multirole ship. Excellent internals, cargo capacity, firepower, and flexibility make it capable of almost anything you want to try.	—
Anaconda	Large	142.5M CR	A powerful large multirole ship with enormous potential. Use it as your long-term general-purpose platform while you build the credits and experience needed for specialized ships.	—

Combat

Bounty hunting, conflict zones, and anything that shoots back.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Kestrel Mk II	Small	13.8M CR	A small-pad firepower monster. Extremely agile with heavy firepower for its size, but unforgiving if you make mistakes.	EDSY
Fer-de-Lance	Medium	51.2M CR	A premier medium combat ship and one of the classic PvP duelists. Fast, agile, and built around concentrated firepower.	—
Python Mk II	Medium	64.7M CR	A brutal medium combat platform with exceptional firepower. One of the best choices for serious PvE combat.	EDSY
Federal Corvette	Large	183.2M CR	The large-pad PvE combat benchmark. Enormous firepower, strong defenses, and excellent maneuverability for its size. Requires Rear Admiral rank with the Federation.	EDSY

AX

Anti-Xeno (Anti-Xeno: Fighting Thargoids. Needs Guardian or AX weapons — conventional hardpoints barely scratch them.) fits. Guardian weapons, extra heat, and hull tank.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Alliance Chieftain	Medium	18.6M CR	The classic AX interceptor hunter. Excellent agility, hardpoint placement, and hull characteristics make it one of the best ships for learning AX combat.	—
Krait Mk II	Medium	44.2M CR	A heavier AX platform with excellent firepower, more internal space, and a fighter bay. A strong alternative when you want more firepower and staying power.	—

Mining

Laser, core, and subsurface. Hold space and limpets (A single-use drone that collects, prospects, repairs, or researches. Weighs a tonne and rides in the hold.) first.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Type-11 Prospector	Medium	66.3M CR	A mining-purposed ship with a custom mining module. Currently it is the fastest mining ship, but cargo space is limited.	EDSY
Anaconda	Large	142.5M CR	A highly versatile mining platform with excellent jump range and enough internals for a flexible build. A good choice when mining is only one of several roles.	—
Imperial Cutter	Large	200.5M CR	A premium large-pad multirole ship combining enormous cargo capacity, speed, and powerful shields. Requires Duke rank with the Empire.	—

Trading

Cargo first. Jump range second. Everything else is optional.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Type-8 Transporter	Medium	34.8M CR	One of the best medium-pad trading ships. Excellent cargo capacity and jump range make it a superb balance between hauling power and accessibility.	—
Type-9 Heavy	Large	72.1M CR	A dedicated bulk hauler with an enormous cargo hold. The classic choice when maximum cargo matters more than speed or maneuverability.	—
Panther Clipper Mk II	Large	286.9M CR	The ultimate bulk trader. Its enormous cargo capacity makes it the choice for commanders who want to move more cargo than anything else.	EDSY

Exploration

Jump range, fuel scoop, and a scanner. The Bubble can wait.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Diamondback Explorer	Small	1.6M CR	A compact and affordable exploration ship with excellent jump range. One of the best ways to start exploring beyond the Bubble.	—
Mandalay	Medium	16.5M CR	The current exploration benchmark. Exceptional jump range, SCO performance, heat management, and cockpit visibility make it one of the best all-round exploration ships available.	EDSY
Caspian Explorer	Large	189.3M CR	The ultimate exobiology ship. Its can accommodate the Vessel Hangar for Nomad vehicle, letting you roam planet surfaces and scan biological signatures.	EDSY

Passenger

Cabin class and comfort. VIPs do not like being shot at.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Dolphin	Small	1.1M CR	The ideal entry-level passenger ship. Small, efficient, and exceptionally cool-running, making it perfect for learning passenger missions and sightseeing.	—
Lynx Highliner	Medium	69.3M CR	A high-capacity passenger transport that brings large-ship capacity to a medium pad. Tougher and more versatile than traditional liners, making it ideal for moving large numbers of passengers.	—
Orca	Large	47.8M CR	A fast luxury liner built for VIPs and sightseeing. Its speed, range, and access to Luxury cabins make it the go-to choice for dedicated luxury passenger work.	—

Special

Odd jobs that do not fit the other lists — material runs, Fleet Carrier support, and anything bought for one specific trip.

Ship	Class	Price	Description	Build
Mandalay	Medium	16.5M CR	The best material runner. Exceptional jump range, SCO performance, vehicle hangar, cargo space and more.	EDSY
Lynx Highliner	Medium	69.3M CR	A great rescue ship with good survival capability including thargoids, and huge passenger capacity.	EDSY