Opinions are like Sidewinders, everyone's got one. To win a reward in this bounty, tell us which of Elite's many ships is the most underrated and why. We're looking for more than just aesthetics here; think about which ship has underused utility or overlooked potential (for any career or activity).
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The Federal Drop Ship (FDS) is, in my opinion, an underrated multi-role ship for beginners. I've seen many comments complaining about this ship, describing it as, well, boring.
Indeed, it is somewhat boring and awkward compared to other ships in the same price range. It doesn't have the jump range of an Asp Explorer, it can't fight as effectively as its sibling, the Federal Assault Ship or the Chieftain, and it can't carry as much cargo as the Type-7. It even requires a Federal rank to unlock for purchase. It seems like FDev themselves have forgotten that they created this vessel, as there are only a few paint jobs and no ship kit available for the FDS, and they even use a Vulture instead of a real 'Drop Ship' for combat zone deployments lol.
However, compared to the Type-7 and Asp Explorer, it offers a tougher hull and a large hardpoint, given its original military design. With modifications, achieving more than 3000 hull points is easy. Additionally, compared to the FAS, the FDS has a grade 6 optional internal slot, which the FAS lacks, making it more versatile. With certain modifications, its jump range can reach over 40 light-years, which, while not extensive, is sufficient for light exploration.
I started studying this ship because I was building a battlefield maintenance vessel for supporting others during combat with the last Titan. Since this is a risky task, I wanted to avoid a high rebuy cost, which ruled out the Python and Krait. I wanted a ship with better survivability, which ruled out the Type-7. I needed a ship that was tough, versatile, and cost-effective, and the Federal Drop Ship naturally became the choice. Here is my build:
This is my FDS, the UES - Nordanvind. 'Nordanvind' means 'North Wind' in Swedish. I chose this name because I initially wanted to name it '北风' in my language, but sadly ED doesn’t support Chinese characters. 'North Wind' sounded a bit plain, and as I am currently learning Swedish, 'Nordanvind' seemed like a fitting choice. I love this name, it gives me a feeling of resilience, endurance and purity.
UES stands for United Earth Starfleet
In conclusion, if you are a beginner looking for an intermediate multi-role ship, consider the FDS. It works.
I'm too far away to outfit my Keelback back to its mining form on time - as I've been experimenting with it for a while and now the outfit is all messed up. However, it was my first mining ship, and oh boy, it fits the role perfectly. With a Fighter Bay, you can bring some protection along, and 64T of cargo space is more than enough to get started with the basics of mining - 80T if you're willing to downgrade your shields. It can also handle trading quite well and isn't overly expensive, so you don't feel stuck with a dedicated trade ship like the Type-6 or Type-7. I think of it as a beginner's Python, primarily because of its versatility and multi-role capabilities.
I think the Diamondback Scout is a very underrated ship.This ship is a very good option for bounty hunting, being very useful especially for beginners, because it's a cheap ship that works very well for those who can't afford better options, and it's possible to put up a good defense even without engineering.Very good for practicing this part!
People always want to get the Cobra Mk III, or save money and jump straight to the medium ship. But the Hauler is almost always left out, perhaps the best value for money at the start of the game. I used it to do the delivery missions with a bit more cargo and even started laser mining with it!
I think the Hauler is a great ship, but it's been labeled as a “dull” early-game ship that needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Obviously there are several better ships for specific professions, but the Hauler can sustain good gameplay for a long time when used with the right build!
So let's value the advantages: The first and most important is its price. It's impossible to get a better ship for a lower price if you want transport cargo! What's more, its jump range is excellent, and when properly equipped it can reach unimaginable values for other entry-level ships.
As it's a ship used more at the beginning of the game, its small size is great for new players to practice docking at more challenging stations
So, the Hauler is a great ship that can go beyond the beginning of the game and works very well for both those who use it for exploration and those who want to carry high-value items! So don't discard your Hauler just like that, it's really good!
It not only can take you any where but this cheap ship can also have a career in Compact Mining .The Asp Explorer might not be the obvious choice for mining especially with bigger ships like the Python or Type-9 dominating that role but its smaller size and versatility make it an underrated gem for smaller or more focused mining trips, It can do surface mining and deep mining too, It helped me a lot in my first days as a CMDR to reach the point where I can afford real mining ships.
Type-10 Defender is greatly underrated for me. I've never been taking this ship serious. It's very large and heavy, barely moving, but that's also his greatest asset. I had one day a sparing with one of my friends. He was in T-10, I was in my Krait Mk.2. Both ships were engineered.
There was absolutely no possibility for me to take down this ship. It's massive and resistant hull was nearly impenetrable. And he, armed with only missile launchers, destroyed my Krait in a few seconds. Then I came back with Imperial Cutter and the result wasn't much better.
It's a great ship but occasional, still wouldn't prefer to use it but I can't say it's worthless to try out.
The Federal Corvette is badly undervalued thanks to its high cost, limited availability, and limited jump radius, which drives most people towards The Anaconda or Cutter. But it really shines as a combat monster, with two massive hardpoints, amazing manoeuvrability, and almost impossible durability. but those willing to invest into her are rewarded by a brutal experience in any conflict theater or PvP skirmish. This ship became my favorite right after I reached the Rear Admiral rank.
People lump the Clipper in with the other large ships and comment that it doesn't hold a candle to the stronger, weightier, and larger-carrying ships of the same class. I feel this is often why I see people skip over the Clipper and aim for the Cutter instead. When experimenting with the ships, I let the Clipper speak for itself and it proved to be a reliable, fast, and capable vessel.
Some features I believe are underrated from somewhat underrated to most underrated:
Top boost of 642m/s, cruise speed of 507m/s when built for speed. Easy to maintain close to these speeds even when carrying extra mass.
Size 7 optional slot gives a lot of flexibility with activities from exploration (size 7 scoop) to multi-role (universal limpet controller), combat (size 7 shield or shield cell bank), and cargo hauling (size 7 cargo rack).
Kitted out for light-weight, it reaches about 55-58 Ly jump range depending on what you want to bring on your exploration journey.
Its size 6 core internals (the power plant, thrusters, and power distributor) means you should have enough juice for a variety of activities (engineering only pushes this limit even further).
It's a fast, heavy-hitting rammer. A fifth hardpoint no one tells you about. It handles weight-to-speed very well.
A truly wonderful cockpit view, completely unobstructed, quite possibly my favourite cockpit in the game.
In SCO, the core fuel tank size (4) means it guzzles fuel down for its FSD size (5) at a lower rate than most other ships equipped with the same size FSD. Quite acceptable given it's not an SCO-capable ship.
Lastly, in my opinion it's one of the most unique looking ships in the game. Combined with the ship kit, it looks like something otherworldly.
Some things to make it a truly great ship in more than just my eyes would be improved weapon convergence and the ability to land on medium pads, but I can only dream.
For me the Alliance Crusader is the most underrated. It's the middle child of the three Alliance ships. The Chieftain, cheapest and most well rounded, gets all the attention and love it deserves. The Challenger, biggest and bulkiest of them, is the top choice for people who want more umphf in their Alliance ship. But the Crusader? Overlooked and unloved by many.
Why is it underrated instead of simply bad? Because it can launch a SLF! With a fighter deployed (and a capable pilot in there) you'll get more DPS and more time on target than with the other two! Of course, that's mostly under lab conditions, good luck getting that out in the field. And if you can, you're probably not running an NPC fighter but with a buddy, who could do a whole lot more damage if they just brought their own ship. But there is something really cool about having your ship deploy a guy to fight for you. Not to mention all the canyon races you can perform with these almost disposable ships! It's like bringing a fast and more fun Sidewinder anywhere you go!
Here's my Crusader (with the fighter deployed of course) juuuust outside the no fire zone of Scully Power Station in Ix:
The Sidewinder is definitely the most underrated, it's the ship that everyone starts with, and it's the ship everyone dumps as soon as possible. While not the most versatile ship on it's own, engineering helps push it into usable territory. It's small size makes it ideal for hunting those elusive mountain exobiology down. It's fast so it can outrun pirates and/or system security. It can fit a shield that can recharge to full in a few seconds. All this combined make it possible to make a Sidewinder specialized in combat, or exploration, or piracy, or ground missions.
This an older video from Powerplay 1.0 but it shows off the sidewinder in combat.
For me the Dolphin isn't so good for what he was designed for, but are one of the best small ships for exploration, with jump range with almost 60ly of range (if I finish to engineered everything it will transpasses the 60ly) It will be similar to the Diamondback Explorer but with one optional slot, and that makes so much difference for a build. So before the Mandalay I preferred to use the Dolphin for exobiology, even it been a little ugly it was excellent in performance!
The Sidewinder - Everyone has had one, some of us still have our original loaned models gifted directly from Mars High, however in a sad twist of events, Commanders just like you and I tend to sell them for a little cash to move on up to the Cobra Mk III, or a Hauler.
The truth of the matter is that the sidewinder is one of, if not the greatest small pad ship in the galaxy.
To market my own build, "Micro Zoom", the tiny little crumb boasts a 42 lightyear jump range with supercruise overcharge enabled, a fuel scoop, and all the tools I need to explore the galaxy, minus the SRV, but I have legs, and they'e not much smaller than the ones on the Micro Zoom, which means I can land anywhere I please, even right in the center of a Guardian site.
THE T10, everyone bags the t10 out, it won't turn they say, older players know it is nothing like the t9, it was originally introduced into the game as an anti thargoid battleship in the last thargoid war, and engineered properly with drive distributors as and experimental effect on the thrusters, it is quite maneuverable, i have no problems out maneuvering larger ships like the anaconda, (that's no great achievement though), and i have no hesitation taking on any ship in the game.
the problem is most people believe faster is better, that's not true, your ship will turn at its maximum at half throttle, in super cruise and normal space, seen lots of vids from people complaining that it won't turn or they suck at combat, they're all jammed on full throttle trying to do combat, it's very amusing, and if you ask them what engineering they have on their thrusters, it's "dirty with drag drives" lol, not one of my combat ships uses drag drives as an experimental effect, why would you want to disadvantage yourself in a dogfight by cutting down your turn rate?
another thing people don't realise is that a full turret t10 will shoot behind, so even if you have to make a tactical withdrawal, the pursuing craft get a nasty surprise when pursuing you. with 9 hardpoints, 4x3 3x2 2x1, it is a very underestimated ship, it is nothing like a t9 other than looks
Our beloved starter ship, the one we always get when we don't have the money to pay for insurance, the one that's always there when we need it, but that we tend to abandon forever after a few days of in-game development.
But the great reality of this wonderful starter ship is that it can do pretty much any task you ask of it, on a small scale, yes, but it does its job like a champ, and if you do a bit of engineering on it, it's capable of surprising more than one Commander:
Overview
Cost: 32,000 CR
Insurance: 1,600 CR
Specifications
Landing Pad Size: Small
Hull Mass: 25 t
Mass Lock Factor: 6
Armour: 108
Armour Hardness: 20
Shields: 52 MJ
Heat Capacity: 140
Fuel Capacity: 2 t
Manoeuvrability: 5
Top Speed: 221 m/s
Boost Speed: 322 m/s
Unladen Jump Range: 7.25 ly
Cargo Capacity: 16 t (max)
Hardpoints
2× Utility Mounts
2× Small Hardpoints
Internal Compartments
4× Class 1 Compartments
2× Class 2 Compartments
Goods transport and smuggling
Although it only has a maximum load capacity of 16 tonnes, it can obviously perform these functions without any problems, obviously on a small scale.
Passenger transport
It can also be fitted with a passenger hangar and perform missions for a few clients... including VIPs.
Bounty hunter and piracy
Certainly it has only 2 small hardpoints, but for confrontation against novice opponents its great manoeuvrability and small size can lead to unexpected rewards. And if we put in some other engineered or perhaps even more powerful weapon....
Surface and Core Mining
Limited to these 2 Small Hardpoints, surface mining, and some surface branch of core mining can be done perfectly well, even with 1 refinery of 6 bins, the necessary limpets and the pulse scanner.
Exploration and exobiology
While its starting jump capability is small, it allows you to plan certain routes for exploration and exobiology both inside and outside the bubble... and if you do some engineering on it, we already know of some intrepid commander who has even gone back and forth from Sagittarius A...
It's true that using the Sidewinder for all these tasks is complex, but the point I want to make is that this little starter ship is a marvel, it's beautiful, and it deserves the undying affection of all the Commanders who play Elite Dangerous.
The Imperial Courier is an incredible ship. 800m/s boost speed, 600/s normal speed. >50ly jump range full engineered. Small footprint. Good maneveur, and last but the least, LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
It requires a low imperial navy rank to acquire, which is really easy to get, and comes in for a very cheap price and cheap buy back. It can run a size 2D shield and you can crash it once or twice and it doesn't go below 50% shield. Small footprint which'd let you dock anywhere. I love flying it for small errands, bubble taxi, and for exobiology it is just the best, you don't even need a SRV if you do exobio on it. Gotta be one of my most favorite ships.
Would you look at that boost speed?
Just a really pretty little ship, the ship kits and all the paintjobs look so good on her
Yep. She just lands ANYWHERE
Truly a pleasure to fly
Honorable mentions including the Adder, which is easily overlooked because how the economy has changed, cmdrs would go straight to a Cobra Mk III or DBX; the Alliance Challenger, which is, for obvious reasons, easily be compared to the Alliance Chieftain and sometimes not being as favored as the Chieftain, but still a very reliable ship for AX activities, including researching and rescueing, even if cmdrs prefer the Krait Mk II or the Chieftain. The Federal Gunship is another one easily overlooked, being locked behind a longer rep grind with the Fed Navy, but it excels with its hardpoints (being the Gunship, duh).
You should probably give all these ships a try, remember to engineer them a bit!
Just gonna start by saying I'm a really busy guy, and my time for spaceships has declined progressively over the past year or so. That being said, this new spaceship I got doesn't need much from me, and scratches the itch nicely while providing ambiance and space bucks for the rare times I DO want to get shiny toys.
This underrated champion is the Type-10 Defender. Fit with lots of laser turrets and shields, and hauling some evidently very tempting fish, she attracts all the wrong RIGHT kinds of attention to make this busy Commander happy from the side screen. Back when I used to play more actively, I would barely have even considered buying this slow, brick-like behemoth but in the right situations, no other ship can do the job as well. If that's not underrated, I don't know what is.
One of the most underrated ships has to be the Diamondback Scout. It's big brother gets all the fame for having a long rump range for a small ship, but what's great about the scout is it's brilliant flight character.
Fully engineered it floats like a feather and as a flight assist off pilot, this is one of the best combat ships in the small category; and always overlooked! It's like a mini chieftain and I've used it for a lot of anti thargoid combat as well.
Here is mine, "60% of the time" Because it always works...
i love my diamondback scout, the first combat ship i built to grade 5 fully engineered, called it "cheeky little thing" still do hazres with it on a regular basis, as well as my t10, got 4 corvettes in different combat configurations for $$, but sometimes you just wanna have fun so,..
It's not expensive for a new person and can be used for numerous different tasks. It's an obvious choice for an exploration ship with it's great cockpit views and jump range but can also be good for trading, cargo missions, passenger missions, and makes for a decent mining ship. When in the bubble I tend to use it as my general run around ship. The dumb fire missiles installed on the hard points are useful for eliminating on foot enemies.
Although it can also be used for combat (I have in the past) you would probably be better off picking something else due to it's large saucer-like shape and size.
Actually it's kind of a popular among pilots from the earlier days I believe. It's just getting overshadowed by the DBX sometimes though I'd rather flying the Asp. But no doubt AspX is the goated
It also has a fairly acceptable load capacity because we can replace the passenger cabins with cargo holds.
And if we want to transport passengers we can place a luxury passenger cabin.
For me it is one of the best ships in the game.
Thanks to my “Orca” I was able to achieve the rank of “King” in the Empire, doing evacuation missions in stations attacked by Thargoids, since its speed allows me to escape from the Thargoids very easily.
The hauler is underrated as as exobiology ship. With the right engineering it can be pushed over 60LY (laden) while still having a shield, and can touch 70LY on fumes. It handles very well in supercruise and with a very small footprint, is extremely easy to land. It's also one of the cheapest ships in the game to buy and kit out.
For me the iCourier is incredibly underrated. She's a versatile powerhouse - 45LY jump range, easy 800m/s boost speed (if you can't dock her in 10-12 seconds you're flying her wrong), very agile. I use her for pretty much everything BGS - scans, courier (duh) missions, destroy power (planetary and megaship), quick turnarounds for ground CZs. And at 45LY, she's a great Bubble runabout.
She can reach about 55ly if you're pushing further, you still get to keep her at 800m/s boost speed still, that's how I fly mine for courier missions, errands and exobiology ;)
My Keelback was my first favorite ship. An unassuming polygon with a nasty surprise for pirates in the form of a fighter complete with plasma cannons. Made me quite a bit of early game money and taught me a lot about fast-paced fighter piloting. I dubbed mine Pandora, because who knows what comes out when you try to open the box?
For me the hauler , is a ship with a very good jump range for a very low cost . the hauler is a very good ship for change system very fast when you are a new player
