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The Python Mk.2 is the most suitable for piracy, because its combat characteristics, if properly assembled, are on top, and its speed is not lacking, as well as internal modules. And the price for the modules and the ship itself is quite reasonable.
Level A
Anaconda
This ship has a sufficient number of modules and cells for armament, yes Anaconda is not very fast even with engineers, but thanks to the correct assembly of equipment it does not become a problem. But it is more expensive to equip than other ships.
Level B
Krait Mk.2.
A good ship that can also be used for piracy, but alas it has less weapon cells than the ships above, but for a beginner I can recommend it.
Level C
Cobra MkIII
The most suitable for a beginner pirate who does not have enough money to buy ships, but has a desire to join the team.
Level D
Sidewinder.
Just because it's a starter ship doesn't say much about its capabilities, because even a pilot on the Anaconda won't stop it.
And no kidding, you can start pirating on anything you want even on Sidewinder.
For me a pirate ship must have a great balance between attack and storage size, that's why you see powerful ships like Federal Corvette and Python Mk II in the C list since they doesn't have a so much slot to create defence and space to hold cargo .
S-Tier - Withe the Cutter maybe being the perfect ship for piracy because of her number of optional slots, that will be able to hold lot of cargo and will have space to put some shields banks or hull reinforcement and of course a Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller to stolen the other ships cargo, and the same works for the Fer-de-Lance and Krait MkII. The FDL being perfect for PVP piracy and the Krait for PVE,
A-Tier - The Anaconda is also great for piracy but the Cutter outstanding almost every aspect in the piracy task. And the same applies for the medium ships
B-Tier - Still good ships , and maybe it will be for the Cobra Mk V, since the internal were released and we can have a nice ideal of what it is capable of. Those ships can handle it well, have decent profit but aren't the best of it, and maybe it will be better in PVE as well.
C-Tier - The ships here will demand you a lot of effort to make some profit here since it will be able to kill your enemies or be fast enough to steal their cargo but you will run out of cargo space soon and you have to do a lot of jumps to steal a few goods and then go to a black market to sell them.
D-Tier - Here the ships or doesn't have enough attack power like the type-7 or has a bad cargo like the Eagles. So you won't be using those ships for piracy, just if you hate yourself and want to make your life harder hahaha!
this is my Tierlist for the pirate career, the starting ship they give you and the sidewinder, excellent for starting your pirate career, also because they always give it to you for free, later when they have enough money to be able to afford better ships I would throw it away that ship to get a better one like the Viper Mk3 which offers good damage even if it is a little limited, once you have obtained large sums of credits focus on large ships like the Anaconda or the Cobra, excellent and also the Python or the MK4 cobra which, if enhanced and engineered, pulverize anything.
S tier - Newest Python Mk.2. It has great firepower, it is a middle ship purely made for combat. It has great armour and maneuverability.
A tier - Vulture and Fer-de-Lance. Vulture is a great small ship, with great armour and always is my least favourite target because of the great amount of utility slots. Fer-de-Lance is a good medium ship and one of the most popular options, but new Python is just way better in my opinion.
B tier - Mamba is considered a good medium ship but when I was testing it, it wasn't suiting my playstale. But it's still a fun ship to fly.
C tier - I love Krait Mk.2 as a multi-role ship but there are better ships for piracy that I've already described. But if you're looking for a good ship that can handle every task, Krait is for you.
D tier - Imperial Courier is just too soft for me even it's considered a combat ship but it has decent firepower. Use it when you know what you are doing.
The reason why I haven't put large ships here is that interdicting NPC may be easy, but if you aim to interdict a real player, it may be very difficult task for you so I just prefer to stay with medium ships.
I qualify these ships not only because of its firepower potential, but also the capability to carry cargo (that's why we're pirating aye?), being able to escape, and being able to sneak around stations to sell your stolen goods.
Tier S: Krait Mk II, Python
Decent firepower and power capacity, and a generous amount of optionals, both the Krait Mk II and Python excel at the job because of their versatility. The Krait also excels on pvp, if you have any human cmdrs chasing you. The only cons is that they might be not as fast as some other medium ships, but a cmdr with decent skill can make up to it.
Tier A: Krait Phantom, Chieftain, Federal Assault Ship
These are faster ships, with less fire power but still very reliable. The Krait Phantom also has plenty amount of optionals, and its long jump range can be helpful if you want to high wake to escape some tails, as you'll always outjump a combat ship. The Chieftain and the FAS are both very fast, making up to their lesser hardpoints and optional modules.
Honorable mentions in this tier including the other Alliance/Fed ships, and the Imperial Clipper, though I'm not really a fan of its hardpoints.
Tier B: Federal Corvette, Anaconda
Big and powerful, feel like you're like those pirate lords who pull over on a big ship full of guns. And of course, you'll have more than enough space for your goods, and maybe captured hostages as well!
Tier C: Vulture
Not a really good choice actually if your priority is cargo, but if you're just killing for fun, it's a murder machine when it comes to small ships.
Tier D: Diamondback Explorer, Cobra Mk III
At this point these are just really experimental, as you won't do much on them. The only reason I wanted to include the DBX is because it's a pretty cold ship, you might as well smuggle your goods to the station. The Cobra Mk III is just a very versatile ship of its size.
Firepower and module capacity make up for its slow speed and manoeuvrability. If you can afford to buy it, equip it and cover its insurance, it's a winning bet.
A Tier
Cobra Mk III
To say Cobra is to say pirate... Small, agile, economical... ideal for those who are on the other side of the law and don't care about the health of the ships; neither those of others, nor their own.
B Tier
Python
Probably the most balanced ship on the list; medium size, with good cargo capacity, armament, defence, modules. To be taken into account when facing larger ships.
C Tier
Vulture
While an excellent ship for combat thanks to its great ability to do damage, and take damage, its weakest point is its low cargo capacity.
D Tier
Sidewinder
Our wonderful and beloved starter ship, multirole, capable of anything, but with very limited capabilities for piracy... but it has to be on this list.
I tried to consider every ship in the game, so I’ll focus more on explaining the tiers themselves rather than detailing each individual ship.
S-tier ships offer excellent maneuverability and combat power, along with decent cargo capacity, making them ideal for piracy. These ships excel at the "hit, loot, and run" strategy. The Thargoid Interceptor makes the list because, honestly, who wouldn’t want to become a Witch-Space pirate?!
A-tier ships follow the same principles as S-tier but have slightly less potential in one or more criteria. Still, with the right fit and skilled piloting, they can make S-tier piracy vessels.
B-tier ships include the Sidewinder for its incredibly low cost, which makes it perfect for a kamikaze-style piracy approach - just for the sheer fun of it. The other ships in this tier are solid for core piracy activities, like pursuiting and boarding targets with rapid gunfire and disabling them.
C-tier ships can be used for piracy but come with significant drawbacks, such as poor maneuverability, limited cargo capacity, and/or weaker combat capabilities.
D-tier ships are generally unsuited for piracy. While creativity can make any ship viable for this playstyle, these would require a more eccentric approach to succeed. Even so, with enough ingenuity and skill, they might outperform higher-tiered ships in specific situations.
These tiers don’t necessarily reflect profitability or efficiency, as those depend heavily on your skills and a bit of luck. However, one might find them helpful as a general classification of all the ships.
Today I am going to show a list of ships suitable for piracy based on firepower, load capacity, maneuverability and resistance.
S- Python MK2: It is the most balanced ship for this task. It has the perfect balance between firepower, maneuverability, load capacity and resistance
A- Federal Corvette: It is a ship with incredible firepower, excellent resistance and good defensive capacity. The maneuverability with engineers is quite acceptable. Ideal for piracy
B- Anaconda: It is the sister of the Federal Corvette. It has a great load capacity, excellent firepower and very good resistance. Like the Federal Corvette, the maneuverability with engineers is quite acceptable.
C- Imperial Cutter: It is a ship with a great load capacity and firepower. It is the ship that can be given the largest shield and that makes it extremely resistant to any attack. In addition, it is a very fast ship in a straight line and that means that you can easily escape from any attack. But the bad thing is that it has maneuverability. It has a lot of inertia. It's very hard to stop it.
D- Type-9 Heavy: It's a ship that's only good thing about it is its cargo capacity. The rest makes it unsuitable for piracy tasks. Horrible maneuverability. Horrible endurance. And bad firepower.
As a high-end option, the Federal Corvette is a fortress in combat, capable of overwhelming even heavily armed targets. While it has limited cargo capacity compared to the Python or Clipper, its sheer firepower ensures a successful takedown. Best suited for high-risk piracy .
Tier A : Imperial Clipper
The Clipper is fast and stylish, with ample ( huge ) cargo capacity, its big thrusters will catch all your targets who wants to jump a way. but it is expansive in credits and time to get . but one when you get one you will never go back.
Tier B : Python
The Python is a heavyweight multi-role ship, boasting a balance of durability, firepower, and cargo space. Its 3 large and 2 medium hardpoints make it a solid DPS. but this ship is slow compared to previous ones, you feel like a tank in space and make it hard to escape in PVP situations .
Tier C : Krait Mk II
Why ? The Krait Mk II is a Multi-role ship at both cargo and collection, yes It is more powerful in PVP Piracy but also in PVE Piracy, the SCO capabilities makes it to tier c, with this module you can travel to different points of interest fast, no one will run away !
Tier D : Cobra Mk III
I chose this ship as a tier S because it is a versatile and budget-friendly entry-level pirate ship, and with modifications and engineering, this little devil can hit hard. this ship a live example of unbalanced ship power in Elite .
these are the ships that I prefer to use for the pirate career, the Sidewinder is the initial and free ship so you start with that and accumulate the first credits and then change ships and move on to a more powerful one.
the Python is an exceptional ship, even if it has a high cost, it allows you to face enemy ships without fear thanks to its high damage that you can make it do with its upgraded modules and also easy to pilot.
These are ships that can be obtained at a low price and are more than good for starting out, once you have collected a good amount of money you could think about upgrading the ship with a better one of a higher grade for example a Viper Mark 3 which if improved in combat does not disappoint and is also easy to fly since it is not a very large ship. then there are ships with a more expensive cost but a little more difficult to improve if you are just starting out until you reach truly top ships like the Viper Mark 4 or the Python ships capable of destroying anything in a short time but which require a large investment in terms of credits, obviously these are personal tastes personally I prefer the Viper Mark 3 more, it costs little even if limited it still allows you to make a good impression, obviously properly improved.
NOTE : I don't know why when I share the post I get an enlarged image, I hope it's not a problem.
Let’s first review the whole process of piracy activity. You find your target, pull them out of supercruise, paralyze them, break their hatch, survive while collecting your loot, and then make your escape.
Based on this process, the following key features are essential:
1. Agility: You need to be agile enough to catch your target and prevent their escape.
2. Survivability: While most cargo ships are unarmed, you still need decent survivability to withstand counterattacks.
3. Versatility: Various modules are required for the piracy process, such as a limpet controller, FSD interdictor, cargo rack, etc., which demand sufficient optional slots.
4. Combat Ability: Though destroying your target is not necessary, you need enough firepower to paralyze them and break their hatch.
Considering these features, the answer becomes clear: military-grade multi-role ships are most suitable for piracy. Below is my ranking, listing only the ships I’ve used. Since I’m not a fan of Imperial ships or large ships, they are not included in this list.
S Tier: Python
The Python is arguably one of the best medium-sized multi-role ships. It offers excellent firepower, sufficient optional slots, and robust survivability. You can easily achieve a cargo capacity of 128 tons while still having enough slots to install all necessary modules.
A Tier: Krait Mk II
The Krait Mk II is another excellent medium-sized multi-role ship. However, compared to the Python, it has slightly weaker survivability. Still, with proper modifications, it can withstand heavy damage and complete piracy tasks effectively.
B Tier: Alliance Challenger
Originally designed as a combat ship, the Alliance Challenger can also function as a capable pirate vessel. It has good firepower and survivability but lacks large optional slots, which might force you to downgrade your limpet controllers.
C Tier: Federal Dropship
As mentioned in a previous discussion, the FDS is an underrated, budget-friendly multi-role ship. Its military-grade design ensures durability in prolonged engagements. Additionally, its four medium-sized hardpoints can fit FSD disruptor missiles perfectly. However, it lacks sufficient optional slots, which limits its cargo capacity.
D Tier: Keelback
This entry-level armed cargo ship can be converted into a pirate ship, making it suitable for light piracy activities. However, if you have the funds, I highly recommend moving up to higher-tier ships for a more effective piracy experience.
These ships are the epitome of piracy (the best ships in my opinion) with just the right balance of firepower:
Federal Corvette
Description: A combat powerhouse that can withstand heavy fire while immobilizing high-value prey. A stellar choice for pirates who excel in fleet combat.
Python
Description: A solid cargo capacity and weapon attachment points. To pirate successfully, you need it to be able to operate in the middle of seconds.
A Tier
Great pirate ships, although they may fall short in one or two areas.
Krait Mk II
Description: Well suited for single-handedly shooting pirates, has great combat and can change direction in a heartbeat. Its cargo is sufficient for locks, but not as good as S Tier ships.
Cobra Mk III
Description: A favorite. Cheap, fast and versatile, it is well suited for novice pirates. If it has to run, it will do so quickly.
Anaconda
Description: A combat ship capable of being a heavy tanker. Its high price and unhurried handling, however, make it more suited to commanding large pirate ventures. (My favorite ship)
Tier B
Good options for less experienced pirates or those on a budget.
Imperial Clipper
Description: Sporty and fast, with reasonable cargo space. But its combat restriction also makes it a more vulnerable force in tough fights.
type-7 transporter
Description: Surprisingly useful when it comes to running in for loot and running out with said loot. That said, it only offers two options in terms of armament, so it's really more intended for confrontations with unarmed enemies than for battle.
Tier C
Specialized Role Pirates who play a single role in piracy, but are generally less effective pirates overall.
Vulture
Description: Good in combat, but suffers from limited cargo space, so can only carry minimal loot.
Type-6transporter
Description: Cheap and with good cargo capacity, but very vulnerable.
Tier D
Ships that have nothing to do with piracy deeply compromised.
Sidewinder
Description: Low-tier ship with no real ability to survive an encounter with a real attack or the ability to carry large amounts of loot. Good only for getting an introduction to the basics.
Hauler
Description: A small, weak ship with weak armament. No chance of surviving combat with pirates.
