Star Citizen Ship Guide

This is a useful choice if some evenings involve boxes and others involve ground travel. The rover goes up the ramp into the wider bay, using space that could otherwise carry freight. For cargo-only trips, compare the Zeus Mk II CL and its onboard tractor.

The rear tractor lets you handle your own freight without arranging separate loading equipment at every stop. Want to take an Ursa? Look at the Freelancer MAX. If you're regularly running out of cargo space, compare the Constellation Taurus before making another small upgrade.

On the Hull A, you work around the boxes instead of packing them into a room. That can suit short cargo runs alongside an everyday ship you already like. Choose an internal-bay hauler such as the C1 Spirit if you want an enclosed hold and a rear loading tractor.

The Golem OX suits short jobs where you want to move your own boxes and keep the load manageable. Its tractor is part of the appeal: loading is something you can handle aboard your own small hauler. The C1 Spirit is a different choice if you want an enclosed bay.

Buy a load you can afford, move it onto the rear grid and complete the sale. The Nomad keeps that first trading run small. When you regularly need more space, compare the Hull A for external freight or the C1 Spirit for an enclosed hold with a tractor.

Choose the RAFT if you prefer working around containers outside the ship to packing an internal hold. It keeps the cargo separate from the living space and makes hauling the clear focus of the trip. For mixed freight and vehicle jobs, the C1 Spirit's enclosed bay gives you more options.

The Hull B is for trips where you know the job is hauling boxes. Its unfolding grids give it a very different loading routine from a ship with an internal bay. If your plans often switch between freight and vehicles, an enclosed hauler is likely to be more useful.

The Taurus makes sense when cargo is becoming your main job but you still want to do other things. You can load the elevator with its tractor and handle a suitable fight from the pilot seat. Try it with a full load: reaching the last boxes matters just as much as fitting them aboard.

You have the tractor aboard, so you can get on with loading when you reach a stop. The question is how well your usual containers fit together. Try filling and emptying the bay before choosing it over the Freelancer MAX or the elevator-loaded Constellation Taurus.

The individual cabins make this a freight ship your friends can settle into, not just ride along in. Separate holds help you organize supplies and deliveries by where they need to come out. Choose it for hauling together when shared bunks and one crowded bay no longer suit the trip.

Think about the part of the load you'll need first. The Caterpillar's separate sections may suit deliveries that are easier to keep apart. The C2 Hercules has a larger continuous bay with ramps at both ends, so try the same loading job in each before deciding.

We'd shortlist the Railen for a hauling crew that wants a large external load and its own loading equipment. There are four beds and a mess area for the journeys between jobs. The appeal is practical as well as visual: cargo handling and crew accommodation in one distinctly Xi'an ship.

Roof access is the feature to try with the loads you already move. It gives you another way into the bay instead of sending everything through the ramp. This is the base cargo model, not the Ironclad Assault. Compare it with the C2 Hercules for your regular freight route.

The two ramps are useful when moving bulky equipment through the ship. The same bay can carry freight one day and vehicles the next. Before stepping up to an Ironclad, try a full run in the C2 and see whether you need more space or simply help with loading.

Start by finding a route that can load and unload the ship. You'll also need to fund the cargo and prepare for the next run. This is a different kind of hauling from a C2 Hercules carrying vehicles or visiting surface locations, not just the next size up.

The Gladius gives you a clear job: get into a firing position, make the shots count and learn when to disengage. Try the Arrow against the same opponents before deciding which you prefer. Both are ships you can keep practicing in, even after adding something larger.

Try the Arrow and Gladius as alternatives, not consecutive upgrades. Pay attention to the cockpit view and how easily you can judge your position through a turn. The better choice is the one you feel comfortable practicing in.

You can learn the approach, launch and rearming routine without gathering a large bomber crew. Bring a friend for the turret, then use the guns when the torpedoes are gone. For a more focused heavy strike, compare the Eclipse.

The Cutlass Black gives the gunner something to do and keeps the rear bay for whatever comes after the fight. That works well when your evening changes direction. Try the Hurricane or Scorpius if you both want to spend most of your time in combat.

If your partner joins some nights but not every night, the standard F7C-M is worth trying together. It sits between a cockpit-only solo fighter and a larger Vanguard. The Hurricane is another option when you know you'll usually have a gunner.

You have somewhere to spend time between engagements, and a friend can take the turret without being essential to every trip. If you always fly with a gunner, take a look at the Hurricane too. If you mainly want to practice close dogfights, try the smaller Gladius.

The pilot positions the ship while the gunner tracks the target. Both players stay busy, and good coordination becomes part of the fun. Keep a solo fighter handy for nights when your partner is offline.

The Eclipse is for an attack you prepare, not a gunfight you settle into. Pick a suitable target, line up the strike and leave before the fight drags on. The Vanguard Harbinger offers more fighter work between launches, while a torpedo-equipped Retaliator gives a crew a larger bomber.

The M80 brings heavy guns, a small cargo space and racks for personal gear into a ship built for one pilot. Choose it for solo combat trips with an interior. The Warden can also fly solo, but keeps a turret seat available when a friend joins. That flexibility is worth keeping on your list if your plans change from night to night.

The pilot handles the strike while gunners and escorts protect the approach and withdrawal. That gives a group a job to plan together. If you want to prepare and make the attack alone, the Eclipse is the smaller alternative.

You can launch a torpedo, keep fighting with guns and bring a friend for the turret. That suits an evening where bombing is only part of the plan. Compare the Vanguard Warden if most of your time goes into ordinary combat.

Try it with the person who will join you regularly. Can you keep the target where the gunner needs it? Can you both follow what is happening? Those are more useful questions than comparing the Scorpius and Hurricane by their weapon totals alone.

Agree which targets and directions each gunner will cover. The Hammerhead works best as a shared defense job, with everyone helping protect the same ships. A smaller group should also look at the Redeemer instead of taking out more turret stations than it can fill.

The Polaris is for a group that wants to run the whole mission together. Someone prepares the strike, others defend the ship, and support craft help keep it going. Smaller fighters still earn their place on quick contracts and nights when you do not need the flagship.

The pilot concentrates on positioning while the gunners work their targets. Try that arrangement with your regular team, then compare the Paladin and its central turret. You don't need to move to a Hammerhead unless you have people who want the extra stations.

Who wants the main turret, and who will use the other weapons? Answer that with your crew before comparing the Paladin and Redeemer. Pick the layout that gives everyone a job they enjoy during a fight.

You do not need detention equipment for a contract that asks you to destroy the target. The Titan lets you learn those early fights and still bring cargo home. Try a Gladius if fighting becomes the main interest, or a Constellation Taurus when you need more room for recovered goods.

Take the Gladius when combat is your part of the hunt. The Avenger Titan adds room for recovered cargo, while the Guardian QI can block nearby quantum jumps. Choose the equipment your job needs rather than expecting one fighter to do all three.

The EMP lets you help disrupt a target while the rest of the team follows up. If you just want to fight, compare a Gladius. If you need quantum dampening and more detention space, look at the Cutlass Blue.

Pick the Stalker when bringing someone back is actually part of the job. If your contracts only ask you to destroy targets, the Avenger Titan lets you fight and carry recovered cargo. The detention equipment does not help with those deliveries.

Plan what your teammates will do after the EMP hits. They might press the attack or move to secure the target. The Warlock makes sense when the team already has a way to intercept the ship and finish the objective.

Try the Arrow and Gladius as alternatives, not consecutive upgrades. Pay attention to the cockpit view and how easily you can judge your position through a turn. The better choice is the one you feel comfortable practicing in.

The Taurus gives you room for the cargo after the fight. If that is a regular part of your contracts, the hold can be more useful than moving to a heavier fighter alone. The Vanguard Warden is worth comparing when you mostly want combat and a cabin between jobs.

One player sets up the interception while the fighters get ready to act. Agree on the target and how you'll withdraw if the encounter goes badly. If you only need to block nearby jumps from your own fighter, compare the Guardian QI and its dampener.

The dampener helps keep a nearby target from leaving in quantum. The prisoner space is a separate tool for jobs that support capture. If you mainly want a Cutlass for freight and mixed missions, choose the Black instead.

If targets keep jumping away from your fighter, the Guardian QI gives you a way to address that in the same ship. You still need to win the fight. Another option is to stay in a fighter you already enjoy and have a teammate handle the dampening.

The standard Super Hornet Mk II lets you hunt with or without a second player. Check who controls each weapon before setting off. If stopping quantum jumps is your job too, you need help from another ship or a fighter with a dampener, such as the Guardian QI.

The Warden gives you an interior for repeated combat trips and a turret when a friend joins. You still have weapons to use on your own. Against players, plan how you'll stop the target leaving as well as how you'll fight it.

Choose contracts that suit a planned torpedo attack. The fun is in lining up the approach and timing the launch, not staying for a long gunfight. The Vanguard Warden offers more repeated fighter work, while a Constellation Taurus has a hold for recovered cargo.

If your contracts involve fighting and recovering cargo, compare the Corsair with the Constellation Taurus. The Corsair loads through a ramp; the Taurus uses an elevator. Try the loading routine as well as the fight, with the people who will normally join you.

A Scorpius pair can concentrate on the fight while another ship handles interception. Your partner has a turret to use throughout the encounter. The Antares gives that second player disruption equipment instead, if they would prefer that job to gunnery.

The Antares gives your partner a job beyond aiming another gun. Work out when to use the equipment and who will finish the encounter. Choose the standard Scorpius if you would both rather have a shooting role.

The Golem and Prospector have the same stock ore capacity here. Choose the Golem for a small, single-seat ship and trips that finish back at your usual base. Choose the Prospector if a walkable cabin and bed matter to you between deposits.

If you enjoy getting out of the spacecraft and searching from the ground, the ROC makes that part of the mining trip. Remember to allow time to load it again before moving on. For a different way across the terrain, take a look at the ATLS GEO mining suit.

This is for the player who wants to work on foot in a suit instead of from a rover. Try it on the terrain and material you want to mine. You'll still need a carrier to move between distant areas, just as you would with a ROC.

Pick the ROC-DS if one of you wants to drive while the other mines. You'll work the same deposit as a pair. Two separate ROCs give you more independence if you'd rather each search and mine at your own pace.

You can reposition and mine without changing seats, which leaves you free to concentrate on the deposit. You also have a cabin and bed for a break between stops. Once you know the full trip from finding ore to selling it, you'll have a better idea whether you want more storage or help from friends.

With someone keeping the ship in position, the miners can concentrate on the rock. You can do those jobs in turn on your own, but expect extra walking. Try a full trip with your group: some crews prefer being together in a MOLE, while others enjoy flying separate Prospectors.

Choose the Salvation for shorter scraping trips with a small load to sell at the end. You work with external storage instead of the Vulture's enclosed hold. It suits someone who enjoys finishing one wreck and heading home more than staying out to build up a large haul.

The Vulture gives you an enclosed workspace where you can manage the recovered material yourself. If you enjoy that routine but keep filling up, a hauling partner can help. If trips into the hold are what you dislike, compare the Fortune and its external dispensing.

The Fortune is our alternative for players who enjoy scraping but dislike stopping to stack boxes inside a hold. Dispensing them outside removes that particular interruption. A hauling partner can collect the output while you keep working, though selling it remains part of the job.

Choose the kind of salvage you want to do first. Structural work can stay at the pilot seat, while a scraping trip calls for people at the other stations. For a larger crew handling processing and cargo together, compare the Reclaimer.

One person's work creates the next person's job, from collecting material to moving it through the ship. That coordination is why you bring a Reclaimer. Arrange hauling help if cargo starts backing up, and keep a smaller salvager for trips on your own.

Choose the C8R when you mainly answer individual rescue calls and want to get straight to the pickup. If you often need to bring back two patients, the Cutlass Red adds bed space. If one patient's injuries are the problem, the Terrapin Medic adds a higher level of treatment instead.

The rover takes over when the last part of a rescue has to happen on the ground. Drive out from the landing site, collect the patient and return to the ambulance. If your ship can land beside the casualty, you can skip that extra transfer and leave the rover aboard.

The Red is the step up when rescue calls leave you choosing which casualty to take first. It gives your team room for a second patient and medical supplies without moving to an Apollo. Choose it for more bed space; choose the Terrapin Medic when more advanced treatment matters.

Choose the Medic when the injuries you encounter regularly exceed what a C8R or Cutlass Red can treat. You trade the Red's second bed for more advanced care for one person. That makes it a treatment upgrade, not a larger ambulance.

The Apollo gives a rescue team somewhere to receive patients, not just pick them up. Choose rooms for the injuries you expect to treat and decide how casualties will reach the ship. A C8R or medical rover can still handle the pickup.

We'd consider the Medivac for a rescue team that expects to work near fighting, rather than choosing it simply for a larger hospital. As with the Triage, choose between more beds and treatment for more serious injuries. Set up the rooms for your patients, then plan how to protect the pickup.

Pack your supplies, choose the next stop and travel at your own pace. The 315p gives a solo pilot a cabin without finding jobs for a crew. You can keep it for personal trips even after adding a Zeus Mk II ES for evenings with friends.

The Rambler suits trips where the stops matter more than the payout: land somewhere new, take supplies ashore and return to your own little cabin. It keeps those outings personal, without the work of organizing a crew or running a larger expedition ship.

If friends want to join the journey, the Zeus ES gives them somewhere to spend time between stops. It can still handle other outings when the expedition ends. Compare the Freelancer DUR for a different shared interior, or the Corsair for separate quarters and more freight space.

Everyone has a room, and the rear bay can carry supplies or ground equipment that fits. That works well for a trip where the plans keep changing. The Freelancer DUR keeps things smaller; a Carrack adds facilities for smaller craft and a larger expedition crew.

The rear ramp makes loading for ground stops straightforward, while the shared cabin keeps everyone together. Walk through the ship with your usual gear before choosing it over a Zeus Mk II ES. The Freelancer MAX is the cargo-focused sibling if a larger rover or freight load matters more.

The Terrapin is for the person scouting ahead, not carrying the whole expedition. Its dedicated stations give it a different job from a general travel ship. If you mainly want a cabin for friends and space for their supplies, compare the Zeus Mk II ES or Freelancer DUR.

Fly out in the smaller craft, take the rover on a ground trip, then meet back aboard. Those are the outings that make the Carrack's facilities useful. If your group mostly stays in the main ship, a Corsair or Constellation Aquila may already cover what you need.

The Aquila gives you another layout to try alongside the Corsair. Think about how you load supplies, reach the smaller craft and spend time during the flight. You can bring a group without taking on all the facilities of a Carrack.

Take a tour with the people who will join you. If you enjoy the expedition but also want more room to relax aboard, this is the 600i to compare with the Aquila and Carrack. The Touring version has a different guest-focused layout, so check which one the offer includes.

The Nomad and ROC make a handy solo setup. Land near the area you want to search, unload the miner and bring it back aboard when you're ready to move. Remember that the open bed is also your cargo space, so plan what else needs to come along.

Choose the Ursa when you want the group to arrive together in an enclosed rover, with supplies close at hand. It connects the landing site to the ground mission without splitting everyone across separate vehicles. For treatment aboard the rover, you need the Medivac variant instead.

The MTC is for ground trips where bringing the right weapons and supplies matters more than carrying a large squad. It keeps the team's gear near the objective. The Ursa is the alternative for an enclosed group ride, while the Spartan puts more emphasis on moving infantry.

Bring the Spartan when the ground approach is a squad activity and everyone needs to arrive together. It gives the team a shared ride from the carrier to the objective. A smaller vehicle is enough for one or two players; the Spartan earns its place when you use the passenger space.

The Cutlass Black suits a ground trip that might turn into another kind of mission afterward. For a larger infantry team, look at the Valkyrie. If the height of your vehicle is the issue, compare the Asgard.

The Valkyrie puts the infantry team first: fly in together, leave the seats and deploy through the bay. We'd choose it when transporting the squad is the mission. Look at the Asgard when you need more room for a vehicle, rather than seats for a larger infantry team.

Choose the Asgard when the vehicle is central to the mission, not just something to squeeze in beside the troops. Its taller bay is the reason to shortlist it over the Valkyrie for that job. Keep the Valkyrie on your list when infantry seating matters more.

Choose the C2 when your team needs a large transport that can return to freight work between ground missions. The through-bay layout gives you an entrance at either end instead of one route for everything. The M2 is the alternative when military deployment is the main job.

Compare the M2 and C2 with the ground equipment your group uses. If landing near a fight is a regular part of the job, look closely at the M2's military transport equipment. If you mainly need a large bay for peaceful hauling, the C2 may cover the trip.

If you already tour in a 400i, the X1 Velocity gives its separate bike bay a purpose: land, unload and head for a surface course without using the main hold for the bike. You can use other suitable carriers too. Owning a 400i simply gives you a ready-made place for it.

A familiar course is a good place to learn what you want from a racer. Spend time in the Gamma before moving to a more expensive ship, then try alternatives on that same route. Consistent laps will tell you more than a single fast straight.

The Fury LX is easier to enjoy when your group already carries its racers to events. If you would need to arrange another ship for every outing, compare a Mustang Gamma or M50 first. Getting to the race should not be the reason you miss it.

Start with the Pulse LX if space aboard your carrier is tight. Its compact frame is the main reason we would shortlist it for trips where the bike shares a ship with other equipment. There is also a small storage compartment for personal gear. The X1 Velocity is worth considering if you already have a 400i with its dedicated bike bay.

Choose the Nox if you want to race and still have onboard weapons for other surface trips. That gives it a clear difference from the stripped-back X1 Velocity. You ride alone, so a Dragonfly is more useful when taking a passenger matters. For racing, check that the event accepts your bike and fitted equipment.

You can bring someone on a ground ride when you're not practicing the course. That makes the Dragonfly useful beyond racing. Choose a Nox or X1 Velocity if you want a more focused racer, with a carrier still needed for travel between worlds.

If you spend an evening repeating the same course, fuel reserve is worth paying attention to. The Razor is narrower and has a higher listed forward-boost speed instead. Try both through the gates and corners you actually race, including the refueling stops.

The narrower body is worth trying through tight gates, and the boost speed may interest you on longer straights. Neither guarantees a better lap. Compare it with the M50 on your usual course. These differences refer to the base Razor, not the LX or EX.

Check the view from the cockpit, your braking points and how you recover after missing a gate. Try the same sections in an M50 or Razor. The ship you can lap consistently in is more useful than one that only feels quick when everything goes perfectly.

Meet the customer, deliver the fuel and get ready for the next call. The Starlite keeps that first service routine small. Once you regularly need more supply, compare the Starfarer, including the work of filling your own tanks again.

Keep it near a place where your group regularly loads cargo. One player can move the freight while the hauler gets ready to leave. An ATLS handles boxes from a suit on the ground; the SRV has the different job of towing a ship.

The ATLS is useful when loading is your part of the group's evening. Stay with the boxes while the pilot gets the hauler ready, then help clear the load at the destination. The MPUV Tractor does a related job from a small flying craft when the work covers a wider area.

Ask what needs moving and where it should go. Check permission and towing limits before leaving, then arrange what happens when the hull arrives. Repairing it or processing it as salvage is another job, not part of the tow.

The Starfarer is worth considering when you already know who needs the fuel. Plan the meeting points and service calls with your group, including how the tanker gets filled again. The Starlite keeps smaller jobs simpler; the Gemini is the military variant to compare for a fighting fleet.

The missile rack is one difference to examine beside the standard Starfarer. Your main job is still bringing fuel to the fleet, so plan around the route, supply and crew. Protection matters, but it does not replace a plan for getting the tanker out of trouble.

If you like the interior and usually travel alone, the 100i can be all the touring ship you need. The 300i offers a larger cabin. The 85X is another small option if bringing a passenger matters more than having somewhere to walk around.

The 300i is a personal travel ship you can also use for everyday stops. You get the Origin cabin without moving into a yacht built around guests. A 400i becomes more useful when friends regularly want to join the trip.

The 85X is a small runabout for a flight together, not a yacht where guests move around. Pick it when the second seat is what you need. For a solo trip with a cabin, compare the 100i; for shared living space, look at the 400i.

The 400i is our smaller touring choice for friends who want to get out and do things between flights. Its separate nose bay takes an X1, leaving the main hold for other supplies. Choose the 600i Touring when guest suites and spending time aboard matter more than that bike-carrying layout.

The Phoenix gives a familiar Constellation a different purpose: friends can meet around the bar and dining area while you travel. We'd choose it for that shared lounge, not for hauling the most freight. The 600i Touring is the alternative when dedicated guest suites matter more.

Choose the Touring when you're inviting people aboard for the journey itself. Guests can leave their suites and meet in the lounge, so the ship becomes part of the evening rather than just transport. The 400i suits a smaller traveling group; the 600i makes hosting the reason to step up.

The 890 Jump suits a gathering where spending time aboard is the point. Hosting, flying and supporting the trip become jobs to share. For a few friends on an ordinary evening, the 600i Touring is also worth considering.

Choose the Herald for its compact courier design and cabin, with the understanding that its main career is still developing. It is a ship for someone who enjoys that particular role and look now. The Mercury is a more practical alternative if the purchase also needs to cover regular freight jobs.

The Sen suits someone who enjoys the research theme and wants a compact ship to explore it in. The Reliant Mako is the sibling for camera-based reporting. Neither requires you to commit to a large future laboratory to enjoy a specialist interest.

If you'd rather plan the shots than join the race, take a look at the Mako. Try the camera on an event you could actually cover and see whether it helps you get the footage you want. The Reliant Sen serves the research theme instead.

The Mercury is worth a look if you like the Herald's courier idea but still want regular cargo jobs. Walk from the rear ramp to the cockpit and try loading the bay. That is the ship you'll use while waiting for more of its data role to arrive.

You can use an ATLS now to move boxes between stores, vehicles and ships. That is useful work for a group even while construction systems develop. A CSV-SM carries supplies across the ground, and a freighter brings them from farther away.

Once the spacecraft has landed, you may still need to move supplies across the ground. That is the CSV-SM's job. An ATLS helps with individual boxes at the loading point, while the CSV carries them along the route. Remember to plan its ride to the next site.

Load at your staging point, deliver to the group and return for the next batch. The C1 keeps the run small enough to manage alone. If those loads regularly fill the hold, look at a larger hauler instead of making repeated trips for the same equipment.

You can reach the load from outside without filling an internal room. Try that with the supplies your group already needs. The RAFT gives you a hauling job now, whether the destination is a current fleet operation or part of a future building plan.

If every supply run leaves something behind, the C2 is worth a look. Try loading the full set of equipment and arrange help unloading at the other end. It can support your fleet now without depending on a future construction ship.