Developed by Frontier Developments and released in 2014, Elite Dangerous is the fourth installment in the Elite franchise and is set 45 years after Frontier: First Encounters.
This game is both an MMO and a space flight simulation game where players get to explore a super realistic version of outer space (so realistic that the game's map is a 1:1 scale representation of the Milky Way). To get around in this open world, you'll have a spaceship, which will be your best ally in this adventure.
Eventually, you'll get to decide which path you want to follow. You might want to be a space pirate, a trader, a bounty hunter, a ruthless assassin, or just have some fun and wipe out all forms of alien life. Some of these paths will force you to engage in epic battles involving your spaceship, and when that happens, you should know which Elite Dangerous combat ships are the best ones out there.
Updated June 7, 2021 by Miguel Amaro: Elite Dangerous fans have been patiently waiting for the game's second expansion, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, which after some delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, finally released on May 19th, 2021. This new content allows players to explore planets on foot, opening a whole new world of footfall activities (yes, that means new equipment like suits, consumables, handheld weapons, and tools!). However, you'll still need a trusty ship to get around in this galaxy, so here are the best combat ships available in the game.
Alliance Chieftain - A Multipurpose Ship
- Top-Boost Speed: 338-383 m/s
- Armor: 504
- Shield: 162
This ship's biggest advantage is its high maneuverability, allowing pilots to hit targets while avoiding any attacks successfully. When it comes to pricing, you'll see the Alliance Chieftain has a very reasonable price of 19,382,250 credits, which is still cheaper than other similar ships like the Python (56,978,180 CR) or the Fer-de-Lance (51,567,040 CR). This ship also comes with insurance of 969,113 credits.
The Alliance Chieftain works best when used for combat roles like bounty hunting, pirating, or Thargoid hunting, but it can also work for non-combat purposes like trading (since it has a cargo capacity of 122t) or mining, making this ship a multipurpose one.
Viper MkIII - Small But Speedy
- Top-Boost Speed: 316-395 m/s
- Armor: 126
- Shield: 137
When it comes to Elite Dangerous combat ships, The Viper is a very popular option. This ship might be small but it's used by a wide array of individuals, from security forces to bounty hunters; however, it's normally recommended for PvE. While its original configuration is quite decent, the Viper's biggest advantage is in its Speed. This ship is able to help the less experienced player get used to the heat of battle without being a total disaster.
Moreover, this ship has a very cheap price (142,931 CR) and an Insurance cost that won't make you cry if it is fatally destroyed in battle (7,146 CR).
Federal Assault Ship (FAS) - Has Good Evasive Tactics
- Top-Boost Speed: 215-358 m/s
- Armor: 540
- Shields: 133
The FAS is the perfect spaceship for gamers who love to engage in PvP combat. This one stands out thanks to its evasive capabilities, helping it to avoid taking damage from a single opponent. Like any Elite Dangerous ship, the FAS can be customized to the player's liking, so you could add more firepower and thicker armor to this ship.
You can buy the FAS with 19,814,210 CR, but keep in mind that this one is a federal ship, so you'll need to obtain a military rank first before using it (at least Chief Petty Officer). Finally, if something were to happen to the Federal Assault Ship, it has an Insurance of 990,710 CR.
Fer-de-Lance (FDL) - Good Option For PvP
Top-Boost Speed: 265-357 m/s
Shields: 271
Armor: 405
This one is another one of the Elite Dangerous combat ships that work really well for PvP combat. The FDL is designed to be easily maneuverable and to be used in heavy combat. This ship is known for its great offensive power; it has lasers capable of destroying other Shields and Armor with ease.
The FDL is the perfect candidate for the player who wishes to modify it to its maximum and thus counteract any disadvantages it may have. Moreover, the FDL is a medium-sized ship capable of carrying Class 4 weaponry, and it has a cost of 51,567,040 CR and an Insurance of 2,578,352 CR.
Anaconda - A Tanker Ship
- Top-Boost Speed: 183-244 m/s
- Armor: 945
- Shields: 362
The Anaconda is a ship that can also be equipped with Class 4 weaponry. This vessel has proven to be useful for several tasks apart from direct combat, making it an incredibly versatile investment.
This ship has hefty Armor, which makes it a kind of tanker, but that also makes it reasonably slower than the others. Of course, all that potential comes with a substantial price tag, specifically 146,969,450 CR and insurance of 7,348,472 CR.
Federal Corvette - A Good Option For PvE
- Top-Boost Speed: 198-257 m/s
- Armor: 666
- Shields: 519
This one is another federal ship, which means that the player will again have to gain a military rank to be able to access it. With this one, you'll need the naval rank of Rear Admiral.
The Corvette is a powerhouse with good stats that makes it one of the best PvE combat ships in Elite Dangerous, since it'll be able to raze everything. As you can see, The Federal Corvette was made for war, so it includes a hangar for two Fighters and seven hardpoints.
Some players have even adopted a strategy of parking the Corvette still and having the Fighters do the dirty work: the Corvette alone can withstand any onslaught, especially if the player has customized it for that purpose. The Corvette has an impressive cost of 187,969,450 CR and an Insurance of 9,398,472 CR.
Vulture - An Anti-Thargoid Ship
- Top-Boost Speed: 215-348 m/s
- Shields: 293
- Armor: 288
The Vulture is a small ship made for combat. It's fast and agile, and it has two large hardpoints, providing it with a great capability for heavy firepower. It's also good at keeping its distance from much larger ships.
This one also has lateral thrusters, so it can maneuver evasively while still inflicting damage to the enemy. If you improve it by adding multi-cannons, it will have all the offensive power it needs. It has a cost of 4,925,615 CR, not bad for the lone player who hasn't amassed a fortune yet.
Mamba - A Lethal Ship
- Top Speed: 316 m/s
- Armor: 414
- Shields: 244
Although many like to compare the Mamba to the Fer-de-Lance, when it comes to Elite Dangerous combat ships, it's all a matter of taste and your preferred gameplay style.
The Mamba is a medium-sized ship with an incredible design; its biggest advantage is that it Speeds in a straight line, with a Boost Speed of 387 m/s — it's able to reach 445 m/s if you upgrade it.
However, not everything is perfect. This ship's main disadvantages are inferior maneuverability compared to the FDL and a somewhat deficient heating control system. But you can find ways to work around that — once you do, you'll have the best combat ship Elite Dangerous has to offer. A lethal ship that hits hard and fades into space even faster. It has a cost of 55,867,041 CR and an Insurance of 2,793,352 CR.