What to know before buying a ship

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Since Star Citizen is a sandbox supporting a multitude of roles, there is no such thing as a “best ship”.
Some ships excel in combat, while others will be suited for freight transport, exploration, scientific research, etc….

Generally speaking, a multi-role, versatile ship will always be inferior to a specialized one in its specific field. Both having their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your goal.
Everything will therefore depend on what you’re focusing on in game, as well as the size of your crew.
Indeed, some ships will need only one pilot to be operational, while others will require a full squad to operate to their full potential.
Playing alone or as a team will thus have an impact on your choice.

Also remember that the ships will have a maintenance cost and insurances to pay. Maintaining an armada in good condition will be particularly expensive, a cost which a single player will probably not be able to bear on his own. It is therefore important to define your priorities from the outset and to orient yourself towards the purchase that best suits your interests.

A criteria that players neglect when choosing a ship is the layout and driving comfort. All ships have their own designs, so think long term and don’t hesitate to test your ships (through RECs, the currency of the Arena Commander module, allowing you to temporarily test ships).
You will spend a lot of time in your vehicles, so don’t neglect this aspect!

Note for solo players: “Solo ships” (“min crew” 1 players) are the most appropriate for your game style, but ships designed for 2 to 3 players are also considered to be practicable by a single player, generally speaking.
Beyond that, you will not be able to operate your ships properly.
While it is quite possible to recruit NPCs to support you, be aware that that their recruitment cost will be a definite handicap over time and that, as a solo player, it will be complicated to maintain regular incomes allowing you to operate large ships at all times.

That being said, here is a list of the best ships at the moment, by game styles (not exhaustive) :

Notes : For more informations on the vehicles, you can click on their names, which will redirect you to their pages on RSI.
Please remember that not all ships listed below are “flight ready” (which stands for “playable right now in the alpha”), so pay extra attention to this.
Also take into account that your ship can carry more than the maximum crew, as stated in the specifications. It just means that extra passengers won’t have a seat of their own.

Starter ships

Starter ships are perfect for beginners. Inexpensive and versatile, ideal for taking your first steps into the Star Citizen universe in a smooth way.

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aurora MR11
Mustang Alpha11

Versatile ships

Multi-purpose ships do not excel in any particular role but are strong enough to operate as transport, combat or exploration vehicles. Good auxiliary ships, in short.

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Avenger Titan11

Origin 300 Series 300i

11

Reliant Tana

12

Dogfight ships

Because having the biggest gun is not necessarily the most suitable solution for space clashes, Star Citizen features a wide range of fighters, allowing a wide variety of strategies.

Small fighters ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Gladius11

Aegis Sabre Raven

11

Anvil Arrow

11

Anvil Hawk

11

Vanduul Blade

11

Vanduul Scythe

11

Xi’an Khartu-Al

11

Medium fighters ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Sabre11

Buccaneer

11

Esperia Glaive

11

F7C Hornet Wildfire

11

F7C-M Heartseeker

12

F7C-M Super Hornet

12

Large fighters ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Banu Defender12

Vanguard Warden

22

Bombers ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Eclipse11

Aegis Retaliator Bomber

47

Anvil Gladiator

12

Bounty hunters ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Avenger Stalker11

Anvil Hawk

11

Drake Cutlass Blue

22

Transport ships

There is little ambiguity about the role of these ships, which are built to carry freight, vehicles or troops. The small cargo ships will be perfect for solo players, while the higher categories will require investing in a crew.

Small cargo ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Drake Cutlass Black22

Misc Hull A

11

Misc Freelancer

24

Misc Reliant Kore

12

Medium cargo ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Mercury Star Runner23

Misc Freelancer Max

24

RSI Constellation Andromeda

34

RSI Constellation Taurus

34

Large cargo ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Drake Caterpillar24

Misc Hull B

11

Huge cargo ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Banu Merchantman48

Misc Hull C

24

XXL cargo ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Misc Hull D35

Misc Hull E

45

Liquids transport ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Misc Starfarer46

Misc Starfarer Gemini

46

Troops transport ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew

Aegis Redeemer

35

Anvil Valkyrie

15

Esperia Prowler

22

M2 Hercules

13

Exploration ships

Exploration ships are ideal for travelling through the deep universe thanks to their extraordinary travel capabilities. Suitable for both solo players and groups.

Short-range exploration ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Anvil Terrapin11

Misc Freelancer DUR

24

Mustang Beta

11

Origin 300 Series 315P

11

Long-range exploration ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Anvil Carrack46

Constellation Aquila

34

Endeavor

35

Origin 600i Explorer

25

Industrial ships

Industrial ships will meet the needs of entrepreneurs looking for lucrative opportunities. On the agenda: Mining, ship repairs and debris recycling.

Mining ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Prospector11

RSI Orion

47

Repair ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Anvil Crucible38

Aegis Vulcan

13

Salvage ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Reclaimer45

Drake Vulture

11

Racing ships

What could be better than a good old-fashioned race to decide which of a group of players is the best driver in the quadrant? Racing ships only play one role, but they excel in this field.

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Mustang Gamma11

Mustang Omega

11
Origin 300 Series 350R11

Origin M50

11
P72 Archimedes11

Razor

11

Support ships

Support ships offer a variety of atypical gameplays, from support troops in combat to less confrontational roles such as taxi.

Medical ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Drake Cutlass Red22

RSI Apollo Medivac

12

RSI Apollo Triage

12

Recon ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Anvil Terrapin11

F7C-R Hornet Tracker

11

Sabotage ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Avenger Warlock11

Aegis Vanguard Sentinel

22

Refuel ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Aegis Vulcan13

Starfarer

46

Taxi ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Argo MPUV Personnel11

Genesis Starliner

28

Origin 85X

12

Communications & Datas ships

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Drake Herald11

Mercury Star Runner

23

Reliant Mako

12

Luxury ships

Ships without any particular purpose except to display your wealth.

 Minimum CrewMaximum Crew
Origin 600i Touring35

Origin 890 Jump

35

RSI Constellation Phoenix

34

 

To learn more about Star Citizen ships and their specificities, feel free to visit this address to explore the complete list of ships:
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/ships

Which starter pack to choose?

The Mustang is worth $30 and the Aurora $25. If your objective is not to keep the starter but to upgrade it at some point, the Mustang is the right choice.
Overall, the Mustang is more agile, more nervous, better armed, good for dogfights, but very frail, with more exposed propeller. Also, its freight capacity is quite limited.
The Aurora on the other is more resilient, more compact, but less manoeuvrable. Good cargo space, however.
With all these informations, you should have an idea as to which ship suits you the best.

 

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