Goals

Create a ship to:

1. Get the commander to/from on-foot missions introduced with Odyssey. This requirement includes transporting an SRV (for mission support or raw material gathering) and a Detailed Surface Scanner (for finding points of interest).
2. Endure a sustained assault from on-foot enemies. This requirement ensures you can complete mission goals rather than rushing back to defend your ship.
3. Land at every surface settlement, outpost or station, effectively requiring a small ship. 
4. Provide fire support to kill scavengers and other ground enemies.
5. Have a fast boost speed. The build should reach supercruise distance quickly for material farming or escaping hostile ships.
6. Have a reasonable jump range and a Fuel Scoop for travelling to on-foot engineers or distant missions.

Build

Links: EDSY and Coriolis (have your preferred one open as you read the guide for easy reference)

An iconic Elite Dangerous ship, the Cobra Mk III tends to get left behind once bigger or more specialized ships are available. However, its small size, ample optional internal space and speed make it ideal.

If you lack a Diamondback Explorer, this build’s reasonable jump range (30 LY, more with the double engineered 4A FSD), high supercruise manoeuvrability, and ability to land anywhere make it a good “taxi” build. 

Defence:

1. Prismatic Shields: This build will not need shields until it desperately needs them. A Prismatic Shield with Reinforced and Hi-Cap boosted with Guardian Shield Reinforcement Packages provides the highest protection. Engineered Shield Boosters counteract the usual shield thermal weakness. These give just under 1000 absolute shield strength, a behemoth for its size.
2. Overcharged Power Plant: This build uses the Overcharged blueprint on the Power Plant to power the Prismatic Shields and, even then, only if many modules are unpowered when deploying hardpoints. Power priority management is essential.
3. Heat: This build uses the Thermal Spead experimental effect on the Power Plant instead of Monstered to minimize heat when fuel scooping. However, avoiding overheating still requires care.
4. Minimize weight: This is not a combat ship. While it uses a single 2D Hull Reinforcement package, Lightweight Alloy bulkheads maximize its speed.

Offence:

1. Ground attack: The Advanced Missile Racks can provide area explosive damage when your ground mission area is swarming with scavengers or guards. The Cobra Mk III’s two medium hardpoints are surprisingly far apart, compared to a human scale, but usable. No experimental effects are consequential, but Flow Control can help with the power deficit.
2. Beam Lasers: The beam lasers are helpful against skimmers or SRVs but little else. Grade 1 Long Range is all that is required to keep you out of range, but Efficient is also an option. No experimental effects are consequential, but Flow Control can help with the power deficit.

Utility:

1. Double SRV bay: This can transport both a Scarab and a Scorpion or two of your favourite kind of SRV. Dropping down to a 2G does not give any significant advantage.
2. Advanced Docking Computer: Odyssey added the ability to auto-land on planet surfaces. This module allows easy landing when distracted or on uneven terrain near surface points of interest.

Variants

1. Attainability: This build is cheap at only around 12 million credits before any discount. Substituting a regular Shield Generator for the Prismatic Shield Generator and removing the Guardian Shield Reinforcement Package creates a build most commanders can attain.
2. Collection missions: Swap one or both of the 2D Guardian Shield Reinforcement Packages for 2E Cargo Bays. While this build will never be an efficient cargo runner, you could use it for surface collection missions.
3. Mines: Swap the 1E Beam Lasers for 1I Mine Launchers. These can rain mine “bombs” on surface targets. They are not as effective as missiles, but they can be fun.

Solo Tactics

1. Flee: This build runs, not fights. Its prismatic shields protect it long enough for it to escape and, at 600+ m/s boost speed, this build will outrun almost everything. Most enemies will mass lock this build, so the high speed is welcome.
2. Power (pip) management: Place four pips in systems and two in engines when landing to maximize shield protection. Otherwise, do the reverse to maximize boost frequency, speed and agility.

Wing or Team Tactics 

1. Pairing: This build can transport two commanders to and from an on-foot mission location, providing each with an SRV.
2. Rescue: This build can rescue an on-foot commander who has lost their ship or would otherwise wait for an Apex. Use missiles to kill any ground targets, land to pick the commander up, then boost to supercruise before enemy ships take down the shields.