An Elite Dangerous ship build.

Goals

Create a ship to:

1. Subsurface (using a Sub-Surface Displacement Missile), surface (Abrasion Blaster) and core (Seismic Charge Laucher) mine asteroids.
2. Reach distant stations and outposts to sell refined minerals at the best price. This goal requires a medium ship but is not relevant if you have a fleet carrier. 
3. Be manoeuvrable enough to efficiently mine rotating asteroids. Subsurface mining a rotating asteroid is particularly challenging. This goal precludes most large ships. 
4. Laser mine when a prospector limpet shows the asteroid contains desirable minerals. A large ship with its copious cargo capacity is better suited for laser mining. However, this goal can help before purchasing one or when being opportunistic.
5. Survive a pirate attack long enough to outrun them or escape to supercruise. This goal does not include mining in a resource extraction site. It is more for accidents or logging back in during a mining session.
6. Unlike previous builds, can require unlockable modules.

Build

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

Once again, the Python is the best general-purpose medium ship. Its additional size six slot over a Krait Mk II gives 64 T of extra cargo space when the Krait’s greater speed and agility are not needed. It has ample hardpoints for mining tools and optional internal slots for limpet controllers.

This build is not a good choice for mining in resource extraction sites. The Python cannot equip a fighter bay. The build would need to sacrifice some hardpoints for weapons, limiting the types of mining it could do.

Mining:

1. Mining tools: This build has two mining lasers and one of everything else.
2. Weapon Focused Power Distributor: Most mining tools cannot be engineered. However, a Weapon Focused Power Distributor allows Mining Lasers to fire longer. This reduces the time it takes to deplete an asteroid, meaning faster laser mining.
3. Collector Limpet Controllers: Three collector limpets per large mining laser is a good “rule of thumb” for efficient fragment collection. This build has the slots for lighter, separate limpet controllers instead of a single multi-limpet controller.
4. Cargo space: Use the larger slots for Cargo Racks and the smaller slots for limpet controllers and a refinery. The 196 T cargo space should be enough to exhaust the ammunition of the mining hardpoints.
5. Refinery: Most mining is for a specific mineral, so this build uses a 2A Refinery. You do not need a large Refinery unless you mine for multiple minerals simultaneously.
6. Detailed Surface Scanner: A Detailed Surface Scanner probes rings for hotspots or to see hotspots revealed previously.
7. Fuel Scoop: Used to get to remote mining locations or sell at distant stations and outposts.

Defence:

1. Prismatic Shields: Unless you slow down by hitting asteroids, this ship only needs shields when attacked. A Prismatic Shield Generator provides the best protection.
2. Poor Armour: This build eschews bulkheads and hull reinforcements for agility and other internal modules.
3. Run: This ship does not fight. It runs, using its shields to protect it long enough to high wake out or jump to supercruise. It boosts up to 474 meters per second with a full cargo hold, outrunning all NPC pirates.

Variations

1. Mining tools: Adjust the hardpoints as needed. For example, if you plan to core mine only, replace the Sub-Surface Displacement Missile with a second Seismic Charge Launcher. Firing two provides no benefit, but switching from one to the other after exhausting the first’s ammunition keeps you mining longer.
2. Lazy Engineering: You could use the guardian hybrid versions instead of engineering the Power Plant and Power Distributor. The Guardian Hybrid Power Distributor will not allow the Mining Lasers to fire as long. The Guardian Hybrid Power Plant will generate more heat, making fuel scooping harder. However, neither are critical for this build and it saves the engineering materials and effort.
3. Sensors: If you want more visibility on pirates when you jump into a ring, consider upgrading the sensors to a class A.
4. Short Range: Replace the 4A Fuel Scoop with a 4E Cargo Rack if you have a fleet carrier or will otherwise not be jumping far.

Tactics

1. Fire groups: Have one fire group for laser mining. Put the Prospector Limpet Controller on one button and both the Collector Limpet Controller and Mining Lasers on the other. Putting both collector limpets and mining lasers together means collector limpets are released when you fire the mining lasers. Create fire groups for different mining activities, such as one with a Pulse Wave Analyzer and Prospector Limpet Controller, then one with an Abrasion Blaster and Seismic Charge Launcher.
2. Mining: Mining is covered by guides from elsewhere. Mining with team- or wingmates can make the otherwise repetitive mining more enjoyable.
3. Pip management: Mining is best with four pips to weapons and two in engines. You should not need shields. Just be careful not to outrun or crash into your prospector limpets.