An Elite Dangerous ship build aimed at beginner players.

Goals

The goals are:

1. Create a ship specialized for evacuating survivors from burning stations. The game loop is described below. These missions efficiently increase reputation with the Federation or Empire, useful for unlocking ships or system permits. Evacuation missions are usually offered the first week after stations are attacked.
2. The build should be accessible by an early-game player. This means a cheap ship with no engineering, unlockable ships or modules.

The high-level game loop for burning station passenger missions is:

1. Dock at the burning station. Manoeuvring can be tricky. You cannot use a docking computer and the station’s interior is dimly lit and full of debris. Heat increases quickly inside the station, so use heat sinks to prevent heat damage.
2. Accept passenger missions. This is pretty standard if not for the atmospheric flakey holographic display and the station interior’s fiery glow.
3. Undock and leave the station. The same challenges with docking apply to undocking.
4. Supercruise to the nearby rescue ship, usually a few megameters away.
5. Hand in the passenger missions, disembarking your passengers.
6. Rearm heat sinks and repair any damage.
7. Travel back to the burning station and repeat.

Build

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

The Type-6 Transporter sits at an optimal price point, carrying 52 economy class passengers with a shield generator. The build linked above costs just over one million credits before discounts, including outfitting. See the table below for a comparison.

Ship	Cost (CR)	Size 2 Slots	Size 3 Slots	Size 4 Slots	Size 5 Slots	Size 6+ Slots	Smallest Shield Size	Total Economy Passengers
Cobra Mk III	349,720	3	0	3	0	0	3	26
Cobra Mk IV	764,720	2	2	4	0	0	3	40
Type-6 Transporter	1,045,950	2	1	2	2	0	3	52
Dolphin	1,337,320	3	1	2	1	0	3	38
Diamondback Explorer	1,894,760	2	2	2	0	0	3	24
Asp Explorer	6,661,160	2	2	0	1	1	3	56

The next highest economy passenger capacity ship is the Asp Explorer, carrying 56 passengers with a shield generator and costing over 6 million credits before outfitting. Some ships, like the Dolphin, carry fewer passengers but are more expensive.

Finding a station that sells everything for a build can be a challenge. Thankfully, both EDSY and Coriolis link to EDDB, locating nearby stations selling this build’s ship and modules.

Passengers:

1. Economy class passenger cabins: The survivors from burning stations are not fussy about their accommodation. Pack as many economy class passenger cabins as possible.
2. Smallest shields possible: Docking at a burning station is challenging. You cannot use a docking computer, the station’s inside is filled with debris, and the occasional dramatic explosion may slam your ship against a wall. Shields protect your ship.
3. Heat sinks: As its name suggests, the inside of a burning station is hot and will quickly cause heat damage to your ship. Fire off heat sinks to minimize such damage.
4. Docking computer: Passenger cabins do not come in a class one version. While not usable inside the burning station, a docking computer can help to dock with the rescue megaship.

Variations

1. Better core internals: This build intentionally skimps on core internal modules to save credits. However, a better Frame Shift Drive means fewer jumps to the burning station. Better Thrusters make manoeuvring easier. Improving these is strongly recommended if you have the credits. That said, an E-rated Type-6 handles surprisingly well.
2. Shieldless: Removing the Shield Generator squeezes in even more passengers at the risk of hull damage.
3. Gather materials and cargo: Swap out two passenger cabins for one Collector Limpet Controller and a Cargo Rack. Grab a few limpets then, once you enter the station interior, use the limpets to gather engineering materials and cargo inside the station. Such cargo can also be handed in to complete missions from the rescue ship or sold for a small profit. Passengers are easier and more time-efficient for reputation but this can be a fun diversion.

Tactics

1. Getting to the burning station: Burning stations are present in systems selected by Elite’s ongoing story. They have often been some distance from the bubble but always have a nearby rescue megaship. One way to get there is to take a ship with a longer jump range and then transfer this ship over. Another is temporarily equipping a fuel scoop, travelling there and then transferring over the replaced module. The rescue megaship sometimes has a shipyard, meaning you can transfer ships and modules to it. Otherwise, a nearby station may have a shipyard.
2. Game mode: Play in a private group or solo to minimize interruptions. Gankers congregate where lots of players will be, like burning stations. It gives them more targets. The rescue megaship has limited landing pads and you may wait on other players offloading their passengers.
3. Maximize reputation gain: Go for as many applicable missions as possible. Prioritize missions transporting the fewest passengers to maximize the number of missions accepted per round-trip. Prioritize missions from Federation- or Empire-aligned factions. Some minor factions may be independent. Select the highest reputation reward when completing the mission. The credit and other rewards are often small.