An Elite Dangerous ship build for evacuating passengers in bulk from damaged stations (before the events of Update 14) or stations in Thargoid Invasion systems (after Update 14).

Goals

Create a ship to:

1. Carry as many passengers as possible. Evacuating passengers are happy with economy class.
2. Make the 150+ LY trip to a rescue ship as quickly as possible. This means maximizing the jump distance and range to do the trip without refuelling. Failing that, outfitting a fuel scoop.
3. Escape a Thargoid hyperdiction or interdiction. This means both the protection and speed to escape.
4. (Optional) Collect engineering materials and commodities floating inside or around burning stations. Alternatively, transport critically injured evacuees in escape pods.

Build

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

A comparison of large ship economy passenger capacity is given below.

Ship	2	3	4	5	6+	Smallest Shield Slot Size	Total Economy Passengers (Shielded)	Total Economy Passengers (Shieldless)
Type-9 Heavy	1	2	2	1	4	5	154	170
Beluga Liner	0	4	1	2	4	5	168	184
Type-10 Defender	1	2	2	1	3	6	106	138
Anaconda	1	0	3	3	4	4	194	202
Federal Corvette	0	1	2	2	5	5	196	212
Imperial Cutter	0	1	1	2	5	5	188	204

Given the largest passenger cabin is size 6, the Federal Corvette carries the most passengers in economy class cabins. However, the Anaconda is the second best when shielded and has almost a ten light year longer jump range with a similar build. The Imperial Cutter has a similarly crimped jump range, although its speed makes escaping mass locks easier. Therefore, the Anaconda is the best all-round choice.

Passengers and cargo:

1. Passengers: Running passengers is straightforward. I prefer missions that reward engineering materials, especially ones with fewer passengers for five class five materials. The autodocking computer helps when repeatedly docking.
2. Cargo: A small cargo rack and limpet controller can help collect floating engineering materials and commodities in damaged stations. You can pause inside a burning station, activate collector limpets and then use heat sinks to control your heat. Otherwise, it can help carry critically injured evacuees in escape pods from transport missions.
3. Jumping: This build uses the double-engineered 6A Frame Shift Drive for maximum range. If you lack one, use Increased Range with Mass Manager. The 4A Fuel Scoop is small but sufficient. The build’s low heat means you can throttle to zero at the edge of a star’s exclusion zone without overheating.

Defence:

1. Shields: While Thargoid damage is phasing, a Prismatic Shield Generator provides the best protection. Substitute for a regular Shield Generator if you do not have access to Prismatic Shields. It, with Shield Boosters, provides enough protection to survive several Thargoid encounters assuming you repair regularly.
2. Armour: Favour speed over hull integrity with Lightweight Alloys, given the Anaconda already has a tough, strong hull.
3. Speed and agility: While an Anaconda will never be able to outrun a Basilisk, maximizing the Dirty with Drag Drives engineering on the Thrusters minimizes the time in danger during Thargoid encounters. The Power Distributor engineering ensures it can boost every five seconds with four pips to engines and two to shields.
4. Cold: Given the Anaconda’s massive size 8 power plant and minimal power requirements, engineering to minimize heat is appropriate. This reduces Thargoid weapon accuracy and makes fuel scooping easier.
5. No weapons: This build runs from fights.

Variations

1. Longer jump range: Replace the Cargo Rack with a Guardian FSD Booster. This reduces the jumps required to reach rescue ships.
2. More passengers: Replace the Cargo Rack and Collector Limpet Controller with more economy-class passenger cabins for a small increase in passenger capacity. Remove the shields if you are happy to take some hull damage during Thargoid encounters.
3. Anti-Scout: Equip several turreted enhanced AX multi-cannons in the large and huge hardpoints. Bring the fight to any scouts that interdict you or that attack you around stations! This variation can be fun but removing caustic damage from missiles is difficult. This build’s engineering makes overheating slow.

Tactics

1. Surviving interdictions: Submit to interdictions, put four pips into engines, then boost every repeatedly. Scouts will be a pest until the FSD cools down. Basilisks will mass lock you, preventing you from low waking, but take up to 30 seconds to commence pursuit. That should be long enough to get the required five km to escape their mass lock. Use heat sinks liberally to keep your heat low and minimize thargoid accuracy.
2. Surviving hyperdictions: Hyperdictions, even from Basilisks, are easier to survive than interdictions because their mass lock does not block high wakes. Boost, fire heat sinks, then high wake as soon as possible. Use the Shutdown Field Neutralizer when you get a message about the impending shutdown field.
3. Run: This build runs from fights, notwithstanding the anti-scout variation above.