An Elite Dangerous ship build.

Goals

Like the Cobra Mk III On-Foot Support Build, this ship build’s goals are:

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. As these are too small to target with most ship-mounted weapons, this effectively means missiles or mines.
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

Link: EDSY (have it open as you read for easy reference)

When I first approached the problem of getting my commander to on-foot missions, the Cobra Mk III seemed to be the perfect choice. I still had the one I used early in my commander’s career. Its versatility and repurposing a ship I loved made it an attractive choice.

However, I recently unlocked all the on-foot engineers on a second or alternate (alt) account. I took it as an opportunity to try different things, including different ships. The Dolphin proved to be surprisingly effective at this role compared to my Cobra Mk III On-Foot Support build:

Feature	Cobra Mk III	Dolphin	Comment
Jump Range	30.58 LY	33.93 LY
Pitch/Roll/Yaw (seconds for a complete turn)	3.4/1.2/12	4.0/1.1/5.3	Dolphin has better yaw, making flying more natural and attacking ground targets easier.
Boost	605 m/s	591 m/s
Raw Shield Strength	625 MJ	681 MJ
Hull Strength	665	1001
Fuel Scoop Size	4	5	Faster fuel scooping.
Thrusting Heat	40%	31%	Easier fuel scooping.

Where the Cobra Mk III was superior, it was not relevant. For example, the Dolphin has only two small hard points compared to the Cobra’s two medium and two small. However, the Dolphin’s two small hard points have better convergence, making hitting small ground targets like on-foot scavengers easier. The Dolphin’s lower ammunition capacity is rarely a constraint.

The Dolphin has more flexibility and utility. The Dolphin’s extra utility slot frees up internal module slots that the Cobra Mk III needs for Guardian Shield Reinforcement Packages. The Dolphin could even use a size five Prismatic Shield Generator, although this makes power management challenging.

The only real difference is aesthetics. Some people dislike the Dolphin’s more organic shape and the wheezing sound of its boost. The Cobra Mk III looks and sounds more like an Elite Dangerous ship should.

Defence:

1. Prismatic Shields and Overchanged Power Plant: Most of the defensive measures are the same as with the Cobra Mk III. Strong prismatic shields protect it when attacked by scavengers or pirates. The Power Plant is Overcharged so it can service the power-hungry shields.
2. Strong Hull: Unlike the Cobra Mk III, this ship can afford strong hull protection. It has the internal slots for Hull and Module Reinforcement Packages. Its size five Thrusters can maintain a fast speed with the extra weight.

Offence:

1. Ground Attack: The Advanced Missile Racks provide explosive area damage against on-foot scavengers or guards. The Dolphin’s hard points are close, making targeting easier, and the fast yaw means moving sideways faster to change targets or to dodge incoming projectiles.

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. Coupled with the Cargo Rack, you could use this build for surface missions.
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.

Solo Tactics

1. Flee: This build runs, not fights. Its prismatic shields protect it long enough for it to escape. This build will outrun almost everything with its almost 600+ m/s boost speed. 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 up the commander, and then boost to supercruise before enemy ships take down the shields.