Shipyard: Freighters

No matter how you play the game, every pilot will use at least some type of freighter. Some are safe and reliable, like the Argosy, while others are, for the most part, worthless, like the Executive Transport. Others, like the Clipper, can be used for either cargo hauling or retrofitted to turn it into a capable fighter.

	Shuttle	back to top
	The Rendelli StarDrive Model 805R cargo shuttle is perhaps the least glamorous, but also the most versatile, of all starships. Its diminutive size and low cost make it popular with the smaller shipping firms and charter services, and it makes a good courier ship as well. Its boxy appearance belies its rugged and durable construction. This sturdy little vessel is found virtually everywhere in the galaxy.
Weapons none	EVula's Notes: Its the shuttle. You start off in it. Do your best to get out of it. Thats all that is needed to be said about this ship.
Speed: 435 AU/h Accel: 217 Turn: 120°/sec Shields: 30u Charge: 0.24u/sec Armor: 10u Guns: 3 (max) Turrets: - Space: 15 tons Cargo: 20 tons Fuel: 400u (4) Length: 8m Mass: 30 tons Crew: 1 Avail: 1 Cost: 10,000 cr

	Executive Transport	back to top
	Forward-thinking executives of the galaxy's top corporations use the Krydanti Systems Mk. VI executive transport for their business needs. It enables its wealthy passengers to travel quickly in style and comfort, though admittedly without any defensive armament.
Weapons none	EVula's Notes: Saying as you can't buy this ship, you don't have to worry about it that much. However, all in all, its a horrible ship to get stuck with. Its the freighter equivilent to a Defender (ouch!).
Speed: 300 AU/h Accel: 150 Turn: 90°/sec Shields: 10u Charge: 0.12u/sec Armor: 5u Guns: - Turrets: - Space: 10 tons Cargo: 10 tons Fuel: 300u (3) Length: 10m Mass: 35 tons Crew: 2 Avail: (67) Cost: 90,000 cr

	Scoutship	back to top
	Krydanti Systems' Mk. XVII scoutship is used primarily by mining corporations and entrepreneurs to seek out new mineral deposits. It is also a fairly decent courier ship, though its light armament poses a serious disadvantage in a fight. Its main selling point is its extremely long range.
Weapons 2 Laser Cannons	EVula's Notes: Not a bad ship to upgrade to after the Shuttle. It has enough space to get many high-wield missions run, and enough space to upgrade your defenses so you don't get wasted.
Speed: 275 AU/h Accel: 187 Turn: 120°/sec Shields: 30u Charge: 0.24u/sec Armor: 5u Guns: 4 (max) Turrets: - Space: 35 tons Cargo: 40 tons Fuel: 900u (9) Length: 18m Mass: 50 tons Crew: 2 Avail: 1 Cost: 80,000 cr

	Courier	back to top
	If you're looking to get your large cargo to its destination as quickly as possible, look no further than the Metroworks V7 courier. It is essentially nothing more than a triad of large engines with a cargo bay and a life-support pod attached. A testament to this ship's high speed, long range, and great reliability is the fact that Starbound Express uses them for nearly 95% of its domestic cargo routes.
Weapons 1 Laser Turret	EVula's Notes: This is the best early-ship freighter. Tough, quick, and spacious, these ships can get you anywhere you need to go, until you have enough credits to switch to a better ship. Don't expect to be a pirate in a Courier, though.
Speed: 250 AU/h Accel: 155 Turn: 120°/sec Shields: 15u Charge: 0.15u/sec Armor: 25u Guns: 2 (max) Turrets: 1 (max) Space: 30 tons Cargo: 50 tons Fuel: 800u (8) Length: 15 m Mass: 75 tons Crew: 10 Avail: 1 Cost: 180,000 cr

	Clipper	back to top
	Aerostar Space Industries' assembly lines are mainly devoted to producing starship subassemblies for other manufacturers, but their C-35 Star Clipper Mk. IV is their most widely-recognized product. This sleek, delta-winged ship is a combination courier vessel and light warship, and excels in both roles. Its offensive and defensive capabilities are quite good for a ship of its size, and it has ample room for expansion that allows it to be turned into either a top-flight cargo hauler or an outstanding heavy fighter.
Weapons 3 Proton Cannons 1 Javelin Pod   + 25 Javelins	EVula's Notes: The Clipper is a great all-around ship. It can be converted into either a secure freighter, or a very cheap fighter. This is the best ship to get when making that transition from freighter to fighter/warship.
Speed: 300 AU/h Accel: 140 Turn: 90°/sec Shields: 30u Charge: 0.3u/sec Armor: 20u Guns: 4 (max) Turrets: 1 (max) Space: 25 tons Cargo: 35 tons Fuel: 400u (4) Length: 18m Mass: 85 tons Crew: 6 Avail: 2 Cost: 400,000 cr

	Luxury Liner	back to top
	Centauri Spacelines operates its custom-built luxury liners between all of the Core Worlds. For the price of a ticket, which is literally astronomical, you get six days and nights of blissful relaxation aboard what has been called "the most decadent thing ever to leave drydock." A gourmet chef and an eager crew are always at your disposal, and, if you're a member of the aristocracy, so are the pretty young flight attendants who see to the wealthy's "special" desires.
Weapons 1 Laser Turret	EVula's Notes: This is a great ship for pirates to plunder, since they always carry cash. Since it only has a single laser turret, you can take out Luxury Liners with only your primary weapons, saving you money on missiles and torpedoes. Even if you DO use your missiles or torpedoes, these ships carry enough cash to make it more than worth your while.
Speed: 150 AU/h Accel: 92 Turn: 30°/sec Shields: 30u Charge: 0.05u/sec Armor: 20u Guns: - Turrets: 2 (max) Space: 60 tons Cargo: 30 tons Fuel: 400u (4) Length: 180m Mass: 300 tons Crew: 65 Avail: - Cost: 1,000,000 cr

	Argosy	back to top
	CDX Starworks is a relatively new player in the cargo-ship market, having previously established its reputation building fighters. Its Argosy-class light freighter has already become quite popular with shipping companies operating near the edge of Confederation space, because of its advantages over the AS129 in the areas of speed, maneuverability, and firepower. Its only real liabilities are its higher price and slightly smaller cargo capacity.
Weapons 2 Laser Turrets	EVula's Notes: The Argosy is probably the best ship to get into without actually being in a warship. Easily retrofitted to be turned into a decent warship, this is the ship of choice for pirates. With awesome shields and speed (for its price), you should get an Argosy before undertaking either government's missions.
Speed: 200 AU/h Accel: 125 Turn: 90°/sec Shields: 35u Charge: 0.11u/sec Armor: 40u Guns: 3 (max) Turrets: 2 (max) Space: 60 tons Cargo: 130 tons Fuel: 400u (4) Length: 52m Mass: 215 tons Crew: 28 Avail: 2 Cost: 750,000 cr

	Light Freighter	back to top
	Allied Shipyards' stalwart Model AS129 light freighter has been one of the most popular cargo ships on the market for the last decade. Its speed and maneuverability aren't the best, and its survivability in combat is questionable, but it can still haul more goods than its closest rival, the CDX Argosy.
Weapons 1 Laser Turret	EVula's Notes: This is the best freighter available, due to its large cargo capacity. However, it is slower and less defended than the Argosy. However, if you need to move lots of cargo, you need this ship.
Speed: 125 AU/h Accel: 95 Turn: 60°/sec Shields: 15u Charge: 0.05u/sec Armor: 30u Guns: - Turrets: 1 (max) Space: 50 tons Cargo: 150 tons Fuel: 300u (3) Length: 50m Mass: 200 tons Crew: 19 Avail: 1 Cost: 280,000 cr

	Bulk Freighter	back to top
	The Allied Shipyards AS1300 is the best - indeed, the only - bulk freighter available. Their high cost and weak defenses preclude their use in the frontier systems, but further in, these huge ships carry the majority of commerce between the Core Worlds.
Weapons 1 Laser Turret	EVula's Notes: Well, this is the bulk freighter. Its large. You can't buy it, but you can board it, but I don't advise that you do that. If you need to pirate cargo, these are your targets, but Luxury Liners carry MUCH more cash, and are easier to take down, so you're probably wasting your time with these.
Speed: 80 AU/h Accel: 62 Turn: 30°/sec Shields: 10u Charge: 0.01u/sec Armor: 25u Guns: - Turrets: 1 (max) Space: 150 tons Cargo: 500 tons Fuel: 1,000u (10) Length: 250m Mass: 800 tons Crew: 32 Avail: - Cost: 1,200,000 cr