Krait Mk IIExploration

The Krait Mk II is a combat-leaning medium that also explores well. A class-5 FSD on a 320-tonne hull gives it ~60 LY engineered — not a specialist's range, but more than enough for serious deep-space work — and its nine optional internals carry the largest scoop the hull takes, a multi-SRV bay, AFMUs, scanners and comforts at once. It lands on medium pads at almost every station, and needs no rank.

Its catch as an explorer is that Faulcon DeLacy already builds a dedicated version of the same airframe: the lighter Krait Phantom drops the fighter bay and a hardpoint to jump further from less mass. The Mk II is the heavier all-rounder — pick it when you want one hull that fights, hauls and explores rather than a pure long-range tool. As that do-everything ship, its exploration leg is genuinely good.

Four things make the Krait Mk II a capable explorer:

• Good jump range. A class-5 FSD with Guardian booster pushes a 320t hull to ~60 LY engineered — comfortable deep-space reach.
• Deep internals. Nine optionals carry a class-6 scoop, a multi-SRV bay, AFMUs, scanner and comforts together, with redundancy to spare.
• Medium pad, no rank. Lands at almost every station for resupply, and anyone with the credits can fly one.
• Re-roles freely. The same hull fights and hauls — the explorer that's also a warship and a trader between expeditions.

Role-leading internals (nine optionals, class-6 scoop, multi-SRV, twin AFMUs) lift a versatile ~60 LY medium to 80; mid-pack engineered range below its Phantom sibling and Mandalay is the limiter.

The 80/100 headline is a verdict against the exploration role's priority-ordered factors. Each factor carries a weight (its share of 100); this hull earns part of each based on how it performs against the whole field. The points sum to the rating.

Both tables rate ships for exploration specifically. The role column is the maximum engineered jump range in light-years — the headline number for deep-space travel.

Same class — medium-pad explorers

Among medium explorers the Krait Mk II sits mid-pack on range. The Mandalay and its own Phantom sibling jump far further for the dedicated job; the Asp Explorer edges it on range from a cheaper hull. The Mk II's edge is capacity and versatility — more internals and firepower than any of them when you want one hull for everything.

Other classes — the dedicated long-range rivals

The dedicated explorers out-range the Krait Mk II in every class — the Diamondback Explorer does it from a tiny, land-anywhere hull, and the capital pair carry far more. The Mk II earns its place when range is one of several jobs, not the only one: a medium that explores well and also fights and hauls.

At ~44.2M Cr the Krait Mk II is mid-priced for a medium, with no rank gate. A full exploration fit — A-rated FSD, class-6 scoop, Guardian booster, SRV bay and AFMUs — brings the all-in figure to around 72M Cr.

Its versatility softens the cost: the same engineered hull explores, fights and hauls by swapping modules, so the spend spreads across roles instead of buying a dedicated explorer outright.

A well-equipped expedition fit using the Mk II's deep internals. Initial is a jump-capable buy-only starter; A-Rated is the expedition baseline; Engineered maximises range while carrying full kit and redundancy. Plans and costs follow in the sections below.

Buy the hull with stock E-rated cores — the class-5 FSD makes it jump-capable as-is — and fit the class-6 fuel scoop so it can refuel from any star. Keep the stock lightweight-alloy bulkheads: an explorer wants the lightest hull it can fly, never military plate.

Fit a single heat sink launcher and leave every expedition internal empty for now: the Guardian booster, a right-sized SRV bay, both AFMUs, the bi-weave shield, repair limpet and surface scanner all wait for the A-rated pass.

Carry no weapons and no passenger cabin — this is an explorer. Spend on range and refuelling first, then fill the deep internals with science kit, not dead mass.

A-rating priority for a versatile explorer:

• 1FSD → 5A — Jump range is everything; A-rate the drive first. ~5M Cr
• 2Fuel Scoop → 6A — The largest scoop the hull takes refuels fast. ~9M Cr
• 3Guardian FSD Booster 5 — The largest flat range bonus available. material cost
• 4SRV bay (2G) + twin AFMUs + repair limpet — Surface access and self-repair (5A and 3A AFMUs); a single-bay hangar is all an explorer needs. ~6M Cr
• 5Bi-weave shield (4C) + shield booster — A fast-regenerating landing buffer. modest
• 6Detailed Surface Scanner (1I) — Maps planets for major cartographic payouts. ~250k Cr

The standard exploration engineering pattern. Felicity Farseer (maxed) carries the FSD; Professor Palin or Mel Brandon take the thrusters. Pin blueprints for remote G1→G5 application.

Recommended order

• 1FSD Increased Range to G5 with Mass Manager — the foundation of the Mk II's ~60 LY range.
• 2Lightweight life support and sensors to shed mass from a 320t hull.
• 3Low-Emissions plant to keep heat manageable when scooping.
• 4Clean Drive Tuning thrusters for efficient travel.

Approximate progression across the three states (figures are representative, not exact rolls):

Engineered — with G5 lightweight bulkheads, a trimmed single-bay SRV hangar and no dead passenger mass — the Krait Mk II jumps ~60 LY while carrying a full expedition with redundancy, and the same hull re-roles to a warship or trader. It out-ranges neither its Phantom sibling nor the dedicated mediums; that's the all-rounder's trade. For versatile, well-equipped deep-space travel on a medium pad, it's a strong choice.

• FSD and class-6 scoop first; then exploit the deep internals for redundancy.
• The scoop caps at class 6 — plan refuel stops a touch earlier than a capital would.
• It has no military slot, so all your kit shares the optional internals — plan the loadout carefully.
• Its versatility is the headline — the same hull is your explorer, warship and trader; it has combat, mining and multipurpose manuals too.