Krait PhantomExploration

The Krait Phantom is the Krait Mk II's leaner, longer-legged sibling: it drops the fighter bay and a hardpoint in exchange for less mass and more range, producing one of the finest exploration mediums ever made. A strong FSD on a light-for-its-size hull gives it ~75 LY engineered, while nine optional internals (several large) let it carry a big fuel scoop, scanner, AFMU, SRV bay and comforts with room to spare.

It's fast, it has good visibility, and its medium pad lands at the vast majority of stations — far more flexible than the large explorers. The result is a ship that travels far and carries everything, without the pad restrictions or cost of a capital. For many commanders the Phantom is the sweet spot of exploration: premium range, real capacity, no compromises that bite.

Four things make the Phantom a premier exploration medium:

• Premium jump range. ~75 LY engineered puts it among the best explorers in the game — deep-space reach without a capital ship.
• Deep internals and a class-6 scoop. Nine optionals carry a large fuel scoop, scanner, AFMU, SRV bay and comforts at once — a fully equipped expedition ship.
• Speed and visibility. Fast and easy to fly with a good canopy view — pleasant over long hauls.
• Medium-pad access. Lands at the vast majority of stations, unlike the large explorers — far fewer resupply headaches.

Near-apex engineered range paired with nine deep internals and medium-pad access, with almost no weak axis — a step behind only the Mandalay's longer legs and the capital explorers' module space.

The 93/100 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.

Every table rates ships for exploration specifically, split by landing-pad class. The Optional cap. column is total optional-internal capacity — room for scanners, AFMU and fuel; the rating is the same 1–100 suitability verdict used across the site.

Same class — medium exploration ships

9 medium-pad exploration hulls carry a rating, led by Mandalay (96). Every same-pad rival lands where this one does — the direct field to shop.

Other classes — the long-range flagships

The large-pad exploration field (5 rated), led by Anaconda (94) — bigger pads and bankrolls. They out-muscle this hull on the numbers, but sit a pad class away.

Other classes — the pocket explorers

The small-pad exploration field (9 rated), led by Diamondback Explorer (88) — cheaper hulls and tighter pads. They undercut this hull on the numbers, but sit a pad class away.

At ~35.7M Cr the Phantom is a serious purchase, but no rank or permit gates it. A full exploration fit — maxed FSD, class-6 scoop, scanner, AFMU, SRV bay and comforts — brings the all-in figure to around 70M Cr.

It's the considered investment for a committed explorer: pricier than a DBE or Asp, but it carries more, jumps further and lands almost anywhere, making long expeditions markedly more comfortable and self-sufficient.

A fully equipped expedition fit using the Phantom's deep, weight-light internals. Initial is a jump-capable buy-only starter; A-Rated is the expedition baseline; Engineered maximises range while keeping full kit and redundancy aboard. Plans and costs follow in the sections below.

Buy the hull on stock E-rated core internals over its default Lightweight Alloy bulkheads and fit a class-6 fuel scoop (6E) — a jump-capable starter that puts range and refuelling first.

Run one heat sink launcher in a utility mount; no weapons fitted and no shield yet.

Leave every deep optional empty for now — the Guardian FSD Booster, Detailed Surface Scanner, SRV bay, AFMUs and landing shield all wait for the A-rated pass.

A-rating priority for a premium explorer:

• 1FSD → 5A — Jump range is everything; the 5A Frame Shift Drive comes first. ~6M Cr
• 2Fuel Scoop → 6A — A class-6 scoop refuels in seconds, keeping the trip moving. ~5M Cr
• 35H Guardian FSD Booster — The largest flat range bonus available. material cost
• 41I Detailed Surface Scanner — Maps planets for major cartographic payouts. ~250k Cr
• 5AFMUs + SRV bay — A 5A and 3A AFMU plus a 4G Planetary Vehicle Hangar give self-repair and surface access for long expeditions. ~3M Cr
• 6Bi-Weave Shield + full utility bank — A 3C Bi-Weave Shield Generator and 0A Shield Booster give a fast-regenerating landing buffer; three 0I heat sink launchers across the remaining utility mounts add deep heat headroom for scooping and neutron boosting. minor cost

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

Recommended order

• 1FSD Increased Range to G5 with Mass Manager — the foundation of the Phantom's ~75 LY range.
• 2Lightweight life support and sensors to shed mass.
• 3Low-Emissions plant to keep heat low when scooping.
• 4Clean Drive Tuning thrusters for efficient, cool travel.

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

Engineered, the Phantom jumps ~75 LY while carrying a full expedition suite and landing at most stations — the rare explorer that compromises on almost nothing. A Low Emissions G5 + Thermal Spread power plant and a bank of three heat sinks keep it cold through fuel scooping and neutron boosting, and the stock Lightweight Alloy bulkheads stay on to protect range. Only the Mandalay's range and a capital's sheer space exceed it, each with its own trade-offs.

• FSD and a class-6 scoop first; then fill the deep internals with full expedition kit.
• Carry two AFMUs for redundancy on the longest trips — the Phantom has the room.
• Its medium pad is a real advantage over the large explorers for resupply — use it.
• It re-roles to a fine multipurpose hull when you're not exploring.