PythonMining

Mining is a slow, stationary business that makes you a magnet for pirates — and the Python answers that better than almost anything. Its three large hardpoints mount every mining tool you need (lasers, sub-surface missiles, a seismic charge launcher for core mining, an abrasion blaster), its deep internals carry a full refinery, limpet controllers and a big ore hold, and crucially it keeps the shields and weapons to turn and destroy the pirate that interdicts you mid-session.

On a medium pad it reaches most stations and ring systems, and its strong shields mean it survives the long, exposed minutes of cracking a motherlode. It carries less ore than the capital miners or a stripped Type-8, and it costs more — but no medium miner combines this much capability with genuine self-defence. For mining valuable cores in pirate-prone rings, the Python is the safe, capable, do-everything choice.

Four things make the Python a superb miner:

• Mounts every mining tool. Three large hardpoints fit lasers, sub-surface missiles and a seismic charge launcher for laser and core mining at once.
• Deep internals for a full suite. Refinery, prospector and multiple collector controllers, a detailed surface scanner and a big ore hold all fit together.
• It defends itself. Strong shields and the option to arm a gun mean it destroys the pirates that interdict laden miners, rather than fleeing.
• Medium-pad and rank-free. Reaches most stations and ring systems; anyone with the credits can fly one.

The one miner that defends itself — a full toolkit and a ~1,100 MJ engineered shield with a gun, on a rank-free medium pad — held off the apex only by a hold the dedicated and capital miners beat.

The 90/100 headline is a verdict against the mining 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 mining specifically. The role column is the maximum cargo capacity in tonnes — though practical ore capacity is lower once the mining suite (refinery, limpet controllers) is fitted.

Same class — medium-pad miners

Among medium miners the Python is the capability-and-defence champion. The Type-8 holds more ore for less but can't fight; the Kraits are versatile but smaller. For mining valuable cores safely in dangerous rings, the Python leads its class.

Other classes — the dedicated and capital miners

The capital miners and the dedicated Type-11 out-haul the Python or out-specialise it, but all need a large pad and most can't defend themselves. The Python's niche is the medium pad plus self-defence — the miner you take into pirate-heavy rings without an escort.

At ~55.3M Cr the Python is pricier than the trade-miners, with no rank gate. A mining fit — tools, refinery, limpet controllers, ore racks and a defensible shield — brings the all-in figure to around 88M Cr.

Its versatility offsets the cost: the same hull mines, trades, fights or explores. For pure tonnage a Type-8 or capital miner is cheaper per tonne; for a capable miner that also defends itself and re-roles to anything, the Python earns its price.

A complete mining fit for laser and core work that keeps a gun and strong shield for self-defence. Initial is buy-only; A-rated is the mining baseline; Engineered focuses on mobility, defence and heat — the mining tools themselves are not meaningfully engineered.

Buy the hull and fit a single 2D Mining Laser (Fixed) on the first large mount, over the stock E-rated core internals, the stock Lightweight Alloy bulkheads and a 5C Fuel Tank.

Add one 6E Cargo Rack and leave everything else empty — the seismic launcher, sub-surface missile, abrasion blaster, self-defence multi-cannon, Pulse Wave Analyser, shield boosters, refinery, limpet controllers and the bi-weave shield all wait for the A-rated stage.

This is the minimum to undock and start laser-mining; the full mining suite, the gun and the shield come on at A-rated. The bulkheads never change — Lightweight Alloy is what the hull ships with, and a miner keeps it.

A-rating priority for a defensible miner:

• 1Power Distributor → 7A — Mining tools and limpets are power-hungry; A-rate first. ~7M Cr
• 2Power Plant → 7A — Run tools, limpets, shield and a gun together. ~9M Cr
• 3Shield Generator → 6C bi-weave — Survive the exposed minutes of cracking a core. ~5M Cr
• 4Refinery (4A) + limpet controllers (3A/1A) — The heart of the mining loop. ~3M Cr
• 5Thrusters → 6A — Reposition and fight when pirates arrive. ~7M Cr
• 6Frame Shift Drive → 5A — Reach distant hotspots and haul ore home. ~5M Cr

Mining engineering is light and focuses on the ship, not the tools — the mining hardware itself isn't meaningfully engineered. Felicity Farseer (maxed) carries the FSD; pin blueprints for remote G1→G5 application.

Recommended order

• 1Engineer the ship for defence and mobility — bi-weave shield, boosters, thrusters — not the mining tools.
• 2Low-Emissions plant keeps heat down during long mining sessions.
• 3FSD Increased Range for reaching distant hotspots and hauling ore home.
• 4Leave the mining lasers, limpet controllers and refinery stock — they don't benefit meaningfully from engineering.

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

Engineered, the Python mines a full ~260t hold of ore behind a 1,100 MJ shield and a gun — it cracks cores in dangerous rings and destroys the pirates that come for the haul. The Lightweight Alloy bulkheads stay stock through every state to protect jump range and pad agility; the bi-weave shield, not the hull, does the surviving. It carries less than the capital miners, but none of them mines as safely on a medium pad.

• Keep a gun and a strong shield — the Python's edge is surviving the pirates that hunt laden miners.
• Don't engineer the mining tools — they don't benefit; engineer the ship's defence and mobility instead.
• A-rate the distributor and plant so lasers, limpets and a gun all run together.
• For pure tonnage a Type-8 or capital miner holds more; choose the Python for safety and versatility.