We’ve talked about Starter Ships for Star Citizen before. But they only get you so far. The next step up offers more ship interior space, better living quarters, new game features, and many more opportunities. They might cost more but the options are wide-ranging. So today I’ll present a few options you can pursue for your second ship, and hopefully, by the end of this blog, you’ll have a better idea of your first major upgrade.
What Makes A Second Ship?
First, let's define what we are looking at today. Your second ship can be anything, really, but there are some more common choices. Things to consider are; usually, price in-game or out, multi-crew capabilities, specialty such as a fighter or miner, and size. The second ship question is heavily based on personal preference, and the fact is there is no right answer in a game with constantly changing aspects and a skill-based system.
Our choices today will vary quite a bit in these criteria, but I’ll try to keep them general and around or less than 2 million in-game credits. I won’t cover every ship you might be considering, but these will give you a good selection to start with starting from most affordable to most expensive.
What’s good to remember when looking for these ships, is that just like starter ships, they will have their own advantages and disadvantages that should have you considering keeping a ship permanently. Size is not the determiner of usefulness in this game, and second ships can be a great combination of multi-crew capabilities, new gameplay possibilities, and better protection against others. So, let’s jump in and see what is on offer today.
Avenger (Titan) | aUEC 785,600
Our first ship is actually something many people choose as their first ship. But for those of you who took my advice from my own new player guides (another one) and started with a simple Aurora or Mustang starter ship, this is a very accessible second ship that you can earn within days for only 785 aUEC, or rent within hours for a small sum.
With this advanced starter ship, you’ll be able to defend yourself adequately against other ships of the same class, with 2 size-3 hardpoints and 1 size-4 hardpoint. You’ll also have plenty of space for courier missions which are great for seeing the various locations in the game while making some money. In addition to courier opportunities, you’ll also be able to purchase your own cargo to haul for some money, about 9 SCU of it. Not enough to make good money from but enough to make a difference in group missions and looting trips, especially with the upcoming cargo refactor allowing players to actually pack their ship ships with whatever they want.
Outside of the numbers, though, this ship is just an amazing all-arounder for the new player. I know players who have been in the game for years who still rock this ship. It has decent guns, living quarters to log on and off with, space for cargo, and even the occasional hovercraft that you use for ground missions, and a pretty sleek look. Pulling some inspiration from the US space shuttle, it’s often called the space penguin, and you’ll hear from many players that this is a solid first or second ship in Star Citizen. There are a few Avenger models that you might enjoy as your second ship, but the Avenger Titan is my first recommendation.
Nomad | aUEC 952,800
The Nomad from Consolidated Outland is called the pickup truck of the verse, and for a good reason. You can see immediately that it has a pretty unorthodox design, very monolithic and geometric, but there’s a lot of usefulness packed into this small ship.
At 27 meters in length, the Nomad is only 5 meters longer than the Avenger Titan, but it manages to reward you with almost 3 times the storage space. That does come with a drawback, though. The unique design lends itself to an exterior cargo bay. While that may not seem like a big deal, it brings with it some future complications. For one, greedy citizens will have an easier time robbing you on the ground or in transit once the cargo is physicalized. It also means the ship will actually take less time to load and unload than other ships of the same size. But you won’t be able to access your cargo easily which can be a problem when you need to ditch or retrieve something quickly in the main cabin. It, of course, also means you get easy transport for your small vehicles when you’re taking on a new mission.
The ship also offers superior weaponry with 3 size-3 hardpoints and 2 size 4s. But weapons aren’t everything, this unique ship also offers some rare perks, like the hover landing mode, which does make it easier to land on rough surfaces. You also get a size 1 utility mount which can be used to mount a tractor beam that will help you load and unload boxes quickly. Ship tractor beams aren’t in the game as of the date this blog was published, but in the near future, this will be a pretty useful feature to have. And of course, there is an adequate living space with a bed, kitchen, some internal storage that doesn’t yet work, and a desk. A small home.
It’s not the prettiest ship, some may even liken it to the Asp in Elite Dangerous, something I cover in my lookalike ships video, but this is a solid ship with enough functionality to make it a great choice for any budding cargo hauler looking for a truck.
Cutlass (Black) | aUEC 1,385,300
Even more than the Nomad, the Drake Interplanetary Cutlass Black is the home away from home you’ve been looking for. If there is a ship manufacturer in-game that really sells the atmosphere in their ships, it’s Drake. If you want a raggedy ship that gets the job done, the Cutlass black is your ship.
The most obvious improvement is the space. The ship clocks in at almost 38 meters long, granting you some extra space for a total of 46 SCU. That’s enough to actually start making a little money with. You also have a wide loading ramp which will make it easy to pack multiple vehicles into the bay, and doors on either side of the ship will open to allow for easy loading, entry, and exit in zero G. And just like the Nomad, this ship has a tractor beam utility mount in the back that you’ll eventually be able to utilize.
In terms of weaponry, you have equipped with 4 size-3 weapon hardpoint mounts, a handful of missiles, and 2 size-3 weapons on a manned turret. That manned turret is new for this list, as the Cutlass Black is the first realistic multi-crew ship here. So if you are looking for a ship that is going to give you and your 2 friends something to do in a group, this is your first choice. In that regard, you’ll have a couple of beds, a kitchenette, plenty of dance space, some internal storage, and some gun racks. No toilet, though, so you’ll have to figure that out on your own.
This is a very popular ship, especially amongst pirates, but it’s for good reason. And while it might not be the best looking and the thrusters may take a stretch of the imagination to make sense the Cutlass Black is really the go-to small multi-crew ship that every citizen should give a try at least once.
Prospector | aUEC 2,061,000
Now here’s a special case. The only ship close to this size that can get you into ship mining. The Prospector is a fun little ship with an amazing view that acts as the introduction to space mining. This is arguably the most detailed profession in the game right now, allowing you to scan for, crack, extract, and sell raw ore for profit. A good miner can make millions per day doing this, but it takes some time to get there. And you can always start with ground mining, getting a ROC buggy to put in your Cutlass, or hand mining, taking your chances in the caves.
The Prospector itself is largely focused on mining, but also contains living quarters, 2 size-1 guns, and special cargo pods that can fill up with minerals and at some point in the future detach to be transported or refined. At about 27 meters in length, the ship has enough space inside for all of your essentials.
There isn’t too much to say about this professional starter ship other than that it’s the best way to get into ship mining besides crewing on somebody’s Argo MOLE. It will make you a ton of money in the long run, allow you to tackle a larger profession with friends, and comes with a pretty nice view.
Freelancer (MIS) | 2,537,800(2,181,500)
The Freelancer series of ships are all pretty good, which is why I’m going to give you a choice for our final ship. You can go with the MIS, which comes with 36 SCU of cargo and 28 size-3 missiles for 2,537,800 aUEC or you can get the Freelancer MAX with 120 SCU of cargo and just 8 missiles for 2,181,500 aUEC, There are 2 other variants, but these are what I would recommend to anyone looking for a good second ship, and your choice is really between a combat-focused or cargo hauling focused variant.
The thing is, the MAX can still defend itself despite lacking the missiles, they have the same guns, and for a cargo hauler, missiles aren’t always valuable. But with 120 SCU of cargo, you’ll finally be able to start hauling cargo for good money in some of the more valuable trade routes. As far as a small cargo hauler goes, the Freelancer MAX is an excellent choice due to its multi-crew nature, giving up to 4 players something to do, its defensibility, its space for a vehicle, and the higher durability than something like a Cutlass. It’s a great ship on paper.
But it doesn’t get design points from me. I’ve never been a fan of the long thin design of the interior on this ship, it feels crowded and less inviting than something like a Cutlass Black despite them both being about 38 meters long. As far as second ships go, for the industrial player, you can’t go wrong with a Freelancer, especially the MAX.
The way these ships are categorized makes them definable by many different terms in the game, but I believe this provides a great overview of what I would call a second ship. While you can buy them for real money at times, these are all ships that are relatively accessible in-game, especially when you’re able to join and play with an org like my own. But as I also said, there are plenty of ships that you may be interested in that I didn’t name here, so make sure to subscribe to the channel if you want to keep learning about other options as they are developed. And let me know what ships you would suggest down below, plenty of people will be looking for alternatives.
And before you go, make sure to check out my most recent ship giveaway for an Aegis Sabre, and consider joining my streams to see what other giveaways we are hosting.
