Elite Dangerous | Ship Review: Python Mk II

Frontier have just released the first set of Pre-Built ships on the Frontier Store. These ships are available for ARX, aka real money. So what are they like?
First up let's review the Python Mk II Stellar which promises a "high-spec Python Mk II combat build". We'll go over the modules and how it performs to see if this claim is accurate and if these new ships are pay to win.
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[@orderoftwelve]

Fully engineered and stripped of shield and hull it boosts to around 570ish which is about 80-100 stock speed too slow. hopefully after all the testing they increase the speed of fully engineered to 640ish + so it's useful as a glass-cannon

[@lordwontner3936]

I got the basic one as well put my own stuff in it plus I don’t really like that red colour I love this ship it’s great could do with a size 5 slot though

[@zblifteak8672]

Be carefull, you loose équipement you put in with the prebuild version. I suggest to buy a new ship before feet it and engineer it...

[@ShinigamiAnger]

​@@zblifteak8672he said that he got the basic one? 🙄

[@zblifteak8672]

@@ShinigamiAnger I said that to people ho doesn't notice ! I saw that he bought the basic one....

[@redman0124]

ED is way better than Starfield. Playing starfield gave me an appreciation again for ED. Fuck Bethesda.

[@sutch2607]

Bro's comparing an RPG story game with a Space Sim

[@epicbubles]

isnt the lightweight alloy the default hull ? what boost are you getting ?

[@orderoftwelve]

fully engineered and stripped down I am getting 590 boost - but it needs to be in the 640 range to be useful for things like AXI for 'hot orbiting' - hopefully they add 80-100 speed on final release.

[@Nitristion]

Crazy right? Selling a "high-spec combat ship" and didn't even put on a hull package. It's like they don't even know what is in their game.

[@orderoftwelve]

@@Nitristion module 5 hull with 700ish extra hull, only takes 2-3 off the top boost speed. It would of been nice of them to put that in instead of bi-weave. However, most players doing pvp mostly fly the same FDL or Mamba - which are made to take hits instead of dodging them. The most confusing thing about the Arx-Ships was the cursed free modules that you have to replace in a station before you can swap for a module in storage. You are unable to swap a free module for one in storage. It's a strange curse that one would never put on new-players.

[@BPrice-fd6zk]

im coming back into the game, coming over from xbox seeing how the dropped support for console, i loved my alliance cheiftan and saw that it had two more varients was probably going to get the challenger, , but i am open thoughts and suggestions, i did have a fer de lace on my xbox too but didnt like how mmm " weak" {health/armor wise} it felt, then again i am speaking unmodded/ enengeired

[@psyantologist]

For that role, the Chieftain is all you need (unless you really want the fighter hangar of the Crusader and make sacrifices for it in firepower, speed and agility - for a ship with a fighter hangar, the Krait is a way better option) The rest depends on what you want to do with the ship (and which weapons interest you - the Chieftain is great for rails because of the hardpoint convergence) None of the ships really live up to what they can do without engineering.

[@sdaselta]

This ship must be called Python Mk Light...:)

[@Jkatharsis]

Ship is lacking Size 5 optional slot. We must remember that it have smaller power plant and fuel reserve than old python. And still One Large hardpoint and 2 utilities...

[@pilsatortube]

stupid ship :)

[@markborreson]

I dumped all the locked modules that I was allowed to get rid of. I won't engineer modules I can't use elsewhere. Can't run my fleet livery. Can't get rid of the size 3 cargo rack. Slot wasted. I'm sure it will get fixed over time.

[@zblifteak8672]

Comparativly to Mamba, Fer de lance or krait mk 2, Python 2 is more like a krait : good ballance betwin shield and armor, great fire power, the worst in maniability, but stay good on speed. I love medium fighters and i think that python mk2 is gona be my favorit from now. I don't realy test it against xenos, don't know if we can build it as a fresh ship, but after i engeneered it, i think it could be a realy good ax interceptor fighter (better than krait) and good in CZ as in AX CZ.

[@petezzzz]

One 3 hardpoint is on the bottom.

[@SeamusOR]

3x L efficient thermal vent beam lasers, 1x L + 3x M efficient incendiary multi cannons gimballed. Engineered power plant and power distributor to manage thermal load and this ship destroys others in seconds

[@wmgthilgen]

After playing or investing close to the 10,000 hour mark of playing ED. Some 9,000 using various loadout's envolving a conventional now referred to as the Python MKI vs the Python MKII. Though I've got little to know experience at combat with human's, I've got thousand's against npc's. And I wondering how does down grading three core's, multiple down grading or eliminating optional's, adding one large weapon slot and two utility slot's. Can make the new Python MKII better to any degree than the original Python aka MKI. I realize after thousand's of hour's of playing that one must engineer their various modual's based on the purpose of the ship one intend to utilize. Combat with human's is to the N-th degree, no where nearly the same as combat with npc's. Thus the engineering for human's suck's when going against npc's and visa versa. How is having less modual's in total cause the new Python MKII any way better or worth the considerably more total cost.

[@pilsatortube]

its a massive downgrade! wouldnt hold a canle up against the old Python in PvP

[@wstavis3135]

​@pilsatortube it is faster, more maneuverable, and has better hard points and utilities. It's only really viable as a shield tank, but I agree it should have a class 5 internal. If you wanted to make it a military slot, that would have been fine.

[@SeamusOR]

This ship engineered (not pre engineered) is much better than the MK1. Manoeuvrability alone!

[@wmgthilgen]

@@SeamusOR You do realize they released two version's of the same ship, right. Though one has the ability to purchase either three month's prior to those not wanting to pay between 16,000 plus and 33,000 plus arc's for the early released or either version. One is the MKII normal and the other is being hailed as the Pre-Enginnered. The MKII is only available with the normal modual's one get's when getting a new ship, meaning "E's". The other comes with "A" FSD SCO, as well as other "A" graded core's, Pre-engineered weapon's, and a paint job. Which FDEV and content provider's on You Tube are hailing as just one of the currently three "STARTER SHIP'S". A long time experienced Python pilot, would and will find the Pre-Engineered not to their liking, but can and will find the new MKII because they can engineer it the conventional way. Considerably more to their liking. The "STARTER" MKII aka Pre-Engineered, allow's a noob to get into the action avoiding most of the various objective's one has to go through to get the various modual's, the ship come's with. Add in the fact it has with the exception of anything one added, or actually engineered them selves the conventional way; A totally free, assuming it's the same exact loadout they originally paid for; A TOTALLY FREE REBUY. Which gives one mainly the noob pilot a considerable more advantage over those noob's who purchase the standard new MKII. In the almost 10,000 hour's I've invested in this game, I've yet to get envolved in any thing to do with the Thargoid's. But the new PRE-BUILT, Pre-Engineered T6 with it's THARGOID fighting loadout, being availale and having a free rebuy. I'm on the cusp of buying one and giving the Thargoid's a go.

[@Magnumaniac]

@@wmgthilgen Don't try and compare this to the original Python - it is designed for a completely different role. It should be compared to the FDL or Mamba, as a medium sized fighter - and it comes out well in comparison with those. I've engineered mine for massacre mission stacking, so more reliant on non-ammo based weapons. Tough ask with only a class 6 PD, but it is working well and kills faster than my FDL. Gone for full shield tank with 6 boosters in the Utility slots and standard shields instead of bi-weave... thinking being if I run out of shields I run :) More internals would probably make this a real P2W ship, so I understand why they have limited it, and it does very well as it is (when A-rated and engineered). As a long time Python (for multi-role) and FDL (for combat) pilot I can see this becoming my preferred combat ride for a while. Side note - the 5A FSD with SCO is an amazing piece of kit. Use in short bursts to get out of gravity wells and for initial acceleration. Just thinking how many hundreds of hours this could have saved me up to now.

[@psyantologist]

Strange move to give it one more large hardpoint but downgrade the power distributor. That's just bad. Internals are also crap - there's more room in an Asp Explorer, ffs.

[@EliotJohnson]

How much is the arx in real currency?

[@Underb00t]

Depends on the tax rates... Steam is telling me 15$ worth of ARX for the standard pack

[@EliotJohnson]

@@Underb00t thank you!

[@pariahdevalis]

Can all but glue yourself to the ass of a vulture NPC in the hazrez with an engineered ship. Very easy to accidentally outpace who you're trailing, given how damned fast and maneuverable it is.

[@pilsatortube]

pay to loose in this case :D

[@steve6290]

I got the early release standard. Yeah not real impressed

[@jonathansaindon788]

Just bought it too. It’s fun to finally try something new but the optional internals are underwhelming.

[@perilousrange]

@@jonathansaindon788 Can confirm.

[@petezzzz]

Needs size 5 optional slot.

[@Tamburello_1994]

As another commenter stated: you don't put a fuel scoop on a fighter build. Use the ferry system to get a fighter to whatever system you need it in if you're not fortunate to own a fleet carrier. We are told from jump number one to always travel with the scoop. Perhaps for the noob or utter boob -- but experienced, savvy commanders should understand by this point how to advantage the system to their benefit. Think outside the box.

[@Nitristion]

So let me get this straight. You say that only a noob or a boob keeps an FS on a ship built for npc combat, on a video specifically about a ship designed and marketed to "new players looking for a quick way in to a chosen carreer". Try thinking at all before telling others to.

[@leonardomiotti3181]

Fuel Scoop its faster. Npcs are regular at combat, u can use a Fuel Scoop without problem

[@Deathelement53]

Fuck this tryhard nonsense. The ease of use and peace of mind a fuel scoop gives you is far better than any bonus freeing that slot would give you. You could easily fight every pve fight with it. If you are going pvp well whatever then but if you need the scoop off to live in pve you just suck

[@Tamburello_1994]

@@Deathelement53 I don't need scoops, skunkstol -- I have a fleet carrier. Keep playing like a noob. I don't care.

[@Tamburello_1994]

@@Nitristion LOL you're a noob too? All ya suck.

[@Sir-Complains-a-Lot]

imagine paying real money for such a piece of shit build.

[@pilsatortube]

my thoughts exactly :)

[@tweaked74]

You dont put a fuel scoop on a real combat ship

[@orderoftwelve]

fuel scoops don't add any weight, and a 'real combat ship' has a lot of extra empty slots to increase your speed. speed > than hull, shield

[@tweaked74]

@orderoftwelve dude, you need to put module reinforcement or something there. It could be the difference between a rebuy and living. I guarantee any pvp ship doesn't have a fuel scoop.

[@Nitristion]

@@tweaked74 PVP build =/= NPC build. If you cannot shield tank against npcs then you don't know how to build ships. Shield tanking doesn't require your optional slots other than the shield itself and maybe a guardian booster if you really want. That leaves space for plenty of other things such as a FS. Obviously if this ship was being sold as a PVP build then I would agree. But it's not.

[@orderoftwelve]

@@tweaked74 fuel scoop is zero weight... and if its a combat ship you already swapped the fuel tank for something smaller... unless you don't understand how to make you ship faster by removing weight? It's ok, one day you will be Elite.

[@tweaked74]

@orderoftwelve haha. I have 8k hours in game, 30 ships all grade 5. My combat ships don't need a stupid fuel scoop because I fly them to the fight with my carrier.

[@wolff6592]

I've played for over 8 years n love this game. I support this regardless of this guy saying pay to win, it's not !!! What i believe n heard on discord is fdevs are trying to keep the game alive after the decline in sales last few years. N don't say "because it's a bad game" cause it's not for everything NMS SC and SF used to make their games they stole from ED. And making it child proof and easier isn't better. Silly rabbit trix are for kids if you don't like the complexity and conplete open customization and game play go back to NMS or SC. I bought the pre-built and a stock been tinkering with it. First it's not pay to win cause winning anything even with the pre-built one is far from realistic. This ship in my opinion is to address the younger new blood constantly quitting after the gankers and trolls attacking for new reason but to be an ass (you know who you are) and attracting younger gen is what the game needs. The safe zone isn't helping either cause these asses respawn another account go into the noob zone n terrorize then there (again you know who you are trolls and don't get mad I'm calling you out). These pre-built are a good compromise n a way to get funds to keep the game going for a few years( or hopefully decade). It's a big galaxy crybabies literally stop n understand this is for all of us in the long run to support the game and fdev. It's 30 dollars most of you spend that much on pizza beinge watching fallout lol include this guy critiquing

[@Nitristion]

Digm specifically said it is **not** pay to win. Watch the whole video before commenting. Makes you look like an asshole.

[@Digmbot]

A very interesting reply, and I can pretty much tell when you stopped watching the video- about 19 seconds in when I referred to the "prebuilt or pay to win era". However, if you had watched the video all the way through you would find that I make many of the same points you do. The game needs new players, FDev needs money. Pre-Built ships are a great way to get new players into the game, skip some of the early grind and let them invest into an activity that they find enjoyable, such as mining or bounty hunting. At the same time Frontier gets to make some money off of these ship purchases and hopefully keep the servers running and the game alive for that much longer. For further viewing and added context, I make the same points and discuss them further here: Elite Dangerous Goes Pay To Win?! kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6LaZKKegdiKra8 Here: Elite Dangerous | Ship Review: Exploration Diamondback kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH6lq2Whlpx9orM Here: Elite Dangerous | Ship Review: Laser Mining Type 6 Transporter kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2nPeZqdpLulhq8 And Here: Elite Dangerous | Pay To Be Mediocre kzbin.info/www/bejne/h33WoKaQZZZ0bNU Not that I expect you will get more than 19 seconds into any of those before writing an epic treatise on what you THINK is in the rest of the video. One more note. If you are paying $30 for pizza, you are getting ripped off.

[@wolff6592]

@@Digmbot I've seen your video twice it was good I'm just tired of other video you know clout chasers posting hate videos for likes. I just hate the ' play to win ' gripe. Again it's far from it. The ship does good in some cases better then FDL with heavy engineering. In fact I got a buddy who just built a beast ax combat ship. Over cruise is much more stable as well. To me this proves fdev want to fight to keep the game alive you know