Pre-Built DiamondBack Explorer Review - Any Good? / Elite Dangerous

[@cd5sircoupe]

I like that it comes with a Guardian FSD booster. I'm a bit confused by the choice to have a class 3 fuel scoop & a class 4 srv hangar. The class 4 fuel scoop is barely adequate itself, I wouldn't want to be scooping with a class 3... and I've only had one instance where I had to blow up my srv. I landed on the top of a ridge, and the geological site I was visiting was down this very deep canyon, all the various points of interest were on the steep walls. I took a very lengthy tumble down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I couldn't climb back out, and the ship refused to recall at the bottom despite there being ample room to land. I had no choice really. Repair limpets are absolutely key out in the black, I've had my ass saved twice since I started using them on long hauls. I'm glad they included those in the build. Earlier in my exploration career I never used them, but I recently had a super close call out in the Formidine Rift with a high G planet that left me at like 5% hull... luckily I found a fleet carrier parked out next to the Zurara at my destination for repairs and I could unpucker my butthole. After that experience I decided to always run repair limpets when I'm going on extended trips. AFMU is self explanatory, especially if one is planning on using neutron stars. Ship seems like a decent starting point for someone that has done zero exploration, considering it comes with the Guardian module. I've been putting off that grind for so long, I'm just going to have to suck it up and do it soon so I can finish up my explorers. I probably wouldn't spend the 25k arx to bypass that and swap my engineered modules onto the prebuilt though, that's kinda steep.

[@adrianwilliams6577]

The Diamond Back Explorer qualifies as the only small ship I occasionally use, after flying the Cutter and Anaconda you'll find the docking speed of the DBX comically fast. If you want to jump far in Elite without swallowing engineering for hours then you'll find the DBX is a worthy little ship.

[@markbooth3066]

The Imperial Courier is just too much fun not to use, pair it with Enhanced Performance Thrusters and it stops on a dime. Makes a great little Explorer too, if you've exploring between Fleet Carrier jumps.

[@chuck6458]

Best small ship in the game.

[@blogtwot]

I'd expect something a bit better as a pre-build if it's costing that much. Took one of these to BP and even with a 4A fuel scoop it was a nightmare. If you're going anywhere far away the 3A will probably speed up the onset of space madness sitting waiting for fuel. Better off with a 2G vehicle hanger and drive carefully and a 4A fuel scoop

[@RicardosGaming]

yeah - it is needing something else - I dunno it is just lacking something - but for a new player - its ok

[@ronhall9039]

totally agree here - the fuel scoop is the DBX's Achilles heel. I've still got mine (The Space Beagle - a tribute to AE Van Vogt 'The Voyage of the Space Beagle' and Cpt Cook - a dude from my neck of the woods) but I only get it out (ooer Matron) for smaller bubble hops - it's the fuel scooping that's a total bugger.

[@fcsuper]

The small fuel scoop and having to make a choice about the hangar is why I don't actually think the DBX makes a good explorer, especially in Odyssey.

[@Tamburello_1994]

Quality production. You've upped your game -- and I've noticed.

[@RicardosGaming]

New software

[@ottolehikoinen6193]

Been in a DBX last two days gathering materials for the sco-drives near the bubble. 2,5 years in the game and still this is the best for exobio and material gathering. Thanks for the tip for wake scanner. With some modifications could use this for Odyssey missions or maybe even take part as a photographer (non-combatant, or get a one shot in) in Thargoid battles. See example builds elsewhere for these.

[@thomasquwack9503]

You’ve clearly never AX’d in a Diamondback if you think it gets one shot by the space flowers

[@ottolehikoinen6193]

@@thomasquwack9503 oh no, the DBX can definitely get one shot on the flowers before getting targeted and maybe be away before a hit hits.

[@thomasquwack9503]

@@ottolehikoinen6193 DBX for sure can take out the lower class interceptors 1v1, and is my choice for group spire farming as it’s great for clearing scouts and tagging orthus

[@lanceobe6801]

The sidewinder is the best exobiology ship

[@fcsuper]

For the price, I would expect more engineering. Basically, whoever buys this is looking for a shortcut to getting the Guardian FSD unit, because everything else can just be bought. For this explorer prebuild, it might be OK to to engineer the default modules. Just know that if you ever wish to replace the modules with something else, you will permanently lose the engineering. You cannot store default modules from prebuilds.

[@RicardosGaming]

All true words

[@wstavis3135]

The DBX makes a fine little combat ship. I built one for Thargoid scout swatting when i first started Thargoid fighting about two months ago. I based it on a build i found on KZbin for the "Diamondback Sawtooth." Mine is heavily engineered and uploaded to Coriolis under the name "AX Dragonfly." You can take it into Maelstrom Space, and the heat on my build runs about 18%. I have taken out Glaives and Scythes with it also. Swap out the AX Multicannons on my build and replace them with engineered multicannons, and it would be a fantastic little bounty hunter too.

[@wstavis3135]

Edit, the AX Dragonfly is on EDSY not Coriolis. Sorry.

[@thekingofawesomeness9173]

Personally i like the idea of using this thing to get around the bouble. I dont have a FC so if i ever wanna get somewhere far away and dont have a good jump range i can just redeploy this ship where im at instead of waiting for it to be delivered

[@godofm3tal1]

I feel like people all expected these pre builts to actually be end game viable. The point was to get you jump started as a new player to have SOMETHING better than a sidewinder. If you were able to buy endgame ready ships there would be no game left to play. Progression is the game.

[@markbooth3066]

Of all of the pre-builds based on old ships, the DB-X Jumpstart is the only one which actually has a vaguely sensible build. Sure, it can be optimised further, but the basic build is still sound. Compare that to the Anti-Xeno pre-build which is a pay-to-lose ship (you will die a lot in it, but if you don't modify it, the rebuy will at least be zero *8'), while the laser mining Type-6 is an absolute joke. The build makes absolutely no sense, and even a beginner wouldn't make the mistakes the designer of this build made.

[@manasdn5219]

I m using the stock or pre built chieftan on those small stations where thargoid is there I can take out 2to 3 cyclops in one go and it also has repair limpets and if I die 0 credits to spwn again alredy at 800 mil credits 8 mil per flower, its good for now after thargoid war is over still can be used for bounty hunting

[@jonwilliams6996]

I'd swap the vehicle hangar for a 2G, put in a 4A Fuel Scoop (it takes long enough without being a 3A) and if you really need a cargo rack, stick it in the size 3 slot.

[@RicoZaid_]

How does it compare to the Mandalay?

[@MaheerKibria]

all of them are kind of like this. They are all competent at what they say they are going to do but all of them can be tweaked to become better. Which is exactly what you want if you are going to do "pay to win" that isn't actually pay to win. A zero rebuy ship that isn't a sidewinder to try and learn is a great value in and of itself. Until now if my friends asked if they should start Elite I would say no. When I explained the experience they always would say it sounded like having another job and I couldn't disagree with them. With this. Some of them are like ok it might be worth trying.

[@Tepnox]

Yea, it surely feels like a second profession for me too. The grind mechanics in this game are just borderline nuts. Layer over layer over layer with grind and RNG mixed with more RNG. If you like pain and want to torture yourself give Elite a try - this I would tell my friends. Oh well, back to the grind then...

[@WiseOwl_1408]

Strange ​@@Tepnox

[@wmgthilgen]

I'll keep my present, but I'm waiting to see just what the new Mandalay is going to bring to the table.

[@johngardner3020]

Always liked the diamond backs. The scout was more my flavor though.

[@spectralfox4265]

Firstly your channel has been a great help in getting info for Elite. I am brand new and am interested in exploration. So if I wanted to get this and start learning the game in this ship and doing entry level exploration missions instead of playing with sidewinder, can I make money starting out in it. You talk a lot about engineering which I do not know much about yet so I obviously am not just picking a direction and never coming back yet so as stock will it be serviceable for me?

[@RicardosGaming]

@@spectralfox4265 I believe so

[@manasdn5219]

If u have bought this, and u are fairly new and havenot unlocked engineers, try to get the pre engineered fsd from a human tech broker slap that in and u dont need anything else, it already has the guardian fsd booster and I think u will get 78 plus ly from what ever this provides just u need to do a bit of a farm, and there are tutorials on that in youtube

[@zenairzulu1378]

For a new player if you were going buy this would make the most "cents"😂😂😂 the wake scanner seems like a must

[@RicardosGaming]

Agreed

[@tomcat3070]

I bought one couple weeks back no vehicle came with the hanger Support where hmm that's strange - nothing done good luck captain go buy one

[@TheTabCrawler]

2:25 - would you regret finding alien live thousands of light years from the bubble and NOT be able to deploy first contact protocols?

How you sell pre-build ship modules???? In my Python Mk. 2 it simply doesn´t wort. :O

[@TempoTrack]

You should be able to go to any station and sell them. Can't do it from FC

[@whs4754]

If i would have known they would eventually go pay to play i never would have bought the first account let alone the second, not to mention all those paint jobs. My guess is that this is the cashout before the final end. How much does a DBX cost in USD?

[@heikobarnholdt7313]

None of the pre-builds are pay to play or pay to win. At best they're pay to be mediocre or even pay to die (AX Chiefthain). But they are pay to access new areas of the game, or make the initial startup a little smoother. Nothing there that you can't access in other ways or build better yourself. I for one, appreciate that this might help ED survive and keep going.

[@heikobarnholdt7313]

@TheSuperDeviousOne Lol.. yes, two rookies fighting sidey vs PMK2 is a no-brainer. But neither would last long against a good pvp commander in a fully engineered Sidey... (yes the PMK2 would last longer). I don't think I'm "changing definitions" here, as much as suggest a different perspective. You might not be open to that, though, so have a good one.

[@astrofizzix4498]

@@heikobarnholdt7313 It's pay to win. Not a huge pay to win but pay to win regardless. A person who buys this ship is getting about 16 million credits worth of ship and modules, not counting the time getting the guardian FSD booster and upgraded modules. Additionally, if it's wrecked, it's zero cost to get it replaced. A person who spent the time to get the 16 million credits, fly to the stations with the modules, get the guardian FSD booster, and wrecks it would be out 1.6 - 1.8 million to get it replaced. I personally thought it was worth the 25.5k arx and picked one up for those reasons.

[@Tamburello_1994]

@TheSuperDeviousOne Citation needed here. You have no direct evidence of what you say because it all comes down to pilot skill.

[@TempoTrack]

​@TheSuperDeviousOneits not pay to win as you are not winning anything. Its closer to pay to skip.

[@Youda00008]

This build doesn't make any sense. Why would you put A rated power distributor in an exploration ship, when it just weights so much, for what do you need it? On the other hand life support should be A - when an accident happens and you are far away, you want to make sure to have as much time as possible to return. Also why do you need this big vehicle hangar? The single slot is enough.

[@RicardosGaming]

I agree

[@johndavies4801]

Its a starting point.

[@Kaliblister]

the worst part imo is the 3A fuel scoop... the 4A is already kinda small compared to the asp that the reason i kinda prefer to keep the asp as my small explorer because it refuel faster.

[@Mutrino]

Agreed except for the life support. If you are a few 1000 ly away from civilization neither a D or A life support is going to save you. Unless maybe you are out of fuel and can use the fuel rats.

[@fossiliitv824]

i really don't get these pre-engeneered ships.......maybe they are meant for new (lazy) players only.......after all the ship managment is a very nice part of elite.......these options kind of ruin it if you ask me

[@johndavies4801]

Personally I can see why they exist. Ive had,and lost, 2 accounts. One PC that was lost due to a google f'up that lost my steam account entirely 😕 another on a housemates ps4.. I definitely cba to grind out 100s of hours for a 3rd time. Ive already got 2 fleets of ships gathering digital dust on the servers somewhere, sod going through all that again!

[@Fluxikator]

I think they are primarily meant for New Players. Since those builds (at least this build) arent near optimal you still get the ship management part. But im curious: What would you suggest a new persons that wants to play combat. No Pvp. Just some low level pirates. And not just doing last hit bounty grifting. Can he hust go out in the sidewinder or maybe the adder just having run through the tutotials and ivesting the 250k starting money? An be successful on a low ranking pirate zone?

[@Specter017]

I guess i will stick with my 79 LY Engineered DBX