By Harold Purbrick
Elite Dangerous has a lot of ships to choose from, but they can be pretty expensive. Here's how to earn the money needed to buy them.
Elite Dangerous has an incredible amount of content available and a huge selection of ships, weapons, and modules to choose from. Of course, those familiar with the game will know that ships quickly get very expensive, with the most expensive ships reaching the hundreds of millions in credits just to purchase, and potentially over a billion to properly outfit.
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The good news is that Elite Dangerous offers a wide selection of unique gameplay loops to choose from, most of which are great ways to earn the credits needed to purchase whatever a player might need. Though much of the content might seem out of reach to players just starting out, getting started and building a fortune isn’t actually as hard as it seems, and there are many activities to suit a variety of playstyles.
8 Exploration
One of the most impressive aspects of Elite Dangerous is the amount of space available to players. The game replicates the entirety of the Milky Way galaxy, allowing players to explore over 400 billion potential systems. Exploring the galaxy is a good way to make money for beginners, as it is a simple and low-risk activity. Explorers will need to outfit their ships with a fuel scoop and Detailed Surface Scanners (DSS), which can be used to scan planets up-close for an extra cash reward.
Ships will automatically do a basic scan of any system they enter, but to maximize money players should make sure to also use the Full Spectrum Scanner to obtain detailed information, before scanning the planets with the DSS. Planets to look out for are earth-like worlds and water worlds, which can net over 3 million credits each if fully scanned. Players should make their way outside the Bubble, so that they can scan systems that haven’t yet been visited by other players, which nets a hefty credit bonus.
7 Ground Combat
With the Odyssey DLC introducing atmospheric planets and allowing players to walk around on planets and stations, ground combat is now an option for making money. This is best done by locating systems in a state of war, then using Frontline Solutions at a station to be transported to a ground conflict zone.
Keep in mind that ground combat can be risky, and that players will likely need G3 gear to do well in high-intensity conflict zones. With the right gear and some practice, ground combat could net players a decent haul of somewhere around 20-30 million credits an hour.
6 Anti-Xeno Combat
Players may also want to participate in anti-xeno combat, fighting against Thargoids, an alien race that humanity is in a war against in Elite Dangerous. Thargoid hunting can be extremely challenging, so it’s best to have at least some combat experience before getting started in this area. The best thargoid hunters can make up to 100 million credits an hour, though this takes a great deal of skill and practice to achieve. For those new to anti-xeno combat, it’s best to start off small. Fighting Thargoid Scouts is easy enough, and from there players should work their way up to fighting Interceptors.
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Interceptors are harder, and require specific builds to effectively counter. Ships like the Chieftain or Krait Mk.II are good options. Make sure to have at least some engineering on modules, a good amount of hull and module reinforcement packages, and an Auto Field-Maintenance Unit. There are multiple weapons to choose from, but the best are probably the Guardian gauss cannon and remote flak launcher. It’ll take some practice and probably some rebuys to get the hang of it, but Thargoid hunting is a well-paying and thoroughly enjoyable activity for those who can master it.
5 Mining
Mining is one of the more lucrative sources of income, and with the right ship and setup players could earn well over 100 million credits an hour. There are two main types of mining, core and laser. Laser mining is the easiest and most profitable, but core mining is more engaging and may be preferable for some. The best ships for mining are the Python or Type-9, though for beginners something like the Cobra Mk.III is a good choice.
Laser mining ships need a refinery, prospect and collector limpet controllers to gather the ore, surface scanners and a decent amount of cargo racks. Core mining ships are slightly more involved and will require abrasion blasters, seismic charger launchers, and pulse wave scanners. To laser mine, find asteroid rings with overlapping hotspots, use prospector limpets to find the right asteroid, and simply fire the lasers to start extracting ore. Core mining is more advanced and requires use of explosives, so new players may want to avoid this until they have more experience.
4 Bounty Hunting And Massacre Missions
Bounty hunting is definitely one of the riskier options for a player, but it’s also one of the most engaging and enjoyable. PvE bounty hunting isn’t too difficult against lower level targets even for new players, and is a decent early source of income. The best weapons for PvE are typically multi-cannons and pulse lasers, though there are many viable options.
It’s also important to engineer ships properly, engineered thrusters will improve maneuverability greatly and engineered weapons are much more powerful. With a good ship loadout bounty hunting and massacre missions will earn a player over 100 million credits an hour. Massacre missions are even more lucrative when done in a wing of 4 players, as the reward is much higher, and it is possible to earn hundreds of millions of credits an hour with a wing of 4 experienced players.
3 Trade Routes
Trading is one of the easier ways to make money, and is a reliable source of income. The best way to do this is to look for trade routes rather than taking trade missions. This can be done in-game with trade data, but it’s easier and more profitable to use tools like EDDB or Inara to find trade routes.
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In a Type 7 (around 18 million credits to buy) players can easily find a trade route worth 20 million credits an hour. From there, it’s simply a matter of upgrading to larger trade ships and making even more money. Trading is a great option for those who want a relatively relaxed playstyle, while still making a decent amount of profit. The only possible concern is the occasional pirate attack, but these aren’t too hard to escape from.
2 Booze Cruise
The ‘Booze Cruise’ refers to a unique player-organized event that is extremely lucrative. This event occurs about once a month, when the system Rackham’s Peak enters a public holiday state and the price of wine skyrockets. To take advantage of this, there is a monthly trip where fleet carriers are loaded up with wine and taken to Rackham’s Peak to be sold there. The potential for profit is massive, and many players earn billions of credits in just a couple of days.
The catch is that Rackham’s Peak is extremely far away (over 5000 lightyears from Sol), and can only be reached with a fleet carrier. This means that those who want to participate must hitch a ride on a carrier. The good news is that many players offer up their carriers for this service, and it is easy to find one by getting in touch with the Pilots Trade Network, the player group that helps organize the event.
1 Passenger Missions
Passenger missions are somewhat similar to trading, but arguably even easier and more profitable. This involves accepting passenger missions at stations and taking them to certain destinations, which requires players to have passenger cabins equipped. One of the best locations for this is Robigo, where the Robigo Mines station offers many passenger missions to the nearby Sirius system.
The best ship for this is the Python, ideally with a jump range over 30 lightyears to make the trip as short as possible. Once players have built up their reputation at the station they can earn around 100-120 million credits per hour. Passengers missions are reliable, easy and very profitable. Keep in mind that large ships cannot dock at Robigo Mines. This is a great option for players looking for a more relaxed activity, though some may find it too monotonous.
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