Eel Rapier

ship name::Eel Rapier
Size (W×H×L)	{{#if: 14m | {{#if: 90m | 14m×ship height::14m×ship length::90m | Unknown }} | Unknown }} | Unknown }}
Cargo capacity	ship cargo capacity::10 TC
Cargo bay extension	ship cargo extension::No
Maximum speed	ship speed::0.495 LM
Manoeuvrability	Roll: 1.8 Pitch: 0.6
Energy banks	ship energy banks::4
Energy recharge rate	{{#ifeq:Unknown|{{#expr:Unknown}}|{{#if: Unknown | {{#ifexpr: Unknown < 2.5 |Poor | {{#ifexpr: Unknown < 3.5 |Medium | {{#ifexpr: Unknown < 4.5 |Good |Excellent }} }} }} (ship energy recharge::Unknown)| }}|Unknown}}
Gun mounts	Fore, Aft
Missile slots	ship missile slots::3
Shield boosters available	ship supports shield booster::Yes
Military shields available	ship supports mil shields::Yes
Hyperspace capable	ship can hyperspace::Yes
OXP or standard	{{#set:ship is standard=OXP}}OXP
Available to player	ship is player flyable::Yes
Base price	ship base price::500000 Cr

Overview

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Comment

While in a TL15 station (Xevera, G5) I traded in my SuperCobra for an Eel Rapier, re-bought all of the expensive gizmos and left the station without saving to disk.

The first thing I noticed is that it's fast; slightly slower than a Tiger, but noticeably quicker than my SuperCobra. The difference in speed is multiplied when using the injectors. But this plus-point is counter-balanced by a poor rate of climb and dive. Never mind. The real test would come in combat, so I witched to some anarchy systems to see how it fared.

Oh, Lord Lummy! I nearly felt sorry for the pirates. I could speed into a group of 5 or 6 of them, with most of the group attempting to hit me with laser fire. Even at a distance of 3 or 4 km, perhaps only one of their laser bursts would actually make contact with the Eel's super-slender hull. By contrast, I'd knock out a couple of them before my front laser overheated. Then I'd fly through their group, switching to the rear laser to polish off something large and cumbersome like a Longshot or Mosquito Trader. Then at close quarters, it was clear-up time, which was slowed down by the Eel's pitch rate.

In combat, it's a fantastic ship - fast and hard to hit with a laser. Once you've added a naval energy unit, military shield enhancement and a cloaking device, it's nigh-on invincible. Forget mere bounty hunting; if you wanted to take on the Galactic Navy, you could do it with this ship.

But what it gains in combat, it loses as a trader. That 10 tonne cargo hold means that although it would be perfect for hauling a couple of thousand kilos of platinum across the galaxy, those contracts will never be offered to a ship that hasn't already shifted its fair share of textiles and machinery.

So for now, it's back to the Soopy.

Download

The Murgh's X-Ships containing the Eel.

Links

• Author: Murgh
• I've test-driven an Eel Rapier (2008)