The Panther Clipper, releasing on July 22nd, is a versatile heavy hauler in Elite Dangerous featuring limited but strategic cargo and utility slots, a unique Super Cruise Overdrive drive, and multiplayer support with four crew seats. Designed for balanced performance, it offers improved handling, defensive capabilities, and potential for various roles like mining and planetary exploration, making it a strong addition to any fleet despite some initial design criticisms.
The Panther Clipper, one of the most anticipated ships in Elite Dangerous, is set for release on July 22nd. Despite its hype, many commanders remain unaware of the release date, indicating Frontier still has work to do in spreading the word. The ship’s optional internal compartments have sparked debate, particularly the class 8 and class 7 slots, which only support one MK2 cargo rack each, limiting maximum cargo capacity to 1,238 tons without additional quality-of-life modules like shields or fighter bays. Some players hoped for higher cargo capacity, but the current limits suggest a balance between utility and gameplay fairness.
Regarding utility slots, the Panther Clipper offers six, fewer than some other large ships like the Imperial Cutter, which has eight. This limitation appears intentional to prevent the Panther Clipper from overshadowing dedicated combat ships, such as the Type 10. Despite this, the six utility mounts provide enough flexibility for defensive modules like point defense, ECM, and heat sink launchers. The ship is designed primarily as a heavy hauler rather than a warship, with armaments capped at two large, four medium, and four small hardpoints.
The ship’s hardpoint layout is somewhat unclear from available visuals, but it includes a total of ten hardpoints split among large, medium, and small sizes. Although not a combat-focused vessel, the Panther Clipper is expected to handle better than the older Type 9, thanks to its powerful class 8 thrusters. It also features a fighter hangar for ship-launched fighters, enhancing its defensive capabilities. Additionally, it supports four crew seats, allowing multiplayer operations and suggesting a bridge-like cockpit experience, which is especially exciting for VR users.
The Panther Clipper is the first large ship to come with a Super Cruise Overdrive (SEO) drive by default, offering a 9% jump range boost over standard Frame Shift Drives. The standard version likely comes with a lower-rated SEO drive requiring engineering upgrades, while the Stella version may feature a higher-class SEO drive out of the box. Although the jump range won’t rival smaller ships, its powerful class 7 FSD, power distributor, and class 8 power plant make it a solid freighter that balances size and performance, suitable for long-distance hauling like trips to Colonia.
Beyond hauling, the Panther Clipper is seen as a versatile platform with potential for mining, AFK builds, and serving as a mobile base with multiple SRV bays for planetary exploration or racing. While some players dislike the initial black and gold paint scheme of the Stella version, customization options are expected to expand over time. Overall, the Panther Clipper promises to be a formidable addition to any fleet, blending cargo capacity, defense, and multiplayer functionality in a large but agile package.