The Elite Dangerous Type 11 Prospector, while purpose-built for mining with a larger cargo hold and rugged design, offers no significant efficiency or yield improvements over existing mining ships like the Crate M2, and its intense mining volley repeater light effects raise concerns. Overall, the reviewer finds the Type 11 underwhelming for its early access cost and recommends players stick with current mining options until further updates are made.
The Type 11 Prospector is Elite Dangerous’ first dedicated mining vessel, set to arrive in early access on September 23rd. The reviewer had access to a preview build of the Stellar edition, featuring all A-rated modules straight from the factory without any engineering. Unlike regular ships, the Type 11 is purpose-built for mining, with a rugged design and multiple mining-locked hardpoints and module slots, aiming to be the best miner in the game according to Frontier Developments.
In testing, the Type 11 was compared to the Crate M2, one of Frontier’s jumpstarter ships equipped with dual mining lasers, at a platinum overlap hotspot. The Type 11 mined a rock with about 46.5% platinum, stripping it bare in 53 seconds and gathering nearly 16 tons of refined ore, but took a total of 1 minute 47 seconds including scooping. The Crate M2 mined a slightly richer rock faster—39 seconds to strip and 1 minute 4 seconds total—with about 10.5 tons of ore. Although the Crate was quicker overall, the Type 11 has a larger cargo hold (256 tons vs. 128 tons), allowing longer mining sessions before needing to unload.
Additional tests with the Type 11 using both the mining laser and the new mining volley repeater showed no significant improvement in mining speed or yield. The reviewer concluded that, for hardcore laser miners using larger ships like the Type 9 or Imperial Cutter, the Type 11 does not offer a notable increase in efficiency or haul size. While it can land at smaller ports, other ships such as the Python or Crate M2 provide similar mining returns without the cost of early access.
One notable downside of the Type 11 is the intense flashing light effect produced by the mining volley repeater, which has raised concerns about photo sensitivity among players and viewers. The reviewer advises caution due to this visual issue, which has not yet been addressed by Frontier. Despite its appealing aesthetics and dedicated mining role, the Type 11’s current performance and these visual effects limit its appeal, especially considering the cost involved in early access.
Overall, the reviewer found the Type 11 to be the least impressive of the recent new ships in Elite Dangerous. While it is an interesting addition and worth revisiting once out of early access, the current iteration does not provide enough advantage to justify switching from existing mining ships. The reviewer encourages feedback from the community and will monitor any changes made by Frontier based on partner program input. Players interested in mining should consider existing options before investing in the Type 11.