Daniel Raymond critiques the Anvil Paladin’s poor design choices, notably its awkward rail-mounted turret and inefficient cargo storage in narrow hallways, while highlighting unused void space that could have improved functionality. Despite these flaws, he praises the ship’s spacious interior and crew amenities, concluding that it remains one of the best assault ships available.
In this video, Daniel Raymond, the voice behind Ray’s Guy, provides an operational guide and critique of the Anvil Paladin, a two-person assault ship in the game. He acknowledges that despite having two notably poor design choices, the Paladin remains one of the best assault ships available. He distinguishes between assault ships, which focus on attacking specific objectives, and fleet escort ships, which must respond quickly to threats from any direction. The Paladin’s design allows the pilot to control side guns aimed at the objective, freeing other crew members for different tasks. However, the top turret, which is critical and should never be left unmanned, is mounted on rails—a feature Daniel finds problematic.
Daniel explains that the rail-mounted turret, while conceptually interesting, complicates the ship’s design by preventing a traditional rear ramp that would have allowed more straightforward movement of crew and equipment. He then walks through the ship’s layout, noting the port-side entrance with a long airlock and a spacious interior with suit lockers and gun racks. Despite the generous space and symmetrical design, the ship lacks a starboard ramp to balance the port side, and oddly includes a ladder near a staircase, which he considers a questionable design choice since stairs are faster and more practical.
One of the most significant criticisms Daniel raises concerns the Paladin’s cargo storage. Although the ship boasts an additional four Standard Cargo Units (SCU), the cargo grid is awkwardly placed on the floor of a narrow hallway, making it cumbersome to load and unload crates. The process requires maneuvering crates through tight spaces and sharp turns, which is inefficient and impractical. Daniel argues that this design is the dumbest feature on the ship, especially since there was ample unused space inside the hull—known as void space—that could have been better utilized for cargo storage.
Daniel elaborates on the concept of void space, highlighting how the symmetrical design of the Paladin leaves large unused areas beside the airlock and elsewhere in the ship. He suggests that these void spaces could have been converted into more accessible and practical cargo areas, such as niches or a dedicated cargo lift, which would handle multiple SCU containers more efficiently. He believes that the current cargo grid was likely a rushed addition, constrained by time and design restrictions, rather than a well-thought-out feature.
Despite these criticisms, Daniel praises the Paladin for its overall design, especially its crew amenities, which surpass those of other medium combat ships like the Redeemer and Freelancer. He appreciates the ship’s spaciousness, private bunk rooms, and common mess area, which are rare in this class. Ultimately, he concludes that while the Paladin has some glaring design flaws, particularly in its cargo handling, it remains an excellent assault ship. He underscores the importance of thoughtful design and sufficient development time to avoid such issues and encourages viewers to participate in upcoming giveaways before signing off.