The Cobra MkIV is Faulcon deLacy's development of the famous Cobra MkIII. It's a heavier and bulkier ship than the MkIII, but packs an extra punch and its better weaponry placement makes it a more effective combat vessel. It's tougher, to improve survivability, and allows better upgrading, but at the expense of some of its agility.
— In-Game Description
The Cobra Mk IV is small ship manufactured by Faulcon DeLacy. It is an upgraded variant of the classic Cobra Mk III. Whereas the Cobra Mk III was designed with an emphasis on multipurpose capability, the Cobra Mk IV is specialized for enhanced effectiveness in combat, exchanging overall agility for an additional weapon hardpoint and increased armour.
Overview
The Cobra Mk IV is extremely similar in concept to the Viper Mk IV, having better armour, compartments and damage but having drastically reduced mobility.
As a combat vessel the Mk IV has impressive shielding and armour as well as high damage output. This lets it easily deal with other ships and it can put up a fight against even large ships. This comes at a cost as it is much slower than the Mk III: even with fully upgraded thrusters it struggles to keep up with a Vulture. The manoeuvrability also suffers a significant drop to a rating of 3, making the Mk IV relatively sluggish in combat. With all of its hardpoints at the front, nimbler ships can take advantage of this weakness and overwhelm the Mk IV
As a trader, the Mk IV has a relatively impressive 88t of cargo, placing it slightly behind the Keelback and Type-6 Transporter in terms of capacity. The Cobra Mk IV also has the most internal bays of any small ship, as well as the highest cargo capacity. It is therefore a viable option for traders and it can be even more useful for those looking to destroy incoming pirates, as the Mk IV can hold its own in battle.
As an explorer, the Mk IV has a lower jump range than the Mk III due to its greater mass, a consequence of its extra armour. While its variety of internal compartments can carry many of the modules typically favored by explorers, the decrease in jump range means the Mk IV will take even longer to travel anywhere. In other words, there are several better options for explorers, but the Mk IV is not the worst possible choice either.
Cobra Mk IV hardpoints convergence
The Cobra Mk IV has one more Class 1 hardpoint than the Cobra Mk III, and adjusted hardpoint placements: two Class 2 hardpoints are located in the same positions as on the Mk III, and three Class 1 hardpoints are in a tight group on top of the ship. The interior and pilot seats are identical to the Mk III.[1]
Purchase Locations
The Cobra Mk IV is exclusively for players who upgraded to Elite Dangerous: Horizons during its first year.
| System | Station | Date Seen | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | Always available | 10% discount |
| Brestla | i Sola Prospect | Always available | 20% surcharge |
| Akkadia | Hotel Vogelsang Outpost | Jan. 20, 2019 | 15% discount |
| BD+49 1280 | Laplace Orbital | Jan. 20, 2019 | 15% discount |
| Maikoro | Hawking Port | Jan. 20, 2019 | 15% discount |
| Kalak | Nobel Terminal | Jan. 20, 2019 | 15% discount |
| Wolf 287 | Boas Terminal | Jan. 20, 2019 | |
| Gyton's Hope | Gyton's Eyrie | Jan. 20, 2019 | |
| Shente | Mead Ring | Jan. 20, 2019 | |
| Vanir | McClintock Dock | Jan. 20, 2019 | |
| Circios | Mullane gateway | Jan. 20, 2019 | |
| NLTT 46621 | Wedge Market | Jan. 20, 2019 |
Outfitting
- Main article: Outfitting
All ships are highly customisable through the Outfitting menu of Station Services. Listed below is the default load-out for the Cobra Mk IV.
| Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Hardpoint | Empty | -- | -- | 1 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Medium Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 |
| Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 | |
| Utility Mount | Empty | -- | -- | 0 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | I | 1 | 8 |
| Reactor Bay | Power Plant | E | 4 | 4 |
| Thrusters Mounting | Thrusters | E | 4 | 4 |
| Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | E | 4 | 4 |
| Environment Control | Life Support | E | 3 | 3 |
| Power Coupling | Power Distributor | E | 3 | 3 |
| Sensor Suite | Sensors | E | 3 | 3 |
| Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x16] | C | 4 | 4 |
| Internal Compartments | Shield Generator | E | 4 | 4 |
| Cargo Rack [x8] | E | 3 | 4 | |
| Cargo Rack [x8] | E | 3 | 4 | |
| Cargo Rack [x8] | E | 3 | 4 | |
| Cargo Rack [x4] | E | 2 | 3 | |
| Cargo Rack [x4] | E | 2 | 3 | |
| Cargo Rack [x2] | E | 1 | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Advanced Docking Computer | E | 1 | 1 | |
| Supercruise Assist | E | 1 | 1 | |
| (PAS) | I | 1 | 1 |
- (L) = Loaned Module
- [x#] = Capacity
- (PAS) = Reserved solely for the Planetary Approach Suite or Advanced Planetary Approach Suite
Notes
- The Cobra Mk IV is an exclusive reward for Elite Dangerous players who upgraded to Elite Dangerous: Horizons during its first year.[2] It is only available to PC players who purchased Horizons before February 5, 2016 (this also includes Lifetime Expansion Pass holders), and to Xbox One players who purchased the Horizons season pass before July 30, 2016. Players who met these requirements can obtain the ship in-game from stations using credits.[3] PlayStation 4 players currently do not have any means to access the Cobra Mk IV. Frontier Developments has no plans to make the Cobra Mk IV available to other players.
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