One of the most compact vessels on the market, the Imperial Courier is a lightweight combat ship from Gutamaya. With agility to rival the Viper Mk III, the Courier is adept at evading incoming fire, while its three medium hardpoints have made it popular with those who want a balance of power and style.
— In-Game Description
The Imperial Courier is a small ship produced by Gutamaya for the Empire. Described as the quintessential Imperial ship that epitomizes elegance of form while packing a good punch, the Imperial Courier is one of the smallest ships available, barely larger than the Sidewinder Mk I and with a lighter mass than all ships except the Sidewinder and Hauler. Although able to be adapted to several roles, the ship's agility and three medium hardpoints make it especially well-suited for combat. Officially, the Imperial Courier is used to provide transport for Imperial officials who do not warrant the privilege of an Imperial Cutter or a Majestic-Class Interdictor. However, its flexibility means that it fills many roles for the Imperial Navy and prominent citizens of the Empire.
Overview[]
With its three medium Hardpoints and low mass, the Imperial Courier is well armed and very well shielded for its small size, making it a punchy and evasive fighter in combat. Its agility is comparable to the Viper Mk III and Viper Mk IV, having a faster pitch and yaw than the Mk III while having a slower roll than the Mk IV. The Courier also has a boost speed lower than the Mk III and its lower mass (35 vs 50) makes it drop from its boost speed faster than both Vipers.
The Imperial Courier's stock 2E Shield Generator provides better protection than the stock shield generators equipped on the Viper Mk III and Cobra Mk III, with only the Cobra Mk V and Vulture having better stock shield protection among all small-sized ships. However, the Courier does not experience the same power management issues as the Vulture, and is thus better able to equip Shield Boosters and Shield Cell Banks.
The Imperial Courier can be outfitted for exploration, with a nominal jump range of 40-50 ly when outfitted with a 3A Increased Range Deep Charge Frame Shift Drive. The Courier's low mass allows it to equip a Size 1 Shield Generator, which provides adequate protection against light collisions, even without engineering. However, its small Fuel Tank makes long-distance exploration a challenge as it must refuel from fuel stars more often than other similar sized ships with larger Fuel Tanks, such as the Diamondback Explorer, while also making the use of supercruise overcharge impractical due to the extreme fuel drain. Furthermore, because of its low mass, the Courier's jump range can also be significantly affected by the installation of certain modules, such as the Planetary Vehicle Hangar.
As one of the few ships capable of using Enhanced Performance Thrusters, the Imperial Courier can be outfitted to be one of the fastest ships in the game. With a combination of using D-rated and undersized modules, the Courier can achieve a thruster speed of up to 682 m/s and boost speed of up to 885 m/s. The Courier's low mass means its speed will start to be reduced once it is equipped with a few A-rated weighted Core Internal modules, or engineering effects are applied that increase the mass of other installed modules.
Imperial Courier hardpoint convergence
The weapon hardpoints are located in the following places: one Class 2 hardpoint at the front of each engine nacelle, and one Class 2 hardpoint underneath the nose. Of the four utility mounts, one is located on top of each nacelle, and the remaining two are behind the cockpit canopy on the ship's dorsal surface. The cockpit has only one pilot seat, and thus the ship is not compatible with Multicrew.
Purchase Locations[]
| System | Station | Date Seen | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | Always available | 10% discount |
| Brestla | i Sola Prospect | Always available | 20% surcharge |
| Lalande 4268 | Lowry Ring | May 28, 2020 | 15% discount |
| BD-15 447 | Good Enterprise | May 28, 2020 | 15% discount |
| Regira | Clayton Orbital | May 28, 2020 | |
| V374 Pegasi | MacKellar Hub | May 28, 2020 | |
| Izanagi | Manakov Ring | May 28, 2020 | |
| Oto | Gauss City | May 28, 2020 | |
| Vequess | Agnews' Folly | May 28, 2020 | |
| Atlantis | Kimura Terminal | May 28, 2020 | |
| Lombi | Xin Hub | May 28, 2020 | |
| GD 140 | Liwei Terminal | May 28, 2020 | |
| Tau-1 Hydrae | Priestley Port | May 28, 2020 | |
| LHS 274 | Teller Port | May 28, 2020 | |
| LTT 606 | Jeremy | Mar. 16, 2021 |
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 Imperial Courier.
| Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 |
| Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Utility Mount | Empty | -- | -- | 0 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | C | 1 | 8 |
| Reactor Bay | Power Plant | E | 4 | 4 |
| Thrusters Mounting | Thrusters | E | 3 | 3 |
| Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | E | 3 | 3 |
| Environment Control | Life Support | E | 1 | 1 |
| Power Coupling | Power Distributor | E | 3 | 3 |
| Sensor Suite | Sensors | E | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x8] | C | 3 | 3 |
| Internal Compartments | Cargo Rack [x4] | E | 2 | 3 |
| Cargo Rack [x4] | E | 2 | 3 | |
| Shield Generator | E | 2 | 2 | |
| Cargo Rack [x2] | E | 1 | 2 | |
| Cargo Rack [x2] | E | 1 | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 1 | |
| 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 Imperial Courier was added to Elite Dangerous in the 1.3 Powerplay update released on June 5, 2015.
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