Frontier's space sim models the Milky Way at 1:1 scale, roughly 400 billion star systems, and starts every commander in a Sidewinder with 1,000 credits. There is no story path, only careers: hauling cargo, hunting bounties, mining, exploring, sampling alien plant life on foot, or fighting Thargoids. The learning curve is the game itself, and most of it is systems knowledge rather than stick skill.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beam Laser | S | Stripping shields in the opening seconds of a fight, paired with a kinetic weapon for the hull. | Continuous damage that shreds shields but runs hot and drains the weapon capacitor fast. |
| Multi-cannon | A | Hull damage after shields drop, and long bounty hunting sessions where ammunition economy matters. | Kinetic rounds with a large ammunition pool, low heat and low distributor draw. |
| Fragment Cannon | A | Close range brawling in a manoeuvrable ship, and finishing damaged hulls quickly. | A short range shotgun that unloads enormous damage inside 500 metres and almost nothing beyond it. |
| Railgun | B | Module sniping on larger targets and pilots comfortable with fixed mounts. | A charged fixed weapon that fires a single high penetration slug, well suited to sniping specific modules like power plants and drives. |
| Plasma Accelerator | B | Experienced combat pilots in heavy ships who can consistently hit a manoeuvring target. | Slow moving projectiles carrying huge absolute damage against both shields and hull. |
S-Tier: Beam Laser
Continuous damage that shreds shields but runs hot and drains the weapon capacitor fast. Efficient engineering is nearly mandatory because heat, not damage, is what limits it.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Stripping shields in the opening seconds of a fight, paired with a kinetic weapon for the hull. |
| Key Mechanic | Frame Shift Drive travel |
| Recommended Build | Trader |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Beam Laser: Pairs naturally with Trader thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Multi-cannon
Kinetic rounds with a large ammunition pool, low heat and low distributor draw. Weak against shields, strong against hull, and forgiving of imperfect aim compared to fixed weapons.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Hull damage after shields drop, and long bounty hunting sessions where ammunition economy matters. |
| Key Mechanic | Ship outfitting and rebuy |
| Recommended Build | Bounty hunter |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Multi-cannon: Pairs naturally with Bounty hunter thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Fragment Cannon
A short range shotgun that unloads enormous damage inside 500 metres and almost nothing beyond it. Reload cycles are punishing, so it rewards commanders who can hold a firing position.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Close range brawling in a manoeuvrable ship, and finishing damaged hulls quickly. |
| Key Mechanic | Engineering modifications |
| Recommended Build | Explorer |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Fragment Cannon: Pairs naturally with Explorer thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Railgun
A charged fixed weapon that fires a single high penetration slug, well suited to sniping specific modules like power plants and drives. It demands accurate aim and generates heavy heat.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Module sniping on larger targets and pilots comfortable with fixed mounts. |
| Key Mechanic | Exploration scanning |
| Recommended Build | Miner |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Railgun: Pairs naturally with Miner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Plasma Accelerator
Slow moving projectiles carrying huge absolute damage against both shields and hull. Ammunition is limited and the projectiles need serious lead, so every miss is expensive.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Experienced combat pilots in heavy ships who can consistently hit a manoeuvring target. |
| Key Mechanic | Background Simulation and Powerplay |
| Recommended Build | Exobiologist |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Plasma Accelerator: Pairs naturally with Exobiologist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Sol
- Multi-cannon → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Fragment Cannon → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Beam Laser → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Unlock Felicity Farseer in Deciat before any other engineer. She needs exploration rank Scout and a donation of one Meta Alloy, and a grade 5 Increased Range Frame Shift Drive changes every other activity you will ever do.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Elite Dangerous Guides
- Elite Dangerous Elite Dangerous Overview
- Elite Dangerous Best Builds
- Elite Dangerous Tier List
- Elite Dangerous Walkthrough
- Elite Dangerous Beginner's Guide
- Elite Dangerous Tips & Tricks
- Elite Dangerous Combat Guide
- Elite Dangerous Boss Guide
- Elite Dangerous Maps & Locations
- Elite Dangerous Crafting Guide
- Elite Dangerous Classes & Characters
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