Elite Dangerous: rares trader

Cmdr Totinges pilots the Krait Mk.II Bruce McLaren

This Easter, having realised that the once-legendary Robigo run was no more, I decided to revisit the age-old enterprise of rare goods trading in Elite Dangerous. Starting from the Ceos system on the outskirts of inhabited space, I flew my Krait Mk.II, the Bruce McLaren, around 400 light years to join the famous rare goods circuit at the Witchhaul system. The Bruce McLaren is rigged for hauling rather than fighting, but as a nod in the direction of self-defence it's equipped with two Class 3 burst lasers and two Class 2 beam lasers, all gimbal-mounted. (I later swapped the beams for Class 2 seeker missile racks). Top speed is 310 metres per second, with a boost speed of 434. Its current maximum jump range is 44.3 light years, although this declines to around 33 light years fully laden.

After picking up a load of Witchhaul Kobe beef, I struck a snag at the next port, Futen Station in the Fujin system, at which due to some bug there was not only no famous Fujin Tea for sale, but the starport market had no goods for sale at all. Skipping on to the next stop on the route, I collected Tauri Chimes at 39 Tauri, Zeessze Ant Grub Glue at Nicollier Hangar in the Zeessze system, and, for the devotionally-minded, Pantaa Prayer Sticks from Zamka Platform in the George Pantazis system.

Then it was time for the first long hop of the loop, the 141 light years from George Pantazis to the Zaonce system, where the full cargo of the Bruce McLaren could be sold and the second half of the rares run commenced. In one of the intervening systems Cmdr Totinges had his only brush with piratical intervention, being interdicted by an enterprising Cobra Mk.IV. The ensuing skirmish showed I was very rusty in combat, but the Krait's big guns eventually paid dividends, bashing down the Cobra's shields and sending it scurrying to escape. 

At Zaonce, with a newly empty cargo hold, I started the route back to Witchhaul by purchasing the strangely popular Zaonce Leathery Eggs (there's no accounting for taste). Hopping the short distances around the planets of the Old Words cluster, I visited the legendary Lave Station for its fiery Lavian Brandy, snapped up Azure Milk and Leestian Evil Juice at George Lucas Station in Leesti, and stocked up on Ma Corn at Shifnalport in Diso. I didn't complete the full rares circuit because after visiting Orrerre and purchasing its Vicious Brew there was no room in my cargo hold to visit either Uszaa or Shinrarta Dezhra. So instead it was a straight run of 192 light years from Orrerre back to Witchhaul. With a full hold this took six stops, scooping fuel from stars en route with exotic names: Gaohikel, Anyanwu, LHS 2447, Baxbakaeris, Borr and Metzili. 

After returning to Witchhaul and selling off my rare goods, I netted MCr4.194 in 82 minutes, which is an hourly earning rate of MCr3.07. Hardly a guaranteed pathway to easy riches, but still a fun way to see the universe as long as you've got a fast ship with a decent cargo hold. Next stop: Alliance space to raise my profile and make some new allies.

The Bruce McLaren's cargo hold at its final destination, Witchhaul

See also:

Games: Realising childhood sci-fi dreams, 27 April 2015

Games: Fine-tuning the Robigo Run, 2 March 2016

Games: David Braben's 22kb galaxy, 10 March 2017  

Games: 1000 hours of Elite Dangerous, 25 June 2017