Diamondback Scout: Difference between revisions

| type                = Combat Explorer

| topspeed            = 283

| jumprange          = 12.17

| maxjumprange        = 30.4

| maxcargocapacity    = 32

|scooptimised=No}}

{{Quote|Developed by Lakon Spaceways, the Diamondback Scout is a dual-purpose combat and exploration ship. Its 30 light-year jump range makes it popular with aspiring explorers, while its exceptional manoeuvrability makes it excellent at evading incoming fire. And with two medium and two small hardpoints, the Scout can also pack a punch.|In-Game Description}}

The '''Diamondback Scout''' is a small [[Ships|ship]] produced by [[Lakon Spaceways]]. It was conceived as an attempt to repeat Lakon's success with the [[Asp Explorer]] at a lower price point. The result was a capable small ship with good jump range, and it was marketed as a light reconnaissance craft that could be outfitted for [[combat]] or [[Explorer|exploration]]. After the Diamondback Scout's maiden flight, however, it was criticized for its lack of versatility, but it nonetheless saw modest success in the long-range reconnaissance, long-range interceptor, and fast picket ship roles for organisations not able or willing to invest in more expensive vessels.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170720034319/http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=347cbf826e Elite Dangerous Newsletter #77]</ref> In an effort to address the shortcomings of the Scout, Lakon later released an enhanced variant called the [[Diamondback Explorer]].

The Diamondback Scout is a cheap vessel built primarily for [[combat]] that can also be repurposed as a moderately satisfactory [[Explorer|exploration]] ship for pilots who cannot afford better options.

In combat, the Diamondback Scout is very effective. It has exceptional mobility and a small body letting it dodge with ease, resulting in a ship that can be incredibly nimble and tough to hit. This helps counteract its rather poor shields and armour. Good heat signature and a lot of utility mounts make it capable of running [[stealth]] builds and is very effective in the role. It has good firepower potential for its price range with two Class 1 and two Class 2 hardpoints. As a stealth build or long-range fighter, the Scout is perfect and can deftly handle [[Bounty Hunter|bounty hunting]], but its lacking internal compartments make it a somewhat poor [[pirate]].

As an explorer, the Scout also performs well. At 30 LY without [[Engineers|Engineering]], the Scout has a high jump range for its price, but is still outperformed by the cheaper [[Adder]] and [[Hauler]], although those two ships have their own shortcomings in the role. One drawback is the Scout's very restricting internal space, which can hamper [[Outfitting]] options, and its small fuel tank, but such limitations are to be expected with a ship in the Scout's low price range.

The Scout is a poor choice for [[Trader|trading]], [[Miner|mining]], and [[Passenger Carrier|passenger transport]]. It does have higher cargo capacity than the [[Adder]] at 28t, but the cheaper [[Cobra Mk III]] surpasses it.

The weapon hardpoints are located as follows: one Class 1 hardpoint on either side of the cockpit, and one Class 2 hardpoint on either side of the cockpit, for a total of four hardpoints. These hardpoints have their aim points arranged in a straight horizontal line with little space between reticle dots making them easy to use with fixed, gimballed, and turreted weapons.

|[[Shinrarta Dezhra]]

|[[Jameson Memorial]]

| (PAS) || I || 1 || 1

*''(PAS) = Reserved solely for the [[Planetary Approach Suite]] or [[Advanced Planetary Approach Suite]]''

*The Diamondback Scout length (39m) is similar to the Space Shuttle orbiter (37m) that was operated by [[NASA]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nDYYYqrhp4 YouTube: Elite ship scale 3.0]</ref>

*Excluding the [[Cobra Mk IV]], the Diamondback Scout is tied with the [[Type-7 Transporter]] for lowest amount of Livery options. This is particularly odd as the [[Diamondback Explorer]] has a far great amount despite being released much later.

File:Diamondback Scout - SHIP COMERCIAL - ELITE DANGEROUS

File:The Diamondback Scout

File:Elite Dangerous Explorer

File:Diamondback cockpit 01.jpg

Bp-diamondback-scout.png|Lakon Diamondback Scout Blueprint