Type-10 Defender
Template:Quote The Type-10 Defender is a ship manufactured by Lakon Spaceways. It is a comprehensive revision of the design of the Type-9 Heavy. The Alliance commissioned Lakon to build the Type-10 to combat the escalating Thargoid threat following a series of attacks against Stations in the Pleiades Nebula. Announced on December 17, 3303, Lakon committed to an aggressive production schedule that delivered the Type-10 in volume to retailers the following week.[1] Lakon intended the Type-10 to be "particularly effective in combat situations".[2]
Overview
Like the Type-9 Heavy it was based on, the Type-10 Defender is a slow and bulky ship that shares the Type-9's low manoeuvrability rating. It is, however, far more versatile than the Type-9. The Type-10 is not only faster than its predecessor, it also has significantly stronger armour, the highest armour rating among all ships on the market, better heat management, double the utility slots, four added large weapon hardpoints, and two Military Compartments, making it a viable warship. In fact, the Type-10 on paper has both the highest defence and damage output of any ship. The Type-10 retains the Type-9's compatibility with Multicrew and ability to mount a Fighter Hangar.
When compared to similar ships in its price range, those being the big three, Anaconda, Imperial Cutter and Federal Corvette, the Type-10 has better armour and similar shielding to the Anaconda, as well as the single best theoretical damage output in the game. In practice, however, a situation where all hardpoints can converge on a single target is difficult to achieve, especially so with fixed weapons and against medium and small targets, due to the ship's mobility and hardpoint spacing. The ship has the greatest number of Class 3 hardpoints of any ship on the market, and this layout works exceptionally well with turreted weapons, which can provide crucial covering fire for the ship's blind spots against smaller and more agile opponents. Setting the turreted weapons to fire at will effectively turns the Type-10 into a lumbering weapons platform that can destroy most ships in proximity with no further input from the pilot; in fact, this makes the Type-10 ideal for pilots who want to leave their ship on autopilot and personally head into battle with Ship-Launched Fighters without hiring more crew. Unlike the Type-9, the Type-10 cannot hold a Class 8 Shield Cell Bank alongside its Class 8 Shield Generator, although it has the advantage of a short shield regeneration cycle for its ship size, and a significantly more resilient hull.
The Type-10's focus on combat-readiness comes with a trade-off in potential cargo capacity, as a result of its dedicated Military Compartments. The Type-10 can still haul more than most other ships and be configured into a well-protected heavy trader, but the Type-9's higher capacity and lower purchase price make it a more attractive choice for pure trading. The Type-10 also attracts the highest class of pirates, equipped with Anacondas or other heavy-hitters. However, its higher Mass Lock Factor enables the ship to make unimpeded escapes into supercruise.
With a Class 7 Frame Shift Drive, its jump range is above average for a large ship and is superior to that of the Federal Corvette and Type-9, making it decent for jumps across the Core Systems. It should be noted, however, that this ship has very low manoeuvrability in supercruise, which makes Interdictions difficult to perform and avoid. Some Type-10 pilots also opt to drop into normal space to make 180-degree turns, which may be necessary when moving close to planetary bodies and stars, and then return to supercruise, because this is often faster than attempting to make those turns entirely in supercruise.
The interior of the Type-10 is identical to that of the Type-9, including the same pilot and co-pilot seat placement. It also has the same hardpoints and gains four additional large hardpoints: two each on the top and bottom, near the medium hardpoints. The utility mounts are likewise located in the same places, with the additional ones dotted in symmetrical fashion. The Type-10 also features mobile structural elements, like the Diamondback Explorer. The ship's small wings are extended during flight, but will fold up when landing gear is deployed.
Purchase Locations
| System | Station | Date Seen | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | Always available | 10% discount |
| Brestla | i Sola Prospect | Always available | 20% surcharge |
| Fiden | Shirley City | Jun. 02, 2021 | 15% discount |
| Mullag | Garfinkle City | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| 41 Gamma Serpentis | Kidman Settlement | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| Chaac | Lem Dock | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| Ross 129 | Yang Hub | Sept 23, 2019 | |
| Pethes | Yuzhe Port | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| Li Bende | Ziegel Ring | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| LHS 2771 | Sarafanov Vision | Sep. 15, 2019 | |
| Enayex | Watt Port | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| HDS 1879 | Shaikh Dock | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| LAWD 52 | Leichhardt Enterprise | Sep. 8, 2019 | |
| 17 Lyrae | Alpers Station | Nov. 21, 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 Type-10 Defender.
| Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Hardpoint | Empty | -- | -- | 1 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Medium Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 |
| Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Large Hardpoint | Empty | -- | -- | 3 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Utility Mount | Empty | -- | -- | 0 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | I | 1 | 8 |
| Reactor Bay | Power Plant | E | 6 | 8 |
| Thrusters Mounting | Thrusters | E | 7 | 7 |
| Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | E | 6 | 7 |
| Environment Control | Life Support | E | 5 | 5 |
| Power Coupling | Power Distributor | E | 7 | 7 |
| Sensor Suite | Sensors | E | 4 | 4 |
| Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x64] | C | 6 | 6 |
| Internal Compartments | Cargo Rack [x128] | E | 7 | 8 |
| Cargo Rack [x64] | E | 6 | 7 | |
| Shield Generator | E | 6 | 6 | |
| Cargo Rack [x16] | E | 4 | 5 | |
| Empty (M) | -- | -- | 5 | |
| Empty (M) | -- | -- | 5 | |
| Cargo Rack [x8] | E | 3 | 4 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 4 | |
| Cargo Rack [x4] | E | 2 | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| 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
- (M) = Military Compartment reserved for Hull Reinforcement Package, Module Reinforcement Package, or Shield Cell Bank
Trivia
- The Type-10 Defender's existence was accidentally revealed on August 17, 2017, in an in-game list of Multicrew-capable ships.[3] It was immediately speculated to be a renamed Panther Clipper, a heavy cargo ship which had been expected for years and hinted at in concept art for Elite Dangerous: Horizons, but this was debunked by Frontier Developments.[4] Frontier subsequently teased an unidentified new ship that was assumed to be the Type-10 in a trailer for upcoming 2.4 content at Frontier Expo 2017, but it was not until December 15, 2017 that the ship was officially announced via the weekly Elite Dangerous Newsletter.[5] The Type-10 was finally made available in-game on December 20, 2017 as part of update 2.4, The Return.
- Upon its initial release, the Type-10 retained the same Cargo capacity as the Type-9, in addition to having superior performance in almost all other areas. In the next patch, the Type-9 received an additional Class 8 compartment, bringing its total cargo capacity closer to the Imperial Cutter's.
- The Type-10's cockpit interior is completely identical to that of its template and predecessor, the Type-9 Heavy.
- The Type-10's original in-game description used to read: "The Type-10 Defender is the result of collaboration between the Alliance and Lakon Spaceways. With the threat of xeno-war looming, the Alliance's naval arm saw the urgent need for a weapons platform capable of withstanding heavy, sustained attack. Utilising a reinforced Type-9 chassis as a starting point, Lakon overhauled and geared every aspect of the design for combat, producing a military behemoth that could be produced in volume at short notice." This was likely revised because the Anti-Xeno (AX) community unanimously agreed that it is a poor AX ship and were very vocal in their opinion of the ship.
Videos
Gallery
- First glimpse of the Type-10 Defender before its reveal
- A front view of the Defender
- Type-10 Defender and a Terrestrial Planet
- Type-10 cockpit
- Type-10 Defender in a wing
- Type-10 Defender and Interceptor
- Type-10 Defender and an Asteroid Base
- Type-10 mining, exploding asteroid
- Type-10 with Diamondback Explorer and SRV
- Internals of the Type-10
- Bottom view of the Type-10
- Reverse thrusters firing
- Type-10 Defender Blueprint
References
- ↑ Galactic News: Lakon Announces New Ship
- ↑ Galactic News: Type-10 Defender Now Available
- ↑ Steam User Images: Screenshot of the new Multicrew tab, with a list of Multicrew-capable ships, in the Comms menu as seen in the 2.4 beta
- ↑ Frontier Forums: Type-10 Defender, new ship (not yet purchasable)
- ↑ Elite Dangerous Newsletter #205 (December 15, 2017)