Freightliner Mk.II
Faction: universal
Overview
Continental-scale bulk freighter — a hauler so large it functions as a mobile warehouse for entire trade alliances. Its segmented cargo spine carries more than triple the Heavy Hauler Mk.I's tonnage, and its reinforced bays can transport volatile or high-value goods that lighter ships cannot legally insure. Defenceless on its own, the Freightliner is the centrepiece every convoy is built to protect.
Base Stats
Module Slots
| Weapon Slots | Defense Slots | Utility Slots |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 9 |
Special Ability
Bulk Manifest
splits a single cargo run across up to 3 destination markets in one trip
Lore
When a Freightliner docks, station markets tremble. One full hold can crash a regional price or corner an entire commodity overnight. The Free Traders call it 'arriving with weather'.
Tactics
- 1
Use Bulk Manifest to supply three separate allied bases in a single transit — splitting a 16,000-unit load across three destinations at 5,000+ units each makes the Freightliner the most efficient logistics platform in the game per fuel unit spent.
- 2
Time Freightliner arrivals at market hubs during predicted price peaks — with 16,000 units of cargo, a single correctly timed run can corner a regional commodity and set price floors that profit your entire alliance.
- 3
Convoy multiple Freightliners together on high-value routes; even moderate pirate groups cannot take on three armed escorts simultaneously, and the combined cargo value makes the escort investment trivially small by comparison.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +16,000-unit cargo capacity — more than three times the Hauler Mk.I — makes it a mobile warehouse that can supply or crash an entire regional market in a single run.
- +Bulk Manifest ability to split cargo across three destinations simultaneously multiplies operational efficiency enormously compared to sequential single-destination runs.
- +Reinforced bays legally transport volatile and high-value goods that lighter ships cannot insure, opening access to premium cargo categories.
Weaknesses
- −Speed of 3 tied with the Excavator for slowest in the game — convoy scheduling must treat the Freightliner as the pace-setter and plan all escort movements around its transit time.
- −Completely defenceless (zero attack, no weapon slots) — losing a Freightliner loaded with 16,000 units to a pirate ambush is an economic catastrophe.
- −Build cost of 11,000 metal is one of the most resource-intensive Tier 3 commitments available, requiring substantial industrial output before the investment pays off.
Recommended Modules
- bulk cargo spine reinforcement
- bulk manifest routing ai
- reinforced cargo bay plating
