Star Citizen: Best Fighter Ships

Star Citizen gives players multiple star system with worlds and planets to observe, with endless missions and objectives to complete. With a breathtaking amount of exploration, this universe gives us a peek into what the future of air and space combat may look like.

The large roster of fighter ships in Star Citizen can be daunting for players looking to make their first purchase in this category. This list should help players narrow down their choices and choose one depending on a few different factors. Whether the user is a solo player looking to spare money or part of a group that takes on the Stanton System, this guide will have a great option.

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Updated on March 15, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat: As CIG continues to release new fighter ships every year while also rebalancing the existing ones, the list of the best fighter ships requires a shake more often now, especially knowing that the release of Pyro has ignited the PvP battles again.

There are multiple factors that contribute to dogfighting in Star Citizen, such as the agility of a ship, its raw firepower, and its survivability in battles. It’s impossible to find a ship that can top all of those factors, which is why it all comes down to the playstyle of the pilot!

10

Drake Buccaneer

Light Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 1,698
• Raw Alpha: 166
• SCM Speed: 240 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 50/42/160 deg/s

Drake Buccaneer is one of those under-the-radar light fighters in Star Citizen that has long been overshadowed by Anvil Arrow. This small ship from Drake packs a strong punch, as its sustained DPS with the default loadout is almost close to that of heavy fighters.

That being said, what holds Buccaneer back from becoming one of the best fighters in the game is its slow mobility in turning around. Even by light fighter standards, Buccaneer is not agile or nimble enough to cut corners fast and turn around its target quickly, unlike what Arrow is a master of.

9

Anvil Hurricane

Heavy Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 846
• Raw Alpha: 131
• SCM Speed: 220 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 38/32/120 deg/s

The Anvil Hurricane is sometimes overlooked by those trying to purchase a fighter ship; however, with an extreme amount of firepower and hull HP, it’s a very good choice for those traversing the System as a duo.

If players venture out alone, this ship is almost definitely not for them, as its primary fire weapons can be slightly lacking. With two size-4 hard-points on the nose, the main pilot does have a decent amount of weaponry to take on enemy ships.

As soon as a second player takes control of the turreted weapons, the Hurricane really starts to shine. Equipped with four size-3 hard-points, players will effectively have the firepower of two ships in one – and this fire can be directed at separate targets due to the nature of the separately mounted turrets.

8

Aegis Sabre

Stealth Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 1,164
• Raw Alpha: 175
• SCM Speed: 206 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 55/55/160 deg/s

Stealth fighting didn’t used to be a beneficial thing back in the old times, but with changes applied to the emission rates, stealth fighters are slowly growing in popularity, and on top of them, Aegis Sabre shines!

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Star Citizen: Best Aegis Ships

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Despite being fatter than a light fighter, Aegis Sabre is an agile ship, and it has better stats on Pitch, Yaw, and Roll compared to a smaller ship like Buccaneer. There are multiple variants of Sabre available for different purposes, but the base model still remains quite effective with a decent default loadout and quite low emission rates.

7

Mirai Guardian

Heavy Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 1,874
• Raw Alpha: 1,844
• SCM Speed: 213 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 38/38/130 deg/s

The latest fighter to join the party, as of updating this article, is Mirai Guardian or Fat Fury, as the community likes to call it. What makes this ship quite special is that it comes with a small habitation area and a bed that allows players to log out wherever they want, something that very few fighter ships would allow in Star Citizen.

However, this ship comes with a less customizable loadout, as all players have to play with two size-5 weapon slots for the pilot, along with four size-4 missile racks. That being said, Guardian is a good pick for PvE battles, but it might not have the requirements for high-stakes PvP battles, as the ship is not as nimble.

6

RSI Scorpius

Heavy Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 1,008
• Raw Alpha: 175
• SCM Speed: 220 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 38/35/140 deg/s

The love of Star Wars fans and one of the best heavy fighters in the game, RSI Scorpius, comes with an additional seat for a co-pilot that can control a remote turret to provide better support for the pilot and punish anyone who tries to sneak behind this X-Wing-inspired fighter.

With four size-3 weapon slots for the fighter and one size-3 turret for the co-pilot, the loadout for Scorpius can be deeply customized. While standing far behind the light fighters, Scorpius is also one of the most agile heavy fighters in Star Citizen by a tiny margin.

5

Aegis Vanguard Warden

Heavy Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 2,273
• Raw Alpha: 2,116
• SCM Speed: 215 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 40/33/124 deg/s

This huge fighter is tanky, yet surprisingly nimble when compared to other fighters in this class and size. The potential firepower in Aegis Vanguard Warden is absolutely unmatched, especially with a second player in the turret. With one size-5 hard-point and four size-2 guns built into the nose, the pilot has some extreme potential to take on both player enemies and bots. The manned turret has a pair of size 2 guns and missiles that can hold four size 3 and eight size 2 missiles.

The Warden also comes with an interior for storage and beds for both crew, but sadly, there is not enough space for a vehicle. If players can afford it, the Warden can feel like the unstoppable force all players are searching for.

4

Aegis Gladius

Light Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 891
• Raw Alpha: 106
• SCM Speed: 225 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 70/52/200 deg/s

After a range of tweaks and tuning over the game’s development, the Gladius has found itself in a good place within the meta. This small and nimble fighter is extremely difficult to hit when in a gunfight. As long as players use this maneuverability to avoid incoming gunfire, they can easily take out larger ships that lack this speed and agility.

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Star Citizen: Best Anvil Ships

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If players are looking for an extremely tanky ship to dive straight into the crossfire and take on an army, this may not be the ship to do so. However, with three size-3 hard-points, this fighter comes with some heavy firepower to take on even the strongest of ships. These can be changed and customized to fit the user’s needs, but even the stock weapons here are a great start for those diving into the criminal or bounty hunter lifestyle.

3

Anvil Arrow

Light Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 854
• Raw Alpha: 102
• SCM Speed: 232 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 74/55/189 deg/s

Anvil Arrow is easily the king of light fighters, especially when it comes to agility. If a veteran pilot sits inside that cockpit, dealing with an Arrow in a dogfight is going to be the worst nightmare of any player. This ship is just insanely agile and can get itself out of trouble quite easily.

That being said, Arrow is not a ship that can be easily used by any newcomer. It requires a lot of practice to master the art of flight and use the agility of the Arrow in a way that it can dictate the winner. The default loadout of Arrow cannot deal as much damage as that of Bucaneer, so having excellent flight skills is the key.

2

F8C Ligtning

Heavy Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 1,966
• Raw Alpha: 596
• SCM Speed: 210 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 35/35/120 deg/s

F8C Lightning is a dream ship for anyone who wants a highly customizable loadout. The ship comes with four size-3 slots, two size-2 slots, and one size-2 turret, all of which are at the service of the pilot. This is one of those ships that never runs out of bullets to fire if the pilot manages the weapons correctly.

That being said, a series of nerfs has hit F8C Lightning since Alpha 4.0 to make this ship more in line with the rest of heavy fighters, knowing what massive firepower it carries. When it comes to agility, F8C Lightning might not feel nimble enough, and a lack of a co-pilot makes it vulnerable from behind.

1

Anvil F7C Hornet Mk 2

Medium Fighter

• Raw Sustained DPS: 1,688
• Raw Alpha: 127
• SCM Speed: 220 m/s
• Pitch/Yaw/Roll Speed: 56/45/150 deg/s

The new version of the Hornet series is a miracle that must be celebrated. The Mk 2 series just took Hornet’s flight experience to the next level, added a little bit more firepower into it, and made the design look slicker and softer than the first series.

The base version of Hornet Mk 2 comes with four weapon slots, but only two of them are occupied in the default loadout. That means with two empty slots, the ship is capable of dealing a decent amount of DPS, which can be improved significantly by getting two extra weapons.

When it comes to the flight experience, the Hornet Mk 2 is ruling, again! The agility that the ship delivers compared to its firepower is amazing. It also has a decent fuel tank size, which makes it good enough for roaming around the star system.

Systems