Elite Dangerous: How To Get a 40ly Jump Range Quick (2024)

Elite Dangerous is a vast space simulation with many complex systems. There’s little in the way of tutorials and even less storytelling in the ways gamers are accustomed to. New commanders get very little in the way of objectives or signposting, and what they do get drops off sharply as soon as they leave the starting area. When that happens, one thing becomes abundantly clear: Space is big. Really big.

Traveling across it is an astronomical undertaking. Thus, the first thing many new commanders want is a ship with a huge Jump Range. This guide explains how, with just a little starting capital, a commander can get a 40ly Jump Range quickly.

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How it works

Most things in Elite Dangerous take a long time to do, but this method can be completed in just a few hours rather than a few days. It doesn’t involve any engineering, and it doesn’t require any materials; just some careful optimization, a little exploration, and knowing where to buy modules for the best price.

In broad strokes, the quickest way to get a ship with a 40ly Jump Range goes like this:

1. Buy a Diamondback Explorer.
2. Give it a 5D Frame Shift Drive and a Detailed Surface Scanner.
3. Complete a Road to Riches.
4. Upgrade to a 5A Frame Shift Drive.
5. ProfitFurther the cartographic community by making novel discoveries (for money).

That’s it in a nutshell, but there’s an optimum way to go about completing those steps. A way that only requires a starting total of precisely 2,062,644cr. That’s an attainable sum of credits to amass early in the game. There are plenty of ways to make credits in Elite Dangerous, but a dozen good FSS scans or a few profitable hauling missions should be enough to earn 2 million credits.

Buy a DBX

The first thing to do is to get into the captain’s chair of a Diamondback Explorer, or DBX as it’s known in the captain’s lounge. It’s easily one of the best small ships in the game. It’s a zippy little ship with a lot of potential. It isn’t particularly expensive, but it’s incredibly fun to fly.

To buy the DBX, head to Oleskiw City in the Valtys system. Remember to FSS scan every system along the way to collect valuable cartographic data. Valtys is Li Young-Rui space, where every station offers a 15% discount on all ships and modules. Oleskiw City is one such station, and it has everything commanders need to outfit a DBX with a 40ly Jump Range.

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Outfit the DBX

Now it’s time to get the DBX outfitted with almost everything it needs to attain a 40ly Jump Range. The goal here is to buy D-rated modules, as those are the lightest version of that class of module. They’ll be an only slight improvement over the E-rated modules, but the most important stat right now is weight.

Start by selling both Pulse Lasers and the Cargo Racks, this is not a ship built for combat or a ship built for trade. Then, purchase the following modules, choosing to sell the current module when available:

1. 3D Power Plant.
2. 4D Thrusters.
3. 5D Frame Shift Drive.
4. 3D Life Support.
5. 4D Power Distributor.
6. 3D Sensors.
7. 3D Shield Generator.
8. At least a 3C Fuel Scoop. Bigger would be better, but it isn't strictly necessary yet.
9. 0I Heatsink Launcher. This isn’t necessary, but it’s very nice to have.
10. Replace the Docking Computer with a Detailed Surface Scanner. The DBX is a great ship to learn how to dock in!

The total cost comes out to 1,964,565cr. This sets the Insurance Cost of the ship to 98,079cr. Hence the total for this build is 2,062,644cr. Never forget: don’t fly without enough credits to cover the Insurance Cost. Space may be mostly empty, but it's full of surprises…

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Complete a Road to Riches

Road to Riches is one of many fan-made tools for Elite Dangerous. It uses a database of known systems to determine a profitable “road” of star systems to explore. It can be used to create a loop or a route that takes the commander through systems that are especially valuable. Road to Riches is an indispensable tool, especially for new explorers looking to earn credits reliably and efficiently.

Check out this Road to Riches route. The exact route might not come up the same forever, so here it is for posterity. Starting from Valtys, FSS scan the following four systems and surface scan the indicated planets in them:

1. HIP 14976
   • HIP 14976 A 5
   • HIP 14976 A 6
   • HIP 14976 A 7
2. HIP 16709
   • HIP 16709 3
3. Arietis Sector LC-V c2-18
   • Arietis Sector LC-V c2-18 1
4. Arietis Sector YZ-P b5-4
   • Arietis Sector YZ-P b5-4 A 2
   • Arietis Sector YZ-P b5-4 A 1

With these systems and planets finished, head back to Oleskiw City in the Valtys system. With the DBX, this whole trip should have taken approximately 13 jumps.

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Upgrade the Frame Shift Drive

Sell the data from the Road to Riches route to the Universal Cartography Society. It should net approximately 6.2 million credits, depending on how many efficiency bonuses were achieved. Regardless, it’s more than enough to buy a 5A Frame Shift Drive for the DBX. Purchase the new 5A FSD from the Outfitting screen and the DBX will have a maximum Jump Range of 40.74ly.

Voila! With the above method complete, commanders now have a DBX that has a 40ly Jump Range. Now it’s time to start unlocking engineers, discovering the most beautiful places in the galaxy, gaining reputation with factions, and more. That will all be much easier with a ship that can travel vast distances quickly.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is available on PC.

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