Elite Dangerous Bounty Hunting Build: The Ultimate Guide for Maximum Profit and Efficiency

Ever wondered how to maximize your profit in Elite Dangerous while enjoying the thrill of bounty hunting? In this guide, we're diving into the ultimate bounty hunting builds that will transform your gameplay, skyrocketing your combat efficiency and your credit earnings. Strap in, Commanders, because we're about to dissect every aspect of bounty hunting builds, from ships and weapons to strategy, engineering, and more.

Why Bounty Hunting is One of the Most Profitable Careers

Before jumping into builds, it’s essential to understand why bounty hunting can be one of the most profitable careers in Elite Dangerous. While trading and mining bring steady profits, bounty hunting offers something these roles don’t: adrenaline and action. By eliminating wanted criminals, you’re paid directly for your kills, often receiving large sums when you successfully bring down high-bounty targets in lawless systems or resource extraction sites (RES). With the right setup, bounty hunting can yield millions of credits per hour, especially in high-security systems where law enforcement helps reduce risk.

The Foundation of an Effective Bounty Hunter: Picking the Right Ship

The choice of ship plays a pivotal role in determining your success as a bounty hunter. Mobility, durability, and firepower are crucial elements you’ll need to master. The most common ships that excel in bounty hunting are:

1. Fer-de-Lance (FDL) – The king of bounty hunting. With high firepower, maneuverability, and a relatively small profile, this ship can take down big targets with ease.
2. Python – A versatile ship that’s great for both solo and winged bounty hunting. It offers excellent firepower and armor.
3. Vulture – For those who enjoy flying smaller ships, the Vulture is perfect for its unparalleled maneuverability and focus on heavy firepower in a small package.
4. Anaconda – While large, this ship can act as a tanky bounty hunter, able to soak damage while dishing out massive DPS.

Ship Builds for Maximum Efficiency

Here are the best ship builds depending on your playstyle and preferences:

Fer-de-Lance Bounty Hunting Build

• Core Internals:

  • Power Plant: A-rated or engineered to G5 Overcharged Power Plant
  • Thrusters: G5 Dirty Drive Tuning for maximum agility
  • Frame Shift Drive (FSD): G5 Increased Range for better jump distance
  • Shield Generator: Prismatic Shields with G5 Reinforced Shields
  • Power Distributor: G5 Charge Enhanced to ensure you can fire weapons continuously
  • Sensors: A-rated to detect enemies more easily

• Optional Internals:

  • Shield Cell Banks: High capacity for sustained combat
  • Hull Reinforcement Packages: For extra survivability in tougher fights
  • Fuel Scoop: If you plan on traveling across multiple systems

• Hardpoints:

  • 2x Large Multicannons with G5 Overcharged modifications for shredding hulls
  • 3x Medium Pulse Lasers with Efficient Weapon engineering to deal with shields

• Utility Mounts:

  • Chaff Launchers to avoid missile locks
  • Point Defense to take out incoming missiles
  • Kill Warrant Scanner (KWS): Absolutely essential for maximizing bounty rewards

Vulture Bounty Hunting Build

• Core Internals:

  • Power Plant: A-rated, engineered for extra power output
  • Thrusters: Dirty Drive Tuning for best maneuverability
  • Frame Shift Drive: G5 for increased jump range
  • Shield Generator: Bi-Weave Shields for faster shield regeneration
  • Power Distributor: G5 Charge Enhanced for better weapon and shield performance

• Optional Internals:

  • Hull Reinforcement Packages
  • Shield Cell Banks

• Hardpoints:

  • 2x Large Pulse Lasers with Efficient Weapon mods
  • Alternative: 1 Large Beam Laser and 1 Large Multicannon for balance between shield damage and hull shredding

• Utility Mounts:

  • Chaff Launchers
  • KWS for extra bounty scanning
  • Heat Sink to manage heat levels from Beam Lasers

Engineering: The Game-Changer for Bounty Hunting

One of the most important aspects of being an elite bounty hunter is engineering your ship. Engineering allows you to modify ship modules, giving you the edge in combat. The most essential engineers for bounty hunting are:

1. The Dweller – Unlocks essential upgrades to Power Distributors, which are key for sustaining firepower.
2. Felicity Farseer – Provides Frame Shift Drive (FSD) upgrades to increase your jump range.
3. Zacariah Nemo – For upgrading your multicannons, essential for tearing through enemy hulls.

Key Engineering Modifications:

• Dirty Drive Tuning – Vital for giving your ship superior speed and agility.
• Overcharged Power Plant – Ensures your ship has enough power to support advanced weapons and shields.
• Efficient Weapons – Reduces power consumption and heat generation, allowing sustained fire.
• Reinforced Shields – Increases shield capacity, making you more durable in longer fights.

Strategy: Where and How to Hunt for Bounties

When you're ready to head out into the black and start collecting bounties, where should you go?

1. Resource Extraction Sites (RES) – These are the prime locations for bounty hunting. They come in different varieties: Low, Medium, High, and Hazardous. In High and Hazardous RES, you'll find the best bounties, but be prepared for tougher enemies.

2. Nav Beacons – A good alternative if you prefer less chaotic environments. You'll still find plenty of wanted ships here, but the pace is slower than a RES.

3. Compromised Nav Beacons – One of the most dangerous but lucrative places to hunt. Here, all ships are wanted, so you won't have to worry about accidentally shooting a clean ship. However, this also means you’ll be a target for all enemies.

4. Conflict Zones – Though technically not bounty hunting, conflict zones are a great place to earn combat bonds, especially in faction wars. They require you to pick a side, but offer substantial payouts for destroying enemy ships.

Maximizing Your Profit: Kill Warrant Scanner and Bounty Stacking

The Kill Warrant Scanner (KWS) is essential for getting the maximum profit from bounty hunting. With a KWS, you’ll reveal bounties issued by factions across multiple systems. This means a single target could have multiple bounties on them, allowing you to collect from various factions.

Bounty Stacking involves hunting in systems where your targets have bounties across multiple jurisdictions. By using the KWS, you can effectively "stack" these bounties and claim them all once the target is destroyed.

Building a Wing for Bounty Hunting

Bounty hunting doesn’t always have to be a solo affair. Wing bounty hunting can be even more lucrative. When in a wing, bounties are shared among the group, and larger targets can be tackled with ease. Coordination is key here: designate roles such as tank, DPS, and support to maximize efficiency.

Handling Payouts and Faction Reputation

Once you’ve accumulated a hefty sum of bounties, you’ll need to turn them in. Make sure you do this at the nearest station with an Interstellar Factors contact if you have bounties on yourself from other systems. This helps you avoid getting caught by security scans while turning in your hard-earned credits.

Also, keep an eye on your reputation with local factions. As you claim bounties, you’ll build positive relations with factions in the systems you operate in. This can unlock lucrative missions and discounts on goods and services.

Conclusion: Crafting the Perfect Build for Bounty Hunting

Mastering bounty hunting in Elite Dangerous is a delicate balance of ship selection, engineering, and strategy. Whether you prefer the agility of a Vulture or the sheer firepower of an Anaconda, the key to success lies in optimizing your build and honing your combat skills. With the right setup, you can become one of the galaxy’s most feared bounty hunters, earning millions of credits and rising in rank with the Pilots Federation.

So, what are you waiting for? Load up your ship, charge your weapons, and dive into the most thrilling and profitable profession in Elite Dangerous.