Main Sequence Ship Builds: Miner, Hauler and Combat
Three practical Main Sequence ship builds: a Prospector miner, a cargo hauler, and a Gallant combat hull, with module priorities and material budgets.
A ship in Main Sequence is a set of modules wrapped around a reactor. The hull you choose sets the budget; the modules decide what the ship can actually do. Trying to make one hull do mining, hauling, and combat produces a ship that is mediocre at all three and expensive to replace.
These three builds cover the roles you need before the first warp. They use demo modules and costs, and they assume you have a Shipyard Core with at least one side module. Each build lists the role, the hull, the module priorities, and the material budget you should prepare before you start.
Prospector for mining, a cargo Prospector for hauling, and a Gallant with two cannons for relic scouts.
Build 1: the Prospector miner
Role: solo ore collection in a contested belt.
Hull: Prospector. The shipyard recipe is 10 Hull Plates, 8 Basic Circuits, and 4 Thrusters, and it builds at 6 per minute.
The Prospector is the right first hull because it has enough mass for a laser, a reactor, and cargo without becoming a barge. The build:
- Cockpit (3 Hull Plate, 5 Lightweight Frames).
- Small Reactor (5 Hull Plate, 20 Magnetic Coils).
- Mining Laser (5 Lightweight Frames, 30 Magnetic Coils).
- Two Small Thrusters (5 Hull Plate, 10 Magnetic Coils each).
- Cargo containers to fill the remaining hull.
- One Shield Generator Mk.1 if the belt has relic contacts.
The mining laser draws 3 MW, the thrusters 6 MW total, the shield 3 MW, and the reactor makes 24 MW. That leaves 12 MW for cargo and overhead, which is comfortable. Do not add a second laser; the ship has one hardpoint's worth of power and the laser's 125-metre range means you are always close enough to use one.
Material budget: roughly 30 Hull Plates, 60 Magnetic Coils, 15 Lightweight Frames, and a stack of Basic Circuits for the hull. That is one good nickel run and one titanium run.
Build 2: the cargo hauler
Role: move ore from a beacon field or a remote station to the main base.
Hull: Prospector or Gallant, depending on route danger. The Prospector is cheaper; the Gallant survives a fight.
The hauler is a mass problem. Every container adds cargo and weight, and the thrusters have to move it. The build:
- Cockpit or Small Bridge. The bridge costs 10 Hull Plate and 20 Basic Circuits and gives more hull than a cockpit.
- Small Reactor, or a Medium Reactor if the hull supports it.
- Two Medium Thrusters if the hull allows; otherwise four Small Thrusters.
- Maximum cargo containers.
- One Shield Generator Mk.1 on dangerous routes.
- No weapons unless the route is actively hostile.
A hauler with maximum cargo and two Small Thrusters will accelerate slowly and turn worse. That is acceptable if the route is short and safe. If the route crosses a relic field, trade cargo for a shield and a third thruster.
Material budget: 40–60 Hull Plates, 40–80 Magnetic Coils, 20–40 Lightweight Frames, and 20+ Basic Circuits. The exact total depends on how many containers you install.
Build 3: the Gallant combat hull
Role: clear relic scouts and escort haulers.
Hull: Gallant. The shipyard recipe is 60 Hull Plates, 40 Lightweight Frames, and 12 Thrusters, and it builds at 2 per minute. It is the most expensive of the three demo hulls.
The Gallant has the mass for a real reactor and real weapons. The build:
- Medium Bridge (10 Reinforced Plate, 20 Basic Circuits) for hull and command space.
- Large Reactor if the hull supports it; otherwise two Small Reactors.
- Two to four Plasma Cannons for close work.
- One or two Plasma Lances if you have the reactor for 7.5 MW each.
- Shield Generator Mk.1.
- Armour on the nose and reactor.
- Small cargo for salvage.
The power math is the whole build. Four Plasma Cannons at 3 MW recharge each are 12 MW, plus a shield at 3 MW, plus thrusters. A Small Reactor at 24 MW can carry that if you do not add lances. A Plasma Lance at 7.5 MW each pushes you into large-reactor territory. Decide before you place the weapons.
For relic scouts, two Plasma Cannons and a shield are enough. For the relic destroyer that gates interstellar travel, bring lances and a group; a solo Gallant is not a raid boss killer.
Material budget: 100+ Hull Plates, 80+ Lightweight Frames, 40+ Magnetic Coils, 30+ Basic Circuits, and a stock of Reinforced Plates for the bridge and armour. Build this after your station has a stable plate supply; it will consume most of it.
How to test each build
Before you save a blueprint, fly the ship through these four checks:
- Acceleration: full throttle for five seconds. Does it reach a useful speed?
- Turning: 180-degree turn at half throttle. Can you keep the target in front?
- Power: fire everything while thrusting. Does the reactor hold?
- Docking: approach the station dock. Does the hull fit without scraping?
A miner that fails the turning check cannot hold a laser on a small rock. A hauler that fails the power check cannot run its shield. A combat ship that fails the docking check is a liability in a retreat.
When to upgrade instead of rebuild
The shipyard lets you refit a docked hull. If a build is 80 percent right, refit it: swap one weapon, add armour, replace a thruster. If the hull is wrong for the role, build a new one. Refitting a Prospector into a warship is a waste of materials; the hull's mass and module space are the limit.
Keep one blueprint per role, labelled with the game version. When a patch changes module costs, the blueprint tells you what changed and lets you rebuild the working design.
Before you save the design, read the blueprints guide→.
FAQ
What is the best first ship? The Prospector miner. It is cheap, it has a laser, and it pays for itself in ore.
Can the Prospector haul cargo? Yes, but it is slow when fully loaded. Use it for short routes or build a dedicated hauler.
How many weapons can a Small Reactor support? About four Plasma Cannons if you skip lances and keep thrusters light. Four lances exceed 24 MW before thrusters.
Is the Gallant worth the cost? Yes, once you need to fight relic scouts. It is not a solo relic-destroyer killer.
Can I refit a ship later? Yes, at a Shipyard Design Console. Save a blueprint before you change it.
Official source: Main Sequence on Steam ↗ and the Steam news hub ↗.
Sources
- Main Sequence on Steam ↗ — hulls, modules, and ship design.
- Steam news: Next Fest demo update ↗ — ship module changes.
- Main Sequence on SteamDB ↗ — demo build reference.
- Mythwright ↗ — publisher.