Argo MOLE

What this build is for

The 4.7-current high-end small-team mining pick. Three mining lasers, 32 SCU onboard cargo, 125,000 shield HP. The MOLE is the ship the Prospector graduates into when 4.7's high-density rocks won't crack under a single laser.

• Three mining heads — one pilot can run all three from the cabin
• Solo viable; group mining is where the math really works
• 32 SCU onboard means fewer trips back to refine
• Drake Vulture and the Mercury are different professions; this is the dedicated mining hull

The build

• Wing weapons: 2× espr_lasercannon_s2 Lightstrike II S2 cannons. self-defense — not a combat ship; just enough to discourage stray pirates.
• Power: stock powr_just_s03_ginzel_scitem Ginzel S3.
• Cooler: stock cool_just_s03_thermalcore_scitem Thermalcore S3.
• Shield: stock shld_behr_s03_5ca_scitem 5CA S3.
• Mining laser heads load at vendor — our data layer doesn't model nested mining heads yet (known gap).

On 4.7's mining changes

• High-density rocks introduced in 4.7 require multi-laser coordinated fire to crack — explicitly the MOLE's pitch over the Prospector (ggwtb 4.7 mining guide).
• Cargo elevator + engineering terminal added to the MOLE in 4.7 (MMOPIXEL guide, March 2026).
• Liveries normalized: Carbon and Talus liveries removed in 4.7.0; CIG is investing in the base hull, not deprecating it.

Stats at a glance

Burst DPS800, Shield HP125,000, EM signature63,575, SCM speed140m/s, Cargo32SCU. The DPS number is the self-defense Lightstrike pair only; mining lasers don't show as combat DPS because they aren't.

Why MOLE over Prospector

• Three lasers vs one — high-density rocks require it.
• 32 SCU bay vs Prospector's 96 SCU but fewer mining ops per trip.
• Cabin layout lets pilot run all three lasers solo (the canonical use).
• Group-friendly: each laser can have its own operator if you bring crew.

When not to use this build

• Prospecting low-density deposits. Prospector is cheaper, faster to set up.
• Combat. The MOLE is a slow industrial hull. 800 DPS is a deterrent, not an answer.
• Pyro routes. The shield is real but the EM signature (63k) is loud — pirates will see you long before you see them. Mine in safer space.
• Salvage or cargo-only loops. Different professions; different ships.

What patches this is good for

Authored against build 4.7.2-LIVE.11674325. 4.7.0 introduced the high-density rocks that elevated the MOLE from "nice if you have crew" to "the answer." The 4.7 cargo elevator + engineering terminal upgrades were applied directly to the MOLE — CIG's signal that it's the meta hull.