The Viper Mark II or simply the Viper Mk II is the mandatory "Starter Ship" that a Colonial Player get to start out with this ship (previously, new players used to get to choose either it or the Raptor). This ship is designed as an interceptor class strike ship, it relies on speed and agility to be able to attack its targets. Its 4 engine slots enable it to be one of the fastest ships in the game and is one of the few ships able to attain speeds approaching that of the Cylon Malefactor Type-1 and Malefactor Type-2 stealth ships. It also has a higher avoidance level than many other strike ships which increases its chances of survival in combat, and makes up for its lower armor and hull point levels. the draw back for the Viper Mark II is that it only has 3 weapons slots, which is less than any other strike ship barring the Raptor FR. Consequently, advancing this ship is often a priority for many players so as to gain an extra weapons slot. It is this lack of weaponry as to why you rarely see many unadvanced Viper Mark IIs flying on their own, as they will fly in squadrons for mutual protection.