Merchant Freighter

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Cost
Basic Hold Cost	15,000
Main Drive Cost	2,000
Computer Cost	9,600
Ship Hull Cost	6,800
Ship Base Cost	33,400
Total Cost (Fully Loaded)	100,015
Combat Specifications
Max Fighters	300
Max Figs Per Attack	100
Maximum Shields	500
Offensive Odds	0.8:1
Defensive Odds	0.8:1
Safety Rating	640
Trading Efficiency
Maximum Holds	65
Initial Holds	30
Turns Per Warp	2
TransWarp Drive	No
Trading Efficiency Factor	100
Miscellaneous
Mine Max	2
Genesis Max	2
Transport Range	5
Beacon Max	20
Long Range Scan	Yes
Planet Scanner	Yes
Photon Missiles	No

The Merchant Freighter, also known as the Merf, is the most efficient trading vessel in the fictional TradeWars 2002 universe. It is as fast as a Scout Marauder but carries more holds, fighters, and shields. However, it has much lower combat odds (0.8, compared to 2.0), making it vulnerable to attack.

The Merchant Freighter is inexpensive and a favorite choice of new players, since the Merchant Cruiser can be immediately traded in for it at a profit. Its expendability makes it useful for mothing quasar cannons. The Merf is also frequently used to add holds to the Colonial Transport. To do this, a player outfits the Merf with full holds and allows his teammate in a Colonial Transport to destroy it, thus seizing the holds. This is cheaper than having the Colonial Transport buy holds directly from a port.