Bellum Eternus
Gallente
Death of Virtue
Sex Panthers
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Posted - 2008.01.19 01:34:00 -
[1]
After flying Blasterthrons and Blasterhypes for a while, I've found the Astarte to be a little lacking for what I do.
For starters it only has 18 sensor strength. It gets jammed a lot easier than most battleships, and the Hype has the added benefit of a 5th mid for ECCM if you like. The Astarte's raw hitpoints are rather lacking, even with a HG Slave set. As for DPS, with 7x Neutron IIs and 2x Magstab IIs, you're looking at comparable *gun* DPS to a Hype w/ 8x Ion IIs and one Magstab, which is to say, not bad. But that's with maxed skills of course.
The main issue is tank. Even with dual reps, it just can't take that much DPS, and with it's relatively low HP (plate setups really don't work) you can't stay on the field that long before you go down.
Cargo space is another problem. You can't hold that many 800 charges, and you go through them like crazy with a 7x Neutron II/2x rep setup. Range is another issue. While you do get a range bonus from the CS skill, the optimal/falloff of medium blasters just isn't as good as that of heavy Ions or Neutrons. It really does make a difference. You have to get *really* close to a target to start doing solid DPS with an Astarte, while a Hype/Mega/Kronos can do healthy damage from more than twice the range.
Astartes (and most CS for that matter) are best used in 0.0 or empire wars where the combination of speed and firepower is better suited to lighter targets. In low sec, if you're up against BS sized targets with lots of Raw HP and you have the added problem of gate guns, you're going to go down hard, as you just don't have the HP to absorb that kind of DPS.
The problem with 0.0 is that you're going to be fighting nano ships a *lot*, and the Astarte also doesn't have the speed/agility to catch anything without completely running out of cap. By the time you get something within blaster distance, you've already run out of steam.
If you limit yourself to smaller targets (i.e. BC on down) then it excels, as it packs BS firepower in a smaller faster locking package, but going toe to toe with a BS will just get you a dead Astarte.
Bellum Eternus
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