Should You Fly In The Astero?? || EVE Online

[@enigma9304]

I will reply more from the point of view of the one who likes to hunt explorers. Astero is okay if you are sticking around LS or mostly flying in your blue care-bear NS space. Read - where warp disrupt bubbles can not be used against you. Wormholes or NS gatecamps - you are taking unnecessary risks. Bubbles aside - Asteros are prized targets for solo hunters like me. Because those damn little sh*s are so slippery and thus hard to catch >=[ Sub 2-sec align time TOGETHER with a tiny signature radius really works to your advantage when someone de-cloaks on your ass and is thinking about you naked. Assuming you are paying attention to your overview in the first place ;) This is also where I have a slight issue with your fit @captainbenzie - there is no reason to fit the Inertial Stabs. Slap a second Nanofiber structure instead and call it good. Yes, you will loose as slight amount of Armour HP but you avoid blooming your sig with the stabs. The difference is not huge, but it is _there_ and I'd argue it matters more than a few extra HPs. If you got caught - most often you are as good as dead anyway. I _would_, however, advocate for using ECM drones. They are insanely cheap and they do work. Very rarely, but the overall price of the ship kinda makes it worth to carry them.. imho anyway. However this is where the good ends. Flying a T2 explo frig makes more sense because: * as mentioned in the video - you can fit a nullifier. This is a very big deal * your warp speed is 8 instead of 5. This makes you lose less time spent warping around, which also makes you harder to chase as there are less ships that can keep up * 5 seconds Cloak reactivation instead of 15. If you screw up - 5 seconds might sometimes be enough to save your bacon. 15 seconds is not. * you can fit a cyno!!!!1! This is the biggest fear of hunters in NS and LS and is _always_ in the back of one's mind when jumping on a T2 explo frig * the different race T2 explo frigs have different stats and bonuses, which enables you to choose the one that fits your play-style/needs the most. Buzzard is ofc the best and I don't care what anyone says ;) * once again - the hull costs a fraction of the Astero. I always cringe a little when I kill an Astero and it has only the most basic modules on it. Could go on and on and on about the differences between all the options as in EVE nothing is just black and white, ever. But gotta stop somewhere. Yes the ship is beautiful, makes you feel a little special when flying one. And everyone is free to play the game as they please. But if exploration is the only reason you are undocking for - a T2 will do the same job better and for far less.

[@captainbenzie]

Absolutely agree! Also kicking myself for not talking about ECM drones, I have the hornets docked in it in this video...! Very good points about the Cyno and warp speed too. In fact, just a tonne of great points in general!!

[@BassBiest]

new pilot here, what is a cyno?

[@captainbenzie]

@@BassBiest "Cynosural Field Generator". It's a module that lights a beacon (a Cynosural Field, or just a "lit Cyno") that certain other ships can jump to, even from distant systems. It's possible for an explorer to do this, providing a beacon for ships to launch to in enemy territory, but it can also be used simply as a trap. You think you're fighting a humble explorer, and then a BLOPS or Dread or something just hot drops in next to you.

[@dasshaker2372]

I've moved back to the T2 explorer for pretty much the reasons you mentioned, but now I want to switch the flip and go hunting next time I log in. 😂

[@igelineau]

I have yet to have encountered a bubble in a WH, and I've explored dozens of them, guess I was lucky or they are rare? Some points in favor of the Astero not already mentioned - It has more targeting range than the T2 frigs, which helps a lot in relic/data sites - Its targeting time is faster, which makes you lock onto the cans faster (this is minor though) I would add I got caught last time while in my cheetah, and didn't have time to warp off. The faster align time with the Astero would have given me a better chance of escaping.

[@shantvincent782]

This might be 9 months old, but just wanted you to know that I think you are uploading great content. Thank you.

[@captainbenzie]

I appreciate that!

[@x-Spirax-x]

These are by far my favorite ships to take to the dark skies, the SoE ships, But the Astero is the best looking of them all. I used to fly it JUST for the look. It looks like a proper spaceship.

[@captainbenzie]

It's a gorgeous little ship!

[@LifesGuardian]

Astero is quite versatile. Easily capable of pouncing on unwary explorers, more than capable of exploration itself, heck, I even fitted it for cargo and use it for a cloaky hauler for my incursion bling for the longest time!

[@captainbenzie]

Yup, it's got a load of uses!!

[@EuroHeliMalta]

There is one thing you left out about our beloved Astero. Out of all the exploration frigates it’s the only one that can complete not only Limited but also Standard Sleeper Caches. Because of the lows it can be fit with EM and Thermal resists and a DC2 plus repper. Using a mobile depot you can refit and run a standard sleeper cache. Also you can with the correct clone not only get

[@captainbenzie]

I'm talking overall in this video but it is absolutely the one to use for those, yes!

[@blandeauxfillaskii7344]

The Heron has more room in the trunk 🎁

[@captainbenzie]

Yes, and is cheaper

[@zapszki6977]

IMO astero is for the more experienced players bc of the cons listed. However, I much prefer the astero to the covops frigats. When you are fully skilled, using Zeugma with blackglass implant, you'll find that it takes more time to move from can to can than the actual hacking, thats when the asteros exeptional inertia and speed comes really handy. Also, it is much more survivable so it is much easier to do sleeper caches. Im all in for the idea of either pvp or explo, then do it right if you fit for explo, be able to do sleepers as well.

[@gothmog2441]

Was going to make the same point - the Astero is tankier than the other Covops, which is useful for lesser and standard sleeper caches (for superior you ideally need a far bigger tank), and sleeper caches are the most lucrative thing you can scan down. Also four mid slots means you can fit a data, relic, prop and still have room for a cargo scanner- which saves a lot of time by allowing you to skip the valueless cans. Currently doing lots of Guri Malakin/ SoCT low sec data sites, and can value varies from nil to 300mill ISK, helps to focus the ones you want and GTFO before someone else drops on grid.

[@captainbenzie]

An Astero won't kill Sleepers in sites not even with a full PvE fit which you'd swap to then hack the containers. Also, for moving between containers, ideally you want to set up a perch anyways 😉 But to each their own!

[@zapszki6977]

@@gothmog2441 for superior I usually only do the main and the sentry room. 0 risk and still 15 cans to hack

[@zapszki6977]

@@captainbenzie Ahoj there! Limited/Standard/Superior caches do not have enemies in them (other that sentry turrets). These are basically relic sites where you have to "solve a puzzle" in order to get to the cans and not die. They drop blue loot and some valuable blueprints. I had the superior drop north of 500m in some occasion

[@captainbenzie]

@@zapszki6977 yes, for caches they're great - sorry I thought we.were talking about Forgotten/Unsecured sites 😅

[@tesciu00]

I'm back in the game after many years. I decided to check what i that all fuss about explo. Never done that seriously. Started with a cheeta. I was stunned how much money i earn. I fly NPC 0.0 where i used to live back in the day. It's pretty chill if you know what you are doing. I make 300 - 700 mil a day for 4-6 hours of exploring. One day some guy in Astero warped to my site and killed me. I forgot how core stab works now so i was not even mad. He inspierd me. I went to hs and bought one for myself. I have 3 kills on it so far, i still earn shitload of money, i can pvp in the same time and the loot from unlucky explorers i another incentive :D I sont care if i lost it. Ito costed me about 170 mil to buy and fit. It returned that investment the same day. That day i earned 700 mil. And not counting the 150 mil that burned in my Cheeta cargohold. So you are able to earn money for Omega but i would recommend to invest into Omega for 1-2 ma months, get the explo skills up, covert cloaking is very important for your survivability so it's worth it. Once you get your explo going you should be able to earn enough in about 7 days to pay your omega and the rest time you are free to to whatever you want.

[@captainbenzie]

Really glad that you're enjoying!!

[@gentleslice6489]

From a guy who plays for 10+ years i would say to any newcomers / guys who want to get into exploring. DO NOT go for the Astero. Because from my opinion if you build up a decent t3 cruiser like the Legion / Loki / Tengu etc you will have overall more enjoyable exploration through out the universe. You can do combat sites you can do hacking you can pvp.... You are basically getting an overall more versatile ship. I want to point out before the drama its just my opinion take it as however you want no hate for Astero users :). Oh! and great vid Benzie as always. Cheers!

[@captainbenzie]

Perfectly valid opinion! For longer journeys now, I'll take a Loki or Tengu. For quick bursts of exploration or mapping, I use my Cheetah ☺️

[@fatelmite1175]

that being said I would not recommend flying the t3c with the analyser always equiped because you tend to loose out on a massive amount of tank haha but agreed t3c's are awesome

[@ludwigvivi7362]

Love how you said 'before the drama haha'. Jokes aside couldn't agree more with you. New guys go for T3 cruisers you can do more better its just better experience. Fly safe all.❤🎉

[@coyohti]

This is solid advice. And I'm saying this as someone who flies T2 frigates. 😅

[@TheLime-wd3yu]

I would never recommend using a T3C for hacking... you're slow to lock containers, slow to move around, and you're advertising yourself as an easy target since you sacrifice combat modules for exploration modules. Plus it'll cost you at least a few hundred million when you inevitably lose it, versus a covops frigate that is a way better choice and much lower risk.

[@BNBPhotofr]

As someone who does mapping for a large null sec alliance I love the Astero for it's versatility. Always travel with a mobile depot and 3 fits (exploration, combat and travel) in your cargo. It is an expensive ship to fly, but t's very enjoyable. One argument for having a flight of Hobgoblins II is for the odd abandoned Mobile Warp Disruption Field you come accross in null.

[@militarymoose87]

Always been a Stratios fan myself. I know it's bigger, bulkier, and more for ambush PvP, but I like knowing I'm big enough to push little ships around even if they combat fit, yet still small enough to GTFO in a hurry if needed.

[@captainbenzie]

Stratios is an excellent ship!

[@Agnus78]

Some PVP frigs can easily kill a tanked BS. So..

[@ryanlin9131]

My favorite scanning ship is for sure the Pacifier. The warp speed is so nice. Tech 2 Covop Frigates technically are a bit better at scanning since they have a deviation bonus but I run midgrade virtues with the Pacifier so the extra deviation bonus doesn't affect scan speed too much.

[@captainbenzie]

Yeah, that warp speed is SWEET

[@Kopakapat]

I can say I've escaped a saber in nullsec with ECM drones once with my Astero, so for the price of 5 ECM lights, you totally should take them!

[@fraterm]

I know a skilled sabre pilot who was routinely quite triggered by asteros slipping through his fingers in this way. It can be quite effective

[@jameswohler985]

Just my opinion put the ecm drones in...low cost lottery ticket it you get pinned down. But I agree with the entire video otherwise. Do the Stratios next please 🙏 . I find it is much more versatile especially for PVE....Thanks

[@captainbenzie]

Yeah ECM drones can be a life saver, but I prefer prevention to cure. Good D-Scan and situational awareness is a massive help

[@fatelmite1175]

my favorite exploration ship is the pacifier for a multitude of reasons the main one being the warp speed plus the nullifier and when combined with it's combat capabilities I think it is a foe to be reckoned with

[@captainbenzie]

I love the Pacifier too, it's just SO expensive!

[@alexandrerodrigues6269]

I use Astero for scanning and cans ... Why is my favorite? Because of the time it takes to enter Warp with perfect skills and modules/rigs (1.7 secs) making it the fastest g.t.f.o. ship in EVE.

[@FizzleFX]

15:15 inertias also increase your signature > faster lock for a new friend of yours!

[@ouuuchhh]

I've flown the astero for 3 years in jspace and never lost one. I rather fit it with ECM drones (which I keep out while hacking all the time) and a ECM burst heated ready to go in case of ganks

[@captainbenzie]

Solid ideas!

[@rayderrich]

But but but Captain, I LOVE the Astero so much, it is a gorgeous ship for screenshots! It is also a big money maker not for exploring but just for trading. Buy 100 of them and come back 5 years later, insta-rich! Thank you for your tips though.

[@captainbenzie]

Each to their own! I love the Astero too! My only point is, it's much more expensive than the alternatives and many newer players are tricked into thinking it can explore AND do PvP, and so lose it quickly. If you understand what the Astero is, and you enjoy it... Well, the best shop for anyone is the one they enjoy flying most!!

[@rayderrich]

@@captainbenzie Astero is love, but you did put me in the direction of fitting a T2 exploration ship that costs less and does the same. Now where to find the Euros to Omega again...

[@crazycrentax]

In honesty, I have to say that my Astero I use mainly for running hi sec sites quickly and scanning relic and data sites in hi sec. Its proved very adaptable and is also capable of running 1/10 and 2/10 sites as well as the 3/10. There are a lot of people who don't bother with the low end sites but over the years I have found them to be quite profitable and of course if I find a site the Astero can't cope with I can get back to base and change ship very quickly. The price of course will effect most people but in my case I get plenty BPC's and just make my own, in fact I get that many BPC's at times I have been known to sell quite a lot of these ships. The only time I really used the Astero in WH's was when I was in a WH Corp and we used to take these out in fleet, really good fun, and scares the bejesus out of people when half a dozen of them uncloak right in front of you, although we didn't do PvP most of the time it was fun to see how others would react.

[@captainbenzie]

Haha that's awesome!

[@Aksuloid]

Yeah, spot on. I remember when I started EVE, I knew I wanted to get into the Astero ASAP. And, dont get me wrong, I still absolutely ADORE that ship. Its a blast to fly, and my god do you look hot doing it. But 1. The buzzard also looks cool and 2. Once we consider the fact that you will get blapped eventually, the buzzard is just better bang for buck all around, once you have the skills to get good value out of it. I stopped flying astero in J-space explo completely, just because it feels wrong taking a 100 mil hull, that cant defend itself, into the most dangerous space in EVE, and when what you are paying for, is largely the looks, and the align time. It is still my go to courier ship for small high value things, simply because if you know what you are doing, you are so unfathomably ass to catch. (Even in null, where bubbles are a threat)

[@captainbenzie]

Exactly this! I adore the ship but don't fly it much for these reasons - same with the Pacifier. The Cheetah does everything I need, actively better in some ways, and cheaper.

[@christiankomodo]

People mention the drawbacks of the Astero, but auto-warp is the best way to avoid being killed IMO and you just can't do that with the cheaper explorers. If you could with specific lightweight modules, it would not compete with the Astero. I love my Helios, but with so many comments like this make me have to fly a Cheeta or Heron and see what I'm missing! Great video and always insightful comments here.

[@Aksuloid]

@@christiankomodo Instawarp does keep you alive longer. But you will blow up eventually. And for every astero, I can lose 8-10 buzzards. End of the day its up to you, and you should fly what you find the most comfortable. Astero makes your life easier, but once you figure out how to behave in dangerous space, its benefits stop outweighing the increased cost, and worse scanning, for me at least. But I also don't care for ship losses, Id rather have 5x 10 mil losses, than 1x 150 mil loss. But thats not how everyone looks at it.

[@ianemery2925]

Weirdly, despite being subscribed, YT has only shown me this video a year after you published it :-/ Glad to see you back on the horse, btw. One issue you missed - it is impossible to get a usable fit if you want to use Combat probes; this issue is made even more obvious when you look at the newer Navy explorer ship versions. The Astero makes a good (but expensive) Hi Sec Explorer, even with Alpha skills it can scan down all non Sleeper sites (and with some fiddling, L4 Sleeper sites); while at the same time, being tough enough to handle all DED3 and some DED4 combat sites; with the bonus being it is a Frigate, so you can hunt for loot in even DED1 sites, which can drop 30-50 mill worth of Deadspace modules, but take only a few minutes to run (I've had 303 mil from a DED 3 this week - balanced by, nothing but a can - twice) The only other Alpha compatible explorer ship that comes close is the Imicus - which can do all DED3 sites and a few L2 combat sites, but a lot slower - with the bonus that it has a larger hold to store all that loot. With enough space for 3 sets of drones, you can pretty much cover all Pirate faction damage types and roam throughout all Hi Sec areas, I have done 150 jump roams before now; dropping off loot at waystations when my hold got too full (Christmas/Easter/Anniversary Event).

[@danielringler4302]

First, thanks for your videos, I still learn form them :) there Astero is my go to exploration ship almost since I started playing eve online (now checking the Meta, its really good). I agree with fitting it for exploration and not half and half. my fit is different as I use it also for sleeper caches, it works great in them (everything in limited and standard and first 2 rooms in the superior). about drones, I do have EC-300 and it can save you if you are locked and scrammed, it just gives you a little more chance to survive, i also have a burst jummer for the same reason, saved me a few times :) about price, yea its more expensive but I prefer it to all covert ops frigates as it has under 2 sec allign time and more cargo space. my Asteros pay many, many,.....many times its value before I lose them :) o7

[@jono_cc2258]

Honestly I just use it as a taxi for my alts that won’t be skilling into Cov Ops, just fit for speed and a cloak with probes and scan mods in case of emergency wormhole collapse. Even if you don’t live in wormhole space checking out wormhole connections (high to high, low to high etc) can be handy for getting about or exploring somewhere new.

[@captainbenzie]

Yup though tbh I just use a T1 probe for that 😉

[@vladpetrescu89]

To touch on the drones part a bit, any player might want to look into the hornet ec--200 or however they are called, the ecm drones that will help you break a lock on you if someone manages to lock and point you without any escape. Those little drones helped me get out of a sticky situation more than once.

[@captainbenzie]

ECM drones are an excellent point but very limited time to use them!

[@vladpetrescu89]

@@captainbenzie Indeed, they won't help you get out of every sticky situation, but at the very least you will manage more often than not to break the lock on a tackler before something bigger gets on grid to pop you. Or if you get into an explorer vs explorer kind of situation, like another astero that's fitted for a bit of pvp alongside the exploration fit like you mention in the video.

[@kliderskope3662]

Simple answer for me as an explorer is no. While the sub 2 sec align is nice and it is a very good looking ship it does not outweigh the lack of nullification and the massive price tag, I achieve sub 3 second on both my buzzard and cheetah which, if I’m paying attention is easily enough to run away screaming like a crazed madman. 😅. I feel personally it fits a very narrow niche between T1 and T2 explo/covops. I do not recommend it to Alphas at all and by the short time it takes to go from frigate 1-5 then to level 4 cloak with a few levels of covops is really not long in the grand scheme of EvE. Especially when I’m now training 40 odd days a level on some skills. I know I’m going to get hammered for this, and I have enjoyed flying (and losing) them in the past. It’s cheetah/buzzard for me.

[@captainbenzie]

Absolutely agree 100%, Cheetah/Buzzard for me too!

[@Elquequ3]

My prize Astero has 14 kill marks on it. Beautiful ship and deadly when you know how to pick your fights

[@captainbenzie]

Awesome!!

[@scottbromley1818]

I use mine with +3 point scram, dead space mwd and a dead space repper. Use it for scanning, relic/data sites and killing whatever co-ops frigs you catch in the sites. Expensive ship though.

[@captainbenzie]

Expensive but fun!!

[@kylejohns2288]

Is it the best explorer no. it is however my favorite ship.

[@captainbenzie]

Exactly the perfect reason to fly it!!

[@dboydw3751]

Def my favorite ship and one of the coolest looking!

[@captainbenzie]

Isn't she just!!

[@Garresh1]

Because I run ghost sites, I put a republic fleet medium shield extender on all my explorers. You can refit with a depot to explosive hardening and be able to tank a can detonation even in w-space. The reason I mention that is because that makes you tanky enough to justify bringing a flight of ECM drones imho. Don't bother scooping the drones just align, launch, and pray. If you get them jammed you bail and leave the drones behind(every second counts). This fit is a lot safer imho and has saved me from smartbomb camps and instalock shenanigans when I've made mistakes. That said, I fly the Helios not the Astero for all the reasons you listed. Just saying if you do ghost sites the Astero can 100% justify packing a flight of drones in that travel fit.

[@newchaoz]

Maybe also throw in the blackglass implant, as the Zeugma can apply its data site bonus to relic site as well :)

[@captainbenzie]

Excellent idea!!

[@MysticalDragon73]

Another solid video. One of my toons is actually in an astero atm. Before my 6 year break it was the go to scanning ship. I LOVE the SOE ships. However, since its not classed as a cov ops and no 3rd high slot, its going to be relegated to the hangar if I dont sell it. I may get the pacifier instead for something blingy as it looks amazing.

[@seven9766]

For the longest time i flew around in a buzzard. Bought an Astero for a wh character. It's a very good albeit expensive ship with very low SP requirements. Not a ship i'd recommend to a newbie, but definitely one i'd recommend for cloaky alts etc, piloted by someone experienced. Next, 4/4 slots are pretty awful to fight against among frigates.

[@captainbenzie]

Exactly agree with this 😊

[@Winterborn5]

I love running around in the Astero on my omega clone. But on my alpha account, I’ve been scooting around in a basic Heron and pulling in about 100mil ISK from wormhole data runs. I think of it like this. You can shell out the money for a Ferrari and look amazing. But an old Toyota will still get you where you want to go.

[@captainbenzie]

Absolutely agreed!

[@killahtomato89]

My Astero is dope as an wormhole ship, for relic/data, and the ship line is just as good plus adding guns honestly the SoE ship series is great imo

[@captainbenzie]

Glad you're enjoying!

[@toniheinonen1034]

Gotta say, a week ago I was scanning the event sites in HS (didn't want to lose 2 Asteros in a row haha), deployed probes, cloaked and warped to a asteroid belt out of a habit and came across a Domination rat. The little fella dropped 100m worth of ammo. So I'd suggest to keep at least a squadron of warrior 1:s with you 😃

[@captainbenzie]

Can be useful if you're going to head into sites like that, but assuming your mission is just to run from all combat and you're spending your time just in Relic/Data sites...

[@toniheinonen1034]

I hear you. To me though it makes sense to prepare for opportunities especially when it doesn't affect your performance on the main activity. The basic T1 drones are practicly free so it's much more of an inconvenience than a loss if I have to escape and warp away from the drones for example.

[@meyrrr007]

I like the stratios for running sleeper sites on the occasion I scan those down but honetly the Buzzard min/max's out higher and cheaper.

[@captainbenzie]

Yeah I prefer the T2s personally 😊

[@keldon_champion]

The astero is a solid explorer but the T2 covert ops ships donit better cheaper. The astero is actually more of a solid explorer that can also bully other explorers, this is a nice option that I have made a ton of money from ganking explorers that never even knew I was there. Funny story when I joined my first null sec corp it was me out on one of my favorite activities a multiday roam through wherever the wormholes take me. I was running sites in sov null and saw probes on d-scan as I was getting ready to hack a site. I was like ya gonna gank me an explorer and get some easy loot and vanish into a WH before the corporate security can catch me. I warp to zero and drop a can then cruise like 10km off and park... and I decloaked a stratios, we both shit our pants and ran, we started chatting in local and next thing I know I'm joining the corp and getting paid to do scouting and intel for the corp. A fun story but seriously I don't recommend the astero to newbros, its just too expensive and if you don't know how to use it safely you will just be someone's kill mail because you can't really stand up to anything but bullying explorers and I guess miners but a SB does that better and cheaper.

[@dwarfbard6226]

I love the Astero in lowsec where I can be sure I wont be bubbled and can see local. I can freely do frigate sized combat events as well as data/relic sites. Frigate sized rogue drone sites mean I can land myself a 50% discount on a new hull because of the BP exchange item drop. Durability and small sig means you can escape almost any solo pvp sweat with EC drones. I would never show my face in High pop Null or WH space anymore. Asteros are expensive and frustrating to lose in a WH where you can never be absolutely sure what is in grid.

[@nelyrions1838]

Astero is a good stepping stone from frigate -> T2 frigate since you may have 5-10 DAYS of training time before you can unlock em and they may not be your priority. So Astero fills a nice niche for users that wants something and haven't played 2436524642624642 days of eve.

[@captainbenzie]

10 days of skills compared to 400m ISK of ship. New players worried about skills aren't going to be sitting on 400m 😊

[@iceshadow625]

One reason to have drones is if you do a drone site and fail, your drones can take out the spawns.

[@captainbenzie]

True, just VERY niche

[@Spiritt_Daphiti]

Newbee point of view ; can i Captian ? Gratz for another level in EvE Online , really nice info for Fitting Astero Captain ! I have like 9 years in EvE and the best ship is Gnosis cuz alfa players friendly :) and can be fitted even whit t1 , also have more options where can fullfil almost every content / while exploring and enjoy the view of a " Redish like an "" color of a doomed wolrds ....in a WH ..you decide class , but beter fit AB , get scram and / armour plate and rep .....if you wanna explore ;) i can use t1 only even, hehe but Astero is also Best of it ;) I like to explore in WH's but just siege Up ....lets see hmm . Thanks buddy !!! ....o7 ..pls show also the adventure ;) Give more Options like how/ tips / Exploration is Danger fiiled whit Luck , . Declock ...lol Bubble ..wt"""

[@captainbenzie]

Gnosis is a very cool ship!

[@tkirby]

I keep t1 exploration ships all over K space. I scan and explore in a PVP fit Astero then jump out to high sec, grab a Magnate/Heron or whatever to do the sites. No point putting an Astero on the line for just hacking a site and you can kill any other explorers you come across.

[@goofytycooner5519]

I've been questioning whether or not the Astero is the optimal exploration ship basically as long as I've been using it, but your Hurricane video finally set that debate for me to rest. Is it optimal? Probably not, the T2 Covert Ops frigates are more cost efficient, T3Cs are much more versatile, and the Metamorphosis is the new king of low SP requirements. Does that mean I'm going to stop using it? Absolutely not, I'm 100% going to continue using it because despite there being comparable or better options out there, the Astero is one of my favorite ships, and that's all I need

[@captainbenzie]

Exactly this! Fly what you enjoy!

[@EYM-ONLINE]

Keeping it primarily for low sec frigate stealth gank PVP, not using it for the exploration since it is too expensive to be destroyed. I am flying Anathema (20mil) and I get more core strength than Astero. I have 10AU\s flight speed that is hard to catch up with. I would reconsider if Astero would have 3 high power slots.

[@captainbenzie]

Yeah, the lack of Nullifier hurts

[@kr4ftt]

hey cap do you stream? I was unable to find it in your YT bio nor in the videos, wish I could ask more stuff about EE

[@captainbenzie]

Not yet. Looking to start soon.

[@kr4ftt]

@@captainbenzie thanks for the reply! I'm looking foward to it!

[@TheCynysterMind]

I think I discovered a newer better exploration ship (at least so far... I only have 2 days with it in this build) [Metamorphosis, Meta-Cyn] Damage Control II Inertial Stabilizers II Nanofiber Internal Structure II 5MN Microwarpdrive II Data Analyzer I Relic Analyzer I Sisters Expanded Probe Launcher Small Coaxial Compact Remote Armor Repairer Covert Ops Cloaking Device II [Empty Rig slot] Small Emission Scope Sharpener I Small Memetic Algorithm Bank I Light Hull Maintenance Bot I x2 Salvage Drone I x2 Light Armor Maintenance Bot I x2 Sisters Core Scanner Probe x16

[@captainbenzie]

Nice! It's a very cool ship!

[@TheCynysterMind]

Zeugma Integrated Analyzer.... 437-Million Picks my jaw up off the floor (by way of comparison Astero = 122-Million Tengu = 221-Million Anathema = 22-Million Magnate < 1-Million

[@brodude9208]

The price is exceptionally high currently, it used to be 250m like a month ago

[@captainbenzie]

Yeah they've shot right up

[@jiiaga5017]

My only comment would be if you are suggesting guidance for any sort of fit for someone without max skills, I think virus coherence is the #1 most important variable, other than needing the minimum scan strength to scan down your targets. The worst feeling is hitting a bad defense distribution and not getting the can loot because your virus strength wasn't high enough.

[@captainbenzie]

Amen to this and great tip!!

[@captainbenzie]

Amen to this and great tip!!

[@adamlopez5060]

I fly an astero because i like the way it looks

[@captainbenzie]

Best reason for real ☺️🚀

[@traumbetreuer8320]

returning player here - can u do the missions for the skins even now as a old charakter?

[@captainbenzie]

Yes

[@cameronfrye5514]

Now do the Metamorphosis...

[@captainbenzie]

Video is on the way!

[@jutasparkour190]

Maybe im just lucky. But i managed to earn 400mils with my heron. Crimson and tetrimon data sites are pretty good

[@captainbenzie]

They're excellent value!

[@Risk_090]

I know I’m a year late but is there a astero alpha fit

[@captainbenzie]

Depends what you want to do with it. I did a full video on how to fit anything, and another one how to fit for exploration

[@patraic5241]

2 Light Drones are nice. It swats those few rats who might bother you but there's no temptation to launch them against a PvP attack.

[@captainbenzie]

The content I do doesn't have rats, but yes, if you're in sites where that's possible it can be a nice bite!

[@umadbroimatroll7918]

The new ship metamorphosis is outperforming the astero atm.

[@captainbenzie]

It's a great ship.

[@gothmog2441]

And twice as expensive as an astero 😊

[@archimade]

I think in the end astero is just good to tackle and pvp other explorer... for pure exploration you probable be better in a Buzard or an Anathema...

[@brittherself]

My fav ship.

[@captainbenzie]

It is beautiful

[@seancook9192]

us oldschool astero players never had an interdictor nullifier and learn to work around bubbles

[@captainbenzie]

Oh yeah, it's possible, it's just something to consider

[@EskaronVokonen]

I hate the price tag since the industry change that added the stupidly complex trigger neurolink conduits components. These sh*ty components were removed from the navy ships for a reason, and they were reduced in numbers for cruiser and bigger pirate ships for the same reason. But, these sh*ty components were never made simpler to build and CCP didn't removed them from pirate frigate ships (the only way to reduced the numbers of them when only 1 is required...). These sh*ty component are roughly 30mil a piece and the astero requires 2 (1 amarr and 1 gallente). This makes the Astero (and other pirate frigates) 4 to 5 times pricier than the tech 2 frigates. Ridiculous. The Gila and Rattlesnake for example, are now down to about 2x the price of tech 2 cruiser and at par with tech 2 battleships respectively after they reduced the numbers of required sh*ty trigger neurolink counduits. Still, getting the BPC from a drop or from completing a combat site, or in the case of the Gila from completing the Guristas Epic Arc is currently useless, since building the ship cost more than buying the ships built on the market, or better: buying them already built from the Loyalty store (the Gila sold in Jita most probably comes from the LP store and shipped to Jita). The Mordu's BPC drop in low-sec? also a waste of time and unnecessary risks to hunt for them since the industry patch. I bought a few Astero and Garmur (and/or their BPC and built them right away) just before the patch at about 40-50mil each. And won't buy or build any new ones (nor will I actively hunt for their BPC) until CCP fix the sh*t they introduced.

[@captainbenzie]

I mean, I think it's kinda intentional and as someone who flies and buys those frigates a lot, I think the price makes sense

[@EskaronVokonen]

@@captainbenzie I'll forget you mention the price then.

[@EskaronVokonen]

@@captainbenzie Let say we agree we disagree. I think 4-5 times the price of a tech 2 frigate makes zero sense when the cruisers and battleships are 2x and at par with tech 2 of their size.

[@EskaronVokonen]

@@captainbenzie And again the BPC used to have a good value and be worth hunting for. Now not really in the best scenario, to you gotta be stupid in the worst scenario if you were to buy a BPC on contract and build the thing cost you so much more than buying the ship built on the market. That doesn't make sense either.

[@dressydressy6246]

That align time though…

[@captainbenzie]

Its nice when the MWD is off

[@HuckAcott-og7ze]

Diving into pvp and null sec life, flying frigates, destroyers and the occasional vexor. My corp will replace any ships I lose fighting for them, so I’m loving EWAR and tackling! A tackle slasher is my daily driver in nullsec.love the content! o7

[@Zeerse_Chef]

The Astero is a bit of a mid-life crisis ship of eve pilots to me, when you're young and all you can afford is a T1 explorer, you crave getting into the fancy Astero, then you get one and it's fun, but you mature into T2 explorers which are a lot cheaper. So you park your Astero in your hangar to look at and remember some adventures every once in a while. I would like it for running up to DED3 sites or hunting T1 explorers and huffing ventures because you can fit point and scram.

[@captainbenzie]

Yeah, absolutely my point. It's held on high regard but just isn't worth it for exploration - For DED3s or frigate hunting, it's a beast!

[@moonlightsoldier8443]

I like the cruser version

[@captainbenzie]

The Stratios is a beautiful ship

[@TheLime-wd3yu]

My favorite unexpected use for the Astero- hisec DED hunting! Only DED sites though, don't waste your time doing relic or data sites in hisec. I wish more people would stress the importance of not trying to fit a jack of all trades ship, you just end up being slow and mediocre at everything. As you point out, a fully combat fit Astero is going to wipe the floor with an Astero fit for exploration that has a warp scrambler added as an afterthought. Then if you try to use that same hybrid Astero to bully T1 / covops frigates, you're going to have most of them slip away before you finish locking them or they just nullify away.

[@captainbenzie]

Exactly this.

[@gothmog2441]

NB Astero gets a bonus to drone hit points but not to damage - so it’s not a proper drone boat. But agree DED 1/2s pretty lucrative, worth running. Don’t agree on hissec data sites- plenty of hisec serpentis data sites have green goo at 5mill per unit, with cans up to 35mill in value - take a cargo scanner to spot the good ones, leave the rest.

[@TheLime-wd3yu]

Didn't know hisec cans ever had anything worthwhile! I always have a cargo scanner fitted when doing exploration and always will.

[@Mp57navy]

Hmm, yeah, flying around in this puts a big crosshair on your hull. There is no reason to use it, except the "I can afford to get popped in it" factor.

[@captainbenzie]

That's my point but some folks love it

[@brett2themax]

Bought an Astero, still fly my Buzzard because its cheaper.

[@captainbenzie]

Buzzard also has better probe strength and can fit Interdiction Nullifiers 😉

[@brett2themax]

@Captain Benzie definitely, it has advantages. I have 3. 1 for scanning, 1 for data, 1 for relics. That way I'm optimized for whatever I need. I take the scan buzzard, get all the sigs, the. Bring back whatever is suited to the anom. Did you see Artosis is casting eve now? He's possibly the most recognized name in Starcraft. You should reach out to him. I think he could be really good for Eve.

[@erictyler3259]

I'm not even that great at PvP and I've caught some explorers in J space. I honestly don't know why explorers go to J space unless they are trying to find another route out of whatever system they are being hunted in. I think I can make just as much money flying a 16 million isk Imicus in null. Plus, an Imicus can probably chase away most other explorer frigates, except for maybe an Astero. Oh, and also. As someone who's been playing off and on since 2009... Do yourself a favor and fly the cheapest ship you can that gets the job done.

[@captainbenzie]

Exploration is more lucrative in J-Space as you can find every type of Relic/Data site in C1-4 wormholes, and of you're lucky, you can find Superior Ghost Sites which can earn a tonne of ISK in two boxes.

[@leeives9109]

Probably gonna get one...

[@captainbenzie]

I hope you enjoy it

[@leeives9109]

@@captainbenzie , just finished training Gallente frigate, should be good to go when I log in today...

[@leeives9109]

It is a great little ship. No rigs (yet...), but it looks great and really does the business scouting. Put a special ops cloak on it and I'm off to hopefully not die scanning relics etc....thanks for the skill points and all your EVE content, always really on point with explanations and demos.

[@MrMejIT]

Ibtend to go for covert ops ships instead. Use the helios. Extra mid slots really help. Plus cost so much lower. Do enjoy flying the astero. Just not for exploration.

[@coyohti]

This is what I've been flying recently because it's pretty cheap to fit and I'm just getting back into the game after some time away and don't trust myself with anything pricier. What are you fitting in the extra mid slots?

[@captainbenzie]

Helios is an excellent ship, just looks hideous! I fly the Cheetah more tbh but it's personal preference 😊

[@coyohti]

@@captainbenzie The Helios looks like some sort of VR controller. 😆

[@MrMejIT]

@@coyohti it is different but I do like the design. many disagree . The gila is an ugly, boring design to me. Each to there own;). Could be biased as ship is a money machine too.

[@MrMejIT]

@@coyohtihave the pin pointing and rangefinding arrays in the middle. Plus 5mn compact mwd and relic II and data analyser II. Covert ops cloaking and inertial stabs to get fast align time. Hard to catch, easy to kill once caught. Have fun with explo. At mo I explore the event sites in null with not too much competition. Have cool adventures o7

[@JadeXyan]

Yes, at least until they give us a cloaked combat frigate that is built to fight small ships, then that will be the ship to fly... oh wait, you're only talking about exploration... :P

[@captainbenzie]

😉

[@Agnus78]

Small exploration ship which costs as much as a battleship. Just nope. As far as i like the looks of Astero i prefer to use Helios or Buzzard for datarelics exploration. Less isk involved, less of gank magnet and almost no better than regular T2 exploration frigs.

[@captainbenzie]

My point entirely! 😊

[@SolutionD]

Salvage Drones in case you come across a pile of Null Sec Wrecks.

[@captainbenzie]

Good idea!

[@abmr123]

honestly, as an alpha, i only ever fly tech one explorers as without a cloak or interdiction nullifier i want to have a ship i can lose and not care about

[@captainbenzie]

Exactly this

[@johnord684]

yes is the easy answer

[@captainbenzie]

Except I disagree. Most explorers shouldn't.

[@devenmason2211]

Let me give you some engagements

[@captainbenzie]

Good luck hunting me 😉

[@TheCynysterMind]

While I certainly understand all the points made AGAINST the Astero... And trust me I am not an expert by anyone stretch (in fact I still think of myself as an imbecile player) However..... I have a Magnate (yes I am an Amarr drone) and an Anathema and all scanning skills at least to level 3 In my particular situation with the scanning level 5 skills still months away ... The Astero is objectively better at the minigames. with the Anathema my success rate is about 25% The Astero it is about 75%

[@brodude9208]

They both have the same +10 virus strength bonus. It might be related to your fit or your Archeology/Hacking skill levels.

[@captainbenzie]

This sounds like the fit more than the ship. If you're using an Integrated on the Astero and separate Analyzers on the Magnate. The Astero and the Anathema have the same ability on Analyzers.

[@nathanleigh3486]

Nope, ECM drones are a must, literally a final chance to escape if caught, even from a rat….

[@captainbenzie]

Just don't get caught to begin with. Prevention > Cure But yes, having them is still good. Just don't rely on them.

[@drawmaster77]

500 mil ship? How are you going to make that money back with exploration?

[@captainbenzie]

By Exploring? The new sites are very lucrative but otherwise it's just time.

[@drawmaster77]

@@captainbenzie what are the new sites? I've only done a few in wh and all I got was few pitifull mil

[@captainbenzie]

@@drawmaster77 the Guri Malakim/SoCT sites. I've walked out with well over 100m multiple times per site.

[@drawmaster77]

@@captainbenziebut there are bad guys there right?

[@captainbenzie]

@@drawmaster77 not in the exploration sites

[@brodude9208]

Asteros suck, just stick to T1 frigates until you can run covops frigates. It's a newbro trap. Otherwise, enjoy losing 200m to a drag bubble.

[@captainbenzie]

Yeah that's kinda my point

[@EuroHeliMalta]

Been flying the Astero for 4 years and lost like 3 of them. 200m isint a start of the cost when it’s blinged out. Issue is for people that get caught out they have no idea what they are doing. I don’t want to sound nasty but seriously a drag bubble will get you only if you fly straight from entry to exit. I mean come on.

[@Lakutus88]

T2 is better in my world. Buzzard was my choice

[@captainbenzie]

I do love both the Buzzard and the Cheetah!

[@sureno1833]

It is considered "great" because it is the one ship you lose in, so called, "tutorial". What that tutorial is failing to tell you is that you need to pay for one year of subscription(240 euros) and then wait for said year and not playing with it- and then AND ONLY THEN you pay for MORE subscription to play with it. Then you lose it because you do not know about only two fittings that you need to have , to survive...because that tutorial did not show you anything.

[@captainbenzie]

What? The skills to fly an Astero are skillable in your first month or so, the ship doesn't require Omega either - only the covert ops cloak.

[@sureno1833]

@@captainbenzie "skillable in your first month or so" this is a lie that people who do not think things through always say. YES, you CAN fly xyz ship- but you WILL die doing it. Yes, as an alpha you CAN fly even a pancake- but you WILL lose that 3bil ship. It is not that you can get the skills to FLY the damn thing- it is that everyone alse have skills that are on 3, 4 or 5- and yours are not. As an alpha you CAN fly billions- but expect it to be just another blip on the Zkill list.

[@sureno1833]

@@captainbenzie also, astero without cloack is as good as dead.

[@captainbenzie]

@@sureno1833 lmao hardcore disagree on both. An Astero uses frigate skills. With a referral link's 1m free SP you can easily be flying an Astero with solid skills in the first month. A couple of months is me being generous for those without the referral. As for "good as dead", again sure. If you're an idiot. I flew with Signal Cartel for months when I returned to EVE and myself and several other Alpha characters would fly in Wormholes without cloaks in T1 frigates. If you know how to fly, you don't need a cloak. We train our scouts to fly without cloaks, so that when they get them, they're uncatchable. Don't assume everyone is an idiot.

[@Hyperchaosbringer]

The Forced pvp of the game makes the game unfun.

[@captainbenzie]

Then EVE isn't the game for you. That risk and danger are exactly what it's designed around - I don't go hunting other players, but it's the being hunted, outsmarting my aggressors and making away with the loot? Without the danger, EVE wouldn't be EVE. But if that's not for you, that's fine 😊 there are plenty of other games out there