I have the means to get one of them, but I'm extremely torn between the two....
I like both in appearances
-the dread's mobility, seating, and hangar access
-astika's trait I hear is great
I'd love to hear any external feedback on this
The Astika is nice but the trait was nerfed a while back. The console is locked to vaadwaur ships IIRC. It's not necessary to run the supremacy trait for 99.9999999999% of builds. The Vengeance on the other hand is a better ship with a great console that can be used on any ship and a good trait.
When you see "TRIBBLE" in my posts, it's because I manually typed "TRIBBLE" and censored myself.
I don't have the Astika so I can't really comment on it, but I do have the Vengeance and I can tell you that's it's well worth getting. You can't go wrong with it.
I got the Astika when it first came out. It was a nice TAC Cruiser back during DR but it's fallen behind. It doesn't help that Command is rather "meh" to begin with.
The synergy of the Vengeance's trait + the Vengeance itself + Intel, i.e. OSS, synergizes far, far better than what's possible with the Astika, it's trait, and lackluster Command Spec.
The only way Astika would pull ahead is if you try some crazy torpedo build with it, but in that route, most of what the Astika is about is irrelevant for that. Intel doesn't support torp builds but Command does.
Honestly I have both vessels and I truely love them both. I'm still working on my agony phaser build with my dread to make the most if the broadside cannon console but its great fun. The cloak is awesome in such a powerful fed vessel, however I find the elite versions of its hangar pets frankly suck. But there are better pets out there to slot. My astika on the other hand is currently my favourite ship, and is my best non scimitar dps build at around 40k (I think it could do more on a better run and with keybinds). There's so many clicky buffs now im going to have to yield to that finally I think. The trait and console are just awesome and I still use the clicky "seige mode" console, I find it an awesome ship. That said I think if I copy and pasted the build right off my astika and on to the dread it would probably out perforn the astika. Ship traits are moot for me as I have a suite to choose from that I like and supremecy is still an awesome trait (imo), though I use the dreads trait too
"If this will be our end, then I will have them make SUCH an end as to be worthy of rememberance! Out of torpedos you say?! Find me the ferengi!".
Those things are hands down the best fighters option I've seen anywhere in the game. Frigates are tougher, but amongst six-to-a-bay choices, ermagerd. The drones RIP full-sized ships to pieces. Fire-at-will and torpedo spread. I've seen players that do less damage...
In my opinion, and for my style, the Intel Dred is the best Fed ship in the game. Astika wins on the trait, but everything else goes in favor of the Dread.
The Supremacy Trait (from the Astika) really is still one of the best in-game. But what you *really* want is the set: the Vaadwaur Manasa Assault Escort, equipped with [Console - Universal - Assault Mode Relays], for some wicked crits on your Escort!
IMO, the only downside of the Elite KT drones is that they're just oversized dices from Hell, design-wise.
Roll 1d12 and consult table 3.14: Kelvin Timeline is a Dark and Dangerous Place.
Table 3.14: Kelvin Timeline is a Dark and Dangerous Place 1: You die. Not even sure why. (pssst, the drones killed you) 2-6: You die in a hail of 20+ drone-launched torpedoes 6-11: You die in more antiproton beams than a 70's disco 12: Ramming speed!! (psst, you die too)
Seriously, I'll roll those dice .
((shrug)) The polygon count cost of having 6 spheres on the map just ain't worth it.
Wiki says KT phaser but earlier data for them was definitely standard AP and I'm pretty sure that's the FX they use too... Not the little speed-pulses. (it's possible they changed it at some point...)
I'll re-check next time I'm out murdering entire fleets with my Vengie.
Wiki says KT phaser but earlier data for them was definitely standard AP and I'm pretty sure that's the FX they use too... Not the little speed-pulses. (it's possible they changed it at some point...)
I'll re-check next time I'm out murdering entire fleets with my Vengie.
Nope, definitely KT phasers, at least now (didn't pick the Vengeance until a bit more than a month ago). The confusion may come from the fact that with the graphics update, the KT phasers have a more vivid red color, close to the AP red.
The intel dread for DPS, the Astika for its trait. Self-explanatory. The Vaadwaur ship could pack a substential punch, however, is still inferior to the intel ship.
I have the Vengeance with the purple (elite) assault drones, and I've found that often the drones have already destroyed their target before my ship can even get in range. They're some mean, nasty little drones. I love them. lol
Answers
The synergy of the Vengeance's trait + the Vengeance itself + Intel, i.e. OSS, synergizes far, far better than what's possible with the Astika, it's trait, and lackluster Command Spec.
The only way Astika would pull ahead is if you try some crazy torpedo build with it, but in that route, most of what the Astika is about is irrelevant for that. Intel doesn't support torp builds but Command does.
I'm still working on my agony phaser build with my dread to make the most if the broadside cannon console but its great fun.
The cloak is awesome in such a powerful fed vessel, however I find the elite versions of its hangar pets frankly suck. But there are better pets out there to slot.
My astika on the other hand is currently my favourite ship, and is my best non scimitar dps build at around 40k (I think it could do more on a better run and with keybinds). There's so many clicky buffs now im going to have to yield to that finally I think.
The trait and console are just awesome and I still use the clicky "seige mode" console, I find it an awesome ship.
That said I think if I copy and pasted the build right off my astika and on to the dread it would probably out perforn the astika.
Ship traits are moot for me as I have a suite to choose from that I like and supremecy is still an awesome trait (imo), though I use the dreads trait too
"If this will be our end, then I will have them make SUCH an end as to be worthy of rememberance! Out of torpedos you say?! Find me the ferengi!".
...Bizarre.
Those things are hands down the best fighters option I've seen anywhere in the game. Frigates are tougher, but amongst six-to-a-bay choices, ermagerd. The drones RIP full-sized ships to pieces. Fire-at-will and torpedo spread. I've seen players that do less damage...
In my opinion, and for my style, the Intel Dred is the best Fed ship in the game. Astika wins on the trait, but everything else goes in favor of the Dread.
Roll 1d12 and consult table 3.14: Kelvin Timeline is a Dark and Dangerous Place.
Table 3.14: Kelvin Timeline is a Dark and Dangerous Place
1: You die. Not even sure why. (pssst, the drones killed you)
2-6: You die in a hail of 20+ drone-launched torpedoes
6-11: You die in more antiproton beams than a 70's disco
12: Ramming speed!! (psst, you die too)
Seriously, I'll roll those dice
((shrug)) The polygon count cost of having 6 spheres on the map just ain't worth it.
My character Tsin'xing
I'll re-check next time I'm out murdering entire fleets with my Vengie.