SF Astaroth

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File:Astaroth320x240.jpg
The SF Astaroth

The SF Astaroth was a Shivan fighter spotted right after the Shivans' resurface in 2367. The Astaroth was regarded as a poor fighter despite its speed and maneuverability.

Description

FS2 Demo Tech Room Description

We believe that the Astaroth is a Shivan Harpoon. It has a very high top speed, and its maneuverability is quite good. However, its shield system isn't strong enough to withstand constant fighting for long, which leads us to believe the Astaroth's primary purpose is to destroy enemy bombers. The Astaroth ranks as a Class B threat.

FS2 Tech Room Description

First encountered in Gamma Draconis, the SF Astaroth is a fast, agile fighter that appears to have achieved its maneuverability at the expense of its armor and weaponry. Once the shields of an Astaroth are down, the fighter can be dispatched quickly.

Developer Notes

None

Name origin

In demonology, Astaroth is a Prince of Hell. He is depicted as a nude angel riding on a dragon.

Performance

Statistics

Type	Interceptor (?)
Manufacturer	Unknown
Maneuverability	N/A
Max Velocity	80.0 - 110.0 mps
Max Afterburner Velocity	155.0 mps
Armor	N/A
Hitpoints	100
Shields	450
Length	21 m

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

FreeSpace 2
Bank	Guns	Standard Loadout
1st	2	Shivan Mega Laser

• Missile Banks

FreeSpace 2
Bank	Capacity	Standard Loadout
1st	40	Harpoon
2nd	40	MX-64

Veteran Comments

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The Astaroth is similar to the Dragon in most respects, only more annoying. It has a ridiculously small target profile, the smallest of any ship in any FreeSpace game, and is fast, making it annoyingly difficult to deal with via primaries. Its best advantage though is that unlike the Manticore it is maneuverable enough that it can still manage a turn capable of preventing missile lock while at speed. It also has a decent, though not impressive, amount of missiles to back up its lasers, unlike the Dragon. Destroy this ship at range via missiles if at all possible.

Very hard to dogfight against. However, a few Harpoons bring it down quickly and painlessly at medium range.

A couple of hits from eight banks of Prometheus from an Erinyes will bring this thing down.

While the SF Astaroth is very fast and maneuverable, its shielding and armor cannot stand much punishment and it simply lacks adequate weaponry. The Astaroth kind of reminds me of the Imperial TIE series of fighters in Star Wars, only with shields and missiles.

The Astaroth has less maneuverability than a Dragon, meaning that it won't run circles around you. And despite the small target profile, it is easier to hit, especially if you approach from the rear where you can tear them up. Also quite weak against Harpoons: if the Astaroth's shields are softened up sufficiently, a single Harpoon will punch through this ship like a hot knife through butter, even if it had 100% hull.