The Ares Starfighter is a new ship in Star Citizen, designed as an anti-capital ship heavy fighter with devastating weapons. Its design combines aesthetic appeal and utility, with storage and accessibility features for pilots, but its vulnerability to enemy fire and the need for strategic tactics in combat make it a powerful yet challenging ship to use.
The Ares Starfighter is a new ship in Star Citizen, classified as an anti-capital ship heavy fighter. It features coaxially mounted size 7 capital class weapons, one being a ballistic rotary cannon and the other an energy-based ion cannon. These weapons can cause devastating damage to capital class shields and systems.
The design of the Ares Starfighter reflects the narrative of Crusader Industries, showcasing a mix between beauty and utilitarian design. The ship incorporates winglets and mechanical components that add to its aesthetic appeal. Crusader Industries prides itself on creating a living and breathing universe in Star Citizen, with consistent design elements across their ships.
The Ares Starfighter also takes into account the needs of the user. It includes a storage unit and a physicalized weapon locker, allowing pilots to store extra suits, materials, components, and weapons while keeping them easily accessible. This is a feature that will be included in all single-seater fighters in the future.
In combat, the Ares Starfighter excels at engaging capital ships and can quickly destroy shields and armor plates. However, its design as a capital ship killer comes with some drawbacks. The ship’s components are vulnerable to enemy fire, making it crucial to avoid turning battles and focus on using range and speed to your advantage. If the ship’s shields go down, it is recommended to retreat quickly to avoid damage to the components.
Choosing between the ion and inferno variants of the Ares Starfighter comes down to personal preference and strategic doctrine. The ion variant offers a big alpha strike and the ability to stay in the fight longer, while the inferno variant provides sustained DPS and the ability to destroy ship components through shields. Overall, the Ares Starfighter is a powerful ship, but its handling characteristics and vulnerability of components require careful tactics in combat.