I pledged for one years ago when it first came out as a concept. I loved the look of it and despite the absurd price tag, I kept it right up to last fall when I finally melted it towards a Perseus. Anyway, look, the only thing dangerous about this ship is its looks. It's practically impossible to hit anything when fighting in it with the fixed weapons (which are slower-firing/cannon type weapons). The slow firing guns are not my preferred dogfighting style of weaponry and you can't switch them out. Also, the armor/hitpoints is next to nothing. You might survive one exchange in a dogfight, but you get popped ridiculously easy. I think a guy in the forums actually did some tests a while back and found that the argo cargo/passenger rigs were actually tougher than the Blade. The only thing I can say that is positive is just how agile and quick it is - it's the most nimble ship I've ever flown and yeah, that includes other little guys like the Arrow and Talon. It's almost too much though, you really need a steady hand to compensate for just how quickly it can move and turn. Who knows what the future holds for it - I'm sure there will be adjustments made in time but for now, save your money/credits; it's best value now is as an attractive hangar curio.
I’ve got to say I love the way my blade handles and she can pack a surprising punch for how little she is she’s a little fragile but like you said her maneuverability more than makes up for it
Good video and honest review though I would have been a little more brutal in my estimation. The Blade is one of the coolest looking ships in the game whilst simultaneously being on of its worse offerings. Overpriced, underperforming, offering no gameplay other than the very thing it is unfit to do. The Blade is the Herald of light fighters, carrying an endgame price while being outperformed by starter ships.
Oof poor Herald lol. To be fair, I think that the Blade does OK in the light fighter niche, the problem is just it's not even close to the same ballpark for price as the others.
@@HDA_III they have stated that they will be reviewing and rebalancing all the legacy ships to bring them up to standard and the Scythe, Glaive and Blade are being actively worked on at the moment, so one can only hope. :)
I have to disagree with some negative comments about the ship, it requires dual flight sticks to use it to its full potential, if you do not have the equipment to fly this work of art, don't bother picking it up. It's fast and deadly, even though the weapons may be a little slow at firing, they do a shit ton of damage, I have killed other ships with 2 to 3 hits and wondering WTF just happened…lol I rarely get hit as I can outmaneuver most ships, remember thrusters are your friends, hint hint. Fixed weapons require flight sticks, even though mouse and keyboard works, you need the analog input to stay consistent with your hits, digital does not cut it.
@@Farrister Aye. They did a vid showing off the new designs, though I think the blade's looks are the least affected since it's much closer to the current Vanduul aesthetic than the other existing fighters. The cockpit will be altered at least, however.
The Blade: I set all guns to fire with the same trigger (and only take two to three shots at a time). It's swiftness helps against all targets with size 1 or 2 shields, but for size 3 shields I'd rather have a Buccaneer or Talon. For all three ships you need to spend time working with cannons - then the value of these agile yet powerful small ships will become apparent. For some reason I can't get the same boom from a Hawk loaded with cannons as well as I can a Tana or a 350r (or the three ships listed above). I use the ECN alerts (with Constellations) as a benchmark to test ship weapons.
I got this ship today I like it because it's unique and cool looking ship people do notice I had a few people look at at on the pad today I wanted to try something different was not to impressed by the combat performance maneuverability still a good combat light ship if your a good shot I would prefer a Arrow with 3 size 3 attritions the Arrow is a better combat ship especially for bounty missions for around 1 million
I'm still relatively new to the Verse and I know this video is old. But why does the Blade look so much cooler than the Scythe and Glaive? Will the Scythe and Glaive get a redesign to look more "alien"?
@@Farrister Yeah the Glaive and Scythe look fine! But they don't have the Vanduul aesthetic like the Blade? I was just wondering if they were going to get redesigned to look more like their original counterparts.
Not sure if it's mentioned but I feel noting that the headlights and missiles are both bugged and do not at all work is a really important note to add, considering it's been a bug for quite a while and is unlikely to be fixed.
This ship I think is not meant to be meta but more for those in depth with star citizen lore who understand the various races and in this case those who love vanduul technology as they have some beautiful ships. But that’s just me
From what I remember from testing this in free fly it really does handle well. Unfortunately the same can be said about the gladius and arrow that are way cheaper so it really is only for those looking for something peculiar. At the price you could get something way more useful like a prospector and a titan and still have some money left over.
To be honest: I paid for it, because of the design. I really like that dark, biomechanical design. And im a bit pissed, that they will change the cockpit to a cancerous bubble inplace of that aggressive looking current one. Sure, preformance wise it is a bit dumb. The view is stupid and so on. But it is fun and cool looking ^^ Edit: I also like a bit the UI design. The red isnt bothering me that much and how the Esperia OS struggles time by time with the Vanduul tech is a nice touch. I would likely to hear sometimes a vanduul voice coming out of my speakers, for status stuff, but I guess this will be a dream only ^^ And I agree with the rarity because of its price. It took me two years until I bought one finally ^^ And Im not mad about the price. So this will stay a bit more rare, as it should be. I like it : )
Yes, it's a really cool exotic fighter, but I feel most people looking for an alien light fighter will be far happier with a talon or khartu al, they're both a lot more affordable and better combat ships since you can change the weapons and get 2 shields.
I see the Blade more like Japanese Zero from WW-2, very light on its feet, no armour/shields to speak off, but great guns [ wich Japanese Zero's had a bunch off], but highly nimble and manouvrable, and with skill one of the best fighters , but yeah price is steep
Ship is being limited as it is using its arena commander stats. In reality it’s more comparable to an aegis Sabre if it wasn’t nerfed at this time and with two size twos and two size three plasma weapons that are meant to be a mix of ballistic and energy. As for the price it’s not bad think that the combat ships in small are about 175 to 185 then by having a tricked out small ship with better than human weapons for a little bit more is worth the price. Also the ship will handle both well in and out of atmo. Something few ships will do well.
My headlights on the Blade are not working I know the keybind is L it works on every other ship I have but not the Blade is it just bugged right now or is it just a different button
I was also thinking maybe you can turn them only in the cockpit I haven't tried that yet that... Star Citizens youtube channel in the trailer of the Blade shows the headlights getting turned on but from the outside view of you want to check it out!
I have both the Blade and Glaive. Blade is practically useless while I enjoy flying Glaive. It's big guns (2xS5) could melt almost most of the smaller or medium ships.
The Blade was one of the first ships I bought in game. At the time it was the only alien ship available. It looks amazing and is fun to fly but not great in combat.
@@Farrister yes. A little bit. It was also unlike any other ship I had seen at the time. So it was also the cool factor as well as just something different and new.
Hoping this thing will get some serious rebalancing when theyre doing the scythe and the glaive. I feel 275 dollars leaves it in a place where only a very very limited amount of people are buying it. Ive been playing star citizen for a few years now and I can count the times Ive seen this ship in the verse on one hand.
Nah, I don't see anything particularly special about the Blade. Except for the Talon, I buy ships for functionality, looks being the least important factor. The Khartu-Al has the thrust vectors and big guns. The Defender has the fuel tank from hell, as well as beds and is a pretty damn good ship all around, plus whatever mystery compatibility with the BMM. I just don't see a niche for The Blade
@@connorbennett1517 I get it, I love GALACTICA. But what does it do that is unique? I bought the Talon for looks, but it doesn't really add anything to my tool kit.
I pledged for one years ago when it first came out as a concept. I loved the look of it and despite the absurd price tag, I kept it right up to last fall when I finally melted it towards a Perseus. Anyway, look, the only thing dangerous about this ship is its looks. It's practically impossible to hit anything when fighting in it with the fixed weapons (which are slower-firing/cannon type weapons). The slow firing guns are not my preferred dogfighting style of weaponry and you can't switch them out. Also, the armor/hitpoints is next to nothing. You might survive one exchange in a dogfight, but you get popped ridiculously easy. I think a guy in the forums actually did some tests a while back and found that the argo cargo/passenger rigs were actually tougher than the Blade. The only thing I can say that is positive is just how agile and quick it is - it's the most nimble ship I've ever flown and yeah, that includes other little guys like the Arrow and Talon. It's almost too much though, you really need a steady hand to compensate for just how quickly it can move and turn. Who knows what the future holds for it - I'm sure there will be adjustments made in time but for now, save your money/credits; it's best value now is as an attractive hangar curio.
Thank you - really useful context! I'm really interested to see what happens with the Perseus
I’ve got to say I love the way my blade handles and she can pack a surprising punch for how little she is she’s a little fragile but like you said her maneuverability more than makes up for it
Just that price tag that gets me :(
@@Farrister yea it’s a bit of a doozy for what she is
Your reviews are fantastic in quality and wonderfully consistent. Keep it up!
Ahh thank you!
Good video and honest review though I would have been a little more brutal in my estimation. The Blade is one of the coolest looking ships in the game whilst simultaneously being on of its worse offerings. Overpriced, underperforming, offering no gameplay other than the very thing it is unfit to do. The Blade is the Herald of light fighters, carrying an endgame price while being outperformed by starter ships.
Oof poor Herald lol. To be fair, I think that the Blade does OK in the light fighter niche, the problem is just it's not even close to the same ballpark for price as the others.
Do you think RSI will make it worth the 250$ eventually?
@@HDA_III they have stated that they will be reviewing and rebalancing all the legacy ships to bring them up to standard and the Scythe, Glaive and Blade are being actively worked on at the moment, so one can only hope. :)
I am pretty new to the game but I have to admit, I just bought it because it looks really cool.
A fair reason!
same! I love the looks of it and Im quite confident that it will get stronger in future 🙏
Love your ship reviews Farrister, keep up the good work
Thank you!!
Looks like the Cylon Raider from BSG and the Slip Fighter from Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda had a love child.
It has that vibe to it, yeah!
Nice review, ship does look cool from the outside.... also, at 30 seconds for 5 seconds absolutely epic cinematography, stunning !
Thank you - been working on trying to improve!
@@Farrister definitely shows and well worth the effort!
This one is soo much inspired of the Cylon fighters in Battlestar Galactica. Kara Thrace even lie down inside one.
Yes!
I have to disagree with some negative comments about the ship, it requires dual flight sticks to use it to its full potential, if you do not have the equipment to fly this work of art, don't bother picking it up. It's fast and deadly, even though the weapons may be a little slow at firing, they do a shit ton of damage, I have killed other ships with 2 to 3 hits and wondering WTF just happened…lol
I rarely get hit as I can outmaneuver most ships, remember thrusters are your friends, hint hint.
Fixed weapons require flight sticks, even though mouse and keyboard works, you need the analog input to stay consistent with your hits, digital does not cut it.
Thanks for the great review.
Glad it was helpful!
Love this ship, and wonder how the redo will turn out. Same with the Glaive.
I didn't even know that there's a rework on the cards??!
@@Farrister Aye. They did a vid showing off the new designs, though I think the blade's looks are the least affected since it's much closer to the current Vanduul aesthetic than the other existing fighters. The cockpit will be altered at least, however.
@@Farrister yup cig wants to redo the glaive and scythe after working on the kingship to be similar in style
I Like this ship
Me too :)
The Blade: I set all guns to fire with the same trigger (and only take two to three shots at a time). It's swiftness helps against all targets with size 1 or 2 shields, but for size 3 shields I'd rather have a Buccaneer or Talon. For all three ships you need to spend time working with cannons - then the value of these agile yet powerful small ships will become apparent. For some reason I can't get the same boom from a Hawk loaded with cannons as well as I can a Tana or a 350r (or the three ships listed above). I use the ECN alerts (with Constellations) as a benchmark to test ship weapons.
I use a 2-stage trigger which I'm preferring to use more and more! But that sounds awesome how you test out different weapons!
I got this ship today I like it because it's unique and cool looking ship people do notice I had a few people look at at on the pad today I wanted to try something different was not to impressed by the combat performance maneuverability still a good combat light ship if your a good shot I would prefer a Arrow with 3 size 3 attritions the Arrow is a better combat ship especially for bounty missions for around 1 million
Agreed on all counts!
seeing a talon review would be nice
I'll add to the list :)
I'm still relatively new to the Verse and I know this video is old. But why does the Blade look so much cooler than the Scythe and Glaive? Will the Scythe and Glaive get a redesign to look more "alien"?
I think they all look cool!
@@Farrister Yeah the Glaive and Scythe look fine! But they don't have the Vanduul aesthetic like the Blade? I was just wondering if they were going to get redesigned to look more like their original counterparts.
The design and surfacing of that thing gives me Klingon/Predator vibes.
Ooh I thought Cylon!
@@Farrister I can see that for sure.
Interesting looking ship. I do like the interior lighting though. Nice bloody red. Reminds me of my car's interior lights.
It's a bit spooky when you see from external view - my character is wearing white armour!
How do you only have 4K subs, your reviews and vids are great!!! Gotta drop a sub for yah!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed, and glad you found the channel :)
Not sure if it's mentioned but I feel noting that the headlights and missiles are both bugged and do not at all work is a really important note to add, considering it's been a bug for quite a while and is unlikely to be fixed.
Thank you for the add - thought I was going mad with those headlights!
This ship I think is not meant to be meta but more for those in depth with star citizen lore who understand the various races and in this case those who love vanduul technology as they have some beautiful ships. But that’s just me
It's still a rare sight and unique too!
From what I remember from testing this in free fly it really does handle well. Unfortunately the same can be said about the gladius and arrow that are way cheaper so it really is only for those looking for something peculiar. At the price you could get something way more useful like a prospector and a titan and still have some money left over.
Sadly I agree :(
To be honest: I paid for it, because of the design.
I really like that dark, biomechanical design.
And im a bit pissed, that they will change the cockpit to a cancerous bubble inplace of that aggressive looking current one.
Sure, preformance wise it is a bit dumb. The view is stupid and so on. But it is fun and cool looking ^^
Edit:
I also like a bit the UI design. The red isnt bothering me that much and how the Esperia OS struggles time by time with the Vanduul tech is a nice touch.
I would likely to hear sometimes a vanduul voice coming out of my speakers, for status stuff, but I guess this will be a dream only ^^
And I agree with the rarity because of its price. It took me two years until I bought one finally ^^
And Im not mad about the price. So this will stay a bit more rare, as it should be.
I like it : )
Thank you for sharing!
Yes, it's a really cool exotic fighter, but I feel most people looking for an alien light fighter will be far happier with a talon or khartu al, they're both a lot more affordable and better combat ships since you can change the weapons and get 2 shields.
Sadly I agree :(
Here's hoping that when they release the rework it gets better.
How did you manage to lock your reticle when flying?
Was different in 3.12 :)
the new design for it has been teased in the s42 sneakpeak, so I wonder how long this version of the ship will remain ingame
I will have to go back and look at it again!
That is true, and my screenshotkey is burning at the moment, before my ship will catch cancer and forms a bubble as a cockpit ^^
I see the Blade more like Japanese Zero from WW-2, very light on its feet, no armour/shields to speak off, but great guns [ wich Japanese Zero's had a bunch off], but highly nimble and manouvrable, and with skill one of the best fighters , but yeah price is steep
The Zero was crazy powerful when first built too!
@@Farrister wow thanks for the reply, not many YTbers respond after almost a year lol :)
@@dbeerewout not at all, appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts!
@@Farrister got the Glaive myself tho, which basically the same as the Blade but just a big notch bigger?
Ship is being limited as it is using its arena commander stats. In reality it’s more comparable to an aegis Sabre if it wasn’t nerfed at this time and with two size twos and two size three plasma weapons that are meant to be a mix of ballistic and energy. As for the price it’s not bad think that the combat ships in small are about 175 to 185 then by having a tricked out small ship with better than human weapons for a little bit more is worth the price. Also the ship will handle both well in and out of atmo. Something few ships will do well.
It'll be interesting to see - at the moment, it's definitely closer to a Gladius in terms of loadout etc. and it handles closer to a Gladius
My headlights on the Blade are not working I know the keybind is L it works on every other ship I have but not the Blade is it just bugged right now or is it just a different button
Honestly I have mine bound to my HOTAS, so I'm not sure. I found it quite difficult to see if they were on though!
I was also thinking maybe you can turn them only in the cockpit I haven't tried that yet that... Star Citizens youtube channel in the trailer of the Blade shows the headlights getting turned on but from the outside view of you want to check it out!
The blades deck is massive and expansive Kappa
Deck?
The Romulans have joined! But can the Blade cloak?
Given how rarely you see one, you'd be forgiven for thinking so :P
I have both the Blade and Glaive. Blade is practically useless while I enjoy flying Glaive. It's big guns (2xS5) could melt almost most of the smaller or medium ships.
I love the big guns of the Glaive!
The Blade was one of the first ships I bought in game. At the time it was the only alien ship available. It looks amazing and is fun to fly but not great in combat.
Was it the rare factor that drew you to it?
@@Farrister yes. A little bit. It was also unlike any other ship I had seen at the time. So it was also the cool factor as well as just something different and new.
Ladies and gentlemen I present you a modified death glider from Stargate
It does have that look, or a Cylon raider, Klingon bird of prey!
These are the Triglavian ships of Star Citizen I guess.
Sadly I don't get that reference :(
One thing that always bugs me, is that all ships have same UI. Hope they will change that in the future.
Me too, it's such a distraction :(
Looks like a cylon fighter to me
My thoughts exactly!
Do Aegis Sabre Raven next pls
Will try to get my hands on one!
awesome review! can i donate some aUEC to help fund your reviews?
That would be incredibly kind!
@@Farrister , i sent you a "little" care package
@@Omellykim "little" wow thank you lol, that'll save me a lot of time!
@@Farrister np :)
Hoping this thing will get some serious rebalancing when theyre doing the scythe and the glaive. I feel 275 dollars leaves it in a place where only a very very limited amount of people are buying it. Ive been playing star citizen for a few years now and I can count the times Ive seen this ship in the verse on one hand.
Yeah would be interesting to see!
Nah, I don't see anything particularly special about the Blade. Except for the Talon, I buy ships for functionality, looks being the least important factor.
The Khartu-Al has the thrust vectors and big guns. The Defender has the fuel tank from hell, as well as beds and is a pretty damn good ship all around, plus whatever mystery compatibility with the BMM.
I just don't see a niche for The Blade
I think it's main attraction is the rarity. It's not a bad ship, if it were priced better
Battlestar fans
@@connorbennett1517 I get it, I love GALACTICA. But what does it do that is unique? I bought the Talon for looks, but it doesn't really add anything to my tool kit.
First maybe? Anyway another vid awesome o7
Confirmed first! Thank you :)