Cerastes

Cerastes is a Cylon capital ship in .

Background
A small and agile gunship, created as a response to the rapid escalation of Colonial Viper design. The Cerastes is fitted with point defence turrets similar to those found on the flight pods of Battlestars, and specializes in softening hostile fighter squadrons.

Weapons layout and performance
The ship has a 15% base damage reduction and 80% base subsystem repair rate. Its firewall regenerates at a rate of 77.5/s.

Single-Player Campaign Strategy
The Cerastes is a highly aggressive and fast ship, adept at maneuvering out of trouble and away from incoming fire. It is the fastest capital ship in the game, and, as designed, is extremely effective at tearing apart Colonial Viper, Raptor, and Taipan squadrons. Due to developer balancing, the Cerastes' armament is actually much more powerful than the real-life counterpart. Armed only with Point Defense turrets, the Cerastes actually issues damage on par with Medium turrets on sustained fire, making it a serious threat to capital ships of any size if left unchecked and devastating if attacking in numbers.

During the single-player campaigns, players will almost always be defending against the Cerastes, with the exception of select missions in the DLCs where players can pilot a small Cylon fleet. On offense, the computer-controlled Cerastes has two main attack preferences based on role in the fleet: Harasser or Escort.

If Harassing, the Cerastes behaves much like the Nemesis -- only quicker -- and will use its speed to circle around the player's formations to flank and attack capital ships. While unidentified by radar, the ship will be able to easily dodge incoming munitions, such as torpedoes. If overclocked, this speed is magnified, and the ship can easily juke several hundred meters in a single turn (performing a 'space skid' of sorts as it realigns towards Colonial formations).

There are four main strategies to counter:


 * 1) Use torpedoes at extreme range. Before circling, Cerastes will initially approach the fleet in a straight line. If you can scout (or guess) their positions early, a straight shot of torpedoes may connect with front armor. A more risky version of this strategy involves using Proximity Mine munitions to set a perimeter around the Colonial flank. The Cerastes will slow down to navigate through active mines, allowing for easier targeting with Torpedo munitions. Alternately, when making a final approach to attack a broadside, it will largely move in a straight line. Holding a munitions carrier in the rear of the formation may be useful to address a closing Cerastes.
 * 2) Neutralize with a Raptor boarding party. Like all Colonial squadrons approaching a Cerastes, the Raptors will take damage. However, if they board, the penalty is -15 accuracy and -20 power for a ship with only 75 effectiveness. This reduces the Cerastes' main advantage, making it an easier target.
 * 3) Stack your ships and focus fire. The Cerastes' lethality increases at close range, so it will try to attack high and from the side. Stacking Adamants, Minotaurs, or Battlestars with escorts (e.g. a Berzerk) into a 'wall' can maximize broadside firepower. Note: Flak-generating ships can only use point defense one way at a time -- a ship using a flak field cannot target a capital ship on the flak-generating side. If using heavy gunships or the Defender to screen missiles, time your Focus Fire attacks in between barrages. Its armor is weakest beneath, so diving low will help angle the attack at its weaker spots.
 * 4) Overwhelm it with hunter Manticores. This strategy works best in the early game using 2-3 Manticores, before heavier units are necessary. Manticores are not as fast as the Cerastes, but can provide the best chase for Colonial forces. Draw in on range, and use guided missiles to soften them up for the turrets to finish them off. Torpedoes can also be effective, but players should use caution to line up shots.

During Escort, the Cerastes will hug larger Cylon units, such as a Basestar, Cerberus, or Argos, and attempt to intercept hostile Colonial forces. Since larger Cylon units suffer mobility issues (and are largely stationary), the Cerastes will work in conjunction with Cylon squadrons to stall and damage any Colonial ship on approach. Scouting squadrons are particularly vulnerable to this tactic, and players should consider recalling the fighters quickly to prevent total loss, or reassign them to another target. Watch squadrons closely to ensure that they have time to recall or reassign targets, as a Cerastes can wipe out a Viper Mk II squadron in 1-2 turns.