Editing Exploration ships (section)

==SOE Ships==
*Astero (Frigate)
*Stratios (Cruiser)
*Nestor (Battleship)
The line of ships from the Sisters of Eve are all designed for exploration, and give good bonuses even to low-skilled pilots. However, this comes at a high monetary cost - the Astero for example is several times more expensive than even the T2 frigates. Because of this, it is recommended that pilots avoid the Astero or Stratios until they can use the Covert Ops cloak (the only non-T2 ships that can fit this), and this is a skill that can only be trained by Omega clones. All three ships feature the largest drone bay in their size class, and give +10 to virus strength for Data and Relic Analyzers.
===Astero===
The Astero is a tough little frigate, with the ability to field a full flight of light drones. It is easy to fit for a sub-2sec align time which combined with the Cov Ops cloak makes it hard to catch. Cargo capacity is not as good as the T1 frigates, but is slightly better than the T2 versions. It has a fixed bonus of 37.5% to Core and Combat Scanner Probe strength (same as a T1 frigate with maxed out racial Frigate skill). Like the T1 ships it has 10 slots, laid out as 2 high. 4 mid and 4 low. It can have a Cov Ops cloak, but it can't fit an Interdiction Nullifier.

Pros: Low base skill requirements, fast align time, tough for its size, option of Cov Ops cloak<br />  
Cons: Extremely expensive, requires Omega clone status to access the Cov Ops cloak, no Nullifier, needs both Amarr and Gallente frigate skills

===Stratios===
The Stratios could be considered as an enlarged version of the Astero, with cruiser-sized 550m³ cargo hold and a 5/5/5 slot layout. As with its smaller sister, the Stratios has a fixed bonus of 37.5% to Core and Combat Scanner Probe strength, and improves armour resistance and drone hit points/damage with Amarr and Gallente Cruiser skills respectively. Similarly, it can fit a Cov Ops cloak but not an Interdiction Nullifier. With the ability to both fight and explore, the Stratios is a good choice for long range wormhole exploration. However, its size means that it can't flee aggressors as easily as the Astero, and lack of nullification makes it more risky in null sec.

Pros: Low base skill requirements, flexible fitting allows multiple roles, option of Cov Ops cloak<br />
Cons: Similar to Astero - Extremely expensive, requires Omega clone status to access the Cov Ops cloak, no Nullifier, needs both Amarr and Gallente cruiser skills to be effective as a multi-role vessel

===Nestor=== 
Exploration in a battleship! With a fixed bonus of 50% to Core and Combat Scanner Probe strength and a 7/6/6 slot setup, the Nestor is potentially very capable, and only needs one level in both Amarr Battleship and Gallente Battleship to fly (these skills improve armour resistance and drone hit points/damage in the same fashion as the other SOE ships). It is too big to be allowed a Covert Ops cloak (or an Interdiction Nullifier), but it is only one-fifth of the mass of standard battleships, giving far easier access to wormhole space. With its maintenance bay acting like a mobile depot and its bonuses to remote armour repair, the Nestor is a viable choice as a "mother ship" to a small fleet of exploration ships, or to team up with another Nestor to take on higher difficulty combat sites. As with all SOE spacecraft, the biggest problem is the price tag - which can easily be 1.5 billion ISK just for the hull alone.

Pros: Flexible fitting, very capable in a pair, efficient use of wormhole mass limits<br />
Cons: Excessively expensive, no Cov Ops cloak or Nullifier, needs two sets of battleship skills