Ive been playing with the spire for some time and, the thing is. You play as a glass cannon, dont try to repair until the threat is dealt with.
But one miss with a shot like the flak is just so dangerous that the spire being squishy makes missing a total and utter failure. Which makes the glasscannon aspect of the spire, not so glasscannony when the other ships can just get close and shoot you.
The thing is, it is slender and it has very little uses of it being slender. A strafe option (Hilarious enough) would do the spire what it needs. But sense all ships work as something similar. It needs a quick turn speed and good acceleration when moving or going up and down. Does not need speed boost, or vertical speed boost. But acceleration boost. As soon as the captain aims to go forward, the ship goes in that speed quickly.
Making the spire easy to meneuver with despite being slow is what it needs. Then, maps like the labyrinth, canyon ambush is its best friend. Same with turning speed.
It needs to look around real fast, and when it does manage to do a meneuver, needs to have an eye on its target.
Acceleration and Turning speed is what it needs in my oppinion.