That's right - blasters aren’t exactly subtle!

OK, math done. Wall of numbers incoming. I think I have this right…

Level 5 skills Firetail with 400mm plate and Afterburner II ONLY = 1232 m/s | 1848 m/s (heat).
Level 5 skills Comet with 200mm plate and Afterburner II ONLY = 1233 m/s | 1849 m/s.

So they are pretty much the same base speed with those plates fitted. Apply webs at 60% reduction (meta 4 or Tech 2):

Firetail webbed x1 = 493 m/s | 739 m/s
vs
Comet webbed x1 = 493 m/s | 739 m/s
Comet webbed x2 = 236 m/s | 354 m/s

So if the Firetail does not overheat whilst the Comet does we get 493 vs 354. Now assume that the Firetail is not using the meta 4 web but instead using two X5s (which he was):

Firetail webbed x1 = 493 m/s | 739 m/s (unchanged)
vs
Comet webbed x1 = 524 m/s | 786 m/s
Comet webbed x2 = 262 m/s | 393 m/s

Now it is 493 vs 393. Over the course of a 20 second fight (which this was) that is only 2km range pulled. Well within Neutron CNAM falloff.

Assume a few Navigation skill advantages on the Comet (my velocity- and agility-related skills are all at 5 but I doubt a three month old character would be) and we have the explanation for the outcome in the video.

However, let’s also look at implants. Assume the Comet is fit with a low-grade Snake set plus Zor’s hyperlink, again using the X5s on the Firetail but the meta 4 on the Comet:

Firetail webbed x1 = 493 m/s | 739 m/s (unchanged)
vs
Comet webbed x1 = 627 m/s | 940 m/s
Comet webbed x2 = 314 m/s | 470 m/s

I guess the verdict is clear: if you rely on double webs to control range then you must maximise your speed advantage. This means overheating your prop mod until you are at the range you need and using the best webs you can. That 2.5% makes a real difference. And I'm not just saying that because I have a stack of them in Jita!