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What ship does your KDF Sci command?
staq16
Member Posts: 1,181 Arc User
Following on from the various threads about the lack of any sort of T6 KDF science ship, I was wondering... what *do* KDF Sci Captains do?
My original Sci alt was a Gorn, flying a Varanus - decent for most of the pre-DR era, but retired in mid-2014 in favour of a Liberated Borg.
Said Borg has since run a Command DSD (decent), upgraded to a Korath (still formidable in the T6 era) and now commands a Paradox DN - which, I fear will be the closest thing we ever get to a T6 KDF Sci ship. At least is has the options of a Klingon skin and unique pets.
I've also experimented with a Sci-heavy Kor BoP, which was fun, and looks like the best "canon" option for the forseeable future. But there are a fair few sci-heavy cruisers and raptors out there - what are people using?
My original Sci alt was a Gorn, flying a Varanus - decent for most of the pre-DR era, but retired in mid-2014 in favour of a Liberated Borg.
Said Borg has since run a Command DSD (decent), upgraded to a Korath (still formidable in the T6 era) and now commands a Paradox DN - which, I fear will be the closest thing we ever get to a T6 KDF Sci ship. At least is has the options of a Klingon skin and unique pets.
I've also experimented with a Sci-heavy Kor BoP, which was fun, and looks like the best "canon" option for the forseeable future. But there are a fair few sci-heavy cruisers and raptors out there - what are people using?
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U.S.S. Buteo Regalis - Brigid Multi-Mission Surveillance Explorer build
R.R.W. Ri Maajon - Khopesh Tactical Dreadnought Warbird build
My Youtube channel containing STO videos.
Rouge Sto Wiki Editor.
I fly it like a hybrid between a torp boat and sci boat. Eventually I'll get DRB3 and downgrade the grav well to GW1, or maybe if I get Grava Mag or whatever his name is i'll use TBR instead. Hah, fat chance of that. That guy is super expensive.
Fore: Plasma Emission Torpedo, Gravimetric Torpedo, Romulan Hyper-Plasma Torpedo, Experimental Proton Weapon
Aft: Terran Task Force Photon Torpedo, Nukara Web Mine Launcher
Klingon Honor Guard (all 3 pieces)
Solanae Overcharged Warp Core
Engineering Consoles: Bio-Neural Gel Pack, Ferrofluid Hydraulic Assembly, Proton Particle Stabilizer
Science: Particle Field Exciter (PrtG), Particle Generator, Nukara Particle Converter
Tactical: Chronometric Capacitor, Warhead Yield Chamber (x2)
Duty Officers: Projectile Weapon Officer (x3), Matter-Antimatter Specialist (gravity well engines offline variant), Technician (cloaking variant)
Personal Space Traits: Fleet Coordinator, Hot Pursuit, Intimidating Strikes, Invasive Control Programming, Particle Manipulator, Photonic Capacitor (Science Captain), Projectile Training, Psychological Warfare, Self-Modulating Fire
Reputation Space Traits: Regenerative Torpedo Synergy, Torpedo Astrometric Synergy, Torpedo Pre-Fire Sequence, Auxiliary Power Configuration - Defense
Specializations: Pilot (primary), Commando (secondary)
Commander (Science): Science Team I, Scramble Sensors I, Gravity Well I, Tyken's Rift III
Lt. Commander (Tactical): Tactical Team I, Torpedo High Yield II, Torpedo Spread III
Lt. Commander (Tactical/Pilot): Attack Pattern Lambda I, Attack Pattern Lambda II, Dispersal Pattern Beta II
Lieutenant (Engineering): Engineering Team, Auxiliary to Structural Integrity Field
Power: 35/35/55/85 = 79/70/76/105 (+25 Aux while Cloaked for 130 Aux Power under Enhanced Battle Cloak)
Total Particle Generators Skill (with my currently not completely upgraded equipment): 252
This build gives me multiple options for dealing with a variety of PvE opponents.
My typical alpha strike for a cluster of Foes is to cue up Torpedo Spread III, Attack Pattern Lambda II when approaching 10 km, using Gravity Well I and Scramble Sensors I upon crossing the 10 km threshold and then unleashing a spread of Gravimetric Torps at the "self-hating dogpile" that results. This yields a plethora of Gravimetric secondaries that all crumple the mess into an extremely compact ball of core breach exploding popcorn (on Normal Difficulty). In many cases, this is sufficient to wipe an entire group in a single pass, using just the Gravity Well and Gravimetric Torpedo Spread alone(!). It is rare for ships below "Boss" level to survive this onslaught ... and if they do, they're HURTING bad.
An alternative alpha strike involves use of the Plasma Emission Torpedo. This requires that the immobilizing cloud be deployed to halt the movement of the targeted Foe for best effect. Once the Foe is immobilized, hit them with Tyken's Rift III, which will "park" them at zero Power in relatively short order, dropping their shields and opening them up to all kinds of Torpedo "uh oh..." reception. I usually want to reserve Torpedo High Yield for this attack, since the Tyken's Rift rarely ensnares more than one Foe, although it can happen when used 15 seconds after deploying a Gravity Well.
A third alternative, best used against Foes lacking Charged Particle Burst, is to simply do "stealth bombing runs" using Dispersal Pattern Beta II and the Nukara Web Mines while under Enhanced Battle Cloak, which can often be counted on to reduce Foe Hulls to under 50% in a single run (particularly when attacking the rear arc for the Flanking Damage bonus). The Stun effect of the Mines also opens a brief opportunity to deliver a coup-de gras Torpedo shot in relative safety against some Foes, in addition to halting their movement, adding to the damage/critical potential of these opportunity shots.
The Romulan Hyper-Plasma Torpedo helps ensure that the Projectile Duty Officers have plenty of opportunities to proc, raising the odds of yielding a steady stream of pressure damage from the forward tubes. In the event of a cooldown proc "miss" simply spin the ship to bring the aft launcher to bear for another shot before lining up the forward tubes again for a fresh series of "This Is NOT Your Day To Live."
Staggering the use of Torpedo and Science Abilities is sufficient to push the cooldowns on both towards their Global Cooldown limits, meaning that use of Deflector Officer DOffs becomes effectively redundant, thanks to the Terran Traits and the synergies they offer. That staggered use then helps cooldown Photonic Fleet MUCH faster than it otherwise would be.
Attack Pattern Lambda is doubled up to offer "perma" uptime on the Temporary Hull buff from Pilot Specializtion, although I've been thinking of perhaps dropping Attack Pattern Lambda II in favor of Hold Together I so as to give me a "cleanse" since I don't have room in the build for Hazard Emitters. That would then permit a more defensive build stance of switching Auxiliary to Structural over to Auxiliary to Dampeners and switching the Matter-Antimatter Specialist over to the Auxiliary to Dampeners variant instead of the Gravity Well variant.
Although I've got the Experimental Proton Weapon forward, it's mainly there just for the Set Bonus and rarely (if ever) gets used. My personal preference is to fight full time under Enhanced Battle Cloak (and Pedal to the Metal II) and operate as a "pure" Torpedo Boat tossing out Science to control the flow of battle. I'm looking towards the Skill Revamp in Season 11.5 to offer a more powerful mix of Control and Drain to this specific build, at which point I figure I'll shift a few things to rebalance a bit better.
The overall mix of the build offers a good balance of offense and defense, although I've been working my way towards switching from a Pilot/Commando to a Command/Commando specialization mix, which I suspect will offer an even better balance of offense and defense, given my personal playstyle. Ditching Pilot Specialization would mean no longer getting the Temporary Hull bonus from Attack Pattern Lambda, clearing the way for making the above switch over to the Auxiliary to Dampeners stronger defensive build, since Command Specialization would offer a substantial increase in Hull and Shield strengths, making for an unusually well protected Raider capable of surviving quite a bit of PvE punishment (even with the Shields down).
As is, this build allows me to swing-role between a lot of different options, including both spike damage and pressure damage (of all things), thanks to the high proc rate on the Torpedoes. I can use Mines to create opportunities for ambushes. I can knife fight at close range (mind the plasma burns!) or I can use Science from standoff distances beyond 9 km. I can "confuse the hell out of 'em" just by attacking or by using Scramble Sensors.
Needless to say, I'm rather proud of my "Science" Bird of Prey ... and the kind of havoc I can unleash from it. What surprises me though is how much further I have to go with Upgrading all of the parts and pieces in it to make it even more devastating. What I like best about it is that it's NOT a One Trick Targ, and that it can handle almost any situation EXCEPT being the "center of attention" for all the hatred it generates. A "tank" this ship is not, although it does pull through circumstances that would typically vaporize most Raiders ... {/em shrug}
I would like to thank Teacher Kirby (for the Invasive Control Programming, Psychological Warfare, Matter-Antimatter Specialist combo on use of Gravity Well and Scramble Sensors), Odenknight (and all of the regulars on THE SHOW), as well as r/stobuilds (and its Kinetic Kommunity), for providing the Tips and Tricks that made this particular build possible for me to put together in its currently incomplete, yet still functional, state.
Protonic Kool-Aid Down The Drain Cruiser
Immortal BOff Skills combo for Ground
The Fleet Kamarag is so versatile; you have enough slots for a GW, TT, FAW, APB, and EPTW3 for face melting, and still have room for AuxSIF or AuxDampers, rotating EPTS, effective hull and shield heals, possibly even tractor beams, plus all the goodies Sci Captains bring to the table, and cruiser commands too. All of this on a platform that can turn pretty well for a cruiser.
One uses the fleet Corsair as a sci cruiser with tac consoles and FBP
One uses the fleet Kar'fi (yeah, commander sci Station!!!)
one isn't a sci Setup and uses a LB ship. However I do plan to make a sci command cruiser or Bortas (which I'd call sci-rella, as there's also a Martok class in that line) build.
I also have tried the excitingly short life of Science B'rels, the Varanus and of Course the event Krenim sci ship.
All time favourite for science build is the Dyson destroyer set though. very versatile and the only real sci ship that KDF has atm.
my scis are mostly drainers or FBPsers with a few Partgen based damage skills thrown in if possible.
KDF: 2 tacs, 2 engs, 3 scis
KDF Roms: 3 tacs, 1 eng, 1 scis
FED: 2 tacs, 1 eng, 2 scis
TOS: 1 tac
all on T5 rep (up to temporal)
all have mastered Intel tree (and some more specs Points)
highest DPS: 60.982
Main Orion sci is in a tholian recluse
Nausicaan sci is in a varanus, was probably retired from play a few months after varanus was "new", just wanted to play with the racial clothing.
Ferasan sci was last parked in a vo'quv while deciding what to fly. Was going to be new main so I could do the ground infected and not fail jumping a long time ago, lol. Stopped playing due to mounting costs of converting $ to zen to things I could sell to buy doffs required to try to make a decent character, and ever rising kdf doff prices/lockbox ships.
Klingon in a Kor/t6 Brel BoP
Nausicaan in a Fleet Qin flight deck Raptor
Alien in a Paradox
ALL my other Klingon captains run the Kamarag- it's THAT good.
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
My Ferasan Sci uses the Science Pilot Ship.
I'de LOVE to have a Korath, but I'm not opening up hundreds of lockboxes for lobi to buy one.
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
I'm sure your DPS is great, but as Kahless said, "a petaQ with high system mastery is still a petaQ." (Well, he should have said it...!)