Ideas for a phaser or 'drainy' Defiant

scotticus

The Defiant type escort seems to generally not be considered a 'gold-standard' fed escort, but I want one! I like the theme, the look most, but I would also like to make it as effective as possible on a 'budget' (I can dedicate about 45 minutes a day to a session, I'm not massively 'hard-core' about my STO sessions but do enjoy working to a goal and just playing!)

The criteria are;
I have a fed scientist and will also have a tac Jem Hadar when they're available (both LVL 60+) I'm willing spend a bit of Zen, and use rep and mission reward kits. Also fleet gear, but stuff that doesn't take an eternity to grind! I'm likely to do story and PvE content.

So can anyone help with the following questions;
1) What would be a decent, 'budget' phaser-based build, including quad-cannons?

2)Is a drain-based build viable and what might it include (yes, I'm willing to sacrifice the quads for a decent drain build).
This is prompted by the fact I've played as a sci Rommy with a drain-ey cruiser a few years ago, was a lot of fun just energy vampire-ing the TRIBBLE out of enemy ships, and assume it still is!

3) what are the general rules for flying as a sci cap in an escort? Do you still want a lot of power in aux systems over weapons, are there some key BOFF skills you really want to be sure to have, and key kit combos that work well and...does zooming about loosing off sci-powers generally work at all well to any degree?

Thanks for your help!

echatty

At least you know what you want. I'm not one to ask about for builds, but someone with knowledge about them should be in soon.

I love the Defiant class myself, but i'm pretty sucky at flying escort-type ships, so I only save them for fun.

Good luck on building it

scotticus

Thanks! Fun is the main consideration. I want a lot, I admit; stick with the phaser build because It's 'canon', and those quads looks and sound great, and/or a nippy flying laboratory of wacky sci powers and energy sapping potential 'cos it's a laugh!

tyler002

I go with the canon-style; Phaser Cannons (Quad, Prolonged engagement & dual heavy) and a Quantum Torpedo at the front, with phaser beam arrays and a Quantum Torpedo at the back.

It has done me well so far.

scotticus

Good to know it's viable. Do you have any favourite sets and skills you find to be effective?

leemwatson

scotticus#9508 wrote: »

Good to know it's viable. Do you have any favourite sets and skills you find to be effective?

Pick up the Quantum Phase Set from the Future Proof Arc. It is an excellent set for Phaser builds and has an excellent Torp. The Defiant doesn't have much in the way of Sci skills, but packing an Energy Siphon shouldn't be an issue.

kronin

leemwatson pretty much hit the nail on the head. Play "Sunrise" and "Stormbound", once a day for three days, and you will have the weapon set and space set. If you don't already know, doing this is much less work than reputation gear or even fleet gear. These two sets, and plasmonic leach, are the core of my phaser builds. I consider them "must haves". Granted, the leach is not what it used to be, but it still synergizes well with a drain build. So, both quantum phase sets, leach, phasers and tac consoles that boost them, and I doubt you'll go wrong with the rest of your build. No doubt better players than me will tell you what else you need, but this will give you an excellent start.

scotticus

So (excuse my ignorance), is drain not something that has to be focussed on to be effective? You can have some decent drain enhancing stuff 'working in the background', but still run an escort with, say phasers not polaron weapons, and it's still effective? Nice

And yeah, I'd be entirely happy to run those missions to get some suitable gear, that's the kind of advice I was after!

Finally, is it at all viable to run an escort, for which I assume you typically spam tac skills and put all power to weapons, so it works effectively as a cannon-toting gun-ship while also spitting out them sci-skills (grav-well, shield drain etc.)? Or is it really only possible to just pick a sci ship for sci stuff and use escorts for cannon-spewing death?

questerius

scotticus#9508 wrote: »

So (excuse my ignorance), is drain not something that has to be focussed on to be effective? You can have some decent drain enhancing stuff 'working in the background', but still run an escort with, say phasers not polaron weapons, and it's still effective? Nice

And yeah, I'd be entirely happy to run those missions to get some suitable gear, that's the kind of advice I was after!

Finally, is it at all viable to run an escort, for which I assume you typically spam tac skills and put all power to weapons, so it works effectively as a cannon-toting gun-ship while also spitting out them sci-skills (grav-well, shield drain etc.)? Or is it really only possible to just pick a sci ship for sci stuff and use escorts for cannon-spewing death?

Escort vessels tend to have a poor performance with science skills.
Take the T6 Defiant which only has access to Lieutenant Science in boff slots and two science console slots.
Usually that limited science boff is best used for Science team and hazard emitters, but if you're willing to sacrifice survivability then energy siphon/ tachyon beam and Tyken Rift are options.

Together with drain infection they can provide some solid damage, but nothing major.
For drain builds to be more effective you need a large amount of PartGen, EPS, a secondary deflector and a more significant science boff seating.

One thing you may consider and which i usually do when leveling a new character is equip the breen space set.
It's gimmicky but coupled with an investment in drain infection the energy siphon acts like an additional turret.

If you're main opponents use a lot of polaron in their builds (JH or vaadwaur) then the breen space set is the way to go for leveling. Later on there are better sets in reputations and mission rewards.

scotticus

Hmmm...maybe I'm really trying to put a square peg into a Defiant-shaped hole trying to have them fun-as-heck science abilities working as part of a reasonably effective Escort build. If I want to enj9y flying an escort, i need to fly an escort, if I want to enjoy confounding and sapping the enemy with drainage and science skills, I needs me a dedicated science ship. It feels like I'd just be getting a 'lite' mish-mash of either rather than enjoying the best of both.

Ok, I'll grab a phaser-toting Defiant 'cos I just fancy one, and a nice, focussed science ship too. I like the look and some of the concepts in the multi-mission reconnaisance explorers. Aux-powered DHC's? Relatively good turn rate? Decent aesthetics? I reckon that'll be my science ship of choice.

I'll grab a Breen and 'sunrise'/'stormbound' set, sounds like I can't go too wrong with that, and that'll set me up nicely to know I have a solid foundation for both science ship and Defiant with which to begin exploring more of the game.

scotticus

I've now aquired my tier 5 free science ship , having attaned the required rank with my science fed character (I went with the more raditional looking one, rather than that one that looks like a lump of mis-shaped concrete).

On console...science-based builds seem a little unwieldy. Whereas, on pc, it's pretty easy to time the use of and have instant access to science -power like Tykens Rift as and when you want it, the sytem on console is a little trickier. They've made a good compromise, the auto-use options and the 'wheels' are about as good a system as you're gonna get but...I just don't feel like I'm really in control. I'm flying a ship and all this crazy science stuff is going off, but I don't feel fully in control. I think I may prefer going tac.

So I shall. Jem'Hadar are soon available. I'll make one and use that as my main, tactical career. To that end, I'm less intersted in the science-ey stuff. I may use an effective polaron build on my Bug-Ship to get that amusing drain-effect I like, but yeah, will go much more towards enjoying the experience of flying a nimble, punchy escort.

I still intend to get a Defiant with Phaser Quads, but yeah...will focus more on that pure tactical approach rather than concerning myself with chucking sciency stuff in there too. What I shall go with also is a Polaron-sporting Bug-Ship and can still use a lot of the advice offered here.