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Would you like to learn the enjoyment of good ground based PvP?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
edited December 2012 in PvP Gameplay
As one of the leaders for Federation Emergency Services, I am voicing an offer to any fleet or player of the STO community. We are willing to teach and show, everything that makes us good at ground PvP. We want to be a positive influence on the STO community. PM me where interested, or post here and we will check it.

The intention of this edit is to answer questions, pick up where some of my people have started, and to make it readily and easily accessible. This may become required reading for Miles, at FES. lawl. Miles = Fleet Rank 1.

Pull up STOWiki, to follow along, in gear.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RULE #1 Never get mad, in PvP.
RULE #2 NEVER get mad, in PvP. (Or at anything, really. It's like trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing bubble gum.);) ((Catch the reference?))
RULE #3 Learn. Learn from wins. Learn from loses. Learn, even if you think you know everything. (True knowledge is knowing we know nothing.)
RULE #4 Do not confuse PvE skill with PvP skill. What works in PvP will work in PvE. What works in PvE most likely won't work in PvP.
RULE #5 Do what feels right. The best armor or torpedo in the game is the one that works best for the player's toon's spec and gear load out. These kinds of decisions are taken for granted by highly experienced players.
RULE #6 To be able to start, empty your cup. Forget what you think you know, and start over from the beginning.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now.. let's do this. :cool:

GENERAL GROUND GEAR AND INFORMATION

The Most Important Things You Can Do, EVER: Aim, by pressing X. It is 33% Damge increase to Ranged Damage, ie guns. Crouch by pressing C. I cannot stress this enough and will not cease to, throughout this thread and in my training. Crouch, Crouch, CROUCH. Do not jump around, like one individual, and do not use this fufu foxtrot jog. They are Buff and Dodgeless. If you aren't Crouching you should be Sprinting or Rolling. Roll gives the highest Dodge Chance, but for a very short time, so it takes real timing and skill to roll when the opponent's shot connects. Also, Isolated Targeting. You don't need voice, you don't need to type. You need to press ESC, select Options, go to Controls and turn Assist Target on Attack to ON. Boom. Designate a lead target-er, or two, and then everyone else shoots over their shoulder.

Devices: I start with these due to simplicity. I say this to all my trainees, "You want to impress me? Use a Hypo, Shield Charge, Power Cell and a Tribble." I'm sorry Cryptic, but the "gimmick" devices get new and experienced people killed in both PvP and PvE. They are VERY COOL, and they have their specific uses. But, those are advanced tactics & strategies and advanced players. If you want to use the Cane, Shard, Triolics, and Cryos, know their pros and cons to yourself and your teammates. ie. Not everyone has the graphics to sit in the Triolic Enhancer. Dmg Resist won't matter if your teammate is lagging.

Alright.. let me come back to Devices.. If you run my suggestion, then decide you want the Shard.. and your Tac.. lose the Shield Charge. If your a Sci or Engi, lose the Power Cell. What you have to consider is what does each of those Basic Devices do? Shield Charges clear Exposes. Hypos clear Holds and Stuns. Power Cells clear Weapons Malf. Well, what's the point of being a Tac if you can't shoot your gun? Rally Cry ain't that good of a heal. If you are an Engi or Sci, you don't need a gun to do damage or to support your team. As a Sci, especially as a Medic, your best weapon is the Neural Neutralizer; and your best gun is in the hands of the Tac you are healing. Remember that.

Tribbles: Use your tribble as a Max/Min trick. If you want to go Damage, use a Har Tribble. If you want survivability, use a Damage Resistance or Health Regen Tribble. The best things to bounce them off of is your kits. (Like that seque?) :)

Kits: The good stuff. The stuff that matters. These things can make and/or break a team. Team Tactics trumps all. So, just because a kit isn't the best in a 1v1 situation does not mean it's a bad kit. You and your friends, on other careers, should match up Kit Skills. Everything, down to your guns, needs to be based off your kit. And Passives, but I'll go into a little more detail on those, later. Remember: One or two bad passives won't break your toon. With a little creativity in "playing into your passives", you can turn a bad thing into a good thing.

Since this is the meat of your dinner, let's let it marinate. (This will be a big section.) Your spec sheet enhances your kit skills. Duh. But, no point in speccing into a kit that you don't know how to use. So, I suggest you use the kit, with a Max/Min gear setup, and see if it's a kit for you and your team. Try all the Kits. It's Reading Rainbow, baby. Don't just take my word for it. With that, Specs will be in another section, another time. I will post my main Tac, Sci, and Engi, with main gear, at that time. To save space, by career, I'll only talk about the good Kits, classify them, and give complimenting gun options, for Vice Admirals. It will get shorter as the Kit Skills overlap. However it did not, so I have made a post for each career. Tactical on pg. 3 & Engineering on pg. 4.

Guns: My favorite.Those of you who know me, and remember my first main Tac, the Arms Dealer, know that I've been dying to get to this section. Those of you who don't.. *cracks knuckles* Check it.. If you are soloing (Solo Ops) STFs and PvP ques, then I urge you to be able to Exploit your own Exposes. Exposes, despite having any clear information from Cryptic on them, yield higher damage and crit chances when Exploited. You will find that you save buffs, also. As a base line, I suggest one Expose gun and one Exploit gun. Tread off that road as you learn to match your kits and teammates.

I mention gun pairings in each Career section of the Kits. Those pairings don't have to be only for the kit user, Teammates can work with those gun setups, as well. As with Kits, I will make a single post dedicated to guns. But, for basic gun information, there are three things to know about guns. Flavor, Type, and Modifiers. Flavors are Disruptor, Polaron, Antiproton, etc. They are the icing on your cake, and the best way to tear down the opponent where you are strongest. Ie. A shield tanking Engi using Tetryon. or.. Medics using Plasma. Types are Split Beam Rifle, Dual Pistols, High Density, etc. When considering types and running 1 Exposer and 1 Exploiter, look at the ranges of the primary shot and secondary shot of both guns. To know anything about an item, right click and select Info. There isn't much sense in rotating a Pulsewave Assault and a Sniper Rifle. Those two guns work on the opposite of the range spectrum. The Sniper has the furthest range possible at 45m, with its secondary; and the Pulsewave deals the most damage between 3m and 0.0m. Burst guns, like Full Auto Rifle and Assault Miniguns are a great way to get your Flavor lick on someone. Quick Tip: A Phaser Stun Pistol is the ONLY way to directly stack a Flavor proc with a Type secondary. To learn the affect of Modifiers, use Common guns. Yes, Commons. This lets you use and test gun Flavors and Types, without influence of the Modifiers. Then use Modifiers to subsidize, or overcharge your damage and critical output. [DoT3] stacks with Plasma Flavor; and [CritD] stacks with Antiproton. [Dmg] is the most relient as there is no proc; it just increases the base line damage and DPS of your gun. Sooo... I've rambled on about guns, so I'll cheat on the next section. :o

Armor and Shields: I'll make this easy, since Cryptic did. Decide on which of the 2-set skill you want, from M.A.C.O., Omega, or Honor Guard, and rock those Armor and Shields. I say this cause you won't find anything else that compares, overall. That being said, you do not HAVE to have that Borg stuff, to PvP. In fact, it should be the opposite. You should be PvPing, to help you decide on which STF set you want. The DS9-ers have it backwards, and that's the excuse they give me, for not PvP queing. Players with excellent skill and regular gear will beat out a geared out, skill-less player. For those that don't have STF gear yet, R&D is your best friend. Also the new Jem'Hadar gear is not bad and the 3-set activate-able skill is quite interesting. For a sweet, free shield, the Personal Covariant Shield is awesome, if you can handle the Regen reduction for the Capacity increase. However that's in a mission I can't think of at the moment. Now, if ya'll would like more on Armor and Shields, let me know and I'll include a section in the Guns Post. But, as someone who spent ALOT of EC on the ONLY good Otha Armor I've ever seen, I'm just as saddened as ya'll as the lack of need of this ancient piece of STO information. Just.... don't wait till you get Mk XII to PvP.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    I hope you get alot of takers for this...good luck
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    lolground.


    No seriously, if I want good ground game I play RIFT, or if I want scifi ground I play Tribes (it's in beta now). Or I fire up my console and play Gears, Halo3 & Reach, Rainbow Six Vegas2, and soon Armored Core 5. Lolstoground lol.

    In a more serious capacity good luck.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    GL with this idea. While ground in this game definately isn't my thing, I love seeing others trying to bring newer players into the pvp fold by helping them out. In general, thats one thing I really like about the players in these forums. "Usually" they're incredibly helpful if you ask for advice.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Mavairo wrote:
    lolground.


    No seriously, if I want good ground game I play RIFT, or if I want scifi ground I play Tribes (it's in beta now). Or I fire up my console and play Gears, Halo3 & Reach, Rainbow Six Vegas2, and soon Armored Core 5. Lolstoground lol.

    Rift, Tribes, Gears, Halo3, Rainbow Six Vegas2, and Armored Core 5 are not STAR TREK games, and some of us love ground combat in this game so really was it necessary for you to bring back the OLD DAYS and say LOLGROUND? OK so you don't like Ground...we get that but you don't need to offend us Grounders by saying stuff like that, and with all the new population coming in to this game we don't need spacers making fun of ground combat in this game. You dont see us Grounders Going on every space Post and Saying LOLSPACE do you? So pleas stop with the name calling and let leave the OLD DAYS in the past.

    jts6314 wrote:
    As one of the leaders for Federation Emergency Services, I am voicing an offer to any fleet or player of the STO community. We are willing to teach and show, everything that makes us good at ground PvP. We want to be a positive influence on the STO community. PM me where interested, or post here and we will check it.

    Good luck and I too hope we get a lot of takers :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    The UI is still terrible on the ground. STO ground has alot of potential but the UI keeps getting in the way. (it can't even handle 2 commands at a time on the ground!) I did wish him luck though :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    an excellent invitation to the community, anyone who is interested in ground pvp or wants to learn some new tip/tricks should check it out. thanks for taking the time and making an effort to improve an aspect of pvp in sto, now if only cryptic would do the same.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    shaila, does fista sistas even fly space pvp anymore? I havent seen any of you guys in a long time out in the cold depths of lolspace
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Ground PVP needs some serious attention from Cryptic and PWE. Controls are laggy and limited to 2 keys at once. We haven't had any new maps in god knows how long. More maps and roll back the last 2 updates to make ground pvp like it was back then. No lag between controls and more balanced. And for gods sake, Cryptic... add more maps!!!

    This is a good thing you are doing. Get people from quitting out of frustration and working around the bugs that are in the system. If you need any help, you know where to find me. I can usually get a team together that will take it easy, or turn up the heat when necessary.

    ~Coli
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Thank you, all, for your positive words and well-wishes, as I was taken aback by them. It took only two responses for someone to give me the response I expected to receive. But, I will maintain this offer, as my fleet continues to work with those in zones, who are interested in STO Ground PvP. We will cover basics, from character controls to UI all the way to specs and kit tactics.

    Everyone consider this. the minimum ground points of 66,000 is 18% of the given 366,000 skill points. The maximum 100,000 ground points is 27% of the given 366k. Lets use 100% of the given points. Some may consider us "grounders", but expect to see us in space.

    But, again, for ground, if you have the slightest of interest, do not hesitate to PM me or anyone in my fleet, for questions or means to get in contact with me.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    What if I posted my spec, and gear, as well as a number of basic tips, to get the ball rolling? Would that help?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    As a new recruit with these guys, I can say with confidence that they make ground PvP fun.

    Except that one Tactical guy who hits me with 1.4k grenades while I'm stunned, I don't like that. :(
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    fallout23 wrote: »
    Shai'la, does Fista Sistas even fly space pvp anymore? I haven't seen any of you guys in a long time out in the cold depths of lolspace

    Yea FS does do space still, but at the moment we are more focused on ground combat, but there are times when I Que for Space Arena or Capture and Hold and make everyone on the other side say "Target Shai'la"
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    jts6314 wrote: »
    What if I posted my spec, and gear, as well as a number of basic tips, to get the ball rolling? Would that help?

    Most of us are in different time zones so usually face to face encounters (for lack of a better term) are not possible. Any tips, guides, and how to stuff are usually posted among the forums for our peers. Its good to see more dedicated PVP fleets though regardless if they are of the ground or space specialty
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    JTS6314 knows what he is talking about. He trained me many months back in PVP when I myself was a hopeless mess just like many of the FTP'rs today. Everyone would be wise to seek his wisdom.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Most of us are in different time zones so usually face to face encounters (for lack of a better term) are not possible. Any tips, guides, and how to stuff are usually posted among the forums for our peers. Its good to see more dedicated PVP fleets though regardless if they are of the ground or space specialty

    FES is pretty active 24/7 as its full of players from all corners of the globe. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Mavairo wrote:
    lolground.


    No seriously, if I want good ground game I play RIFT, or if I want scifi ground I play Tribes (it's in beta now). Or I fire up my console and play Gears, Halo3 & Reach, Rainbow Six Vegas2, and soon Armored Core 5. Lolstoground lol.

    I actually tried the pvp in rift and found it rather badly balanced and boring, took me less then a month to drop it.

    And currently playing tor some and find it just average for pvp too.. i.e. tor is 8x8 (but even starts games 2 vs 8 style with a chance of late reinforcements; when the game is already lost lol) win or loss heavily depends what pugs you get; its all objective based no arenas... getting ocassionally pugs that can't guard a door or run the huttball in the wrong direction makes me really miss sto's 5x5 arenas.

    Thing is.. most real shooters have tons of aimbot players around that ruin the fun and most RPG's go for a rock/paper/scissor class setup... i.e. marauder vs sage in tor will 90% of the time have the marauder win (assuming both know what they do).. while sto is gladly free from both of those problems.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Most things are like math, in that you won't find enjoyment out of it, if you aren't good at it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Ground is more survivable than at start of season 4 by all classes. I roll mostly ground now because I already can roll space in my escort as good as I can. So I am beefing up my ground game. The fleet the op is in is a very good ground pvp fleet right behind FS. They usually bring and kit and class specific based premade team that is hard to beat unless I have at least 3 other consistent ground pvpers with me. Sometimes we can get by with one pug on our team. So yeah they know ground pvp well enough I will put my stamp on that offer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Ground on STO is awesome. Tip of the Spear has been running STFs alot lately, but we are primarily ground PvP, just not a large fleet. I'll try to find you ingame.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Some tips would be nice. I'd like to make sure I'm properly spec'ed before I attempt any ground PvP.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    I mostly have experience as a medic, but some general tips I've learned:

    1. Mk XII Blue or Purple [Cap]x3 personal shields are your best friend in terms of shields. Pretty much everything else, even [Rev], is worthless.
    2. Sniper rifles are bad if you have abilities which need to be fired off at a moment's notice (such as healing abilities), as the secondary fire locks your abilities for 3-4 seconds. If you're tactical and doing the one-shot-from-stealth thing, it might be good, but I haven't done much with my tactical captain.
    3. Nanite Health Monitor order: Tactical -> Engineer -> Friendly medic -> yourself.
    4. Crouch if you're in a fortified area where you don't need to move much.
    5. Stay out of the Triolic Pattern Enhancers if your opponents, especially tactical officers, have any Antiproton weaponry.
    6. Use Tricorder Scan at all times if you're Science, as it'll increase your perception and allow you to ruin a stealthy tactical captain's day.
    7. Use a uniform colour of a different branch of Starfleet, if you want. Personally I always look at the emblem in my target box for blue (science, likely a medic), but I bet a lot of people look at uniform colours when trying to find a kill target.

    Some useful tactics I've seen from Engineers:
    1. I don't quite know if Cover Shield and generator fabrications come from the same kit, but put your medical generator behind a cover shield if you're in a fortified area.
    2. Stun + Orbital Strike = win

    Some tactical stuff I've seen:
    1. Overwhelm your opponent with Security Escort spam. Having to target through all of the trash is a lifesaver for the captain who summons them.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Alright, I'll take you up on the offer.

    I recently mucked around in a private challenge match with a Grounder and found it a more complex than I initially thought.

    I guess there's more to winning than hitting 1 or 2 repeatedly...

    However, I'm going to need to hit the STFs a bit to get my MACO ground set before I start trying to roll the ground qs.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    I really enjoy ground, so I'm happy to see efforts to get others interested. Good for you and good luck :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    I have yet to try ground PvP, but I imagine it would end up similar to how PvE...quick combat with me usually dying. I've been playing some ground STF, so I'm hoping the things I learn here could improve my game in both PvP and PvE.

    My char is a tactical officer with the Fire Team kit mk X (I think).

    For devices: I have a looted tribble, triolic pattern enhancer, shard of possibility, and a remodulator.

    Equipment:
    Jem'Hadar shield
    Omega armor mk XI
    Omega autocarbine mk XI
    Naussican Sword

    Obviously, I don't want to use the sword in PvP. I use it almost the entire map of an STF.

    My slotted doffs are: 3x Security Team, 1x Turret (for my away team boff), and 1x empty slot.

    I'm aiming for getting the Omega Shields when I get enough data chips.

    I've tried using the Distortion Field (+380 stealth) and Ambush III (200+ stealth) together. While the Distortion Field makes me transparent, using Ambush III makes me turn into a black silhouette. Does that mean other people can see me as well?

    Any recommendations on what I could change?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    I'm not really that interested in ground PVP it's self..

    But I will admit I am curious as to what Engineers mostly use on the ground these days..
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    Shook-Yang wrote:
    I have yet to try ground PvP, but I imagine it would end up similar to how PvE...quick combat with me usually dying. I've been playing some ground STF, so I'm hoping the things I learn here could improve my game in both PvP and PvE.

    My char is a tactical officer with the Fire Team kit mk X (I think).

    For devices: I have a looted tribble, triolic pattern enhancer, shard of possibility, and a remodulator.

    Equipment:
    Jem'Hadar shield
    Omega armor mk XI
    Omega autocarbine mk XI
    Naussican Sword

    Obviously, I don't want to use the sword in PvP. I use it almost the entire map of an STF.

    My slotted doffs are: 3x Security Team, 1x Turret (for my away team boff), and 1x empty slot.

    I'm aiming for getting the Omega Shields when I get enough data chips.

    I've tried using the Distortion Field (+380 stealth) and Ambush III (200+ stealth) together. While the Distortion Field makes me transparent, using Ambush III makes me turn into a black silhouette. Does that mean other people can see me as well?

    Any recommendations on what I could change?
    Your kit is OK, however the devices you have equipped....you should invest in 3 devices that are sort of a must for PVE and PVP

    1st one is A Large Hypo (This refills approximately 80% of your hit points So use it when your almost dead)
    2nd is a Large Shield Charge For when your exposed (exposed = 1 shot kill on you which is bad URL="http://www.stowiki.org/Exploit_attack"]orange circle on your body[/URL)
    3rd is a Large Power Cell For when you get WM'ed (Weapon Malfunctioned) from a engineer
    and the 4th is a device of your choice (personal opinion you should use the shard of possibility as its almost like the security team tact skill)
    Shook-Yang wrote:
    PvE...quick combat with me usually dying.
    What kind of BOFF (Bridge Officer [your away team that beams down with you on a mission]) setup you have?
    Do you have any healers? If you don't you should think of getting at least one healer, and i mean Healer not one boff with 1 heal skill, aka THIS, as you can see here i have 2 healers for boffs and 2 engineers and I'm the primary tactical officer
    or if i go on a mission and i know i will need more firepower i use this
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    I apologize for the delay, but now it's time to go off. In a good way. :) I mailed those of you interested, and I suggest you take me up on my offer. Buccaneer, I tried to mail you, but you're ignoring me. I don't say I blame you. I can be, and have been, a harsh person.

    I will answer bulk questions, through info and tips, in the form of a re-edit of my main post, thanks to a wonderful idea from my newest protege', who remembers 8-bit gaming. I will continue to post question replies as this thread builds. The benefit of growth is to grab the attention of Cryptic and PWE. The goal is to inform the community on how they can maximize their gaming experience. You would be surprised, especially Spacers, as to the similarity of Ground and Space PvP and PvE.

    Definition Clarification: "Premade Team" -- 1. literal, a team of players that was formed before joining the PvP que. 2. common, a team of brethren players with cooperative and overlapping skills and gear that was formed before joining the PvP que.

    Something new to know, about FES: We will rarely be putting a premade team, of common meaning, into the ques. We have found that nobody want to pew pew with us, anymore. Our recent premades are, and will continue to be, of the literal meaning. (Except for last night, with FS. I got to listen in on, while typing.) This serves two purposes. One, I can continue to train and teach my fleet, alongside my officers. (If you see me in the ques, believe I have trainees with me.) Two, it will help to soften up the ques. But, know that fire breeds fire; and a trial by fire is how you get hardcore good.

    In order to be the best, you have to get killed by the best. -- pug
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    TACTICAL OFFICER

    Innate Skills
    Strike Team - A team buff that runs for 1 minute. You start this skill, not right before you engage, but before you turn the corner to where you are about to think about engaging. The animation lock on this skill is too long to use while in combat.
    Target Optics - Not working properly. BUT, still sets up Exposes, increases Perception and can still do well in a "Super Buff". In catching Operatives, Target Optics for proximity location and Fire on my Mark to maintain detection.
    Fire on my Mark - A damage resistance Debuff, for a single opponent. You want to kill someone without shooting? Apply this Debuff to an opponent that your teammates are isolated targeting. Or, stack SE3 DOffs, buff them with Strike Team and debuff your target with FomM, then take a hit from them so as to aggro the SEs to your target. You could primary shot, to aggro.. but it's cooler to kill without shooting. :cool:
    Tactical Initiative - Has changed. It is not a skill insta-reset button. It works for the whole team, regardless of teammate proximity, like Strike. This skill will allow your Engis and Scis to spam their skills as fast as you will. For the Tanking Scis and Engis, they will not perform as well without your Tac Init, than with it. If you got another Tac with you, learn to watch your skills to see if they hit their Tac Init, so you don't waste your Tac Init. Then, cycle them.
    Security Escort III. - The Red Shirt Rush is back, but in a new way. I'll let you find out, but ask me if you can't. These guys' bark is bigger than their bite. However, two ants may not really matter; but 40 will. These guys are great for distractions, trash, and fodder. Remember that their Draw Fire works, as STFers experience just before they die in Rebecca Simmons' room, and their Full Auto Spray makes for some good Exposes.

    Fire Team - Offensive - Pulsewave, Compression and Stun Pistol, Split Beam, High Density, Sniper, Full Auto, Blast Assault (yeah I said it). This is one of the most versatile kits, as it can be utilized defensively. Lets look at the skills of the kit to slim down gun choice. Suppressing Fire, regardless of the changes to Willpower, still slows opponent runspeed and gives the opponent(s) a damage reduction, NO proc. It just happens. Between that CC and "dmg resist"-ish affect and using the Plasma Nade as a breach deterrent, you can make it defensive. With that, the Plasma Nade, Ambush, and Battle Strategies are damage and damage buffs. But, know that Ambush is off the first shot. Whereas Suppress and Bat Strat have timers and carry through every "Energy Bullet Thingy". So those two, are multi-target secondaries and all primary shots of guns. Ambush needs to be used off single shots of gun secondaries or the Nade, not on primaries.

    Operative - Offensive - Same gun choices as Fire Team. Now, this kit has Battle Strategies and Ambush. So, considering Fire Team, you are trading the Plasma Nade for Lunge and Suppress for the Stealth Module. Lunge is single target, and an Exploit, which is great. But, remember the Nade is AoE. The Stealth Module is a great buff starter, but if you get caught in that thing, the lag of shots will lock you into the cloak and you won't be able to fight back. There are many more negatives to the Stealth Module, but I don't want to start an argument. If ya'll would like me to talk more about it, let me know. :D

    Security Protocol - Defensive - Split Beam, Full Auto, Sniper, Compression, High Density. The biggest thing to consider, on this kit is the personal Damage Resistance granted from Draw Fire, and the Team Damage Resistance from Overwatch. Traditionally, I would say to cycle Over and Draw, but pay close attention to Draw, when you activate it. Suppressing Fire still bears the same relevance from Fire Team, but has an even higher benefit when stacked with the granted dmg resist. Not only do you resist more damage, you lessen your opponents damage output. To repeat, Suppress is a great Character Control skill, especially with a Split. The Stun Grenade is where you need to be creative in usage. Consider that Fire on My Mark is one of your strongest skills. Using the Stun Nade to ensure FomM sticks on a pigeon holing opponent is an example of some creativity.Remember: Using Defensive Kits will force you to learn the power of your innate skills and buffs. Again, this kit is about Damage Resistance. I dare you sit in your Engi friend's bunker, with Draw Fire, Overwatch, and Omega Distortion; then look at your resistances. ;)

    Squad Leader - Defensive - Split, Compression, High Density. Now I classify this one as a Defensive kit due to Overwatch and Rally Cry. But, when you smack that Rally cry, consider its 25 meter range and the quantity of Exposes it sets. That's why I listed only Exploiting guns, for this kit. But, one can get fancy. If you run dual Exposing guns, your teammates better be able to Exploit as fast as you Expose. That, coupled with the Photon Grenade, makes for some quick damage. When you go to use the Smoke Grenade, take note that it is also an Exposing skill. But more than that, it increases your stealth and decreases their perception. If you and your opponent are in the Smoke, they will lose target on you. With your Tac Init running, you can spam Smoke Nades, for you and your teammates to hide. All that, not counting the new stealthing toys. Always be able to Exploit your own Exposes. Especially with this Kit, since so many Exposes are set up. Throw in a few DOffs, that help Max/Min, and you will set up more Exposes then you'll know what to do with. When that happens, use "G" to target. Then, run with a Sci that uses Physicist. :p

    As a Tac, your role is to output hard damage or to provide cover fire for your team. You can tank, as a Tac, by being proactive, not reactive. But, you are squishy. Don't make your Medic's job harder than it already is. As one of my best Tacs says, "There's nothing like hard cover." Don't try to be the hero, just be sure that you can drop somebody. Use Heavy Tactical Drones, in Elite STFs, for practice on your One-Shot, Super Buffed or not. So, lets talk about that.

    In this order, the Super Buff consists of, Strike, Bat Strat, Ambush, Target, Power Cell, and FomM. This is everything related to DPS and damage. I do not suggest you use a Power Cell in your buff. Getting Weapons Malfunctioned after buffing is like getting all dressed up with nowhere to go. Bunk, huh? As you begin to detract buffs from the Super Buff, you step into Soft Buffing. Doing this, with the help of Tac Init, rotating your buffs will yield a constant stream of DPS. In this damage mode, Aiming is nearly more important than Crouching. I say nearly, because you cannot shoot if you are dead.

    As a Tanking Tac, CC and gun flavor procs are important. What you're doing is providing time for your teammates to do what they need to do as you slow down your opponents. Also, Aiming and Crouching are more important in this mode. You have to have both going to stack with your kits and provide the damage needed to keep the opposing team frantic.

    For questions and/or clarification, give me a holler.

    To be continued.. Next up, Engineering, Science, and Guns.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    This thread deserves a Sticky.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2012
    cakuzma wrote: »
    Your kit is OK, however the devices you have equipped....you should invest in 3 devices that are sort of a must for PVE and PVP

    1st one is A Large Hypo (This refills approximately 80% of your hit points So use it when your almost dead)
    2nd is a Large Shield Charge For when your exposed (exposed = 1 shot kill on you which is bad URL="http://www.stowiki.org/Exploit_attack"]orange circle on your body[/URL)
    3rd is a Large Power Cell For when you get WM'ed (Weapon Malfunctioned) from a engineer
    and the 4th is a device of your choice (personal opinion you should use the shard of possibility as its almost like the security team tact skill)


    What kind of BOFF (Bridge Officer [your away team that beams down with you on a mission]) setup you have?
    Do you have any healers? If you don't you should think of getting at least one healer, and i mean Healer not one boff with 1 heal skill, aka THIS, as you can see here i have 2 healers for boffs and 2 engineers and I'm the primary tactical officer
    or if i go on a mission and i know i will need more firepower i use this
    What should I replace the sword with for PvP? Burst weapon like a sniper rifle?

    Yes, I only have one healer on my away team. It's made up of 3 tactical officers (including myself), 1 science, and 1 engineer.
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