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Advice for a new Carrier Captain

simonpat56simonpat56 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
edited August 2012 in Federation Discussion
OK, so I just hit VA, and to celebrate, went out and bought my favourite ship - the Armitage-Class Heavy Escort Carrier. I've been moaning to all my buddies since STO came out that the Akira-class was supposed to be a carrier (and should really be a cruiser rather than an escort, but that's another argument). Anyways, Here's the layout I have on it right now:


FORE WEAPON SLOTS:
  • Disruptor Dual Heavy Cannons Mk XI [CrtD]x2
  • Disruptor Dual Heavy Cannons Mk XI [CrtD]x2
  • Photon Torpedo Launcher Mk XI
  • Disruptor Dual Heavy Cannons Mk XI [CrtD]x2

DEFLECTOR:
  • Positron Deflector Array Mk X [SIF] [Stl]

IMPULSE ENGINES:
  • Jem'Hadar Combat Impulse Engines Mk X

SHIELDS:
  • Jem'Hadar Resilient Shields Mk X

AFT WEAPONS:
  • Disruptor Turret Mk XI [CrtD]
  • Disruptor Turret Mk XI [CrtD]
  • Disruptor Turret Mk XI [CrtD]

ENGINEERING CONSOLES:
  • Diburnium Hull Plating Mk X
  • Monotanium Alloy Mk X
  • Torpedo Point Defense System

SCIENCE CONSOLES:
  • Emitter Array Mk X
  • Assimilated Module

TACTICAL CONSOLES:
  • Photon Detonation Assembly Mk XI
  • Disruptor Induction Coil Mk X
  • Disruptor Induction Coil Mk XI
  • Disruptor Induction Coil Mk XI

HANGAR:
  • Peregrine Fighters


Suggestions, advice, questions, criticism, and general help?
Post edited by simonpat56 on

Comments

  • unangbangkayunangbangkay Member Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    What kinds of missions and such do you want to run? STFs? PvP? Plain fun? Do you care much about optimization? What's your Boff setup like? And other questions.

    In lieu of anything more detailed, which we'll need to see your Boff layout for, I'll just parrot some standard advice:

    - 2x Neutronium will give you better resistance than the Diburnium/monotanium

    - You're probably better off putting on a different equipment set when you can. Since you only have the Borg console so far I would suggest running some normal STFs until you can buy the rest of the Borg set, and from there work towards acquiring the MACO or Omega set. Crafting or buying the Aegis set can serve as a good bridge in the meantime.

    - Switch out your Emitter array for a Shield Emitter Amplifier (+Shield regen) or better yet a Field Generator (+% to shield capacity). I would recommend you craft the generators unless you have a lot of spare EC to buy it from the Exchange.

    - Since you're packing torpedo-enhancing gear as well as the PDS I would recommend you switch out your Peregrines for Delta Flyers, since the latter can drain shields and let you make the most of your torps. You can buy purple versions with Dilithium or Greens with EC. Danube Runabouts also work if you plan to get the most damage out of your cannons.
  • simonpat56simonpat56 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    What kinds of missions and such do you want to run? STFs? PvP? Plain fun? Do you care much about optimization? What's your Boff setup like? And other questions.

    Right now, I'm running the Borg Invasion Missions. I want to start on the STFs, but I haven't as yet. PvP isn't something I'm interested in at all. I like to have fun playing and RP'ing, but I'd like to try and optimise my build as much as possible.

    BOff Stations:

    Cmdr Tactical: Beam Overload I, Torpedo: High Yield II, Torpedo: High Yield III, Cannon: Rapid Fire III
    Lt Tactical: Torpedo: High Yield I, Cannon: Scatter Volley I
    En Tactical: Beam Array: Fire At Will I
    Lt Cmdr Engineering: Emergency Power to Shields I, Engineering Team II, Boarding Party II
    Lt Science: Science Team I, Tachyon Beam II

    I know there's alot of redundancy there, and a couple of Beam skills that aren't getting used, but I can't seem to find any way to train over the redundant skills. I can only train Lt Cmdr and Cmdr level skills.

    Like I say, I'm really just starting out trying to optimise my build, so any and all tips and pointers from the more experienced officers out there is appreciated.
  • unangbangkayunangbangkay Member Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    simonpat56 wrote: »
    I know there's alot of redundancy there, and a couple of Beam skills that aren't getting used, but I can't seem to find any way to train over the redundant skills. I can only train Lt Cmdr and Cmdr level skills.

    Captains can only train the LtC and Cdr skills, but you can overwrite the the En and Lt-level skills at the Bridge officer trainer on Earth Spacedock, or you can use a spare Boff candidate to train an active Boff in one skill. The latter is useful for the occasional purple boff that has a rank III ability that you want on a current Boff. If you overwrite a skill, the new skill starts at minimum rank, so you'll need to spend skill points again to get it up to snuff.

    With that in mind:
    simonpat56 wrote: »
    BOff Stations:

    Cmdr Tactical: Beam Overload I, Torpedo: High Yield II, Torpedo: High Yield III, Cannon: Rapid Fire III
    Lt Tactical: Torpedo: High Yield I, Cannon: Scatter Volley I
    En Tactical: Beam Array: Fire At Will I
    Lt Cmdr Engineering: Emergency Power to Shields I, Engineering Team II, Boarding Party II
    Lt Science: Science Team I, Tachyon Beam II

    Since you didn't know how to fix your low-end skills we won't begrudge you a beam skill on a cannon-boat :P But you should get those abilities fixed up ASAP.

    Here's a sample build that's considered common practice for most escorts beginning their endgame career (namely STFs and events). It's what I had on my own Armitage and Blockade Escort for quite a while:

    Cdr Tac: Torpedo: Spread I, , Attack Pattern Beta I, Attack Pattern Omega I, Cannon: Rapid Fire III (captain-trained)
    LT Tac: Tactical Team I, Cannon Scatter Volley I
    EN Tac: Tactical Team I
    LtC En: Emergency Power to Shields I, Reverse Shield Polarity I, Emergency Power to Shields III
    LT Sci: Transfer Shield Strength I, Hazard Emitters II

    This build relies on cannons for the brunt of DPS, and all the other skills going to promote resilience. Two copies of Tactical Team mean you can buff your damage and keep your shields on autopilot most of the time, and two copies of E.Power to Shields mean your shields stay up and stay more resilient through the whole fight. Attack Pattern Beta buffs your guns, and Attack Pattern Omega keeps the tractor beams off you. Hazard Emitters gives you a hull heal that you can use on your friends, and Transfer Shield Strength is yet another shield heal.

    We dropped Engineering Team since it cuts into the cooldown for Tactical Team, and Reverse Shield polarity serves as a good panic button for when you come under fire, although personally I keep forgetting to use it, which might make the Engi team more useful. And you should be dropping Boarding Party skills no matter what :P

    By no means should you consider this build absolute, but more of a baseline that suits the most common role filled by an escort in an STF: cannon-based DPS. Exotic builds that aren't "forum-approved" can and do thrive with the right strategy and gear.
  • dknight0001dknight0001 Member Posts: 1,542
    edited August 2012
    Don't use that colour blue, it doesn't show up well on black.

    Example vs Example

    The quality of weapons matters little when talking about what you have.

    It's more important to say
    3 DHC's 1 Photon and 3 Turrets. All Disruptor than listing each individual bonus and quality. We know your going to run the best gear you can. The only time you should ask about bonuses is when your trying to find what is the best.

    I mostly agree with unangbangkay. I'd take High Yield over Torp Spread but it's not a big deal.
    I was once DKnight1000, apparently I had taken my own name so now I'm DKnight0001. :confused:
    If I ask you a question it is not an insult but a genuine attempt to understand why.
    When I insult you I won't be discreet about it, I will be precise and to the point stupid.
  • kylesal24kylesal24 Member Posts: 312
    edited August 2012
    First off. You don't have a carrier. You have a heavy Armitage escort. A carrier has 2 hangers, like the Atrox carrier I use. Change your eng. consoles to Neutronium. For sci. the best are field generators, they give more shield hit points. Besides that just follow the OP with his BOFF skills.
    Kyle
    Delta Fleet Command
  • simonpat56simonpat56 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    kylesal24 wrote: »
    First off. You have an awesome carrier.

    Fixed that for ya. :P
    Switch out your Emitter array for a Shield Emitter Amplifier (+Shield regen) or better yet a Field Generator (+% to shield capacity). I would recommend you craft the generators unless you have a lot of spare EC to buy it from the Exchange.

    Yeah, I'm nowhere near being able to craft anything of any use right now - I completely ignored it up until about a week ago. I just picked up a Mk XI MACO shield from Infected Space, which I switched the Jem'Hadar shields out for.
    Cdr Tac: Torpedo: Spread I, , Attack Pattern Beta I, Attack Pattern Omega I, Cannon: Rapid Fire III (captain-trained)
    LT Tac: Tactical Team I, Cannon Scatter Volley I
    EN Tac: Tactical Team I
    LtC En: Emergency Power to Shields I, Reverse Shield Polarity I, Emergency Power to Shields III
    LT Sci: Transfer Shield Strength I, Hazard Emitters II

    I retrained my crew, switching out Torpedo Spread for High Yield and Emergency Power to Shields III for...something else, I forget, because I can't train that skill. I ran Infected Space with a buddy of mine and a couple of randoms, and it seemed to work pretty well. I switched to 2 Neutroniums, haven't picked up the Field Generator yet.
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