Just wondered if I could call on some Verteran expertise to critique my Tac build I'd be most grateful.
I'm in a Multi-Vector Assault, with a Tac VA. I've been doing STF's for a few weeks now, after having read the various tips for those missions (I've only attempted Space so far, not Ground) I've enjoyed doing them, but don't want to let anyone down in the mission due to my "noobness".
Here's the build:
Fore Weapons (All Mark XI):
2 x Anti-Proton DHC [CrtD]x2 [Dmg]
1 x Anti-Proton Dual Beam Array [Acc/Dmg]x2
1 x Quantum Torp [CrtD]x2 [Dmg]
Aft Weapons
Anti-Proton Turrents x 3 [Acc] [CrtD] [Dmg]
Tac Consoles (All Mark XI):
2 x Antiproton Mag Regulator
2 x Tactical Pre-Fire Chamber
Eng Consoles (All Mark XI):
1 x EPS Flow Regulator
1 x SIF Generator
Sci Consoles (All Mark XI):
1 x MVAM
1 x Field Generator
1 x Shield Emitter Amplifier
Now, I've never used the MVAM so I'd be happy to swap it out (but for what..).
Deflector, Engines and Shields are all Borg (Standard Req).
BLUE - Engery Weapons Officer, Projectile Weapons Officer (Jem)
GREEN - Projectile Weapons Officer, Warp Core Engineer
PURPLE - Tholian Space Warfare (Damage vs. Borg).
Notes
I don't think my DOFF's are right, and I suspect there's room to maneuvre with the BOFF slots - but my main concern is that I don't appear to be doing much dmg with my cannons, I watch others in the STF's and their weapons appear to do far more damage - am I better off losing the beam and fitting another DHC? I read that too many can be a power drain if they're not done correctly.
I also appreciate I'm only on Mark XI equipment - so will need to play STF's a bit more so I can requisition the better tech (MACO? Omega? - which is best?)
The weapon layout you're using now is more geared to PVP where the ability to use spike damage for the finishing blow or a instant kill is more important. In PVE maximizing DPS with as many DHC's as you can tends to be the best thing to do so losing the DBB for a DHC would probably be wise. Running 4 DHC's makes a third Ensign Tac slot worthless btw. Personally I use BO3 and a DBB with 3 DHCs and 125 weapon power for PVE and PVP, it doesn't shine as much in PVE and my third ensign slot doesn't contribute TRIBBLE.
Switch all Tac consoles to Antiproton mag regulators and the SIF generator to a Neutronium for a survivability boost. You should use MVAM, it will help boost your DPS. If you don't want to use it just lose the console, no sense giving up a field generator or Assimilated module for something you don't use.
Beam Overload is a mix bag of nuts, BO3 is powerful and can be obtained from rare or very Boffs on the exchange for 40K EC or so while BO1 is usually just punishing yourself, not enough spike damage to justify the power drain. BO2 is more of a judgement call.There's only a 10% damage bonus for CRF 2 over CRF 1 so that might be a good change to make(CSV is probably better for STF's but can be a terrible mistake in PVP) while T:spread 3 is a potent AOE and can make node clearing easier. T:Sprd 3 cost to much EC on the exchange, just do the mission for the Jem'Hadar bridge officer, he's worth having anyway.
I don't like energy siphon and would tell you to get a GW1 instead for PVE play and carrier harassment. AP:O3 can be obtained from a rare or very rare Boff off the exchange for less than 20K EC and is good for breaking tractor beams and gravity wells,.
Bracketed powers are recommendations for different play-styles/weapon set ups.
Cmdr Tac: TT1, CRF1, T:spread 3, AP:O3
Lt Tac: T:Spread 1, AP:B1, [BO3],[AP:O3]
Ensign Tac: TT1,[CSV1],[AP:O1],[AP:B3] (AP:B is the most damaging AP in pve play)
having used a friends MVAE and played a few escorts myself I recommend running something like:
Weapons (energy and trop of your preference)
Fore: 2x DHC, 1 beam array, 1 torp
Aft: 1 beam array, 1 torp, 1 turret
This doesn't give MAX possible DPS but it does give good damage (my tac in her escort maxes at something approaching 17k damage per hit to bare hull) and gives a fair power broadside in the event you can't train your DHCs onto a starget (somewhere aproaching 500 damage per hit standard somewhere about 1500+ powered up maybe higher)
For engines, deflector and shields run what you will
Consoles
Engineering: Borg, neutronium
Science: MV, Field gen, console of your choice (though I recommend another field gen to bring your shields to something around 10k per)
Tactical: 3x energy weapon type boost, 1x torp type booster/energy type boost (depending upon whether you want max from your energy or a boost to torps)
BOFFs
Here's where i'm having issues deciding (I want one of these myself)
Tactical (CMDR): TT1, HY2/AP:B (depending upon whether or not you want to debuff your enemy's resistances), CRF2/3 (dependant on how much damage you want from it), AP:O1/2/3* (dependant upon CRF) *If you are capable of training it (see other brakets prerequisite)
Tactical (Lt.): TS1, CSV1
Tactical (ENS): FAW1/HY1 (dependant upon AP:B, FAW is nice addition to your multi-target abilities list though)
Engineering (Lt.): ET/EPtS1 (ET is better straight heal, also removes a couple of debuffs), EPtS2/Aux2SIF1 (Dependant upon ET, Aux2SIF maxes for a good heal if you run high Aux power** and gives a nice resistance buff) **If you don't run high Aux power you will benefit more from ET
I'll give two examples for science as it really depends upon your play style:
(Defensive) Science (Lt. CMDR): ST1 (Gives nice shield heal and clears a few debuffs), TSS2, HE3***
(Offensive) Science (Lt. CMDR): HE1, TSS2/Tractor beam (depends upon level of damage wanted/threat control you have), Grav well/Tachyon Beam*** (depending upon role, Grav well for crowd control, tachyon beam for shield strip and instant hull damage) ***Requires science player to train
This layout can be quite damaging to anything, regrettably when building this they went with an extra science position where I would have expected engineering (given the ships nature but I watched Voyager) so they've left you either with EPtS or EPtW, personally I prefer to keep my shields up and live with a light reduction in standard damage output but you may want standard damage output and die more quickly.
The MVAM console is perhaps the best this this ship has and would be a waste of money to not use, while the AI could use a couple of improvements (it likes to try it on with cubes in CSE) and the AI vectors could use a damage boost, when you get all three on 1 target it's an extremely nasty piece of kit (I have PvPed one using a patrol escort... it ended badly for me) anyway, that's just what I think on the subject, enjoy your ship however you choose to build and play it
Comments
Switch all Tac consoles to Antiproton mag regulators and the SIF generator to a Neutronium for a survivability boost. You should use MVAM, it will help boost your DPS. If you don't want to use it just lose the console, no sense giving up a field generator or Assimilated module for something you don't use.
Beam Overload is a mix bag of nuts, BO3 is powerful and can be obtained from rare or very Boffs on the exchange for 40K EC or so while BO1 is usually just punishing yourself, not enough spike damage to justify the power drain. BO2 is more of a judgement call.There's only a 10% damage bonus for CRF 2 over CRF 1 so that might be a good change to make(CSV is probably better for STF's but can be a terrible mistake in PVP) while T:spread 3 is a potent AOE and can make node clearing easier. T:Sprd 3 cost to much EC on the exchange, just do the mission for the Jem'Hadar bridge officer, he's worth having anyway.
I don't like energy siphon and would tell you to get a GW1 instead for PVE play and carrier harassment. AP:O3 can be obtained from a rare or very rare Boff off the exchange for less than 20K EC and is good for breaking tractor beams and gravity wells,.
Bracketed powers are recommendations for different play-styles/weapon set ups.
Cmdr Tac: TT1, CRF1, T:spread 3, AP:O3
Lt Tac: T:Spread 1, AP:B1, [BO3],[AP:O3]
Ensign Tac: TT1,[CSV1],[AP:O1],[AP:B3] (AP:B is the most damaging AP in pve play)
Lt Eng: EPTs1, APtSIF1
Lt.Cmr Sci: HE1, TSS2, Gravity Well 1
Thanks for your suggestions. To be honest I've barely ever used Energy Siphon - so I'm happy to take that out.
Will definately try an extra DHC and see what happens.
Weapons (energy and trop of your preference)
Fore: 2x DHC, 1 beam array, 1 torp
Aft: 1 beam array, 1 torp, 1 turret
This doesn't give MAX possible DPS but it does give good damage (my tac in her escort maxes at something approaching 17k damage per hit to bare hull) and gives a fair power broadside in the event you can't train your DHCs onto a starget (somewhere aproaching 500 damage per hit standard somewhere about 1500+ powered up maybe higher)
For engines, deflector and shields run what you will
Consoles
Engineering: Borg, neutronium
Science: MV, Field gen, console of your choice (though I recommend another field gen to bring your shields to something around 10k per)
Tactical: 3x energy weapon type boost, 1x torp type booster/energy type boost (depending upon whether you want max from your energy or a boost to torps)
BOFFs
Here's where i'm having issues deciding (I want one of these myself)
Tactical (CMDR): TT1, HY2/AP:B (depending upon whether or not you want to debuff your enemy's resistances), CRF2/3 (dependant on how much damage you want from it), AP:O1/2/3* (dependant upon CRF) *If you are capable of training it (see other brakets prerequisite)
Tactical (Lt.): TS1, CSV1
Tactical (ENS): FAW1/HY1 (dependant upon AP:B, FAW is nice addition to your multi-target abilities list though)
Engineering (Lt.): ET/EPtS1 (ET is better straight heal, also removes a couple of debuffs), EPtS2/Aux2SIF1 (Dependant upon ET, Aux2SIF maxes for a good heal if you run high Aux power** and gives a nice resistance buff) **If you don't run high Aux power you will benefit more from ET
I'll give two examples for science as it really depends upon your play style:
(Defensive) Science (Lt. CMDR): ST1 (Gives nice shield heal and clears a few debuffs), TSS2, HE3***
(Offensive) Science (Lt. CMDR): HE1, TSS2/Tractor beam (depends upon level of damage wanted/threat control you have), Grav well/Tachyon Beam*** (depending upon role, Grav well for crowd control, tachyon beam for shield strip and instant hull damage) ***Requires science player to train
This layout can be quite damaging to anything, regrettably when building this they went with an extra science position where I would have expected engineering (given the ships nature but I watched Voyager) so they've left you either with EPtS or EPtW, personally I prefer to keep my shields up and live with a light reduction in standard damage output but you may want standard damage output and die more quickly.
The MVAM console is perhaps the best this this ship has and would be a waste of money to not use, while the AI could use a couple of improvements (it likes to try it on with cubes in CSE) and the AI vectors could use a damage boost, when you get all three on 1 target it's an extremely nasty piece of kit (I have PvPed one using a patrol escort... it ended badly for me) anyway, that's just what I think on the subject, enjoy your ship however you choose to build and play it