I have been a cruiser PvEer for 99% of my time online. However, with the recent heated discussions on the effectiveness of cruisers between the pvp and pve community I thought it time to take the plunge and look into pvp more seriously. With the help of one of my fleet mates, who is more active in pvp, I created the following healer/support build and would greatly appreciate your feedback on it both good and bad.
I mostly fly a
Sci Odyssey as a tank and thought I could, for the most part, use the same ship in pvp by changing BOFFs now, and over time altering other elements of my build. Here is what I've come up with so far...
Eng Cmdr: EPtW1, RSP1, EPtS3, ES3
Univ Lt Cr: EPtW1, EPtS2, ES2
Tac Lt: TT1, BmTgtShld2
Sci Lt: HE1, TSS2
Univ Ensn: PH1
DOFFS, all to be upgraded to Purple eventually:
2 Blue Conn (TT)
3 Blue Shld Dist (BFI)
3 AP/Phaser Mk XII (Borg) BAs, 1 Hargh'peng Mk XI - Fore and Aft
I know [Acc]x3 is the best for pvp but they don't exist for AP and I can't afford them for phasers at this time, so please let me know what would work next best in this healer role.
3 Borg and 1 MACO XII Shield
Devices: Red Matter, Sub Space Fld Mod, Deuterium, Engine Batt
Consoles:
Eng: Vent Theta, 2 x Mk XI Neutronium, Borg
Sci: 4 x Field Gens
Tac: 2 x AP or Phaser
Power Levels: in PvE I'm almost always in Attack preset, but for PvP have no idea what to do here.
Here are my skills from STO Skill Planner:
http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/index.php?build=sonulinuoddy1_0
Please be kind, it's my first PvP attempt. Thanks!
Comments
Shields are important, but you only have one hull heal.
http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/index.php?build=sonulinu_0
This is nothing fancy. It gives you a balance of the different heals, buffs and effect clears.
As a healer you need to think about what kind of ships and the captains that are on your team. You want to be focusing on the squishier targets rather than people who can take care of themselves. This take a lot of experience, so if you can, find a PvP fleet and they will show you the ropes. If not, join the OPVP channel and we can help you out in game.
Once you understand the game mechanics better, and are able to keep your team mates up, you can start dropping defensive abilities out for offensive ones. Switch out consoles and weapons for a ship that does more than heal.
ACC is the best modifier. Phasers and Tetryon are the best energy types. Better yet Phased-Tetryon [ACC]x2 weapons if you can afford them.
Dont use Theta Vent. In PvP theres a few things we dont like because they are overpowered and make the game not fun.
Pets:
Siphon Drones
Danubes
Consoles:
Grav Pulse
Aceton Assimilators
Plasmonic Leech
Theta Vent
Most people try to hold back on using them. But if you bust one out first, the other team wont hesitate to bring out their TRIBBLE.
For cruiser help take a look at this thread.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=379591
Thank you, hyprodimus, this is exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for. The more balanced approach on BO skills among shields and hull heals along with buffs and clears will help me be more effective overall to a team. Although I'm very happy as a leader in my current fleet, I will definitely take advantage of the OPVP channel as it's apparent I'm going to need lots of guidance. Don't want to start off on the wrong foot so it's also good to know about Theta. What would you recommend as a replacement? I have antimatter spread or should I use another neutronium or something completely different?
Why not Red Matter or Sub Space Field Modulator? Are you then also suggesting not using the BFI doffs?
I see your point on my captain skills. They need to be less focused on dps and more on strengthening my BO support skills. The only two areas of concern here are Threat Control, since that is my main and most effective skill for PvE and I plan to continue to do massive amounts of STFs, and the Commander, Captain, and Admiral Sci skills. I don't have any of those BO or Captain powers so why do I need them? Are you saying I should plan to move into them eventually? Wouldn't it be better to just respec at a later date?
Is there anyplace I can pick up Phased-Tetryon [ACC]x2 weapons other than lockboxes and the exchange? Sounds like a long-term investment plan. And what are the best Tac Consoles for them?
Thanks again for all the advice. I suspect my biggest challenge will be changing my mind set and properly using a new strategy once the battles begin. But I'm eagerly looking forward to it!
Hmm, I didn't see him mention anywhere about not using your Subspace Field Modulator and Red Matter Capacitor. Only your Vent Theta Radiation console. And DON'T use Antimatter Spread. That isn't considered as overpowered compared to Theta, but it isn't a good idea, because again, that'll at least get you killed a lot, if not get the other team bringing out ALL their consoles too.
In fact, almost any C-store console will tick off PvPers. Might make them seem childish, but what if you had to deal with things like Antimatter Spread day-in and day-out from anybody you fought against? You'd get sick of it too. You're better off with things like more armor.
Here's a good way of thinking of it: Without any merely bought consoles, only more 'basic' consoles like Field Generators, Neutroniums, etc, you're enhancing your ship and when you do PvP, you're gonna rely on your skills to win, not merely clicking one button and watching people get confused by AMS, or lose all their crew with Theta, and so on.
Your Threat Control skill won't actually make people shoot at you, but the damage resistance boost it has will stay.
Unfortunately, Phased Tetryons are only from lockboxes (Tholian one), and you can only buy them from the exchange otherwise. That said, they use Tetryon damage, so equip Tetryon Pulse Generators to boost their damage. I'd recommend for now, using Tetryon weapons, normal ones, and slowly switch out to all Phased Tetryons as you can afford them. I do also recommend buying Mk XI Phased Tetryons, not Mk XII. There is very little difference between the two, and Mk XII (Especially Acc x2) are VERY expensive. If of course, you choose to go that route.
Anyways, BFI DOFFs are very very powerful, especially since they use Flow Capacitors atm to boost their healing, but while I wish they weren't used on BFI of course, they're still useful, and nothing compared to something like the SNB DOFFs, but that's for another day.
AMS is like an AoE jam+scramble sensors, which anyone on either side can put on their ships for "free."
I say for free because normally you would need a Commander level science slot and high aux for the same level of effect from a scramble III.
If we had a console that did what Viral Matrix did, there would be no reason to run a science ship whatsoever since those are the only two science skills left working (in pvp)
Theta used to be more powerful, it still is in that it kills all crew and allows fast ships to use Eject Warp Plasma for "free." Usually you have to give up a high level engineering slot on a cruiser.
Plasmonic, Aceton Assimilators and Siphons are all hated because they leave you powerless. I am fully specced into Insulators and Siphons alone will leave me below 20 power. That means Im shooting at 20 power, healing for nothing at 20, barely moving at 20 and shields offer no resistance at 20.
Danube pets are considered OP because they give the Armitage the ability to snare for "free." The Atrox can run two bays, so theres no escape, you are constantly tractored.
Graviton Pulse, if specced right, can prevent you from turning or moving for 50 seconds.
Anything I didnt mention before just meant you are on the right track. Your doffs and gear are excellent, just work on the weapons. Device choice is fine.
I actually just used one of my old templates for the example build I linked. Im a science officer, I dont know what you are.
But going from pve to pvp basically means speccing into resist skills like Power Insulators, Inertial Dampeners and Subsystem Repair.
I think I now understand the aversion to anything that's not pure skill vs. p2w. So I guess my point defense system is no good either (I use this alot in PvE)?
Phased-Tetryon Mk XIs are much more reasonable in price than the XIIs so that's helpful!
And I can't believe I didn't mention this before, I'm an Eng captain. Does that change your suggested skill tree significantly?
Subspace Jump, Impulse capacitor are fine. The rest of the pets are fine. Any Ship-Specific console is generally fine. Like the Ablative Generator, 360-Photon torpedo, Phase Shift, Oddy consoles, Metreon console etc
Here is a basic Engineer skill tree.
http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/index.php?build=sonu2_0
There is a lot of extra skill points, so you can throw that into whatever. If you dont intend on using science ships, you can throw the rest into Energy Weapon Specialization. Otherwise, you might want to spec into graviton generators and countermeasures.
The rest of the ground tree is up to you as well. Repairs is mandatory since that allows you to train Engineering Team III.
Are you running a full power to aux build? If so, instead of ES3, run Aux2Sif3, & 2 copies of ES2, 2 copies of EPTS2, & 2 copies of ET1. It this gives you continues hull heals on demand. These will be useful fighting the Klingons