Hi, need a bit of advice. Even though I've played since F2P and I have 9 characters, I've never used a Science ship before. The Varanus is okay, but I think I can do a lot better in the damage department. That might be wishful thinking on my part though. Also, my character is a Tac, and I know there are better ships out there for a tac, but hes a Gorn....and we kind of lack a better choice.:(
Anyway heres the build I currently have. The weapons are currently Polarized Disruptor mk12 [CrtH]x2. These will probably change to Fleet Mk12s soon once I can figure out what weapons I want to use...the beams were just cheap on the exchange. I know that the borg engine and assimilated console aren't part of a set anymore, so either of them can go.
So Any advice on upping the DPS would be appreciated. Do dual beams in the front and turrets in the back work? Seems like it would on paper but I'm but sure. I've also heard of going heavy on torpedoes, but I'm not sure there either.
So Any advice on upping the DPS would be appreciated. Do dual beams in the front and turrets in the back work? Seems like it would on paper but I'm but sure. I've also heard of going heavy on torpedoes, but I'm not sure there either.
I tried Dual beam banks and Turrets, didn't really like them, they seemed to be less effective than my current build. I currently use 2xCannons in the front and 3x Turrets in the rear. I also use a chroniton torpedo, becuase I quite often find myself doing crowd control in STF's.
In the next week I'll be tweaking my build to: 3x Cannon up front, 2x Turrets + Borg cutting beam in the rear.
Klingon Honor Guard Mk10 Deflector
Borg Sub Transwarp Engine
Klingon Honor Guard Mk10 Shield
First msitake I fear, is the Bio-Nureal warhead in the rear. Stick 3 turrets in. You need to keep your nose towards the enemy to use your Beam banks and science powers, so why not have 360 degree weapons shooting?
I'm begining to think the two peice honor guard isn't as useful as it seems, and I'm begining to wonder if a Two peice omega set might work out better (Or even a three peice).
Science:
Field Generator MkXI Blue
Field Generator MkXI Blue
Field Generator MkXI Blue
Plasmonic Leech
RCS is redundant as the Varnaus is already pretty nimble.
The Armour is pretty pointsless as well. My current set up can ignore incoming fire and powers on normal STF's with no issues, and I mean utterly ignore two or three spheres.
On the Science I think you've over done it a bit. I use one Field Generator, two gravametric generators and the Regen rate console. You're scarficing signifficant buffs to your science powers which can boost your DPS. Stick the plasmodic Leech into an Eng slot.
I'd also ask where's your repair platform? That is a brilliant console, utterly worth it. You can have so many launched that it almsot makes hazard emitters redundant.
Science:
Polarize Hull 1, Hazard Emmitters 2, Gravity Well 1, Viral Matrix 2
Hazard Emitters 1, Transfer Shield Strength 2, Transfer Shield Strength 3
For the tactical powers why not stick in ones effecting your main weapons? Beam overload or fire at will for beams Scatter or Rapid fire for Cannons (One advantage of turrets + Cannons + Plasmodic leech).
Why Viral matrix and Gravity well? At the moment you're sort of all over the place with your science consoles and powers. Specialise! I run gravity well 3 and 1, a Tractor beam 3 (although that seems like it might be a bit of a waste). I keep the lower grade powers for heals and defensive abilities.
Not entirely sure Polarize hull is worth it. As you're not an escort speed isn't life. So popping an evasive maneuvers when tractored I find works just fine.
This setup in PvE pretty much never gets a scratch and pretty much you get in close after you pop the grav well, hit CPB, Dispersal Pattern Beta, and watch this aoe explode a bunch of targets
Edit: Also the way i set this up is I felt the need to make sure I controlled when I start the beam fireing and when the mines launch so even if you try this setup for a tact you'll need to make sure you only fire the mines when you are close other than that its made me love playing the fleet varanus
Did a few changes. Seems to be a improvement over what I had. I know the Sci Powers were all over the place, but I really haven't had to use that many Sci Powers before with a Tac in a Escort or Bop. I might switch out the beams for cannons once I play with them some more.
Also the Bio Neural is on the cutting block, I like to keep a certain amount of refined Dilithium around and another beam would have cut into that reserve.
Science:
Field Generator MkXI Blue
Flow Capacitor MkXI Purple
Flow Capacitor MkXI Purple
Repair Platform
Personally (again my own personal taste) is to replace hte armour with hte repair console. However moving on.
You have allot of Flow Capacitors skill buffs, as it looks like you're heading towards a power drain build how about Tykens rift 1+3? After checking the Wiki it seems that Flow Capacitors also buffs Target sub systems attacks, so maybe replacing Tactical team with Target subsystem: Shields, so you can chain two copies (One is inate to the ship)?
The other thing to consider with this is Polarized Dirsuptors as weapons.
Also a full borg set gives you a tractor beam that drains power, and benifits from Flow Capacitors skill boosts.
Comments
Snap, I'm in the same boat. Tac in a Varnaus struggling with DPS. I can only tell you what I do, not if its the best.
I tried Dual beam banks and Turrets, didn't really like them, they seemed to be less effective than my current build. I currently use 2xCannons in the front and 3x Turrets in the rear. I also use a chroniton torpedo, becuase I quite often find myself doing crowd control in STF's.
In the next week I'll be tweaking my build to: 3x Cannon up front, 2x Turrets + Borg cutting beam in the rear.
First msitake I fear, is the Bio-Nureal warhead in the rear. Stick 3 turrets in. You need to keep your nose towards the enemy to use your Beam banks and science powers, so why not have 360 degree weapons shooting?
I'm begining to think the two peice honor guard isn't as useful as it seems, and I'm begining to wonder if a Two peice omega set might work out better (Or even a three peice).
RCS is redundant as the Varnaus is already pretty nimble.
The Armour is pretty pointsless as well. My current set up can ignore incoming fire and powers on normal STF's with no issues, and I mean utterly ignore two or three spheres.
On the Science I think you've over done it a bit. I use one Field Generator, two gravametric generators and the Regen rate console. You're scarficing signifficant buffs to your science powers which can boost your DPS. Stick the plasmodic Leech into an Eng slot.
I'd also ask where's your repair platform? That is a brilliant console, utterly worth it. You can have so many launched that it almsot makes hazard emitters redundant.
For the tactical powers why not stick in ones effecting your main weapons? Beam overload or fire at will for beams Scatter or Rapid fire for Cannons (One advantage of turrets + Cannons + Plasmodic leech).
Why Viral matrix and Gravity well? At the moment you're sort of all over the place with your science consoles and powers. Specialise! I run gravity well 3 and 1, a Tractor beam 3 (although that seems like it might be a bit of a waste). I keep the lower grade powers for heals and defensive abilities.
Not entirely sure Polarize hull is worth it. As you're not an escort speed isn't life. So popping an evasive maneuvers when tractored I find works just fine.
It has Retro Borg deflector and engine + KHG shield
3 single disruptor beams front and 1 single disruptor beam rear + 2 tricobalt mine launchers
This setup is with a Gorn Science Officer in the Fleet Varanus.
Tactical: TT1, Disperal Pattern Beta 1
Eng: EPS1, RSP1 and Eng Team 1
Science: Sci Team 1, Energy Siphon 1, Grav Well 1, CPB3
TTS1, HE2, HE3
Consoles:
Tact: 3 Disruptor XI
Eng Neutronium, Aceton mine, Repair Drone Console
Science: Particle Generators, Flow Capacitors, Shield Capacity console, Plasmonic Leach
This setup in PvE pretty much never gets a scratch and pretty much you get in close after you pop the grav well, hit CPB, Dispersal Pattern Beta, and watch this aoe explode a bunch of targets
Edit: Also the way i set this up is I felt the need to make sure I controlled when I start the beam fireing and when the mines launch so even if you try this setup for a tact you'll need to make sure you only fire the mines when you are close other than that its made me love playing the fleet varanus
Also the Bio Neural is on the cutting block, I like to keep a certain amount of refined Dilithium around and another beam would have cut into that reserve.
Fore Weapons:
Fleet Disruptor Beam Array mk12 [CrtH]x1 [DMG]x3
Fleet Disruptor Beam Array mk12 [CrtH]x1 [DMG]x3
Photon Torpedo Mk12 [Borg]
Aft Weapons
Fleet Disruptor Beam Array mk12 [CrtH]x1 [DMG]x3
Fleet Disruptor Beam Array mk12 [CrtH]x1 [DMG]x3
Bio Neural Warhead
Klingon Honor Guard Mk10 Deflector
Borg Sub Transwarp Engine
Klingon Honor Guard Mk10 Shield
Devices:
Shield Battery
Scorpion Fighter
SubSpace Field Modulator
Engineering Consoles:
Plasmonic Leech
Electroceramic MkX Purple
Borg Assimilated Console
Science:
Field Generator MkXI Blue
Flow Capacitor MkXI Purple
Flow Capacitor MkXI Purple
Repair Platform
Tactical:
Disruptor Induction Coil MkXI Blue
Disruptor Induction Coil MkXI Blue
Boff Powers:
Tactical:
Tactical Team 1, Torpedo Spread 2
Engineering:
Emergency Power Shield 1, Reverse Shield Polarity 1
Emergency Power shield 1
Science:
Hazard Emitters 1, Transfer Shield Strength 2, Gravity Well 1, Gravity Well 2
Polarize Hull 1, Hazard Emitters 2, Tyken's Rift 2
Personally (again my own personal taste) is to replace hte armour with hte repair console. However moving on.
You have allot of Flow Capacitors skill buffs, as it looks like you're heading towards a power drain build how about Tykens rift 1+3? After checking the Wiki it seems that Flow Capacitors also buffs Target sub systems attacks, so maybe replacing Tactical team with Target subsystem: Shields, so you can chain two copies (One is inate to the ship)?
The other thing to consider with this is Polarized Dirsuptors as weapons.
Also a full borg set gives you a tractor beam that drains power, and benifits from Flow Capacitors skill boosts.