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D'deridex Battleships - A Guide to Surviving
trek21
Member Posts: 2,246 Arc User
Every player in STO deals with these ships at one point or another, and other than the STF's or Borg Invasions, they are some of the toughest PvE ships in-game, for good reason.
Many older players know exactly how to deal with them, but just as often, there are newer players asking for help against these 'beasts'.
But the bottom line is, the D'deridex's are tough, but not invincible.
Now let's take a look at the abilities they have below:
--> Tractor Beam
--> Viral Matrix
--> Photonic Shock Wave
--> Torpedo: High Yield II
--> Torpedo: Spread II
--> Beam Array: Overload II
Tractor Beam: when anchored to you, is immediately followed by the triple HY plasma torpedo, but let's focus on the ability for now.
Tractor Beam is often a death sentence if you can do nothing about the followup attack, but the ability itself is not the issue: it's the loss in movement that is. The moment you stop moving, you lose a defense bonus that would otherwise help.
How to avoid? Tractor Beam can only be used from 5KM and below, so stay out of range as often as possible.
If you are ensnared, you can used Polarize Hull to break it (and get extra damage resistance to the torpedoes), or Attack Pattern Omega (includes all sorts of extra bonuses with it). While Polarize Hull can be used on almost any Science slot, you need a Lt. Comm. tac slot to get Attack Pattern Omega however.
Viral Matrix: this ability can be used to randomly shut subsystems on your ship, excluding shields. Meaning, at the worst possible times, you could lose all engine movement (bad), or all auxilary power (making you unable to use Polarize Hull, or other important abilities).
How to avoid? This ability can only be used from 7KM and below. Now this is hard to keep up on a consistent basis, but the good news is, this ability also has a 90 degree arc... so another way to avoid it is stay behind the D'deridex at all times.
If you're suffering from it, you can use Engineering Team to negate it. Be warned though: if you use Eng Team immediately after you're hit by Viral Matrix, you will see the last effect pop up after Eng Team's effect wears off, but only for a few secs.
Photonic Shock Wave: When activated, this ability will 'disable' all systems on your ship, along with movement for a few seconds. It passes quickly, but if the triple HY torpedoes are heading your way when this happens, it could be deadly.
How to avoid? Can only be used from 3KM and below in a 360 degree arc, so obviously, stay away from the ship. There is no defense against the disable, so be careful.
Torpedo: High Yield II: Unique among the game's enemies, this ability launches 3 heavy plasma torpedoes, which can equal certain doom among the unprepared.
How to avoid it? When these torpedoes are launched, there really is no way to 'avoid' them, but there are a large number of ways you deal with them otherwise.
1. Shoot them down. Whether with manual fire (misses often though without Acc modifiers), Area-of-effect abilities such as Beam: Fire at Will or Torpedo: Spread, or more unusual means like Eject Warp Plasma or Gravity Well, it takes only a single shot to 'kill' these torpedoes.
2. Buff up your defense. If the worst happens, and you can't avoid collision with these torpedoes, use all 'damage resistance' abilities that you have. Rotate Shield Frequency, Transfer Shield Strength, Brace For Impact, Emergency Power to Shields, Hazard Emitters... the list goes on.
And the more you have, the less damage they'll do against you.
Torpedo: Spread II and Beam: Overload II... not really worth a mention, overall.
Notes:
- Tac Team, while not a damage resistance ability, is still useful if faced with many of the beam/torpedo enhancement skills: it focuses your shields on the facing that's being attacked, making them less likely to do major damage to your hull.
- Evasive Maneuvers will provide a major defense buff if activated outside of Tractor Beam. It can allow you precious seconds to recover from a major attack, or more time to shoot down the heavy torpedoes
And finally, some of you may think it's unfair that you need certain abilities to take down a single enemy, but the fact is... some of these abilities I've mentioned are the most-used in the game, and without them, combat will be generally harder.
But you do not every single one to deal with a D'deridex: you just need the right strategy and tactics, and enough of the abilities to moderately deal with whatever it can throw at you. With enough practice, they'll soon become much easier.
Thank you for reading this.
Many older players know exactly how to deal with them, but just as often, there are newer players asking for help against these 'beasts'.
But the bottom line is, the D'deridex's are tough, but not invincible.
Now let's take a look at the abilities they have below:
--> Tractor Beam
--> Viral Matrix
--> Photonic Shock Wave
--> Torpedo: High Yield II
--> Torpedo: Spread II
--> Beam Array: Overload II
Tractor Beam: when anchored to you, is immediately followed by the triple HY plasma torpedo, but let's focus on the ability for now.
Tractor Beam is often a death sentence if you can do nothing about the followup attack, but the ability itself is not the issue: it's the loss in movement that is. The moment you stop moving, you lose a defense bonus that would otherwise help.
How to avoid? Tractor Beam can only be used from 5KM and below, so stay out of range as often as possible.
If you are ensnared, you can used Polarize Hull to break it (and get extra damage resistance to the torpedoes), or Attack Pattern Omega (includes all sorts of extra bonuses with it). While Polarize Hull can be used on almost any Science slot, you need a Lt. Comm. tac slot to get Attack Pattern Omega however.
Viral Matrix: this ability can be used to randomly shut subsystems on your ship, excluding shields. Meaning, at the worst possible times, you could lose all engine movement (bad), or all auxilary power (making you unable to use Polarize Hull, or other important abilities).
How to avoid? This ability can only be used from 7KM and below. Now this is hard to keep up on a consistent basis, but the good news is, this ability also has a 90 degree arc... so another way to avoid it is stay behind the D'deridex at all times.
If you're suffering from it, you can use Engineering Team to negate it. Be warned though: if you use Eng Team immediately after you're hit by Viral Matrix, you will see the last effect pop up after Eng Team's effect wears off, but only for a few secs.
Photonic Shock Wave: When activated, this ability will 'disable' all systems on your ship, along with movement for a few seconds. It passes quickly, but if the triple HY torpedoes are heading your way when this happens, it could be deadly.
How to avoid? Can only be used from 3KM and below in a 360 degree arc, so obviously, stay away from the ship. There is no defense against the disable, so be careful.
Torpedo: High Yield II: Unique among the game's enemies, this ability launches 3 heavy plasma torpedoes, which can equal certain doom among the unprepared.
How to avoid it? When these torpedoes are launched, there really is no way to 'avoid' them, but there are a large number of ways you deal with them otherwise.
1. Shoot them down. Whether with manual fire (misses often though without Acc modifiers), Area-of-effect abilities such as Beam: Fire at Will or Torpedo: Spread, or more unusual means like Eject Warp Plasma or Gravity Well, it takes only a single shot to 'kill' these torpedoes.
2. Buff up your defense. If the worst happens, and you can't avoid collision with these torpedoes, use all 'damage resistance' abilities that you have. Rotate Shield Frequency, Transfer Shield Strength, Brace For Impact, Emergency Power to Shields, Hazard Emitters... the list goes on.
And the more you have, the less damage they'll do against you.
Torpedo: Spread II and Beam: Overload II... not really worth a mention, overall.
Notes:
- Tac Team, while not a damage resistance ability, is still useful if faced with many of the beam/torpedo enhancement skills: it focuses your shields on the facing that's being attacked, making them less likely to do major damage to your hull.
- Evasive Maneuvers will provide a major defense buff if activated outside of Tractor Beam. It can allow you precious seconds to recover from a major attack, or more time to shoot down the heavy torpedoes
And finally, some of you may think it's unfair that you need certain abilities to take down a single enemy, but the fact is... some of these abilities I've mentioned are the most-used in the game, and without them, combat will be generally harder.
But you do not every single one to deal with a D'deridex: you just need the right strategy and tactics, and enough of the abilities to moderately deal with whatever it can throw at you. With enough practice, they'll soon become much easier.
Thank you for reading this.
Was named Trek17.
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
Post edited by trek21 on
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Comments
I tend to run science oriented ships for all classes and I use repulsors and jam sensors when I get caught by one of these suckers. I save the Polarize Hull slots for Hazard Emitters instead because plasma fire is a more consistent problem when fighting Romulans.
As for what the OP said about needing certain skills: This is true with every enemy group. You'll need to retrain your Boffs before you enter each new mission chain. Management is part of an MMO. (By the time you get to Tau Dewa you should know enough to have a good general ROFLstomp build regardless of the enemy. )
Hit BFI, hit TT1, hit HE1, hit TSS2, run up to it point blank, tractor beam it, and let it's own torps kill it. You probably will survive. Then EM out of there to avoid the warp core breach. One less Rommie/Reman battleship out there.
Follow up with a few tactical buffs, tachyon beam, DEM, BO and a nice set of quantum torps, and the D'deridex is strictly past tense. :cool:
...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
- Anne Bredon
Or there's that. Not recommended if the D'D brought friends.
...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
- Anne Bredon
But hey, if it helps newer players, it's done it's job
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
However it is sad to see that the average (or under average) STO player needs help to complete this encounter. And it is not even that hard to begin with. The only dangerous thing is the plasma torpedo volley, that is actually able to kill a playership, if they are not destroyed or outhealed.
Let's assume for a second that new players weren't born out of a dev's head like some sort of MMO Athena and don't innately know how to handle it when the Romulan Cheese Boat decloaks on top of them in a mission instead of telling them they suck.
Yeah. I find them the most annoying romulane enemy. Not that they are powerful or such, but with their Tactic Team you generally need more then 10 sec to destroy them. I really liked the Warbirds and the BoPs. The letter shooting itself with its own torpedo^^
After pugging STFs and seeing my cruiser making more than 50% of the damage in the encounter (NPC included), I think this is just the beginning. Dont forget: Some ppl have problems destroying two borg probes or two borgified BoPs.
They're not so pathetic if you're still at the Commander level and staring down a D'D for the first time in a Horizon-class. I know NPCs scale with effectiveness as you level, but even so, for new players in stock-class ships a D'D can be pretty scary.
...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
- Anne Bredon
Thats pretty much correct. But they follow a pattern, and I had never any problems with any ship I have encountered. Its not that most people are too stupid to defeat it, its just that many people dont wont to think about something and instead have someone explaining (or doing) it for them. Or they blame other ones for their own failure. And thats a habit I simply cant stand. I am a Mentor in my fleet and are happy to explain things, but only to ppl that are open for suggestion.
The funniest line I have ever heard in TS was "STO is so complex", but while it has many fascets, I find (or found) it pretty easy. But some people want a tutorial for every new mission they have to do. And thats, well...
The thing you need for STO, every other game and life is common sense, unfortunately it seems many people have lost it.
Ah but unlike the Cyberdemon, the D'Deridex is not immune to its own projectiles. So you have that advantage going for you.
Because this is the first time going against hard enemy and they are not prepared for it , they are not trained by the other missions for it
tips from bridge officers should be added as to how to fight enemys like this i think
Saphire.. Science ground......Ko'el Romulan space Tac
Leva........Tactical ground.....Koj Romulan space Eng
JJ-Verse will never be Canon or considered Lore...It will always be JJ-Verse
This idea isn't worth a plus one since the power of its truth is over 9000.
+9000. I support anything that makes your Boffs more than pets.
It should have been covered in the tutorial that took place at the Academy that isn't.
if your an escort they are a piece of cake, cannon rapid fire coupled with high yield torpedoes, attack pattern of your choice and tactical team all launched at 8km is usually enough to kill it there and then.
Cruisers read the OP,
Sci - op
Carriers, just set your pets to intercept and they will shoot them down for you.
Beam fire at will is handy.
Prioritise your targets, if you have 3 plasmas comming to you, stop shooting the ship, turn around and run while shooting the torps. very simple, very effective and plain common sense,
DD's are slow, slow to turn, slow to move. use this, if your taking a pounding get out of range and regen for a few seconds. Evasive maneuvers is good for this.
Tactical Team 1 is a musthave on pretty much any ship, its a lifesaver, saved my skin numerous times. it keeps your facing shield as strong as possible, a poor mans rotate shield polarity.
sitting hull to hull (really close) is a deathwish. maintain distance, it gives you reaction time.
personally they take me seconds to wipe out in an escort, and my cruiser they are no threat at all. build your boffs well. having hazard emmiters, Emergency power to shields and transfer shield strength is sufficient for any ship generally, couple this with tactical teams and your good, just remember to cycle these abilities, dont fire them all off at once, and dont punch HE until your around 75% hull to get the most of them. and remember shields reduce torpedo damage to your hull significantly, they can make sure that torp hits for a few hundred instead of 40k. if you cant shoot the torp down at least make sure it hits a shield and not the hull.
@Mad-Larkin
Fleet: http://www.unrepentantgaming.com
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Yeah, their TT helps them staying alive more than ten seconds.
Then I read the OP ... and they are just really big targets now.
Many thanks
Infinite possibilities have implications that could not be completely understood if you turned this entire universe into a giant supercomputer.
Spock's Brain.
Good advice in this thread, but also remember the armor plating that gives disruptor and plasma resists. Though I do agree there should be some tactical advice given, when facing certain enemies. Whether it be from the mission briefieing, as additional info. Or from the Executive Officer, or tactical boff.
Just wish there was a console on the bridge or ready room, where you can look up ships, and ground personel for tactical info. Seeing as they are revamping the ui add this feature. Get someone from Cryptic to do some voice over, for the entries.
Seems that Starfleet Intelligence and Imperial Intelligence are napping. Sending ships blindly into missions without intelligence and tactical advice.
Captain Bipto: What's the problem? Just vaporise; everyone, everything, boof, mission accomplished, medals, awards, a parade, next!
U.S.S. Helios -Vesta Class / R.R.W. Dark Science - Dyson Surveillance Science Destroyer
U.S.S. Donut - Fleet Advanced Research Vessel Retrofit
TheWiseGuys
"Critics who say that the optimistic utopia Star Trek depicted is now outmoded forget the cultural context that gave birth to it: Star Trek was not a manifestation of optimism when optimism was easy. Star Trek declared a hope for a future that nobody stuck in the present could believe in. For all our struggles today, we haven’t outgrown the need for stories like Star Trek. We need tales of optimism, of heroes, of courage and goodness now as much as we’ve ever needed them."
-Thomas Marrone
"Critics who say that the optimistic utopia Star Trek depicted is now outmoded forget the cultural context that gave birth to it: Star Trek was not a manifestation of optimism when optimism was easy. Star Trek declared a hope for a future that nobody stuck in the present could believe in. For all our struggles today, we haven’t outgrown the need for stories like Star Trek. We need tales of optimism, of heroes, of courage and goodness now as much as we’ve ever needed them."
-Thomas Marrone