For those thinking you need an escort for first place, I'm coming in first place pretty much every time I'm doing it, (at time of writing about 6 or 7 times in a row). My inventory is literally cluttered with the purple mark X reward items.
I'm flying the Intrepid Retrofit, and focus mostly on healing my teammates while switching to do as much DPS as I can when no one is in need of healing or when my stuff is on cooldown. I don't think I'm doing anything special, but I do juggle power levels a lot, and use Gravity Well off cooldown on the CE to pull in shards and clutter everything together for AOE.
I've gotten first place multiple times with an Orion Marauder Cruiser fitted with Plasma Beams and the Romulan set, and Advanced Slavers as the fighters.
I've also gotten first place twice in a Galaxy Retrofit fitted with Polarized Disputor cannons and turrets.
Going in with a carrier I can get first place nearly every time if I put my mind to it. I normally don't as I'm so sick of doing it. Thanks for not putting in a timer to let someone know when his character is eligible to get a shard, Cryptic.
Weirdly, the more I play the more I think that escorts have the hardest time getting consistent firsts in the CE event. They get the highest DPS sure, but they struggle with points for other sources and end up in second or third. Instead, I'm finding it easiest to get first in a cruiser these days. Go figure.
Really? That's funny because I have received the 1st place accolade several times, each time I was piloting a sci ship, one with my Intrepid, two with my Orb Weaver and once in my Varanas.
I find this line of replies sadly hilarious. We put a lot of work into the massive list of fixes/changes above, and ya'll are hung up on the ability to skip our content. =p
I haven't gotten first place multiple times on any character (I think), but the two times I did get it were in my engineer's Kamarag and my tactical's Varanus. And the best part is I hadn't even optimized my builds or tried to get first place, I'm just in it for the shards.
Admiral Katrina Tokareva - U.S.S. Cosmos, Yorktown-class Star Cruiser Admiral Dananra Lekall - R.R.W. Teverresh, Deihu-class Warbird General J'Kar son of K'tsulan - I.K.S. Dlahath, Vo'devwl-class Carrier
Funny how this is supposed to be difficult.
-> Engineer in a sub-optimal oddy with plasma and torps. have gotten 1st twice in three days. Not really moving around either. Only to bag a couple of thollies that try to make scratches to my pimped out paintjob
I've got 1st in a tank cruiser, dps carrier, dps escort, heal science, dps (sorta) science. Only thing I haven't got 1st with is dps cruiser because I just can't be bothered remaking my build when it already got 1st.
Think the OP really does just need to get some good advice on building a good ship to beat it with. That or wait till after the event is done, you should see a lot of the high scoring ships not bother for a while afterwards.
I've managed 1st twice in my Odyssey with Engy. Parked bow-on at 4km, firing hyperplasma with projectile officers, 3 beams and cutting beam. Tips:
-Try and tag damage onto everything. Every shard wave or Tholian reinforcement, try and put some damage on each ship. Fire at Will helps here.
-Be quick in healing others. You need to be actively looking for opportunities to use your heals.
- Make sure you keep an eye on the other 5 people who aren't in your team, they may be a healing target too.
-If there is noone hurt, consider letting your shields drop for a moment so you can heal yourself.
I've been getting 1st or 2nd place consistently in an Assault Cruiser Refit (not the Fleet version? yet), so it's perfectly doable; it'll be harder for two console ships I suppose, especially if you're not stocked up on team-heals.
To their credit, the crystaline shards do seem to love escorts, whom they can destroy very quickly, the entity's main attack can also mess up escorts quickly. So cruisers do have an advantage in that regard as I can easily survive the spam with just my basic self-only heals, leaving me free to transfer shield strength or use hazard emitters on my team. My main issue is that targeting team members is still really flaky, so half the time I end up just healing myself when I was trying to help out a team member.
However, the mission puts me in a funny position; I obviously get points for healing team-mates, but if they're an escort then I actually have an improved chance of getting 1st if I let them die?
So far I have gotten first in the following ships, with following class:
Armitage with Tac and Engineer. Tac has Rom plasma weaponry, has also used photon torpedoes. Engineer has MK11 disruptors and photons.
Assault Cruiser with Engineer. With disruptor beam arrays, one forward photon and rear bio-nuke. Have also had some success with rearward mines. Primary weapon is warp plasma 3. A quantum forward would be better, it fires infrequently.
Mirror Assault Cruiser with Engineer. Same setup as normal assault, wanted to see if 1k crew really helped with early damage regen---can't really tell.
Mirror Science with Engineer. Using forward torpedo and pair of dual disruptor beam banks, gravity well. Far and away the hardest IMO, subsystem target is meaningless and extremely limited tac slots left me wanting a tac team, which is my crutch ability to reposition shields quickly.
Mirror Heavy Escort with Engineer. Disruptors, 1 photon torpedo.
Kar-Fi with Tac and Science. Tac has photons and disruptor, Sci has plasma with Rom plasma+normal plasma. Both using normal quality frigates. Recently got cutting beam with Sci, have gotten first both with and without it(mounted rear).
Mirror Raptor with Tac. Three forward photons and a forward disruptor heavy. All photon consoles, a surprisingly effective ship.
Bortasque(anniversary issue, not store) with Science. Two piece Jem-hadar set with forward polarons(3), forward Rom Torpedo, cutting beam. Have also had success subbing one of the polarons with the transphasic mine torpedo.
It is not easier with the Tac, nor with the escorts. I'll go ahead and give some tips, since I got all my trophies:P
If you go in with a cruiser, don't be afraid to get in close. In the case of the free assault setups, I've done it with Fire at Willx2 and Torp Spread+Fire at will. Warp Plasma across the face of the entity. I've also racked up some damage with the Theta Radiation console off the exchange. Keep engineering team and hazard emitter on cooldown----if you don't need them for yourself, use them on someone else!
With the more science type setups, go for gravity wells with a Duty Officer, a deflector DO helps out as well to keep the things rolling. Put it on the entity and it'll wreck anything thats in close. Given half a chance, even train Tholians into the entity so they can wrack up the AE goodness. I've never run more than 50 base weapon power with science and still done this. Again, don't be afraid to heal off teammates.
With the tacs...I unload everything early and hit hard, the fight lasts long enough to re-use most cooldowns if you dump them in the beginning. Frankly, I find this one the hardest in escorts since it winds up absorbing damage more poorly than the others. Just the same, I'm finding that torpedo damage wracks up pretty strongly if you've got duty officers to keep it plugging.
With every class....always, ALWAYS turn on the Tholians during the off phases. It not only puts out more damage, but it gets them out of the way so you aren't spamming tac team and emergency shields more than your damage abilities. Do it selectively, it's best if you can finish off any that you engage to avoid their drain effects later. Carry weapon batteries in case they drain you--weapons off doesn't take damage. Get out past 10k during this phase and use your heal abilities on those that do not if you don't need them for yourself.
Favor area effect for the boss, killing shards not only gives more damage but it makes the fight go more smoothly for everyone. I prefer single target on Tholians so as to not overaggro.
Just finished day eleven myself, plus several extra runs just for giggles. Have only had one failed run in total and maybe five in total that I wasn't in third or above(one of which was a failed attempt at outfitting my anniversary Odyssey on my Fed tac, another before I figured out the science ship). Nothing I own is that well geared, so I know that if others employ these tactics I can start falling back and enjoying three minute fights:P
i didnt read all of the posts and if its already mentioned, sry ^^
if i understand it correctly, with the completion of the rep project you'll also complete the crystal catastrophe and i believe thats the accolade?
...Unless someone else is using the same strategy you should get 1st place every time.
Yep. That's the sad thing, for as easy as it is to grief your way through the FA, it yields better results to just be a lazy, apathetic MF'er and sit there spewing torpedoes in the entity's vague direction. I spent a week and a half going through every strategy I could think of, from "good guy teammate" to "actually repulsing shards towards teammates", and nothing works better than good old fashioned facerolling.
I don't even use specialty torpedoes -- just a pair of quantums, with PWO doffs and torpedo spread.
Somebody getting uppity about canon? No problem! Just take a deep breath, and repeat after me:
i didnt read all of the posts and if its already mentioned, sry ^^
if i understand it correctly, with the completion of the rep project you'll also complete the crystal catastrophe and i believe thats the accolade?
I believe the Crystal Catastrophe reward is just to inform the game that after the project completes, then give the project that gives 100 Fleet Marks and 480 dilithium for 1 crystal shard and remove the current project. Completed that project, but received the accolade and trophy already on both characters so don't know for sure that completing the project doesn't gives the trophy.
I placed first place in the CE event like 5 times and im in a cruiser its all in your weapon swap outs and energy weapons isnt the key the key is kinetic damage eg Torpedoes
I came in first place 5 times got the accolade but have no trophy that i can tell
If you have the trophy, then you have to go to the Mess Hall, setup trophies, click floor trophy, then Fleet Actions. It doesn't move, has a crystalline music playing, and is probably the biggest trophy there is.
I have received accolade 1st place on my engineer flying an Oddy, sure its all the way decked out BUT as flaw in weapons they are all anti-borg so it can be done, diligence and skill my man you will get 1st
"If you have the trophy, then you have to go to the Mess Hall, setup trophies, click floor trophy, then Fleet Actions. It doesn't move, has a crystalline music playing, and is probably the biggest trophy there is."
Yup, the trophy is huge . . . got it using my Tac Oddy.
"If you have the trophy, then you have to go to the Mess Hall, setup trophies, click floor trophy, then Fleet Actions. It doesn't move, has a crystalline music playing, and is probably the biggest trophy there is."
Yup, the trophy is huge . . . got it using my Tac Oddy.
How do I set-up trophies?
Yes, I got a first place for CE while in a Galaxy-X... so, it should be achieveable by someone flying just about anything since the Gal-X does a little bit of everything, but is not really good at anything.
Yes, I got a first place for CE while in a Galaxy-X... so, it should be achieveable by someone flying just about anything since the Gal-X does a little bit of everything, but is not really good at anything.
Just follow the instructions you quoted. It's a button you'll see on your screen when you're near the trophy area.
And I just got 1st in my Galaxy-R, using 6 Tetryon Beam Arrays and 2 Chroniton Torpedoes, with the Aegis set.
Comments
I got first with an Engineer in a Vesta, so not sure what you mean :P
I'm flying the Intrepid Retrofit, and focus mostly on healing my teammates while switching to do as much DPS as I can when no one is in need of healing or when my stuff is on cooldown. I don't think I'm doing anything special, but I do juggle power levels a lot, and use Gravity Well off cooldown on the CE to pull in shards and clutter everything together for AOE.
Aid in leading the Romulan Star Empire back to its former greatness.
Join the Romulan Praetorian Guard and teach those epohh loving hippies what it means to be a true Romulan!
I've also gotten first place twice in a Galaxy Retrofit fitted with Polarized Disputor cannons and turrets.
Going in with a carrier I can get first place nearly every time if I put my mind to it. I normally don't as I'm so sick of doing it. Thanks for not putting in a timer to let someone know when his character is eligible to get a shard, Cryptic.
hyper plasma torp, REBA, and a mk 11 romulan beam array with [acc][crtd]
Admiral Dananra Lekall - R.R.W. Teverresh, Deihu-class Warbird
General J'Kar son of K'tsulan - I.K.S. Dlahath, Vo'devwl-class Carrier
-> Engineer in a sub-optimal oddy with plasma and torps. have gotten 1st twice in three days. Not really moving around either. Only to bag a couple of thollies that try to make scratches to my pimped out paintjob
Think the OP really does just need to get some good advice on building a good ship to beat it with. That or wait till after the event is done, you should see a lot of the high scoring ships not bother for a while afterwards.
It is through repetition that we learn our weakness.
A master with a stone is better than a novice with a sword.
Has damage got out of control?
This is the last thing I will post.
-Try and tag damage onto everything. Every shard wave or Tholian reinforcement, try and put some damage on each ship. Fire at Will helps here.
-Be quick in healing others. You need to be actively looking for opportunities to use your heals.
- Make sure you keep an eye on the other 5 people who aren't in your team, they may be a healing target too.
-If there is noone hurt, consider letting your shields drop for a moment so you can heal yourself.
Last night I managed 1st place with my KDF Engineer, flying the free Negh'Var. I finally get to place to trophy somewhere! XD
This character is why I don't play my Romulan any more. Tovan Khev is NOT my BFF! Get him off my bridge!
To their credit, the crystaline shards do seem to love escorts, whom they can destroy very quickly, the entity's main attack can also mess up escorts quickly. So cruisers do have an advantage in that regard as I can easily survive the spam with just my basic self-only heals, leaving me free to transfer shield strength or use hazard emitters on my team. My main issue is that targeting team members is still really flaky, so half the time I end up just healing myself when I was trying to help out a team member.
However, the mission puts me in a funny position; I obviously get points for healing team-mates, but if they're an escort then I actually have an improved chance of getting 1st if I let them die?
Game Balance - Ship Size and Wingmates
Armitage with Tac and Engineer. Tac has Rom plasma weaponry, has also used photon torpedoes. Engineer has MK11 disruptors and photons.
Assault Cruiser with Engineer. With disruptor beam arrays, one forward photon and rear bio-nuke. Have also had some success with rearward mines. Primary weapon is warp plasma 3. A quantum forward would be better, it fires infrequently.
Mirror Assault Cruiser with Engineer. Same setup as normal assault, wanted to see if 1k crew really helped with early damage regen---can't really tell.
Mirror Science with Engineer. Using forward torpedo and pair of dual disruptor beam banks, gravity well. Far and away the hardest IMO, subsystem target is meaningless and extremely limited tac slots left me wanting a tac team, which is my crutch ability to reposition shields quickly.
Mirror Heavy Escort with Engineer. Disruptors, 1 photon torpedo.
Kar-Fi with Tac and Science. Tac has photons and disruptor, Sci has plasma with Rom plasma+normal plasma. Both using normal quality frigates. Recently got cutting beam with Sci, have gotten first both with and without it(mounted rear).
Mirror Raptor with Tac. Three forward photons and a forward disruptor heavy. All photon consoles, a surprisingly effective ship.
Bortasque(anniversary issue, not store) with Science. Two piece Jem-hadar set with forward polarons(3), forward Rom Torpedo, cutting beam. Have also had success subbing one of the polarons with the transphasic mine torpedo.
It is not easier with the Tac, nor with the escorts. I'll go ahead and give some tips, since I got all my trophies:P
If you go in with a cruiser, don't be afraid to get in close. In the case of the free assault setups, I've done it with Fire at Willx2 and Torp Spread+Fire at will. Warp Plasma across the face of the entity. I've also racked up some damage with the Theta Radiation console off the exchange. Keep engineering team and hazard emitter on cooldown----if you don't need them for yourself, use them on someone else!
With the more science type setups, go for gravity wells with a Duty Officer, a deflector DO helps out as well to keep the things rolling. Put it on the entity and it'll wreck anything thats in close. Given half a chance, even train Tholians into the entity so they can wrack up the AE goodness. I've never run more than 50 base weapon power with science and still done this. Again, don't be afraid to heal off teammates.
With the tacs...I unload everything early and hit hard, the fight lasts long enough to re-use most cooldowns if you dump them in the beginning. Frankly, I find this one the hardest in escorts since it winds up absorbing damage more poorly than the others. Just the same, I'm finding that torpedo damage wracks up pretty strongly if you've got duty officers to keep it plugging.
With every class....always, ALWAYS turn on the Tholians during the off phases. It not only puts out more damage, but it gets them out of the way so you aren't spamming tac team and emergency shields more than your damage abilities. Do it selectively, it's best if you can finish off any that you engage to avoid their drain effects later. Carry weapon batteries in case they drain you--weapons off doesn't take damage. Get out past 10k during this phase and use your heal abilities on those that do not if you don't need them for yourself.
Favor area effect for the boss, killing shards not only gives more damage but it makes the fight go more smoothly for everyone. I prefer single target on Tholians so as to not overaggro.
Just finished day eleven myself, plus several extra runs just for giggles. Have only had one failed run in total and maybe five in total that I wasn't in third or above(one of which was a failed attempt at outfitting my anniversary Odyssey on my Fed tac, another before I figured out the science ship). Nothing I own is that well geared, so I know that if others employ these tactics I can start falling back and enjoying three minute fights:P
3 VR Projectile Doffs
stack plasma infusers
2 copies of torpedo high yield
sit between 5km and 7km and just unload the entire time at the CE, ignore the tholians
Brace for Impact when the text comes up about the CE has stopped absorbing Energy
Unless someone else is using the same strategy you should get 1st place every time.
if i understand it correctly, with the completion of the rep project you'll also complete the crystal catastrophe and i believe thats the accolade?
Yep. That's the sad thing, for as easy as it is to grief your way through the FA, it yields better results to just be a lazy, apathetic MF'er and sit there spewing torpedoes in the entity's vague direction. I spent a week and a half going through every strategy I could think of, from "good guy teammate" to "actually repulsing shards towards teammates", and nothing works better than good old fashioned facerolling.
I don't even use specialty torpedoes -- just a pair of quantums, with PWO doffs and torpedo spread.
Spock's Brain.
I believe the Crystal Catastrophe reward is just to inform the game that after the project completes, then give the project that gives 100 Fleet Marks and 480 dilithium for 1 crystal shard and remove the current project. Completed that project, but received the accolade and trophy already on both characters so don't know for sure that completing the project doesn't gives the trophy.
If you have the trophy, then you have to go to the Mess Hall, setup trophies, click floor trophy, then Fleet Actions. It doesn't move, has a crystalline music playing, and is probably the biggest trophy there is.
Yup, the trophy is huge . . . got it using my Tac Oddy.
How do I set-up trophies?
Yes, I got a first place for CE while in a Galaxy-X... so, it should be achieveable by someone flying just about anything since the Gal-X does a little bit of everything, but is not really good at anything.
Just follow the instructions you quoted. It's a button you'll see on your screen when you're near the trophy area.
And I just got 1st in my Galaxy-R, using 6 Tetryon Beam Arrays and 2 Chroniton Torpedoes, with the Aegis set.