So, I have the Marauder now, and I want to build it into a tank. I wanted to hear some suggestions from the buildmasters here.
I plan to use a variation of an effective Fleet Excelsior build I have been running, and was hoping to get some input about what I should use for Equipment and Powers.
For reference, I've linked my F-Excel here, with my skill points:
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=azleratank_0
I dont have the Bio-Neural on KDF, so a replacement suggestion would help.
Just one note: I know lots of people like to use "AUX2BATT" builds, but I dont. I tried, but they just hurt me in the long run for some reason.
Thanks in advance.
Comments
Advanced Fleet Weapons
Embassy:
Mk X Threat Consoles
Dil Mine:
Nothing Yet
Our KDF Assets are underpowered ATM.
From my experience of what works on Cruisers, I've put together this build very quickly. It's fairly cheap, and almost all of the gear can be acquired from mission rewards or the exchange, with the exception of the Assimilated Module and Cutting Beam, and the threat-generating embassy console. Rarity of gear to taste.
You'll find that the Marauder handles quite differently to the Excelsior. This build is designed to get into the thick of the fight and stay there until it's over. Keep in mind that the hangar pets can be used on yourself or an ally; if you have an ally selected when you use the "Defend" command they will protect the ally instead of you. If you don't like how that particular Hangar works, swap it for To'Duj fighters to deal extra damage.
If you feel short on heals, you could swap the EPtW1 for EPtS1. For more damage instead, consider reshuffling Eng abilities to slot an Aceton Beam - but if you don't take any abilities that require Particle Generators, then you can put more skill points into Engineering skills.
No torpedoes included because of the lack of Tac BOff powers and Tac console slots to maximise their effectiveness. Consider a Hargh'Peng Torpedo because of this (in place of the DBB) as it can't be boosted by Boff abilities anyway.
More expensive options:
- More [Pla] embassy consoles
- Fleet or Romulan Reputation weapons
- [+Turn] mine consoles
- KHG, Adapted KHG, or Fleet Deflector/Engine/Shields
- Elite Scorpion hangar or any Elite fleet hangar to suit your preferences.
(and I'll glady take said hangar over its old ability of a 2min cooldown, "Summon Interceptors" who warped in, pooped mines, and then warped out!)
-
IKS Outrider - KDF Tac
FORE
x3 Rapid Reload Transphasic Torpedos, x1 Dual Tetryon Beam Bank
AFT
x2 Tetryon Beam Arrays, x1 Cutting Beam, x1 Cluster Torpedo
SET
Full Breen Absolute Zero
CORE
Field Stabilising Warp Core MK XI [rep] [s->a] [trans]
CONSOLES (alll at least MK XII blue)
x1 Borg Assimilated, x1 RCS Accellerator, x1 Monotanium Alloy, x1 Neutronium Alloy
x1 Nukara Particle Converter, x1 Countemeasure System, x1 Shield Emitter Amplifier
x1 Tetryon Pulse Generator, x1 Transphasic Compressor
HANGAR
Advanced Slavers
BOFFS
LT Tac: Tactical Team, Attack Pattern Delta
Com Eng: Eng Team I, RSP I, ES II, Aceton Beam III
LT Com Eng: EPtE I, EPtS II, Aux2Sif II
LT Sci: Polarize Hull I, Scramble Sensors I
Ens Sci: Hazard Emitters I
DOFFS
x2 Projectile Weapons (1 blue, 1 purple)
x1 Shield Distribution
x1 Systems Engineer (?) - can't remember the name, reduces cooldown on EPt abilities
x1 (?) - Nor this one, the one that gives Aceton Beam a chance to reduce subsystem power on target
-
As you can see I've gone for a support-ish build here which is why I went with torps, all power is to shields. Damage is a second priority with this ship, but it does spit out torps at a decent rate. And fully buffed it can still do serious damage with that cluster. the x2 piece bonus with the cutting beam helps, I may look to swap the cluster for those web mines for the x2 piece nukara bonus too.
I'm quite happy with this build, it survives tac cubes in ISE, it even survived a couple of blasts from that new elachi console. There are things I can do to make it better, but I don't have the assimilated set and I'm not prepared to spend serious Dil on embassy consoles or anything like that.
That's the best thing about it, cheap! Free ship, space set and half the weapons. The consoles and other weapons were borrowed from other ships. The final price tag came under 1 Mil EC.
Weapons Fore: 3 Polaron Array, Polaron DBB or torp-of-choice
Weapons Aft: 3 Polaron Array, KCB
Deflector: Positron [flwc][sif][stl]
Engines: Jem'Hadar
Shields: Jem'Hadar
Warp Core: Field Stabilizing
Hangar: Scorpions or To'Duj
Eng Consoles: Plasmonic Leech, Assimilated Module, 2 Neutronium
Sci Consoles: Emitter Array (+Th), 2 Field Generator
Tac Consoles: 2 Polaron
Cmdr Eng
EPTW1, EPTS2, Extends2, Aux2SIF3
LtCmdr Eng
ET1, RSP1, EWP1
Lt Tac
TT1, APB1 or FAW2 (APB for team support, FAW as an 'attention getter')
Lt Sci
HE1, TSS2
Ens Sci
PH1, or TB1 if facing enemies with weak or no tractors
Use a couple of Damage Control doffs to cut the EPTx cooldowns, power around 100/40/20/40, and the rest is pretty straightforward "Fed Beamboat" but with a rowdier crew. And if you decide you like it, easy to upgrade with fleet neutronium consoles or reputation sets or lockbox weaponry, but even the base model will hold its own. Worked for my old Star Cruiser.
And I agree with you on the aux2batt front. It simply limits your sci ability effectiveness (not to mention slow down hanger relaunches) by dumping aux power often with A2B. Steer clear of that ability imo.
I'm not sure where you're wanting to tank but I'll say this up front. I'm no PvPer. PvE tanking is my domain and I love it. The Marauder is the perfect ship for it (though the Fleet Corsair I've come to regard in equal fashion).
It has the same layout as the Fed Star Cruiser, which to me seems the perfect layout for a tank. Heavy on engineering (for resists) and a decent amount of sci (for heals) makes a solid combination.
Having tanked with it ever since it came out, my build suits me to a tea, and when operated correctly, can tank ANYTHING flown by an NPC. Elite STFs are my bread and butter. Aggro and tank all spheres in ISE, the gates in KASE or both raptor and Negvars from CSE at same time, tac cubes, Donatra, Borg queen ship? All doable. That's fun and challenge
Check out my engineering captains build HERE
See Description tab and other tabs for more infos
Basically, I try to grab aggro, and keep it (with FBP), then use drains and aceton debuff to reduce what I need to tank.
I will say that since there's no Fleet variant, I switched to the Fleet Corsair as my primary ship to get my 10 console goodness. Got that around the launch of S7. Haven't touched the Marauder since. So embassy consoles and mining consoles haven't been put in. Will need a touch up when I go back to it but that build should be real solid all the same.
Having said that I've updated the build page with the consoles I'd now likely stick in.
I probably would rearrange the top level engy abilities a tad, but as is, it should be fine.
Eradicator, I like yours more, but I just need to note a few things:
I don't have any of your consoles, or the interceptors, do you have ideas for alternates?
You have a mix of polaron and plasma, could you explain this?
I've never been a fan of the Elite Scorpions, as borg ships can FAW their heavy plasma torpedoes. Is there an alternate fighter you could recommend?
lol, yeah I've built that up over a long time, all expensive or rare gear.
You have NONE of those (even of lesser rank/quality) consoles? You have some work to do then
All equipment was specifically chosen for a reason. The description tab of the build shows why for most of it. Perhaps you can use it as an end goal to work towards.
If you want to do it on the cheap or with what you can access, perhaps:
- Make all beams Advanced Fleet Polarons
- Make front torp Advanced fleet quantum
- Make rear cutting beam into fleet quantum, tric mine (lay a surprise in your warp plasma dust) or another beam.
- 2x of the highest quality alloy consoles you can get (preferably neutronium), and 2 consoles of what ever uni or eng type you fancy (maybe a booster modulator or two to boost aux more, aux is important)
- 2x field gens, 1x emitter array
- 2x polaron modulators
- Jem deflector and engine. (boost flow caps, extra weapons power and 2 piece polaron dmg bonus)
- Best (fleet?) covariant shield you can get. One with plasma resist will be good vs borg. As many [cap] modifiers as possible.
- Overcharged warp core, for the extra shield and aux bonuses.
If you looked carefully, the main beam weapons are disruptor based hybrids. Chose this for the resistance debuff they provide to give me what little dps one can get out of a cruiser and helps boost fighter damage when it procs.
They are polarized hybrids because I'm highly specced into drains. When they proc, it drains enemy power (mainly worrying about their weapons power, but drains to their shields and aux also help in wearing down an opponent) so makes my tanking task easier as they'll hit you less hard.
The experimental romulan beam is there for 2 reasons.
It draws ZERO power when firing (means less weapons drain and thus higher damage output), and as part of the 3 piece set give me the Plasma Hyper Flux ability. Effectively APB1. Rather handy on a tac slot limited ship.
Embassy Flow Caps [Pla] console there to further boost drains and boost rom beam dmg as well as add a 3rd energy type proc to my hybrid beams.
Too be honest that very 'fault' can be, and is, good. If the enemy expends shots attacking torps, thats less time hitting you, your fighters, or your team mates. Helps you and your team tank a fraction more. Not much, but it all helps.
So for tanking, after Interceptors, they're perhaps the next best attacking pet to have.
If you don't have or want either, really anything else will be just as ok. Though Skull fighters I'd ignore as they can't rank up and keep there level long enough (if they even attain rank 5) before kamakaziing.
For DPS, after Scorps, Toduj would be next best I think.
I've had good luck with:
TT1, FAW2 or APD1
EPtW1, AtSIF1, EPtS3, warp plasma 3 or DEM3
EPtW1, RSP1, EPtS3
HE1, TSS2
PH1 or TB1
you can switch EPtW and EPtS if you want to do a little more DPS.
I would love to get a fleet version
That build there looks like it would rock out loud in Hive Onslaught.
For grins I came up with a little something just for CCE:
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=maraudercehero_3722
...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
Heres my submission - based off my Torpvette, its a transphasic based, no rep, no fleet, non lockbox (although I do advise picking up a suliban matter/anitmatter doff for a2d) cheap 'n cheerful build designed to turn the 'pigboat' into a fairly high speed (impulse 90 on my boat), shield ignoring patrol cruiser built more for group combat than single (I chose the paratrinic as its easy to get and with dual epts3, is rather tanky, ignoring the horrendous bleedthrough)
As to the cmdr eng ability, for kerrat (yes, I took it to kerrat for a test...and my god, the elachi spam...), I prefer acetone beam - using the harpengh to force an he use; this then gives acetone a free duration time - and the energy damage reduction that really helps your survival
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
Due to not having the consoles and interceptors, I've tweaked the build a little, how does this look Eradicator:
Forward Weapons: Rom Plasma DBB, expiremental beam, rom plasma BA, rom plasma torp
Aft: rom plasma BAx3, cutting beam
Shields/Defl/Eng: Either Aegis, HG, or Adapted HG
Core: Overcharged with [A>W]
Eng Consoles: Mine Neutronium with +Turnx2, RCS Mk11, Antimatter Spread
Sci Consoles: Field Generator Mk11, Embassy Emitter Mk10 w/+Th & +Plasma, Barrier Field
Tac Consoles: Infuser Mk11x2
If the universals dont look good, I have others:
Auto Turret
Integration Circuit