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Getting the Assault Cruiser Refit: Need Build help
raventomoe
Member Posts: 723 Arc User
I am planning to get the Assault Cruiser Refit for an Xmas gift and this is the build I want to use for it.
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=assaultcruiserrefitraven_0
Any thoughts, questions, or critiques?
Note: I will be going Plasma Weapons but this would be just a starting off point. The aft Torp is just a stand in...might put the Romulan Hyper-Plasma back there in the end.
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=assaultcruiserrefitraven_0
Any thoughts, questions, or critiques?
Note: I will be going Plasma Weapons but this would be just a starting off point. The aft Torp is just a stand in...might put the Romulan Hyper-Plasma back there in the end.
"The Multiverse, the ultimate frontier..."
Thus begins...Lyrical Trek
Post edited by raventomoe on
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Comments
First of all, ditch the Riker Maneuver console. It's a toy. Play with it a little if you want, but I haven't seen these used in battle since about the first week the Regent was out (and I was a day 1 buyer).
Second, you would do better with A2SIF3 or DEM3 in your Cmdr Eng slot. I would also suggest strongly that you get a higher level of EPtS (2 or 3), and consider stuffing EPtW in there. You should also decide whether or not you're going to use an A2B build, Dragon/Drake build, or something else. With a Dragon build you should be set up to constantly rotate two Emergency Power abilities (most common shields and weapons), and may use damage control engineers to keep the uptime near-constant. An A2B build really needs three purple technicians to shine. This setup doesn't seem to follow either pattern consistently and I'm a little hard-pressed to figure out what pattern it's supposed to follow, if any.
Tactical Team is often best kept with constant rotation, although using it as a crisis button is also something some prefer (and with A2B you only need one copy). So you might want to have two copies of that, or you might want to have two purple Conn DOffs in order to keep the cooldown low on it. Don't worry too much about torp skills; they aren't too great on a cruiser.
Science consoles could also IMO use some work. That said I usually cram it full of Field Generators, but shield improvement in general is a good thing to have. Also useful are the consoles with names that escape me that enhance the Shield Emitters stat (the regen boost consoles aren't all that useful). Additionally the two consoles you have seem like they're mostly to boost Eject Warp Plasma and the Riker Maneuver Console. The latter is useless. And the former should probably be downgraded, as stated earlier, if not eliminated outright. This is not an ideal ship for Eject Warp Plasma, although it's arguable no ship is considering cruisers are the ones with the Cmdr Eng slot.
Additionally one of the science consoles is, so far as I can tell, only useful for the Tractor Beam Repulsors skill. As this is a BOff ability that is grossly abused 90%+ of the time it's used (to the point that, unless it's being used to stop probes from getting to their destination, I withdraw all support from teammates that use it), I'd recommend just ditching the ability and sticking something better in there. Polarize Hull Plating and Transfer Shield Strength are both useful in this regard.
You would benefit greatly from a better warp core. Even if you can't get a fleet warp core, you would likely do well to pick up a core that gives you a bonus to shields based on weapon power, assuming you max out weapon power (specifically the [W->S] modifier). The standard warp cores do - literally - nothing of value. Even an un-modded warp core you pick up cheaply on the Exchange is better than leaving the standard one in there, if it's Mk X or better.
In terms of your set, the Aegis set is, IMO, underrated, but you can do better. My personal preference is the MACO resilient shield (or Elite Fleet resilient shields), with Borg engines and deflector. The MACO shield is good with or without the set bonus - it's a great piece of gear all by itself. At the very least you ought to consider swapping out the shields you're using for the MACO resilient shield or Elite Fleet resilient shields. IMO the bonuses you get from those outweigh the loss of the third set bonus. In fact, the Elite Fleet shields literally have a better version of the Aegis 3-piece bonus built right in with the [Adapt] modifier!
I did not go over the skill tree in detail, but a few things you should know:
* Warp Core Potential should never be over 6 ranks. You literally do not gain one full power point in any subsystem for those last three ranks COMBINED. 6 ranks is a bonus of +4.2/subsystem, 9 ranks is +4.95/subsystem. It just isn't worth it.
* Warp Core Efficiency similarly is a bit expensive for the bonus you glean from it, but is not the horrid waste that ranks 7-9 of Warp Core Potential are.
* You would do well to have Targeting Systems and Maneuvers at 6.
* I would not put anything in Projectile Specialization if I were you.
* See previous statement for particle generators and graviton generators - just not worth it. If you're a massive fan of Eject Warp Plasma/the Riker Maneuver and can't bear to part with it, particle generators MIGHT be worthwhile.
* MAX OUT Starship Weapon training and Starship Energy Weapons (not energy weapon specialization). These are the two ship skills I think a captain of any class will benefit from max-out.
* Driver Coil is considered by many to be a dump stat. Plus, the Borg Engines, Elite Fleet engines, and I THINK the Omega engines (double-check on that) all give you warp 10+ ability even with nothing in Driver Coil. It does have a slight in-combat advantage in that it lets you bounce back from Full Impulse faster, letting you make first contact with the enemy in short order. As it's 3 ranks it isn't a big deal, just something to keep in mind, possibly for the future. That said, you do need engines that can let you hit above warp 10, otherwise it won't give you any sector space bonus once you hit level 50.
* Impulse Thrusters might benefit from 6 ranks instead of 3, especially as you're on a cruiser.
I know this is a lot, and I hope you find it helpful rather than discouraging. That said, experiment and figure out what works right for you - it could be that my advice isn't too helpful for your playstyle. But I hope you give some thought to what I've said if nothing else, because there are some areas where you can use some real improvement because a few places are just throwing slots for one thing or another away.
Maneuver Benefit from Particle Generators(Damage boost) while Metreon Gas Ejection benefits from the Graviton Generators in empowering it's snare. Furthermore, the Metreon Gas damage gets boosted with the same Tac Consoles that boost Plasma Energy Damage.
I am planning to switch to a full plasma energy build with a Romulan Hyper-plasma in the back and the Wide Angle Quantum up front. Once I max the Rom Rep and unlock Mark XII space weapons. I might also use the Rom Mark XII Space Set as well for further Plasma Damage boost.
I was actually wanting to try running both really. ^_^ I trained a BOff in both EWP3 (my Borg BOff) and DEM3 so I could switch either in if needed. (I've found Eject Warp Plasma is a great way to handle fighters and small craft or other bothers following you.)
Also, I've found Torp Spread a great way to open a fight+draw threat while flying the Tier 5 freebie Assault Cruiser. I then just FAW2 from there on in unless I can hit multiple targets in the same firing arc or I need to clear something off my aft/take care of mines or a D'Deridex 'Plasma Buckshot' as I like to term it.
I was debating between the Transfer Shield Strength/Polarize Hull combo as I run Hazard Emitters on my current Assault Cruiser as well as a Sci Team to clear Jamming and other Science Debuffs.
The Warp Core was more a stand-in for Warp Core but I would like the Elite one that boosts both Shields and Engines.
1. Do you want an aux2bat build? I see only one aux2bat
2. Do you want a max dps or max threat/tank build?
3.do you want a budget build or the best you can hope to achieve?
4. Would you be willing to forgo your torps? You will be broadsiding for max damage...Torps won't be firing at this arc at all
My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree
1. EPS Power Transfer and EPtW will supplement the one Aux2Batt. I will also probably have a Weapons Battery.
2. I want to balance between these two as I tend to solo a lot. (Hardware limitation. I have to hit ALT-F12 to take the UI off so I can get a decent FPS. Makes it hard to be a Team Player in PvE when you can't see the chat window.)
3. My future plans was to use the full Romulan Space Tech set and Romulan Experimental Beam/Hyper Plasma Torp/Zero-Point Energy Console. Also, it was either the Ambiplasma Envelope Console or Plasma Infuser that boosts the Metreon Gas Cloud damage. Throw in skill points into Particle Generator and/or Graviton Generator to give it and EWP3 a boost to damage and Metreon's Snare effect. (Well aware I got FAW to clear the small craft but that is just some...Energy Siphon Drones and Aceteon Drones tend to annoy me. Could also be covered by Torp Spread as well.) Add in the Elite Fleet Warp Core that boosts Shields and Engines with an [AMP] modifier.
4. See above. I originally wanted to do a more canon lay out and have the Wide-Angle Torp and Romulan Hyper-Plasma up front with either another Quantum or Transphasic in the Aft. The Beam Arrays would all be the Romulan Beam Arrays from the Rep System Store.
You are aware of aux2bat technician doffs...?
My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree
I have Tech DOffs but was not aware there was a specific DOff for that power? I also will have the Exocomp DOff around too.
The power gained is nice but not the point. You're cooling down EPTS and EPTW, which give you the real power (plus damage, plus resist) and you're also cooling down your cannon or beam skills like FAW or CSV.
The real benefit is the cooldown reduction. No reason to use A2Bat if you don't take advantage of it.
There are ways around it. DCE doffs cool down EPTs, and EW doffs cool down beams/cannons, but A2Bat does it all, at the expense of any sci heals or things that need aux power.
EDIT: Cools down only boff skills, NOT player skills. Your APA won't cool down any faster, but your APB will.
Not knowing about aux2bat doffs is a game changer for most players
My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree
I am not sure how to go about obtaining these DOffs (will probably still run a few of the others) but anyways...will probably go in and at least grab the goods (including a respec captain skills token) once I get some stuff on the outside done.
A pair of System Engineers that boost power by 5 to all Subsystems (one common and one blue) whenever Eng Team is used. A common Matter-Antimatter Specialist that gives a bonus when Aux2Damp is used. Will be looking over the others later.
Also. I am thinking I may get a Fleet Module and set it aside while I build up the 20k Fleet Marks for the Fleet version for a later purchase down the road. I going to be using the Refit for the Storyline missions up to a point.
So far, I like what I have done. I did put the Metreon Gas Console in my Bank. I have though decided to not touch Aux2Batt at all nor Aux2 anything at all.
First off...the skill respec is as follows for space.
Lt./Lt. Comm/Comm/Cap/Adm
3---9---6---0---6
9---0---6---0---0
3---6---6---6---6
6---3---6---6---6
9---6---6---6---6
0---6---0---3---0
9---9---0---3---0
Now to the BOff layout
Lt. Uni> Polarize Hull 1/ TSS2
Lt. Comm Tac> TS1 / FAW2 / APO1
Ensign Tac> TT1
Comm. Eng> Eng Team 1 / RSP1 / EPtW3 / DEM3
Lt. Eng> EPtE1 / EPtS2
Now, I know someone said chain TT together but so far...not really seeing a benefit as what I got allowed me to run circles around Borg Cubes and a Unimatrix 0047 Dread while pounding away at it. My DOffs allow me either boosts to the skills above OR they reduce cooldown times and this is nearly constant. Polarize Hull and APO allow me to slip out of Tractor Beams at will with EPtE giving me a good turn rate boost.
As to layout...I switched out the Warp Core with an Field Stabilizing one that has a [S->E] modifier to take advantage of the higher shield power from it and the Aegis. I also have a full three Phasers on both sides with the Quantum up front and a Transphasic in the back. Still running Shield Emitter Amps for right now but will try for Field Generators. Tac is full of Phaser Relays. Finally, the Eng slot is currently 3 Ablative Armors and 1 RCS...all Blue.
I am still doing the story (I managed to accidentally DOff my way to VA before even finishing the Romulan Arc...guess what I get to do at Cutting The Cord....Scimitar vs.Sovereign ROUND 2...and this time there will be no ramming!)
I was actually trying to do just that. :P I was just turning and moving so fast that it was hard to stay on one end.