Noob Question, are Harghpeng Torps really that powerful?

rogueninech

I have only been playing STO for three weeks, just got promoted to Captain and am now outfitting my new Refit Venture Class. Been running around in the Thunderchild Class Refit which confirms that I really don't care for escorts too much. I think my play style is more conducive to cruise 'n bruise than shoot 'n scoot.

My Thunderchild is outfitted with MK IV Rare Equipment, and my consoles are all geared toward shield and hull repair with the exceptions of the Point Defense Phaser and the Directed Energy Consoles. My weapons are
Mk IV Retrofit Forward Phaser Bank (Rare)
Voth Mk IV Anti-Proton Beam Array (Fore, Very Rare)
Hargh'Peng Torpedo Mk VI (Fore, Very Rare) [Equipped after Doomsday Device of course]
Mk IV Phaser Beam Array (Aft, Rare)
Mk IV Quantum Torpedo Launcher (Aft, Rare)

Anyway on to my question, I finished "The Doomsday Device" and got the Hargh'Peng Torpedo Mark VI as a reward and right after that I did a Borg Emergency (I think they're called STFs?) and there were about six or seven other ships fighting as well. Anyway I hit High Yield I and Overload Beam I and fired all fore weapons into the weakened Borg shield and then I came about and unloaded my aft weapons including two quantum torps into the cube as well. Shortly after that the cube exploded and I thought: "Okay the other ships hurt it bad enough before I got there, and I helped finish it off." I usually wait to see where everyone else is going, since going solo against a cube usually ends with me having to respawn. So even on full impulse, other ships are already attacking by the time I get there.

However I began to notice the purple "Radiation Effect" and that the Borg ships seemed to be going down quicker than what I was used to before I got the Hargh'Peng. Finally the Unimatrix showed up and during the battle I noticed that it seemed as though the Borg ships targeted me a lot more than before, and the Unimatrix's Hull damage was going up fast. I used the same tactic: fire all fore and then aft weapons, rinse and repeat. Then came the big explosion signaling that we had won, and I got the accolade "Nemesis of Unimatrix Seven of Ten (I think)." I forget exactly what number designation, but I was in the Regulus sector when that battle took place.

Since then I have been named the nemesis of two other Unimatrixes, and possibly a fourth but that one I'm not sure about. So is it really the Hargh'Peng Torpedo doing the bulk of the damage accredited to me or is it because it's combined with the Voth Antiproton Beam Array?

Also if any of you fought in those STFs with me please don't take offense, I'm just a noob asking a question and not tooting my own horn.

questerius

Long story short, they are one of the most potent standalone torpedoes.
They are fast, hit hard, have a radiation effect and secondary explosion.

The drawback is that it is not boosted by either High yield nor Torpedo spread.

The most common usage for the harpeng is in torpedo builds where the fact that it is not connected to torpedo abilities such a High yield and TS and the common cooldown is actually an asset.

Overall it is a fun torpedo to use.

shadowwraith77

Well first off the initial damage of the torpedo isn't to shabby, now with that said it also deals a radiation dot that if it isn't cleared will bypass the victim's shield by 100%. The explosion is also an AOE effect causing kinetic damage to nearby enemies, but not with a 100% shield bypass. The wiki says you can make use of more than one of these, allowing for one torpedo use every 10secs instead of the single torpedo's 15secs. The only thing I know for certain is it isn't affected by torpedo skills such as high yield or torpedo spread, and I am also not sure if the radiation dot is affected by anything that boosts exotic damage.

rogueninech

Thank you for the replies and the short and detailed explanations, they were very helpful. What I plan to do is keep it in inventory and equip it when I go against the Borg. It is a lot of fun to use, but I need to try other weapons as well. I figured out High Yield wasn't affecting it when only one torp would fire, and I imagined other abilities wouldn't work either. No matter I wouldn't want the game getting too easy, then it gets boring.

noroblad

Yes and no. It has NO additions [accuracy][damage][etc] on it, so it tends to miss more than a standard [accuracyx2] torp. But it is faster and more agile, much more difficult to outrun and can actually hit little fighters and such.

Its long cooldown make its nice damage into questionable DPS. That is, it hits hard enough, but you only get one shot on most enemy or 2-3 tops on anything short of a major boss or tough pvp opponent.

Its a good weapon, and it is useful in several situations, but it is not the best item in the game either. You can get it free from DO mission or repeating some story mission at 50 to get the XI version.

IMHO it is most useful for some combination of these:
- players with no torp skills on their tac officers
- torpedo ships that have the 3 cooldown reducing duty officers on torps
- a niche aft weapon for occasional use
- a swap in weapon to make use of its aoe or ability to catch fast enemy
- as a substitute for plasma
- as a decent weapon that is easy to get when you do not have better


Oh, and at low levels, absolutely it is one of your best free weapons. At 50, the XI version, is when it becomes one of many, many good choices.

rogueninech

Yeah I forgot about the misses and the cooldown is longer than I'd like, of course it would be way too powerful if rearmed as quickly as quantums. It'll be one of those I keep stocked in inventory for Borg and other such fleet actions..

ltminns

And the easy to get nature at least for the Romulans in the Tradecraft mission also awards a Paratrinic Shield Array. No procs and low regen but a pretty high shield value. Nice for lower levels and I just put one on a Recluse in my docks for 'storage' and to replace the default. For a level 50 character, it clocked in at over 10K Shield value.

rmxiii

If you really want to use the Hargh'Peng Torpedo at endgame, replay the Doomsday mission when you are at LV 50 so you can get a MK XI version of it.
Its a decent weapon at least.

admrenlarreck

rmxiii wrote: »

If you really want to use the Hargh'Peng Torpedo at endgame, replay the Doomsday mission when you are at LV 50 so you can get a MK XI version of it.
Its a decent weapon at least.

I always go back and replay it for the MK XI version. I recommend you do it too.

Oh and the Nemisis of Unimatrix.... Thats an accolade you and everyone else gets one everytime you go into a red alert and destroy a different ship. (For the first time.)

also STFs and red alerts are two different things.

rogueninech

admrenlarreck wrote: »

I always go back and replay it for the MK XI version. I recommend you do it too.

Oh and the Nemisis of Unimatrix.... Thats an accolade you and everyone else gets one everytime you go into a red alert and destroy a different ship. (For the first time.)

also STFs and red alerts are two different things.

And here I was feeling all special, and you had to go ruin it!:D Just kidding, so what are STFs then?

Edit: Nevermind, I looked up STFs but I was wondering are they hard to do?

lilchibiclari

The normal-level (non-elite) ones aren't too hard as long as you know what you are doing. You can't just go around shooting every enemy in sight--you have to kill things in a fairly specific order if you want to prevent the Borg forces from achieving their objectives. It's best to run your first time in each one of them with people that you know rather than just whatever random group you get queued with.

eazzie

rogueninech wrote: »

And here I was feeling all special, and you had to go ruin it!:D Just kidding, so what are STFs then?

Edit: Nevermind, I looked up STFs but I was wondering are they hard to do?

There are two types of STF's normal and elite. Personally stay clear of elites until you are fully competent and have a a decent MKXII load out on your ship. There is an AFK penalty accosiated with STF's so don't sit there and watch as you will get penalised for not taking part. There are specific stratagies to all the STF's so it is always best to ask beforehand how to do things. STF's come with optional criteria to complete and most of us like to get those rewards, so if you end up in a team where you could be the cause of others not getting the extra rewards sometimes new players to STF's do get some abuse.

When you do become able to take part in STF's, no matter how silly your question may be, you can ask on here, and someone will always be willing to give you the answers you need.

joshglass

I know personally I like to keep an enemy to my front so I utilize Torpedoes that fire more rapidly. At end game I like the Omega Plasma as my one forward torp launcher. However, when I turn away, it's nice to have a good weapon to shoot as you're putting distance between yourself and an enemy, so I almost always have one pointed off the aft of my vessels.

rogueninech

Thanks for the advice, it sounds like I'll wait and level up some more before I try STFs.

noroblad

I highly recommend you do the fleet alert early and often. The fleet marks will come in handy someday & its a good introduction to group play with a simple goal. All you have to do really is circle the starbase and defend it from attackers, but the elements of team play are there. After doing it a few times, start to watch for 'other' things you can do apart from just shooting at stuff. Try to shoot down a few of the heavy bombs that some enemy launch at you or the base or other players. Try to heal hulls and shields of others if you are not hurt and they took a beating. Try to work as a team, focus fire on one tough or dangerous enemy (notably the end boss guy or certain nastier encounters have tough ships in the mix) or aoe *together* on the same group. If one guy is well geared and seems to dominate his group, help the other guys. 2 people with really good gear can almost run the map without much help --- because, as I said, this one is easy and intro level group play . If everyone else is way, way powerful, just shoot stuff and admire their handiwork.

grylak

I run a hargh'peng on the front of my soveriegn, along with a quantumn torpedo. While I enjoy the quants, the 'peng is really useful for taking down computer enemy ships. Radiation damage is continuous, and every little help. The secondary explosion can take a big chunk of health out of mid level cruisers, and you can time when it's coming as it blows a second or two after the cooldown finishes. It may not be the best setup, having 1 quant on the back, 1 on the front, 1 peng launcher on front and the rest beams, but it gives a good spread of firepower and I enjoy using them. But if you do use a peng, it's definately recomended replaying Doomsday mission when you hit level 50 to get a much higher upgrade for it.

edgecrysger

noroblad wrote: »

I highly recommend you do the fleet alert early and often. The fleet marks will come in handy someday & its a good introduction to group play with a simple goal. All you have to do really is circle the starbase and defend it from attackers, but the elements of team play are there. After doing it a few times, start to watch for 'other' things you can do apart from just shooting at stuff. Try to shoot down a few of the heavy bombs that some enemy launch at you or the base or other players. Try to heal hulls and shields of others if you are not hurt and they took a beating. Try to work as a team, focus fire on one tough or dangerous enemy (notably the end boss guy or certain nastier encounters have tough ships in the mix) or aoe *together* on the same group. If one guy is well geared and seems to dominate his group, help the other guys. 2 people with really good gear can almost run the map without much help --- because, as I said, this one is easy and intro level group play . If everyone else is way, way powerful, just shoot stuff and admire their handiwork.

Seriously?? that is the dumbest queue ever. You dont need team skills there, just kill as many ships u can before the time runs out. There is no "team" effort or watever. I guess u talking about federation fleet alert. The only missions where u need to coordinate with a team are STFs basically, on where u will need to communicate directly with your team. But in starfleet fleet alerts.. lol, nah, its just kill everything u can. Even in the blockade, or other low level queues, for example, there is no team comm, because there is no need. And nobody will use it..

Now. Other thing completely different is to do team work, and as u mentioned, to aid people that are in trouble, to support low numbers against strong enemies and so on. But those are the basics for the PVE in general, playing a STF is another completely different story, since you not only need to apply these basics, but communicate with our team if you are rookie, that is a must.

Anyways, i dont think u guys realize (i did just a few days ago) the ammount of rare torpedoes are in - game through the rep projects. I can count about 10 or so. Which is the strongest one? and the more reliable?
I plan to add the gravimetric photon torpedo from dyson to my build, is it worthy?

dahminus

Just wanted to throw my opinion on the harghpeng topic.

The torpedo in question should not really be considered a torpedo at all. It is unaffected by projectile cool down doffs, and it can not be abilitified(made up word, don't hate) by high yield or torpedo spread.

Due to its long cooldown, it isn't practical...it does carry a certain gimmick aura about it...big glowing ball of doom with its own skin that hits the hull, burns the hull and blows up a second time after the dot expires.

I'd give it 2 thumbs down strength department

noroblad

edgecrysger wrote: »

Seriously?? that is the dumbest queue ever. You dont need team skills there, just kill as many ships u can before the time runs out. There is no "team" effort or watever. I guess u talking about federation fleet alert. The only missions where u need to coordinate with a team are STFs basically, on where u will need to communicate directly with your team. But in starfleet fleet alerts.. lol, nah, its just kill everything u can. Even in the blockade, or other low level queues, for example, there is no team comm, because there is no need. And nobody will use it..

Now. Other thing completely different is to do team work, and as u mentioned, to aid people that are in trouble, to support low numbers against strong enemies and so on. But those are the basics for the PVE in general, playing a STF is another completely different story, since you not only need to apply these basics, but communicate with our team if you are rookie, that is a must.

Anyways, i dont think u guys realize (i did just a few days ago) the ammount of rare torpedoes are in - game through the rep projects. I can count about 10 or so. Which is the strongest one? and the more reliable?
I plan to add the gravimetric photon torpedo from dyson to my build, is it worthy?

I assumed both sides were the same, but no, I play kdf and there is no timer, you lose by letting the NPC ships blow up your starbase, you win by killing them all. It is extremely easy and is more or less "shoot em all" yes, but you can *practice* being in a group for your first few times in this EASY mission, again at first just shooting and later you can toss out a few heals or coordinate a bit, to learn, as you said, the basics. No, its nothing like an elite STF. One thing at a time for the new guy. BTW when I say coordinate, I do not mean fire up a voip or chat in the team channel about the 'strategy' so much as learning to pay attention to what others are doing and then work on playing your role a little, working together without having to talk about it is the skill you want to learn here.

There are a bunch of neat torps out there indeed. There is a good run down on them in here: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=873351

edgecrysger

dahminus wrote: »

Just wanted to throw my opinion on the harghpeng topic.

The torpedo in question should not really be considered a torpedo at all. It is unaffected by projectile cool down doffs, and it can not be abilitified(made up word, don't hate) by high yield or torpedo spread.

Due to its long cooldown, it isn't practical...it does carry a certain gimmick aura about it...big glowing ball of doom with its own skin that hits the hull, burns the hull and blows up a second time after the dot expires.

I'd give it 2 thumbs down strength department

Yup. U right, the only common thing is the name "torpedo", but this is something that cryptic should change. If it is a torpedo weapon, it should have the same procs and affected skills than other torpedos. Even if it is a stronger one. One way to balance this is just to make the cooldown higher, but maintaining the same characteristics as regular torpedos, but cryptic just took the easy way. Sadly this issue applies to many weapons, specially the rep ones. It doesnt make sense to research a super great amazing torpedo, if it is not a torpedo at all.. xD.

codewarrior316

There is noob guide for STF basics in the player guides section: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=282071 for a starting point. After reading that you can try normal for each of them, always try the normal first although be aware its just a shadow of elite difficulty. Then read advanced strats for elite (start with the OP): http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=281651 - you may or may not want to let your team know this is your first time on elite and ask for understanding and on the game training. Then go back and read more of the adv thread and repeat till you are a pro! Hope that helps.

cowdoc0077

To the OP; one other in-game (mission reward) torpedo you can get soon is in the Breen Invasion missions. You can get the Breen Transphasic Cluster Torpedo:
http://sto.gamepedia.com/Breen_Transphasic_Cluster_Torpedo

If you liked the Hargh'peng, you'll love the Breen Torp...especially when it crits....lots of big yellow numbers make me smile.
Like the Hargh'peng, it too cannot be "abilified" by High Yield or Spread, but can have it's place in a weapon loadout.

rock3tman

hmm, these Hargh'Peng torpedos never really did it for me, cool-down too long and to add to the dissatisfaction the name sounds very similar to a toilet cleaning product in my country :P

burstorion

cowdoc0077 wrote: »

To the OP; one other in-game (mission reward) torpedo you can get soon is in the Breen Invasion missions. You can get the Breen Transphasic Cluster Torpedo:
http://sto.gamepedia.com/Breen_Transphasic_Cluster_Torpedo

If you liked the Hargh'peng, you'll love the Breen Torp...especially when it crits....lots of big yellow numbers make me smile.
Like the Hargh'peng, it too cannot be "abilified" by High Yield or Spread, but can have it's place in a weapon loadout.

One thing to note - the hargh'peng is non targettable by abilities such as fire at will, ect - unlike the breen cluster, which can be destroyed before impact - thus if you see faw using mobs, switch to the harpie

cowdoc0077

burstorion wrote: »

One thing to note - the hargh'peng is non targettable by abilities such as fire at will, ect - unlike the breen cluster, which can be destroyed before impact - thus if you see faw using mobs, switch to the harpie

This is very correct. Especially in areas where there is a tremendous amount of AoE going on, e.g. Voth Space battles. The cluster torp gets destroyed 90% of the time when used in there, so I take it out in any Sphere battles, especially in the contested zone.

angrytarg

I'll say that the Hargh'Peng is a very nice opportunity weapon to have in the aft slots, especially on cruisers. It's fast, non targetable and hits hard. It's flight speed is actually sufficient to exploit the few seconds an enemy shield will be down.

shadowwraith77

When acc becomes an issue for any weapon, simply tractor them, or use grav well or eng subsystem knockouts.

sonnikku

It's a fun torpedo because unlike the photons that you're whipping out left and right, this torp "matters". Like, you NEED it to deliver, because if it doesn't, it's a long wait before you can use one again. But when it DOES deliver, lordy is it a whopper. That means you need to use it very tactically, carefully gauging the pace at which you're wearing down a targets shields because they get healed up so fast after they go bare. So be patient. Wait for just the right moment, and BAM. It's like a Star Trek 6 moment.