I am a sci captain that main a Kar'fi who typically go guns ablazing. I already have both borg set. Should I get both the Dyson 4-set and the DYson weapon set, or go for something else?
What I am asking for is actually the comparison, because I may also get it for my Fed Eng and my two Rom-Tac. I always aim to play pets if possible.
From what I've read, the Dyson Joint Command is actually quite inferior. My advice would be to get the Solanae set from "A Step Between Stars" instead of it. That is, if you don't mind not having the Warp Core.
Beyond that, the Borg set is actually a lot better than both, really. A two-piece Borg set nets you the ability to heal, the third piece grants you a health-sucking tractor beam that goes very well with the Kinetic Cutter.
I tried the Dyson 3-set for a while, went back to my Borg 2-set and Fleet Shields. The emergency shield boost was occasionally useful on the Dyson shield, but the low capacity got me one-shotted a few times on Hive Elite (and my ship was an otherwise reasonably tanky JHDC).
The Solanae set on the other hand has been holding up fairly well, and the 3-piece is potentially getting a slight buff soon (check today's Tribble patch notes for details). Not sure if it out performs my old equipment defensively but much better than the Dyson set, plus it provides a bit more of an offensive boost than the Borg 2-piece, mostly from the individual parts rather than from set bonuses (built-in mini Feedback Pulse in the shield, accuracy buff on the deflector).
Solanae also has the benefit of being free to acquire, just have to run Step Between Stars a few times.
The universe has a wonderful sense of humor. The trick is learning how to take a joke.
I already tried out the Solanae before, but I found myself to be too squishy and swap back to the borg 6-pack (technically it's best with all 6 borg pieces)
However, I am running polaron weapons right now, carry over from the Jem'hedar set. I am debating either going Romulan Plasma (and rest of Romulan Singularity Harness ), or the Dyson Proton (from the Protonic Arsenal). How are they?
I already tried out the Solanae before, but I found myself to be too squishy and swap back to the borg 6-pack (technically it's best with all 6 borg pieces)
However, I am running polaron weapons right now, carry over from the Jem'hedar set. I am debating either going Romulan Plasma (and rest of Romulan Singularity Harness ), or the Dyson Proton (from the Protonic Arsenal). How are they?
I don't have the entire Romulan Singularity Harness set, but I DO know that the Hyper Plasma Torpedoes are the best, even moreso than the Borg torpedoes. The Beam Array from that set is also amazing as it actually runs on full power all the time as it doesn't drain your weapon battery. Protonic Arsenal... could be better. It's good, but it works a lot better with the Solanae set, especially if you have the C-Store ships.
Personally, I say go for the Borg set. The 2 piece set bonus is Autonomous Regeneration Sequencer, which increases your hull regeneration rate, and hull repair ability. And it also has a chance to instantly apply a large hull heals whenever you take damage.
The 3 piece set bonus is Multi-Regenerative Shield Array, which grants a massive shield heal if your shields drop below 20%. In addition to the instant heal, it also increases the rate of shield regeneration over time, and also clears away that annoying Borg Shield Drain.
The 3 piece set bonus also gives an Assimilated Tractor Beam. If you use a Gravometric Scientist duty officer or two, this will also drain the target's shields.
However, I am running polaron weapons right now, carry over from the Jem'hedar set. I am debating either going Romulan Plasma (and rest of Romulan Singularity Harness ), or the Dyson Proton (from the Protonic Arsenal). How are they?
I say go for the full Romulan Plasma build. The weapons obtained from the Romulan Reputation include a Disruptor bonus, which also lowers your enemys damage resistance. While these do not deal near as much damage as the Advanced Fleet versions, the fact that they do lower your targets damage resistance means that they benefit the entire teams firepower. So this is the better route if you tend to play on teams.
The Experimental Romulan Plasma Beam Array does not drain anything from your Weapons Power, which means more power available to your other weapons, which increases their damage output as well. This devastating weapon also adds a Disruptor bonus of -10.8 All Damage Resistance. If you are going to use this weapon, the best course of action is to use the entire set. The 3-part set bonus increases the damage output of the Experimental Beam Array, and will also guarantee the ignition of a high-powered fire on the enemys hull, and even further decreases your targets damage resistance. In addition, this weapon also benefits from Beam Overload. Overloading without draining any power at all is a devastating combo, to say the least.
If you commission two or three Very Rare quality Projectile Weapon duty officers, you can get to where the Romulan Hyper-Plasma Torpedo can fire almost continuously without a cooldown timer. This impressive weapon is even more fun if you use Torpedo Spread. Fortunately, the Jem'Hadar Tactical Bridge Officer (obtained from the Facility 4028 mission) and Elisa Flores (obtainable at Starfleet Academy) both possess Torpedo Spread 3, so either of them are a must-have for players who use this weapon. This Torpedo also benefits from High Yield.
The final part of the Romulan Singularity Harness set is the Zero-Point Energy Conduit, a universal console that increases all your subsystem power levels and adds resistance to power drains. If you couple that console with the accompanying set weapons, the 2-part bonus gives a 7.6% increase to all of your Plasma damage output, not just the set weapons, but ALL your Plasma weapons.
I run and have run all these sets on my Sci toon (Vesta).
If you run energy siphon, TKR an PL then stick with Polaron. If you are not an energy drain build then yes the Rommy plasma is king. As for the sets, I've become a huge fan of the Solanae. It provides a steady hull heal and if you run FAW I actually tend to prefer it to the Borg. Also if you are a low damage dealer it's better as you don't draw any agro.
The difference is that one is a passive healer and the other is active. If you are constantly firing then it is nice. With my energy drain build all my power levels sit at 125+ so I zoom around and rarely get hit, yet am constantly shooting so Solanae works better plus it doesn't make my ship ugly :+
As you are Rommy let me give you another tip with the Solanae. Add the Valdore console with it and you have 2.5% chance on each shot to heal your hull and shields. It is an insane combo. I have an Eng who runs it on his Dhelan and I literally park 3 km off the Elite Crystal Entity and blast away without dying.
The Assimilated Borg Set, Dyson/Solanae Sets are very different in their purposes.
The Borg Set is great for general combat and a Sci build focusing on Gravity Well usage. The regen abilities are nice, free heals.
The Dyson & Solanae Set are for very different purposes. They're great if you want an offensive Science approach to go along with your fighting. The key common thing between the Dyson & Solanae Sets is the highest Particle Generators Skill bonus from any space set in the game. If your ship build has no intent on taking advantage of that very high bonus, then look to another set.
Highlights of the Dyson & Solanae Sets.
Dyson - If your build is correct, Proton Barrage is very nasty. Even more so coming out of Cloaks, PVP or PVE. Reactive shielding is a nice bonus, but its not ideal for sitting under sustained, heavy fire.
Solanae - Accuracy boost, highest Particle Gens of all space sets. 4p bonus "Adv.Metaphasic Shielding" has been a great savior when shields are collapsing but the fire is still coming at you. 3p bonus of "Structural Integrity Leech" is the hull repair version of the Romulans' Valdore Console. Just like the Valdore Console, it is not a complete replacement for a true hull/shield repair, but is a wonderful boost when it procs. You want synergy? Have a Warbird with Valdore Console + Solanae Space Set... chance to proc hull & shield repairs while attacking.
Defensively, the Dyson set is a bit more balanced than the Solanae Set. Both are offensive sci oriented builds with the Solanae being more offensive. But again, the Dyson Proton Barrage is damn nasty and has a relatively short cooldown AND is AOE, but you need to put some work in boosting Proton damage and popping an Aux Battery (or run a high Aux build) when doing the attack.
Of significant note, if you want the full 4 piece bonus of the Solanae Set, you have to have the Warp / Singularity Core from the Anniversary Dyson Science Destroyer. Very much a "have or have not" scenario with that set.
What the Dyson & Solanae Sets are not ideal for?
- Pure defensiveness.
- Any build that needs good Gravity Well Skill because there's no bonus for that skill... Grav Well, Tractor Beam will be weak without significant console help. However, if played right, the very high Particle Gens from Dyson/Solanae Sets can make for a very nasty TBR attack, straight to the hull (remember, Grav Well Skill & Aux Power determines the strength of the push/pull (for doff version), Particle Gen Skill determines dmg to the hull)
- Drain builds. No Flow Capacitor Skill bonus to be found.
- Somewhat mediocre for sci healing builds, though Dyson has some Shield Emitters bonus.
Even a Mk XI Borg Engine and Deflector coupled with your favorite warp core and shields is better than the MK XII Solane set for keeping shields up.
I ran that a step between stars a bunch of times and got the 4 piece solane set. It's Mk XII. I put it on a tanky odyssey and challenged a fleetmate. He shot at me for a few minutes each time. He was able to get through my shields while I only cycled 2x EPTS and 2X TSS. With a fleet shield (resb) it wasn't noticeably better, but parses showed it was slightly better. With just a Mk XI assimilated borg engine and deflector, coupled with the fleet shield (resb) and elite warp core, he couldn't break the shields. Whether my fleetmate was good or not is not the point, his reputation levels were only beginning, but the borg set was noticeably better. I didn't bother looking at the parses since the lack of hull damage said it all.
Generally, I woudl say go with Borg, but in light of the recent buff to the Solonae set, has any more tests/research been done? It looks like a noticeable buff *on paper*
Even a Mk XI Borg Engine and Deflector coupled with your favorite warp core and shields is better than the MK XII Solane set for keeping shields up.
I ran that a step between stars a bunch of times and got the 4 piece solane set. It's Mk XII. I put it on a tanky odyssey and challenged a fleetmate. He shot at me for a few minutes each time. He was able to get through my shields while I only cycled 2x EPTS and 2X TSS. With a fleet shield (resb) it wasn't noticeably better, but parses showed it was slightly better. With just a Mk XI assimilated borg engine and deflector, coupled with the fleet shield (resb) and elite warp core, he couldn't break the shields. Whether my fleetmate was good or not is not the point, his reputation levels were only beginning, but the borg set was noticeably better. I didn't bother looking at the parses since the lack of hull damage said it all.
You need to look at the set's items and bonuses to determine what their purpose is. The Borg Set's stats and bonuses are clearly geared for taking sustained dmg. The Solanae Set isn't. And neither are good in taking spike dmg.
Slapping random gear and expecting to be "tanky" or whatever purpose will yield you bad results.
Pay attention to the stats and bonuses.
The Solanae Set is clearly made for offense with sci. Again, pay attention to the stats!
Comments
Beyond that, the Borg set is actually a lot better than both, really. A two-piece Borg set nets you the ability to heal, the third piece grants you a health-sucking tractor beam that goes very well with the Kinetic Cutter.
The Solanae set on the other hand has been holding up fairly well, and the 3-piece is potentially getting a slight buff soon (check today's Tribble patch notes for details). Not sure if it out performs my old equipment defensively but much better than the Dyson set, plus it provides a bit more of an offensive boost than the Borg 2-piece, mostly from the individual parts rather than from set bonuses (built-in mini Feedback Pulse in the shield, accuracy buff on the deflector).
Solanae also has the benefit of being free to acquire, just have to run Step Between Stars a few times.
The universe has a wonderful sense of humor. The trick is learning how to take a joke.
I already tried out the Solanae before, but I found myself to be too squishy and swap back to the borg 6-pack (technically it's best with all 6 borg pieces)
However, I am running polaron weapons right now, carry over from the Jem'hedar set. I am debating either going Romulan Plasma (and rest of Romulan Singularity Harness ), or the Dyson Proton (from the Protonic Arsenal). How are they?
I don't have the entire Romulan Singularity Harness set, but I DO know that the Hyper Plasma Torpedoes are the best, even moreso than the Borg torpedoes. The Beam Array from that set is also amazing as it actually runs on full power all the time as it doesn't drain your weapon battery. Protonic Arsenal... could be better. It's good, but it works a lot better with the Solanae set, especially if you have the C-Store ships.
The 3 piece set bonus is Multi-Regenerative Shield Array, which grants a massive shield heal if your shields drop below 20%. In addition to the instant heal, it also increases the rate of shield regeneration over time, and also clears away that annoying Borg Shield Drain.
The 3 piece set bonus also gives an Assimilated Tractor Beam. If you use a Gravometric Scientist duty officer or two, this will also drain the target's shields. I say go for the full Romulan Plasma build. The weapons obtained from the Romulan Reputation include a Disruptor bonus, which also lowers your enemys damage resistance. While these do not deal near as much damage as the Advanced Fleet versions, the fact that they do lower your targets damage resistance means that they benefit the entire teams firepower. So this is the better route if you tend to play on teams.
The Experimental Romulan Plasma Beam Array does not drain anything from your Weapons Power, which means more power available to your other weapons, which increases their damage output as well. This devastating weapon also adds a Disruptor bonus of -10.8 All Damage Resistance. If you are going to use this weapon, the best course of action is to use the entire set. The 3-part set bonus increases the damage output of the Experimental Beam Array, and will also guarantee the ignition of a high-powered fire on the enemys hull, and even further decreases your targets damage resistance. In addition, this weapon also benefits from Beam Overload. Overloading without draining any power at all is a devastating combo, to say the least.
If you commission two or three Very Rare quality Projectile Weapon duty officers, you can get to where the Romulan Hyper-Plasma Torpedo can fire almost continuously without a cooldown timer. This impressive weapon is even more fun if you use Torpedo Spread. Fortunately, the Jem'Hadar Tactical Bridge Officer (obtained from the Facility 4028 mission) and Elisa Flores (obtainable at Starfleet Academy) both possess Torpedo Spread 3, so either of them are a must-have for players who use this weapon. This Torpedo also benefits from High Yield.
The final part of the Romulan Singularity Harness set is the Zero-Point Energy Conduit, a universal console that increases all your subsystem power levels and adds resistance to power drains. If you couple that console with the accompanying set weapons, the 2-part bonus gives a 7.6% increase to all of your Plasma damage output, not just the set weapons, but ALL your Plasma weapons.
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If you run energy siphon, TKR an PL then stick with Polaron. If you are not an energy drain build then yes the Rommy plasma is king. As for the sets, I've become a huge fan of the Solanae. It provides a steady hull heal and if you run FAW I actually tend to prefer it to the Borg. Also if you are a low damage dealer it's better as you don't draw any agro.
The difference is that one is a passive healer and the other is active. If you are constantly firing then it is nice. With my energy drain build all my power levels sit at 125+ so I zoom around and rarely get hit, yet am constantly shooting so Solanae works better plus it doesn't make my ship ugly :+
As you are Rommy let me give you another tip with the Solanae. Add the Valdore console with it and you have 2.5% chance on each shot to heal your hull and shields. It is an insane combo. I have an Eng who runs it on his Dhelan and I literally park 3 km off the Elite Crystal Entity and blast away without dying.
The Borg Set is great for general combat and a Sci build focusing on Gravity Well usage. The regen abilities are nice, free heals.
The Dyson & Solanae Set are for very different purposes. They're great if you want an offensive Science approach to go along with your fighting. The key common thing between the Dyson & Solanae Sets is the highest Particle Generators Skill bonus from any space set in the game. If your ship build has no intent on taking advantage of that very high bonus, then look to another set.
Highlights of the Dyson & Solanae Sets.
Dyson - If your build is correct, Proton Barrage is very nasty. Even more so coming out of Cloaks, PVP or PVE. Reactive shielding is a nice bonus, but its not ideal for sitting under sustained, heavy fire.
Solanae - Accuracy boost, highest Particle Gens of all space sets. 4p bonus "Adv.Metaphasic Shielding" has been a great savior when shields are collapsing but the fire is still coming at you. 3p bonus of "Structural Integrity Leech" is the hull repair version of the Romulans' Valdore Console. Just like the Valdore Console, it is not a complete replacement for a true hull/shield repair, but is a wonderful boost when it procs. You want synergy? Have a Warbird with Valdore Console + Solanae Space Set... chance to proc hull & shield repairs while attacking.
Defensively, the Dyson set is a bit more balanced than the Solanae Set. Both are offensive sci oriented builds with the Solanae being more offensive. But again, the Dyson Proton Barrage is damn nasty and has a relatively short cooldown AND is AOE, but you need to put some work in boosting Proton damage and popping an Aux Battery (or run a high Aux build) when doing the attack.
Of significant note, if you want the full 4 piece bonus of the Solanae Set, you have to have the Warp / Singularity Core from the Anniversary Dyson Science Destroyer. Very much a "have or have not" scenario with that set.
What the Dyson & Solanae Sets are not ideal for?
- Pure defensiveness.
- Any build that needs good Gravity Well Skill because there's no bonus for that skill... Grav Well, Tractor Beam will be weak without significant console help. However, if played right, the very high Particle Gens from Dyson/Solanae Sets can make for a very nasty TBR attack, straight to the hull (remember, Grav Well Skill & Aux Power determines the strength of the push/pull (for doff version), Particle Gen Skill determines dmg to the hull)
- Drain builds. No Flow Capacitor Skill bonus to be found.
- Somewhat mediocre for sci healing builds, though Dyson has some Shield Emitters bonus.
I ran that a step between stars a bunch of times and got the 4 piece solane set. It's Mk XII. I put it on a tanky odyssey and challenged a fleetmate. He shot at me for a few minutes each time. He was able to get through my shields while I only cycled 2x EPTS and 2X TSS. With a fleet shield (resb) it wasn't noticeably better, but parses showed it was slightly better. With just a Mk XI assimilated borg engine and deflector, coupled with the fleet shield (resb) and elite warp core, he couldn't break the shields. Whether my fleetmate was good or not is not the point, his reputation levels were only beginning, but the borg set was noticeably better. I didn't bother looking at the parses since the lack of hull damage said it all.
You need to look at the set's items and bonuses to determine what their purpose is. The Borg Set's stats and bonuses are clearly geared for taking sustained dmg. The Solanae Set isn't. And neither are good in taking spike dmg.
Slapping random gear and expecting to be "tanky" or whatever purpose will yield you bad results.
Pay attention to the stats and bonuses.
The Solanae Set is clearly made for offense with sci. Again, pay attention to the stats!