Raider BOFF Configurations

orangeitis

I recently got into BoPs. They're so deliciously versatile with entirely universal bridge officer seatings. I have a B'Rel retrofit on every one of my KDF characters, a Hegh'ta on a couple, and even a fleet Norgh on one. They're really growing on me.

I'm curious though. I want to learn more about how everyone else in the KDF sets their BoP up. Considering the versatility of the BOFF arrangements, I'm guessing that there is tons you can do with these li'l ships. Which BOFF careers do you use? BOFF skills? What is your BoP's role(A2B, torp, healboat, etc)? Share them here. Breen Raider captains are welcome too.

catliketyping

Right now, I'm into my Fleet Hoh'sus. It's fun doing a DPS ship versus my tried & true B'rel setup. The Hoh'sus thing can go on a Hegh'ta also... I just get the benefit of the 4th Tac console slot.

Anyway...
Commander - Tac: THY1, TS2, BO3, APO3
(This is my Sup Rom OP Embassy BOFF who also has a seat in my B'rel setups, hence the Torpedo skills)

Lt Commander - Sci: HE1, ST2, GW1
(Nausicaan. Everyone needs Grav Well)

Lieutenant - Tac: TT1, BO2
(Nausicaan)

Lieutenant - Eng: EPtS1, Aux to SIF1
(This is my Sup Subterfuge Embassy BOFF.)

I run 3x EWO DOFFs with the chance for bonus penetration on BO. I also run 3x AP DBBs up front rather than DHCs because I want the instantaneous hits. The instant DBB hits make me feel better than waiting for travel time on DHCs. It's a morale thing

Basically... Buff up with APO, BO, THY or TS. Decloak & hit with the BO (to trigger penetration), and also let fly with Torpedos. The idea is to get bonus penetration on the torpedos while also getting flank, APO, and (elite romulan) ambush bonuses.

I don't really use Grav Well to stack them up & fire AOE skills on this BoP. Sometimes, I'll do the AP DHCs with CSV, but I'm more into DBBs than DHCs right now.

My Fleet Norgh operates on similar principles, albeit with APO1 (usually) as an extra so that I have constant APO on my ambushes. I tend to do more cloak/decloak action on the Norgh, whereas I tend to do more straight shooting on my Hoh'sus.

My B'rel? I've posted that a million times. Commander Science for 2x Grav Well. It's purely for control purposes, although I can usually do decent damage with my Transphasic setup.

jaegernl

The bridge officer setup on Julius's B'rel is rather fluid. Most of the time, she's built as a PvP vape build, with torpedos and a Dual Beam Bank for BO3 spike. I accidently brought her into an STF like that once, and still parsed at 9k dps. I wasn't disappointed.

However, if I really just want to pew pew pew like a normal escortish ship, I'd bring her in with an aux2bat build.

Tac: TT1/CSV1/TS3/Beta3
Sci: PH1/HE2/ST3
Eng: EptE1/Aux2Bat
Eng: EptS1/Aux2Bat

I have an extra sci I can switch to the lt. slot, with HE1, ST2 and GW1. I can move up one of the engineers to the Lt.Com slot for DEM, or switch out the sci's for some Gravity Wells. Chug an aux batt - or wait for aux2bat to go on cooldown - to drop your heals and the GW.

However, recently I've been thinking about switching to Dual Beam Banks in the front, and using Fire at Will 2. Use this with DEM and Marion, and maybe use EptW instead of EptE.

Aurelius, my torpedo B'rel sci, is running the following:

Sci: PH1/HE2/GW1/GW3
Tac: TS1/TS2/DPB2
Eng: EptE1/Aux2Damp (doffed)
Eng: EptE1/ET2

Again, the setup is rather fluid. I often use a Commander Tac - with TT1/THY2/TS3/DPB3 and move the Sci down one slot to the lt.com.

talonxv

I run a b'rel retrofit, but I roll it with the torpedo build.

Currently have

1 transphasic borg torp.
1 chriton torp(till I can replace it with the voth torp)
Breen transphasic cluster
Klingon bio torp

rear
rapid reload transphasic
transphasic mine launcher.

Pop out of cloak for that few seconds unload, cloak again drop mines and fire off the rear torp and just cloak and move.

Plus with GW and torp spread I can fire off some good burst damage.

I like my b'rel torp boat.

orangeitis

talonxv: Do you spec your GW into pull or damage?

fraghul2000

That's the build I've been using on my Hegh'ta

http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=fraghegh_0

2 Grav Wells, the rest a "normal" escort setup with 2x TT and 2 cannon skills.

Assimilated module & HG deflector for their graviton & particle generator skills, the rest of the set simply because is was readily available in my bank.

The damage output of the Harg'peng (which is in there because I like it's visuals and because it doesn't profit from a torp boff skill) isn't great, but tolerable, with a handful of situations in STFs, where it's AE can create nice numbers.

Finally 2 DHCs and one DC, simply because those weapons fire from different hardpoints (DHCs from the outer cannons, DC from the ones below the hull) and I was willing to forfeit the additional damage of a third DHC for the visual effect.

catliketyping

Went back to cannon on my Fleet Norgh. The individual numbers arent as big as the DBB setup, but it kills quick.

Commander Tac: TT1, CRF1, APO1, CSV3
(Nausicaan)

LtCommander Tac: THY1, TS2, BO3
(Romulan)

LtCommander Sci: HE1, ST2, GW1
(Nausicaan. GW to stack up weak enemies for TS2 and/or CSV3)

Lieutenant Eng: EPtS1, Aux to SIF1
(Romulan)

I run weapons as follows...
Fore:
Nanite Disruptor DHCs, Quad Disruptors, Experimental Proton gun, Enhanced Bio Photon torp

Aft:
Gravimetric photon torp, Heavy Disruptor Turret

I like that the Dyson gun works with all energy skills (with full Dyson rep gear). I can trigger BO and CSV CRF with the same gun.

catliketyping

Crystalline Catastrophe... i hear drains can help keep it under control. I typically dont run drain builds. What do you use? Are weapon skills important (i.e. polaron proc)?

Right now, i put this on my Hoh'sus (which also applies to Hegh'ta).
.

Fore weapons:
3x various Polaron DBBs, Grav torp

Aft:
Borg Cutting Beam, Experimental Dyson weapon

Commander Tac: THY1, TS2, BO3, APO3
(My Romulan Tac)

Lt.Commander Sci: HE1, ST2, GW1

Lieutenant Sci: Tachyon Beam 1, Tyken's 1

Lieutenant Eng: EPtS1, Aux to SIF1

Now, i will probably move Tac to Lt.Commander, and make up a new "drain" Nausicaan Sci BOFF for the Commander slot. I just hate losing APO, and i like the BO penetration DOFFs... but i will probably swap out skills on my Rom Tac anyway.

So... what do you slot for drains?

talonxv

orangeitis wrote: »

talonxv: Do you spec your GW into pull or damage?

Pull, because while I can hit a lot of targets with torp spread, if there is a cannon armed ship nearby, I do him a favor and line up the targets for him to vape.

icsairguns

I think just asking boff layout isn't really enough, the more info you provide the better. because you can have the same layout as some others here have said and still do really bad. allot of it is going to depend on the quality of the boff, the skills you have selected as a captain ( piloting skill of player) duty officers that are active. qualtity of weapons, SHIPS POWER LEVELS and things like that.

I found out along time ago in this game a simple answer is not enough to questions like this.

like what is the best ship? all depends.

what best layout? all depends

what is best weapons? all depends

ryakidrys

I run 2 KDF toons, both running C-store B'Rel (the fleet is soo close to tier 5 shipyard), both using grav well. I use it to pull multiple tagets together so destroying one target has their warp core explosion do damage to the others in the grav well, hopefully starting a chain reaction of warp core explosions.

Both weapon setups are the same.
Fore: Cluster Mine Torp, Borg Transphasic, Normal Transphasic, Rapid Reload
Aft: Cluster Mine Torp, Rapid Reload

My Tac is setup as....
TS1, TS2, APO1, APO3
HE1, HE2, GW1
EPTE1, ET2
EPTE1, A2SIF1

My Sci setup is a tad different...
HE1, HE2, GW1, GW3
TS1, APD1, APD2
EPTE1, ET2
EPTE1, A2SIF1


I used to run an aux to batt mine layer setup, but the close proximity to the target and extra attention I got in random pugged STFs was hazardous to my ability to stay alive. I run torps now since I can porpise in and out of firing range when I need to take less damage and I'm not losing output by holiding back launching weapons outside their effective range like mines. Also, when I ran Khitomer, I felt the need to get next to Donatra's scimitar to launch mines, which instantly got aggro, and she then immediately cloaks, again and again, causing the other players to become very unhappy.

catliketyping

Does anyone do a lot of particle gen for GW damage? I mostly use it to stop an enemy and/or stack them up for CSV and/or TS.

TS3 gravimetric into a GW = big ol glowing blender.

ryakidrys

icsairguns wrote: »

I think just asking boff layout isn't really enough, the more info you provide the better. because you can have the same layout as some others here have said and still do really bad. allot of it is going to depend on the quality of the boff, the skills you have selected as a captain ( piloting skill of player) duty officers that are active. qualtity of weapons and things like that.

I found out along time ago in this game a simple answer is not enough to questions like this.

like what is the best ship? all depends.

what best layout? all depends

what is best weapons? all depends

I second that! Sometimes you have a great ship and a great layout, but the way you play it does not take advantage of what it does well and you come away thinking ship x is a waste. Certain play styles are more suitable to certain ships and layouts. Some ships can be run in several play styles with different setups very well, IF you can run it that way.

generator88

catliketyping wrote: »

Crystalline Catastrophe... i hear drains can help keep it under control. I typically dont run drain builds. What do you use? Are weapon skills important (i.e. polaron proc)?

My memory on this is that polaron procs don't help, so if you were choosing energy types based solely on the Crystalline Entity, go for something else. Powers like Tyken's, Energy Siphon and Tachyon Beam do work, though, by removing some of its buffs.

Gen

ryakidrys

catliketyping wrote: »

Does anyone do a lot of particle gen for GW damage? I mostly use it to stop an enemy and/or stack them up for CSV and/or TS.

TS3 gravimetric into a GW = big ol glowing blender.

I use the assimilated module for extra to graviton skills and I just got the undine deflector which has a bonus for particle generators. I use a Mk X purple particle generator console as well. The damage isn't as much as I'd hope for, but I use the particle generator to boost the damage from the isometric charge I use as well.

warmaker001b

If you want high Particle Generators in a deflector, the Dyson and Solanae ones have very high numbers. The Solanae one has the highest in the game, mid 30's IIRC.

catliketyping wrote: »

Does anyone do a lot of particle gen for GW damage? I mostly use it to stop an enemy and/or stack them up for CSV and/or TS.

TS3 gravimetric into a GW = big ol glowing blender.

You'll want high Particle Generators to begin with for that style. Particle Generators is a determining factor in rift damage.

catliketyping

I mostly use the Undine deflector now since it has the accuracy bonus & weapon skill bonuses. Particle gen is strictly an afterthought for me on the Undine deflector.

Graviton just feels more useful. Again, does anyone use GW to damage (and tie up more than incidental equipment slots with particle gen)? Or is it all graviton when you are actually selecting gear to specifically modify your GW?

As for Polaron DBBs on a drain ship... i only chose Polaron to get use out of the drain stats. It could be any type, really.

ryakidrys

As far as I understand thing, graviton skill just increases the range and strnegth of the pull of a grav well, while particle generators boost the damage from the grav well. Does graviton skill boost the damage too?

catliketyping

ryakidrys wrote: »

As far as I understand thing, graviton skill just increases the range and strnegth of the pull of a grav well, while particle generators boost the damage from the grav well. Does graviton skill boost the damage too?

As far as i know, graviton strictly affects range and pull (i.e. so you can affect enemies in a bigger radius).

That is all i look for in my GW, so when i have to choose between grav or pgen, i get graviton
.. and particle gen is incidental.

I know you can boost p.gen, but i dont. That's why i wanted to hear from people who do, and not just the theory of boosting another skill.

orangeitis

So BoPs can still achieve sufficient Grav Well pull with 3 sci console slots then? Nice.

Are there any viable BoP builds involving a Commander Engineering BOFF position?

catliketyping

If mirror escorts have enough graviton, BoPs have plenty. If you are just hitting nanites, it is enough. Even Voth Undine, or other set pieces... the enemy tends to be in clumps, and easy to ball up.

I havent run a Commander Eng BoP though. Cant provide any anecdotes.

...

Last night, i ran a drain-y boat for CCE, using my Fleet Hoh'sus.

Commander Sci: Tachyon beam 1, energy syphon 1, tyken's 3, GW3

Lt.Com Tac: THY1, TS2, BO3

Lieutenant Eng: EPtS1, Aux to SIF 1

Lieutenant Sci: HE1, ST2

I used refracting tetryons because i have a ton of them. These dont necessarily do anything for the crystalline entity, though neither would Polarons.

I only died once (under constant fire from the entity). The drains made the crystalline entity shots more survivable. It was pretty routine otherwise. A Fleet Norgh wouldnt have buffed my DPS much. Swapping out for a Norgh would have hurt my DPS since it would take away a tac console.

Is the Hoh'sus a better Sci ship and the Norgh better for Tac stuff? That's my new theory.

icsairguns

orangeitis wrote: »

So BoPs can still achieve sufficient Grav Well pull with 3 sci console slots then? Nice.

Are there any viable BoP builds involving a Commander Engineering BOFF position?

I run mine with a commander engineer and lt commander engineer as well.

no sci officer at all.

its purely a torp boat fires cloaked mostly and why I have so many engineers to stay alive and to hell with shields.

catliketyping

Ran the drain boat again in CCE. Swapped out my refracting tetryons for polaron dbbs. Died twice (once due to not paying attention to the thing @33% health).

Ran it in the Undine space as well. Anything works against Undine because they suck, and you just spam whatever to "win".

I think it would be adequate for ISE.

The drain Hoh'sus might become my general purpose ship. I just have to rig it better with stuff.

catliketyping

I'm liking the Polaron DBBs on the drain Hoh'sus, for whatever reason. Since I'm mostly not using energy weapon skills, the DBBs seem nicer. If I had space in my build for cannon skills, I'd use them & stuff from my DHC collection, but I don't have that.

Last time through CCE, I got 3rd place with the Polarons this way:
(I switched to the OP Photon setup (3 piece Dyson Protonic Arsenal))

Fore:
2x Polaron DBB, Experimental Proton Weapon, Enhanced Biomolecular Torpedo

Aft:
Borg KCB, Gravimetric Torpedo


Same BOFF layout (because I haven't had time to change).

Commander Sci: Tachyon beam 1, energy syphon 1, tyken's 3, GW3

Lt.Com Tac: THY1, TS2, BO3

Lieutenant Eng: EPtS1, Aux to SIF 1

Lieutenant Sci: HE1, ST2

dahminus

Don't use Tachyon beam man...it's just bad...

Use a transfer shield strength or something

catliketyping

dahminus wrote: »

Don't use Tachyon beam man...it's just bad...

Use a transfer shield strength or something

I was just using it to weaken the Crystalline Entity.

It does seem pretty terrible, otherwise.

Maybe I'll throw on a Polarize Hull. At least it will do something.

Also... it would have helped it I wasn't rainbow boating it the last time. I had Polarized Disruptors & a regular Polaron DBB on at the same time. Ooops. :cool:

Time to put on the Undine weapon stuff, I guess, and go Disruptors instead.

catliketyping

Last runthrough of CCE was bad. Nobody else seemed to have GW, or only 1 other did because there were way too many fragments going around & i died at least 4 times. The entity didnt do much damage with its beams, though.

(EDIT: Still got 3rd place that time though)

I may go Commander AND LtCommander Sci for a 2nd Grav Well (since my other high-end Sci slot is Tyken's Rift 3). My BO3 isnt doing anything since i took off all my EWO DOFFs for Deflector officers.

ISE was easy. Didnt need any GW, burned it all down real quick. There was a Defiant, Scimitar, Chel Grett, and something else... Andorian, maybe. Plus my science-y Fleet Hoh'sus. Easy mode.

I think Hoh'sus is the better science BoP for sure. 4 tac consoles mitigates sticking higher BOFFs into Sci rather than Tac. I like my Fleet Norgh, but it feels better as a Tac bird.

catliketyping

Ok. I can consistently place 3rd in CCE with my Science-y Fleet Hoh'sus... both the Commander & Lt.Commander seats are Science BOFFs. Lieutenant Tac & Eng. There was at least one Scimitar the last time.

Not bad to get 3rd, although a pure Sci ship can probably out-do me since the scoring on CCE is not exactly shifted to DPS.

orangeitis

icsairguns wrote: »

I run mine with a commander engineer and lt commander engineer as well.

no sci officer at all.

its purely a torp boat fires cloaked mostly and why I have so many engineers to stay alive and to hell with shields.

What specific BOFF abilities do you use?

icsairguns

orangeitis wrote: »

What specific BOFF abilities do you use?

its all in the link in my prev post.


but here you go again http://kdf-fleet.webs.com/b-rel

orangeitis

icsairguns wrote: »

its all in the link in my prev post.


but here you go again http://kdf-fleet.webs.com/b-rel

Oh sorry. =p I need to learn to read.