Fleet Varanus build help

desertjets

I have decided to get serious and get my KDF alt (a Lethean Sci) to end game. I like science characters and I like science ships. Unfortunately on the KDF side my choices are rather limited. I know I don't want a Vu'Qov because it feels wrong for many reasons. So what better for a Lethean than a Gorn ship?


So this build will be for a fresh level 50 and done on the cheap, with mission rewards, random drops I save on alts, and FC and dil permitting random fleet goodies. The main goal will be to help grind rep, but I would be open to actually doing some PvP.

So far I have thought it out a bit, but open to suggestions, recs and criticism.


http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/index.php?build=fleetvaranus_7501

ursusmorologus

Here's mine if you want to see what others doing http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/?build=zimvaranus_3536

First thing is the ship is pretty weak on tactical capabilities, with just a single Lt tac station. You get TT1 and something else, typically it is BFaW2 for AOE/CC (you'll use your built-in subsystem targeting often with this ship). 3 Tac consoles is enough to get some damage but you will want more. The 3-pc JH Mk XI set gives another 8% which is about 1/3rd of a tac console, not much but its helpful if you are intent on that.

If you are going to put a torp with no BOFF ability you need a torp that does something useful by itself. A single photon with no spread or high-yield is not going to be useful. Think about putting the Breen cluster torp on the rear, then you can fire your energy weapons on approach to soften the target and swing the tail around to pop the breen while you go into broadside pattern.

On mine I am using the KCB instead of a torp, with the console for the 2pc. You can get the console at T1 so its just a couple of days of starting the rep, the KCB will take a little longer. You dont really *need* it on a science ship since there's less drain from the fewer weapons, but its noticeable and helpful, and the two pieces are both useful. Basically I want the KCB for kinetic (vs Aceton spam in PVP) and the console gives some nice bene, and the 2 of them together give more bene. You can pickup the Breen clustertorp from running a mission, so that is easy to start with and everybody should have it in the bank anyway.

EPtA is most beneficial in PVP due to the boost to stealth sight, and is also very nice to have with T4 Nukara rep, but if you are sitll sub-50 then you should be using EPtW2 instead. It will do more for damage than any consoles. Run that with EPtS1 and a couple of blue Damage Control DOFFs and you can get the shared uptime to 90% pretty regularly.

If you spec into Graviton at all, you will be able to get by just fine with GW1, and TR3 is generally more useful for shutting down a group of targets. Energy Siphon 2 in the other LtC sci station will buff your power levels. And if you run 2-3 of the deflector DOFFs that reduce CD, you'll have GW/TR/ES all hitting the chance button on those which will let you spam them often.

If you have EPtS and ST you are most of the way there on shield repairs already so you dont need to use TSS3. Downgrade to TSS2 and you will be just as good, and will free up LtC for an offensive ability. (I am using HE3 for my primary hull repair, but I use this ship in PVP sometimes and I need it for that.)

Fleet Varanus is real middle-of-the-road ship. Not a bad ship, but its not outstaning in any way either.

ryakidrys

ursusmorologus wrote: »

Here's mine if you want to see what others doing http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/?build=zimvaranus_3536

I picked up the varanus recently to try something different. I don't seem to be able to determine how much draining I can do. I am running Protonic Polaron beam arrays, TR3 and 2 ES2. Well, until I read your post, and then started trying the TR3, ES2, GW1 thing. It seem to have less consistent power levels, which is crazy good with all above 100 most of the time and all at 125 or better for short durations. I'm still trying to figure out how to use it. I am not even sure if the hull repair thing is doing enough to justify the console space. I've had some trouble staying alive in crystal elite, my first stop testing ground these days.

I am also having to learn to not use it like a tank and throw it into the middle of the furrball of fire and get aggro, so changing up play style might have a huge impact on success with it.

Here is what I'm running....

TT1, BFAW2 (use beam target weapons and aux in between BFAW firings)
ET1, EPTS2
EPTA1
HE1, TSS2, ES2,
HE1, TSS2, GW1, TR3

2 polaron tac consoles
4 Mk XI flow capacitors
Repair platform, assimilated module and plasmonic leech

I'm also not sold on whether drains and disables are trully effective in PvE.

desertjets

Your builds helped me out a fair bit with balancing the lesser sci skills. I do have a BOFF in my roster that has TR3..... I never really used TR until recently on my Fed and Rom scis and am really impressed with that ability. TR, sensor scan and some AOE spam and the bad guys go bye-bye fast.

Slightly updated but I think it may be a good starting point. http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=fleetvaranus_7501


I was looking at the price of polaron beam arrays on the exchange and Mk XI VRs weren't too pricey (200 - 300k ec depending on mods). Should have checked polarized disruptors too. Makes me wonder if it is worth grinding Boldly They Rode 4-5x to get the Dominion Polarons. It isn't exactly one of those missions that you can replay quickly.

ryakidrys

Flow cap skill, flow cap consoles and the jem hadar deflector should not only boost power drains with plasmonic leech and energy siphon, but should also increase the shield drain of a dominion polaron beam array when it does get the tetryon proc. I think the polaron proc is unaffected by flow cap skill.
I've run operation gamma and boldly they rode numerous times to get complete jem hadar sets on 3 toons.....it takes determination to keep going back to that mission one more time for that last beam array.
Anyway, I don't have the fleet varanus yet, so only 2 tac consoles right now.

ursusmorologus

You lost Polarize Hull in that reshuffle, but you need it to break tractor beam and to buff hull resists. You should also upgrade to HE2 for improved hull repairs and resists.

PH1, TSS2, GW1, TR3
ST1, HE2, ES2

That gives you 2 hull repairs w/ 2 resist buffs, and 3 shield repairs w/ 2 buffs

Or you could replace ST1 with TB1 if you want more CC/offense abilities

desertjets

I go back and forth in my mind over the usefulness of PH. But then at the ens level most of those skills are kinda throwaways anyways. I'll probably slot it though. Your feedback has been really useful, just gotta keep motivated to grind my Lethean. Replaying the same mission content for the billionth time is a pain.