Looking for suggestions for a Exotic DPS build.

latiasracer

Hi all,


Looking to get back into my Sci again and want to change things up, and hopefully dish out a bit more damage.


The ship i plan to use is a T5U tactical vesta.


But here is the problem. I have no idea what gear to go with, or even what abilities are optimal. I have spent my 2000 + hours on this game playing on a fed, rom and KDF engineer, so my knowledge of builds is pretty much confined to them!


1. ) Energy Type : What would be best? I currently have polaron, due to the draining being buffed by flow caps.

2. ) Boff Layout : I have no idea what to put in the uni stations. Would tactical beam abilities be better? Or would i get more use out of more sci abilities? Aside from grav well 1 and 3 i'm not sure what else to have.

3. ) Equipment : I'm going to get the Solane deflector, as it certainly looks to be the best for exotic damage. Do the set bonuses warrent getting the other pieces? I'm currently using the Omega XI Space set, and it's pretty lackluster.

4. ) Sets : Again, lost here. Don't know what pieces would be worth grabbing. Currently using the Graviton torp - Worth changing?

5.) Doffs : Suggest away, no ideas here


Thanks in advance all.

fatman592

1) Any energy type is fine, though most top builds use Antiproton. The real issue is maxing out the CrtH/CrtD ratio, generally requiring [CrtD]x2 [Pen] or [CrtD]x3 weapons.

2) I run only doffed (Graga Mal, reverse beams to pull) TBR 2&3 on my Dauntless. Nets more DPS than Grav Well ever did. In addition the abilties tend to conflict. My Dauntless is Tac seat heavy, and relies heavily on defense to survive.

3) I run the Salonae Deflector with two piece Nukara and a fleet warp core.

4) I run KCB in the back and a Particle Emission Torp up front. You absolutely want the torp, the KCB isn't necessary. Sets aren't a big deal, just get the sci Vesta, 5 embassy consoles and you'll be fine.

5) I run 2 Damage Control Engineers for EPtX CD reduction, a Warp Core Engineer for the cleanse effect, Graga Mal to reverse TBR, and Dev Lab Scientist for Sci Team CD reduction.

The number one thing you need is the Particle Manipulator trait from level 15 R&D Crafting. Without that don't even bother.

coffeemike

My tac Vesta uses GW3 and TR2 to great use. Plus the Gravimetric Photon Torp launcher helps with Graviton Generators and Particle Generators.

tom61sto

For main sets, I usually go for Adapted MACO 2-piece with it giving extra Aux power and a 25% base damage boost to all Torpedos. AMACO Shields and engines would complement your deflector nicely. The Solanae set is more geared for tanking, not so much Science beyond it's deflector, but it's price of being a mission reward makes it a decent stop-gap until you get other sets.

A random bit of gear worth picking up is the new Vaadwaur Anchor console, which, in addition to a launchable that deals kinetic damage based on Aux power and Particle Generators, gives 20-23% (level scaling) end-of-calculation bonus damage to your exotic damage BOff abilities. It's available for a pittance under Ship Consoles -> Engineering on the Exchange.

The Uni stations are going to come down to preference. I'd recommend having both a Sci and Tac BOff ready to slot, each with a variety of abilities to slot, and just playing around with them. You can swap BOffs and already trained abilities they have any time you're out of combat.

Since you're a Gravity Well fan, a Gravimetric Scientist DOff with chance to create an aftershock Gravity Well can be pretty fun when it procs.

BOff abilities and DOffs are now inter-connected with Secondary Deflector choices. Still playing with things myself. I'm finding the Deteriorating Secondary Deflector matches up with abilities that are compatible with Deflector Officers cooldown procs, which makes them and Gravity Well 3 more spam-able. I'm running Tachyon Beam, Tyken's Rift 2 and Gravity Well 3 as my offensive ability set, all three of which are Deflector Officer compatible. The Deteriorating adds a Radiation damage over time proc to TB and TR, but not GW. Tachyon Beamhas a low cooldown on it's own which is great for procing the cooldowns to GW and TR lower, and it is now capable of dealing hull damage as well as being better able to strip a shield facing thanks to the Deteriorating proc that deals it's damage with 50% shield penetration which means half the proc pounds on the shield facing you're shooting on along with the usual drain Tachyon Beam does. Tyken's Rift is also compatible with the Deteriorating, but it's main claim to fame is that it's an AoE power drain that does mild exotic damage that you can usually fire into a Gravity Well before it dissipates. So, on a big group I target the biggest thing, fire off Gravity Well 3, Tachyon Beam, then be able to hit it with Tyken's Rift towards the end of GW3's timer. Inhibiting adds a damage proc that gives burst of damage after 4 seconds, and most of it's compatibility are things not compatible with Deflector Officers as well as most being close-in powers like Tractor Beams and Tractor Beam Rupulsers, which makes the DOff layout need to be more about enhancing those abilties (TBR reverser, shield draining tractor beam, etc.)

jaguarskx

latiasracer wrote: »

1. ) Energy Type : What would be best? I currently have polaron, due to the draining being buffed by flow caps.

My Fed Sci toon flies a Dauntless and I am aiming to get polaron beam weapons for it because I want to focus on energy drain. However, the best in terms of DPS is antiproton because by default critical hits will cause +20% before any modifiers.

For modifiers I go with [CrtD]x2 [CrtH], but people have different preferences. [CrtD] causes +20% critical damage on a critical hit. [CrtH] increases your chances of a critical hit by 2%. Arguably the best is [CrtD]x3 because if you score a critical hit this allows the weapon to do +60% damage; antiproton will do +80%. Some people like [Pen] because that ignores 10 points of armor.

2. ) Boff Layout : I have no idea what to put in the uni stations. Would tactical beam abilities be better? Or would i get more use out of more sci abilities? Aside from grav well 1 and 3 i'm not sure what else to have.

You have to decide whether you want to lean more science or tactical. Both can be effective in combat. Tactical will likely do more DPS and is easier to setup. Science can be quite fun but DPS using weapons will be less compared to tactical. However, when leaning towards science you need to make sure your auxiliary power is decently high. I shoot for at least 75 aux power and I did that buy taking power away from weapons. Science relies on exotic damage which is boosted by high aux power and particle generator consoles and skills.

If this is a science captain, then I would devote the Lt Cmdr universal Boff station to science.

3. ) Equipment : I'm going to get the Solane deflector, as it certainly looks to be the best for exotic damage. Do the set bonuses warrent getting the other pieces? I'm currently using the Omega XI Space set, and it's pretty lackluster.

I have been pretty lazy... my sci toon is still in the Cardassian Struggle story arc even at level 60. However, I do plan on using the Solanae Deflector, Hyper-Efficient Impulse Engine and Shield. Naturally I cannot get the Solanae Warp Core so I will simply use the Obelisk Subspace Rift Warp Core since that will boost my aux power.

4. ) Sets : Again, lost here. Don't know what pieces would be worth grabbing. Currently using the Graviton torp - Worth changing?

The 3-piece Solanae set is pretty good, though I plan on getting 3 pieces of the Dyson set eventually; not going to get the warp core. I plan on getting the gravimetric torpedo and definitely use torpedo spread with it.

5.) Doffs : Suggest away, no ideas here

Use at least blue quality Doffs. I use the following which are all purple Doffs.

3 Project Weapon Officers (max of 3) - Chance to reduce torpedo cool down
1 Deflector Officer (max of 1) - Reduce cool down on deflector related abilities like GW and TR
1 Gravimetirc Scientist (max of 1) - Chance to spawn multiple GW. There's one for TR as well.

I will probably remove one Projectile Weapon Officer and replace with Energy Weapon Officer for a chance to reduce cool down on subsystem targeting.

gonzothegreat78

Im using the jem hadar shields and engines for the 15% polaron bonus and the solane deflecter and warp core.

easy stuff to get too for just starting out, for weapons im swapping from protonic polaron to thoron infused.