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Another What Ship Thread
harleyquinnel
Member Posts: 5 Arc User
Not sure if this goes in academy or here.
So, Im 2months into the game, have a lvl 54 Klingon Science officer.
Have 80k Dilithium, no fleet marks, about 1mill EC and will miss out on Qs ship by about a week. Should be able to afford a single T6 ship at the end of the month from the C-Shop if needed. But I think the credits would be better spent getting more DOFF slots etc.
Finding in my T5 (lvl40 free ship) Raptor that the missions are becoming more and more problematic due to dying or simply the time it takes to kill the opposition.
Was hoping to have a fun science ship: drain shields, override systems or simply punt them into a different dimension using exotic particles and the like. Again from reading, main damage would be Antiproton Beam Arrays.
Having spent a lot of time trawling the forums and various websites, its hard to find any comparable information, particularly including the new T6 ships.
An obvious choice would seem to be the VoQuv carrier (need more Dilithium but can be done), but I cannot afford the mirror version, and its not even upgradable (afaik) to a T5-U
.
The lock box ships are well out of my league (75mill etc) and I never have the luck to win such items from simply opening the box.
So simple questions would be: are the T6 ships worth the price I assume a Klinzhai?
Would I be better off trying to get a Marauder? Or an upgraded Kar-Fi?
Would be interested in constructive feedback
So, Im 2months into the game, have a lvl 54 Klingon Science officer.
Have 80k Dilithium, no fleet marks, about 1mill EC and will miss out on Qs ship by about a week. Should be able to afford a single T6 ship at the end of the month from the C-Shop if needed. But I think the credits would be better spent getting more DOFF slots etc.
Finding in my T5 (lvl40 free ship) Raptor that the missions are becoming more and more problematic due to dying or simply the time it takes to kill the opposition.
Was hoping to have a fun science ship: drain shields, override systems or simply punt them into a different dimension using exotic particles and the like. Again from reading, main damage would be Antiproton Beam Arrays.
Having spent a lot of time trawling the forums and various websites, its hard to find any comparable information, particularly including the new T6 ships.
An obvious choice would seem to be the VoQuv carrier (need more Dilithium but can be done), but I cannot afford the mirror version, and its not even upgradable (afaik) to a T5-U
.
The lock box ships are well out of my league (75mill etc) and I never have the luck to win such items from simply opening the box.
So simple questions would be: are the T6 ships worth the price I assume a Klinzhai?
Would I be better off trying to get a Marauder? Or an upgraded Kar-Fi?
Would be interested in constructive feedback
Post edited by harleyquinnel on
0
Comments
Probably the cheapest/most flexible test bed I could recommend would be the Mirror Neghvar, but they tend to run over a million EC on the exchange(last time I checked, they may be lower post-DR). It's got a flexible layout that lets you play around with science while still having a solid engineering and tactical capability. The Klinzhai is pretty much a straight T6 upgrade from it if you find yourself liking that kind of ship. Ty'gokor if you want a similar ship with some bigger teeth(pun intended).
If you're willing to stick with the raptor playstyle, the Mat'ha will feel like a night and day improvement to your freebie Qin. However, the Mat'ha is a ship with a very specific focus - firepower.
If you really want to go hardcore into science, I would highly recommend either the Tactical or Science Dyson Science Destroyer. It got a bad rap early on, but now you can customize it to look properly Klingon and it is an excellent Science Vessel. (Tactical Mode is inferior to proper attack ships as an energy weapon ship; it's still useful in certain situations, but it's not something you should build the ship around.)
Alternatively, I would suggest waiting to see what ship comes from the Summer/Risian Event. It will be a T6 and we're probably due for a Science Vessel.
Otherwise, my general advice for newer players is to stick with mirror ships(+Kazon Raider/APU) until you figure out what C-Store ship you know you want to invest in.
I wouldn't be considering any of the C-Store T6 KDF ships. None of them are great options for science, not even the "science" command battlecruiser, which has no sensor analysis, subsystem targeting or secondary deflector, and no Commander Science officer boff seat.
Your best potential options have already been called out. Vo'quv or Kar'fi are both great choices, or a Dyson if you want a "true" science ship.
- The Dyson Science Destroyer Bundle. Yeah, it kinda' costs 5k Zen for the entire pack and you'd probably need to upgrade at least one of them afterwards, but it's the best non-lockbox science option you have on the KDF side. A the same time you may just get one of those, but on the other hand you may want the 3-pack due to personal preferences - that's up to you. But again, it's the best pure science option you can get KDF-wise, plus the destroyer gimmick. In case you didn't know, those DSDs can now use faction specific hull materials as well.
The Zen can be an issue, but note that in a week or so there is a Crystalline Catastrophe event going on in a week or so that will net you 50k Dil per character at the end, so it's a good source of some Zen.
- The Varanus is a solid science ship that will enable you do play around with those science builds you mentioned. It's by no chance top of the line anymore, but very solid still. I use one on my science Joined Trill and don't intend to switch from it.
Now, you can also do what many of us do and use science slanted non-science ships to fulfill those roles and that gameplay you speak of:
- Birds of Prey, but more precisely the B'rel. Due to the ehnanced battlecloak, high speed and high turn rate it can be tailored to do science really really well. But like patrickngo said - you have to like BoPs for something like that. If you find it challenging to keep your current raptor allive, then a BoP can be at least 10 times more challenging, or not. This depends of the setup as well.
- Kar'fi is also a very good choice. It's a maneuverable full carrier with 4/3 setup, very good frigates and strong science potential because of the seating. It just may be the ship you're looking for in order to play around with those "fun" builds that is not easy to die in.
- The K'maj (Fleet Kamarag) is another option, IMHO it's an excellent science slanted battlecruiser so you may want to look into it. It has no C-Store variant, so you'll need a fleet with a Tier 3 Shipyard and 4 fleet ship modules, but those can be purchased for ECs as well.
If you're looking into T6 then the choices for science are still thin. In terms of what you want to do, the Klinzhai is probably the best choice here and it will fulfill your needs to a certain degree.
On another note, if you still consider raptors as an option I feel obliged to say that the Mat'Ha is completely insane.
You said it takes time with your current raptor to kill oponents....let me put it like this: "In Klingon Star Trek Online, the time takes a Mat'Ha to kill oponents!"
While it is a good substitute for a science ship, it would not compare to a T6 KDF science ship if Cryptic were to ever bother to release one. A T6 BoP would be a nice option, but I really doubt one will be released in my lifetime. It is a very nimble but fragile ship and learning how to fly one effectively when you are above level 50 can be challenging. The T5 B'rel BoP Retrofit costs 2,000 Zen and I think a ship upgrade token costs 750 Zen which means the T5u B'rel BoP Retrofit will end up costing you 2,750 Zen which is a pretty steep price for a ship that you are not sure about.
The T5 Varanus is basically the only pure science ship that the KDF has. It is okay... It was given away for free last year and while I have flown it, there was nothing really special about the ship. The "best KDF science ship" is probably comparable to a mediocre Federation science ship. I have not upgraded it to T5u so I am not sure how that ship will perform on higher difficulty missions as your level increases.
The Ta'Sub Advanced Dyson Science Destroyer seems to be a decent option and I have considered getting it for my KDF science toon, but I find the "transformer mode" to be a bit gimicky I would personally leave it in "science mode". The 3 ship bundle sells for 5,000 Zen while each ship bought separately will cost 2,500 Zen. I am not too keen on buying the bundle myself, but I am considering purchasing it the next time Cryptic has a 20% ship discount so that my KDF science toon can fly something a bit more "sciency" than the T5u B'rel BoP Retrofit. Besides my tactical toon already flies the T5u B'rel and I prefer if my toons all fly different ships.
If you like carriers then the Kar'fi Battle Carrier might just be for you. It has a nice mix of tactical and science Boff stations and it has 7 weapon slots instead of only 6 for science ships. It is fairly maneuverable and hull strength is not too shabby. Plus it only cost 2,000 Zen, but don't forget than you need to purchase the ship upgrade token to turn it into a T5u starship.
A nice ability to have is also Sensor Analysis which debuffs the enemy you are targeting. It gives you +5% damage and energy drain every 6 seconds and it can stack 6 times so after 30 seconds you get +30% damage and energy drain (assuming you are using something to drain energy). This is why I am kinda considering the Ta'Sub Advanced Dyson Destroyer.
In the end, any captain can fly any ship (in your faction) which is one of the great things about STO. It is just a matter of what mix of ship abilities and trade-offs works for you.
A 20% off ship sale was just announced today (15% for command ships), and I don't have the funds to purchase the Ta'Sub Advanced Dyson Destroyer that I am kinda looking at...
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1386281
Each purchased T5 ship also comes with a free upgrade token to T5u.
You would be amazed at how fast you can make money if that is your goal; it usually takes me about 1-2 months to earn the 100M or so (depends on price and how active I am) for an exchange ship.
there is nothing wrong with the 5 sci console dyson, just not IMHO worth real money or a massive dil2zen grind.
Just be patient and wait for the next sale. They have them several times a year, and I'd bet that the "free ship upgrade token for all T5 puchases" will be included in all the sales going forward. How else are they going to sell those old ships?
I was looking at the Ta'sub ADSD because it can cloak which is an ability I would like to keep. The Voth Palisade can cloak, but I would also need to purchase the Voth Bastalion for the console to allow the Palisade to cloak.
The Tal Shiar ABC does have cloak, but it is not as nimble as a science ship or the ADSD. My Rom toon actually had the TSABC before I decided to put it back on the Exchange and sold for a small profit so that I could afford to buy TSV at a really, really good price.
Of course once my Rom sci toon actually unboxes the TSV that toon can stop flying the Breen Carrier which means my KDF sci toon can switch over to the Breen Carrier. That way all my toons are flying different ships.... but the Breen Carrier cannot cloak...
Honestly, though, they have yet to release a T6 Science Ship for the KDF or Roms... I'd hold off on purchasing one in the C-Store until that happens. They've released the Command Cruisers across all factions, and have that gaping hole in the lineup for two of the three factions, so we should be seeing a port/reskin of the Scryer eventually (much the same way the Mogh came about). If you really want a quality Science option, the Carriers are a decent option (though they lack Sensor Analysis and the Secondary Deflector of a proper Science Ship), as are many of the lock box ships if you're willing to grind resources, sell Master Keys, etc. via the Exchange. And, of course, there's always the Science BoP if you're willing to try out something that requires much more involvement in piloting it (they're squishier than a sleeping Founder).
Yes, the T3 Vandal is a ship that many players in the KDF faction tends to buy. It comes with the Plasmonic Leech console which can be a pretty potent energy draining console as long as you devote captain skills to Flow Capacitor. The higher that skill the more power your energy weapons can drain from your target. That power is also transferred your ship so when you fire your energy weapons you drain power from enemies and you also temporarily boost your own power levels.
Any future KDF toon or KDF aligned Romulan toon will be able to claim the Plasmonic Leech. Only one can be installed per ship. On the flip side Fed toons and Fed aligned Romulan toons must purchase the Plasmonic Leech from the Exchange if they want one; it costs around 38 - 42 million EC. If you want to install one on each ship, then you need to purchase more of them from the Exchange which pops out of lock boxes. All Plasmonic Leech are bound to character immediately when claimed.
The Plasmonic Leech is considered a "nice to have" item for tactical and engineering toon, but it is highly desirable for a science toon to have because with it you can devote power to weapons (so that your weapons can do more damage) and to auxiliary power because science abilities depends on auxiliary power. They are more or less considered mandatory for Romulans since singularity cores takes 40 points of power and converts them to singularity abilities... but that is a totally different topic for a different faction...
Secondly it would seem to be very fortuitous timing given the current ship sale.
So answering some of the points above.
Yes, I am still getting to grips with the game, but I am a MMO veteran of many years
The mirror Neghvar was 5million EC on the exchange last night. :eek:
Yes I will buy the vanguard very soon tm
Making EC is very quick when you dont need the EC. Most of my EC is currently being spent on Marauder DOFF missions and Rep quests (and having to jump to Bajor as I cant fly there). The nett result is only a few thousand EC per evenings play, hence why I currently struggle to buy mirror ships.
So what next, Im currently wading my way through stats, data and builds for the Dyson, BRel and KarFi. Its a shame most of the builds use gear that is just out of my league, nothing but Lock Box Rewards and uber crafted stuff.
Can I just clarify, on the subject of Dysons, which of the 3C-Shop Dysons is the best? will it function well without the additional consoles from its other variants?
To date, the Ta'sub is the only T5 ship I've bothered upgrading; I ran it on my KDF sci until switching to the stupidly-expensive Korath.
The Dyson console set is distinctly "meh" - pretty and thematic, but at a heavy opportunity cost. On that basis, don't bother with the 3 pack.
If you're new to the game I suggest you NOT buy any ships. I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying you should be patient until you know your playstyle and what you truly want.
there are a few decent suggestions in this thread, but if you're a sci KDF I would like to point out one that isn't listed: The Mirror Somraw Raptor. It has an LtCDR and a LT sci seat. That's more than the Mirror Negh'Var. Granted, it's got less hull but it is also a raptor with better manueverability and still holding a CMDR tactical seat.
http://sto.gamepedia.com/Mirror_Universe_Somraw_Raptor_Retrofit
I beat NWS with this on my KDF sci (before DR screwed NWS over so bad they removed it from game), so it has some decent capability. It's also dirt-cheap because it's a mirror ship and cannot be upgraded to T5U.
EDIT: I would say the plasmonic console is a really good investment, especially if the ship is 20% off. You will use it and benefit from it on just about every build you can think of. As a sci, it will also boost your aux power (which boosts some exotics and sci skills like grav well, HE, TSS, etc.)
That said, it's looking like it's around 2.5m on the exchange at the moment(cheapest Mirror Vo'quv is about 800k atm).
As for the DSDs, it depends what you want. The Ta'sub is for pure Science - especially Exotic Damage setups. The Chontay is good for weapon hybrid(Torpedo or BFAW Beams) and drain-boat builds(The Sarr Theln was basically a direct upgrade from it for me).
The console set honestly isn't worth it and you won't be able to get the complete set(s) without the Anniversary/Lobi variant anyways.
As for gear, the only things I would say are a real priority would the Plasmonic Leech(especially for drain setups) and the Contriction Anchor(lockbox Universal Console) if you're going Exotic Damage.
After that, go for either the Jem Hadar Deflector for Drain Builds(You'll probably be using Polarons with that setup anyways and the 2-set boosts Polaron Damage), or the Solanae Deflector for Exotic Damage Builds - you can get both from their respective missions and they're probably the biggest upgrade priority to mk14.
Everything after that, just run what you've got and upgrade as you're able to.
You can still play / replay missions at level 60 with the free T5 ship you received when you reached level 40 and MU ship as long as you are up for the challenge with good gear (at least rarer Mk XII), good piloting skills, a good set of Boff abilities and slotting 5 Doffs for their space abilities to augment the performance of your ship.
If you are considering purchasing a T5 or T6 ship from the C-Store, then buying a MU ship from the Exchange does not make much sense if you are trying to minimize spending your resources.
Like I said, I am considering the Ta'sub Advanced Dyson Science Destroyer as a possible ship for my KDF sci toon to be purchased the next time there is a . Of all the KDF ADSDs it is the one that is most geared towards science. Buying the 3 ship bundle is not necessary at all and I certainly will not buy the bundle once I have enough Zen to make the purchase.
I think ability to transform between science and tactical mode is gimmicky at best and I would treat it as a pure science ship. Besides there are not many consoles that boosts protonic damage outside of the Dyson Joint Command Rep System.
Or, if you have the EC and want a very Klingon Sci ship, pick up the Temporal Science ship.
I would not say "don't do them" because they aren't upgradable. Sure, they'll be more of a challenge, as will any ship with lesser hull. On the KDF side, BoPs are all but extinct because the entire class has weak hull ratings and get taken out repeatedly. However, this can be lessened depending on how you fly and how you load yourself out (armor consoles, or not flying closer thn 3k to a target so warp core doesn't blast you, stocking faster hull heals, etc).
I didn't see that the Mirror Somraw had made it to the 2M+ range. Last I checked it was 500k or so. Even so, while 2 Million EC is not a drop in the bucket, it is still far more managable than a 90Million lockbox ship. You can get a lot of enjoyment out of these mirror ships. And then, when you want something with more hullpoints, you aren't losing too much ECs by upgrading to another ship.
I wouldn't say Tactical Mode completely worthless - just something you shouldn't build your ship around.
I used to slot Attack Pattern Beta 3 into the Commander Tac seat and swap to it against bosses to help everyone burn down them down slightly faster. It's not like I was gettng use out of that Commander Sci slot while Tyken's Rift 3 was still on cooldown anyways.