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Cruiser type ship for T5-U / T6
eligold9
Member Posts: 7 Arc User
I'm relatively new to the game and now at lvl 51, so I'm contemplation on the cruiser type ship to choose. Exploration cruised T5-U, Odyssey Operations Cruiser T5-U, Battlecruiser or T6 ship?
Any suggestions or insights?
Thanks,
Eli
Any suggestions or insights?
Thanks,
Eli
Post edited by eligold9#9115 on
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Same goes for engineering consoles. Both tac and sci consoles are far more useful than engineering thanks to all the stuff we got over the years, most noteably fleet spire tac, fleet embassy sci and now fleet research lab sci consoles.
If you're going to pick one of those 3-pack ships (like the ody) then go either for the tactical or science variant.
As for the ops ody specifically, the separation is almost worthless. The pet "dies" very quickly, you have absolutely no control over it, the console has no boosts on it's own and the benefits you get from separating aren't that great either as you don't really need them on a beam cruiser like the ody.
Generally if you don't already own a T5 ship then go for T6. Most popular T5 cruisers already have a T6 counterpart anyways and those who don't are unique in their own way.
If you want a powerhouse then either go for the tactical Command Battlecrsuiser (Presidio), the Eclipse Intel Cruiser or the Arbiter Battlecrsuiser.
I already have a 5T-U exploration cruiser and wondering if I should upgrade to a different ship or stay with it.
Regarding your remark on the number of engineering boffs, if personally found them very useful and had no problem with the cool-down times. On the other hand I've found the tactical boffs annoying due to the inability to use weapons during the skill prep.
I personally like the fleet Fleet Assault Cruiser Refit T5U for more tradional cruiser playstyle. Although the universal slot is not that universal and everyone uses sci there. But overall it has decent amount of tac/eng consoles. But if you do not own any T5 ship, go for some of the T6s or wait for some newer ones.
Are you looking to deal damage? is surviveability your highest concern? what are you looking to do?
General rules for Cruisers are to remember that they're slower then smaller ships. As a result, they're best used by Captains that are planning to use Single Beam Arrays since the firing arc of these weapons allows you to keep weapons on target even though you won't move as fast. Cruisers are best used when taking advantage of 'boradsiding' which is where you keep the side of your ship toward the enemy, keeping them in the firing arc of your forward and aft weapons.
When picking a cruiser, there are a few things you want to look for. The first is Bridge Officer stations. You want to make sure that the ship has enough bridge officer slots to hold the skills you wish to use. A lot of times, the differences between one ship and another can be subtle with regard to Bridge Officer Stations, so be careful here.
You also want to look at Console Slots. If you want to focus on damage, you will probably lean toward the cruisers with 4 Tactical Consoles. If you want more balance, you can get by with 3 and use the other for something else. If you're going to be running a Leech Console, you'll probably want at least 2 science console stations for Flow Capacitors or Embassy Consoles with Flow in order to buff the power gain from the Leech. Engineering consoles are up to you, honestly the only Engineering Consoles I ever use are EPS Flow Regulators. I use my Engineering slots for Universal Consoles.
What I would recommend is that you visit the STO Academy site, and click on Skill Planner. From here, you can do sample builds with any ship you wish and you don't have to spend anything to do it. Load up the ship you are considering, slot all your skills and consoles and see what ship best serves your intended purpose.
The last note is on Ship type, I am just going to say it.. I would automatically disqualify any Tier 5 ship. If you're going to buy, only consider T6 ships. Why? Because T6 ships are better and in many cases are actually cheaper. If you buy a T5 Ship it's 2500 Zen. You then need to take it to Fleet level for another 500 Zen and then upgrade to T5-U for 700 Zen, which brings your total cost to 3700 Zen. T6 ships are 3000 Zen and if you go fleet it's another 500 Zen for a total cost of 3500 Zen. Both classes have ships that are already fleet level which can save you some money. For T5 for example, the Odyssey ships are already fleet level. At T6 the Command Battle Cruisers are already fleet level. T6 ships get an extra Boff station over T5U and they get a ship trait that T5U ships do not get.
Which brings us to the final factor, the Ship Trait. T6 ships come with a unique star ship trait. You will want to select one with a trait that's most beneficial to you.
If you have specific questions on how to build a ship, please feel free to ask. The more we know about what you have and what you wish to do, the better we can help you.
Your explanation clarified the approach to ship selection for me.
I'm looking for a good surviveability (Shields, Hull, regen, etc.) and can give a punch, to use it as an anchor around which the smaller and the faster sips can operate.
I'm not much into the science abilities as drain, I just use "jam sensors" and "Science team".
Regarding your recommendation on arc weapons - should I only use the 250 deg arrays and not use the cannons that have 180/90 deg arc?
I currently have the 5T-U Exploration Cruiser (lifetime reward) and I was wondering whether it's good enough or way behind most of the top tier ships.
Can you clarify on what is 'fleet level' and how to make a ship such?
I'm confused as to where you say you 'have the 'T5-U Exploration Cruiser (Lifetime Reward.)' The Exploration Cruiser is not a lifetime ship, the Lifetime ship is the Chimera Heavy Destroyer. Those are two very different ships, the Chimera can pull off Cannons, the Exploration Cruiser not only shouldn't have cannons, but can't. I assume you're flying this ship if it's a lifetime reward. That's a nice ship, capable of using Cannons and sacrifices some survival for damage output. If you're a lifetime subscriber though, then you have access to the T6 Veteran Destroyer and might just wish to stick with that.
The majority of your large heavy cruisers cannot mount cannons. There are exceptions, the T6 Command Battle Cruisers for example can mount cannons as can some other ships like the Eclipse Intel Cruiser. On most of your bigger Cruisers, I recommend sticking exclusively with 250 degree single beam arrays. This allows you to keep moving the entire time and keep weapons on target. Remember, you get defensive bonuses while you're moving that you don't get when you're standing still, so this lets you keep your defense up by fighting at full impulse the entire time.
Fleet ships are upgraded versions of ships that are available through the ship yard of your fleet. You do have to be in a fleet to get a Fleet Ship. Fleet Ships get one extra console slot plus extra hull and shield strength over non fleet ships. There are some ships however, that are already fleet quality when you buy them and this step isn't necessary. Normally, ships that are available in 3 packs come at fleet level already, for example the T6 Command ships. Everyone has their own view of the best ships, there is no real 'right answer.' There is no end game ship that's just clearly better then any other ship, so unfortunately, I can't just tell you 'buy ship X and put weapons Y on them and you'll have the best.' I can however try and offer you some suggestions. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite Federation T6 Ships:
1. The Presidio Command Battlecruiser - This is one of the more popular ships and my personal favorite. This ship has a slightly more offensive style but is still very balanced offering high survivability as well as strong damage output. It's a maneuverable ship that also has a hangar bay to launch pets. Strengths are that it's tough (high hull and strong shields) and also very versatile. Has an excellent Bridge Officer layout and my personal favorite console layout (4 Tac, 4 Eng, 3 Science.) It also has the strength of being a Fleet Level ship right out of the box. It has the full 11 consoles, and it's a top tier ship without any further upgrades being needed. It also has one of the best star ship traits in the entire game, 'All Hands On Deck.' Negatives: It's a command ship, and while Command skills aren't bad, myself and many others prefer Intelligence skills. This is a matter of opinion of course. It's biggest draw back is it doesn't have the Weapon Systems Efficency Cruiser command. It instead has the Hangar Bay. It's the only real weakness, but with so many methods in game to regulate power settings I don't find it a big deal. This ship is also available in a 3 pack with the Geneva Class, and the Concorde Class. The Geneva is very nice, Concorde honestly is almost completely worthless in my opinion.
2. T6 Exploration Cruiser (Andromeda/Galaxy Class) - A fine all around ship geared more toward taking damage then dealing it. Still a very potent ship, but more on the 'tanky' side. At Fleet Level (Costs 500 Zen and Fleet Credits) it gets 5 Engineering Consoles so you can stack alloys, Flow Regulators, and RCS Consoles if you wish. It's a very nice looking ship and also has access to the Galaxy Class Skins so it can look like the Enterprise D from The Next Generation. Strengths: Strong bridge officer layout that allows for many types of builds. Good console layout, very tough ship that can be built to take quite a beating. Has access to full suite of Cruiser Commands including Weapon Systems Efficency. Negatives: Requires extra purchase to go 'Fleet level.' Also has a rather undesirable Ship Trait that most people really don't use. Ship console is also somewhat lackluster.
3. Resolute Class T6 Cruiser - Another strong offering in the T6 market. This ship allows you to use it's default T6 skin or one of the beautiful (in my opinion) looks from the Excelsior Class giving it a wide range of visual options. While the lack of any Universal Bridge Officer stations makes the BoFF layout more restrictive then other cruisers, it's still sufficient to create enough variety to allow many different builds. It's unique ship console is very nice and makes the ship highly maneuverable for people that want to run Dual Beams up front. The downsides are again, that restrictive BoFF layout and again, a lackluster and undesirable star ship trait. This ship also has access to the full range of cruiser commands. This is a 10 console ship that requires fleet upgrade to reach full potential.
4. Guardian Class Cruiser T6 - The true 'jack of all trades' ship in my opinion. Very well rounded, isn't necessarily 'the best' at anything, but doesn't lack in any areas either. This is a balanced ship that despite only having 3 Tactical Consoles can use intel abilities to really put out some strong damage. It has a more 'classic' look reminding me of a cross between the Ambassador and Galaxy Class ships. This ship has the full range of Cruiser Commands, a very good universal console that ups your damage as well as survival skill, and has a Trait that while not one of the absolute best, is still pretty nice indeed. Again, this ship is a 10 console that requires fleet upgrade to reach it's full potential. At fleet level it gets a 5th Engineering console, a Tactical Console would have been better, but still not bad. This ship however is SLOW. It's turn rate is terrible (6.5) and you're going to want to use at least one of those console slots on an RCS just for basic maneuvering.
There are others as well, those are just some of the more popular. Personally, I fly the Presidio and I love it, but again there is no 'wrong' answer with any of these ships. The only T6 I didn't go into is the Eclipse Intel Cruiser which is the most heavily offensive focused ship of the lot. It's an ugly ship (opinion) but can deal some pretty impressive damage. It does give up a big on the survival side (not much) but it's a very maneuverable and very powerful ship. You also have the option of sticking with your T5U ship if you wish, there is no content in this game that you require a T6 ship to complete.
I believe the Arbiter (the Tier 6 Avenger) has a pretty decent ship trait, and is otherwise an extremely solid ship. It has a good tactical focus for a Cruiser, can use some Intel abilities and can equip 5 forward weapons, and has a good turn rate.
The Command ships have access to Command abilities, that kinda solves the general shared-cooldown problem with all those engineering powers you gonna have.People tend to suggest the Presidio, but I think that's boring. If I can do it, I love having a Lt.Cmdr Science slot so I can slot gravity well, which means the Geneva. That said, the Presidio has probably the better trait - if you love science abilities as much as I do, at least.
The Andromeda is great if you're a Galaxy Class fan, and especially so if you already own the Tier 5 variant(s) of it - the console synergy is good, as is saucer separation. But the trait is only interesting if you use Reverse Shield Polarity special, and it has a low turn rate.
The Excelsior is just a good looking ship (and dang, the new Tier 7 material that only Tier 6 ship variants can use looks good on pretty much everything), though the Resolute costume has not found as many fans.
The Excelsior has a good tactical focus (as the TIer 5 variant) and a decent turn rate (particularly compared to the Andromeda). But it might seem a bit redundant if you already have Command ships.
The Guardian... I say meh. If you want a Galaxy looking ship, the Andromeda is the real deal. The trait gives you basically a good chance at extra healing when you get into trouble, but I don't think you need it.
The Eclipse. Well, it looks a bit more non-traditional than the other Cruisers, but I think it is still decidedly one of the Quad-Nacelle Cruiser variants in the basic tradition of the Stargazer. It has a good turn rate, can use cannons (not that anyone does that anymore), has a cloak, and it has access to Intel abilities. The Commander and Lt.Cmdr Level Intel abilities basically mean you can develop it into something that is more like an Escort than a Cruiser if you like, but you can also use it like a traditional (tactical-focused) Cruiser.
The trait has some synergy with Reprocity from the Phantom Escort, but if you don't have that, it's not that great (and eve with Reprocity, you don't really need that.)
Of course, there are also lockbox and lobi ships as options. They tend to never suck because they are Cryptic's money makers in the end.
And I still say if you want real fun piloting a ship, the Pilot Escorts beat everything else currently in the game.
I'd personally pick up the tactical command battlecruiser (presidio). It's already fleet level so it doesn't need to be upgraded. It has a good turn rate, favorable bridge officer and console layout, a hangar, and a good trait.
Oh, I forgot about the Arbiter, that's another one to consider if you like a smaller, quicker, and more offensive minded ship.
I usually fly the Presidio, but the Geneva is a fantastic ship. I think it's ship trait is probably the most over looked and under rated in the game. If you're invested in Flow Capacitors, that Improved Tachyon Beam is very useful. I have 9pts in Flow Caps and with 2 Embassy [Flow] Consoles my Tachyon Beam provides a full shield heal to me and any team mates within 10km. And I can do it every 30 seconds.. definitely nothing to sneeze at.
If you're willing to spend 6k Zen for the pack you can get both the Presidio and Geneva Traits and make yourself quite a potent ship. The Concorde would provide a useful shield heal console as well.
This is usually my recommendation as well. The Presidio is a great ship, and it's fleet level from the start which saves Zen. I bought mine a couple days after they were released and have never once regretted the purchase. I absolutely love the Presidio.
I do have a T5-U Exploration Cruiser, since you get to pick a Vice-Admiral level ship with a veteran reward and I picked the Exploration Cruiser retrofit and then used the upgrade token.
If you're happy with that ship and just want to move up to the 'next level,' the most likely successor then would probably be the T6 version, the Andromeda.
-Lord Commander Solar Macharius
if you have the odyssey 3 pack the sci t-5-u is really good, because it has SA if i remember right
if you have the funds you also need to get the phantom escort because the reciprocity trait is too good not to have
No seriously, Excelsior.
Sorry, but my T5U's match my T6's. My Fleet Support Cruiser (Ambassador) is a beast, unburdened by native consoles, and with it's Lt. Sci seating makes it a jack-of-all trades vessel. T5U's are relevant, T6's only have an extra Boff ability and Trait over a T5U, which to be honest, is insignificant. I have the Fleet T5U and Fleet T6 Intrepid, Exploration Cruiser and Dreadnought, and the HP of shields and hull are the same with the same equipment on them both.
She's a classy ship, while the lack of a ensign uni would be a problem for some player, on the whole it's not because you can have emergency power to shields, weapons and engines for the ensign rank abilities.
Plus the old girl can hold her own in a fight very well
-Lord Commander Solar Macharius