Looking for advice on Charal engi build

ponqu · March 2013

Looking for advice how to build my Charal for pve. I'm an engineer. I want to use it mainly for Starbase24/Gorn Minefield and for story missions (for elites and pvp i'll have tholian recluse).

This is what i currently fly with:

**Fore weapons:**

* Phaser Dual Heavy Cannons MK XI [Acc] [CrtD] [Dmg]
* Phaser Dual Heavy Cannons MK XI [Acc] [CrtD] [Dmg]
* Phaser Dual Heavy Cannons MK XI [Acc] [CrtH] [Dmg]
* Quantum Torpedo Launcher Mk XI [Acc] [CrtH] [Dmg]
* Kumari Phaser Wing Cannons [Dmg]x3

**Deflector:**

* Polarized Parabolic Deflector Mk XI (will change to Borg)

**Engine:**

* Supercooled Combat Impulse Engine Mk XI (will change to Borg)

**Shield:**

* Paratrinic Shield Array Mk XI (will change to MACO)

**Aft weapons:**

* Phaser Turret Mk XI [Acc]x2 [CrtH]
* Phaser Turret Mk XI [Acc]x2 [CrtD] (maybe will change one to cutting beam)

**Devices:**

* Shield battery/weapon battery
* Subspace Field Modulator

**Engineering consoles:**

* Console - Universal - Wing cannon Platform
* Console - Universal - Assimilated Module
* Console - Engineering - Neutronium Alloy Mk XI
* Console - Engineering - Neutronium Alloy Mk XI

**Science Consoles:**

* Console - Science- Field Generator Mk XI
* Console - Science- Field Generator Mk XI

**Tactical Consoles:**

* Console - Tactical - Phaser Relay MKXI
* Console - Tactical - Phaser Relay MKXI
* Console - Tactical - Phaser Relay MKXI
* Console - Tactical - Phaser Relay MKXI

**Boffs:**

* TAC Commander: Tactical Team I, Attack Pattern Beta I, Cannon: Scatter Volley II, Cannon: Scatter Volley III,
* TAC Lt Com: Torpedo Spread I, Torpedo Spread II, Attack Pattern Beta II,
* UNI Lt: (Science) Science Team I, Transferd Shield Strength II,
* ENG Lt: Emergency Power To Shields I, Reverse Shield Polarity I
* ENG Ensign: Emergency Power To Shields I

Havent choose doffs yet,
My skill distribution currently is from hilberrtguide: http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/index.php?build=FleetEscortTac_494 (since i also fly star cruiser healer, plan to buy recluse soon, and want to have 1 build good for both types of ships), but thought maybe for sth like that only for Charal: http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/?build=plan1_0 (maybe take from some survivability skill and add to att patterns)

aspartan1 · March 2013

Your build seems pretty good but what are the races of your BO? Also do you have the blue Romulan (male) yet?

CSV3 is golden. You should also add AP - Omega. It gives you more than Beta. I run all three. You should also add CRF and Torp HY.

magicswordking · March 2013

If you ever do lockboxes I'd get a Tachyokinetic Converter and slot it in place of the platforms, they just aren't worth the space I've found. Also, once you get the Romulan Zero-Point console, I'd lose one of the armors for that. Personally I'd be more inclined to use the Jem'hadar set as a stop-gap for no other reason than Jem'hadar Crew Bracing. Antiproton sweep can be nice for dropping a shield facing in a hurry, too.

As for BOFFs I'd replace TS1 with a second TT1. Definitely get Attack Pattern Omega 2 instead of Beta 2, and consider Delta 1 instead of Beta 1. Maybe swap CSV2 for TS3, and TS2 for CRF1. I don't have romulan BOFFs yet so I use Liberated Borg in engineering and a Saurian with Efficient in tactical. The others are all human for now.

Six points in attack patterns gives a nice boost, any more is kind of a waste, though.

ponqu · March 2013

I have 3 humans and 2 saurians with efficient trait. Havent gor romulan yet, i get that i should have one with crit increase trait?
As for gear:
Are the wing cannoncs really that bad?
I'll put zero-point instead of one armor.
How to get Jem'hadar set? I'm not sure how that featured episode works, i thought that this rewards were only avalaible for some period of time.

If i swap TS1 for second TT1 i will have 3 team abilities that partialy share cooldown, isnt that to many? I usually use TT1 and ST1 every 15sec.

aspartan1 · March 2013

For what it is worth, I tossed the Andorian stuff; simply not worth it with CDs.

I run five (5) DHC MK-XI (p)/AP and two MK-XI(p)/AP turrets. I can melt waves of ships in one pass with the right buffs cooking - YMMV

Armor wise, I was using the Borg XI but decided to try the Jem set for the one bonus (crew) and so far it is pretty good. You get the set by running the Bajor missions. Look at the rewards when you click on them.

marc8219 · March 2013

I ditched the 3 Andorian consoles and wing cannons within an hour after buying the 3 pack also. I replaced them with assimilated module, zero-point energy conduit, and tachykinetic converter, and use 5 DHC with it, works good for me.

magicswordking · March 2013

There's only one reward you can't get by playing the 2800 featured episode, and that's not part of the space set. The first mission in the chain is "Second Wave", play all those missions through "Boldly They Rode" and you'll be able to complete the Jem'hadar space set. If you're drowning in lobi you can upgrade it to Mk. XII, but I don't think that's worth it unless you have one of the Jem'hadar ships.

Also you're awful heavy on shield heals with no hull heals, you might want AUX2SIF 1 instead of Reverse Shield Polarity, and Hazard Emitters 1 instead of Science Team since Science Team shares a cooldown with Tactical team.

ponqu · March 2013

i change science team for hazard emitter, but i'm not sure about taking second TT1. If i take some conn doffs i can lower cd on it, will then one TT1 be enough?

ponqu · March 2013

Should i throw away torpedoes and go 5 dhc? or 4 dhc + wing cannons (since they got good dps and i cant afford anything better yet) and then instead of torpedo skills take 2 attack patterns omega? And, if so, should i change dmg type? Have bee using plasma-disruptor hybrid dhc mkXI but changed for phasers to match wing cannons, but i'm not sure phasers are best choice for pve normal stfs, since they dont always ugrade my damage?

aspartan1 · March 2013

It depends on your play style. I like to run a fast attack boat but some people swear by torps as a hunter killer build. I speck zero points into torps on the skill tree and max out wpn dmg. If you want to use torps then use them as your main turrets for PD.

Wpn wise the Plas/Dis are the flavor of year so to speak especially if you have Liberated Borg.

On a side note there is a very good thread about Tac ship theory going. I highly suggest you study it. Lots of high quality information in it.

nextwarbr · March 2013

aspartan1 wrote: »

It depends on your play style. I like to run a fast attack boat but some people swear by torps as a hunter killer build. I speck zero points into torps on the skill tree and max out wpn dmg. If you want to use torps then use them as your main turrets for PD.

Wpn wise the Plas/Dis are the flavor of year so to speak especially if you have Liberated Borg.

On a side note there is a very good thread about Tac ship theory going. I highly suggest you study it. Lots of high quality information in it.

Can you provide the link to this Tac ship theory thread you mention?

rdm1958 · March 2013

ditch the wing cannons and andorian console for sure

kimmym · March 2013

Well, I had come in search of advice and see I found what I was looking for.

According to my math I could add aprox 1.5 tac consoles worth of dps to my build if I dropped the Andorian stuff, went Plasma, and loaded up on romulan consoles, the zero point, and tossed in my Rule 62, but I didn't want to lose the specials (And those blue Andorian phasers are really pretty...)

Seems the common wisdom is I'm doing it right... Kinda sad really, I love those phasers...

Edit: Sorry, I fly a Kumari, my build would not work on a Charal, so I don't have a lot of input. If you spend both sci consoles on romulan consoles you can get the same plasma boost.

In the Kyzon you can load up 4 consoles, zero point, and a rule 62, but at that point unless you really hate the Kumari boff layout you're better off just using a Kumari. Where you favor a Charal boff layout the Kyzon may be more up your alley, as you can mimic most useful boff layous and you gain 2 sci consoles... If you are going that route.

Edit2: Well, I have some surprising results.

Going full on plasma did not significantly increase my DPS. In fact I lost some.

I'm pretty good at keeping my wing cannons alive, due in no small part to them not humping breaching warp cores. With some careful flying I maintain a high uptime on them. In all they contributed 7% of my total damage.

That is no small bump.

Adding to that the damage from my wing cannon overloads and the utility of the shield stripping, I found no good reason to make the change from a DPS standpoint. That said, if you wanted to lose the native consoles for survivability options, going plasma or such would make sense. For me, when I want survivability, I'm not flying a Kumari... I have other ships for that.

Edit3: I missed a line in the output, my Wing Cannon Platforms did a full 8% of my damage. That doesn't sound huge, but that is more DPS then I gained from CSV3, which did 9% of my total damage but you also need to subtract the damage that my cannons would have done in that time without the skill, which puts it behind. Saying the Kumari set is worthless is like saying you can leave your commander tac station empty with no repercussions.

Looking for advice on Charal engi build

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