Ground combat: Borg busting deluxe

questerius · April 2013

By now you faced the borg (thumbs up for who get the reference) and we've had to defend against those marauding borg drones more than we can remember.

When starting the fight against the borg the first thing you need is Frequency Remodulator.

Later after gaining the Omega, MACO and KHG sets this becomes obsolete.

But what weapons do you prefer, make sure you have on your team when you do dancing with some drones?

Obvious choices are the weapons from the Omega, MACO and KHG sets but what else do you never leave behind.

For me these weapons are always on my anti borg task force:
http://www.stowiki.org/Synchronic_Proton_Distortion_Prototype_Rifle

and . http://www.stowiki.org/CRM_200

Bat'leths are also optional depending on what class i play.

Let's hear your preference.

teklionbenrasha · April 2013

I typically use the MACO set with the adapted MACO gun as a backup (for close range and all that). But before that, and especially when I had to wait 4 seconds to remodulate, I'd never go near a drone without my Bat'leth - always useful in a tight spot when you need to keep fighting but can't afford to remodulate.

a3001 · April 2013

Grenades. Period.

kalvorax · April 2013

questerius wrote: »

For me these weapons are always on my anti borg task force:
http://www.stowiki.org/Synchronic_Proton_Distortion_Prototype_Rifle

If only this wasn't unique...then i could outfit my entire Away team with them XD ist not like its PvP breaking or anything...the dang ground missions for PvE are a PITA on advanced or elite lol

allen78j20sto · April 2013

Believe it or not i still use my ghostbuster gun. The secondary has a chain effect. For Cure ground I use that and a nanopulse batleth, Ive used that to melee Armek a few times with success. Sometimes a antiproton pulsewave, and whatever engineer kit thats appropiate. Ive tried other weapons but those 3 seems to be the best for me. No omega or maco gear.

ursusmorologus · April 2013

I use the KHG/Adapted MACO set, and also have the full MACO/Adapted KHG sets which lets me use the rifle effeciently (shotgun is better for the indoor maps, rifle is better for the outdoor maps). I use the Kahless bathlet, and the craftable Lirpa for when I have to fight multiples up close. I also use the Breen grenades to close off pathways--forcefield also works really well for this but is only available on the engineer.

radkip · April 2013

Frequency remodulation? STF sets? Pish posh!

My fleet usually runs three or four people with Tsunkatse Falchions, Mk XI or Mk XII [CritD]x3 with three blue security officer duty officers which increase melee damage. We kill entire rooms before they're even a threat.

I use a sword when I'm running alone, too. If I'm on my Tac captain, I can take the entire left side of the first split in KAGE, then kill the elite tactical drone in the next room by the time the other four work their way down the right side.

I should make a video displaying it later. We frequently end KAGE with 6:45-7:15 left on the optional, or Starbase 82 with 5-6 minutes left.

eatenbykitsune · April 2013

I only use swords as a melee choice because unlike bat'leths or lirpas, attacking with it from a distance in rpg mode will automatically perform a catian/ferasan style distance closing attack, Very very useful, especially during infected ground final room for example.

Unless lirpas and bat'leths can get the same ability to close distance, they are just inferior to swords.

tpalelena · April 2013

I usually use the Omega AP carbine, or an AP anti borg splitbeam or a pulsewave.

questerius · April 2013

tpalelena wrote: »

I usually use the Omega AP carbine, or an AP anti borg splitbeam or a pulsewave.

I've used that weapon numerous times on colony invasion, but i never used it against the borg. Always worried that they would adapt too quickly.

mrkollins · April 2013

Nothing beats a good old fashioned shotgun.

I find melee disgusting, but I can live with that.

deianirrah · April 2013

I personally prefer the KHG/Adapted MACO pulsewave-y grenade launcher - few things beat that when it gets up close and personal. As I usually run the entire set as soon as I can - all the better.

For long range, I usually stick to any kind of Split Beam rifle - preferably not phaser or disruptor as the Borg do seem to adapt more quickly to the dominant weapon type used by the entire team now (working as intended) - so Polaron it is, usually. Split beam as it has about the same range as the sniper rifle (except for the secondary fire mode of the sniper rifle - which keeps pushing back enemies even further away; that can be useful sometimes - sometimes not so much if the rest of the team cannot fire at the enemy).

In Elite Ground STFs, I do not like using melee weapons and the 'Ghostbusters Gun'. They have their place at Normal difficulty and yes, Borgs cannot adapt to the physical damage of the melee weapons and less quickly to the two different damage types of the two attack modes of the ghostbusters gun. Then again, a melee attack (except the secondary Lirpa attack) can only hit one Borg - where a nicely-placed Pulsewave, Grenade or Split Beam can hit several at once. In combination with the bombs and mines of an engineer or the Phasic Instability created by having the Geologists from the Reinforcements DOff Pack of a scientist - entire Borg groups go down in mere seconds if timed properly.

questerius · April 2013

Didn't know that geologist trick yet, but it sounds fun.

I do agree that i never use melee anymore since i completed the XII omega, KHG and MACO sets. Why bother when you can remodulate in a moments notice.

The one thing which is of utmost importance when fighting the borg is using exploit attacks.
Sometimes it is fun to add http://www.stowiki.org/Federation_Type_3_Phaser_Rifle

When you knock the Borg down they can't shoot you. :P

It's not a weapon i would use on my character, but having a boff with it is fun.

defalus · April 2013

All my characters use the slower adaption passive, really helps with the Omega set that I love on my tacs.

For my tac, a Romulan Fire Team Kit MK XII, the MA II makes worrying about roots a thing of the past. KHG rifle and Omega set, no shared cooldown between rifle grenade and plasma grenade make for good damage then a buffed autocarbine to finish off.

For my sci, I run a support setup, 3 phasic instability geologists to create a "grav well" on ground which works well in the team I run with, sucks all Borg nicely into our engineers mines bombs and orbital strike, it makes it easier for our tacs to grenade and easier for everyone to pulsewave. I use KHG/Adapated Maco on my Sci, the grenade rifle is great when a phasic instability occurs.

For my eng, it's mines and bombs all the way except for IGE where I prefer mortars and turrets for the optional objective friendly ranged attacks (trigger line thing). KHG set for my eng and if I had a Fed eng I would probably use Adapted MACO there.

I've ran with people using melee set up who knew what they were doing and while we did complete our runs with objectives, it was somewhat slower to the rate at which my usual teammates finish ground STFs.

I think the most important thing anyone can bring to an STF is good team play, being able to work well with others and take advantage of the tactics used by others makes things go a lot smoother and faster.

Edit: I never leave home without my trusty gambling device.

questerius · April 2013

Did anyone ever use this? http://www.stowiki.org/TR-116A_Rifle_-_Sniper_Rifle

If so, what are your impressions of this weapon?

coupaholic · April 2013

I use the Enemy Neutralization kit as my primary damage dealer. As mentioned explosive damage isn't hindered by shields or Borg adaptation.

To clean up I use the overcharged plasma sniper rifle from the 'Pre-emptive Strike' mission, and a purple Mk XI polaron puselwave. They both work pretty well at cleaning up what's left of Borg once I've blown them up to smithereens. The sniper especially, replay that mission at level 50 will get you a blue Mk XI variant and it's secondary attack is very powerful.

In the future I plan to change the load out to that omega antiproton carbine - despite the criticism I think it's a great weapon. Looks fantastic and very capable. Other weapon will probably be the elite fleet phaser pulsewave so I have some close quarters punch.

radkip · April 2013

questerius wrote: »

Did anyone ever use this? http://www.stowiki.org/TR-116A_Rifle_-_Sniper_Rifle

If so, what are your impressions of this weapon?

Garbage. It used to be good until they nerfed it, and I think I may personally have had a hand in that by completely dominating the Lieutenant PvP queues with it.

If you want to kill the Borg without ever having to remodulate, the only purpose for this gun, a sword will do it far quicker.

questerius · April 2013

radkip wrote: »

Garbage. It used to be good until they nerfed it, and I think I may personally have had a hand in that by completely dominating the Lieutenant PvP queues with it.

If you want to kill the Borg without ever having to remodulate, the only purpose for this gun, a sword will do it far quicker.

I was asking because this weapon received kind of legendary status from the DS9 episode.
Certainly it would have advantages like sitting behind cover and sniping whatever borg shows his face.

radkip · April 2013

In theory, yes. However, even when superbuffed by a Tac, it tickles the borg in Elite STFs. It's not even that great at killing Borg on Otha, and those are weaker than normal difficulty Borg you find in missions.

If its primary fire could go through walls, it could be useful, but honestly, the Borg are absolutely no threat except to players who don't know what they're doing. That is why I get up close and personal with a sword and turn them into roadkill in mere seconds. The worst they can do is assimilate me, and I'm usually prepared to deal with that.

questerius · April 2013

Just did some test runs with Omega set. Perhaps it has good synergy with tactical, but on my engineer it doesn't impress me.

Adapted set and MACO XII rifle seem to fit my style best.

pointedears · April 2013

defalus wrote: »

All my characters use the slower adaption passive, really helps with the Omega set that I love on my tacs.

For my tac, a Romulan Fire Team Kit MK XII, the MA II makes worrying about roots a thing of the past. KHG rifle and Omega set, no shared cooldown between rifle grenade and plasma grenade make for good damage then a buffed autocarbine to finish off.

For my sci, I run a support setup, 3 phasic instability geologists to create a "grav well" on ground which works well in the team I run with, sucks all Borg nicely into our engineers mines bombs and orbital strike, it makes it easier for our tacs to grenade and easier for everyone to pulsewave. I use KHG/Adapated Maco on my Sci, the grenade rifle is great when a phasic instability occurs.

For my eng, it's mines and bombs all the way except for IGE where I prefer mortars and turrets for the optional objective friendly ranged attacks (trigger line thing). KHG set for my eng and if I had a Fed eng I would probably use Adapted MACO there.

I've ran with people using melee set up who knew what they were doing and while we did complete our runs with objectives, it was somewhat slower to the rate at which my usual teammates finish ground STFs.

I think the most important thing anyone can bring to an STF is good team play, being able to work well with others and take advantage of the tactics used by others makes things go a lot smoother and faster.

Edit: I never leave home without my trusty gambling device.

Yeah next time leave the Tholian Sword at home plz ? k thnx ! :P

questerius · April 2013

The Tholian sword is energy based and not pure melee. Useful in certain situations, but fighting the Borg ain't one of them.

When you're testing Borg combat this foundry mission can help a lot.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=611341

kapla1755 · April 2013

deianirrah wrote: »

I personally prefer the KHG/Adapted MACO pulsewave-y grenade launcher - few things beat that when it gets up close and personal. As I usually run the entire set as soon as I can - all the better.

For long range, I usually stick to any kind of Split Beam rifle - preferably not phaser or disruptor as the Borg do seem to adapt more quickly to the dominant weapon type used by the entire team now (working as intended) - so Polaron it is, usually. Split beam as it has about the same range as the sniper rifle (except for the secondary fire mode of the sniper rifle - which keeps pushing back enemies even further away; that can be useful sometimes - sometimes not so much if the rest of the team cannot fire at the enemy).

In Elite Ground STFs, I do not like using melee weapons and the 'Ghostbusters Gun'. They have their place at Normal difficulty and yes, Borgs cannot adapt to the physical damage of the melee weapons and less quickly to the two different damage types of the two attack modes of the ghostbusters gun. Then again, a melee attack (except the secondary Lirpa attack) can only hit one Borg - where a nicely-placed Pulsewave, Grenade or Split Beam can hit several at once. In combination with the bombs and mines of an engineer or the Phasic Instability created by having the Geologists from the Reinforcements DOff Pack of a scientist - entire Borg groups go down in mere seconds if timed properly.

wrong

Nausicaan Tegolar Swords and Tsunkatse Falchions will cause damage on ANY enemy within the sword swing arc been like that since the melee revamp awhile back, but for some reason Klingon Bat'leth standard attacks only effect the targeted enemy unless using the AOE pushback that, I don't understand the design reasoning. Also swords get a chance to knockback on any attack for some reason. All my new toons going into elite ground stfs carry at least 1-blue melee doff and a sword + gambling device and Fleet Advanced Recoil Compensating armor Mk xii for the +80% critical severity throw on a Fleet Advanced Personal Shield {cap]x3 [Rev] and enter the fray without needing to remod. Of course I also like to pack a Polaron Pulsewave Assault Mk xii [Critd]x2 for some group weapon malfunction and AOE damage, but that is just being a helpful team player.;)
Try it once you might like it.

Good Hunting

kalvorax · April 2013

kapla1755 wrote: »

-snip-

hmm will have to try that

Ive been using mk 11 omega and tholian sword on DIZ with 3 blue s and it seems to do fine, but I;ve wanted to have more of an AoE attack string due to the huge numbers of borg around XD

ragigo · April 2013

Hey, I've updated Defense of Starbase 57.

Please let me know how you like it.

http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=611341

Ground combat: Borg busting deluxe

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