test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Fleet Tac Escort Retrofit Build
rck01
Member Posts: 808 Arc User
Need advice on the following build:
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=rckdefiantreva_0
1. Not sure what to put in the Ens. Tac slots - I've got HYT1 in one but am not using it and the other is empty because I need to dismiss an Uncommon (Green) Eng. Boff to make space for the additional Tac slot skill. This also borks my Fleet Advance Heavy Cruiser build, so decisions...decisions...need to know the upside of filling that slot.
Does it make sense to run 2x or even 3x TT? All the other Ens. Tac skills are beam or torp related, so essentially useless on a cannon/turret build. I sure do miss that Ens. Uni. slot in my Fleet Patrol Escort! But how can I resist 5x Tac consoles? I'm after DPS here!
2. Ship is doing 8.5-10K DPS in Elite STFs. I want to push that to 10K+ consistently, but it's tough to find the right combination. Torps just *reduce* my overall DPS, while adding yet another Buff to cycle, in my experience.
3. Survivability is not the best in such a small ship, but I've learned to fight with 50% hull damage and only HE running, so...
Thoughts? How do I take this build to the next level so I don't feel all inadequate when the dude next to me in a Kumari does 16K DPS in a PUG? :eek:
RCK
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=rckdefiantreva_0
1. Not sure what to put in the Ens. Tac slots - I've got HYT1 in one but am not using it and the other is empty because I need to dismiss an Uncommon (Green) Eng. Boff to make space for the additional Tac slot skill. This also borks my Fleet Advance Heavy Cruiser build, so decisions...decisions...need to know the upside of filling that slot.
Does it make sense to run 2x or even 3x TT? All the other Ens. Tac skills are beam or torp related, so essentially useless on a cannon/turret build. I sure do miss that Ens. Uni. slot in my Fleet Patrol Escort! But how can I resist 5x Tac consoles? I'm after DPS here!
2. Ship is doing 8.5-10K DPS in Elite STFs. I want to push that to 10K+ consistently, but it's tough to find the right combination. Torps just *reduce* my overall DPS, while adding yet another Buff to cycle, in my experience.
3. Survivability is not the best in such a small ship, but I've learned to fight with 50% hull damage and only HE running, so...
Thoughts? How do I take this build to the next level so I don't feel all inadequate when the dude next to me in a Kumari does 16K DPS in a PUG? :eek:
RCK
Post edited by rck01 on
0
Comments
What DOFFs do you run?
If I ask you a question it is not an insult but a genuine attempt to understand why.
When I insult you I won't be discreet about it, I will be precise and to the point stupid.
What I had for a while was:
TT1, CSV1, APO1, CSV3
BTE1, BO2, APO1
TT1
I also had that 3rd ensign boff sett up the same as the Commander spot, but with CRF1 and 3 for a single target build.
For a higher dps you could replace the beam skills with FaW or something. I also realize APB is all the rave, but I prefer all the additional bonus Omega gives.
However, after using this ship for a while, I too missed the survival of the Fleet Patrol Escort and realized that added damage of a 5th tact console wasn't worth the cost.
Interesting. Hadn't thought about the Beam option. Seems like a possible compromise.
But you're right, the survivability advantages of the Fleet Patrol outweigh the extra Tac Console, at least for PvE missions where "tanking" is always part of the equation (think STF gates and Tac Cubes). Plus, you can use the Ens. Universal slot for an extra Eng Boff and do ET1, which is something I sorely miss on the Tac Escort given it's crappy hull.
Think I answered my own question: The limited Boff layout of this ship makes it difficult to build a winning platform. Time to mothball it and go back to my Fleet Patrol Escort or even my Fleet Advanced Heavy Cruiser for some beam spreading fun.
RCK
For the Tactical escort retrofit I recommend you go with 3 turrets, 3 dual heavy cannons and 1 photon torpedo tube front.
Get three very rare projectile duty officers with the 5 seconds off torpedo recharge trait. These can be purchased on the exchange or from the omega diliithium store. You can also get them from a cardasion duty officer mission chain, a colonization duty officer mission chain and you can get one from one of the new romulan missions.
The advantage of the photon torpedo type is that with just one tube you can leave it on autofire, which it will do every couple of seconds if you have the doffs.
Now as to your bridge officers, it pays to use an extra one so that you can switch between an efficient AoE and an efficient single target setup with a single officer switch.
Ensign tactical: Tactical team 1,
Lt.C tactical: Tactical team 1, Attack pattern Beta 1, Attack Pattern Beta 2
Single target Commander tactical: Torpedo High yield 1, Torpedo High Yield 2, Cannon Rapid fire 2, Cannon Rapid fire 3
AoE Commander tactical: Torpedo Spred 1, Cannon svatter volley 2, Torpedo Spred 3, Cannon scatter volley 3
Notes:
You could get better DPS with a attack pattern beta 3 and a cannon scatter volley 2, but this would require switching more then one officer to go from Single target to aoe mode,
You could use a dual beam bank instead of the torpedo tube substituting beam overload for high yield and beam fire at will for torpedo spred. This is also a powerfull way to set up your escort. But the torpedo build will generaly beat it due to lower weapons power drain.
Don't forget you can pre-fire torpedo buffs and beam overloads. Once you hit beam overload, torpedo spred or torpedo high yield you have 30 seconds to use it. the global cool down on these abilities is 15 seconds. If you time it right you can send two torpedo spred threes and a torpedo spred one at your enemy in a space of 5 seconds.
The patrol and advanced escorts are fantastic for their improved tanking ability. But for PVE you don't need to tank that well. I have soloed many an elite borg cube in a tactical escort.
I highly recommend packing an emergency power to engines 1, between that and evasive manovers you never have to spend longer taking fire then you are comfortable with.
Its not just a defensive ability though. It also allows you to get your firepower to point blank 100% damage range all the sooner effectively increasing your dps by spending less time 'not shooting things' while traveling between enemies.
If not, you wind up ignoring the ensign tac seat...at that point you are better off in a different ship imho.
personally i use both BO3, and Torp spread...BO3 is especially good when using the cloak...combine this with one or more romulan embassy boffs and you can augment alphas even more.
I'm actually in the process of changing BO3 into BO2...since the powerdrop is far less and it also can crit fairly high. Most high BO3 crits are huge overkill anyway in PVE.
Also the DBB isn't that far behind a dual cannon dmg wise, and if you are not specced into projectile dmg, torps make only little sense.
Your original build has APO but suggested BOFF changes don't include anything to break a potentially fatal tractor beam snagging you.
Whilst TSS is awesome, don't forget about tractor beams being a pain in PVE matey!
Also the key to increased DPS isn't just keybind, press space and zombie through the mission. As was said with a little fore thought you can have 3 sets of torp spreads going off in 5s, against bare hull of say 5 nanite spheres that will kill them. You just need to plan ahead, when to use your buffs so you don't have too much overkill and when to attack and start cuing up your abilities.
I would also recommend 2 v.rare shield distribution doffs as it gives you almost a full shield heal when you take damage when using brace for impact.
Don't be afraid to move a universal console to the tactical console positions, while tactical consoles do not suffer from diminishing returns the amount of damage they do add on is not as much as many people think, it is nowhere near the 28.5% of your 3000 dps (which would be about 900), it's more like 100-200dps.
Another thing to consider is if you're flying a complete balls to the wall DPS monster sacrificing every last bit of survivability ship is to perhaps fly with a dedicated tank. A good tank means you won't sit at 8km from a gateway doing less DPS than if you went all DBBs, you can get right up against it doing a lot more damage while being relatively safe from the wrath.
Remember DHCs only do more damage than dual beam banks at distances of under I think it was 5-6km, any further away from the target you're actually doing not much more damage than that other non escort with dual beam banks.
It is through repetition that we learn our weakness.
A master with a stone is better than a novice with a sword.
Has damage got out of control?
This is the last thing I will post.
Or
You could put a torpedo in the front. I would go with the Romulan or Omega torpedo up front. I have been messing around with 2 torpedoes (Romluan and Omega) up front for STFs since you get a ton of unshielded targets like gates and transformers/probes etc. For some reason that I can't explain my Kling does crazy stupid dps with 2 torps up front. I have not gotten the same results with my feds and romulans. If you are going to go this way, get torpedo spread 3, it is fun watching 20 torpedos spread out of your of your ship when you have botht he Romulan and Omega torps up front.