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Ar'Kif or Scimitar?
unangbangkay
Member Posts: 10 Arc User
I'm trying to decide which Rommie ship to get, the Ar'Kif (and the Ar'Kala for Quad Plasma Cannons), or a Scimitar 3-pack. Either way I'll have to add some money into the game, which I don't mind (I'm saving dil for something else), but I need YOUR help deciding!
For reference: My Rom is a Tac, but I'm working on bringing up an Engineer. Neither has access to Reputation gear at the moment, so I'm running off mission rewards. I own the Legacy Pack ships and their various gimmick consoles. I rarely, if ever, buy Fleet gear or ships, and I don't PvP. I normally fly escorts but I've been practicing with slowboats and carriers.
Ar'Kif/Ar'Kala:
Pros:
- Cheaper
- This "annihilation mode" stuff intrigues me
- Gorgeous!
- Plays like the escorts I'm familiar with!
- Hangar!
- Quad cannons! (I know they aren't ideal, but QUAD CANNONNNSSS)
- I haven't seen a lot around, which makes me feel hipster-cool
Cons:
- 9 consoles
- Plays like the escorts I'm familiar with...
- It'll be a while until I get proper Elite Scorpions
- maybe there aren't a lot around because it sucks?
Scimitar 3-pack:
Pros:
- Will be more costly short-term
- Huge!
- 5-weapons fore!
- 10 consoles!
- Plays in a way I'm currently unfamiliar with, so it's a change
- 3-piece console set!
- Drones!
Cons:
- HUGE!
- It's everywhere!
- People say the 3-piece console set sucks
- The Avenger has 5 weapons fore also...
- I might not like the way it plays
- My engineer is a long way from 50
Any advice?
For reference: My Rom is a Tac, but I'm working on bringing up an Engineer. Neither has access to Reputation gear at the moment, so I'm running off mission rewards. I own the Legacy Pack ships and their various gimmick consoles. I rarely, if ever, buy Fleet gear or ships, and I don't PvP. I normally fly escorts but I've been practicing with slowboats and carriers.
Ar'Kif/Ar'Kala:
Pros:
- Cheaper
- This "annihilation mode" stuff intrigues me
- Gorgeous!
- Plays like the escorts I'm familiar with!
- Hangar!
- Quad cannons! (I know they aren't ideal, but QUAD CANNONNNSSS)
- I haven't seen a lot around, which makes me feel hipster-cool
Cons:
- 9 consoles
- Plays like the escorts I'm familiar with...
- It'll be a while until I get proper Elite Scorpions
- maybe there aren't a lot around because it sucks?
Scimitar 3-pack:
Pros:
- Will be more costly short-term
- Huge!
- 5-weapons fore!
- 10 consoles!
- Plays in a way I'm currently unfamiliar with, so it's a change
- 3-piece console set!
- Drones!
Cons:
- HUGE!
- It's everywhere!
- People say the 3-piece console set sucks
- The Avenger has 5 weapons fore also...
- I might not like the way it plays
- My engineer is a long way from 50
Any advice?
Post edited by unangbangkay on
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Comments
despite what people say about the thalaron pulse....IMO its pretty good for slow moving/grouped targets (like the "boss" NPC groups in DSEs) or stations like in ISE
throw on an rcs console and the turn rate (at least for me) jumps to 16.5..before buffs (like EM or Cloak)
idk about the 2 new romulan ships as I have the zen for them...and was thinking of getting them, but with the Avenger coming out i may just get that and actually play my fed eng.
also, i have a habit of murdering terran mirror ships (yes i know low level (lvl 25 or 30 i think, but meh) and wiped out the entire flagship group in the single blast. But that is just me...
against one of the transformers i hit 25k and that was the killing blow to it.
but yeah i think that is one of the downsides...the long charge time and the fact it pretty much shuts your engines down so you cant turn at all, or very little.
Valdus | Charn | Costello | Typhus | Thyran
Peacekeeper High Command
Scorpius - Zelbinion Mk II
50k!? Dude you are doing it wrong. Get some skills in particle gens and batts (well 3 points in batts is enough), use all tac buffs availabe, pop an aux bat and it will do at least 100k dmg per target within its arc. On top of that get your hull under 50%, use go down fighting and it will turn you into a doomsday device.
And on topic: Ar'Kif is a fast and powerfull ship and performs pretty much like any escort. Romulan death ray set works great on it cuz it increases plasma dmg, got a nice torps that dont really need any torp abilities to make them effective and beam array that you can put in the back and use it for 3pcs ability. Ar'kala's console when used with quads will and some more plasma dmg. Add some embassy consoles and it will boost your damage like if you have 5 tac consoles if not more. It's beam can easily do 50k dmg, and when in annihilatoon mode it speeds up singularity gain significantly.
As for Shimitar It require some really good gear, because 5 fore weapons and 5 tac slots will attract a lot of attention, and it will take time to get used to it's size and handling. IMO I'ts set gives some pretty good abilities like fire under cloak which gives a nice damage boost and thalaron cannon that as i stated above deals huge AoE damage when used properly. Romulan drone ships are also quite powerfull pets.
Preatty much this.
I got the 3 pack Scimitar on a sci romulan, not even a tac, and the thalaron can do way more then 50k, even up to 100k dmg sometimes.
To the OP, my advice is to get the 3 pack Scimitar, you wont regret it and you wont need any other ship for a long time. Not to mention you can gain acces to elite drones fast thru Public Service channel. But even the advanced ones from the dil store are good enuf. And the turn rate is decent enuf, is not 5 or 6, is 7 and if you have at least 2 of its consoles equiped, it will go up to 9 thus with one RCS console it can turn escortish. Only downside is the huge inertia, but you will get used to it. Oh and I would add at pros the fact that one of the consoles allows you to battle cloak with shields on, wich is a massive advantage.
About the Ar'kif/Ar'kala ships, tested them for a week or so on former trible test server and then never bought it on holodeck. You will get very disapointed with them. While the T5 ship itself is meh, maybe on par with the mogai/dhelan wich you allready have since you said you have the legagy pack, the focus singularity beam skill is TRIBBLE. It hardly can be deployed on its full power since it last 20 seconds wich is way to extreme, wich is even bigger then thalaron with 12 secs, and can be very difficult to mentain on a target, and it seems is bugged and disengages at random times.
But in the end its all up to you and what you consider it most important for you, looks or utility. I myself wouldnt want to fly a ship i dont like how it looks but its good on stats.
I got the scimitar 3-pack and use the tactical (Scimitar) on my Rom sci. All polarons, Mk XII Jem set, with a sci boff in the lt. cmr uni for CC and heals. I only use 2 of the 3 scimitar consoles (the cloaking shields and the secondary shields). The cloaking shields are really useful for the hit-and-fade thing without sucking up lots of hull damage. The secondary shields are a great Oh TRIBBLE button. Plus it has all the singularity doo-dads. I'm not really jazzed about the thalaron thingie or the cloaked barrage (maybe if I was a tac).
The scimitar is pretty nimble when cloaked with the 2-console bonus. So cloak often. Basically, if you're not shooting someone you should be cloaked. Also, the inertia is pretty severe. Cutting engines from full impulse the scimitar will drift 10km+. It takes some getting used to, but it's pretty sweet once you do. Powersliding into an alpha strike is the TRIBBLE. Also, reverse, APO, Aux2Damp, Evasive and deuterium surplus are your friends.
I'm not gonna lie - it's size is an issue. Not being able to move when you warp into Qo'nos because ships are stacked all around you sucks. Getting out of DS9 can be a problem occasionally, too. Yeah, it's crazy big.
I had power issues with all energy weapons (dhc x3, singles x2, turrets x3), even with the Leech console. I dropped one dhc and replaced it with a rare quantum I had laying around and that took care of it (the dhc would have been replaced with the omega torp when I got it anyway). I run with 100 weapon power.
The drones are cool. When there's nothing around for them to copy they'll appear as either the last thing they were or as random stuff (one will be an Elachi escort an the other is a Jem bugship). I'm a hangar pet noob so I don't know if they're terribly effective, but they do draw aggro, so there's that. Also, I don't think the carrier commands work very well, as setting them to intercept (incoming torps and fighters) has them shoot at anything that comes into range. Maybe a more experienced carrier guy can comment better.
I wasn't really sure if I made a good purchase or not until I got used to the inertia. Now I'm digging it. It's a very different play style from escorts or beam boats. It's got just enough turn with the 2-console bonus that cannons are almost a must. It's a far cry from the Bort (honestly, this is what the Bortas should have been).
Holy TRIBBLE this is long. Sorry for the wall of text.
In short, it really comes down to whether you like what is more or less tantamount to godmode, or prefer more of a challenge (plus the Ar'Kif looks better than a space-techno-boomerang).
The scimitar's endgame challenge is about how fast you can do it. There's always room for improvement there :P
Peacekeeper High Command
Scorpius - Zelbinion Mk II
They're better for the ar'kif than the quad phasers or disruptors are for the feds/kdf, due to the set bonus (+10% plasma damage, +30 weapon training).
If you want to be overpowered, go with the scimitar. If you'd prefer to have a good looking ship, go with the ar'kif.
Hopefully we get the fleet ar'kif soon, I'm running out of patience for it.
I don't know why people complain so much about the Scimitar. She got the top stats almost like the Andorian Escorts, plus the cloak things... but hell, that ship is not that OP.
What could make it OP is a good player behind the keyboard.
I'm playing with she from four months now, first I died a lot, even in PvE, because you need to learn how to fly it... she is not an Escort or a Cruiser, she turns better, but not that fast... she has high hull, but this same hull gets melted right away when shields are down, I mean, the defence status on this ship are under any other T5 Ship in the game.
Other problem is the energy...
So.. the Scimitar requires a good set of skills and precise tunning in the build, bith for consoles, traits and skill points distribution.
"If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are." - Jean-Luc Picard
The Scimitar is a giant flying bullseye to anybody looking for a target, and with its 5/3 setup, it is going to garner a lot of attention with its firepower. It turns like a rock too, unless you throw some RCS consoles on with skills in maneuvering. Unless it has specific equipment, it is going to be squishy too, which is where some forethought comes into play as to when and how you engage targets. With that being said, the Scimitar is a monster. She can dish out more damage then nearly any other ship in game, and with the cloak, can escape most sticky situations, regroup, and pounce again. If you can get past the sheer size of the ship, you'll find a monster on your hands.
The Ar'kif plays more like your traditional escort. High burst damage, high speed, squishy ship. The fact that is has a hangar bay, though, adds incentive. A lot you can do with that. I fly runabouts for my hold build until I hit T5 Romulan rep to upgrade to the scorpions. The ship has a great turn rate, so if you want something nimble over the Scimitar, this is the choice. It only has nine consoles, however. I really want a fleet version of this ship. Also, like the Scimitar, its squishy, so keep that in mind. The console it comes with is nice. While the beam, at best, can only be compared to 'maybe' Beam Overload 1, the 10+ weapon power is welcome, plus the set bonus if you run the quads and a plasma build.
I enjoy both ships, though I don't have the right gear atm to run a proper Scimitar. Until then, I love my little Ar'kif.
Member since early 2011
Quite right!
The Cloack Barrage have some traps:
1 - Enemy Sci captains could target you while firing under Cloak Barrage, droping the Barrage and the Cloak, then you're f****!
2 - After the barrage ends, you'll have less 50 power on weapons.
3 - If you decloak after using the barrage, the ambush bonus is ZERO.
So... better off with "Shields while clocked" and the secondary shields, that is a hell of a panic button. I even use it on ESTF some times, helps me keep firing more time, thus, dealing more damage.
"If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are." - Jean-Luc Picard
Well my scimitar tanks very well this is the build I have.. its build to tank and dps hits hard to
Yeah I know I don't know how to use the site.. yet
As someone said earlier, the Ar'kif with full plasma, especially Rom plasma, is super cool, and does hideous damage despite not even being a fleet version. I parsed 32k DPS against the carrier in cure space elite on my Reman. I love that ship, cant wait for fleet version.
However, the Scimitar 3 pack is also awesome. DO NOT LISTEN to anyone that says the console set bonus isnt that good. Thats scrubs that cant afford it but yet cant be civil and have to try and hate on something they dont have. As usual. The Thaloron is nice for PVE, and really fun, but not essential. However. The 2 set bonus and the cloaking with shields ability is AMAZING. And pretty much a must have if you want to enjoy the Scimitar. Do not be fooled by people who don't know how to use the scimitar. Much like the film, cloaking is its main weapon. So you need, the best BOFF's etc to max your cloak ambush. The 2 set bonus relies on this.
Ill put it simply, my scimitar decloaks, has a 23 second ambush duration, and during that time it has a turn rate of around 16. Seeing as my cloak cooldown is much less than 23 seconds, and i can then cloak with full shields and tac team up if needed, there is no reason why i dont have constant ambush.....people that dont understand this mechanic are the noobs who say the ship or its console set suck. Its the ultimate alpha strike ship.
4 dual heavy fleet cannons with x3 damage and crit chance, 1 dual beam bank with beam overload 3 (this thing can pop 66k on tactical cubes in elite stf and can be used every 30 sec; better then thalaron that takes 12 sec to charge and has 3 min cd)
3 neutronium consoles with kin/all energy res and turn rate (gives me awesome turn rate for such a big ship), borg uni console, scimi secondary shield and console that allows me to cloack with shields up (also +2 on turn rate with those). 3 tactical consoles are for antiproton dps. and the best console of them all, valdores universal shield absorptive frequency generator that allows me to heal my shields for even 7-8k hp. 2.5% chance to heal for 200% of the damage i do. with this baby my shields are almost always full, proc can turn on every few sec.
bridge officers are all with superior trait for crit chance and crit severity making my crit chance around 15% and 80% crit severity. my every 2nd, 3rd shot is a critical hit that can do from 4k to even 16k damage, depending on my buffs active. combined with bo3 for dual beam bank, dps is brutal.
and dont forget elite drone ships. they are just to damn good
so in short, im always 1st in entity normal or elite. every single time. and most of the people here know that entity has high energy damage resists and lower kinetic. and im still number 1 with just energy weapons
im using advanced combat tracker to measure my dps. when doing borg elite stf, even if everyone is tactical in tactical ships, i still do from 30 to 50% total dps and damage. combat tracker shows im doing 12-13k dps when moving. on carrier in cure elite its around 16k when standing still
so i have to ask you caldannach, what dps program do you use when it shows 32k dps? because i have never seen anyone do better then me when using advanced combat tracker. this program measures every single buff, debuff, torp damage, cannon/beam damage, damage and dps on drones, my heals... everything. how can you have 32k dps? i wish to try your program and see what it shows for my dps because i have a feeling its not showing correct numbers
Scimitar on the other hand is something different. I will risk even, that she's the most powerful ship in STO. But to reach this lvl of damage it has to have best (I mean THE BEST) gear and it is very hard to fly (with good results).
If You like Ha'feh and escorts at all buy Ar'Kif. There should be fleet version, so You can switch to it for 500 Zen/65k dill.
However if You are bored with these, buy Scimitar. It is chalenging for pilot, it is big and makes You try different approach. Turn is not so weak, and inertia rate will allow You to fire 5 DHC at target when still flying sideways. It takes some practice but it is very cool.
I find Scimitar more interesting to fly, but again, that's only me.
I use ACT as well. Maybe it bugged, but the 2nd guy on the ACT list was down as 20k DPS and everyone else was very low. However, i have to say i find ACT twitchy at times and am not a firm believer its that accurate anyway. One of the main reasons is that if people are beyond a certain range it doesnt measure their DPS against the results, did you know that?
Regardless mate, my point is, it registered extremely high damage.
I also use Aux 2 bat on my arkif and scim. I can only use 1 x aux2batt on the arkif, but it still enables me to pop more damage cd's more often.
Also on my arkif, i have a crit chance of 20% and i have crit severity of 98% with boffs and uni consoles. When you add a decloak ambush plus attack pattern alpha and omega, its a lot of damage with dual heavy cannons/quad on rapid fire plus the fully charged plasma weapon on the arkif firing simultaneously, as well as the synergy amp from my elite core being over 75 on 3 sub systems.....
As well as that, did you say you only have 3 tac consoles for your main weapon spec?
khitomer accord elite. i always take right side and 4 other team members go left. i can destroy first 2 probes, 2 nanites, borg cube, last 2 nanites and generator, kill some more probes, switch to 2nd line of nanites, destroy 2 again, kill cube, kill probes and kill nanites (sometimes even 2nd generator) while 4 team members on the left side kill gateway. if they have good dps, im half way done with 2nd generator when they destroy gateway on 2nd side. if they have bad dps, i can finnish my whole side and then go left to helf them destroy gateway on that side.
so in fact, im capable of doing almost whole side even faster then 4 of my team members combined. and i can heal all damage done to myself without any help.
think that aint to bad hehehe
bo3 can even make me one shot smaller ships. my record so far is 66k on tactical cube but most of the time its about 20-40k. when i compare dps from dual beam bank and cannons, dual beam bank has about 1/3 smaller dps but i really like it cause it can hit very hard every 30 sec and its always fun to giggle when i pop high crits
about act: i find its very consistent in fight. meaning my dps is always pretty much the same when im doing the same instance and comparing last few statistics for that same instance
edit: i shoud also mention my power recharge. its 10.1 so my power regenerates fast. that means when i shoot, my weapon power is always high so thats also a big + for damage
But how much damage are you wasting by targets that escape the cone while charging? How much damage are you losing by having those 3 console slots blocked? How much damage are you losing otherwise, when you save up your cooldowns for exactly that moment? How much damage is lost when the targets get killed by others while you're charging up?
Imho the Scimitar follows the same pattern as the other 3-console ships. They become really nice vessels if those consoles remain in the bank...