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Specific build cruiser -odyssey
vetteguy904
Member Posts: 3,943 Arc User
Currently I'm grinding rep for omega gear, and i tend to fly cruisers.
Curently I'm grinding my sci officer, and i fly the regent. that brings me to a couple questions.
I'm thinking about switching to the science oddy, for the sensor analysis bump. current strategy is to park off the command ship's nose and hammer away, that's where I'm thinking the SA will benefit me the most, since it often takes 3+ minutes to kill the thing.
assuming I'm correct I have these questions:
1. do torpedos benefit from SA or just beams?
2. will using FAW or scatter volley kill the SA?
should I just stick with the regent?
and before i get the "switch to an escort" comment, i have difficulty enough tanking the command ship in a cruder, escort tanking is not an option.
constructive comments / suggestions welcome.
I'd post boff setup but I'm constantly changing that. right now i'm running 2 DBB fore with the regent torpedo and the breen cluster fore, and a transphasic launcher aft. I can and probably will replace the breen launcher with a regular torpedo, and thinking about a mine launcher aft. eventually I'll replace the forward torpedos with the romulan hyper and the Omega, and shift the regent torp aft.
Curently I'm grinding my sci officer, and i fly the regent. that brings me to a couple questions.
I'm thinking about switching to the science oddy, for the sensor analysis bump. current strategy is to park off the command ship's nose and hammer away, that's where I'm thinking the SA will benefit me the most, since it often takes 3+ minutes to kill the thing.
assuming I'm correct I have these questions:
1. do torpedos benefit from SA or just beams?
2. will using FAW or scatter volley kill the SA?
should I just stick with the regent?
and before i get the "switch to an escort" comment, i have difficulty enough tanking the command ship in a cruder, escort tanking is not an option.
constructive comments / suggestions welcome.
I'd post boff setup but I'm constantly changing that. right now i'm running 2 DBB fore with the regent torpedo and the breen cluster fore, and a transphasic launcher aft. I can and probably will replace the breen launcher with a regular torpedo, and thinking about a mine launcher aft. eventually I'll replace the forward torpedos with the romulan hyper and the Omega, and shift the regent torp aft.
Post edited by vetteguy904 on
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Comments
SA is a damage buff to all you do, torps included.
SA only focuses on the target you currently have targeted, so even if you hit multiple targets it will only boost damage to the current target and doesn't break from hitting multiples.
With a single target - like a boss - the Sci out-does the Tac by leaps and bounds. The stacking SA buffs to the point its quite significant - and far more than a single Tac console eventually - with only two bosses so far (Elite Crystalline that will kill you at some point, forcing you to start over by moving away or dying and Dontra's cheating Scim that will cloak out of sight) being able to elude the buff. However you need to keep locked on a single target, and keep within 10km of it. It takes time, and really doesn't help on smaller craft you'll kill before the buff accumulates enough to matter. Mid and tougher level mobs will have a partway effect, where a FAW will be less effective, but the target you are on will die slightly faster.
However the Tac has its own perk after analyzing it more with how the damage buff works. The Tac's console enables a higher "low" damage level, and a more stable output - which suits FAW use better, especially since it doesn't play target favorites. In general as you watch DPS swings on some builds the Tac will have a higher low-end, making the relative DPS better. However compared to a dedicated single-target approach on a Sci it won't have as high a peak, but will reach its easier. This would make the Tac have a better appearing DPS output until you contend with boss opponents. A Sci will out-DPS a Tac on a massive-HP boss.
So it really comes down to the goal of the ship.
Do you want to shred mobs faster? Tear down nuisances the fastest possible to reach the boss easier? The Tac is the goal.
Do you want to rip the boss apart? Make a big, tough target melt? Sci is the option.
Judging by your post, I'll guess the Sci will suit you better, as you seem more interested in taking care of the boss than the mobs.
However, for a sci oddy build you're going to turn very slowly (unless you have chevron console from the other variant -- which IMO wastes a valuable console slot). Because of this I wouldn't advise any torps. I would sugget 8 beams or even 7 beams plus a mine if that's your thing (tractor mines, cluster torp, or even just TCD or quantums). I've run it both ways -- 8beam and 7+mine.
Based off the slow maneuvering, and based off getting the most tanking out of it, I ran mine for a long time with the same BOFF setup as the Assault Cruiser. I think for tanking but still being able to output the most DPS (or at least decent DPS) you could chain together 2x EPTW and 2x EPTS. The cooldowns all compliment so you have one copy of EPTS and one of EPTW running at all times because you've got 4 altogether. That will leave you a few extra defensive or repair skills like RSP or ETs, etc.
For the sci LT run PHP and HE to clear shield drain and to prevent tractor beams from killing your defense rating.
For TAC run the LT and ENS with 1x TT, 1s FAW and 1x BO, or 2x FAW if you like.
They key to this one is the constant high power levels. Those do wonders to weapons damage for a cruiser. They do wonders for extra resists to shields as well. FAW/BO are supplemental but most of it is coming from the high energy levels. If you have a Plasmonic Leech it will help all that much more
This method of chaining 2x EPTS and 2x EPTW together for constant power up-time is often called a "Dragon Build" and is only one way of doing it. I will say it does work fairly well. I got better DPS out of it with an 8-beam cruiser than most random escorts in PUGs. Not the good escorts, but most of the random ones.
The benefits of this type of setup over an A2Bat build is you don't need expensive doffs to get cooldown times, and further your tanking is better because A2Bat drains all your aux and keeps a lot of your aux healing skills from working well. This way you can reduce your aux power levels to boost shields and weapons but still have effective quick heals because you WILL be soaking up damage.
Oh, and as a parting thought, run field generators in your sci console slots. Do NOT run "+skill" consoles -- these are next to useless IMO as compared to a straight up % console. For ENG slots if you're tanking try running a couple of fleet armor+RCS consoles, and whatever universals you want. For TAC consoles (you only get 2) put your weapon type -- antiproton, etc -- to maximize damage. Purple Mk XII are best. Even though they're super expensive (SUPER) they're cheaper than most doffs that other builds might need.
Against the Borg, turning is irrelevant.