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"Sub Hunting" options?
chernovich
Member Posts: 5 Arc User
While watching some movies recently, I was reminded of the fact that the TOS episode "Balance of Terror" was inspired by the submarine hunting of WWII.
I got to thinking about that approach to a ship, but have done zip in that regard and have no idea where to start. The idea is something for a Warbird that would be able to work in the same way as the attack subs during the Cold War, cloaked and shadowing a friendly to ambush cloaked attackers in the same way as our subs watched out to protect carrier groups and such.
Any ideas on what to start with for a build with that goal?
I got to thinking about that approach to a ship, but have done zip in that regard and have no idea where to start. The idea is something for a Warbird that would be able to work in the same way as the attack subs during the Cold War, cloaked and shadowing a friendly to ambush cloaked attackers in the same way as our subs watched out to protect carrier groups and such.
Any ideas on what to start with for a build with that goal?
Post edited by chernovich on
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from what you've written, it sounds like you wanna try a torpedo boat using a cloak.
Build for a Torp-boat: This thread is the ideal starting point. I'm using it myself at the moment and so far (Lvl 34) it's working great, crits all over the place and the like.
As for the cloak: It's kinda difficult for Federation-players to get a stealth-bomber, as the only ships having one Fed-side are the Defiant (2000 Zen) and the Galaxy-X (2500 Zen). If you are a lifetime-member of have the 600(?)-day suscription reward, you'll get the first one for free with the VA-shiptoken. Otherwise you'll have to either pay for Zen or use the Dilithium Exchange.
However you may want to try out the KDF or, if you want to stay Fed, Romulan allying Feds. Most KDF- / Romulan vessels have the Battle Cloak, allowing you for cloaking while fighting, making hiding after a successful strike way easier.
Two ships are remarkable for "Enhanced Battle Cloak": The T'Varo Light Warbird Retrofit (Romulan 2000 Zen) and the B'rel Bird-of-Prey Retrofit (KDF 2000 Zen). These ships (free for LT-members or 600-day-veterans) are able to shoot torpedos and mines while cloaked, only being targetable for ~1 sec while firing. This may be the ideal thing for you, as it allows you to shoot (alpha-strike using Torpedo High Yield and stuff) and directly vanish as you cloak. Currently working on the T'Varo myself and hoping for the best ^^
Greetings
Silverman
I do that with my Defiant sometimes, just cloak and wait for somebody to attack an ally, then pop out and kill the attacker while he's distracted. Its really easy to do. You dont need anything special for it at all, except for some patience, just use your regular build and wait to strike, preferably alpha-style.
I also did some testing on sub-hunter builds that would actually go hunting for cloaked ships, but in the end it was not real effective since any kind of grab and hold would cause them to come out of cloak with shields up. In the end it was most effective to just equip Emergency Power to Aux and the Nebula console on any ship, and even then it is very tight constraints with the current skill balance.
The draw back is that the cloaks are standard cloaks, not Battle Cloaks, so you cannot weave in & out of cloaks.
As far as "Sub Hunting" goes, Sci Vessels by far have the best detection, hands down, that puts all others to shame. Since you're worried about stealth detection, I'm assuming this is for PVP because STO doesn't know how to make cloak-capable ships cloak... the game just spawns them on you with the dumb cloak sound effects.
With that rant done, I highly, HIGHLY suggest checking this thread out from the PVP Subforum.
Without repeating the info from there, my personal requirements on an effective stealth detector ("Sub Hunter") that actually can take the fight to the cloaked ships:
1. Ship classified with Sci-Vessels. Sci Vessels have a huge, huge bonus to detection with better Aux Power. BTW, most Carriers I know of have the same benefits for detection.
2. Good enough maneuverability to quickly bring weapons to bear on detected targets.
3. Good enough speed to close with a detected target. I've been able to detect cloaked ships out to as far as 11-12k.
4. Good TAC seating to make whatever attacks you send on a cloaked ship hurt.
Remember, at the moment you detect a cloaked vessel and start your attacks, the cloaked ship doesn't automatically drop out of cloak and put on shields. The target has to be alert enough to escape or drop out of cloaks to raise shields. Or, if you apply certain sci or area abilities, those drop them out of cloak and raise their shields.
For Federation specific ships, the Wells / Temporal Science is a very deadly combination in this setup. 15 turn rate, pretty decent speed. Flexible BOFF setup that can be dangerous. And most of all, it's a SCI Vessel.
The Fleet Nova is a noteworthy ship also, but doesn't have the same handling as the Wells.
The Atrox does *NOT* have Sensor Analysis. That is the ability, native to sci ships but also present on others, that builds up a damage boost over time depending on how long you have a hostile targeted.
Now, the question is, does anybody know if the stealth detection bonus is tied into Sensor Analysis, or is it a separate ability? If it is in fact a separate ability, does anybody know what ships have it? More pressing for me personally, does my Catbox have it?
I really don't use her in PvP, lack of AP:O makes that EWP hurt, but I've always wanted to know.
Fleet Admiral Space Orphidian Possiblities Wizard
I used to use Mask Energy Signature II in Kerrat all the time to tail a friendly and wait for some baddy to jump it, but that was a long time ago, so I'm not sure it can work as well. Nowadays players are a bit more aware of their surrounds and have aux up a bit more, shockingly I barely ever see a Nebula in a PvP area to pick up cloakers/stealthies.
oh, sensor analysis is separate from stealth detection.
I looked at in from the angle that you are a real life frigate or destroyer; to which
those are normally the sub hunters. (sometimes in conjunction with a helo or p3 type)
Things to get; High Aux, High Sensors, maybe the emission seeking torpedo toy.
I found the Nebula to be a good choice for this, thinking about reviving the old build.
weaponry can be tricky, though 2 torps + beam front worked pretty well and
the possibility of using a mine is there too.
... If you are wanting to be the sub...
then as other posted, bop or defiant is probably the way to go.
the mvam could be a potential with mes.
the vo'quv and the kar'fi both get a stealth sensor bonus and they both do not have sensor analysis so there's a good chance the atrox has it too. I've just never looked.
As to the sub hunter to try and sniff them out, warmaker001b I think is on to something. a good Sci with good turning, and a toon built for it as much as the ship is built for it. As to an AWACS role, something to sniff everything out for his or her team, well, maybe that thread that warmaker referenced would have something.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
My name is Rage, and I too support a revised Galaxy family.