Fleet Avenger Class - Help/suggestions

asphyxiaactual · February 2014

Hello,

In my time in STO I've been switching between escorts and cruisers wishing for something in between. Finally when the Avenger was released I had my ship. I've had two very similar builds with this. My current build is shown here:

http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=nx93477_0

My other build is exactly the same but replacing all Phaser components with anti-proton.

Are there any suggestions on how I can improve this build.

I generally play STF's as I am still levelling my reputations.

Thanks,

Asphyxia x

stoutes · February 2014

Hey Asphix,

I see you've made the same mistake I did for my first char. I'll try to redo your skillplan to create a more buffy and survivable build.

I could mention a couple of things while I'll be working on your skillplan:

You use a combo of cannons, beams, dualbeams and torpedoes. The way you've set the boff's only buff the torps. Downside is that torpedoes doesn't do much damage against enemies while their shields are up.
You're going all over the place with the Tac consoles; do you need cloak? I would suggest removing it so you can place the ZP on there which will open up an extra tac slot.
Your skillplan is... painful... if I may say so. As I said before, I did the same with my first char. This meant that I didn't had any skillpoints in any defense or energy management whatsoever. It made me very squishy.

You can find the proposed skillplan here. I've put some fleet gear suggestions in it, but an equal console from the exchange will do fine.

Your skillplan has taken an overhaul to what I believe, is a bit more balanced and viable for future builds. I've maxxed the flow caps if you're ever intended to use the Leech and/or any other kind of energydrain weaponry.

kimmym · February 2014

No doff avenger:

ep2s1, ep2w2
ep2s1, ep2w2, dem2, dem3
he1, tss2
tt1
tt1 csv1 csv2

all dual heavy cannons if you can turn well, mix in some single cannons if you haven't got the aiming right yet.
all turrets
fill your tac consoles with your energy type.

The rest, won't matter till you have better gear skills and doffs anyway.

asphyxiaactual · February 2014

Thanks, Stoutes.

I'll remove the cloak, but what should I use in the extra tac slot?

What would you suggest I use for my BOFFs?

Thanks,

Asphyxia x

asphyxiaactual · February 2014

Kimmym,

Thanks for the reply!

I have almost no idea what you said in the first half?

Thanks,

Asphyxia x

stoutes · February 2014

Hey Asphyx, I've added the proposed skillplanner in my first post

. I've been a newb as well, so don't mind if you don't understand everything yet. It'll come.

kiloace · February 2014

I plan on this build when I get an avenger ^_^

http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=harrison42145_0

captaindecker12 · February 2014

asphyxiaactual wrote: »

Hello,

In my time in STO I've been switching between escorts and cruisers wishing for something in between. Finally when the Avenger was released I had my ship. I've had two very similar builds with this. My current build is shown here:

http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=nx93477_0

My other build is exactly the same but replacing all Phaser components with anti-proton.

Are there any suggestions on how I can improve this build.

I generally play STF's as I am still levelling my reputations.

Thanks,

Asphyxia x

Heya, so I looked at this build, and it looks similar to a build I once ran on my Excelsior a long time ago, though with noticeable differences.

I am assuming you're looking to increase the damage on the Avenger because it sounds like you're more of a damage-dealer cruiser captain than a support/healer cruiser captain. If I assumed wrong, then disregard everything I've got below.

So, besides trying to increase the rating of your weapons (try for Very Rare Mk XII, but you probably know that, though), also look for [Acc] and [CritH] modifiers. [Dmg] and [CritD] will increase your output per burst, but [Acc] and [CritH] will increase your damage output overall; more hits and crits usually winds up being better than harder hits and crits. I'd also recommend either dropping the quad cannons, or switching to all cannons/turrets and using Cannon: Scatter Volley II or Cannon: Rapid Fire II in your Lt. Commander Tactical slot. In my experience (which is longer then the forums shows, Thank you, Perfect World), cannons are more of an all or nothing type of weapon, though I have seen cannon escort builds that use a single Dual Beam array, but this in done to take advantage of an escort's Tactical BOff layout, because many escorts can run Cannon abilities as well as a Beam Overload 2/3. But a single dual cannon isn't as much help, simply because of maneuvering issues. There is less of a benefit to keep a target within the 45' forward arc, but you still have to do it to get maximum damage output. So if you already have to maneuver to but your enemy in a 45' arc, then it would also benefit you to use more 45' arc weapons, because they have higher damage for similar power draw. I know it's a little "min-max"-y, but well... that's the trade-off.

Another area I'd look at is the second science slot. Tachyon Beam can be effective in STFs, but Photonic Officer 1 may not be as effective; you're only getting up to 24% off of your BOff cooldowns every two minutes, at it's best. In comparison, a dual Aux2Batt build can get up to 30% off every 10 secs. If you really want your cooldowns to be shortened, two copies of Auxiliary to Battery 1 with three technician duty officers is too ridiculously effective to use Photonic Officer.

So with that being said, I'd have to recommend swapping out your science officer in you universal ensign slot for an engineer with Engineering Team 1 and Aux2Batt 1. Or if Aux2Batt isn't your thing (it's not really mine either, I like to have heals), you might benefit from a Tactical officer with Tactical Team 1, for the instant shield re-balancing and damage buff, and Torpedo High Yield 2, to free up your Lt Commander Tactical slot for Beam: Overload 3 (only available from BOffs, check the exchange) or Beam: Fire At Will 3 (trainable by a Tac Captain with 6 skill in Starship Energy Weapons, which it looks like you have), which will increase the output of your beam weapons by a significant margin.

EDIT: This is the layout I'd use. I did not address the skill tree. DOffs: x3 Technician, x1 Energy Weapons Officer (either the beam weapons or Beam Overload Variants) and x1 Projectile Weapons Specialist (Torpedo Weapons Variant), though, the last two can be switched out for something else as they're not as important as the technicians.

http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=avengerbasicaux2batt_0

stoutes · February 2014

kiloace wrote: »

I plan on this build when I get an avenger ^_^

http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=harrison42145_0

Nice

. I use a a2b+dem beamboat avenger for pressure plus 1x DBB + BO2 for timed spikes. An Avenger is a nice boat to fly, although it looks... :rolleyes:

asphyxiaactual · February 2014

Thanks everyone,

I've respec'd my skills and I've switched to a forward cannon build for the moment.

Thanks to decker for the DOFF suggestions, I've not really changed them since I very first set them up, so I shall revisit them.

Thanks so much.

Asphyxia x

kimmym · February 2014

Sorry, I had a surprise early morning date so I was slapping make-up on and dressing when I wrote that up.

Universal Slot: Emergency Power to Shields 1, Emergency Power to Weapons 2
Commander Eng: Emergency Power to Shields 1, Emergency Power to Weapons 2, Directed Energy Modulation 2, Directed Energy Modulation 3 (Trainable by engineering captains with the correct skillset)
Lt. Sci: Hazzard Emitters 1, Transfer Shield Strength 2
Lt. Comm. Tac: Tactical team 1, Cannon Scatter Volley 1, Cannon Scatter Volley 2
Ensign Tac: Tactical Team 1

Reasoning: I don't have any high powered doffs, but I want to have double coverage on every important ability, and some heals to keep me up.

Forward path: Hit B'Tran colonial missions, farm up Technician doffs that reduce the cooldown on bridge officer abilities when you use Auxiliary Power to Batteries. When you get 2 or 3 of them:

Universal: Emergecny Power to Weapons 1, Auxilary power to Batteries 1
Com Eng: Emercency power to Shields 1, Auxilary Power to Batteries 1, Eject Warp Plasma 1, Directed Energy modulation 3
Sci: Hazzard Emitters 1, Transfer Shield Strength 2
Tac: Tactical Team 1, Attack Pattern Beta 1, Cannon Scatter Volley 2
Tac ensign: You get a choice! Either Torp Spread 1, Beam Overload 1, or a Target Sub system abilitiy, and add either a torpedo or a dual beam bank, as appropriate. I recomend torp spread with teh Dyson rep photon torpedo or a quantum (Omega torp, romulan torp... any torp you want really), but a Beam Overload with the doff that gives BO a thru-shield-damage debuff is certainly an option (I use that in PvP with BO3 and a different build entirely.... but I am assuming you want a PvE ship)

I haven't found any better consoles for DPS then stacking crit consoles (Borg console from Omega rep, Zero Point Energy Conduit from romulan rep, tachyokinetic converter and the bio-neural circutry from the lobi store) but embassy plasma consoles are nice in sci slots if you don't have all the crit consoles to fill your slots. Even if you don't use plasma weapons, they add a plasma proc to any weapon that isn't plasma already. I find with only 2 sci slots (1 if the C-store version... ouch...) I can't really stack enough of them to matter, which is why I recomend crit consoles, but beggars can't be choosers, they can easily replace the lobi consoles if you are so inclined.

V.A.T.A. is better then most people give her credit for (Yay for me, because she becomes my secret weapon) but I find her better for PvP then PvE. She certainly *CAN* be worthwhile, but most cases, PvE, you can do better with a plasmodic leach or an isometric charge.

Fleet Avenger Class - Help/suggestions

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