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Command Battlecruiser Weapon Layout
andykirkham
Member Posts: 18 Arc User
Would like some advice on T6 Presidio Tactical Command Battlecruiser weapons layout. Obviously the default weapons are:
DBB, DC, Torp, Beam (fore)
Beam x3, Torp (aft)
I run phaser type and photon type (for recharge torpedo time given command specialisation) and want to keep 1 torpedo for and aft.
Right now I'm running:
DBB, DHCx2, Torp (fore)
OmniBeam, Turret x2, Torp (aft)
What are your opinions of the best weapon layout? Do these ships want to focus on beams or cannons?
Any advice on associated command/tac powers to accompany them would be appreciated too
(edit) I also have the 4 set of consoles equipped with the pretty strong 4pc bonus affecting hull strength and slight turn rate.
DBB, DC, Torp, Beam (fore)
Beam x3, Torp (aft)
I run phaser type and photon type (for recharge torpedo time given command specialisation) and want to keep 1 torpedo for and aft.
Right now I'm running:
DBB, DHCx2, Torp (fore)
OmniBeam, Turret x2, Torp (aft)
What are your opinions of the best weapon layout? Do these ships want to focus on beams or cannons?
Any advice on associated command/tac powers to accompany them would be appreciated too
(edit) I also have the 4 set of consoles equipped with the pretty strong 4pc bonus affecting hull strength and slight turn rate.
Post edited by andykirkham on
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Comments
As Wirtdd said Cannon's aren't ideal on a slow turning cruiser, You should also stick to one weapon type (Beams or Cannons (Turrets are cannons)). Probably the easiest thing to do would be to go Omni's in the rear, and Beam Arrays in the front and then try your best to keep your nose on the target or at least your Nose and sides (broadsiding). I wouldn't suggest more then one Torpedo on your boat, but you can go with 1 on the front and rear if you really want to.
As a general rule, you should first decide between Beams or Cannons/Turrets. You get better use of your tactical skills if you don't mix/match them. Torpedo's obviously pair with either option, but I highly recommend you settle on either Beams or Cannons/Turrets.
On the Command Cruiser, I recommend going with Beam Arrays. The ship turns nicely for a Cruiser, but still not nearly agile enough to reliably keep enemies in a 45 degree firing arc. The ship is better suited to that 'broadside' style and you'll get optimal results going with standard Beam Arrays x3 and your 1 torp in both fore and aft. Keep enemies off to your flanks while torpedoes are on cool down, then turn to bring the torps to bear and then go back to broad siding.
Alternately, you can use Dual Beam Banks in the front with your Torp to keep that 'forward punch.' You would then use a mix of beam arrays and omni beams in the rear with your torp. Turrets are buffed by Cannon skills, so it's generally inadvisable to mix them with Beam Arrays.
You'll get better results committing to one type of weapon, mixing weapon types does not give good results.
Edit - ry0ku83 beat me to it.
Using DBBs, torps and omnibeams sounds much more managable on the cuiser though broadsiding with beams is still on of the best options for cruisers.
If you're packing a torp go for the delta rep neutronic torp. Currently it's kinda bugged and does way too much damage, spread gives it a noteable damage increase per torp instead of a decrease like all the others. But even once they eventually fix it, which didn't happen since october :rolleyes:, it'll still be among the best.
The same that it is in just about every single ship in STO:
The same type of 270 degree Beam Array in every single slot fore and aft. Most people generally also stick the Kinetic Cutting Beam on the rear along with some other Omni-Directional Beams (if they're using them for various reasons).
Boring? Yes. Best? Also yes.
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You can only have one CRAFTED omni beam. If you run the KCB, that's another. It's different, but still fires 360. If you stock up on antiproton weapons-type, you can also stick the Obelisk Ancient Omni (which is AP type damage).
In that way, you can get 3 total. Generally only works with AP, though, or else you're crossing damage types and not all benefit from your tac consoles.
Points in Starship Impulse Engines
Auxiliary To Dampeners, esp with the Matter-Antimatter Specialist DOFF
Emergency Power to Engines
Fed & KDF Cruisers tend to run with lots of Subsystem Power. Hyper-Impulse Engine types will increase the ship handling characteristics greatly since Engine Subsystems are fed with good power. Of note is the Counter Command Engines (Hyper-Impulse type) that has good handling and more importantly, improves Inertia (acceleration/deceleration, slide/"momentum").
Many consoles to improve turn rates: Tachyokinetic Converter, Fleet Dil Mine RCS Consoles, Fleet Dil Mine Armor Consoles with +Turn, and more. Also, the 2 piece Command Battlecruiser Console bonus improves turn rate by +30%.
Before all this stuff about Fleet RCS Consoles, DOFFed A2D, EPTE madness, the KDF had been using Negh'Var and Vor'Cha Retrofits (i.e. the freebie Lv40 ones) as DHC platforms in PVP for years. We did not have all the fancy means of improving turn rates as we do now. With all the tools to achieve good turn rates today, anything is possible.
I've seen people build, play, fight, and handle a D'Deridex like an Escort. You can do anything in the game and still make it perform. The question is how much do you know, how much are you willing to learn, and how much are you willing to try something different.
Or you can stay with old, obsolete trains of thought in the game and limit yourself without trying for anything grand.
Problem is that cannons kinda fall in that category too, whereas DHCs once were top DPS, now beams are the sustained DPS monsters. Sustained DPS is what's required for most PvE now. You can get decent sustained DPS out of cannons, but lower than what you can crank out of beams now.
Cannons are still cool, and I'll continue to use them in PvE so long as they are viable, but my chars going for high DPS are almost all running beams now.
I understand what you're saying and respect the desire to experiment and think 'outside the box.' In this case though, what you propose is to produce a build specifically designed to allow you to use the worst weapon type in the game.
If Cannons didn't lag so far behind DBB and even Single Beam Arrays, then I would agree with you totally and encourage people to try to make them work. As it stands now, the idea you propose would be a lot of work that if successful would result in you doing inferior damage to a much easier build.
This isn't the players fault, it's bad game design. Cannons need a serious buff, only then will you start to see more diversity.
Also, with so many beams, is it FAWIII APBI or FAWII APBII/APOI that I want for the build? And presumably the best torp ability is TSII in this case?
And about the turn rate... If u use ur skill points, console spots and BOFF abilities to make ur weakness lessss... weak, ur ship will perform tottally OK, u will do 100% OK, and yes, everything is possible blah blah blah. The question is: why, in the 7 freaking universes, would u want to do OK if u can do really good?
Agreed on the first part.
Personally, I do FAWIII and ATB1 but that's personal taste. Going FAWIII and ATB1 will increase your personal DPS, going with FAWII and ATB2 will increase team DPS. Either combination is effective, use whichever fits your build layout best.
My personal preference is all single beam arrays. The DBB's do more damage in a 1 to 1 comparison but the single beams are much easier to keep on target.
I would suggest doing what someone else said earlier. Buy some white single beams and DBB's for cheap off the exchange and play with each. There is no right or wrong answer here, it's whatever fits your play style best. What works best for me might not be the best setup for you. :cool:
There are several Omni beam's in the game that can be equipped together. Kinetic Cutting Beam from Omega Rep, Crafted Through the R&D system, and The Ancient Omni from a Episode Mission reward. So I'f you go antiproton you can have 3 omni's on the rear (though 1 will be kinetic damage.)