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Pathfinder T6 set vs Aventine Multi-mission set
jhpalyer0
Member Posts: 7 Arc User
Hi guys, i'm building my first SCI captain and looking at what ships to get her at endgame. For me it seemed like a toss between the Pathfinder or the Aventine multi-mission recon explorer.
I'd like to know what you guys think is the better buy? I'm talking with the full consoles sets as well
I'd like to know what you guys think is the better buy? I'm talking with the full consoles sets as well
Post edited by jhpalyer0 on
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They're both great ships and can be easily see eye to eye.
I'd still prefer the Aventine since it's console set is pretty good, it has a real hangar unlike the aero shuttle console and it has the most unique weapons in the game: auxiliary powered DHCs.
However i do own the Pathfinder and Scryer and both are fantastic sci ships. But again as Dave mentioned its all about what type of build you are going for. I built a pretty reliable exotic damage build on both of these ships, and now with the fleet versions coming out it just makes them that much better. I went Crowd Control with my builds if that's something your looking for.
I still believe the Vesta is perfectly viable post DR and its flexibility is its strength. The LtC universal seat plus the hangar lets you do a lot of things. Though IIRC hangar pets did get nerfed a fair bit post DR -- I at least noticed when using my Rom command cruiser that the scorpions were really fragile.
As for the Pathfinder I personally like it, a lot. I didn't use it much on my main, but I am using it on my Delta recruit. I do find the aeroshuttle to be pretty useful -- just wish that the console based pets were easier to manage. But it packs some decent firepower, pops some sci abilities and has decent durability. Plus you get access to the low level intel abilities. Don't let the 2 tac consoles scare you away either. On my Scryer (also 2 tac consoles) I don't run any tac consoles at all. In STFs that get parsed I am always pleasantly surprised how well it does, especially when compared to other ships in the match that should be doing at least as well I am doing.
My vote is for the Dauntless since it's the most OP sci ship ever.
A tac oriented Pathfinder can be very deadly with particle gens and the bio-molecular weapons or using the Protonic Arsenal set with the Grav torps.
A tac oriented Vesta (the tac version) can dish out damage using Plasma, Bio-Moleculars, or AP weapons quite nicely on beams or cannons.
It just depends on what you want to do.
Would love to hear from anyone that gets > 20kdps without the Aux cannons.
My build is in my sig
I'm a firm believer that ships will do fine without most or any of the set.
As for the Pathfinder or Vesta consoles, the Pathfinder's set is horrible. Both are full of too many gimmicks but between the 2 sets of gimmicks, the Pathfinder's is far, far worse. The Pathfinder's has a certain love affair with Photonic Shockwave. But Photonic Shockwave's effectiveness is heavily negated by shields. Only place where the Pathfinder's gimmicks will really be at max effectiveness is Crystalline Entity where the main target and what it launches have zero shields. Everything else, the main threats have shields or a mix of NPCs with shields.
I have particle gen and graviton gen points so they really help the torp, GW, and TR so that's why I don't just run all beams. Plus the increate in crit chance and crit severity in the Protonic Arsenal set is another good reason for the torp.
My DOFFs setup helps keep power over 100 on weapons as I cycle some sort of emergency power to x along with the rechargeable shield battery.
Plus the engineering captain abilities also help with the power levels. I'm actually surprised at how much power I can run.
If you intend to emphasize the Exotic Damage aspect of your build, Particle Generator Skill enhancement should be your #1 priority to improve. That is the skill that determines the damage your Exotic Damage attacks do. Gravity Well, TBR, PSW, etc. Have some points in Graviton Generator Skill, sure, do that but only for Grav Well. You don't really want that for TBR and PSW (except for a TBR build for "push away" kind of CC). But if it comes to devoting build space on an Exotic Damage build:
Particle Generator Skill >>>>> Graviton Generator Skill
Getting R&D Lv15 Science will also grant you the ever powerful "Particle Manipulator" trait. That is a crucial trait for Exotic Dmg builds. It takes your total Particle Generator Skill, takes 25% of it as your Crit Chance with Exotic Dmg attacks.
Good Aux Power feeding your GW should be strong enough for the pull. If you somehow have the Psychological Warfare Trait, it's even easier.
I'm putting my build in STOacademy and will put the link here when I finish.
Thanks all for your comments.
http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/index.php?build=tetryonvesta_10011
Ok here is my suggestions. You are running deflector doffs to reduce the cooldown of your Gravity Well, but you are running two copies. What happens when the cooldown officers proc, you always use the better skill again? Drop the Gravity Well one, it is a waste of a Lt Commander boff spot. I would suggest putting Tachyon Beam Three in. The cooldown of TB3 is 20 seconds so 4 times a minute, three for each TB and one for GW to proc the c/d. This gives you a better chance to proc and an additional skill to use.
Next you are over stacking damage resistance. The amount of consoles and point is skills you are getting a negative return on investment. I personally would loose all but three point in the skills of Starship Hull Platting and Starship Armour Reinforcement. I would also loose two of the Enhance Neutronium Alloys Consoles. Move two of you universal consoles up their and start stacking particle gen consoles from the Fleet Embassy. Another suggestion would go two the Nukara Space set, 2pc gives you 2.5% weapons damage (energy), and 3pc gives you the unstable tetryon lattice which is boosted by your tetryon weapons consoles. I would try anther elite warp core, The Spire plasma warp cores reduce weapons drain, and also have AMP. Keep the W>A and try to get it to go epic for a free W>S bonus.
A question would be are you using tetryon because they are cheap or for the shield drain, If it is for the shield drain might want to not get particle gen consoles you might want to go get flow consoles. Your weapons choice is odd to me, i would go all dual beams up from, with as much critD as possible and mines/torps in the rear. This will force your Beam Over Load to use those hard hitting dual beam banks or change up and go with FAW, which everyone uses and has no originality. I like the BO option but i this it is worth having BO3 instead of APB2. If you decide to go with FAW remove the nukara console, the acc bonus will not effect FAW. But if you keep it pick up the mines and get the 8.4% tetryon bonus from it. The three peice set will give your FAW and BO this buff, Upgrades hyper Dual Beam Bank's special firing modes. Fire at Will and Beam Overload will both hit additional targets.
I would swap you 2nd deflector out because you don't have that many heals, you would get more bonus out of one of the other two, in my opinion.
To piggy back off your BO i would swap to elite obelisk swarmers for the BO3. Another option is swapping out your locators for exploiters since BO always crits.
Some of this stuff is expensive but for a unique built I think it is worth it. Some other might have better ideas than what i am suggesting. I also changed your skill tree to make you more rounded. Some of those areas are not worth nine points in any skill.
If you don't have it get the space trait from the science school of crafting.
I also swapped your ground gear, the omega gear(Shield) give you 29.1% chance to dodge if you crouch that is 50% and the gambling device is anther 10% if you get your Omega shield to mark 14 it is near 39% chance. This give you 100% dodge. this allows you to tank on the groud and throw more of your heals to team mates. The only thing i would change out is the omega carbine for a compression tetryon pistol. It hits hard and and with the high rate of fire you can proc the shield drain often. If you use it before using the secondary tric scan your target to expose and fire. Compression pistols secondary is know to hit between 18-3000 on a good expose if buffed and critted. The TR-116b will prevent you from having to remod in ground stfs and goes straight through shields, useful against the Elachi.
Here is my final build looks:
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=vestabo3_0
another option is tractor beam mines instead of the transphasic mine cluster.
Vesta all the way. The consoles themselves provide a "phaser lance", Kinetic reflection field (aka "return borg one shot torpedo to sender") and massive AoE heal - set bonuses being slipstream changes that are now useful with the hyper-map sizes with two and an "oh crud" shield at all three. Pathfinder set has an "integrated" "oh crud" mode (ablative armor) that allows torp firing (Vesta is all weapons offline while up), Photonic Shockwave Torpedoes, and the Aeroshuttle - the Two piece isn't that bad, but the 3 piece only gives the aeroshuttle the photonic shockwave torps...
As far as ships go? As many point out here, the Vesta's LtCmdr Uni means it can go tactical and take advantage of tactical buffs in arguably the best sci-scort of the game...
Personally, since I prefer to go a bit more - sci heavy (aka Cmdr and LtCmdr sciences), I wind up using the Vesta's Ensign Uni to go tactical and fly her with essentially the Luna's BOff seating. Still a solid ship, where DPS is still solid but you have to be "on your game" much better and have particle manipulator (the Sci Crafting L15 trait) to boost those exotic damages...
Either way, unless you're a cannon master, and/or playing a science heavy build, the Aux Cannons are a bit "gimmicky" and as many have posted, many "normal" Science type weapon loadouts work on her...
Pathfinder, however, has the 13th "innate" BOff power - on a Lt Universal - to go with the Cmdr / LtCmdr scis, so this bird can run say BFaW, Spread, TT & APB, while still letting me have a wad of science powers. Fleet Version available in the T5 shipyards "returns" to you the console space lost in the T5U vs T6 "battle", making it a touch easier to slot the 3 piece and the unis for your sets. Mastery 5 trait of "ablative whatever" gives every shield heal you run an extra 1500 temp hitpoints, which has saved my bacon quite a few times - especially when I can cycle my shield heals (pop heal, get bonus HP, pop HE & ET, by time temp HP depleted pop a second heal for more HP, etc. then watch the ET cooldown be off by the time the third shield heal is over...)
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
-Lord Commander Solar Macharius
Thanks a million for taking the time to look at my build, certainly lots of good ideas, it will take a long time to implement, as always money is the limiting factor.
Hey any time. I enjoyed putting it together. Like I said if you want a high powered DPS run might want to change to FAW, but I liked the build you aiming towards and this is what I saw. Other might have more input, but this is mine and I have am going to put a pave build together like this just to have fun in patrols. Either way it is what makes you happy and keeps you playing. By all means change something if you want or need to.
Nice upgrade. Though I've always been hesitant to use DBB's on the Vesta due to me not turning fast enough for my taste. What's the targeted turn rate for this build?