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Iconian Space Sets
hfmudd
Member Posts: 881 Arc User
Several of my characters are now hitting Iconian rep T5, and I'm finally taking a look at the (space) gear. The stats and bonuses look good (really good) on 'paper', but how is it in play? Are there some captains and builds it's better for than others?
Join Date: January 2011
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I will see what I can do
STOwiki's page on the set has 2 pics with the visuals on an Avenger (LINK).
Something that can synergize well with virtually any weapon set-up, something that I can play to its strengths without needing to overly modify my bridge power lay-out.
Something that can work for an escort, cruiser, and science vessel but does not necessarily need to be best-in-class.
At first I was looking at the Solanae set, but the Metaphasic shields negative damage output turned me off from it.
Then I was looking at the Delta Alliance set, but the trajector jump and lackluster set bonuses turned me off from that as well.
MACO seemed like a pretty good choice since I don't use Plasmonic Leech (no room), but the Heavy Graviton Beam was way too situational and since I tend to use Anchored/Point Blank Shot to just sit on top of an enemy and rain down, the firing arc is inconvenient in a cruiser. The lack of warp core (and thus a 4th set bonus) also kind of turned me off from it.
Dyson seemed good but I feel like it doesn't synergize well if you aren't using toys to augment the proton barrage performance, and the other set bonuses also seemed kind of lackluster.
(By now you're probably seeing just how picky I am).
I finally got around to picking up the Iconian Resistance Space Set, and I have to say I am generally pretty pleased with it, since it really does seem like I can use it for just about any type of ship or set-up, and does not seem particularly loaded for a particular enemy group (for instance it doesn't have an extra bonus to resisting antiproton damage).
The only complaints I have about it...
The hyper-impulse engine may not be the greatest performance until I fully upgrade it. I was using Mk XIV Elite Fleet Gear for a while before realizing I wanted some set bonuses (which they don't have), but the Combat Impulse Engines currently outperform the Mk XII Hyper-Impulse Engines. I will likely upgrade it to Mk XIV and compare more there.
The Radiant Subatomic Field Clicky is useful and it helps with alpha strikes, but my biggest complaint is the piercing sound it makes does not do my ears any favors. Likewise goes for ground (which for all intents and purposes has the same power).
The Debuff-cleanse on the shields (I think) is great, but if you're fighting Borg, I've found it tends to cleanse plasma fires before anything else (and only 1 stack at a time instead of all stacks of plasma fire at the same time). With a 10 second delay before it activates again, that means that Borg Shield Neutralizers are still a problem for me with the Iconian Resistance Set. I have to rely on keeping Hazard Emitters up or using the Warp Core Engineer doff that has a 40% chance to clean all debuffs on using an Emergency Power ability, or Boost Morale from the Command tree (which honestly seems hit-and-miss with the Borg Shield Neutralizer).
And the 'hot restart' on shield disables does not apply to the Borg shield neutralizer like I was hoping, since it just depletes your shields entirely without disabling them (when they're at 0 power). Would be nice if the Hot Restart worked on the Borg Shield Neutralizer, but it's not a deal-breaker.
Nice analysis. I think it's fair to say at this point that the Borg "you don't get to have any shields, ever, during this STF" beam is Working As Intended, and they're never going to introduce a truly effective counter to it.
The innate 20% all energy resists would make them best all around (assuming it actually is 20%, looking at some doubters upthread). The hot restart as well as the debuff cleanse are welcome and useful additions as well.
BUT, the relatively low cap isn't winning me over. It's the same as on the Solanae shield - base 5617 on a 0.9 shield mod escort. The MACO or Nukara have over 6k in comparison. The Delta Unimatrix and Counter-Command even over 7k hp. (The highest are KHG and Romulan/Reman shields at 7588 hp.)
Basically, it's the lowest cap on non regenerative rep shields (Assimilated and Dyson).
I'd have used a second piece of the set, but the two-piece set bonus (small shield heal on Distribute shields) on the Iconian set doesn't sound all that great either.
The three-piece set bonus (team bonus damage) might be interesting, but it'd mean I couldn't slot my good old trusted two piece Assimilated.
Seeing how I couldn't really make the set bonuses work anyway, I took a look at the Delta Alliance shield. It has a far more pleasurable cap, only 10% all energy resist but also another chance to get upto 15% shield hardness on taking damage. So theoretically superior to the Iconian 20% resists.
Also it's got this very curious note about having 50% shield drain resists, which, if working, could help against the Borg.
So I don't know, what would you advise?
Is the Iconian 3-piece as powerful to forsake the Assimilated heal? Are the Iconian shield bonuses actually useful in practice (going by Iconians post, not as much as one'd expect).
How is the Delta Allience Unimatrix shield's resistance and hardness proc working? Is the drain resist even noticeable?
Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider.
Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
Don't make ARC mandatory! Keep it optional only!
This alone makes resilient shields better than the others for longer combat situations. They also come with the second highest regen even supporting this approach. Only special effects or a nice set bonus should pull you away from resillients and the Ico shield is a resillient one.
For standard combat builds in 30k+ the Ico 3pc is pretty much the standard. In 50k+ even 4pc is seen very often.
I'd go three-set Iconian and replace the Assimilated heal with a space reputation trait. /the Iconian Tier 2 one is pretty nice if you've got a decent damage output.
Otherwise the reason I like higher shield capacity is simply that 1) my ROMs always use the Valdore heal console; 2) I often use RSP. And both basically heal as much as I let them with my cap.
Thanks for the insights, btw. Also, no experience with the Delta Shield?
Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider.
Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
Don't make ARC mandatory! Keep it optional only!
The Iconian 2-piece is actually more potent than you'd think in my experience. I dismissed it much like you did (picked up the first two pieces for their disable counters) but in practice the healing was actually quite noticeable. Of course it could be because I have points in Starship Shield Emitters.
Otoh the shield drain resist on the Delta Rep shields actually works. To a point. If you pull aggro of three or more probes that use Tachyon Beam on you at the same time you can kiss your shields goodbye, but with just one or two? You still have shields by the time they're done! Not much shield HP if it's two, but still that's a lot better than without.
I have 26 toons right now, 22 at level 52 or higher. I find at mkXIV Ultra rare, they seem to be a solid set for me, at least until I finish the special sets for each toon.
I find they work great also with either up close drain builds or Torp boats. T'varo has no worries with range on the destabilized torp.
I'll still grab the Iconian set myself for my Antiproton toons, and of course Romulan/reman sets for the Rom toons (aesthetics more than anything.)
So, if you want mad DPS, then go Iconian set.
The 3-piece damage buff also isn't as negligible as I would have expected.
On the other hand, the Iconian shield actually only has 10% energy damage resists instead of the advertised 20% (as suspected by some).
And the Delta Alliance Unimatrix shield does all it promises to do. Against the borg shield neutralizer, you can clearly see it does better than other shields (thanks to the 50% drain resist). And the shield hardness proc does also work and does increase the resists.
At this point I'd kinda want to use both...
Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider.
Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
Don't make ARC mandatory! Keep it optional only!
All Reputation cores get AMP at UR, not Epic. I actually think it's just all warp cores, period that get AMP at UR, since the fleet ones are UR straight from purchase.
K'Nor - IKS Ch'Tang, Mat'Ha Raptor T6: http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=ikschtang_8710
The fixed Epic mod for all warp cores is [W->S]. But [AMP] can be gotten as the ultra rare mod. Without being entirely sure, I think the Iconian warp core in particular does get [AMP] at ultra rare.
Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider.
Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
Don't make ARC mandatory! Keep it optional only!
All Reputation cores, so far anyway, do get [AMP] at UR. However, non-Reputation special cores (Obelisk core, Tal Shiar Adapted, etc.) do get other mods and it seems that the trade-able cores actively cannot get [AMP], as no cores with [AMP] have shown up on the Exchange.
The Iconian shield clears 1 debuff every 10 seconds, and comes with hot restart (the latter is less useful in PvE than it sounds, as having your shields drained is not the same as having them disabled). Anyhow, it's the shield of my choice now.
Well, good/bad news for you: another shield to consider maybe:
"A new unique Shield has been added to the Shields R&D School: Hyper-Capacitor Shield Array [Cap]x4." (tribble patch notes)
The f...? I knew I should try to actively watch Tribble patch notes again.
Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider.
Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
Don't make ARC mandatory! Keep it optional only!
IKR but... if only the Tribble section wouldnt be hidden and required log-in to see it
Anyway, that new shield, or the iconian shield, wont make me replace my epic Dyson shield, at least on fed toons.