[CallMeTheRev]

Hey everyone, I'm looking for help with a new build. Like many others, I started a new DR toon, this time I went with a Fed Tactical character. I've never really been a tac player, my main is an engineer. So I am looking for advice on a ship and build to go with it.

If you could build the perfect build, what would it be? I'm possibly leaning towards the new pilot escort ships. Right now she's at level 57 and will hopefully be at 60 soon. Thanks for the help and suggestions.

[Dark]

Personally, I would never put a Tac in most escorts, it's too squishy for me.

I'd prefer the Tac Com Battlecruiser if I was staying in a Starfleet vessel. It has enough Tac seats for the TT cycle, 2xAttack 2xAtk Patterns loadout, along with plenty of Eng seats for survivability.

If I really must choose an escort, I'd go for the Xindi-Insectoid Olaen Heavy Escort Carrier. Beautiful ship, good stats and seating.

[Wesstan]

- I always have the most fun with a classic single target defiant build. It may not do as much overall damage as a cruiser but its the most fun way to fly. Plus it produces some outstanding spike damage against single targets.

- Another very cool and highly efficient build that i enjoy alot is a DBB Fleet Patrol Escot build. Those melt through clustered groups (especially with that super weapon console).

- If youre looking for something more unique i can also recommend the fleet aquarius. Well equipped and build it can be one of the best (if not THE) and nearly un-killable speedtanks in the game even outturning JHASs and Bops. I run mine as a Transphasic torpedo/mine bomber that clusters groups of enemies with gravwell1.

- A good and tanky escort might be the blockade runner (which unfortunately can only be purchased via steam). it makes a great FAW beamescort.

- Last but not least: The Phantom escort. Use its Override subsystems and Sugical strikes with DBBs and you have the equivalent to a sniper in space (the integrated cloaking device plays into that too). A very deadly ship - not to mention that it has a phaser lance that can crit at about 200k dps and more every 2 mins...

If you want to go for cruisers the command battle cruisers are your path to choose. A bit ugly but to me hey are the best fed cruisers available.

[Dark]

- Another very cool and highly efficient build that i enjoy alot is a DBB Fleet Patrol Escot build. Those melt through clustered groups (especially with that super weapon console).

I'd note that the FPER is currently top of the DPS records. Although aside from that expert pilot, it's practically all Scimitars afterwards.

[Lycos]

I'd prefer the Tac Com Battlecruiser if I was staying in a Starfleet vessel. It has enough Tac seats for the TT cycle, 2xAttack 2xAtk Patterns loadout, along with plenty of Eng seats for survivability.

Hey Dark, I recently purchased that during the last sale and I run a Tac officer, do you mind giving me a run down of what you run or would run on yours?

[CallMeTheRev]

thanks everyone, you've given me some food for thought.... now decisions...

[Kerry Malone]

Just to add my two cents in here, because... reasons...

As the game mechanics stand right now, beam boats are far superior in total DPS output than cannon boats. The main reason for this is the damage fall-off stat, where if you shoot from extreme range (~9k) cannons do almost 75% less damage than the comparable beam. Cannons only really work at PBR (~4k) and by then, you're probably already dead because of squishiness.

Best advice I can give you if you're playing a TAC and its your first time in a TAC is to use escorts to level to 50, then get yourself a big ass cruiser. The TAC Command Cruiser is certainly one of the better ones for both seating and console layouts, however the Assault Cruiser (Fleet Assault Cruiser too) are good alternatives. Stack them with Beam Arrays all round, put in the Borg Cutting Beam as well to give you kinetic, and you're laughing.

An alternative to that would be to use an Escort with DBBs up front rather than cannons, if you really like the fast nippy boats. You can make a beam boat from a escort, but if you do - hide from basically everyone. Best thing to do with a 'scort with DBBs is to put 3/4 up front, put a torp up front (suggested for dmg) and have either turrets (preferred) or omni beams/cutting beam aft. Use FAW or BO, and TS3, and you're laughing.

I don't have a build that stacks massive DPS, but my current TAC toon with TAC Command Cruiser is putting out a very decent 24k DPS. I could do more, but I can't be bothered with trying.

[Dark]

Hey Dark, I recently purchased that during the last sale and I run a Tac officer, do you mind giving me a run down of what you run or would run on yours?

I just ran it as a boring Drake beamboat. With 2 purple Conn DOffs, 3x DCEs, 1 Zemok, 1 Marion:

LCdr Tac: TT1/APB1/APO1
Lt Uni: FAW1/FAW2
Lt Eng: EPtS1/DEM1
Cdr cEng: OE1/DEM1/EPtW3/AtSIF3
Lt cSci: HE1/ST2

Alternating between FAW2/APO1/DEM1 and FAW1/APB1 every ~20s, obviously.
HE1 and AtSIF3 as hull heals, ST2 and OE1 as shield heals.

If no Zemok, then:

LCdr Tac: TT1/APB1/FAW3
Lt Uni: FAW1/APB1

If no Marion:

Lt Eng: EPtS1/RSP1
Cdr cEng: ET1/OE2/EPtW3/AtSIF3

I don't have the Presidio, I actually have the Vastam, and that first layout parsed ~30k on my Engineer (iirc).

[CallMeTheRev]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I decided to go with the Command Battlecruisers....

How does this look for a starting build?

http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=revtac_0

[Kerry Malone]

Pretty nice. Counter Command set is pretty narley.

[CallMeTheRev]

Thanks I'm hoping to start building it on Friday, then finish within a week, just gotta grind the marks.

[Dark]

I'd recommend against the CC set in its entirety, as a non-Resilient shield would mean you'd take double the hull damage compared to a Resilient shield, if you can keep your shields up.

With Leech, you shouldn't have much trouble getting all subsystem power levels above 75. I'd recommend getting a Fleet core with [AMP] (and [W->A] to power AtSIF, HE, the Nukara traits, etc.), it's not as expensive as you'd think. I think like only 10k or 8k Fleet Credits?

I'd drop a Neutronium in favor of a 3rd Flow Cap, personally. AtSIF3 is already going to be giving a big chunk of damage resistance 2/3rds of the time.

Remember that without the Marion DOff, DEM isn't that great. 2xDEM1 literally parses only ~1k DPS for me the last time I checked. RSP1 and ET2 is likely to be more helpful without Marion.

Even without Conn DOffs I'd recommend:

LCdr Tac: TT1/APB1/FAW3
Lt Uni: FAW1/APB1

It would just mean Tac Team has to be manually activated when you're under fire and a shield facing starts dropping. Generally your shields won't fall that fast that you don't have time to tap TT.

Having double APB and the fact that you're a Tac with APA means you're likely to get good use out of the Romulan Engines' boost to the Attack Patterns skill. That said though, the new Iconian set is worth taking a look at.