T
thunderfoot
Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
I have found with the Mogai, the longer they are in my frontal fire arc, the better. As I am closing on them at about 10.5 klicks, I began powering up my buffs. Right at 10.0 klicks I slow to one quarter impulse and then cross into the engagement envelope. I use Jam Sensors on them to ensure they are unaware of where the 1st Alpha Strike is coming from. After that it is a matter of keeping my for'ard weapons pointed at them and reloading the weapons and the buffs as quickly as possible. It has bitten me a few times when I guess wrong on the timing or the direction the Mogai turns next, but it does work well for a Vor' cha Refit like Qul' Taj.Mogaii are different, in that they are freakishly fast. The turn rate and speed boosts mean that the above strategy jhust doesn't work; you can't keep outside the 10km firing range in order to get some repairing done. But if you keep a mix of the above strategy and just plain close-in dogfighting, you'll eventually take them down. Their hulls are much weaker in proportion to their shields, so once the shields go pop, you've got them.
Qul' Taj has three Disruptor Dual Heavy Cannons and one Quantum torp for'ard and three Disruptor Turrets and one Quantum torp aft. So I am also a firm advocate of the all-or-nothing Alpha Stike, lol. The dual heavy cannons pay for their firepower with the most restrictive fire arc in the game. The torps aren't much better. The turrets are mostly so I have something to keep plinking away while I circle about to line up my next shot. Almost goes without saying one has to learn to be a good ship handler to get any effectiveness out of a weapon loadout like this. The payoff is one can put down a D'Deridex with three or four salvos. And the D'deridexii(?) are without question the deadliest of the computer controlled oponents I faced so far. I've stayed with 'theme' weapons because when I first started they were all I could afford. As time went on I got very comfortable with them and what they can and cannot accomplish. The newer stuff is intriguing but seems to have weaknesses against one particular type as well as being extra effective against one type. Theme weapons are generalists. They'll not ever get a single shot kill but they are effective against everything.Actually I go for a 2:2 mix on my foreward weaponry too. Two sets of Dual Tetryon Cannons (Mk XII) and two Quantum Torpedo Launchers (Mk XI). No beams, so it's an all-or-nothing Alpha Strike mix. But then, it's an Escort, so this type of thing can't happen on a Cruiser or Science Vessel... I suppose on them I would experiment with a 3:1 mix, but surely the turn rate in a Cruiser isn't so bad as to not let you get a target into the 90° fire arc?
My first STO ship purchase was an Escort. When I got her, I spent a lot of time figuring out which Engineering consoles and Impulse Engines allowed me the best turn rates. I applied all of this when kitting out Fire Blade. I expected to lose some maneuverability but I was surprised at how small the loss was. Granted, Cruisers cannot turn as well as Escorts at full speed. But who says I need to run wide open all the time? I am constantly adjusting my throttle during combat. I only use full to close to the target. I can also adjust my course to compensate for my speed being higher than the target. Sometimes, Fire Blade's track looks like she's being conned by a drunken monkey, lol. But I have few problems turning inside a group of fighters or other small craft. If you'd like, we can get together in game sometime and I can show you.