Why are turrets recommended for certain ships?

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I've read several different build threads about escorts and cruisers. A lot of them recommend turrets for the rear. I decided to attach a couple turrets 90 damage and above to my Galaxy Dreadnought and Prometheus escort. I did make sure they were the same type as my beam arrays/banks/cannons. I wasn't impressed by their performance compared to beam arrays. I normally run two beam arrays and a torpedo in the rear, three on the dreadnought. The only benefit I can see them provide is that they act as extra forward facing weapons.

[Archived Post]

I've read several different build threads about escorts and cruisers. A lot of them recommend turrets for the rear. I decided to attach a couple turrets 90 damage and above to my Galaxy Dreadnought and Prometheus escort. I did make sure they were the same type as my beam arrays/banks/cannons. I wasn't impressed by their performance compared to beam arrays. I normally run two beam arrays and a torpedo in the rear, three on the dreadnought. The only benefit I can see them provide is that they act as extra forward facing weapons.

I've never seen a cruiser build with cannons/turrets (doesn't mean there's not one - I'm just not a cruiser man).

But for escorts, a cannon/turret build is generally considered to be the most effective, because you always want to keep your nose pointed at the target. Broadside turns are for the cruiser boys - escorts keep the front forward and all weapons firing.

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The only benefit I can see them provide is that they act as extra forward facing weapons.

If you're in an escort and are trying to keep your dual cannons on your target as much as possible, you want as much forward firepower as you can get. Turrets let you use your aft slots for forward firepower.

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Turrets are pretty much just for Escorts, they provide an a little more DPS than having nothing in there.

While I did tell my brother to put a turret on his cruiser, this was when he had 2 fore and 2 aft. So I thought a forward Torp, 2 beam arrays and a turret would work for him (and it did). But if your in a Dreadnought your Level 50 so Turrets are no use in a cruiser.

The Exception to this is Klingon Cruisers can run DHCs and have the turn to use it so an Escort config may work for them.

There is also a Sci ship mode of thinking that says 2 or 3 DBB's front and 1 Beam array and 2 Turrets rear. You have Beams at 360 for innate system targeting and the majority of your firepower forward.

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I put a couple of turrets on the back of my Exploration Cruiser, because that thing turned so ridiculously slowly that having a couple of weapons with a 360 degree firing arc was very tempting!

[Archived Post]

I've read several different build threads about escorts and cruisers. A lot of them recommend turrets for the rear. I decided to attach a couple turrets 90 damage and above to my Galaxy Dreadnought and Prometheus escort. I did make sure they were the same type as my beam arrays/banks/cannons. I wasn't impressed by their performance compared to beam arrays. I normally run two beam arrays and a torpedo in the rear, three on the dreadnought. The only benefit I can see them provide is that they act as extra forward facing weapons.

Turrets are recommended for the rear on escorts because a lot of times the ship uses cannon boosting BOFF powers in that type of setup. And so forward facing you have your dual heavies PLUS your turrets all firing on a target. Then while you turn you have your turrets maintaining some firepower on the target. It helps that none of the other cannons can be placed in the aft slots.

Turrets on a cruiser are a novelty. They can be tweaked to do ok. But it's really just a novelty.

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Never tried turrets on a cruiser, but I've done pretty well with turrets on a carrier. Giving all your weapons a 360 degree arc works pretty well if a brick could run circles around your ship.

Plus it makes me feel like I'm cruising around in the Galactica. :D

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And it's just awesome swooping in for your attack run and seeing all your guns going off obliterating all that are in it's line of fire.

It's like watching old WW2 dogfights....IN SPACE!!!!!

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I've used them on all three classes of ships and even on my Galor... The idea is pretty much the same as escorts.. trying to get as much Forward DPS as possible...

The STFs in their current state scream forward arc DPS and I've adjusted all my ships as such

FED
Escorts = Fore: DHCx3 Torpx1 | Aft: Turretsx2 Torpx1
Cruisers = Fore: DBBx3 Torpx1 | Aft: Turretsx2 Arrayx1 Torpx1
Science = Fore: DBBx2 Torpx1 | Aft: Turretsx2 Torpx1 (Considering trying TorpBoats w/ High Aux)


KDF (I only fly the Carriers atm)
Kar'fi = Fore: DBBx1 Array x1 DHC x1 Torp x1 | Aft: Array x1 Turret x1 Torp x1
Marauder = Fore: DBBx3 Torpx1 | Aft: Turretsx2 Arrayx1 Torpx1

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Both Cannon Rapid fire and Cannon Scatter fire boff abilities also effect turrets (not sure why since a turret isnt really a cannon but...) and those two abilities can turn 3 weak turrets into a wall of fire to go alongside ya DHC's

[Archived Post]

Both Cannon Rapid fire and Cannon Scatter fire boff abilities also effect turrets (not sure why since a turret isnt really a cannon but...) and those two abilities can turn 3 weak turrets into a wall of fire to go alongside ya DHC's

All turrets are cannons, but not all cannons are turrets. They're classified as cannons because they don't fire beams, but 'pulses', like other cannons do. My supposition is so that there are no 360 degree beams other than shuttle beams.

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The only Fed Cruiser that can really benefit from a canon/turret build is the Excelsior. I have 3 single canons fore, 1 quantum, and 4 turrets aft. Works really well as a fat escort.

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Both Cannon Rapid fire and Cannon Scatter fire boff abilities also effect turrets (not sure why since a turret isnt really a cannon but...) and those two abilities can turn 3 weak turrets into a wall of fire to go alongside ya DHC's

I Think because turret and cannon type weapons fire small bolts of energy instead of a big long continious beam thats why rapid fire and scatter volley affect it.
As for using turrets in ship builds. Personaly i fly an escort , and a crusier (4 chars 2-2 klingon fed crusier/escort) and on my escorts i do love having turret for reasons already posted (more foward DPS). I tried it on crusier(klingon one too) with dual cannons, normal cannons, etc, it just wasnt fitting in the crusier role for me. Personaly i find the most STF/PVE orianted build for crusiers is Front: 2 dual beam, 1 torp, 1 beam Aft: 2-3 Beam 1 torp 1 mine(alternatie if u use less beam or switching it between the torp) This build on a crusier helps me to put out decent foward DPS for stationary stuff while i still got enough boardside DPS to keep most of the stuff agroed on me and flying araound the target while always boardsiding is better if you are trying to "tank" due to the defense boost from movement.

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The only Fed Cruiser that can really benefit from a canon/turret build is the Excelsior. I have 3 single canons fore, 1 quantum, and 4 turrets aft. Works really well as a fat escort.

It's my favourite build actually. "Battlestar" flak spam ftw. Oh, and I can tank while sending out multiple heals and extending shields to everyone. While sitting on top of borg cubes cutting them to pieces with CRF or CSV. Useful.

Only difference is I have 4 cannons up front and the torpedo at the back as a secondary weapon. Torp only used for demolition purposes.

Thing is I haven't bought any of the c-store ships & probably never will so I'm using a starcruiser + aegis set for the cannon build. On hindsight an assault cruiser would be a better platform for this... assault cruiser loadout, which pretty much sits 3km from targets to spam cannons and team heals.

Excelsior as aforementioned obviously the better choice for the Lt. Cdr tac slot. I have debated using the Nebula as a combined torpedo/gunboat for its universal lt. slot but thankfully someone pointed out it has only 6 weapon slots and is stuck between cruiser and science vessel specs.

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If you're in an escort and are trying to keep your dual cannons on your target as much as possible, you want as much forward firepower as you can get. Turrets let you use your aft slots for forward firepower.

On top of that, when you DO pull out to run another pass, you're STILL dealing damage making the enemy expend energy to rebuild their shields, more energy than they would if you just had launchers at rear.

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The only Fed Cruiser that can really benefit from a canon/turret build is the Excelsior. I have 3 single canons fore, 1 quantum, and 4 turrets aft. Works really well as a fat escort.

Exactly, plus it can give heals to the rest of the group its with when they cant (like escorts). One of the nicknames I have for the Excel' is "Excel'-scort" or "Ex'-scort".

My newest itteration uses four forward cannons, two rear turrets and two BA's.

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Forward firing cruisers and cannon cruisers can work in certain scenarios. For example, I have a bortasqu that I equip with cannons/turrets for elite STFs -- since many targets don't move, and those that do have fairly predictable paths, it works out.

Such a layout would be terrible in other environments (like pvp, or against swarms of fighters).

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On my dreadnaught I use a dbb and 3 dhc on the front and 4 turrents on the back. this is more of an stf build where the turn rate does not matter as much.

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I intended my using a tetryon cannon star cruiser to be a experimental joke in STF play but she's turning out to be quite robust and useful as a support ship.

The trick is to use a lot of Technician doffs to reduce recharge time on that single CSV1 or CRF1 skill to a point where I can almost spam it continuously. All the extra engineering teams, hazard emitters, TSS and ES3 goes to allied ships benefits continuously.

I'm just maneuverable enough that I can unmask rear torpedoes while cannon skill is recharging then swing back to the front 180 deg arc for another cannon salvo.

I may switch the tetryon cannons out to antiproton or something with better damage or criticals because shields are not the problem in STF. Burst damage is adequate right now for an "AA cruiser" supporting task but I want stopping power for when I'm in the assault role.

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Other than an Oddy there's no reason a Cruiser running cannons and turrets can't work fairly well in STF's. It's all about forward facing DPS, and most your targets are going to be either still or travelling along well defined paths. Combined with high level DEM, and EPTW and you can do fairly well. I'm sure an Oddy could do it too, but where will I get my skittles then :p?