Mines, how effective?
 

Cruising around in my ShiKahr and looking for new weapon combos. So I picked up the Level 2 photon mine launcher and slapped both phaser arrays in the front. Removing my photons entirely. So far works pretty effectively.

Long term I want to run in a fleet support role and I was wondering how effective anyone thought multiple mine launchers might be? Would dumping a phaser array to put on a second mine launcher be effective? Any thoughts?

At least while we languish waiting for the servers?

Mines are excellent and hitting cloaked ships that wander in your rear - or, if you put a large minefield, in damaging enemy vessels that stray too close to a large minefield. However, in PvE I go for turrets with 360 degree fire arcs. (editors note... turrets have 360 arcs and not 260... whoops)/

Well, the phaser arrays do have 250 degrees of fire, which is pretty good. Are turrets worth the extra 20 degrees of firing arc?

In PVE if you do not move around a lot and let the enemy come to you.. the mines are 360 degrees.

Turrets have 360 degrees, beam arrays have 250. Turrets do drop on DPS a lot though (about 60% of a similar beam array), so it's a trade off. Better firing arcs, but a lot less damage.

In PvE, I get to range 10 km and start up with my green dual heavy disruptor cannons (a very small and limited firing arc) and my Disruptor turrets. The reason I use the turrets, is cause the dual heavy disruptors do not have the capabilities of firing to the side, so broadside attacks are impossible.

Normally in PvE, I can down a shield with the above tactic if I fire a photon in the intial barrage and then when it recycles I use high yeild torp BO ability and keep firing my disruptors and WHAM... the target is either cripped or dead.

By that time, they rarely get to range 5km. So mines would be a bit useless for my style.

Yeah, I love using mines. They do work very well at finding cloaked ships and provide a defense to your back if you stay close enough to them.

SORRY MY BAD... I did not even realize what I typed... Turrets have 360 degree arcs. not 260.

If a cloaked ship runs into mines the captain is either stupid or he has allready dekloaked and startet his attack. I'm not sure if there are enough morons around that fly cloaked into mines, but after dekloaking the shields are up and the mines do no real damage. The only thing mines are good for is messing with the tab-targeting.

I find mines to be very useful as an aft torpedo alternative. There's all sorts of fun ways to sucker the enemy into flying into them, and they are priceless when dealing with enemies who shoot those heavy plasma torpedoes.