At least for PvE. I picked up the Exeter class and I'm currently playing with it on my VA, decked out with top end gear and I'm running missions that scale to my level on advanced difficulty. Its not easy, but it sure is fun. I just fought a Dom battleship and the fight must have taken 10 minutes, but it was intense

Anybody else doing something like this?

I love collecting Federation starships and fly a different one every day, be it a T5 or an Oberth. I find any ship with at least 4 weapon slots is just fine for missions.

I started a new Eng Fed character not long after season five launched and only dabbled until this past week. Got him the Exeter and I plan on keeping it until VA and do the same as TNG. Will have to consider what to use for PvP though...

I'd recommend the Excel. Its a cruiser like the Exeter and also has that retro look.

Congrats oh great lobed one...

Thanks. She's a bad mamajama =P

The Aegis set was a nice touch

According to Dan Stahl, if you team with another VA and set them as Squad Leader, the ship's core stats will scale up to Tier 5. Granted, you'll still have fewer BO powers, but I bet you can cut those 10 minute battles in half.

If you wanted a TOS inspired fleet, the way to do it would be to have designated squad leaders in T5 Excelsiors who take fleets of Connies out to fight using the squad system, the ideal being the Exeter since it has the best base stats to boost. (In fact... I suspect +1/x.5 ships when boosted with the squad system might outpace actual T5 ships since the squad system is already supposed to give the basic ships a fighting chance. I'd be VERY curious but I have an inkling that, for example, the Sao Paulo might outpace a T5 Defiant in terms of base abilities when teamed up for squad play.)

Eh, I dont mind a long battle once in a while as long as its actually exciting, and I definitely have to stay on my toes the whole time to stay alive. Anyway, this is the outfit I've got my crew running around in. Feelin pretty snazzy

I saw someone in kerrat last night in a t3 cruiser with a nice setup. Was surprisingly hard to kill.