The Defiant also gets a hugely-overrated rep for being a "utilitarian" design when there are a lot of silly choices taken with it (oh, your heavily-armed cannons are strapped to the front of your warp nacelles? I know what I'm aiming at!)

There was some beautiful concept art for the Defiant that still kept the compact vertical profile, but they seemed to go with the one that looks like a part missing from a He-Man toy. Shame.

sounds like a cadillac and thats what i like about her, she does look like one and i love cadillac

I could actually be caught flying that if it existed

The Excelsior is a good ship for the Federation over the years. Been in use for over 100 years as well. I used it for my lower tier ship instead of the 4 nacelles ships they offered. And now I'm at end level. I been looking at my options for a big ship purchase. The Excelsior is one choices I'm looking at. Other than the Galaxy R, Galaxy Dreadnaught, or Odyssey. If they hurry and come out the the Ambassador. Then I would be more than happy to buy that one.

So far looks like the Excelsior, Odyssey, or Galaxy Dreadnaught is my choices.

Of your three choices, the Excelsior is probably the most forgiving hull. Unless you go saucer sep on the "R" (and give up hull and crew), you're not finding a better turning Fed' cruiser that has decent damage potential.

Tempted to pop my tac toon in one - the only other cruiser I own is the Galaxy-X, and whilst I love that ship I do fancy trying something a little different.

Saying that, I'll probably get the Vesta too (for my tac) - my sci officer is staying in the Wells class I won - I LOVE that ship and can't bring myself to swap out of it.

I highly recommend the Excelsior, but I would also recommend trying the Regent as well. The 180' Q' Torp has opened the door to several new setups for my Excelsior and other ships. It works really well on the rear of my new Chimera.

Thanks for the advice - well taken!

Purchased the Excelsior (T5) and, after 'kitting it out', took it for a spin in Fleet Alert, then ISE, and almost immediately wished I'd brought it sooner! Fantastic ship!

I already have the Regent, though have admittedly only used it on my Sci-toon* - may try my tac toon in it too, though I intend to enjoy using the Excelsior for a little while first.

And then there is the upcoming Vesta class.......


* Though I won, and began using, a Wells class on the day that the Temporal lock-boxes were released and don't intend to use anything else for my sci for the forseeable future.

You can get a build in a excel that will PVE just fine. I can run the 20 man and not too much worry about everything spamming FaW1.

However, in PVP against the bug, it just doesn't stand a chance. There has just been way too many DPS adds, via their Store, and way too many NERFs to tanking/healing to stand up against all the added DPS/P2W 10 console escorts/and consoles.

Just spent millions on a excel trading my ACCX1 APs to Pol Mk 12 ACCX3 (6) beams, crowd control mini build with healing/DPS/tanking as primary. Could last a bit but the end, the result is always the same.

I guess I give up. I just do not want to run around in a P2W escort (doesn't feel all that "star treky" to me) even tho I have 1 or 2 on other alts. There really isn't a build to stay up with the P2W escorts now with all the NERFs (and more coming to healing/tanking).

Cryptic, if you ever decide to do anything for (and not to) Crusiers again, send me a email. Other than that, I'm looking for a new game to spend my time and money in.

What is/was your BOff build, if you don't mind me asking?