This is important for my Vesta build plan, it all depends on the if the 360 degree Cutting beam can use target sub-systems.

Thinking of running,
Fore: Aux Dual Cannon, Quad or Dual Heavy Cannons and Quantum or Temporal Disruptor Device

Aft: Kinetic Cutting Beam and 2x Turrets

Along with either an RCS or a Tachyon Converter to give it best turn for the cannons. Still working out which variation would work best fore me.

Given it's rep requierments no one's going to have acess till at least a couple of weeks after release. I don't think the rep system has been on tribble long enough, (or the STF's well played enough), for anyone to say.

I am 179 ogega marks from getting mine + progress timer. So I'll tell you probably late tonight or tomorrow morning. whenever I can get 3 more elite stfs in.

I got it in the middle of last week. And no you cant use it to target subsytems, or overload, or fire at will.

Its basicly a fire and forget torpedo with a 360 arc of fire and uses power from weapon like a turret. However i did a test with a fleet mate in pvp. his non shielded defiant went from 100% to 2% hull if you lock on the borg tractor beam while the beam shoots. Very nice combo!

So bassiclly pretty usless in real terms. Right.

A little part of me died. There goes my hopes of a 3DHC 1HPT 1KCB-BO2 alpha strike...

Target subsystems I'm not worried about, ships designed to use that will have other beam weapons. Not being effected by Fire at Will or Beam Overload does concern me; I don't use beam overload so much, but I do rely on FAW to do multi-target damage, and the inability to fire on a second target (ignoring that all ranks fire your beam 5 times rather than 4 and higher ranks give damage bonuses) really cuts into the DPS potential of this beam. I might as well stick with torpedo spread like I have been doing.

I am also concerned as to whether it is affected by Tetryon Glider or the phaser proc from the new science consoles. That's additional DPS that I don't want to lose.

Additionally with no consoles that boost kinetic beams, it seems like it might be a bad idea to fit one. Really, if Cryptic want to go with cutting beams, the Borg cutting beam is anti-proton and I believe it might have increased shield penetration. Why not give us that since the other two items from the set are salvaged Borg gear? Then that at least would be affected by consoles many of us have (Still should be able to use Boff abilities).

Actually the Subsystem targeting is the biggie. Only builds built for kenetic setups are really going to benefit from running this. these are mostly sci setups. As a way of replacing the existing beam bank i pack it was great, otherwise i didn't have a build that can find any use for it, they're just not set up to maxamise it. But if it can't use target subsystems i fail to see how it's any better than another torpedo in it's place.

Can someone post a picture of the Kinetic Cutting Beams stats?

I believe this is what your looking for:
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/sh...51&postcount=4
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/sh...1&postcount=10