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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!!!!!

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

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