hi fellas,

need advise for my build here please.
i am level 45 so i can use Mk XI

Thinking about using the following layout.
i notice a lot of people seem to take out the enemy fairly easily, but i struggle for some unknown reason so i plan to spend BIG in order to join the BIG GUNS, so to speak.

need powerful weapons both fore and aft with a noob tube launcher.
also need to stay in the fight a little longer so shields are a big thing.
need to turn faster to face the enemy quicker as most ships are slow.

so below i was thinking about going with this build: THOUGHTS?

Career: Engineer.
SHIP: Assault Cruiser.

for now im using the Aegis set for deflector/engines/shields
might upgrade to the borg set when i get that far.

WEAPONS:

FORE:
3x Antiproton Beam Array Mk XI
Quantum Launcher Mk XI

AFT:
3x Antiproton Beam Array Mk XI
Quantum Launcher Mk XI

ENGINEERING:
2x Neutronium Alloy Mk XI
2x RCS Accelerator Mk XI

SCIENCE:
2x Biofunction Mk XI

TACTICAL:
2x AntiProton Mag Regulator Mk XI
1x Zero-Point Quantum Chamber Mk XI

now RCS so i can turn faster to face the enemy to blow em to bits, and the neutrnium to enhance my shields/armour.

what you think?

cheers fellas for all your imput

Drop the biofunction consoles for a Field Generator (generator, not emitter) or two, and maybe the quantum chamber for another antiproton mag. Also you need to list your boff layout, as that makes a bigger difference than your guns do.

Don't forget to mention your Doffs. I don't like the RCS module and would give up at least one of those for the borg assimilated universal counsel. Focus on your energy weapons over your torps for slotting tac counsels.

Give up the RCS consoles for more armor. Drop the Bio for Field generators.

That should fix consoles. Go with assm. console somewhere and get the Borg engines and deflector. MACO shield is the best for Fed toons.

Kyle

OK, most of the advice folks have put in here is useful, but you seem to be worried about why you aren't killing as fast as other folks, so I'll focus on that before anything else. All of my advice is PVE-centric, so don't always assume it'll work in PVP.

1. You are level 45. I assume that you've probably entered your first STF and seeing some folks kill quickly. Keep in mind that most of them are probably level 50, and all other things being equal, will naturally have some kind of advantage in general performance.

2. This also depends on WHO you are comparing yourself to. Are you comparing yourself to a Tac captain flying an escort? That's frankly crazy, since as an Eng in an Cruiser you're highly unlikely to match a Tac/Escort's raw DPS and speedy killing power Concentrate on your strengths and the strength of your craft.

3. With #2 in mind, you shouldn't be too worried about turning quickly. You're in a cruiser. Without some fairly advanced tactics that you shouldn't be worried about right now (master the basics first), NO cruiser turns quickly. Concentrate instead on building yourself out in ways that bring as many weapons to bear as possible. Usually that means beam arrays and broadside tactics.

4. Cruisers are built for survivability and support rather than damage, even Assault Cruisers. As in #2, you should focus on beefing that up. Drop your biofunction monitors and replace them with Field Generators. If you can craft them it's usually cheaper than the exchange, (though there's usually a dilithium cost with crafting).

5. We need to know your Boff layout. What skills you use and in what combinations is very important, and more important than your gear in the long run. Since you're packing mostly beams, beam skills should be of higher priority, though if you intend to keep your torps at least one Torp skill helps.

7. As an Engineer you have skills that mediate a beam-heavy cruiser's main issue: power drain. That said, having some weapon power-boosting skills that either buff power levels or generally boost weapon power are essential. Tactical Team, Emergency Power to Weapons, and Attack Pattern Beta/Omega are popular staples.

6. Since you're not flying the Assault Cruiser Refit, you're unlikely to have anything more than standard torpedoes, in which case they won't help you as much, since turning to bring torpedoes to bear denies your ability to focus all your beam arrays. Torps are usually treated as an opportunity weapon rather than a staple (unless you're flying a torpedo boat). Drop the Quantum chamber and put in another AP damage-booster. Attack Pattern Omega will help you make use of your torpedoes, but in a standard assault cruiser you are limited in your tactical Boff slots, so beta is probably more useful to you and your team.

7. As I mentioned earlier, your build concentrates on beam arrays, so you should drop one or more of your RCS consoles. Their effect is negligible in everything except an Escort (and even then it's not much), and with arrays you shouldn't need to turn that fast anyway.

8. For gear, survivability is key. One of the most popular setups is the Borg Assim. Console/Borg Engines + MACO shield and MACO Deflector. Aegis is a good bridge until you get those. Omega can help with your damage but is generally preferable to escorts rather than cruisers.

9. You might want to drop the 2nd torpedo (either front or back, I prefer front) and put in either another beam array OR a mine launcher (if you drop the back). The 2nd beam array gets your more volume of fire (at the cost of power drain), and the mine launcher gives you a weapon you can use without having to worry about swinging your butt around.

10. Beam Fire At Will is the most popular beam skill. It's great AOE and and raises your fire volume even if there's only one target. Beam overload can work with boosting your spike damage, but has a power penalty I personally don't like (since arrays have such a high drain to begin with). Target subsystems is more useful in PVP than PVE. For Torpedo skills Spread is the staple, though High Yield is also useful. Pick just one though.

unangbangkay. Just 2 things. First you skipped point number 6. And The 3-peice Borg has better survival than the 2-peice Borg and 2-peice MACO. Just because of the passive shield heal.
That is all.

Kyle

i have 4 antiproton beams will they stack?

Beams are weapons.
Anti-mag regulators are the console for anti-proton and those stack.

Kyle

As an Engi captain (in an Escort) my personal heals and shield boosts make up for the loss of the Borg shield proc, and IMO the most common 3pc Borg setup (Engines/Console/Deflector) doesn't help as much as having the MACO shield's extra resilience/capacity. Further, the MACO deflector is more useful to non-science captains than the Borg deflector.

I'll still have to see how the Omega set stacks up in terms of better escort effectiveness, but my go-to right now is the 2/2 Maco/Borg.

If you're not a tactical character, then I highly recommend against Anti-Protons. You'll never get as much mileage out of them as they can. Instead, why not bring disruptors and boost your team's damage even more? It'll give you way more bang for your buck, even if the dps increase isn't solely your own.