Post by Dan on Sept 23, 2013 12:04:36 GMT -8
To start with the obvious escorts are the powerhouses of the Federation fleet. They, often times, can deal more damage than other ship classes and they are the most maneuverable large ship on the Fed side. The downside to escorts is the shields are among the weakest and the hull is mediocre at best. As such the true strength in escorts is in firepower and maneuverability.
In order to maximize an escort's damage infliction capability I recommend using two types of weapon systems (for example cannons, beams or torpedoes). I highly recommend dual heavy cannons as they arguably have the highest DPS of any weapon in the game. On most of my escorts I have a pair of turrets and a beam array in the rear.
As for abilities that depends heavily on your personal fighting style. I have two Cannon Rapid Fire abilities, Attack Pattern Beta, Attack Pattern Omega, and two Tactical Teams for my tactical abilities. My tactical abilities are more uniform across all of my characters compared to the other two classes. However I always have at least one Emergency Power to Shields on my ship. Science abilities tend to vary more but usually have one Transfer Shield Strength and one Hazard Emitters.
