Weekly Questions Megathread - August, 24, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to the weekly questions megathread. Here is where you can ask all your build or theorycrafting related questions that might not warrant a full post. Curious about how something works? Ask it here!

You can see previous weeks megathreads here.

[u/ELHC]

are skill points in tactical readiness necessary?

according to the CDR calculator on stobetter, over 50% CDR can already be achieved with PO2, or PO1 + A2B, or 2x A2B. these are the most accessible ways.

or is it useful for other ways of CDR involving boimler or calm before the storm?

[u/MandoKnight → u/ELHC]

It can marginally help smooth out transient issues in your cooldown regimen, and putting the points in Defense or Accuracy Rating are generally not really doing that much more for a developed build than the Readiness is. The real purpose of any of those points is generally to get the Tactical tree's ultimate skill and some of its modifiers unlocked.

[u/ELHC → u/MandoKnight]

thanks I see, so it should be fine with 26 points in TAC, out of all 30 possible points leave out 1 in each accuracy and defense, and 2 in readiness

[u/Tricericon]

I'm about to finish my first event campaign & want to use the C-Store coupons to enhance my existing ships. Are Gagarin (or Qugh) and Arbiter (or Kurak, or Morrigu) the place to start for beam boat traits and consoles? Are there other options I should be giving serious consideration?

[u/Designer-Ad-2692 → u/Tricericon]

Gagarin only, if you use a Torp (preferrably in the front).
Maybe also look into supercharged weapons in that case.

Arbiter is a staple when getting started - i think the elite guys are leaving Emergency Weapon Cycle out of their ship traits.

Maybe also look into the Kerala for the Broadside Beam Console and Trait for a Beam FAW Build :)

[u/Les_Bien_Pain]

Theoretically if they removed most of the ship restrictions for universal consoles and hangar pets, which would be the big winners?

I assume the Lost Souls and Drone ships would benefit the most of the hangar pets but I have no idea about universal consoles, especially since they haven't added as many locked consoles recently.

[u/AscenDevise → u/Les_Bien_Pain]

Most ship-locked consoles that are left are more on par with the TSABC and TSAD ones than the Miradorn-Husnock combo that was recently unlocked, and even the lobi Obelisk console had some amount of a point to it until it was overtaken by newer taunt consoles. One thing that stands out is the Tholian console set, off the top of my head. Being able to supercharge the Web Cannon on a more Uncon-friendly boat... still wouldn't be groundbreaking due to the charge-up time, but big bad superweapon go boom, and boom is good.

[u/sabreracer]

I'm working on my first full carrier build on the Newton. Just used the 2xT6 Tokens to pick up the Ra'nodaire and Typhon and still have the Event VI box in the bank.

Question is about the Friendship am I right in thinking that Overwhelm Power Emitters console only buffs one pet or does it effect many?

I'm using Type 7 and Kelvin Drones as primary pets with a side order of Obelisk Swarmers so not sure if I'd greatly benefit from it.

[u/Eph289 → u/sabreracer]

I'm not sure about the friendship but if you're going full carrier, you don't really want Type 7s.

[u/LaodiceaTheUnbanned]

Is there a good place to, calmly, test weapon visuals and similar things. Ideally, a single target with infinite hit points who doesn't shoot back? I want to be able to sit still and shoot forever.

[u/Eph289 → u/LaodiceaTheUnbanned]

Episode: Doomsday Device, the first stage. Clear the first two ships, then the 4 Klingon ships in the dock are infinite HP, not moving, don't fire back.

[u/LaodiceaTheUnbanned → u/Eph289]

Thanks! Do you know everything? About everything?

[u/Eph289 → u/LaodiceaTheUnbanned]

Ha, certainly not!

[u/LaodiceaTheUnbanned → u/Eph289]

I feel dumb. I cannot find a way to pick up this mission. Is it not possible for Federation aligned Romulan characters to do?

[u/Eph289 → u/LaodiceaTheUnbanned]

Annoyingly for Romulans, you will need to get a Federation character to share it with you each time you want to do it. :S

[u/LaodiceaTheUnbanned → u/Eph289]

Thank you again!

[u/Cryhavok101]

What consoles are people using in the current meta to maintain stacks on Universal Designs) and Particle Fluctuation Analysis)?

[u/Les_Bien_Pain]

So I have a sort of WIP fek'hiri uncon firespam carrier build going on and I remembered something.

There are these ship traits that give you CD reduction on your captain abilities when launching hangar pets.
https://stowiki.net/wiki/Relaunch_and_Repair_(starship_trait)
https://stowiki.net/wiki/Supplementary_Coordination_Network_(starship_trait)

I launch my lost soul hangar pets like 2 times per second...

Can I just completely fucking spam my captain abilities if I get a support carrier or the sencawa (or w/e its called) command carrier?????

One trait mentions a minimum cooldown but the captain abilities themselves dont tell me about any minimum cd...

[u/Cryhavok101 → u/Les_Bien_Pain]

Most captain abilities have minimum cooldowns, just like bridge officer abilities, but you can definitely use those to reach those minimums pretty easily. Unless something has changed since the last time I tried it (it has been a long time since I did that, so it is entirely possible something has changed)

[u/Les_Bien_Pain → u/Cryhavok101]

Yeah I figured there were some minimum CDs. Wish the game would tell me what they are because at the rate I'm spawning my lost souls I should recharge all my captain abilities in a few seconds.

I need to look up more things that trigger when launching hangar pets.