Science Support
Joshua Jardinero
Build Overview and Focus
This character has taken a number of different turns on his ground build evolution, mostly starting from a kit-based mage perspective and eventually settling on a cold-based build for his primary setup. However, around the time I began fleshing out his build and doing ground research, I realized that there was room for two unique support builds and one of them would need a science captain. Since he's my only science captain at present, he got the nod for an alternate support loadout.
We've been pairing this support with a tactical character also running support and had good success with it. This character is what we are calling a "blue support" due to the use of the science career and kit abilities, whereas the other is our "red support." This build has been used in a number of channel runs on Bug Hunt that set records for those characters
Character Info and Thematic Choices
Yet another human character with a 2409 start. Since he flies more Temporal ships, my headcanon is that he leans more into the Temporal agent side of things, but that won't really come into play on this build.
Meta Analysis
BHE: 180 DPS, but the real story is 5 Personal Bests Assisted (PBA)
Budget Analysis
If the cost seems expensive, don't worry. Lower-budget alternatives are provided below
Elite Captain upgrade, all fleet unlocks
1 Event device
1 Event kit
1 Summer Event kit module
1 Lockbox kit modules
1 Lockbox weapon
5 Lockbox ground traits
1 non-standard doffs
Change History
July 2023: Posted build
Build Breakdown
Heavy focus on support; he focuses hard on that, but is still functional enough to do Normal or maybe Advanced-level content, though I'd probably swap him around to his Mage build if I wasn't supporting BHE.
Skills
Skill Unlocks
Notes
The meta skill layout would be to skip Shield Capacity, Endurance, and Armor in favor of Improved Weapon Damage, Weapon Criticals, and Weapon Penetration. I just think ground on higher difficulties requires a bit more survivability than that and haven't felt the need to change it.
Build
Personal Equipment
Notes
The hypo doesn't matter at all. Replace it with whatever's convenient. There are some teamwide Health and Weapon batteries if you want to get really fancy but they cost dil.
Rainbow or IDIC Tribble is probably better than Solanae since it's teamwide.
Kit Modules
Notes:
Mudd's Time Device is essential for cooldowns, as shown by cooldown reduction analysis and empirical testing
See the "Red" Tactical Support build for a series of complimentary kit modules that we run alongside this character.
Could replace Virulent Dark Matter Cloud with Sandstorm Generator if not on a science character, but it has a much longer windup.
Set Bonuses
Notes:
One last note: You could make an argument for Intelligence primary, taking Temporal Secondary. I am not sure which is better.
Alternately, the Iconian 3-piece (Shield/Armor/Weapon) is an option.
Traits
Personal Traits
Meta-Focused Tweaks:
If you know your DPS is running Hive Mind, you could drop Tricorder Analysis to pick up Hive Mind
It's expensive, but Shadow of the Black Mountain would be useful over Field Reseacher, which isn't really. Serenity would be better to boost KPerf generically but if I'm going to pick up another expensive trait, it's the former.
Budget Tweaks:
Ground Traits tend to be much less expensive than space traits. Skip Tricorder Analysis for something generic like Peak Health or Pistol/Rifle Training. To Absent Friends can similarly be replaced.
Reputation Traits
Active Reputation
Duty Officers
Meta-Focused Tweaks:
Insofar as there isn't an established pattern on how to do these, these doffs seem pretty good. I suppose you could replace the space doffs
The Assault Squad Officer doesn't do anything for support. I couldn't find a better doff; it's leftover from his main build.
Budget Tweaks:
If low budget
Drop the Assault Squad Officer. I'd pick up the EMH Nurse instead just to have the extra healing
Miscellaneous
Ground Stats
Parse Breakdown
Supported a teammates to 2.46K DPS on this run. Selfish DPS was 251
Danube Runabout: 115
Krieger Wave Disruptor: 93
Piezo-Electric Perimeter Snare: 26
Lt. VanDerveer: 14
Temporal Rebuke: 3
If you want to reduce DPS, don't use the active reps, which will reduce DPS to around 100. You shouldn't get a leaver penalty; we've seen people get rewards with DPS as low as 19.