Tactical Hybrid

Michael Jardinero

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Ground Builds

Build Overview and Focus

This is my first and main character. I try to keep him a little more thematically-aligned with 2409 Starfleet, so in order to be effective while eschewing some of the more "out-there" kit modules, I needed him to deal effective damage through both his kit and weapon. Thankfully, this is fairly easy to do on a Tactical character. Remember that our ground builds are not ruthlessly optimized nor are we heavily involved in the ground meta. There will be plenty of choices called out as thematic-and-fun over optimal DPS choices. The goal here is "good enough to rock Elite" not "set records" but it's good enough for top 100 on Bug Hunt Elite.

Character Info and Thematic Choices

I would wager a decent plurality of the long-term playerbase has a Human male character with the 2409 start. There are many of them; this one is mine.

Thematic Choices

Avoided some of the more fantastical kit modules like Ball Lightning, V'ger Probes, etc. but I still use the Risian Kit
Omega Force 3-piece for faster remodulation and stealth active. Plus I think the weapon looks and sounds cool.
Thomson Submachine Gun as secondary weapon. Wrecks Borg
I don't like re-using DPS Kit Modules across characters. There are lots of good kit modules, so if I pigeon-hole myself into the 10 best, I don't get to learn about some of the others.

Meta Analysis

BHE: 2.88K: (premade) As of posting, this was within the top 150 of BHE records in OSCR and top 50 for this specific season.
Ward C Clear of Bird Cage Elite: (solo, deathless) 1.55K

Budget Analysis

Using the EZRA rubric, this build would cost 114 USD to replicate. The only tricky and most expensive thing (at 78 USD on sale) is the Thomson Submachine Gun if you don't have it already that can be replaced by a TR-116B with some diminishing results. If the cost seems expensive, don't worry. Lower-budget alternatives are provided below.

2 Event devices
1 Summer Event kit module, 1 Summer Event kit
2 Lockbox kit modules
4 Lockbox ground traits
1 Lobi Ground trait
1 Mudd's Store device
3 non-standard doffs

Change History

October 2025: Swapped Corrosive Grenade with Rally Cry. Replaced Soldier and Bombardier with Holo Decoys and Space Explorer is a Great Gig. Was at 2.61K DPS
December 2023: Adjusted skill tree
July 2023: Posted build

Build Breakdown

Heavy focus on weapon damage and kit damage as well. This guy is fairly tanky and also has some supportive/theme concepts.

Skills

Skill Unlocks

Notes

The meta skill layout would be to skip Endurance in favor of Improved 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 Omega Force set is not meta, but it has three things going for it:

Faster remodulation
A team-wide CrtH/CrtD passive boost
An active that lets you stealth, which is useful for non-combat objectives on maps like Brotherhood of the Sword.
The Autocarbine does a fantastic job of applying Tenavik's Counsel, which is really good on an Antiproton build.

Plus I think the weapon looks and sounds good. If you're looking for ground meta, you're in the wrong place.

I have no idea what the optimal mods are for ground weapons, so I haven't re-engineered any of it.

Budget Notes:

Replace the Tommy Gun with a TR-116B
Swap the Shard of Possibilities for any other combat pet you like

Kit Modules

Notes:

Motivation could be paired with Mudd's Time Device to lower cooldowns, but since I have Kit Overboosters, Mini Chrono-Capacitor Array, and Tactical Initiative, I don't think it's needed. Cooldowns on everything but the grenade (meh) and the MicroTorp are already on minimum cooldown and the MicroTorp is within 1 second. This is discernible by a horizontal cooldown line rather than a radial cooldown timer and by CDR analysis.
If you wanted more meta Kit Modules, fit Ball Lightning on there. I took Rally Cry over a second Risian kit module for survivability reasons when doing solo Bird Cage testing.
Trajectory Bending is pretty amazing and should be a high priority for Tac Assault builds. Photonic Overcharge is cheap and very effective.
The meta kit modules are probably picking from this pool:
- Universal: Ball Lightning, Ba'ul Obelisk Network, Gravity Containment Unit, Mudd's Time Device, Chain Conduit Capacitor, Kuumarke Drones, V'ger Probes, Agony Field Generator
- Tac: Trajectory Bending, Graviton Spike, Motivation, Chroniton Micro-Torpedo Spread, Battle Strategies
- Eng: Anchor of Gre'thor, Explosive Drone, Chroniton Mines
- Sci: Cold Fusion Flash, Exothermic Induction Field, Andorian Summer

If you want to do that on every character, be my guest.

Set Bonuses

Traits

Personal Traits

Meta-Focused Tweaks:

These are very solid for what we're doing here.

Budget Tweaks:

Holo Decoys might be exchangeable for another survivability trait
Space Explorer is a Great Gig could be Soldier
Honestly ground traits aren't super expensive on the exchange. Prioritize Upgraded Gear, Ambush Fighter, and Tenavik's Counsel (on an Antiproton weapon build)

Reputation Traits

Active Reputation

Duty Officers

Meta-Focused Tweaks:

You'd probably also want to devote all 6 ground doff slots to ground, but that's not how I roll, and I struggle to see what other doffs would make a significant impact there.

Budget Tweaks:

If low budget, skip the Assault Squad Officers that boosts CrtH/CrtD for Security Officers. The Biochemist could be replaced with the EMH Nurse.

Miscellaneous

Ground Stats

Parse Breakdown

Numbers from record Bug Hunt Elite (BHE).

Antiproton Carbine: 1028
Tenavik's Counsel: 769
Graviton Spike: 495
Chroniton Micro-Torpedo Spread: 267
Danube Runabout: 140
Photonic Overcharge: 63
Imminent Decay: 40
Piezo-Electric Lattice: 31
Security Escort: 23
Shard of Possibilities: 10

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