U.S.S. Carmarthen
Inquiry Battlecruiser
Updated: 2023 - 02
Made possible by reader donation; thank you Montaire!
Build Overview and Focus
Released in mid to late 2020, the Inquiry has been one of, if not the best general purpose elite cannon platform since it came out. Eclipsed by potentially only the Vaadwaur Miracle Worker Juggernaut for pure energy weapon damage, the Inquiry offers higher maneuverability and potentially more flexibility compared to the higher damage of the Vaadwaur Juggernaut.
It has become a source of endless discussion; there are many other platforms that fight for the name best, but often these require much more team development to make work on top of the ship. So far as flying the Inquiry it has excelled without the need for any special team composition or fancy interactions.
Build Purpose and Scope
This ship was donated by a reader, and for that I am very thankful. This came with no strings attached and no specific goal in mind they had for the ship. However, I want to take the time here to talk about and expand on the differences in flying this ship compared to the Terran Lexington, of which I have an almost carbon copy build on both.
While I've opted to run cannons on mine, you can do other weapons just fine. Even filling other roles while you're at it. For a more durability focused build which fills the off-tank role, check out EPHs own rendition of the Inquiry.
A note on Unconventional Systems before continuing
Yes, this build runs Unconventional Systems. Like everything it is a tool. Just as you pick the cooldown solution for a build, so too should Unconventional Systems be used as a tool. Not every platform makes sense running it.
The argument could be made that both the Lexington and Inquiry are platforms that are not worth running US on. They have little forced specialist or science seating on which to apply good and useful powers that also act as console cooldown methods. As well you really need to start having lots of good consoles to start making this work. You'll notice this trait features in both this build and the Lexington; This was more a choice made very long ago to attempt to compare the potential of each platform against each other, and I think for that purpose it was a reasonable choice to assume that most people would be curious on how they perform under a very meta analysis (which at this time includes running uncon).
There is also the underlying but rarely stated fact that in order for uncon to be very good and worthwhile, you must first have consoles that are worth reducing at the cost of pillaging the boff layout for controls. Universal Designs also leads credence to using universal consoles and wanting to have them reduced and has its own set of requirements before even beginning to use to make worth while to use; this most notably being a fast repeatable console that you can use to trigger it and keep stacks up. This normally comes in the form of the Immolating Phaser lance. All of this needs to be considered when building around Unconventional Systems, and it leads to having a very expensive build.
Ok I think that's enough preamble on Uncon and its place on this ship.
Inquiry vs Lexington
For most people I'm going to say right now that the Lexington is going to be the preferred platform. Its easier to acquire, account wide access, has an integrated lance and a hanger. This does in my very convoluted opinion mean the Lexington is the better ship; better here being not just an aspect of how much damage can it do but how much does it cost compared to the potential of the platform; and I think from that aspect the Lexington is the better ship.
However, the greater community as a whole doesn't think this way, and would call "better" simply the ship with the highest ceiling and I think its easy to give that to the Inquiry. Just to review lets compare some of the aspects of each:
Inquiry Battlecruiser
Cost: 1 Promo ship box per captain
Mastery package:
Offensive: +15% Critical Severity - for the purposes of current meta building once you get to 100% CrtH more of it is useless, so having baked in CrtD is better.
Weapon layout:
5 Fore / 3 Aft: More fore weapons means more heavy weapons. Heavy weapons do more damage, so having 4 or 5 dual (heavy) cannons is far preferred.
BOff Layout:
Cmdr Eng / MW: A common feature to both ships
Lt.C Tactical: Another common feature
Lt.C Universal / Intel: here the differences start manifesting
Lt. Science
Ens Universal
Movement:
8 Turn Rate, 0.15 Impulse, 35 Inertia, These are basically the same
Durability:
Hull Mod: 1.45, Shield Mod: 1.15 - the meta tends to prefer higher hull for Tylers Duality.
Integrated Features:...there isn't any
Terran Lexington Dreadnought Cruiser
Cost: 3000z for account wide access (clearly cheaper)
Mastery package:
Offensive: +2.5% CrtH. Having more CrtD at 100% CrtH is better but for most on a budget getting to 100% CrtH isn't going to happen, so clearly this is a very build dependent space.
Weapon layout:
4 Fore / 4 Aft: for cannon builds having 4 aft weapons isn't the most amazing prospect, as a turret is fundamentally a worse weapon than a dual (heavy) cannon.
Boff Layout:
Cmdr Eng / MW
Lt.C Tactical
Lt.C UniversalÂ
Tactical / Intel
Ens Universal
Movement:
8 Turn Rate, 0.15 Impulse, 40 Inertia
Durability:
Hull Mod: 1.375, Shield Mod: 1.15. While its a lower hull mod, its not that far below the Inquiry.
Integrated Features:
A Hanger Bay; having the right pet can be a huge boon. Some can do upwards of 40k-50k DPS, which is just raw damage without much input
Agony Phaser Spinal Lance: Free damage button, especially on phaser builds my Lexington's record saw 7.6k from this, which isn't nothing.
I think that helps illustrate the point here I'm trying to make. The inquiry is clearly great and having both 5 fore weapons with a Lt.C intel and miracle worker primary powers is a winning combination. The Lexington is huge value for money, and while it lacks some amazing aspects to set it apart, at the end of the day it is a C-store and will get C-store limitation features. The Lexington also gets access to the flagship consoles which can increase the overall viability, utility, and flexibility of the platform even lending itself to a tank.
Namesake
Carmarthen is a city in Wales, and one of the supposed birthplaces of the composite character Merlin in Arthurian legend.
Meta Analysis
ISE:
SCM - DMG Out: 105,245,767 DPS: 857,050.22 (52.5% of Team)
HSE:Â
SCM - DMG Out: 80,769,199 DPS: 700,513.44 (46.3% of Team)
Budget Analysis
Elite Captain/T6X upgrade, all fleet unlocks
T6 C-store ships
Any ship which grants Withering Barrage
Sao Paulo Tactical Escort Refit (also available for dil per character) or Terran Adamant Heavy Raider (Quad Cannon access)
Glenn - 10th Anniversary Bundle OR Mirror Crossfield Science Destroyer
Lockbox Items
Ship - Mirror Warship
Ship - Deimos Pilot Destroyer
Weapons - Discovery Phaser Weapons
7x Lockbox Personal Traits
Event consoles and Traits
Denorios-class Bajoran Interceptor - Console
Reputation + Fleet Gear; All Mk XV Epic, All T6 Reputations
Romulan Reputation Items
Terran Reputation Items
Iconian Reputation Items
Dranuur Colony Items
Fleet Spire Items
Lobi Items
Change History
2022 - 12
Added Build
2023 - 02
Updated Skill Tree
Updated Weapon Layouts and consoles
Added New Records
Build Breakdown
Like the Lexington this is a high energy weapon build. No hanger, not much support, a decent amount of durability just in the fact that this is a battlecruiser, and an attempt to make this lumbering boat get where I want it too when I want it too gives this break down.
Skills
Skill Unlocks
Notes
Jayiie's Skill tree has been optimized to be used on as many build types as possible. As such there are some questions that naturally arise when talking about it. I will try to capture these discussions as succinctly as possible here.
Tactical ultimate
The Tactical Ultimate is still taken. Because of the skill investment for energy weapons in the skill tree, this only takes a small amount of investment. Even with the intent of going full min-max, if everyone takes the coordination protocols this is comparable to getting a Mk12 damage console which effects everything, as well as a hull plating node. These are worthwhile investements, and given how flexible Jayiies skill tree is designed to be very good at covering multiple roles such as support, tanks, and energy kinetic and exotic dps builds.
Hull Restoration vs Hull Capacity
This is very simple, while also not. Given the choice between a Improved Hull Capacity (+25.5%) and Hull restoration (+25%) against Advanced Hull capacity (+30%), I personally prefer to take the former, splitting the point difference. Since my character is an engineer, this 25% Hull restoration actually has some very useful applications through Miraculous repairs.
As well by taking some extra points into engineering, this has allowed me to take the 10th Engineering Unlock skill which adds +10 Hull Capacity, which is comparable to the +15 taken from the last point of Hull restoration. Due to how the skill works this is a +3.3% Max Hull vs 4.95% Max Hull buff respectively.
EPG vs Control Amplification, DrainX and CtrlX
This time around I've opted to put more points into CtrlX and EPG while taking Control Amplification, and instead dropping points from DrainX. If this wasn't on an engineering captain I wouldn't consider this a loss. However both Nadion Inversion and Intrusive Energy Redirection both scale with DrainX and are innate captain abilities, thus wanting for the skill.
Aux Power
Optimizing to hit 130 Aux power has been challenging. To do this I required Defensive Subsystem turning for the +4.8 Power to Aux. Combining this with the passive on most science ships as well as the Neutronic Eddies has allowed 130 to be hit passively. This has then allowed me to drop EPS Manifold Efficiency freeing up a 10th starship trait. On other builds this has the effect of allowing more aux power for more damage / better scaling on various powers.
Shield Regeneration
This is still a tank first skill tree. Shield regeneration is statically anomaly and adds a huge amount to shield regen in just the first point (more Information on shields can be found here). As such, I have taken the single point. with the most recent tree revision I've opted to spec out of DrainX and Drain Infection for that last point in EPG. Should you want to not take shield regeneration I would suggest the next DrainX point.
Build
Starship Weapons
Notes
Discovery Linked weapons trade the traditional Phaser subsystem offline proc for a passive stat increase, in the case of Sensor Linked this is specifically +5 Starship Defensive Maneuvering and +5 Starship Weapon Amplification. Damage wise this equates to 2% Critical Severity for Weapons. This is not the stunning improvement its often made out to be, and is simply better than relying on a random proc to affect one of 4 subsystems (shields in most cases is what we desire but not always the effect).
Budget wise, generic Antiproton's +20% CrtD passive will be equivalent to a whole ship made of sensor linked weapons. This does come at the cost of swapping to a different flavor and thus losing bonuses in the universal consoles but it presents as a very solid budget option.
This does make them the best of the linked weapons but there's a myriad of other choices. Note that these all proc based and will rely on that proc to see benefits.
Pulsed Phaser Weapons have a proc which reduces target DRR by 10 and increases self DRR by 10
Advanced Phaser weapons come only in beam flavor but it can be used if converting the ship to BO or FAW setups.
Covert Phasers can help reduce threat output
Agony Phasers can apply a dot, which can help trigger atrophied defenses from temporal for support builds (or just builds running temporal)
Prolonged Phaser
Theoretically, the prolonged phaser is break even at around 60s. However at that it's only a very very small amount and is easily thrown out due to naturalized run variation. it stays under the +/-5% damage variation up to 100s in combat, where it then starts to ramp up to an 8% increase at 120s. This does mean that for combat times up to and around 120s the prolonged phaser is better, which is why I've been retrofitting my builds with it.Â
Clearly however it hasn't suffered for not having it, as averaged each weapon has around 95k contribution.
Discovery Reputation Weapons
After some experimenting with TRINITY, some parsing, and some general build philosophy consulting, I've decided to remove the discovery set from this build. While the 2pc is good, this ship is approaching the point where being shackled by a torpedo is doing less than another energy weapon, and the higher damage of a cannon and another fleet console outweighs any advantage the Wide Arc Dual Beam bank provides with the Locator.
A note for Replication: I am doing this on an engineering captain! This is important to make note of. On a tactical captain the calculus isnt the same. As someone who parses in teh regime of under or within the 300-500k regime this calculus changes. Most players will benifit from running the Dark Matter Quantum. The torp provides better Kemocite damage, and being an engineering captain my ability to directly improve these effects via captain powers is limited. I highly suggest running this with a torpedo. It just so happens than my parses tend to provide me with better results without the torpedo. Running a torpedo also allows you to use Super Charge Weapons, or Entwined Tactical Matrices.
Starship Equipment
Starship Consoles
Set Bonuses
Budget Tweaks:
Tactical Consoles
With the last update to the Energy Weapon Calculator (now included in TRINITY), there is a segment I added which estimates the ratio of CrtD to Dmg and Locators vs Exploiters. I haven't yet run this build through the calculator but the effects of the mastery and some other consoles, I can pretty much estimate now that this ship is a 4 Locator 2 Exploiter ship. Between endeavors and build progression level, this will change from person to person.
Universal Consoles
This build doesn't make any claim to be cheap. Between the DPRM, D.O.M.I.N.O., Altamid Swarm and BIC, and Immolating Phaser Lance, this build gets expensive fast. However, that's what makes the unconventional systems type work well. The raw stats of the BIC and Altamid fill roles that other consoles can, but not as easily. The raw power of the 3/4 active consoles provides incredible damage potential that is unmatched, hence its use in the current Meta.Â
I did some napkin math and a few runs using the M6 in place of one of the two lobi consoles, but the lack of a passive really dragged it down when its not on cooldown. As such the M6 would most likely be a direct replacement for the D.O.M.I.N.O., and should the lobi consoles be out of reach with these other options available too you (which seems possible but unlikely, though that could change with the year long meta events) it would be a viable alternative to those. On a note, the Gamma Reputation Ordinance accelerator is as good as if not slightly better than the Altamid Swarm console
Bridge Officers
Traits
Personal Traits
Meta-Focused Tweaks:
Being as I've built this on an engineering captain, the most obvious build focused tweak would be to do this on a tactical captain for access to teh various captain powers. Doing such a replacement would warrant the use of A Good Day to Die.Â
Budget Tweaks:
For budget players who want to save some EC, there's a few standard traits that could be used:
Bulkhead Technician - Innate trait - this provides +10% Maximum Hull capacity and can be used as a stand in for durability consoles
EPS Manifold Efficiency - Engineering Captain innate trait - this provides +10 all subsystem power for 30s when using EPtX or batteries. A useful filler.
Point Blank Shot - Episode Reward from House Pegh - scaling damage based on distance to target from 2km to 6km.
Operative - Innate Trait - +1% CrtH +2% CrtD, this isn't spectacular but if you lack any offensive traits you can use it.
After this there isn't much available that super noteworthy so make substations based on what you need.
Starship Traits
Meta-Focused Tweaks:
As of the day of writing I get my Event Campaign 4 box. I plan on getting the completion to many of my builds here which have been in the work for many months with the aforementioned Universal Designs. Lots more testing to come from that to see how this mixes things up on everything; that said it is by no means absolutely necessary.
Budget Tweaks:
Offensive Traits:
Improved Critical Systems - Temporal Agent Recruit Reward, grants CrtX on use of EptX abilities.
Unconventional Tactics - Strategist Specialization, grants damage on usingÂ
Predictive Algorithms - Intelligence Specilization Rewards, very minor Accuracy boost when using weapon enhancement abilities.
Dimensional Modulation - Inherent to the ship, I would recommend against using this since it has such a strict trigger requirement.
Getting into C-store accessible traits:
Promise of Ferocity - Alliance Pilot escorts, +4% bonus weapon damage when using a tactical or pilot bridge officer power (max 5 stacks, one stack every 4s)
Entwined Tactical Matrices - As discussed this can replace Withering Barrage but must be done with an accompanying torpedo power and weapon.
Super Charged Weapons - As discussed this will need an accompanying torpedo to get stacks
Reputation Traits
Active Reputation
Duty Officers
Meta-Focused Tweaks:
Since this is a ship that has both intel and miracle worker powers, the two meta driven choices to put on this ship would be the two Strength Through Unity liberated Borg duty officers 24 of 47 and 27 of 47. However, these are ridiculously expansive at upwards of 1 billion EC. This is in my opinion too much for a small improvement. CrtH / CrtD energy weapon officers are good enough for me.
Budget Tweaks:
Agent Nerul unfortunately has no equivalents. As such and durability driven duty officer would be best to put here. Alternatively a 3rd energy weapon officer for CrtH or CrtD of your choice.
Miscellaneous
Ship Stats
KeybindsÂ
As an player who's been doing this for some time, I have very few keybinds as I use most of my powers manually. As such I have only 1 "spam" button, which consists of the offensive rotation.
Emergency Power to Weapons - Initial power buff and triggers Emergency Weapons Cycle
Mixed Armament Synergy - prebuff for cannons; this has a delayed in activation similar to tactical team so putting it first and separating it from other things helps keep it from misfiring.
Attack Pattern Beta - prebuff before firing
Narrow Sensor Bands - prebuff for cannons
Kemocite Laced Weapons - prebuff before firing
Cannon Scatter Volley - prebuff for cannons, upgrades cannons
Photonic Officer - begins CDR rotation. Since this is not an exotic build using Improved photonic officer, this is fine at the end
Fire At Will - upgrades weapons, this is usually where I start shooting
Override Subsystem Safeties - Since this starts ticking down as soon as possible you as much maximum power increase for as long as possible.
Emergency power to Engines - This is absent from the 'spam' bar here. Because I am running the Romulan engines having evasive maneuvers for movement is essential, so I'm taking care to time its activation more carefully so it doesn't get used while evasive is up.
Parse Breakdown
ISE Record Damage Breakdown
136.2k DPS - Dual Phaser Cannons - Scatter Volley II - This is a combination of two weapons
89.8k DPS - Terran Task Force Dual Heavy Phaser Cannons - Scatter Volley II - Unlikey Kish procs
74.8k DPS - Quad Phaser Cannons - Scatter Volley II
51k DPS - Pets - Anti-time and the many consoles on this, like the Tachyon Net Drones
46.8k DPS - Phaser Turret - Scatter Volley II
43.8k DPS - Heavy Inhibiting Phaser Turret - Scatter Volley II
39.4k DPS - Trilithium-Enhanced Phaser Turret - Scatter Volley II
39.3k DPS - Immolating Phaser Lance - Strangely low for this, I probably could have been better at timing it
38.9k DPS - Phaser Wide Angle Dual Beam Bank - Fire at Will I
30.9k DPS - Dual Phaser Cannons - Scatter Volley III
29.9k DPS - Phaser Wide Angle Dual Heavy Beam Bank
22.7k DPS - Dual Phaser Cannons
16.2k DPS - Quad Phaser Cannons - Scatter Volley III
15k DPS - Terran Task Force Dual Heavy Phaser Cannons - Scatter Volley III
12.1k DPS - Terran Task Force Dual Heavy Phaser Cannons
9k DPS - Kemocite-Laced Weaponry I
9k DPS - Phaser Turret - Scatter Volley III
8.7k DPS - Distributed Targeting I - Phaser
8.5k DPS - Heavy Inhibiting Phaser Turret - Scatter Volley III
8.3k DPS - Trilithium-Enhanced Phaser Turret - Scatter Volley III
8.2k DPS - Quad Phaser Cannons
6k DPS - Phaser Turret
5.1k DPS - Trilithium-Enhanced Phaser Turret
3.9k DPS - Heavy Kinetic Cutting Beam
3.2k DPS - Heavy Inhibiting Phaser Turret
3.2k DPS - Distributed Targeting II - Phaser
2.8k DPS - Electromagnetic Pulse - EMP Probe I
1.7k DPS - Weaponized Helical Torsion
1.7k DPS - Tractor Beam I
1.2k DPS - Concentrate Firepower III
0.5k DPS - Plasma Conduit Purge
0.3k DPS - Anti-Time Entanglement Singularity (Rank 2)
0.2k DPS - Counter-Offensive
0.1k DPS - Withering Radiation
0.1k DPS - Best Served Cold I
Portability
Since this is a Miracle Worker and intel hybrid ship, in order to port fully a ship must meet both. As such only a few are capable of that
Lexington - best approximation. As discussed with a myriad of comments, the Lexington is the closest and cheapest approximation for the Inquiry
Vaadwaur Miracle Worker Juggernaut - there is a reason why this is one of the best cannon platform and its because of both MW and Intel seating, and many tactical consoles and the juggernaut mastery package. But like the Inquiry its expensive
Legendary D7 Intel Battlecruiser - Intelligence primary ship, but carries Lt.C MW matched with its commander intel seating, its probably better for SS builds but could fit this if you really tried
Dropping to just MW capable ships
Fleet Gagarin - 5/3 weapon layout but lacks the intel. This will tend to be the other platform most people will have available. However it is slower and could limit a pilots capability.
Fleet Saber - worse platform statistically but still does just as well if you push it.
Quark Marauder - 5/3, with less tactical console capability than a fleet Gagarin but more options in the BOff seating due to two hyrbids
Maquis Raider - 5/2/1 weapon layout with more tactical console availability means this is the best of the escort type platforms available for this build.
Miracle Worker Flight Deck Carrier - Picks up two hanger bays.