STO Spaceframes: Advanced Escorts and Assault Cruisers

There’s a lot of ground already covered with this spaceframe project but still so much to go! Eventually we’ll be getting into the more obscure Star Trek Online ship classes that will be unrecognizable to folks who have never played that game. But that’s not today. Today we’re looking at some classes from the shows and movies that have some exciting options!

As usual, my thanks goes to Takeshi Yamato who helped me develop the stats. This post also appeared first on my site, Mephit James’ Blog.

Advanced Escorts

The Prometheus-class advanced escort is a wild design seen in the Voyager episode “Message In a Bottle” and it reappeared in that series’ finale. Although it was developed at the end of the 24th century, the Prometheus design was cutting-edge and it contained many of the features that would become commonplace in the 25th century including holoemitters on every deck. Most notably, of course, the Prometheus class can split into three smaller vessels that can operate in coordination, a feature that allows the class to become its own attack squadron when it arrives at its destination. This spaceframe was developed in a Starship Sunday post on Continuing Mission and it has all you need including the Multi-Vector Assault Mode Talent. This spaceframe was written before the Command Division Supplement came out but it’s worth noting that things do get interesting when you run 

Star Trek Online has four variants for the Prometheus class, one of them particularly powerful. The first is the Hephaestus-class variant which, based on appearance and namesake, I think works best as a “finalized” version of the experimental Prometheus design which means more balanced (if you want a still-deadly version, try the Cerberus-class variant below). Assuming it took a bit to work out the kinks of the Prometheus design, let’s put the Entered Service date for the Hephaestus-class variant at 2391which gives one refit to work with. Starting from the Prometheus-class stats, use that refit to increase Structure by +1, then decrease Engines by -1 and increase Comms by +1. This is a hardier design which can operate beyond the front lines as a mobile coherent squadron.

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Next we have the Cerberus-class variant which is sleeker and smaller (though not enough to affect Scale) with a lot more combat readiness as its fanged namesake might suggest. Being more nimble and more powerful but also strongly resembling the original Prometheus design, I see the Cerberus-class variant as a version launched soon after the Prometheus-class spaceframe as a way to capitalize on the original with fewer resources. To that end, we should also advance the Entered Service date a little bit to 2385 and create a Cerberus-class vessel by starting with the Prometheus-class stats and adding a refit point to increase Sensors by +1. From the description it makes sense to give some more points to Weapons and Engines but these are already maxed out for a 24th century ship. The Departments are also good where they are but remove Ablative Armor from the list of default Starship Talents and replace it with Quantum Torpedoes.

Of all the Prometheus-class variants, the Phoenix-class variant is the most classic-looking which suggests a return to conventional Starfleet designs. It’s like part of the second wave of these multi-vector ships along with the Hephaestus-class variant and is an even more balanced version of that ship which can act comfortably in peacetime missions but also hold its own with the multi-vector capabilities. Set the Entered Service date to 2392 (just after the Hephaestus launch) and use the refit to increase Sensors by +1. Then decrease Engines and Weapons by -1 each, increase Comms and Computers by +1 each, decrease Security to +1, and increase Command to +1. Now we have a powerful ship with a commanding presence as well as strong offensive systems. Lastly, remove Ablative Armor from the list of default Ship Talents. Normally a Prometheus-class vessel’s Talents are all spoken for between the spaceframe and Mission Profile so the Phoneix-class variant will have one last slot for the crew to pick and customize.

Last of all, the Hestia-class variant design takes the design work of the Prometheus class into the 25th century. Described in Star Trek Online as the “pinnacle of tactical starship design,” this spaceframe is cutting-edge compared to other Starfleet designs of the era in the way that the Prometheus class was beyond other designs of the 2370s. Advancing the Entered Service date to 2408 gives three refits compared to the original Prometheus-class stats. Before we get into that, though, we should include the advances which all 25th century ships share including quantum torpedoes. 

Assault Cruisers

After the destruction of the Enterprise-D during the events of Star Trek: Generations (curse you, Duras sisters!) Starfleet needed a new flagship and so the Enterprise-E was commissioned. This was the first (and only) Sovereign-class vessel seen on screen and the spaceframe is cutting-edge during the default time period of Star Trek Adventures. Luckily, the Sovereign-class assault cruiser was covered very well in the Command Division Supplement so it’s available for your crew to trick out right now! What’s more, there are six variants of the Sovereign class in Star Trek Online so you’ve got a lot of different options to work with as you advance farther into the 24th century.

First up is the Imperial-class variant, launched just after the Sovereign class in 2381. I like to think that Starfleet works on alternative plans during the design process of a spaceframe so the Imperial class represents their “Plan B” for the Sovereign class that was dusted off just following the Dominion War. This is going to be a support ship, something that didn’t have enough “teeth” for what Starfleet needed in the 2370s but which is very useful in building up the Federation following the war. To create an Imperial-class vessel, start with the Sovereign-class and use the refit to increase Computers by +1. Next, decrease Command to +0, increase Engineering to +1, and remove Quantum Torpedoes in the list of default Starship Talents to instead replace it with Extensive Shuttlebays to support all the small craft for supplying colonies. This will also change the starship’s weapons listing, of course.

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Next, the Noble-class variant is an ambassadorial variant that saw small production numbers in the 2380s as the Federation Diplomatic Corps briefly hoped that peace could follow the destruction of the Dominion War. Let’s give this an Entered Service date of 2386 and start again with the Sovereign-class stats. Use the refit to give the Noble class an additional +1 to Computers, decrease Science to +0, and increase Command to +2. The default Starship Talents are still appropriate for this variant but a Noble-class vessel most likely has the Strategic and Diplomatic Operations or Crisis and Emergency Response Mission Profiles.

The last of the variants immediately following the Sovereign class’s launch, the Majestic-class variant is a very tactically-oriented variant of the Sovereign class. Between the quantum torpedoes and the large Scale, the Sovereign class is already able to hold its own in a fight against some pretty tough adversaries. This fits the on-screen portrayal of the class as well, seen when the Enterprise-E blasted its way through Borg firepower in the Battle of Sector 001 and faced off against the Romulan starship Scimitar in the Bassen Rift. Still, there’s room for improvement so the Majestic-class, which launched in 2389, has some of the best weapons that Starfleet has. From the Sovereign-class stats, a refit for this spaceframe will increase Weapons by +1, then decrease Science to +0 and increase Security to +2. The list of Starship Talents still is appropriate for the Majestic class, though more combat-ready Talents can be selected with the Tactical Operations Mission Profile and even the Strategic and Diplomatic Operations Mission Profile.

Once the Federation entered the 25th century, the era of Star Trek Online, three new variants of the Sovereign class were developed. The Regent-class variant is an advanced design that incorporates all the changes for 25th century spaceframes and meant to bring the Sovereign class into a new century in a big way. The new Entered Service date will be 2408 which gives three refits to work which will be used to increase Structure by +1 and Weapons by +2 from the basic Sovereign-class stats. The Emergency Medical Hologram and Quantum Torpedoes Talents from the Sovereign class’s default Starship Talent list are obsolete (since they are standard on all 25th century spaceframes) and so they will be replaced with Ablative Armor and Advanced Torpedoes (crew’s choice) to make this into a true front-line ship.

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The Vizier-class variant assault cruiser is more of an “evolution” of the Sovereign class than an innovation, but with an Entered Service date of 2411 there are many improvements to be made. Starting with the Sovereign-class stats, a Vizier-class ship has four refits which will add +1 to Comms, Computers, Engines, and Structure. Like the Regent class, there are two Starship Talents in the default list that are now obsolete, one of which will be replaced by the Emergency Medical Hologram Mark II Talent from the Sciences Division Supplement. The other slot will be left open, allowing designers to pick four Starship Talents for a Vizier-class vessel in keeping with the customizable aesthetic of the Sovereign class and the Galaxy class before it. If you don’t have the Sciences Division Supplement then you get to pick four Talents instead.

The Archon-class variant spaceframe was launched at the same time as the Vizier class, in 2411, but it takes the opposite approach from the Regent-class upgrade. The Sovereign class is a strong combat presence with plenty of opportunity to explore and study as well. The Regent class makes the Sovereign base into a combat vessel of the 25th century, but the Archon class makes it into an exploratory vessel with all the modern advancements. Starting with the Sovereign-class stats, use the spaceframe’s four refits to add +1 to Computers, Engines, Sensors, and Structure. To replace the two obsolete Starship Talents, add Modular Laboratories and High Resolution Sensors to the list of default Talents for a truly amazing scientific research ship.