Lootcritter here: I’m preparing two reviews for the Klingon and Romulan entries to the Kelvin ship set, and Timberwolf is back with his take on the two Federation cruisers.

As always Timberwolf is a great source of information and new contributor over at The Pilot Review Show.  If you’re looking for advice I recommend you check out his YouTube channel.

Kelvin Timeline Intel Dreadnought (Vengeance) Grade: Solid A

So, before I got this ship in Star Trek Online, I had to watch Star Trek: Into Darkness again and get a feel for her power and beauty. Once I got a feel for what she should be doing, I unpacked her and started outfitting her with Kelvin timeline tech so she fit her timeline and universe when she goes into combat.

Man she is a beast! I kept the Broadside Emitter on her for the test because A) very nice broadside phaser blasts B) that captain ability recharge is awesome and C) Very nice to watch that console blast out all those pulses and torpedoes (yes i see blue torpedoes/drones in the broadside) !! While it might not add a lot of damage output to activate the console, the recharge speed on Captain abilities is a great addition to your build, especially when you are trying to get more uptime for Attack Pattern Alpha. Also, Since I am using Kelvin Phaser emitter arrays on the build, when they are using Fire at Will and the console is activated, the barrage is amazing looking! I am getting used to, slowly, launching pets and keeping them active during a run, along with activating the Active Intel sensors, which having all these extra options is a great thing for a build honestly. However, it does take time to get used to when you are not used to the extras. The trait, Target Rich Environment, is nice but not a high-end boost from what I’ve seen. Slotting it versus Reciprocity yields no real difference in multiple runs, making it a good trait if you have little options but not needed at the high end in this youtuber’s opinion

Below is the video of our test with her:

So, as you can see, even with these new phaser emitters, she can still hit hard and survive a lot at once! I’ll probably switch out her weapons for fleet phasers and keep the console on her for broadsiding madness. All in all, a great ship with a lot of options that can hit like a Mack truck. Hell even the pets are good 🙂 Considering she is the Lobi option for this lockbox release, she is Well worth the price in Lobi for her. You will want this ship in your fleet carrying the battle flag and tearing through the enemy armada. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed 🙂

Kelvin Timeline Heavy Command Cruiser (Constitution) Grade: Solid A

Ok, this ship is a true gem in my heart. Whether you like the new movie series or not, along with its new Constitution design, I found for me personally it reminds of the Original Series when I was a kid. Granted, the story is different as well as the overall design, but I still feel nostalgia whenever I see it on screen. The moment it was first shown on the movie screen in the 2009 Star Trek, with the epic music score in the background, I seriously got goosebumps. It was sleek, new, and it an alternate reality so it didn’t mess with any established canon stories :). Fast Forward several years and two movies later, We finally have this beauty of a ship in Star Trek Online, so naturally I had to get one and test her out, especially with her normal weapons.

Oh my, she doesn’t disappoint! Kelvin timeline Phasers on the Constitution class not only gives the RP feel you would want going into battle, but they can hit as hard as most any other energy type. Couple that with the ability to use a few Temporal Operative powers on her and you can have something deadly yet elegant in your hands. The Warp Core ejection system console is a wash to me honestly. While it has become a great secondary Evasive maneuver button for me to cross a map or evade fire, the actual explosions, even planned out right, just don’t offer a lot of offensive punch on the build, though if someone can make mines work offensively, this would be a good addition. Its trait, Down But Not Out, goes have good uses, especially for tactical captains who love to get that low hull GDF activation, would get extra subsystem power with their low health, which can equate to nice bonuses to damage and heals.

Below is the video of her first battles:

So you can see even when going for something you might see in the movies, she can be absolutely deadly. Now, off air, I have been able to piece together a build replacing the Warp core ejection console with the Vengeance Broadside console and a few other changes to push her over 100K on damage output while still keeping her Kelvin Phasers equipped, so she can be a powerhouse when built right. If for some reason you haven’t gotten one yet, they will hit the Infinity Lock box around October (my guess), so there will be a better chance to drop one then 🙂
While I did not acquire the Romulan or Klingon Kelvin Timeline ships, I know Loot Critter did, So I will await his assessment before going out to get them. As for the Federation options, they are well worth their weight in purchasing currency for the ships, the traits, and even the consoles. Whether you are a fan of the new films or not, They are hidden gem powerhouses that you should try out when you get the opportunity to do so. Now for me, the USS Franklin petition will start 🙂 Until next time, this is Timberwolf signing off….