Airlocking III: The Search for Slots
Shy Khan
✭✭✭✭✭
Despite slot sales and cadet challenges being mothballed, I once again find myself short of slots. I always enjoy hearing folks' input on which 1/4's should head out the hatch.
So, here's my list of current single-starred super-rares, all at around level 1:
Main Crew
- Dr. Crusher (Med, Sec, Com)
- Friar Tuck Data (Sec, Dip, Eng)
- Gabriel Bell (Dip, Com, Sec)
- Galen (Sci, Sec, Dip)
- Niners Kira Nerys (Com, Sec, Dip)
- Warship Janeway (Com, Sec, Sci)
- Klingon Quark (Sec, Dip, Com)
- Cardassian Kira (Sec, Com, Dip)*Saved by Event*
- Doctor La Forge (Med, Sec, Eng) *Second Star Behold*
- Tsunkatse Seven (Sec, Com, Sci)*Second Star Behold*
Non-Main Crew
- Lily Sloan (Eng, Dip, Sec)
- Alidar Jarok (Com, Dip, Sec)
- Automated Unit 3947 (Eng, Sci, Sec)
- KDF Gowron (Dip, Com, Sec)
- Lore (Eng, Dip, Sci)
- Lon Suder (Sec, Eng, Sci)
- Silik (Com, Sec)
- Marshall of France Q (Com, Sec, Dip) *Pardoned*
Newly Boarded (Since original post)
- Dr. David Marcus (Sci, Eng)
- Waitress Ezri (Dip, Med, Sec)
- Kurros (Dip, Com)
- Lieutenant Tarah (Sec, Com)
- Gralik Durr (Sci, Eng)
- Cadet Wesley Crusher (Sci, Eng)
- Kurros (Dip, Com)
- Commander Ellen Landry (Sec, Com, Sci)
- Maquis Eddington (Com, Sec)
Thoughts? Ship Abilities? Event likelihood? Collections? Artwork? Etc...?
So, here's my list of current single-starred super-rares, all at around level 1:
Main Crew
- Dr. Crusher (Med, Sec, Com)
- Friar Tuck Data (Sec, Dip, Eng)
- Gabriel Bell (Dip, Com, Sec)
- Galen (Sci, Sec, Dip)
- Niners Kira Nerys (Com, Sec, Dip)
- Warship Janeway (Com, Sec, Sci)
- Klingon Quark (Sec, Dip, Com)
- Cardassian Kira (Sec, Com, Dip)*Saved by Event*
- Doctor La Forge (Med, Sec, Eng) *Second Star Behold*
- Tsunkatse Seven (Sec, Com, Sci)*Second Star Behold*
Non-Main Crew
- Lily Sloan (Eng, Dip, Sec)
- Alidar Jarok (Com, Dip, Sec)
- Automated Unit 3947 (Eng, Sci, Sec)
- KDF Gowron (Dip, Com, Sec)
- Lore (Eng, Dip, Sci)
- Lon Suder (Sec, Eng, Sci)
- Silik (Com, Sec)
- Marshall of France Q (Com, Sec, Dip) *Pardoned*
Newly Boarded (Since original post)
- Dr. David Marcus (Sci, Eng)
- Waitress Ezri (Dip, Med, Sec)
- Kurros (Dip, Com)
- Lieutenant Tarah (Sec, Com)
- Gralik Durr (Sci, Eng)
- Cadet Wesley Crusher (Sci, Eng)
- Kurros (Dip, Com)
- Commander Ellen Landry (Sec, Com, Sci)
- Maquis Eddington (Com, Sec)
Thoughts? Ship Abilities? Event likelihood? Collections? Artwork? Etc...?
Come join the Steeler Nation Fleet!
0
Comments
All these could go in a blink. Quark is main cast, but he is a nightmare to build and has junk stats even when you finish him.
Anyway, I'd have a look at difficult collections and how you fare there. There are some premium crew you might want to keep a hold of ...
- Doc La Forge (Holodeck Enthusiasts)
- Friar Tuck Data (Sherwood Forest)
- Niners Kira Nerys (Play Ball!)
- Tsunkatse Seven (Borg)
- Lily Sloane (Jury Rigger - probably the most difficult collection to complete that gives stat boosts)
Are the five that pop out as "do not airlock" ... each is either critical for the collection or will, by themselves, get you to the next tier. I've put the collection in brackets.
Especially the Borg and Jury Rigger collections will eventually be a boon for your whole crew with stat boosts.
Then ...
- Gabriel Bell is actually decent, even as a 1/4 FE ... I used him on shuttle seats during the last Sisko event as a 1/4 because his base DIP is pretty decent (don't have other Sisko DIP crew really) ... made top 1500 (Alpha & Omega 2), so not a waste of space as 1/4 for Sisko events.
Are any likely to come up in future events or be useful? No idea, that's why I keep 'em all, even as 1/4. Since the start of 2019, I've been able to FF Lore, 1701 Jadzia Dax, Defiant Commander Worf and Chief O'Brien, all initially as 1/4 FE, through events they pop up in.
You can check all the crew out on the The Big Book of Behold Advice (Google it) for some good tips on why crew are good (or not) (e.g. why Doc La Forge is a solid keep - Tier 3 4* crew).
I’d say the core keepers are bell, niners Kira, tsunkatse seven, Galen, data and doctor la forge.
For the Jury Rigger collection you'll need (numerous) 5* crew immortalised to complete the final tier, even if you have all the 4*s (I don't even have 25 Jury Rigger crew as is ... at 22 with 16 immortal).
Yes, Galen is also a good keep.
Yes, some get saved by the proverbial bell (slot sale/4th Star immortalization drops), and some are the inevitable second (or third) drops after you’ve airlocked the original copy.
Ah, yes, that is a luxury I do not have with only 120 slots. I’m forced to prune my crew. My current breakdown is:
49 Legendaries
1 4/4
18 3/4s
30 2/4s
5 “useful” 1/4s @ Level 100
17 1/4s @ Level 1
With 1 legendary, 1 super-rare and current event Vosk in overdraft and/or unclaimed.
- Cardassian Kira (Sec, Com, Dip) - can live without
- Dr. Crusher (Med, Sec, Com) - keep
- Doctor La Forge (Med, Sec, Eng) - keep
- Friar Tuck Data (Sec, Dip, Eng) - keep
- Gabriel Bell (Dip, Com, Sec) - keep
- Galen (Sci, Sec, Dip) - keep
- Klingon Quark (Sec, Dip, Com) - can live without
- Niners Kira Nerys (Com, Sec, Dip) - keep
- Tsunkatse Seven (Sec, Com, Sci) - keep
- Warship Janeway (Com, Sec, Sci) - can live without
- Automated Unit 3947 (Eng, Sci, Sec) - airlock
- Silik (Com, Sec) - airlock
- Lily Sloan (Eng, Dip, Sec) - I'd airlock, but others have made good points about her
- KDF Gowron (Dip, Com, Sec) - can live without
- Lore (Eng, Dip, Sci) - can live without
- Lon Suder (Sec, Eng, Sci) - airlock
- Marshall of France Q (Com, Sec, Dip) - keep if possible (decent gauntlet stats)
- Alidar Jarok (Com, Dip, Sec) [In Overdraft] - keep if possible (decent gauntlet stats)
Since you're limited in slots, I guess the other advice I'd offer is to simply continue to not acquire whichever crew you airlock. Just keep sending them into space until you FF some of the others. Then you can always pick up a "project" that you can work to fuse until the project goes straight to the vault.
Yes, I'd been following that path for a while, mostly with 2-skill crew. Silik, for example often breathes some vacuum, and I sent Tarah out the day before posting this. Suder also has sacrificed himself previously, and Klingon Quark and Gowron.
Yes, I came across that last year, it's a great resource. I was sad to see that it's author has decided to stop updating it as of the beginning of this year, but it's contents are still incredibly helpful. I downloaded a copy of the last edition in case it vanished.
- Silik
- Automated Unit 3947 (I had it in my head I needed it to clear a node, but that was ages ago and the nodes have since been cleared)
- KDF Gowron
- Klingon Quark
- Lore
I only need to do away with the first three in the immediate future to bring Vosk into play for this event (as well as an Augment Picard BeGold), but it's very helpful to have a standing list and dismissal order on hand, so thanks very much, all!
And continued input is always appreciated! I generally update the OP as Voyage/pull drops occur.
- The Big Book is being updated again ... so by all means, check it out for the latest on the likes of the binars to Dr. Pulaski (this week's ranked 5* - hint, she's good).
- The list of those to airlock will be similar each Airlock # post ... that is because they are the poorest 4* options out there and are all part of the portal pool ... so you will continue picking them up here or there ... you just have to hope that this afternoon's event announcement has one of the ones you always airlock so that you can get 4 copies through ranked rewards ... that's the only way you'll never have to consider airlocking them again.
This means you can basically airlock the likes of Silik (or some of the others) each time you get him through a Voyage etc.
--> That's why I'd check the Big Book and determine who, of the crew you are missing, are actually worth keeping, should you have space, be it for base stats or proficiency rolls (Marshall Q) etc. ... so, who are you missing that is good? ... and that is why I look at it from that angle and don't give advice on who to ditch.
Oh and yes ... I actually threw Marshal of France Q (1/4 FE) into today's gauntlet ... he has 65% (DIP - Crafty, Scoundrel, Costumed) and is actually one of my best CMD/DIP combo crew ... first time he's in for me, we'll see how that goes.
http://stt.doroexplo.com/
Ah, good to know about the Big Book. I like that they've added in portal/out of portal color keys. I do generally check all these sources, I just enjoy hearing people's practical experience and perspectives on the forum. Particularly since I tend to focus on Voyages strength, so people fill me in on Gauntlet and Skirmish strengths that I may have missed.
And I definitely airlock lots of the usual suspects on a regular basis in between these posts, but I find it helps to check back in. For example, I wasn't aware Marshal of France Q was that strong in Gauntlet before. For this round, I've been using Judge Q, who is definitely second-string Gauntlet stat-wise, but has the triple bonus.
Ah, that’s a great Behold Book variant - I really like being able to visualize the tiers like that.
Q was excellent.
- Not only should Q not be on the list to airlock, I'd put him on the top 3 to level list ... I'm sure he'll be of use as a rotation option alongside the regular crew you throw into the guantlet, his CMD/DIP pair is good ... I smashed Judge Q (and Mariachi Q) each time I met them, was an auto pick to win
Q-centric gauntlets aren’t as frequent as those for Locutus, Guinan, and Klingons, but Q variants that are strong gauntleteers are pretty rare so when they come up Marshal of France Q runs roughshod over the competition. I said it somewhere else and I will say it here again: I regret not leveling him until I had his fourth star...definitely should have checked out his stats when his first star dropped.
Congrats! 3rd was my highest placement ever - the 2000 honor achievement award for 1st never quite held as much allure for me as the 10x Premium Pull for Top 5.
Like I was saying, this is why I like checking back in to see what people's practical experiences are, particularly when Gauntlet traits change, etc... Last year when I did one of these threads, Napoleon-cosplay Q was eliminated.
Update: Latest voyage just dropped Dr. David Marcus and Kurros (as well as Mirror Leeta, but she's already safely in cryosleep). I'm not claiming them until after I threshold a copy of Bluetooth Archer later today during the event, at which point they'll be in overdraft.
At a glance, Marcus fills a Jury Rigger collection spot, and Kurros has some nice traits. Other than that, they're fairly low-tiered in the Big Book (9th and 12th tiers, respectively)
On a side note, Kurros does make me wish the rest of the Seinfeld cast had done guest appearances in Star Trek at some point. Jerry could have been the comic who teaches Data humor, Richards could be any number of aliens, and Julia Louis Dreyfuss can pretty much do anything - maybe Deanna Troi's overachieving sister...? Though, perhaps this has already happened in the Bridge Crew themes thread.
- As mentioned, Kurros is in the Innovator collection.
If you ever want to get anywhere with these collections you need to immortalise these two crew. Currently, you almost need all (-1) 4* or lower crew for Innovator to get max tier and you need all 4* and lower +5 5*s for the Jury Rigger collection.
If not ... they're both meh ...
I levelled a 2/4 David up for the event where they removed his doctor trait (argh! - he was irritating to level too) ... he's still 2/4. Kurros has moved from 1/4 to 3/4 and can't wait to freeze him, don't use him for anything.
Thanks.
As far as getting 1st in Gauntlet ... I thought it would be impossible (like getting first in an event) ... but turned out not to be the most difficult thing ... the gauntlet set before I came in second by 10 points (last checking a minute before end) and the one after, that just ended, I came in 3rd (by 400 points, but 30 or so points behind #2).
- Make sure you are top 40 by end of day 1 and monitor how many points you lose between sessions (will give you an indication of how good your crew is relative to others);
- Double check to see if someone is not going all out (as was the case in my last gauntlet);
- Just kinda play day 2 and spend merits if needed, I'll spend around 200-400 merits and that is break even for sure (have never spent dil). 2000 Honor for those merits is a good return (better than a merit pull);
- Voila.
I do have the 4 gauntlet 5*s (1 each and cited Guinan up to 4), but I've never picked gauntlet crew from beholds, as gauntlet isn't my thing. I just play to get more copies to fuse the 5*s or for portal pulls (I netted a 5* behold from a single premium pull last night).
So, I'm sure you can do it.
- David (that hair will never be seen again)
- Morgan Bateson
- Men's Wearhouse Chakotay and Disguised Tuvok
- Ardra and Mirror Leeta (big hair)
- Malik and Augment Riker. I'm pretty sure they were backup singers at a Duran Duran concert.
- Douglas Pabst, and I would give anything for a non-canon human-faced Neelix to complete my Benson subcollection
- Iggy Pop Vorta, though could also fit below
- Any and all Guinans
I don't know if we have enough for an Ode to the 70's, but we'd have to start off with:
- Wild and Crazy Guy Riker
- Squiggy the Clown
Don't forget Boothby - The Original Dexy's Midnight Runners
Oh and Romulan Kirk - David Bowie
amazing how that name David keeps coming in to the conversation.
I recently immortalized Doc LaForge. In the process, I realized he was needing legendary equip for level 70 gear. Yeah he was bad.
Yeah I did him during the skirmish event and it was less painful than it would have been.