Cadet Challenges

SMM

Has anyone got an optimised minimal crew lists to complete all Cadet Challenges missions?

[OPA] Col. Fred L. Johnson

From old forum, but still pretty useful if you need to collect all stars:
https://forums.disruptorbeam.com/stt/viewthread/52354

After that, it's your personal choice, depending on which crew you have and what items you need most often.
I keep Picard, Worf, Sito Jaxa, Prisoner Burnham and Naomi Wildman for mon-fri and Winn Adami, Deanna Troi and Lt. Saavik for sat-sun.

I guess that even smaller combo can be found for mon-fri but I'm just too lazy to look for it

<TGE> Clifford

If you would like the ability to crit all nodes of Cadet Challenges on Epic difficulty (once you have crit’ed them, I recommend freezing whoever you use for 3* SEC and using Maquis Takeover Torres or Sniper Ezri Dax for weekend SEC from then on), then your optimized list goes something like the following:

CMD:
- 2* Cadet Sito Jaxa (MTWTF)
- 3* Lieutenant Saavik (Sat. & Sun.)

DIP:
- 2* Ensign Sato (MWTF) OR 2* Enterprise-D Picard (Picard does not work if you are using Odo, but Sato has the better DIP, so I’d recommend her over him regardless)
- 2* Gaia Odo (Tues.) OR 2* Dabo Girl Leeta (Tues. & Thurs.) OR Persis (Tues. & Thurs.) (If using Sato, Odo has the best DIP.)
- 3* Lwaxana Troi (Sat. & Sun.)

ENG:
- 2* Lt Naomi Wildman (MTWTF)
- 3* Maquis Takeover Torres (Sat. & Sun.)

SEC:
- 2* Security Chief Worf (MTWF) OR 2* Lieutenant Yar (MWTF)
- 2* Major Kira (Tues. & Thurs.) (Note: There are multiple 2* Sec combos, but this one seemed simpler to write.)
- 3* Private Money (Sat.) OR 3* Expedition Vash (Sat.)
- 3* Constable Odo (Sun.) OR 3* Tailor Garak (Sun.) OR 3* Third Remata’Klan (Sun.) OR Probably any of seven other sec-primary 3*s that happen to be at least part alien, but you probably get the gist.

SCI:
-2* Festive Jadzia Dax (MTWTF) OR 2* Ensign Pazlar (MTWTF) (Note: Either 2* Burnham will currently work for Tuesday cadets, which means you can use either of them in this slot, but supposedly this is a bug that will be fixed, so I wouldn’t bet on it.)
-3* Lieutenant Saavik (Sat. & Sun.)

MED:
-2* CMO Crusher (MWTF)
-2* Nurse Kes (Tues. & Thurs.) OR 2* Dr Phlox (Tues.)
-3* Sniper Ezri Dax (Sat. & Sun.) AND/OR 3* Doctor Selar (Sat. & Sun.)

Those are essentially what I used to crit them, and then I narrowed them down a bit depending on what I use them for.

For example, I don’t play Epic on Thursdays, so I froze Major Kira, and instead I use someone else who has secondary SEC. Since critting the last mission on Saturday, I froze Expedition Vash, et cetera.

Data1001

I also use Festive Jadzia for DIP on several of the missions. Her "Gambler" trait comes in handy there. So I actually have all of the following frozen...

- 2* Ensign Sato (MWTF) OR 2* Enterprise-D Picard (Picard does not work if you are using Odo, but Sato has the better DIP, so I’d recommend her over him regardless)
- 2* Gaia Odo (Tues.) OR 2* Dabo Girl Leeta (Tues. & Thurs.) OR Persis (Tues. & Thurs.) (If using Sato, Odo has the best DIP.)

...however, rarely, I'll also occasionally make use of Sito Jaxa or Nurse Kes for DIP, if needed.

SMM

Thanks Everyone

Marko Ramius

Check out my Cadet Challenge Spreadsheet. It organizes cadets to help you decide on your minimal crew.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1S_yqmSXvGxTTNTRzJ4NVdPaUE

al103

OK, just did check on EAS and STARBASE BONUSES ARE AWESOME. And so is Festive Dax.

EAS Epic 1 - Sec, Med (fail Eng)
EAS Epic 2 - Sec, Sci
EAS Epic 3 - Sec, Sito does both Com nodes, Festive Dax on Dip
EAS Epic 4 - Com, Med, Sci - with Sito and Dax mentioned should be pretty obvious
EAS Epic 5 - Sci, Med, fail Eng/Dip node

So final crew - your preferred Sec, Crusher, Sito, Dax. That's it. No ENG and no DIP.

May not work as well without starbase bonuses, don't care enough to count.

So, mister Picard, say hello to Freezer. Will be checking other two for Eng.

Data1001

I use Ensign Seska for ENG in the weekday challenges. Her SEC also gives her double-duty for Thursday's A Certain Formality challenge on Elite.

Ironagedave

I use Seska, Jaxa, Festive Dax and Worf, - I farm M3 for EAS and they can all be used on TUF and the ladies are good enough to do at least one epic on ACF I just avoid MED heavy missions because I object to the fact you have to have both Crusher and Kes out of the freezer.

Of course if you are still unlocking nodes or want to farm a particular mission you may not be able to run on this kind of minimum.

NB I do have Picard and Gaia Odo but they are my immortalising fodder at the moment.

Weekend missions is a little trickier as I am still levelling up and icing blue crew, but Takeover Torres, Temp Shift Kes, Saavik, Winn, Security is a tricky one for me because no female alien excels Sniper Ezri is probably the next best thing.

al103

Ironagedave wrote: »

Weekend missions is a little trickier as I am still levelling up and icing blue crew, but Takeover Torres, Temp Shift Kes, Saavik, Winn, Security is a tricky one for me because no female alien excels Sniper Ezri is probably the next best thing.

Between Kang (for Arena), Torres and B'Etor (my go-to Dip) and their traits I don't remember having problems with Sec on Sunday. I may be wrong as I often farm Elite or Normal, but Epic I remember failing was because of Com, not Sec.

Ironagedave

al103 wrote: »

Ironagedave wrote: »

Weekend missions is a little trickier as I am still levelling up and icing blue crew, but Takeover Torres, Temp Shift Kes, Saavik, Winn, Security is a tricky one for me because no female alien excels Sniper Ezri is probably the next best thing.

Between Kang (for Arena), Torres and B'Etor (my go-to Dip) and their traits I don't remember having problems with Sec on Sunday. I may be wrong as I often farm Elite or Normal, but Epic I remember failing was because of Com, not Sec.

That's probably because you used Odo at the time, the OP was asking for optimal/minimal the criteria therefore is female and alien, Saavik is good enough for Command the other option would be Lursa I seem to recall there is one mission with 3 SEC in a row. There are a lot of options who have SEC as a secondary/tertiary but not necessarily good to pass the node on Epic. If the OP still needs to crit nodes whilst having the least amount of crew then I think Sniper Ezri is the best chance on the rolls, Torres could also if the traits work in her favour but her main strength is ENG.

al103

Ironagedave wrote: »

That's probably because you used Odo at the time,

I never used Odo. Actually I think for normal farming I alway used Saavik and she failed something yellow.

Ironagedave wrote: »

the OP was asking for optimal/minimal the criteria therefore is female and alien,

Minimal is "farm last epic on Saturday" which is B'Etor+Saavik, Mama Troi + Money/Vash and IIRC some other combos with third being Torres - it's not like third would be used anyway. With additional of Non-mama Troi, Kes or Selar (and it's not like there is overflow of Rare Alien Med anyway) they can even farm 4th which is not loosing much creds in comparison to 5th.

Ironagedave wrote: »

I seem to recall there is one mission with 3 SEC in a row.

Flesh and Blood is easy actually. 1 Torres (Klingon), 2 Saavik on Sci, 3 B'Etor (Scoundrel) or Kang (if you are playing aren), 4 Torres, 5 Tired Torres again (because Klingon) or Saavik.

I actually can't into 5th - Saavic comes short on Com, Kes on Sci and I don't remember but I think she was in yellow on Med with failed Sci - need to retest.

al103

First Conflict - Dip, Sec, Kes. As in Mama Troi/B'Etor, Torres (she pass both 350 Sec nodes), Kes
Incompatible - Don't know for others, but for me Kes - B'Etor - Torres on sec (oh, lol, Torres takes ALL the sec) - Kes - Torres/B'Etor. As B'Etor is not needed for Sec then Winn or Mama Troi would do too
History - Torres for sec (OH, LOL), any Dip and Saavik for Sci.

...

So if limiting yourself to last two nodes on Saturday it's

B'Etor, Saavik, Torres, Kes. They can hit ALL missions on Sunday with 100% certainty, well maybe not epic 5 but I didn't tested it after starbases so with good starbase they should kill it too.

PS. Actually...
Down Once More - Kes, Saavik, B'Etor
A Question of Rights - Saavik - Tired Saavik (Starfleet, Resourceful, Vulcan) - B'Etor - Torres - Saavik
Talarian Coup - Torres - Kes - B'Etor (Scoundrel) - FAIL THIS NODE - Torres (Jury Rigger)

Not sure about 3 - Epic, but B'Etor, Saavik, Torres, Kes can run ALL Saturday missions except for that and probably even that with good Starbase (if even required).

PPS.

AdvEAS:
1. Kes - Saavik - Kes - Saavik - B'Etor
2. Saavik - Saavik - B'Etor - Torres - Saavik
3. Torres - Kes - B'Etor - FAIL with anybody but Torres - Torres
4. B'Etor - Kes - Torres - B'Etor - Kes
5. B'Etor - Saavik - B'Etor - Saavik - B'Etor

AdvUF:
1. Torres - Saavik - B'Etor - Torres - Saavik/B'Etor
2. Kes - B'Etor - Torres - Kes - Torres/B'Etor
3. B'Etor - Torres - Kes - Torres - Kes
4. Torres - Saavik - B'Etor - Torres/Saavik
5. Torres - B'Etor - Saavik/Kes (may fail this on Epic) - B'Etor - Saavik (may fail this on Epic)/Kes (not sure if can fail this on Epic after failing third node)

al103

And after some testing and accounting punted Leeta in cryo too... while replacing my Eng with Seven and ACF Sec with Persis. Nice 7 cadets that can do everything (as long as everything don't include non-elite ACF). But that probably does require 6-7% base and 3-4 roll bonuses on Starbase in some cases.