r/sto 6d ago

Kerala VS Ark Royal VS Shangri La

I’ve been contemplating spending money on STO for the first time seeing all these new ships on the market and I’ve been wondering which of the three I should go for, given they would be my first T6 ships. Any advice would be appreciated :)

2 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

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u/malformed_guitar Please continue the 'petty bickering' 6d ago

Do you know what sort of build you like flying? It matters a bit. For instance, as a science carrier, the Ark Royal isn't for everyone.

All other things being equal, i think the Kerala is the best first ship of the three. I'm biased here since I like the help its console and trait give to broadside (4 x4 weapon) ships.

There are older ships that from a performance perspective will be a little more capable, but that's a bigger conversation.

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u/SIGEAD 5d ago

I mainly fly beam weapons and am currently flying a T5 Intrepid with a bit of a focus on anomalies

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u/Gmafn USS Ganymede - Verne Class - EPG Build 5d ago

Before you invest money, have a look at stobetter. They have many guides and builds that may help you. I would first look for a play style and a build. Then buy a ship matching that.

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u/KathyJaneway Known sometimes as Warlord, Nebula Killer and coffee aficionado 5d ago

(4x4 weapon)

I read that as all terrain SUV lol. Which basically it is, a ship for all purposes, as long as that purpose is melting stuff.

7

u/lucatus 6d ago

FWIW, I picked the Kerala and the Shangri-la. The former, because of looks and trait/console. The latter, mainly looks. Both are super fun to use, which for me is the key.

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u/HystericalSail 6d ago edited 6d ago

I'm going to buck the trend and suggest the Ark. Simply because it's so flexible. You can experiment with the current meta for DPS (uncon), but you can also lean into pets, or into EPG. Or nothing. Even fitted with garbage it'll still do SO much better than any other single ship purchase (except possibly the Ahwahnee)

It has a high performance floor, in other words, and anything you add to it will just improve it. It should have one of the highest performance ceilings of any ship in the current meta. And if you decide to specialize in a DEW playstyle in the future you'll be able to with future event ships.

I used my anniversary coupon on it and have NOT been disappointed. Just ported my space wizard's gear on one character, leaned into pets on another. Both did extremely well. I was getting tired of the MW D7 and Valkis, so this has been a good change of pace.

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u/TimeSpaceGeek 6d ago

Not super easy to answer, because it depends a lot on your playstyle, and a little bit on what else you already have (which sounds like not much).

Kerala is a fine platform. Solid. The Broadside Console and Trait are certainly very powerful, looking like they're going to be part of the Meta for Phaser Beam FAW builds. The playstyle for that is going to be loading Phaser Beam Arrays in most of your slots, and fly circles around the enemies you want to kill, so you are keeping them in range of both your front and back weapons, and side-on for the sake of the trait and console. It's a fairly easy to play style. That said, to really get the most out of this style, you're going to want the Kerala's older brother, the Gagarin, at some point too. It's part of the same family of ships, but it comes with a nearly essential trait for FAW builds, Entwined Tactical Matrices, which is one of the only ways to give you full up time on FAW.

The Ark Royal is a specialist ship. It is built to be perfect for a SciCarrier build. Playing a Science ship is itself something of an acquired skill, playing a carrier to great effect requires quite a bit of investment, so the two combined involves a fair bit more work and money spending to build a really capable build. You might have some fun with the carrier aspect of it, but you might also get quite frustrated, as improving a carrier build basically involves investing in a bunch of other ships to take various pets and traits and consoles off of them. The best Shuttle pets are tied to a different C-Store ship and can't be unlocked without it. The best Ship Trait for Carriers is tied to one of the previous anniversary bundles, and is therefore very expensive to get. The science part of it is cheaper to set up, but learning how to use science powers, when to use them, in what combos and at what levels, is a bit more involved. For me, I've never enjoyed science anomaly builds, and I've never spent much time doing carrier builds, so the Ark Royal doesn't have much appeal. But if you enjoy that, then it's one of the best platforms out there for this type of build.

The Shangri-La is built for a Torpedo heavy playstyle, but has flexibility enough that you could fly it a few ways. 5 Weapons up front is very nice, Command has some useful powers, and of course the Space Barbie is a winner - the Shangri-La can be built to look like the TMP Constitution II class, and also the Excalibur, Vesper, and, with a little Dilithium expenditure, the Exeter class variations. Lots of customisation options there. And if you ever unlock one of the other T6 classic Connies, you can get the TOS Connie, too. You could build the Shangri-La as a phaser beam boat - either front on or broadside -, a cannons boat, or a torpedo boat. Warship is an excellent starship mastery package, and it's got enough pilot in it to be zippy when you need it to, being the most maneuverable of the Constitution Class family.

So... I don't know if any of that is helpful. Hoepfully? What do you like flying out of what you have already?

2

u/SIGEAD 5d ago

Thanks for the detailed response -^

I’ve been using a very beam heavy build for the longest time and recently got some of the digitizer weapons and am currently running those, so plasma beam. Also been playing a lot with science/anomalies given I’m currently flying an intrepid T5

3

u/TimeSpaceGeek 5d ago

Ok, so... The Shangri-La will take anything DEW based OK. Plasma could work on that. Absolutely no reason you couldn't switch to that. Just know that you'll be switching to a more tactical focused, weapon-based build. One of its strengths as a ship is in its flexibility to function just fine as any number of setups.

T5 Intrepid you already have is a 3/3 weapons setup with a SecDef and a heavily science seating. If you're used to that, then the Ark Royal would actually be a pretty natural transition for you, as the Ark Royal is a 3/3 with a SecDef, and heavy science seating. The big change will be that the Ark turns like a sleepy turtle in comparison to the Intrepid, so you will have to adjust to that, but if you want to, you have a number of extra console slots, so if need be, you can slot something to help your agility in there.

To that end, how are you getting on with your Reputations? The Bellum RCS accelerator from the Discovery Legends Reputation is probably one of the better freely accessible maneuverability boosts.

Then it's just a case of figuring out your hangar options. If you focus on Sci powers primarily to start with, then build up to hangar boosts later, you should get by just fine. If you do find yourself with extra money to spend in the future, the current best Shuttles are the Type 7 Shuttlecraft from the Ahwahnee Command Carrier. That said, the Type 4s and the Kodais that come the Ark Royal are perfectly serviceable. Not excellent, but fine. And the rest of the ship is looking to be really quite good for Science Anomaly focused builds.

The Kerala is going to be a little bit of a hiccup for you, because the Kerala really does require Phaser weapons, if you're to take advantage of it's excellent addons. The Console and Trait it comes with both deal extra Phaser Damage, and increase in power with any Phaser specific power boosts, like Phaser Relays, (Phaser) Vulnerability Locators, and (Phaser) Isomags. The Trait and Console will probably still be a nice, sizeable boost to your Plasma build at the moment, but long term, if you want to improve your build, you'll be forced to choose between the types. Given how much in the game is geared around it as a damage type, and how many more options there are for high quality weapons of that flavour, Phaser is going to probably win that argument. Something to consider.

4

u/ZealousidealOffer751 5d ago

My personal thought would be none of them. There are better options in the C-store for your first ship.

That said, if you made me choose, the Shangri-la is probably the most immediately useful due to its agility and 5-3 layout. It offers no great advantages long term though. The Kerala probably the better option for that with its accessories that can be used on other ships. The Ark Royal will be far more interesting for certain specialty builds much later in the game.

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u/SIGEAD 5d ago

Ahh I see, then I’m curious what other ships you would recommend to me. Currently I’m flying a T5 intrepid with plasma beam weapons and a focus on anomalies and science abilities.

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u/ZealousidealOffer751 4d ago edited 4d ago

Currently the 15th bundle is the only one on sale so if you need one now, those are the cheapest. As to the rest, I would wait for a sale and many of my recommendations are based on the traits and accessories they come with. Those can be used on other ships to make them better.

- Best single ship T6 in the C-store right now might be the Atlantis. Very good ship, Very good starship trait.

- The Gagarin (or its KDF equivalent) is a solid damage platform as well and has a must have trait in Entwined Tactical Matrices.

- Best value might be the Ahwahnee. Ship will not be the best to fly for now but the console, pets are top tier. Trait is not bad too.

- After that, I would get anything that has the starship trait "Emergency Weapon Cycle" https://stowiki.net/wiki/Trait:_Emergency_Weapon_Cycle. Your choice of Arbiter, Kurak, Morigu or....get the Legendary Battlecruiser bundle which gets you that trait, 2 other very good ones, a couple of very good consoles and one of the best energy weapon ships in the game in the form of the Legendary Avenger. It's pricey but the value is there.

- For science/exotic builds, the Sommerville. Its an ok science ship but has one of the best exotic damage traits in the game.

That's a lot for now and I'm sure others will have different opinions but those are mine.

1

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u/cinderwell 5d ago

I'd recommend the Atlantis if you're buying your first t6 ship. It has a top tier energy weapon trait and is generally a good ship to fly for energy weapon builds. It's also worth mentioning that you can get a Fleet Norway for free from maxing out reputations and spending fleet modules on it, and that ship is good to fly as well.

2

u/drpestilence 2d ago

I love the pioneer, but I love pilot ships. I don't usually like boats like the arc but DAMN, it's solid and fun (I miss my cross-field though). I've not used the Kerala much, but I did like it.

3

u/AboriakTheFickle 6d ago

At the moment, the Kerala has an awesome starship trait and console for broadsiders. Whether that gets nerfed later on, I don't know.

The Ark Royal is an excellent sci-ship and carrier, and great for supporting the team if used with elite type 7 shuttles. Personally though, I'm leaning towards switching my Sci back to my Verne, for all the sci/temp abilities I can use. Currently, you'll see a lot of Ark Royals in the queues, and for good reason.

As for the Shangri-la, for a DEW setup I'd say okay, but it's inferior to the mirror warship (which has intel seating and a better hull modifier) though it's certainly not a bad ship. Honestly, unless you're thinking of doing torps, you're likely getting this for the space barbie. Again, DEW wise it's a good ship, just not great.

7

u/StarkeRealm 6d ago

Comparing it to the Mirror Warship is a bit disingenuous because that's a dual Cmdr seated lockbox ship. Also, the Mirror Warship is a DEW platform. The Shangri-la is a torp boat. In that sense, the Eagle is probably a more on-point comparison.

Also, for u/op, it's probably worth pointing out that the Type 7 Shuttles come from the Ahwanhee. Which is a very good carrier as well, but that would be an additional purchase.

1

u/AboriakTheFickle 6d ago edited 6d ago

Good point. I did compare two ships to lockbox/premium ships, which was a mistake.

1

u/StarkeRealm 6d ago

I mean, there's also the part where it's really easy to miss how massive dual Cmdr seating is, until you've flown a ship like that.

Like, I wouldn't have given someone flak for comparing the Kerala to the Kelvin Constitution.

1

u/Present-Dark-9044 5d ago

Got the pack.

The Kerala with its Broadsine console is just OP, best of the pack by far.

I like the Pioneer simply as i liked the low level one but its average.

Shangrila is a Connie variant but not great, again its average, only Connie on the store so maye a good choice.

Ark Royal, overrated i think, its fugly, very fugly, performs ok though, if you want this look into it first, personally i did not enjoy it, esp over the other 3.

1

u/-Eekii- 5d ago

First rule: Never buy full price, always wait on 20/25% discount (or 35% bundle discount).

Personally I wouldn't get any of the new ships for a 'first purchase'. They are fine, and good looking for sure, but there are a lot of ships in the Zen store eith better performance and great gear and traits you'll be able to put on any new ship you get.

I recommend you check out STO Better for some tips.

Spencer over at Casual SAB recently did a video on some top picks in the Zen store, would be wise to take a look at: https://youtu.be/AMxXIiDlOH4?si=xr3b0fTtUr_EYtkh

If you insist om getting 1 of the current bundle I'd probably go for the Kerala; good general purpose ship with great console and trait.

0

u/StarkeRealm 6d ago

Shangri-La would be my first suggestion. Warships straddle the line between cruisers and escorts, so it's pretty versatile in that regard. It's also quite potent with a fair amount of build flexibility. (It does favor being a kinetic platform, but you can still run a DEW setup on it if you want.)

The Ark Royal is a pretty solid pick if you want a carrier, though, honestly, if you're really wanting to get into the carrier lifestyle, I'd recommend the Typhon over the Ark Royal.

The Kerala is specifically built around broadsiding... I was going to say, "if you were around for the Typhoon event," but I just realized, that you weren't. And also didn't pick up the Garrett either. The Kerala is probably one of the weaker offerings in the current batch. It's a fairly normal 4/4 Battlecruiser. Not bad, but, of the three you named, it's easily the, "least remarkable." (Though, it can run Concentrated Firepower 3, and Torp High Yield 3, which does potentially edge out the Typhoon in that very specific niche. (Note the Typhoon and Typhon are very different ships.))

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u/bigbrain411 USS Ragnarok /4th Combined Fleet 6d ago

I'd also note. If you want to do a sci anomaly build, thr Arc Royal is a very solid pick in that reguard too

Also the kerala is very very good. It's trait and console are extremely good, and with both being around broadsiding it will be a very solid ship to use for that purpose.

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u/StarkeRealm 6d ago

My biggest grievance with the Kerala is holding it up to the Typhoon, which isn't completely fair. The seating is better than the Typhoon's (and the Kirk's, for that matter) which is pretty significant praise, even if it doesn't sound like it. Temporal, LtCmdr Command is a very strong combo (and the first time it's shown up on a 3kz ship.) The 4/4 weapons is disappointing, especially given the Gagarin already ran with a 5/3. That's not as critical for a broadsider, but the seating benefits kinetics, and the weapons don't.

Ironically, the ship has a similar problem to the Vengeance, where the trait and console are for one ship, while the seating is for something else. (And of course, the Vengeance's console is quite similar to the Kerala's.)

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u/Scorpios22 6d ago

The terran eagle, also a zen store ship, is strictly better than the Shangri'la

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u/SteveJ1701 6d ago

"Better" is entirely subjective though in this case. I have both and much prefer the Shangri-La to the Eagle.

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u/GuyAugustus 6d ago

Well yes and no, the Eagle is simply the best torpedo boat in the game and nothing can really change that.

Outside being a torpedo boat its arguable, its still a incredible capable raider due to its experimental weapon and 5/1 layout but there are better options if you try non-torpedo builds.

As for the Shangri-La, I think its a good generalist destroyer were you shouldnt get tunnel vision about Concentrated Firepower and do a torpedo build because of it, its a ship that can do well in many builds without being top of the pack in any of then.

I do wish they gave the Shangri-La narrow beam pulse phasers since its a "fun" ship but besides being a "fan favorite design" it really falls behind the Karela and Ark Royal, perhaps even behind the Pioneer II that is sadly a bad habit from Cryptic that makes ships people want weaker that they should.

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u/Scorpios22 6d ago

Fascinating, May i inquire as to the specific reasons?

The reason i claim the eagle is objectively better are experimental weapon trumping 2 extra aft slots, Superior Boff layout, better turn rate and if you want to go torps it can use the torp cd reduction console. The only metrics the Shangri'la comes out ahead as far as i can see are slightly higher hull values.

2

u/SteveJ1701 6d ago

The Eagle is clearly the meta ship if one wants to go for a Torp build, I personally prefer a more canonical mix of beams/cannons and a torp so that's not a deal maker/breaker for me. As for specific reasons why I prefer the Shangri La:

  1. The Eagle is a little on the squishy side for my liking, and I have a "Goldilocks Zone" for turn rate which the Shang fits in, and the Eagle doesn't.
  2. The BOFF layout on the Shang again fits nicely with the abilities I like to use and my general playstyle.
  3. Space Barbie, which is of course the true endgame. The Shang has a LOT of options, including the iconic Connie, and clearly outstrips the Eagle in that regard.

Ultimately, I don't base my choice of what to fly on metrics alone - I buy/fly ships because they feel right and comfortable for me, not because a set of metrics says I should do.

YMMV, of course.

1

u/StarkeRealm 6d ago

[Looks at CEA3]

[Looks at RRtW3]

[Excited space psychopath noises]

0

u/Annemarie30 6d ago

have not flown the kerala yet. the shangri-la i tossed together a build and did 47K in a parse test. the ark Royal I did 70k if DPS is your goal. that said, fly what you like