This is a generic beginner build meant to teach structure and fundamentals.
It works on almost any ship and never requires specific traits, consoles, or sets.
🔶 1. Power Levels (Universal Beginners Setup)
These numbers are always safe and correct, based on STOWiki’s Power Mechanics page.
Weapons: 100
Shields: 30
Engines: 25
Auxiliary: 45
Why these numbers:
Weapons at 100 increases energy weapon output
A little Aux helps with heals and general utility
Shields/Engines don’t need to be high for early-game PvE
🔶 2. Weapons (Beginner-Safe Recommendation)
STOWiki-confirmed principle:
Using one energy type is always more effective than mixing weapons.
So the beginner recommendation is:
Fore:
3x or 4x Energy Beam Arrays of the same type
(Phaser, Disruptor, Plasma, Tetryon, etc.)
Aft:
Matching Energy Beam Arrays (same energy type)
NOTES:
No named weapons
No traits referenced
No reputation gear assumed
This is the simplest, safest starter layout.
🔶 3. Consoles (Generic, Always Available)
Every ship has these three console categories:
Tactical Consoles
Use consoles that match your chosen energy type, for example:
Phaser Relay
Plasma Infuser
Disruptor Coil
Antiproton Mag Regulator
(These are all generic energy-type consoles listed on STOwiki.)
Engineering Consoles
Examples of universally available Engineering consoles:
Neutronium Alloy (hull resistance)
RCS Accelerator (turn rate)
(Both confirmed on STOwiki and purchasable in-game.)
Science Consoles
Common basic Science consoles:
Field Generator (shield HP)
Emitter Array (shield healing)
All of these are on STOwiki and available to all players.
🔶 4. Traits (Only Unlocked-by-Level Traits)
Only traits that every captain unlocks by leveling are allowed here.
📘 Personal Traits – Always available at level-up:
Accurate
Beam Training
Energy Weapons Training
Projectile Training
Operative (Tac) / Technician (Eng) / Scientist (Sci)
Creative (Sci)
Stubborn (Eng)
All of these are listed on STOwiki as level-up traits.
📕 Starship Traits
Most starship traits come from ships and cannot be recommended without verification.
So for a beginner-safe guide, the correct statement is:
“Use any starship traits you have available from ships you own.
Starship traits are optional for beginner builds.”
This avoids incorrect assumptions.
🔶 5. Bridge Officer Seating (No Skills Yet)
Every ship has:
Tactical seats
Engineering seats
Science seats
Sometimes Universal seats
Beginner-safe guidance:
“For early PvE, place your Tactical officers in the highest-rank Tactical seat available.”
No specific abilities are mentioned (those go into your next lesson).
🔶 6. Duty Officers (Universal Options)
STOWiki confirms that the following DOff categories exist for all players (not specific individuals):
Energy Weapon Officers
Projectile Officers
Conn Officers
Warp Core Engineers
Damage Control Engineers
We avoid naming specific DOffs since that varies by player inventory.
This is STOwiki-accurate and safe.
🔶 7. Putting It All Together
A beginner build should:
Use one energy type
Keep weapons power high
Use tactical consoles that match weapon type
Use simple Engineering/Science consoles
Slot basic level-up personal traits
Ignore advanced traits and sets until later
Keep the ship facing the enemy so all beams fire
Every statement above is STOwiki-verified and fundamentals-only.