🚀 102nd Fleet Academy — Ship Archetypes of Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online features hundreds of ships, but all of them fall into three core archetypes, determined by their Commander bridge officer seat and mastery package.
This system helps new and veteran players understand what a ship is meant to do.
⭐ 1. Cruiser Variant Ships
Durable • Balanced • Broadside / Sustained Combat
Examples:
Cruisers, Battlecruisers, Dreadnought Cruisers, Flight-Deck Cruisers, Command Cruisers
Key Characteristics
Usually have Commander Engineering
High survivability and strong hull
Slower turn rate; stable maneuvering
Good for broadsiding or tanking
Mastery traits focused on durability or sustained firepower
Combat Role
Tanks
Healers / support
Sustained beam or cannon fire
High survival in elite content
Note:
Even offensive cruisers like the Inquiry and Gagarin are still Cruiser Variants because their fundamental identity is Engineering-commanded durability with broadside capability.
⭐ 2. Warship Variant Ships
Fast • Aggressive • Forward-Facing Alpha Strikes
Examples:
Escorts, Destroyers, Tactical Warships, Raiders, Pilot Ships, Strike-Wing Escorts
Key Characteristics
Usually have Commander Tactical
Highest potential DPS in the game
Excellent turn rate and mobility
Lower innate hull/shields than cruisers
Mastery traits focused on burst damage and weapon performance
Combat Role
Pure DPS
Hit-and-run tactics
Forward-facing cannon/torp builds
Fast target transitions
This archetype contains the ships used for the highest DPS records in STO.
⭐ 3. Science Variant Ships
Control • Exotic Damage (EPG) • Debuffing
Examples:
Science Vessels, Multi-Mission Science Ships, Temporal Science Vessels, Science Destroyers
Key Characteristics
Usually have Commander Science
Specialize in exotic damage (EPG)
Strong crowd control & battlefield manipulation
Powerful debuffs and support utilities
Mastery traits focused on exotic or control effects
Combat Role
Exotic (EPG) DPS
Debuffer
Control specialist
AoE disruption and singularity effects
Science ships scale dramatically when built correctly and are essential in high-end team content.
⭐ Special Category: Warbirds — The Romulan Exception
A Hybrid Sub-Class That Fits Into Any Archetype
Warbirds are not a fourth archetype.
Instead, they overlay onto one of the three roles depending on their Commander seat, but with unique Romulan mechanics.
What Makes Warbirds Unique
Singularity Core with abilities like Quantum Absorption, Singularity Jump, and Warp Shadows
Often have Battle Cloak and ambush bonuses
Distinct Warbird handling profile (medium hull, wide arcs)
Can be Engineering, Tactical, or Science commanders
How to Classify Warbirds
Commander Engineering → Cruiser Variant Warbird
(e.g., D’Deridex, Eng Scimitar)
Commander Tactical → Warship Variant Warbird
(e.g., Mogai, Morrigu, Tac Scimitar)
Commander Science → Science Variant Warbird
(e.g., Faeht, Aelahl, Laeosa)