Engineering

Intro

Engineering frigates give repair effects to teammates near them, allowing them to survive longer in fights. Engineers have decent durability and good regeneration over time, but are slow and unwieldy, making it difficult for them to avoid fire or to effectively fight back against attackers, relying on teammates for support. Engineering frigates are very much support ships. The fact that they repair ships around them makes them priority targets for enemies, especially in big fights. Engineers must walk a line between being in a good position to give their buffs and being too exposed to attack. Engineers have the most varied choice of modules, having to choose between shield and hull repair modules or utility modules like the Warp Gate, meaning difficult fitting choices. While engineers are tough and have good self repair, they lack defensive abilities, so will likely die to attackers eventually without support, and will die quickly to focused fire that can overcome their regeneration.

Engineering frigates are mainly manufactured by the Federation, but the Empire also have some on offer. Empire engineers are tougher, particularly their hull strength, while Federation engineers have balanced hull and shields, are faster and have better capacitors.

Features:

• Improved engines (+10% to maximum speed)
• Volumetric hull (125% of explosive damage)

Main tasks:

• Repair and restoration of allies in combat conditions
• Cover for retreating Allied forces

Strengths:

• Ability to quickly restore the body and shield of the allies
• Transfer of a large group to the front with the help of gates

Weak sides:

• Low damage
• Low speed
• Low maneuverability
• Strongly dependent on the team

Counter-roles:

• Strong against: ECM and Tacklers
• Weak against: Recons and Gunships
  

Shows best in a large group of allies.

If you like to be the support of the allies and save them from the most difficult situations, then this role is for you.

Special Module

Combat Drones

Engineering frigates passively construct drones every 31.5 seconds, able to have a maximum of two at a time. Drones will fire on enemies within 1900 m. and will stop firing to repair the engineer's shields if they drop below 50%. In addition, drones can be activated to overload and restore a burst of shield to all allied ships in a small radius, including your own, in a radius of 1000 m. After activation, the drone is destroyed and will be replaced through reconstruction.

Some engineers have unique Special Modules.

Active modules

- all

- unique and for premium ships of the same role

- Phoenix

- Spiral

- Hammerhead

- Scylla

- Thrasher

- Octopus

- Waz'Got

Nanodrone Cloud and Mass Shield Generator

In passive mode the Nanodrone Cloud and Mass Shield Generator slowly restore hull and shield respectively to ships around the engineer and engineer himself, activation greatly increases healing rate for a short period of time. Amount of healing during active mode scales with amount of available energy present in a capacitor upon activation. Nanodrone clouds and mass shield generators do not stack from multiple engineering frigates.

Autonomous Repair Station and Autonomous Charging Station

The Autonomous stations are dropped and will repair the hull or shield respectively of the lowest ally in their range. Autonomous stations are destructible.

Warp Gate

The Warp Gate module deploys a warp gate structure that can be used by the engineer and allies to rapidly travel 5km directly ahead. Unlike static Warp gates that are present on some of the maps, Engineers warp gates are not fixed in direction of the travel - if ship enters the warp gate in the angle - it will follow its path in same angle. Using strafe during a warp travel will break the war prematurely and should be used to exit warp before hitting rapidly approaching wall.

Energy Emitter

Has passive and active mode, in a passive mod the Energy Emitter slightly restores energy to ships around the engineer, including itself, upon activation instantly restores a big chunk of energy to itself and ships in range. It is a good idea to pair this module with Nanodrone cloud and Mass shield generator since those effects scale with amount of energy present in a capacitor, it is very important to have as much as possible energy before activating them.

Static Barrier

The Static Barrier drops a solid shield directly in front of the Engineer. The shield will eventually fade or can be destroyed if it takes too much damage. Neither Engineer nor Enemies can shoot through the barrier that acts like a wall for bullets and missiles.

Amplifying Shields

Unique module for a Phoenix Engineer. Creates an additional shield around you and an ally, shield has no resistances and up for 5 seconds, if shield is not destroyed during active time, ships critical chance will be boosted by 50% for 5 seconds.

Shield Sync

Unique module for a Phoenix Engineer. Links own and friendly target's shields, transferring HP points to the ally and boosting a critical chance

Player Opinion and Gameplay

Being a frigate, Engineers are tough and powerful but slow. However, all of the repair abilities it gets makes it nearly indestructible if incoming damage cannot overcome the repairing. This, and the fact that Engineers can also repair allies, makes it one of the best team-oriented ships in the game and is a great source of bonus synergy due to repairing allies. Add the fact that it also has deployable warp gates, shield walls, and other neat abilities and you have a very useful ship. Combine with a friendly Command fighter to increase shield and hull resistance, speed, and weapon damage, to make both the Command and Engineer nearly invincible.