The B'Rel Bird-of-Prey

The most recognizable Klingon ship has to be the standard Bird-of-Prey. This sleek silhouette chills the spine of any Captain as promise of short, bloody and all over the place violence - also known as "The Klingons are hailing us!" - looms over soon to be space-debris Federation ships.

It seems only natural then that the starter ships for new Klingon warriors should be the B'Rel Bird-of-Prey, the oldest and least powerful BoP model.

Do not let its age and limited weaponry fool you though. The B'Rel might not have the shields or hull of a Federation Miranda class Light Cruiser, but it packs a meaner punch, handles better and has a Cloak that allows it to close the distance easier. Unlike the later Birds-of-Prey, the B'Rel possesses only a normal Cloak, meaning it can only turn invisible out of combat. Later models have access to the Battle Cloak, allowing them to slip away even in the heat of ship to ship dogfighting if the situation turns against them.

As the Klingon Empire does not have access at the moment to any meaningful PvE content, the article will focus on flying a B'Rel in PvP, especially against the Federation Tier 1 ship - the Miranda.

Unfortunately, being less sturdy means that the BoP cannot employ the same tactics as successfully as the Federation starter ship. A Klingon Captain must make the most of the maneuverability of the B'Rel in order to win against an equally skilled Federation player. One cannot play the BoP as a Cruiser as in a broadsiding contest the Miranda wins hands down.

Instead the BoP must be flown as an Escort, sporting a rear Turret, preferably Phaser to counteract the Disruptor damage resistant shields of Federation players and a forward Dual-Beam or Cannon. Finally the standard torpedo launcher, be it Photon or Quantum, is an absolute necessity. The basic tactic is to get behind a Federation ship, under 5 kms, uncloak and start firing. Keep behind the target by using Evasive Maneuvers to counteract any sharp turns, reducing impulse speed to half to allow for better turning and if possible using a Tractor Beam I from a Science Bridge Officer to keep the weakened rear shield in your sights.

Between a Turret and a Heavy Cannon the targeted shield should drop instantly allow you to pop a High Yield Torpedo right into the exposed hull.

If the fight is not going your way, either hit Rotate Shield Frequency (Engineer only) and try to finish off your victim or switch full power to Engines, hit Evasive Maneuvers and get the hell out of there. The massive speed boost should allow you to clear the 10 km max weapon range before incoming fire tears your fragile BoP apart. If you manage to get out of range you will get out of combat and must cloak to slink away and repair your damaged ship.

All in all the B'Rel Bird-of-Prey is a versatile, if a little fragile, ship. Unlike the Miranda Light Cruiser, one must always focus on doing as much damage as possible before retreating as the shields and hull on a BoP do not last long enough for prolonged battles.