Talk nerdy to me! (in a Klingon dialect, if you will.)

It still irks me that my KDF Science captain is flying a raptor, in that I've not found a good science boat to alternate into. I've tried using the Vo'Quv, but the abysmal turn rates and inertia are abysmal. And while I have specced up a BoP to do rude things with Gravity Wells, I know first-hand that a BoP does not survive a horde of angry spheres very well.

I've thought about a Varanus, but short of the Fleet version, the stats just don't seem there (and what I've seen around, the Fleet-V isn't in the same tier as the rest of the fleet ships). I've been looking off-hand at saving for the Korath or possibly the Kar'Fi. (I'd say the Recluse, but something about the boff spread looks strange, for all that the pets are scary.)

Any thoughts/experience with science-y KDF boats in general, or these boats in particular?

I will put my half cent in:

When I first started playing KDF I had a science, but I hated all of the ships. I got so irritated by this I deleted my KDF science and made a KDF engineer. This story will not help you at all, but I like to type so I thought I would share it. :S

KDF is certainly not geared for sci. I've got 25 toons, and KDF Sci is the only faction/class combo I never bothered to make. Thats being said, the temporal science vessel is really the only Klingon (notice I didn't say KDF) science ship.

If you dont mind spending some zen look into the gorn ships they are usually more science focussed than the headbanging klingons :D

It's been awhile since I flew this, but I used it to farm enough space STFs to buy my KliSci a full ground set:

= LEECH KARFI =

Jem'Hadar engine and deflector, Honor Guard shield

Weapons: 4x single polaron cannon, 3x polaron turrets

Consoles:

- Sci: Phase Shift, Plasmonic Leech, Aceton Assimilator, Borg console
- Tac: 3x Polaron
- Eng: 2x your favorite armor

Useful DOFFs:

- Flight Deck Officer
- Deflector Officer
- Gravimetric

= Strategy:

The Leech Kar'fi uses Polaron weapons and Power Siphon drones to incapacitate a single target at a time.

This build can completely shut down a Tactical Cube (except its torpedoes) in ESTF in a few seconds, allowing the rest of the team to safely tear it apart.

= Tactics:

Skills:

- EPtS, TSS and Aux2SIF keep your own hull and shields up, Hazard Emitters keeps the plasma away
- Hazard Emitters, Aux2SIF and Transfer Shield Strength can heal yourself or an ally
- Chain Tac Team 1 for energy damage bonus and shield balancing
- Chain Cannon Rapid Fire 1+2 to increase damage output of ALL cannons and turrets
- Gravwell 1+3 means you can drop a Gravwell every 40 seconds

+1 Consoles:

- Phase Shift can either be used defensively as a panic button, or offensively to close on a target without taking fire. This comes with the Kar’fi, not a separate purchase.
- Plasmonic Leech console is a bonus power drain for this build that keeps your own power levels high. Energy Siphon skill could be substituted for this.
- Aceton Assimilator is also a bonus power drain for this build. It adds to the target-spam of your pets to make you harder to target and has the bonus of hitting back at anything that shoots it.

Launch bays:

- Load siphon drones for maximum power drain
- Load shield drones to heal yourself or an ally
- Load Skul fighters for more DPS
- Mix and match any of the above
- Avoid Frigates due to their annoying Tricobalt mines

I fly Vo'Quv but I'm guessing we have different playing styles. I throw everything out there--the ship's fighters, satellite turrets, and Scorpion fighters--to do a good bit of the dirty work for me.