World of Warships [Wargaming.net]

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Renegade, do yourself a favor and skip the Hatsuharu if you can. It's pretty painful. And, unfortunately, I'd also skip the Shiratsuyu if you're going for the Akizuki because the consumable nerf to the Shiratsuyu was quite brutal. Now you have to choose between Smoke and the Torpedo Reload, but the ship doesn't have as good of characteristics as the Kagero to make the trade-off worth it. It used to feel like a lower-tier Shimakaze, but now it's a slightly crappier version of a Fubuki or Kagero, which is unfortunate. That's just my opinion, of course, and it might be because I'm salty; it was one of my favorite ships before the nerf. And they nerfed it without even improving the guns, which is stupid because it's *supposedly* intended to be the IJN gunship line.

I actually quite like the Fubuki and Kagero, though now that I have the HSF Harekaze I play that instead of the Kagero (lowest HP at T8, but the guns are actually good, which is unusual for a IJN DD, plus it has decent Type90 torpedoes that do 14k damage).

For lower tier CA/CL ships, I actually quite like the T6 Budyonny and T7 Shchors. They're good all-rounders, though they doesn't excel at any one category, I find them easy to use and adaptable. Only complaint about it is the range on their torpedoes is quite short, though that doesn't matter as much when I'm sticking close to island cover. But on maps with lots of open water (like Trident or Okinawa), you'd have to get within suicide range to launch them properly. They have good, accurate guns with decent fire chance and good reload speed. Everyone else seems to love the Cleveland, but I'd take a Budyonny over a Cleveland any day, personally.


I'm also about ~58k exp from getting the Monarch. That being said, I'm probably going to wait about another 20k exp and unlock the Ibuki, since I've been eyeing up the Zao for some time now. Honestly, I am torn. Not sure if I should go for the Zao or go for the Conqueror (which people by now are semi-jokingly calling it the MEGAZAO). Both are good ships, and I'm currently wracked by indecision.

[Renegade334]

^--- Okie dokie, I'll hold off on the DD line then. I'm pretty happy with the Isokaze and Minekaze ATM, anyway.

Besides, I'm currently concentrating on other, higher-tier ships. After gauging the options on my aforementioned list, I eventually settled for the Friedrich der Große and the first few matches have been...how I should I say, quite...sobering...if not teetering on the edge of disappointment. The FdG (mine is currently still in stock state, with half of its mod slots filled) feels in many ways a step-down from the Bismarck/Tirpitz. The most obvious downside being, of course, the large turn radius, coupled with a rather high rudder shift, the combination of which makes torpedo evasion trickier than on the Bismarck class. The 406mm guns have this really flummoxing bad dispersion that seems to be part of the German BB national flavor; I don't have the GCFS mod or FCS upgrade yet and, obviously, I'm still some distance away from B hull and its 420mm upgrade. The armor seems alright, but the huge superstructures make the FdG a large, easy-to-hit target that silently screams "free fires here!" to any and all enemy cruisers loitering about. This vulnerability seriously offsets the safety the FdG's turtleback armor appears to afford you.

I'm also a bit dubitative about my upgrade set. I'm considering a secondary gunnery build (better AA is never unwelcome), but, at the same time, I really wish to improve the main battery's precision and range. Not sure which way I should go.



....And I'm 15K XP away from the Zao, so I'll be exclusively grinding the Ibuki today. After that, I'll be switching to my premiums to cover the remaining ~$5.9M that separate me from this Japanese ultimate firestarter.

TL;DR…

 

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[Renegade334]

Apologies for the double post, but hey, here's a good reason to do it:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WORLD OF WARSHIPS!

YouTube

https://youtu.be/mQ4HBDwRRFk

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And a thousand holy craps at the bonuses and gifts that were handed out.

1. Got three supercontainers (1 for each T10 ship owned by the player) that gave me 30 premium days, 50 Anniversary camos and 50K free XP.
2. Using the 50K FXP and whatever boost flags I was still hoarding, I finished off the Izumo and got myself this sweet-looking Yamato (I had to sacrifice my Cleveland [wasn't playing it much anymore, anyway], Bayern [decided to switch to Friedrich der Große rather than continue to the Gneisenau] and Iron Duke [will repurchase it at a later date, right now it's p****ing me off so bad, I'm not even in the mood to grind and free-XP it] to pay the 20.6M credits bill)...which means...one extra free supercontainer! (damage modification upgrade)
3. Using the 3x boost, I unlocked the Yorck and Algérie (both yet to be purchased).
4. Unlocked hull B for Friedrich der Große and got the 420mm guns upgrade (both yet to be purchased).
5. Just completed the 2 Years of WOWS collection.

EDIT: by the way, if any of you are confused by the new Anniversary achievements, someone has compiled the unlock parameters in the forum; the table makes it easier to identify and collect them instead of either bumbling about or doing trial and error.

[Renegade334]

YouTube

https://youtu.be/R4tJKYjNMmc

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ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

They're finally going to nerf the Lion and Conqueror, but ONLY on the repair/health cooldown. It looks like they won't be touching the absolutely absurd fire chances and stealth, which lead to disheartening situations such as THIS.

Oh, and: https://twitter.com/WorldofWarships/...26466131021825

[Spectacular_Insanity]

What? Okay, the heal was a bit strong, but it was the fire chance that people were complaining about. Even people that played it complained about it. There's pretty much no counter-play to be set on fire multiple times every salvo. WTF is WG thinking? (Assuming they even ARE thinking.)

My personal advice on the F. Der G is to go with a secondary build. Germans have super strong secondaries, and you really want to make full use if it if you can. Just like most of the high-tier BBs, you really have to start predicting when you need to turn and stuff. Or, if you're like me, I actually don't turn a ton in my BB, but instead randomly speed up and slow down. It's surprisingly effective at messing up people's aim at long range.

Also, if possible, try to have a division mate or team member that's a DD or an IJN cruiser screen and spot for you. You need the early warning because enemy DDs will be looking at you as a big, fat target of opportunity. If anything, you should use your notoriety as a big, slow BB to lure them into overextending to the path of your friendly fleet. That being said, most DDs will melt under your secondaries if you build for manual secondaries.

Your biggest threat will really be from CVs. Not a ton of people play them if you're on the NA server (I think because of how bad the CV economy is), but if you're up against, say, a Hakuryu, you NEED to stick with your AA cruisers or American BBs. Air-dropped torpedoes, especially if they're cross-dropped, will be nearly impossible to dodge.

[Renegade334]

I don't know what they're thinking either. That Flamu vid I posted above is one situation I do NOT wish to find myself in no matter what, and although the heal nerf would somewhat appease players who are tired of seeing their targets magically erase most of their HP loss, it's not going to fix the current HE-spam meta that's infecting the game faster than a Hollywood zombie outbreak.

For my F. Der G., I'm considering the secondary build, but the 420mm upgrade still seems to retain the stupid, buckshot quality of German main gunnery that causes most of my shells to fly wild and beautifully miss my target...thus leading me to crave precision mods. It's a tough choice. I'm currently sticking like glue to other BBs, seeing how my AA complement is nothing to gawk at and I must therefore seek safety in numbers.


...
On another note, the Yamato is giving me headaches on several of its aspects. I knew from the get-go I would be saddled with a sluggish ship (which, despite its armor, is NOT a brawler, much less a dogfighter, unlike the GK) that requires constant planning for its next moves across the map, but my (over)use of caution often compels me to stay a couple kilometers back for fear of getting spectacularly torp-spammed by those horrible, horrible Shimakazes that infest the high-tier matches...which, in turn, occasionally levels accusations of cowardice and camping towards me by my own team.
...
...Which is rich, because everytime I do push forward with them and whenever I call for support or designate targets, I always feel like I'm being pointedly ignored by my teammates. It's like they're telling me, "you're in a fricking Yamato, you deal with it on your own." I can't seem to find a good middle ground for this ship, it's like a constant catch-22.

That and I always seem to either over- or under-estimate the amount of lead I need for long-range 460mm broadsides. This ship's main battery keeps puzzling me.


Finally got my Yorck and Algérie, re-purchased the Amagi (now grinding credits to afford that B hull) and got a 14-day premium time supercontainer. I don't think I'll be grinding to get the Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya, I don't have lots of free time nowadays (I spent a couple days beautifully ignored by enemy planes I needed to kill in order to clear that first mission's 3rd stage...really frustrating).

[Renegade334]

Eh, looks like they'll permanently remove the Mikhail Kutuzov and Belfast from the premium shop for overperforming in the game despite nerfs. They finally realized that the combination of radar and smoke, still constitute an overly potent combination that they can't seem to fix through mere balancing. The MK and Bf will still be available through supercontainer drops, though...that is, if you manage to get ship drops and not some lousy upgrade module.

And in other news, they're planning to introduce the USS Massachusetts (BB-59) at Tier VIII...which is wonderful, because we don't have anything like this and...
...and...
...
...oh, right, we already have the Alabama, which is also a South Dakota-class BB...and the only difference I noted in that FB post is that the 'Bama's HP is 3K smaller. *SIGH* Unless they give it the Missouri treatment, i.e. replace its spotter plane by a radar emitter.

Totally NOT a cash grab(tm)

EDIT: totally missed this - we're getting a T9 Musashi! (presumably for >750K free XP) And this comes when I was wondering whether to spend my current 60K FXP to get to the KGV or keep hoarding it to get myself a spankin' new, money-printing Missouri... While I am not that eager to see 18.1'' guns at T7 level already (with the +/-2 MM), this ship will probably be a huge headache...since the Musashi is actually in its original configuration (little AA to behold, and two 155mm triple turrets on the sides instead of 127mm and 25mm batteries). My bet is that it will play like an even more sluggish Izumo (except that the Izumo, when upgraded to Hull C, actually starts sporting decent AA).

[Psyco Diver]

Can't get a 1600 base XP match to save my life, just can't seem to get my crap together and a 1600xp match is usually not that hard for me

[Pen3]

Originally Posted by Psyco Diver

Can't get a 1600 base XP match to save my life, just can't seem to get my crap together and a 1600xp match is usually not that hard for me

Got it on my first game with a 1900+ base Nagato. One of those days for you huh LOL.

[Renegade334]

Managed to get the OR on the first day and I'm still stunned I managed to do it despite the idiot teams I was paired with that day.

For the 1,600XP requirement, I first tried it with some of my best ships (Tirpitz, Alabama) but I always came up short until I decided, for a change, to have a casual match in my Montana that unexpectedly reaped a shit-ton of XP (10K total, 3.6K base). All I can say is, try to cap and defend whenever you can, it always boosts your XP rating. And pray you're not saddled with people who enjoy self-lobotomy.

Second mission is easy as pie with British CLs. Got 500 ribbons in just two matches using the Edinburgh.

Third mission...got my three victories (with Top 5 ranking) in a row using the Minekaze. I'm really surprised how much XP you can earn just spotting and capping in a DD, rather than dealing damage on the enemy. Two of these matches saw me dealing less than 20K DMG on my opponents and I still got third place and whatnot (but, then again, I had an average of two successful caps per match, so I guess that accounts for a lot of my points).


EDIT: I now have enough FXP to get to the Neptune, but I'm seriously thinking about saving it for a Missouri instead (still ~600FXP to go, though ). That upcoming Musashi is looking less and less appealing every time I reread its stats...unless, of course, its credit multiplier is even better than Missouri's, in which case I might consider switching my sights.
EDIT bis: Kutuzov and Belfast are now absent from the tech tree windows. That was fast, I thought WG would try to milk them to the bone, by allocating the players more time to purchase them (maybe even with a bundle to entice them further) before their permanent withdrawal from the premium store.

[Psyco Diver]

I swear to god lol, barely got it, 1621xp lol. Anyways I blew through the 500 ribbon mission in 3 battles thanks to my Clemson and Phoenix and got the 3 win mission done in 3 games. Whats hilarious is after I got the 1600xp mission, I nailed it all 3 times in my 3 win game mission. Seriously I think WG was trolling me. I won't lie this has been the hardest free ship mission I've done yet even though it should have been easy for me

[Renegade334]

That's the irony this kind of game often throws at you: when you deliberately play the objectives, the game c***blocks you at every turn, but when you don't try for a change or just decide to play casually, the game leads you straight to the bank. XD

BTW, retraining captains is entirely free (0 doubloons!) this entire week-end, so if you want to reassign skill points without any fee, now's the time.

[Psyco Diver]

There was a couple captains I was planning on respecing and I had a couple sitting in reserve that I reset so I can use them later

[Renegade334]

Blazed through the last points of the campaign and finally got Isoroku Yamamoto...he'll be on my Yamato for a while.

I'm currently saving credits and thinking about getting back one of my previous ships...dunno whether I'm going to re-purchase the North Carolina (I already have the Alabama, which is better on several points) or the Ibuki (I liked the ship, but it always felt like I wasn't contributing much to the team with it, or getting enough XP/$ for my troubles). I'm in no hurry to get either the KGV or the Neptune, and, anyway, I'm setting aside all of my free XP for a Missouri.

I might resume my grind of the USN DD line by acquiring the Nicholas, though it might take me some time to switch from the torpboat mentality to the gunboat one.

[Psyco Diver]

If you already have the Alabama then I don't see the point in getting the NC. Both are great ships but both are similar with similar styles of play, if I ever get around to buying her I'll probably sell my NC.

I stopped at the Mahan, I wasn't doing very good because I just can't adapt to the constant radar which mixed with my aggressive nature left me sunk allot. That said the Farragut is very fun DD and I might go back to get someday but I'm currently working on the IJN cruiser line and BB line. I'm at the Aoba which is a pretty fun ship, bottom tier sucks but when top tier she is a complete bully. I'm about to finish the Nagato, I rage quit it over a year ago and picked it up recently and I'm in love with her now. I play the Amagi allot in PTS so I'm looking forward to her

[Renegade334]

Ah, it's just the nostalgia bug hitting me...it always felt like I never really played the NC to its real strengths and I kinda rushed it to get to the Iowa ASAP. Anyway, the Alabama is more agile and has better torpedo protection...and I've been terrorizing cruisers with it (have had a spate of citadel kills recently). It's easily become one of my favorite [premium] ships along with the Atago.

The Alabama also happens to be the first vessel I ever got a Kraken in...and that was a couple days ago (we ended up losing that match by point difference, though). Yes, it took me that long, as the game always c***blocked me at four kills.

I repurchased the Amagi a week ago due to the same nostalgia (the Izumo and Yamato force the player to adopt a slower gameplay style, and I wanted to reexplore the fleeter-footed IJN BBs) and in the right circumstances this ship can be a menace. All I can say is that it's a bigger, less agile Nagato with an extra turret and the same, non-tanky, battlecruiser armor. Angle it at all times to mitigate BB fire or else your HP will melt like butter under the sun.

Anyway, I have 10M credits...maybe I'll take back the Ibuki (~2M credits to go) I sacrificed to pay for my Zao...or I'll save the money to get ≥1 lower-tier ships. I at least know I'll grab the Nicholas (will save my free XP and decline skipping to Farragut) in the coming week(s).

EDIT: you could always try to buy the Massachusetts when it goes for sale in the coming weeks/months as it is another South Dakota-class BB...though from what I've seen so far, Alabama might be the better choice.

[Psyco Diver]

Well the Russian camo mission is done now, time to get back to the grind.

Almost done the Nagato, I rage sold it a year or so ago but came back to it and found it very nice.

The Aoba is coming along nicely, I'm starting to get a good feel for her especially now that I have Concealment Expert on her

I'm finding the Orion to be boring and I'm probably going to stop at the Queen Elizabeth or maybe the KGV and use nothing but AP to prove its viable (because I run nothing but AP in my Dunkerque and Scharnhorst and I'm well above average in those ships).

I stalled out on the New Orleans, its a fun ship but very situational, I sold the Mahan also because it just doesn't work for me

Bismark is coming along nicely but I have to say the NC is a better T8, she just handles being in T10 matches so much better and both are very bad bully's when top tier

I think I might tackle French cruisers next or maybe Russian, I dunno. I just know T8 seems to be my point where I don't feel the need to progress.

[Pen3]

Nagato is still my favorite T7 BB to play. I rather run it than my King George V. I have given up on the Hipper, i just can't seem to make it work with my play style.

I use mainly HE on the KGV, but my Monarch is pure AP.

[Renegade334]

Yesterday was pure torture. I played a dozen matches: 80% of them saw my team doing a lemming train to one side of the map...and spectacularly losing. Even after shouting at them not to behave like arctic rodents, they still went and left one side utterly undefended; it was so bad at one point I was sorely tempted to ragequit...but I didn't want a bloody report so I had to stay till the bitter end.

The problem with German BBs is their lower amount of guns (8 guns per ship, until the Großer Kurfürst) and astonishingly high dispersion rate; T8 BBs like the NC and Amagi have much better chances of actually landing hits on their targets and therefore tend to feel less frustrating. Be warned, the Friedrich der Große plays like a bad Bismarck: sure, it has a 420mm gun upgrade and the same secondary complement as its predecessor, but it is bogged down by lousy acceleration and maneuverability and therefore cannot dodge torpedoes as well as its predecessor. Oh, and, like every other KM BB, it burns easily when subjected to HE.

I'm also starting to seriously slow down. I reached the four T10s I wanted to play (Montana, Des Moines, Zao and Yamato) and I feel less and less incentive to grind now, aside from retrieving old ships I previously sold in order to afford newer ones. I'm still occasionally grinding the Edinburgh (though I hate its inherent fragility and short range) but I'm not that wowed by either the Yorck or Algérie (they're not bad, they're just not extraordinary) enough to jump into matches with them. Truth be told, I'm actually grinding for $ nowadays, not for XP - and even there I'm starting to feel the need to play other games for a change.

Originally Posted by Pen3

but my Monarch is pure AP.

Thousands of WOWS players will probably give you plenty of hearty claps on the back and thumbs up for this admission. Or maybe even some beer.

[Spectacular_Insanity]

German BBs need to be specced either purely main guns or purely secondaries. Personally, I go for secondaries in my Tirpitz because I like to get up-close and personal and make my enemies uncomfortable with my super-aggressive bow-in tactics. At that range, the gun accuracy doesn't seem as punishing dispersion-wise, and my secondaries can do some serious work. If you're the kind of player that's going to play German BBs similarly to other BBs, I would definitely run a main guns build. Either way can work great, but it does depend on your play style.

I go for secondary build on my Tirpitz and I go for main gun build on my Yamato.