__Helmut_Kohl__

Is Smolensk OP compared to other TX ships ? Probably not, especially sice it cannot reach 30mm HE pen with IFHE. Just disengage while managing your DCP. It doesn't have many smokes and these smokes are stationary. Is it toxic for gameplay to have ships that spam HE from smoke at longer ranges ? Probably yes, especially since it is punishing people who try to push. There is not much effective counterplay by angling or shooting back. If the spam works at long range, the smoke can be behind the lines, preventing radar/spotting/torps.

Had my 4th ships anniversary in June, never got anything. Maybe we will get it next patch with the offical Anniversary.

And the solution is to not make it random and instead forcing good players into bad teams?

Yep, that's what I mean. If you play well, you are being punished by having to play in even worse teams.

You still didn't address my point, that in your system everyone will get back to 50% WR, preventing the system from working correctly, and my point that it punishes good play. And your sad rage post just confirms my assumption.

Your dreams of "perfect MM balance" would mean more or less 50% WR for everyone. If you are playing well, you just get punished by MM. Why even care to get better then? I suggest instead that you do just that and stop blaming your high tier losses on MM.

The whole concept of the RU BBs is that they are supposed to be strong when pushing in. That is what their HE-resistant armor, their DCP and their dispersion formular is tailored for. The problem is that 12km is actually still inside the normal BB engagement distance and not forcing them to play really aggressive. Instead it allows them to utilize islands and to be incredibly hard to dislodge, while still not pushing in, yet they have that amazing accuracy available at the same time. It would feel less OP if they still had German BB dispersion at 12 km and would have to get to 8-10 km to get access to that amazing RU dispersion. Instead they are already at IJN dispersion at 12 km. There has to be a drawback for all the advantages and that drawback has to be bad dispersion at "normal" engagement range. But in fact they are already more accurate than German BBs after 16 km. The the result is that they are just good at everything, if you don't potato broadside. Here is the dispersion graph from said LWM review, so you can look at it again: (source: LittleWhiteMouse)

The good accuracy starts too early at 12 km range. That is still medium range.

Since the damage is not shared in the whole squadron anymore, that just means it is advantageous to drop planes before attack now.

At least you take significantly less damage in attack mode. If it is not some kind of immunity, it is a multiplier decreasing the AA damage.

I would not buy a ship just for its AA situation currently mate, as WG will keep changing the whole system trying to find a balance. If you love your Atlanta though, Flint is supposed to be a nice upgrade with that smoke.

Sorry dude, but since you obviously have zero experience yourself, you need to give me a source for these claims.

Flint should be superior, as it has an additional medium aura (40mm Bofors) giving it significantly better DPS without losing much Flak, and a smoke that can hide it when DefAA is down.

That is a good question indeed.

If you start your TB run early, the Flak will hit nothing at all.

Torpedo Bombers fly under the Flak. Rocket planes are immune during attack run. Dive Bombers can jump over it. Ever heard of sling-shot btw ?

https://eu.wargaming.net/support/en/products/wows/article/10213/ "Premium ships purchased through the Arsenal can be refunded if no more than one (1) battle was played with the ship. Coupons used on such purchases cannot be restored. Event-related currency may be refunded as its value in credits." In theory, you should be able to buy Somers without coupon, play one game and then have your steel refunded. Have not tried it though. Maybe you should wait for the Anniversary event though...

... yeah 175 AA DPS sounds really OP ...

The only ship that can still deny an area to a CV is a smoke Minotaur.

X-Mas Steel combined with some R10+ Ranked Steel can easily give you the 18k (with coupon). Unlike 99% of the other noobs this one just didn't go straight for the Stalingrad (only to get deleted broadside and never touch it again).

Because they don't even know one basic thing about positioning or how to manage your DCP.

Just play Benham, it is close enough to Kitakami if you get into a good position.

No it has Grozovoi shells. (source: wowsft.com)

The way you wrote your OP, I seriously doubt that.