VC381

Atago: 2-3= 0 ... *enemy cruiser destroyed!* Kutuzov: 46+1= 47 Edit: Ulysses beat me to it! We have a winner!!!

Indeed, great work with that Bismarck. I must say I was a bit rusty especially with the air defense (should not have let that strike Lex get away with what he did) but that game reminded me how awesome it is to have 9km detectability on a CV. Also that got me the final stage of the Midway mission For everyone else, we ended the game capping together (standard battle). Yes, I capped in a Shokaku.

Ha ha, we'll, I took my Fiji out just to see if I could remember what to do (was on a slight break from the game) and I ended up in the situation you describe. I pushed B cap on hotspot and ended up alone within 9km of a Tirpitz, Amagi and Hood, broadside while trying to smoke and just when I thought I was safe a Chapayev hit me with radar. I put 15k damage on each of the first two BBs in the space of about 2 minutes as they sailed past my firing lane (they were in C cap), lived (barely) and got the cap. Anyway I added you both in game, if I see you we can have a game.

Atago: 8-3= 5 Kutuzov: 52+1= 53 Is everyone refraining from voting because they want to be the one to end it?

Ok, I love putting a positive spin on it but you're right to an extent, playing a cruiser can be a gamble. But that's part of what makes it fun. I would say dodging is more mind games and risk reduction than anyone's ineptitude. How about we do a triple-Fiji division?

You are right, the differences are small but it felt more to me because I haven't really played Warspite since the turrets buff and also I run damage control instead of rudder shift on her because I got sick of being on fire for the entire game. It's nice to get a different perspective though. I agree to an extent that the difference between a 27 knot BB and a 30 knot BB is not that crucial, especially on the big open maps at high tier. But I generally value speed highly and the difference between low 20s and high 20s feels huge on mid tier maps with their dense islands, narrow "firing lanes" and annoying "trap" areas you can't easily retreat from. Warspite, New Mex, Colorado all feel strong and enjoyable in their own ways but the speed is a constant thorn in my side and the source of many frustrating games where I either failed to get enough action or got over-run without being able to do anything about it. Mutsu feels more like a battlecruiser, and I'm a cruiser main so maybe it's not surprising I'm drawn to that.

I don't bother with the whole poking out from behind an island thing because I like to stay mobile. There have been plenty of times in Fiji that the battle got so hectic I forgot to smoke or chose not to because moving and dodging was the better option. I say again, Fiji is a seat of your pants brawler. What I mean is, by all means use islands as staging points for a sneaky approach but also think about where the enemy BBs want to go and where they're likely to be turning. You don't just smoke up vaguely "in range", but position aggressively and actually smoke up in a way that forces them to come to you or sail past you on your terms.

Well, at least one game I played I know for sure if I was in Warspite I would have been sunk with about 10k damage done. Those 3 knots are a world of difference, as is the rudder shift and gun handling. I would definitely take Mutsu into T8 over the other T6 BBs except Dunkerque, but I understand it's really just a matter of preference.

Sorry but if a cruiser is on the receiving end of a devastating strike, guess who's fault it is? That's right, the cruiser captain. And before you jump down my throat I'm a cruiser main, not amazing by any means but check my stats if you like. If I eat a devastating strike, I blame myself and myself only. The whole "cruisers suffer too much against BBs" thing is getting tiresome.

Or Nelson is the T8...

So... I caved and well... totally worth it! Fast, responsive, and surprisingly reliable damage output. 100k damage first game (in a T8 game), 80k second. Sorry Affeks, I don't really get where you're coming from with it feeling weak, it seems very solid to me! EDIT: and 115k damage third game.

This is one of the best posts I've read in a long time. For me what makes this game great is the huge variety of ships that are (for the most part) beautifully and painstakingly modelled. People get so hung up on balance details but what I've learned over time is it basically doesn't matter, because there are 23 random people of vastly different skill levels playing 23 ships that could be anything in your games, and you can do well and have fun in anything. The game is mostly self-balancing that way, and the more different ships there are the less stale the game becomes. More ships is better, gimmicks are worth experimenting with, and if the ships are of such huge historical significance as the RN BBs then I'm all for this. I also think we should cut Sub_Octavian some slack and see what "BB counters" they come up with.

To be honest, the T10 is probably the best thing they could have done. It is a unique armament layout compared to the others, it's inspired by the Lion class design progression with a nod to the K2 and L2 projects, and it recognises RN doctrine of gun size being a priority. Very happy with this one. If she's well armoured and has RADAR she doesn't need gun buffs, 8 will do just fine.

Atago: 17-3= 14 Mikhail Kutuzov: 49+1= 50 Back up to 50

They did it, 18" guns on the British T10. Awesome!

Not true. But even if it was and/or you wanted to play it safe, your concealment and smoke can be used to set up situations where you get broadside targets at those ranges without much return fire risk.

I agree but the reverse is true as well, that a ship being statistically a bit weak doesn't take away from it's historical value or how fun it is to play. No ship is truly unplayably weak, and if the focus is on looks and general feel that's not priority anyway.

Fiji isn't really a long range ship. It's probably tier for tier the best RN cruiser and it has T7 MM, so if there was one ship where you can break the mould of just sneaking from smoke to smoke and go really aggressive, it's the Fiji. It's a brawler through and through and the turning circle is icing on the cake. Spamming BB superstructure is OK up to a point but damage saturation hurts you there in the long run and doing it at long range is sub-optimal anyway. If you need to shoot a BB, set up an ambush with either smoke or concealment and try to force a turn away. Once he's broadside and ideally quite close (10km, maybe less), aim at the space between the top of his main armor belt and the main deck. Spread damage to bow and stern sections to avoid saturation (hint, if you can't reliably choose which part of the ship you're hitting, you're too far away). That's how you farm up damage on BBs with the Fiji. If he angles instead you will lose damage output, then you can aim for superstructure for a bit or find a more willing broadside target. But if he stops/reverses or rushes you then he's going to be eating your torps so it's win-win.

Affeks, I think you're missing the point a little. At the moment Mutsu is the only BB in game that lets you play with an essentially WWI style hull (OK 1920s but the design aesthetics are all there) at a reasonable tier (not a low tier mess), and she is fast (unlike almost every other "classic dreadnought" type BB in game). That's a pretty unique combination there. Not everything is about stats and performance.

Not a bad idea but I find the bundles really bad value for money because of the amount of junk in them I don't need. Plus the Hood bundles that have enough doubloons for Mutsu are very expensive.

Argh, so many good opinions and really sounds like my kind of ship but I'm also waiting for Hood "standard" bundle and I'm not sure if I can justify getting both. Looks so good though!

I ran into a Kaga the other day that had no idea what he was doing. I was playing AS Saipan just as an easy way of farming the damage to CVs for stage 3 of the weekend mission. Aside from me deliberately playing "wrong" to farm a mission, I don't think he did a single point of damage all game. I didn't get Clear Sky but I can't have been far off. I did lose 2 Skyraiders though on approach to bombing him, after which I took about half his HP in one hit. I'm not sure even TB Saipan could snipe it in one shot, too much HP, but Hiryu should have no issues.

Atago: 27 - 3 = 24 Mikhail Kutuzov: 51 + 1 = 52 I think we're close to a consensus here, let's get this wrapped up

Atago: 36-3= 33 Mikhail Kutuzov: 48+1= 49

Atago: 40-3= 37 Mikhail Kutuzov: 52+1= 53