VC381

Does the proposed naval Stuka not share the payload of the standard land based one? Because if it does those should be dropping way bigger bombs than a Val, possibly better per-bomb damage than USN T8+.

The ship is huge for such a small plane capacity, that could be a balancing issue. As Deamon says, depends on plane stats. Could be very fun though, heavy DB focus.

Your timing isn't great, the German BB infestation makes life a little more tricky, be prepared to load HE and don't get too close.

Do we know for sure that the 4-gun hulls are the only options for both T6 IJN DDs or are those the A hulls only? I was just thinking, would it really be that OP if the new Fubuki had 6 guns at T6? They could bring down the RoF a bit to balance it.

I don't get very good damage with Nassau, the rate of fire doesn't compensate for the abysmal dispersion and shell performance. If you shoot a cruiser it's miss or overpen. If you shoot a BB it's bounce. This is the first ship where I've been genuinely infuriated and felt at the mercy of RNG, and that's really saying something because I'm usually the guy on the other side of that argument trying to teach people statistics and explaining it really isn't that bad. Sorry, rant over. Basically I find nothing good about the ship and if she's performing well I personally fail to understand why. Like I said, maybe it's just me.

Thanks for the link and correcting me, it seems it isn't as strong as it sounds. But, I would still say I notice a difference in engine reaction time and that this is meaningful and very helpful. I'm not convinced it doesn't work for deceleration, I usually drop speed to 1/2 when dodging and since equipping the engine mod I see many more shots landing in front of me. Also with Kutuzov I notice I don't out-run my smoke cloud after the second puff if I hit full stop, whereas without the engine module I always needed to make sure I slow down before starting to smoke or it's useless. In any case, the improved response when going back to full power after a dodge with a speed change is invaluable and means you have enough speed to do it again for the next salvo. I don't have time to do stopwatch measurements in training room but since equipping it on two ships I can feel the difference at all speeds and power settings.

You keep saying "OP" and "Nassau" in the same sentence and I'm not sure why. I remember when I started the US BB line a little while ago I had a blast in the South Carolina. Now trying to play Nassau, I can't make it work. Maybe it's just me but I don't even consider it the best T3 BB, let alone OP. I'm pretty sure the infestation is only due to the number of people still trying to start the line. In any case Trainspite I think you're exaggerating how OP KA might be. The Arkansas comparison isn't quite right because she can reliably bring 12 guns to bear while KA usually only 8, sometimes 10 but not as easily. Plus this is a tier where BBs are not king, Bogatyr or St. Louis will still burn you down and laugh at your attempts at return fire. I put it to you the other way, with that speed and range, how would you feel going up against a Kongo, Zuiho or Omaha? She might be strong for T3 but she's way too weak to be slapped with T5 games. She won't sell if it turns out she's an XP piniata. In any case she wouldn't be more OP, relative to her tier, than plenty of other premiums. I can see why the KA decision is infuriating for some and I don't agree with it, but there's still hope. Kamikaze R was a reward ship that was later put on sale. Maybe they are just playing it safe and are going to see performance based on the people who get her in the mission, and sell her anyway after that.

Incorrect, that's simply an additional effect. From the Wiki: Propulsion Modification 2: Reduces time to full speed: -50% to time for reaching full power (acceleration)Increases engine power when the ship starts moving (0-6 knots) so the way I understand it it's +50% acceleration at all speeds, and an ADDITIONAL boost from 0-6 knots.

Because I like ships and I don't care about tanks. Simples

Welcome to WGs moneymaking strategy... EDIT: Also if you put the captain back on Kiev you won't be able to play Tashkent anymore. You need to start training a new captain for one of them.

Bear in mind to mount DF you lose speed boost. There was a game where I was playing CV and just got denied constantly by this Lo Yang with DF that was always waiting where I couldn't see him until I went for his team-mate. I lost a lot of planes to him, a Benson AA spec should be just as annoying but it's quite a specific use. Aside from the rudder shift, which is already very good anyway, B hull is better for DD hunting and BB burning.

I disagree, mainly based on experience with US cruisers. The problem with German AP is bounce angles. It's really all or nothing in that they will obliterate a well presented target but barely scratch an angled one. IJN AP has a similar problem except there you just fall back to the super strong HE. US AP has less damage but a better ricochet angle, so it's less likely to be rendered immediately useless by the target manoeuvring. RN AP is even better in this regard. So the German AP "speciality" is arguably done better by one current line and possibly an upcoming one as well. Hell, you could even argue that IJN AP is very useable because at least they have the stealth to pro-actively sneak around and position for that devastating first salvo rather than only relying on the enemy being stupid or distracted. I think when RN cruisers come out, if the battles will be flooded with poorly protected cruisers the German ships might come into their element.

That's the worst thing, when a perfect dodge screws up because the guy's aim was so bad in the first place.

Seems nobody is a fan of the 1931 fit. Interestingly, she only had a spotter briefly around this time, so we might end up with a weird fit that keeps the catapult but is otherwise 1941 (unless they just make her spotter-less but give her a different unique consumable, more likely for premium). The 1941 fit is most likely for the premium option. The "what if" rebuild definitely has a place due to game balance and is actually pretty gorgeous (rebuild Renown looks good so why wouldn't Hood) and is in my opinion the most likely final hull for a normal tree version. I've also ticked the 1920s look as well because it has a certain thoroughbred purity to it without all the AA (and because Hood did a famous world cruise with Repulse in that decade). The secondaries on that hull are awesome but unfortunately I don't see it as ever being more than maybe a horrible A hull to grind through.

My humble opinion, having given up on the line at T5 but played against them a lot at T8: - they have dethroned the US cruisers as THE ships to stay well clear of if you're a CV - they are the least scary opponent for any cruiser as long as you aren't forced, as you say, to give them a broadside. The Konigsberg was fantastic and the AP defines the line but the reason I didn't go further is T6 and 7 feel badly thought out. I have no desire to play either because Nurnberg just looks like the same ship as Konigsberg but up-tiered and Yorck doesn't do the signature AP. Although I kind of want a Hipper I'm put off by what I know of its abilities and the meta. Overall, being great AP snipers seems to lose effectiveness as you go up the tiers and more people understand angling. Maybe all cruisers are more or less support ships but some less than others, and the others just seem to either be more versatile or have a party trick that is more relevant more of the time.

Yeah, that's a good niche for them to fill. Most of the WWI designs did have turtlebacks but the thicknesses and layout would likely make them less effective than the Germans. That's the kind of line that Hood/Admiral would fit in at T7 more so than Nelson. I too hope they keep KGV but if they buff accuracy and RoF she will just be a cruisers worst nightmare. A "fast" line though could go QE (T6) > Anson (Admiral) > Vanguard > Lion (T9) and would be a very, very consistent feel and smooth power progression in terms of almost every stat, especially if they used the alternative Admiral proposals that were a little slower (27-28 knots) but more comprehensively armored. Then we get Hood and PoW as premiums at T7 and 8 respectively.

I did also pick a particularly strong and reliable ship for my example. Certainly the low cruiser population at all tiers backs up your statement and it's a spiral because cruisers are strong in numbers more than any other class so it just makes it harder for who IS playing them if fewer people are. I think though the meta will get reverse-skewed with the release of the RN line. People will want to try them and it will give other cruisers something to hunt. Not sure if mid-tier cruisers need a buff because after a point it isn't about balance, more an "ooh shiny new stuff" effect, so just wait out the current meta I guess and see what happens.

While not all the ships were faster than their contemporaries, the RN set the standard for BB speeds. First Dreadnought set the new battle line pace at 21 knots, then just as everyone else settled into building ships of that speed QE made the jump to 25. The late war and post-war battlecruiser designs including the Admirals and G-3 are all really fast battleships, setting a new standard while other nations designs were still sacrificing armor to reach similar speeds. So every time there was a step change in what was considered "normal" battleship speed, it was led by the RN. I take your point about artillery but I would say we don't need another line of brawlers. Warspite is very accurate at range even if her range is not exceptionally long. I would prefer a mid-range focused ship with decent mobility.

What we need to consider, given what we see of the development of the RN cruisers, is what THEME the RN BB line will have. Forget gun calibers going up and down, it seems WG want whole lines to have a somewhat unified playstyle. The RN always pushed for speed and gun caliber but in game the IJN BBs already have those traits (well IRL they followed RN doctrine and in game came out first). So Hood or no Hood in the main tree really depends on that decision and whether they go with speed as one of the defining traits of the line. On another note, how about a real troll T10? HMS Incomparable! 36 knots and 3x2 20" guns. RNG hell and no armor worth mentioning but can out-run a DD and overmatch a Yamato! Heh!

Mid tier doesn't suffer too bad, I take out my Cleveland now and then and farm up fire damage without much trouble. It's a bit passive but it works.

T8 for cruisers is actually a sweet spot in terms of soft stats, usually they have the best concealment in the line as well as great rudder shift and turret traverse. T9 and 10 May have more HP, heal and range mod but they start getting more sluggish and easier to spot as well. With the new rudder shift mod T8 cruisers are real dodging demons and are now a bit more competitive. Other than that, what do you expect from a ship up-tiered?

So you agree it's worth the concealment loss? I'm unlikely to get Des for a long time but Balti is realistic, have you tried it on her?

If the turret traverse makes you feel more comfortable stick with it but I've personally never found myself waiting for turrets to get on target while I wiggle, but I do spam double click counting down the 0.1 seconds until my guns reload. That 1s feels like a lifetime in some situations. I think the questions are intertwined. If you get rudder shift you won't need hydro as badly because the torp reaction is phenomenal. If you're sneaking up on a DD in smoke and nothing else is spotting you the concealment isn't an issue. On the flip side, the AA DPS is strong enough for self defense without DF (you could get BFT maybe) and carriers will usually not priority target an NO, especially in ranked where you won't meet higher tier CVs. I've not got enough experience to make a call on that, but there are a few possible synergies so bear (pun intended ) them in mind and try it out I guess. In randoms at least the Propulsion + new Steering combo is very, very fun but not sure about ranked.

Well, I'm sold on this new trick. Put the new steering mod onto my New Orleans and swapped the propulsion mod into the other slot, it just feels great. If you keep a moderate range you're basically untouchable and you don't have to stop shooting to stay safe so you get more damage, you draw more fire so get rewarded for all the potential damage thrown at you, as I said before excellent synergy with the new reward system. A big from me, this is fun!

Never mind the fact it should be practically invisible due to no bubble trail on the IJN oxygen powered torpedoes, but of course that would be stupid from a game balance point of view. Is there a formula for calculating the torpedo speed and range in game based on real life? I can see they are faster, presumably for ease of aiming.