Pensacola and its guns

[chaosrealm93]

Hey,

 

Is the cola any good? I hear disappointing stories of how it is such a let down after the cleveland..

 

PS didn't the cola used to have a 2,3,3,2 gun/turret configuration?  was that removed in an update?

[Historynerd]

PS didn't the cola used to have a 2,3,3,2 gun/turret configuration?  was that removed in an update?

 

Stock the Pensacola has a fictional "four double turrets" configuration; by upgrading her you get the historical layout, two double and two triple superfiring turrets.

[IamTroublemaker]

It was an ok ship for me, but I spent the entire grind playing in a division with an another Pensacola so it was a bit easier since we were supporting each other.

 

In stock configuration it has 4x2 guns while with the upgraded hull it gets 2x3 + 2x2 turrets.

 

The ship seems to be less prone to citadels now, from what I've experienced (after 5.1.1 update) and sometimes I even had problems killing those ships in my BBs.

[GrumpyWorm]

Moved

[chaosrealm93]

It was an ok ship for me, but I spent the entire grind playing in a division with an another Pensacola so it was a bit easier since we were supporting each other.

 

In stock configuration it has 4x2 guns while with the upgraded hull it gets 2x3 + 2x2 turrets.

 

The ship seems to be less prone to citadels now, from what I've experienced (after 5.1.1 update) and sometimes I even had problems killing those ships in my BBs.

 

 

Stock the Pensacola has a fictional "four double turrets" configuration; by upgrading her you get the historical layout, two double and two triple superfiring turrets.

 

ahhhhh but when i clicked on the second hull to preview it, the 2,3,3,2 guns didnt show up =s

 

i'm 6k XP away from the cola~

[Tyrendian89]

 

 

ahhhhh but when i clicked on the second hull to preview it, the 2,3,3,2 guns didnt show up =s

 

i'm 6k XP away from the cola~

 

look at the actual gun stats (in the sidebar on the right), not the model, since that will not change until you actually mount the respective piece of upgrade. Very useful thing to do in general when planning what to research first, since many ships get "stealth" buffs to various important aspects when grabbing for example a hull upgrade (hello IJN Battleships)

[Historynerd]

 

 

ahhhhh but when i clicked on the second hull to preview it, the 2,3,3,2 guns didnt show up =s

 

i'm 6k XP away from the cola~

 

 

look at the actual gun stats (in the sidebar on the right), not the model, since that will not change until you actually mount the respective piece of upgrade. Very useful thing to do in general when planning what to research first, since many ships get "stealth" buffs to various important aspects when grabbing for example a hull upgrade (hello IJN Battleships)

 

What Tyrendian said. Don't worry, when you upgrade it, the ten guns will be there.

 

They'd better be anyways; they're the Pepsicola's strongpoint, and made me like her, since her armor is "meh" at the very best.

[damo74]

Hey,

 

Is the cola any good? I hear disappointing stories of how it is such a let down after the cleveland..

 

PS didn't the cola used to have a 2,3,3,2 gun/turret configuration?  was that removed in an update?

 

It's pants

[EmilyFara]

When I first got the Pensacola I was quite disappointed. I expected a natural flow into the new ship. As in being like the Cleveland with lower ROF and bigger guns.

The Pensacola isn't quite like that. It sails slower, turns slower, lower ROF, bigger guns, worse AA, easier to hit and easier to penetrate due to less armour overall.

While you can be forgiven to sail broadside on to another cruiser in a Cleveland, you can't do that in a Pensacola. But with correct angling and doing a shimmy shake you can dodge most rounds and it will make a half decent ship.

Overall I think it's a downgrade from the Cleveland, but it's not a bad ship. Her biggest problem is that the Cleveland is so good. Now the next ship in line "New Orleans" I can't seem to get it to work and that's frustrating the hell out of me

[Panocek]

When I first got the Pensacola I was quite disappointed. I expected a natural flow into the new ship. As in being like the Cleveland with lower ROF and bigger guns.

The Pensacola isn't quite like that. It sails slower, turns slower, lower ROF, bigger guns, worse AA, easier to hit and easier to penetrate due to less armour overall.

While you can be forgiven to sail broadside on to another cruiser in a Cleveland, you can't do that in a Pensacola. But with correct angling and doing a shimmy shake you can dodge most rounds and it will make a half decent ship.

Overall I think it's a downgrade from the Cleveland, but it's not a bad ship. Her biggest problem is that the Cleveland is so good. Now the next ship in line "New Orleans" I can't seem to get it to work and that's frustrating the hell out of me

 

New Orlean and Baltimore are basically copy/paste ships of Pensacola, tier or two higher. Minor hp and armor improvements does not even get close to compensating for higher tier and tougher ships you will encounter in these. AA power also is stuck in Pepsicola levels until you get hull upgrade for Baltimore, which again goes down the drain in Des Moines. So "capable AA cruiser" role can apply to Cleveland and Baltimore, Pepsicola to an extent. NO and DM are simply inadequate for AA screening that involves downing aircraft, not just scattering their formations.

 

203 USN guns are alright when it comes to cruiser vs cruiser fights, Pepsicola being lowest tier with these can get them against battleships as well. But in NO and Balti they are simply lacking oopmh to grind through all that hp, while Baltimore and DM gets "improved" AP shells with even slower velocity, so you're back with 11s+ shell flight time. And closing in when battleships on both teams are corner camping isn't exactly the best idea.

[T_H_0_R]

The Pensacola isn't quite like that. It sails slower, turns slower, lower ROF, bigger guns, worse AA, easier to hit and easier to penetrate due to less armour overall.

 

 

Actually Pepsi has a tighter turning circle and lower rudder shift than Cleveland. If you keep your distance and angle your ship, she will do wonders.

 

Never go first in the battle since you have the worst concealment of all cruisers, at 15.7 km in comparison to 12-13 km of all other CA you will meet. You get spotted first (usually by DD) and soon enough you can expect a BB salvo your way.

 

Her guns are great, and if you time your shots (when enemy exposes their side) you can do some serious damage. HE rounds also have a decent fire chance. Stock Pepsi is horrid. Only when fully unlocked she can reach her full potential.

[Historynerd]

Stock Pepsi is horrid. Only when fully unlocked she can reach her full potential.

 

Absolutely. Wait to fully upgrade a ship before giving up on her, with all ships.

 

I know that in some cases it's hard (in the Pepsi's case, compounded by the fact that her style is completely different than that of the Cleveland, so this throws off a lot of people), but patience is a paramount virtue in this game.

[EmilyFara]

 

Actually Pepsi has a tighter turning circle and lower rudder shift than Cleveland. If you keep your distance and angle your ship, she will do wonders.

 

Never go first in the battle since you have the worst concealment of all cruisers, at 15.7 km in comparison to 12-13 km of all other CA you will meet. You get spotted first (usually by DD) and soon enough you can expect a BB salvo your way.

 

Her guns are great, and if you time your shots (when enemy exposes their side) you can do some serious damage. HE rounds also have a decent fire chance. Stock Pepsi is horrid. Only when fully unlocked she can reach her full potential.

 

Yeah, the Pensacola isn't the problem. I quite like the ship. If you keep her angled, keep distance and do a shimmy shake you can dodge most fire and bounce the rest. The ones that do hit rarely penetrate the citadel (for me at least)

[Admiral_H_Nelson]

......., but patience is a paramount virtue in this game.

 

I must find out about this "patience" thing. It sounds just what I need to make progress in WoWS. 

What is it? Tell me, please, now! 

[Historynerd]

 

I must find out about this "patience" thing. It sounds just what I need to make progress in WoWS. 

What is it? Tell me, please, now! 

 

 

XD

 

Now, a bit more seriously, one might start by having the patience of waiting to pass a judgement on a new ship until he has fully upgraded it. I have a feeling that quite a bit of the threads that pop up in the forum now and then saying "X ship is awful" come from people who still have the stock ship.

 

Then, the next step might be, when one has had a bad streak and his patience is growing thin, instead of eating his keyboard, buying a new one and doing questionable things (like raging in chat or in the forum about "cheaters", "noobs" and "hackers", for example), to simply take a break, and don't log in until he has reached a calm state of mind once again.

 

Just these two steps would help a bit, I think...

[Admiral_H_Nelson]

 

 

XD

 

Now, a bit more seriously, one might start by having the patience of waiting to pass a judgement on a new ship until he has fully upgraded it. I have a feeling that quite a bit of the threads that pop up in the forum now and then saying "X ship is awful" come from people who still have the stock ship.

 

Then, the next step might be, when one has had a bad streak and his patience is growing thin, instead of eating his keyboard, buying a new one and doing questionable things (like raging in chat or in the forum about "cheaters", "noobs" and "hackers", for example), to simply take a break, and don't log in until he has reached a calm state of mind once again.

 

Just these two steps would help a bit, I think...

 

Wise words. 

 

If I can add some of my own - and be on the topic of Pensacola at the same time....

 

Remember the old English proverb "Don't try to run before you can walk".  Sometime a player just is NOT READY for something. 

 

I've had great fun up to Tier 6 in cruisers, and feel that I have made some progress in my play (but not as fast as I would have like, TBH).

 

I played Myoko in tier 7, but was not ready for this excellent ship.  I need to stay at Tier 6 and below at the moment. Therefore, even though I have researched Pensacola (and have so many credits and XP that I could play her fully upgraded immediately) I won't be buying and playing her just yet. If I did I would only become annoyed and frustrated as you predict.

(I posted all this in another Pensacola thread recently)

[Historynerd]

 

Wise words. 

 

If I can add some of my own - and be on the topic of Pensacola at the same time....

 

Remember the old English proverb "Don't try to run before you can walk".  Sometime a player just is NOT READY for something. 

 

I've had great fun up to Tier 6 in cruisers, and feel that I have made some progress in my play (but not as fast as I would have like, TBH).

 

I played Myoko in tier 7, but was not ready for this excellent ship.  I need to stay at Tier 6 and below at the moment. Therefore, even though I have researched Pensacola (and have so many credits and XP that I could play her fully upgraded immediately) I won't be buying and playing her just yet. If I did I would only become annoyed and frustrated as you predict.

(I posted all this in another Pensacola thread recently)

 

Very true.

 

Sadly, we are in a game where a new player can skip ahead by paying to get some high tier premium ship, and off he goes. In some cases, I'm afraid it's like a fool rushing in where angels fear to tread.

[Rilohn]

Pensacola is awesome if used correctly.  It's the best cruiser I have used so far (and I have unlocked the Baltimore).

[Meneleus]

I have played the Pensacola when I had become a bit more familiar with the game and made a 56% winrate in it. Fully upgraded it is a fine ship, well balanced strengths and weaknesses in my opinion, the only trouble being that it works differently then the other cruisers that came before it. I have not unlocked the Myoko yet, so I can't judge for myself how it compares.

 

The guns are certainly the strength of the ship. The 203s pack a punch, handle well and are accurate. The AA capability of the ship is excellent.

 

The weaknesses of the ship are the suboptimal armour and the vulnerable citadel. Especially battleships have no problems destroying you, being able to citadel you at times even when only presenting your nose. The manoeuvreability and speed of the ship are unremarkable, and the turret traverse is rather slow.

 

I found the ship worked best against other cruisers and battleships when used at distances of 10-15km. Learning to switch from HE to AP and back as circumstances dictate is essential, as is preserving your hp. The stock version of the ship is pretty poor. Aim to upgrade the hull and turrets as soon as possible, spend free xp on this if you are able. This will alleviate somewhat the problem of having a slow turret traverse. Be sure to take the Expert Marksman skill on your captain.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers, M

[Admiral_H_Nelson]

I have played the Pensacola when I had become a bit more familiar with the game and made a 56% winrate in it. Fully upgraded it is a fine ship, well balanced strengths and weaknesses in my opinion, the only trouble being that it works differently then the other cruisers that came before it. I have not unlocked the Myoko yet, so I can't judge for myself how it compares.

 

The guns are certainly the strength of the ship. The 203s pack a punch, handle well and are accurate. The AA capability of the ship is excellent.

 

The weaknesses of the ship are the suboptimal armour and the vulnerable citadel. Especially battleships have no problems destroying you, being able to citadel you at times even when only presenting your nose. The manoeuvreability and speed of the ship are unremarkable, and the turret traverse is rather slow.

 

I found the ship worked best against other cruisers and battleships when used at distances of 10-15km. Learning to switch from HE to AP and back as circumstances dictate is essential, as is preserving your hp. The stock version of the ship is pretty poor. Aim to upgrade the hull and turrets as soon as possible, spend free xp on this if you are able. This will alleviate somewhat the problem of having a slow turret traverse. Be sure to take the Expert Marksman skill on your captain.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers, M

 

Many thanks for these tips, Meneleus. I have taken the liberty of copying them to my WoWS note file. 

 

As I mentioned earlier (I believe), I'm not ready for the "Pepsi Cola" yet, but I'll review your tips when the time comes.

 

P.S. I have Myoko and she seems to me that she is an excellent ship. I have not personally obtained good results with her so I will stay in lower tiers for the moment. The fault is with the player, not the ship!  I am looking forward to the day when I feel ready to sail in Myoko again. 

[Meneleus]

 

Many thanks for these tips, Meneleus. I have taken the liberty of copying them to my WoWS note file. 

 

As I mentioned earlier (I believe), I'm not ready for the "Pepsi Cola" yet, but I'll review your tips when the time comes.

 

P.S. I have Myoko and she seems to me that she is an excellent ship. I have not personally obtained good results with her so I will stay in lower tiers for the moment. The fault is with the player, not the ship!  I am looking forward to the day when I feel ready to sail in Myoko again. 

 

No worries, I hope they are of some use. Eager for the Myoko myself, only some 19.000-odd xp to gain my my Aoba to unlock her. Fingers crossed!

 

Btw, please notify me when you have found out the value of this "patience" people are talking about. Can't wait to hear what it is!

 

Cheers, M

[DJ_Die]

I'd say the biggest problem, aside from the gamestyle change, is the horrible spotting range of 15,7km comparable to battleships...that only increases it's already significant vulnerability stemming from lack of armor because everyone can see hit first and take a potshot at her....

[Ph3lan]

After the Cleveland the Pensacola felt like a slight downgrade. It is a great ship, but imho both the Cleveland and the New Orleans are better ships in their own tiers. 

That being said the guns are great and the only real problem I had with the ship was the extreme vulnerability of the citadel especially after the Cleveland which is one of the hardest cruisers to citadel.

[gronaAnkan]

I'd say that the stock Pensacola is a significantly worse ship than the Cleveland. It's the turret rotation speed that is not enough to let you shoot while maneuvering. Only 8  guns doesn't help either.

 

Fully upgraded I would say the Pensacola is definitely a better ship than the Cleveland. You get that almost destroyer like agility that lets you dodge shots at range, but now you have guns that can actually hit at ranges where that's relevant and I found the guns to do a very satisfying amount of damage. It is all dependent on using the rudder though, you can not afford to get hit more than a little. I even upgraded my captain with the incoming fire warning, it has probably saved my citadel a couple of times.

[Perzel]

Which upgrades do you suggest I should mount on that ship. Should I continue to boos th AA power, or favor the main batteries more?