Akizuki's perfect Captain setup, after all this time

[PseudoMi]

You already know, it's promo time to respec our Captains for free.

 

One of the most diffcult ships to set a Captain for, I think, is Akizuki.

 

CE, AFT and IFHE all of them are greatly needed, thus only one Tier 3 skill and a basically lost 19th point.

With no gem skill Adrenaline Rush because Last Stand is mandatory.

If you pick only two Tier 4 skills, well, you have to sacrifice one, and it's big deal !

 

What are your ideas about this IJN supergunship ?

 

Of course its Captain will serve Harekaze in 100mm config too.

[elblancogringo]

I decided to forget about AFT, and to only take CE and IFHE as 4 points skills.

Here is my build

[Commander_Cornflakes]

AFT is not really necessary, but you definitely want CE and IFHE.

[PseudoMi]

I see your point entirely. Akizuki alone could live without AFT, even if you will dream forever about shooting those BBabies from an even safer distance.

 

However if you share the Captain with Harekaze, well, Harekaze's range is a little disaster, 9,5km versus 12,4km. Thus without AFT, Harekaze will never fulfill its guns potential.

 

Moreover, Harekaze's HP pool is also a little disaster, you need SE on this ship like air. Akizuki doesn't.

 

And I am not rich enough to have two 19pts Captains dedicated to each ship, especially that Harekaze is a premium.

 

=> Headache !

 

PS. Others are leaving IFHE, and they have their point too.

 

Others are leaving CE, after all it's *teh* gunship and the guns are rather good at range and you'll never want to close range because of torps retaliation risk and your bad mobility. But Harekaze needs CE like air.

[Commander_Cornflakes]

Actually, Harekaze is even better without AFT, if you play her more as a DD-hunter. Because that means after winning a knife-fight you will be visible only on 9.4km instead of 11.3km. That usually means you will be invisible directly after the fight and not become victim to enemy ships for 20s.

 

And more hp is not a bad choice for Akizuki as well.

[SmartassNoob]

I would use this, if I'd have that many points on that captain: http://shipcomrade.com/captcalc/0100000000100001001010010000000119

[Commander_Cornflakes]

My current build for Aki and Hare is http://shipcomrade.com/captcalc/1000000000000011010010000010000119

Would be ok with TAE instead of BFT as well.

[elblancogringo]

31 minutes ago, SmartassNoob said:

I would use this, if I'd have that many points on that captain: http://shipcomrade.com/captcalc/0100000000100001001010010000000119

not taking IFHE is really a big mistake, imho

and... torpedo reload and vigilance? seriously?

[elblancogringo]

18 minutes ago, Commander_Cornflakes said:

My current build for Aki and Hare is http://shipcomrade.com/captcalc/1000000000000011010010000010000119

Would be ok with TAE instead of BFT as well.

BFT is ok, but I really prefer DE. Because of the amazing reload speed, the increase fire chance has a really big impact.

[Commander_Cornflakes]

1 minute ago, elblancogringo said:

BFT is ok, but I really prefer DE. Because of the amazing reload speed, the increase fire chance has a really big impact.

I really like to use AP too, and BFT helps with both and not just HE.

AP on broadside ships is so much fun

[PseudoMi]

I see almost a consensus that if some Tier 4 should be sacrificed, that is AFT.

 

But how do you people live driving the best gunship of its tier later in the game, when there are not so many DDs left and you need to farm damage on big ships ?

It’s not like Akizuki would have more than a water scooter engine installed, to catch up with the fight.

Harekaze is agile but its range is way inside KM BBs secondaries. Those BB players have only to Ctrl-click us then mind their business (I mean even leaving their PC, at least that’s what I do when on the opposite side) while we’re slowly dying in pain.

[Commander_Cornflakes]

You farm damage with torps and from smoke screens. Shooting while being spotted is usually a bad idea.

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

Short range is very handy to disengage after DD fights. Wouldn't pick AFT on my Harekaze.

 

Akizuki is a pure Gunboat though, making the range nice for setting fires, I guess. 

 

[RUSSIANBlAS]

AFT is no good after the SF nerfs imo, others think so too.

 

I don't even bother shooting BBs unless I have smokes, if I've run out of DDs to hunt I'll try and torp the fatties.

[__Helmut_Kohl__]

24 minutes ago, Negativvv said:

AFT is no good after the SF nerfs imo, others think so too.

 

I don't even bother shooting BBs unless I have smokes, if I've run out of DDs to hunt I'll try and torp the fatties.

 

Maybe you're right. 

Don't really play the Aki. Was just thinking that BBs often get out of range, after I set them on fire from smoke, in my Harekaze. Doesn't matter since I usually combine it with flooding, but Aki is lacking torps. 

[SmartassNoob]

1 hour ago, elblancogringo said:

not taking IFHE is really a big mistake, imho

and... torpedo reload and vigilance? seriously?

The other things are more important, I think. Then again I don't have a single ship with IFHE. More armor penetration for less chance of fire makes no sense to me at all. Just shoot AP then.

Yes torpedo reload, duh. And yes vigilance, there's a lot of situations where you think you're safely caping something (not detected), but then a bunch of torps show up at your broadside and there's no time to react, if you're at low speed. Only low tier DDs can afford to not care.

[RUSSIANBlAS]

21 minutes ago, _Helmut_Kohl_ said:

 

Maybe you're right. 

Don't really play the Aki. Was just thinking that BBs often get out of range, after I set them on fire from smoke, in my Harekaze. Doesn't matter since I usually combine it with flooding, but Aki is lacking torps. 

 

Hmm I take torp reload booster for Harekaze as I find the torp walls more to my taste, I'll lean on the 5.4km concealment to stay alive anyway.

 

A clan mate plays more Aki than me @eliastion might be more qualified to speak about Aki.

[Ferry_25]

Tried it once and immediately lost interest....

[Aotearas]

Also of the opinion that AFT isn't needed or not even recommended.

 

Hell, until with the recent IFHE change that reduced the firechance debuff for <139mm guns I hadn't even used the upgraded GFCS just because the reduced firechance was so low that trying to set fires wasn't worth risking return fire.

Now I'm using the upgraded GFCS (without AFT) and I can say I'm more than confortable with the range. Don't think I ever needed the extra range and fairly certain the extra distance at which I could've been spotted with AFT would've turned sour a good couple times. Even adjusting to the upgraded GFCS range had mixed initial impressions.

 

Without AFT it frees up 4 captain skill points that I'm happy to eventually put into either Superintendant or Demolition Expert (using Survivability Expert as my current tier III captain perk). Naturally I think CE and IFHE are a must.

[Skyllon]

Adrenaline rush is absolute waste on Akizuki. You gain next to nothing with it - torps are not main strength of the ship, and its basic gun reload of 3s, doesn't need any further boost. AFT is not needed on the ship too, since it has 11.3km range on start. BFT, DE or Superintendend are way better picks. The rest is done just with good positioning.

 

3 hours ago, elblancogringo said:

I decided to forget about AFT, and to only take CE and IFHE as 4 points skills.

Here is my build

 

IFHE is one way to go. If CVs were more prevalent, Manual AA would also be good alternative.

[PseudoMi]

Why would you think that there is a limit in accelerating the gun reload ? Beside, if you share Akizuki captain with Harekaze, boosting the torps reload altogether with the guns should be an excellent thing ?

[Skyllon]

Can't speak for Harekaze, but in case of Akizuki, Adrenaline Rush gives you very little boost to your guns, even when your health is almost depleted. And guns - not torps - are your main way of dealing damage. Better pick for 2 points would be SSE, since it allows you not only to engage earlier, but also, allows you to be more efficient in helping cruisers and battleships, as well as makes maneuvering inside a smoke much easier - Akizuki unfortunately is a brick of a ship.

[Commander_Cornflakes]

9 minutes ago, Skyllon said:

Can't speak for Harekaze, but in case of Akizuki, Adrenaline Rush gives you very little boost to your guns, even when your health is almost depleted.

The Adrenaline Rush boost is the same for every ship.

[Skyllon]

4 minutes ago, Commander_Cornflakes said:

The Adrenaline Rush boost is the same for every ship.

 

God... Thank you for enlightening me on the subject...

[Ulvesnutepostei]

1 hour ago, Commander_Cornflakes said:

The Adrenaline Rush boost is the same for every ship.

True ... but when you are Down to 2,7 second reloadtime it will not improve it further With AR Worth mentioning ...

 

Am currently trying this setup without Last Stand 

http://shipcomrade.com/captcalc/0100000000101000000011000010000119