Ferrard
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====== Purpose: ======
There was a necro-thread recently that smelled really funky, but highlighted a rather large issue for Newbies: There is no actual centralized place to understand which ship-line to choose. One has to search through the forums and read several threads before reaching even partial understanding of the issues involved, and while that may seem trivial to a forum-whore such as ourselves, newbies have a lot of difficulty picking that needle of information out of a haystack of "Search first, n00b!" So here's my attempt to consolidate that info and vainly attempt to lessen the amount of spam here.
As usual, respond with any critiques or requests for more information. There will be rolling updates, and I will check back periodically (possibly keep this bumped to at least the first page so Newbies can see it)
=========== Version Changes: ===========
v1.0 - Started Guide v1.1 - Expanded section regarding Edinburgh
======== Introduction: ========
So you've finished your Dido/Sirius grind (or AA Emerald if you took the advice of many a UK player) and now your BO is wondering which fork of the road he wants you to take him.
Ask the forums, and most everyone (who isn't saying "Search first, n00b!") will suggest going the Revenge line first, and I'd agree with them. There are two main reasons someone picks one line over the other: The Battleships, and the York / County question.
========== The Battleships: ==========
If you just take a peek at Trainworld, you'll see that the County line is absolutely saturated with them. You'll barely go 9 levels without getting access to another ship, which means that you can always get 100% exp from your BO for using a properly leveled ship. On the York line, you'll see that while the hurdle to your first battleship isn't bad at all (I'll touch on this later), the first grind you're saddled with is 12 levels in the Renown, not exactly the easiest BB1 out there. Your reward for that grind is the Repulse, which isn't exactly the easiest BB2 out there. Oh, and a 13-level grind in said not-exactly-easiest-BB2 until you get your Scout-less Nelson, or /15-levels/ if you want your Hood, which, while pretty, has a hit-box the size of Connecticut. This is the main reason I'd recommend going the County line first, as you are much less likely to get frustrated and leave the game.
The other factor to consider is that the County line lends you Battleships from both the Line and Rush playstyles. The Queen Lizzy performs beautifully when used to support the Line of Battle, and the PoW is (in)famous for its ability to rush. On the York line, you'll see that every ship except the Nelson is a weaver that can't play the line, and atop that, doesn't have the durability to rush well. And the Nelson doesn't have scouts (duh).
============= The Heavy Cruisers: =============
So here's something that Newbies often have the most questions about: Which CA to chose? Between the BB lines, there are very different CA playstyles. Both the York and County are well known for different reasons: Yorks are seen to be block-shotting Gods, while Counties can put serious hurt on BB1-2's through High-Angle Warfare. Between the two, I again have to advise going the County line first. The reason is that a County's spread in HAW is going to suck no matter what level your gunners are, but you'll still be able to dish out damage like crazy with the few shells that do hit. The York, on the other hand, is very unfriendly to at-level gunners - in order to have the famed BS that chews up and spits out smaller ships like so much cud, you'll have to bring along boosted gunners in their 50's, and without that blockshot, each individual 8" shell doesn't do nearly as much damage as a County's High-Angling.
There is a caveat though: If you've been diligent about selling neutrals and are sitting on a pretty penny, you can remod your York into a Surrey, which plays like a slower County. Same gun-space, a little more displacement to play with, but less engine room and less FCS room mean that the Surrey won't be quite as good as the County, but it'll do you fine if you want HA goodness on the York line. The greatest disadvantage is that the 600k+ you spend on remodeling your York will be lost into the mists of time forever, just like the 1.2 million you'll spend to remod into a Repulse. This can add up rather quickly. The other disadvantage is that you won't have your York to play with by the time your gunners get high enough level to actually use it well.
================= What about the Edinburgh? =================
The Edinburgh is an odd duckling in the choice between ship trees. In all honesty, anything she can do, a County can do better. The Edin can mount Trip-6"N's (emphasis on the N), but not much ammo. She can also mount Dual 8"D's (emphasis on the D), also without much ammo. She can't armor, isn't good at dodging shells, and has a larger hitbox than the County or Sirius. She comes but one level later than the Sirius, so there's no argument of needing an at-level ship for best XP gain, and she has one less gun-mount (and a more awkward mount placement) for AA. Don't try to ASW with her. I have. You're too fat and can't turn fast enough to avoid being torped by the SS.
What she can do is give players access to the Trip-6"N guns in an earlier ship. Your spread will suck compared with the Dual-6"s of the Sirius, and unlike the Sirius, closing to range is suicidal, given the Edinburgh's large hitbox and inability to take a beating. Oh, as an added bonus, you can fit a scout, which you couldn't do with a Sirius - not that the BBs will give you any credit for helping the team by scouting, but there's that. All in all, if you have the spare cash and are already planning on going the County line, the Edinburgh can act as a set of training wheels for your County. Otherwise, if you're heading for the York, you won't miss much (or really anything at all) by passing up the Edinburgh. I do have to say though, she's very pretty to look at. I like her just for that. I just wish she were useful.
Bottom Line: Don't factor this ship into making your decision.
=================== Regarding Flattops (Carriers): ===================
If you're a newbie, don't take the Carriers into consideration until you've reached and played your first battleship. CVs receive a lot of abuse in this game, some deserved, some not, but all in all playing a CV is a thankless endeavor. Once you've got your first BB under your belt, then you can consider leveling a BO to play CVs, as CVs do give you access to a good flow of credits.
========= In Conclusion: =========
So there you have it, Newbie - take this knowledge, take the Revenge line first, go forth, and multiply. My Queen Lizzy needs some food!
~ Ferrard
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