Hi There :) :
Well I have chosen MN due the fact that I already have KM and IJN BB5, I wanted to change the playstyle, well if you want a different tactics far from IJN and KM I recommend a repairers configuration, but if you want to play by a tactical way, then use AA.
My experience:
MN is an easy grind, using AA until CA with the lvl 25AA guns for range or the dual AA or even better the quads AA, long range lvl 25AA use angle 25 like the old guns for the yamato, but make low damage and the reload is average, is boring see how enemies planes can resist many shots without being shooted down, by the other hand the other AA sets can one shot but has a similar range than KM lvl 52 guns, but the reload is slow. For AAing on BB the best choices are the Lyon, Le havre, Richeliu (EBB ver the clemenceau too) or Alsace. Richeliu is the only one that can use the AA quads.
First MN doesnt use armor, only 0.2 belt and bulge until ou loose a knot. BBs like courbet or lyon in my case, are amazing with an incredible heavy punch and small hitbox, but the problem starts when you get bb like the french style, when you get dunkerke or strasbourg and richeliu, those ships has the lowest range for the global tier and doesn't have a best damage than an Lyon (or EBB version the"le havre"). Dunkerke is fast at lvl without high lvl engineers but strasbourg needs really a very high lvls for the engineers (I reach the cap of 42 knots on strasbourg EBB at lvl 110), Dunkerke use the CA engine and at high lvl can reach 47 knots unarmored, normal strasbourg is very small and very fast, is a very fun ship, if you can have the le havre use it, some people use it until the alsace.
Alsace sailors:
I'm still grinding, well i reach the alsace and I have many configurations of sailors.
-1 BO 14 pot , +10rep, with 110 but not fullt experts give 6 points on repair.
-5 hero engineers, BV(130 average vets) lvl 112, with the 5 of them I get 70 of repair, have hero engineers due the fact that MN has only 1st engineer is a very good deal for restoring and repairing.
-Scout +12 aircraft, I heard that some people use hero and are awesome due the nice rep bonus, in my bb only use the plane :(.
- 2 Hero gunners, are BV(130 average) not fully experted lvl 112, both gives the total of 14 in repair bonus. I have a +10+10 Gunners lvl 96 BVE and they reach the reload and spread cap (on clemenceau), but they gives onle 1 point of repair.
- AA, with +10+10 normal gunners BVE they reach the acc and rld cap for AA guns, can use the lvl 25 or lvl 33 AA guns, but doesnt give repair bonus. I Also have 2 Hero armaments sailors classed at lvl 93 to heavy torps (are lvl 95 now), they reach the rld and aa cap for lvl 25 guns (can use only those) and they gives the repair bonus of 7 in total.
- Hero seaman, they repair 9 points/sec, is lvl 95 BV (130 vets) on dock u cant see the repair bonus of the seaman but on battle due the fact that many of my sailors repair, i feel and see not in exact numbers a huge increment on my repair rate, better than use an extra repairer.
Alsace and bb6 configurations, those set ups are based on the repairers:
- Repairers (i have only +12 reps):
A) AA with seaman u need 1 more repairer, 2 for bb6, my repairers are lvl 110 with 120 vet average, the average rapair rate is 15.
with this repair dude and the previous config (with hero torps AA) I get 150 rep and 176 secs of over heat on alsace.
B) AA without seaman: u need 2 repairers, 3 for bb6, my repairers are lvl 110 with 120 vet average, the average rapair rate is 15.
with 2 repair dudes and the previous config (with hero torps AA) I get 156 rep and 176 secs of over heat on alsace.
C) Non AA no Seaman: on alsace u need 4 repairers, on bb6 u need 5 repairers (I'm not planning this config due tha lack of the fifth repairer). I get 177 rep and 176 secs of over heat on alsace. Some people says that u can reach the cap of 280 rep per sec at lvl 120 or a little before.
D) Non AA with Seaman: on alsace u need 3 repairers, on bb6 u need 4 rep. I get 171 rep (only 6 points less but the bonus is a very good deal, remember u cant see the rep bonus on dock) and 176 secs of over heat on alsace.
During my grinding I never left on dock my engineers, i was rotating my repairers and AA, that is very boring but at least my crew is very nice comparing to my KM and IJN sailors, but those countries doesn't need a huge repair rate due they have a nice range and speed. Some time AA helps a lot but repair fast and with a nice turning u can avoid a DB strafe, is more funny than KM or IJN use MN with a repairers configuration, and you can be more agressive player. Forgive use a Alsace with 2 guns, is fast with his 45 knots, but the spread is very bad, is a lot better use the 3 guns that forcing you to play better ant not to be risky, on alsace the low range is very notorious, is an small bb5 but u can use ranging tactics :(.
cheers from Chile :)!.
