I can't stand how the Svetlana looks and that is actually quite important to me =P

My only Sov crew went Rurik line now is in Gorki.

I liked the DDs but then again I also play IJN and I love being a fast tiny TW so the Leningrad suited me really really well and was super fun. What's wrong with the R slots? a lot of ships have 2 guns front 1 back...

I didn't want to TW the CLs though because I though the Broadside Gunship style would be fun so I stuck guns on all slots and had a nightmare trying to aim them. So I just got myself a Chapayev.

I have to disagree with you on Chapayev. It sucks a little at lvl and it does have the disadvantages you mentionned since it's huge, but I didn't think it was slow. And when you get the 3x 6" on it at lvl 34, my god that thing's good. The only other CL I played that felt better is the Brook. You get 12 guns, thats Edin firepower, with nearly M-pro range and they reload like DD guns. I swear I finished every battle with a grin on my face in that ship, even when I lost.

So yeah, I used Chapayed all the way to Rurik. Rurik... now that thing's interesting. Pain in the back side if you want to use the T slots, but it's absolutely tiny and packs a BB punch with the 10" guns.

I used it at first to range people but the spread is god-awful and the reload is a century so that doesn't work too well. I found the most fun way to play it was to Armor up and rush in. You can get a lot of damage like that and you bounce DD and most CL shells on belt, and dodge most long range shots from CAs because you're so small.

Anyway, in the end you get the Kirov which is worth the grind no matter which line you took =P

Haha, actually my first BO is going to get the Komsomolets, and the next one will be in a Shuka. Though I do have another BO around their levels that'll end up in the Kirov. But yeah, two front and one back is just... it just feels less right than having one in front and two in back. I realize a lot of BBs are set up like that, so at some point I'll probably bite that bullet.

And yeah, I didn't do the TW thing at all. When I load torpedo launchers they just distract me from my guns for long enough to get a few salvos behind whoever I'm engaged with. (Plus I'm leveling a lot of supports and pilots, so it's either gunners or torpedo men, both would really cut into my leveling efficiency.)

By the time I was in the Chapayev I wasn't doing blitz much, partly because those blitz CVs loved to bomb me first, but mostly because the experience per hour starts getting better for me in GBs doing AA. I get I think about 32/42 for speed in her, compared to the rest of the SN, she has a lot more crew slots than engine space, and my gunners are past level 50 already, though the rest of my crew is between 20 and 42 (BOs are 30-48). Until they're all high enough to get good XP in the KK, I'll still be sailing that Chapayev and struggling to keep up to the BBs I'm AAing for. lol.

AA-ing doesn't agree with me, I just find it really boring. If you like it then that's great because its obviously making u XP, creds and experts but I tried it a bit and got so fed up with not being able to hit the enemy directly lol. can u tell I hate playing support? XD

I may have to start a second Sov BO before my gunnres get out of Blitz lvl, because I messed up my support arrangement (Sov was my second ever crew). My other option is to wait for my US crew to get to CV and farm creds and buy lots of lvl 50+ supports, but yeah my Gorki is gathering a bit of dust at the moment.

From what you said though I think I will enjoy the Svetlana and KK so that's my bullet to bite some day =P

BTW, off-topic but do you want a pair of SN gunners? I want to swap my second set I was lvling for AA because I decided I want supports in T-slots, they are both lvl 55 and I think have +11 rel. I'm happy to sell to you or trade for SN Supports of same lvl (mainly want Engies if you have spare amongst all that crew of yours =P).

I tried the Chapayev again, in blitz. The Chapayev's triple 6" guns are not nearly fun enough to be worth the loss in experience compared to GB1. 2k for a blitz loss, 4k for a blitz win... GBs are up around 6-12k experience, and take around 15 minutes to form and finish compared to blitz's ten minutes.

Time to put the 5.1" SD-2s back on!

Speedwhore Leningrad, Sexy Svetlana, and Maxim Gorky. Best combo :)

I think for me Blitz is better XP in any ship that can't hit another BB. The only times I got better XP in GB than Blitz while still being less than lvl 60 was in my Mogami CV, and I guess I could pull it off in my Maxim if I fitted the 10" with LHE to snipe BBs (it outranges most BB2s). As it is though, GB isn't fun in a support role for me so I want to max out my Blitz experience.

good luck with your CV! =)

I find that with a level 30ish crew if I manage to down five planes in a GB my experience will be around 8-12k, depending on how well the team does. With the same crew I rocked some 3x6" Chapayev in blitz, about 10 or 12k in attack, and got 4k experience for my trouble.

That said, I would define properly for SN as using the 5.1" SD-2s on max velocity and using 31 degrees as a default angle (32 to hit top-altitude planes at the limit of your range, 36-45ish to hit top-alt planes up close). They are easy to aim, but the reload is slow enough that you really need to learn the AA angles to be effective.

If you start to get some talent, you'll start having 2-3k in bonus credits for a GB, which is roughly 10-15 planes, and that will put you in the 15k+ experience range.


Granted, if you don't like it, you shouldn't torture yourself doing it. I get more excited about big numbers for experience than I do for sinking enemy ships.