Changes

Destroyers (DD) are weak in daytime surface combat, but make up for it via their performance in anti-submarine combat, night battle, and other utility purposes. They are also frequently very helpful in achieving preferential routing on maps and are sometimes needed to even reach the boss at all. Early on, you should pick '''five''' of these to raise.

Destroyers (DD) are weak in daytime surface combat, but make up for it via their performance in anti-submarine combat, night battle, and other utility purposes. They are also frequently very helpful in achieving preferential routing on maps and are sometimes needed to even reach the boss at all. Early on, you should pick '''five''' of these to raise.

Note that nearly all IJN destroyers are effectively identical at Kai, so the goal here is to pick up those who have stand-out Kai Nis that do not require Blueprints or Action Reports.

Note that nearly all IJN destroyers are effectively identical at Kai, so the goal here is to pick up and begin leveling those who have stand-out Kai Nis that do not require Blueprints or Action Reports.

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=== Light Cruisers ===

=== Light Cruisers ===

Heavier than destroyers, they perform better in daytime combat roles and can fill a wide variety of utility purposes. Many maps call for at least one to achieve preferential routing. However, there is rarely room for more than one or two in a fleet. You should raise about '''two''' of these.

Heavier than destroyers, they perform better in daytime combat roles and can fill a wide variety of utility purposes. Many maps in the main game require one to get preferential routing, but there is rarely, if ever, room for more. They are very important for branching in World 2, so you should train '''two''' of them so that you can still sortie to these maps while one is repairing.

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|+ Good CLs

|+ Best early game CL

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! Ships !! Explanation

! Ships !! Explanation

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| {{ShipLink|Kuma}}, {{ShipLink|Nagara}} || They're very similar to Shimakaze and Yukikaze in that they come online at only level 20 with monstrous Kai stats compared to everyone else in their class, even eclipsing the raw stats of many CL Kai Ni - but unlike Shimakaze and Yukikaze, they're fairly common. As a downside, though, they do not have any special utility function.  

| {{ShipLink|Kuma}} || IJN CL are very unimpressive at Kai, but Kuma is an exception - her stats are very high in all areas, 10 more each than other Kai CL. She's also very easy to find, first appearing in 1-1 and everywhere hereafter. She shines brightly in the first few worlds, where surface combat against other ships is all that matters and no one is high enough level to reach their final remodels.  

Due to limited room for CL in a fleet, you should only train one of the two.

However, she has no utility capabilities and no second remodel - she will fall off compared to other CL later on.

 

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| {{ShipLink|Sendai}} || Average performance at Kai and fills no utility role, but comes with a full set of night battle gear at Kai Ni.

| {{ShipLink|Isuzu}},{{ShipLink|Sendai}} || Average performance at Kai, but excellent utility performance at Kai Ni.

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| {{ShipLink|Kitakami}}, {{ShipLink|Ooi}} || They start as CL, but become Torpedo Cruisers (CLT) at Kai and Kai Ni, with the power to launch devastating pre-emptive torpedoes. '''Raise them automatically regardless of which other CLs you choose to train''', as they are extremely powerful and will remain strong forever.

| Abukuma || Same as the above, but she is a rare drop who at this stage of the game will only show up in Construction through the rare DD/CL recipe.

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| {{ShipLink|Tenryuu}}, {{ShipLink|Tatsuta}} || Exactly like the Mutsuki-class destroyers - poor in combat, but efficient for expeditions. Send them on expeditions only.

| {{ShipLink|Tenryuu}}, {{ShipLink|Tatsuta}} || Exactly like the Mutsuki-class destroyers - poor in combat, but efficient for expeditions. Send them on expeditions only.

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| Common CL that lack relevant second remodels - {{ShipLink|Naka}}, {{ShipLink|Natori}} || Bad. They will eat up your exp and give nothing back.

| {{ShipLink|Naka}}, {{ShipLink|Natori}} || Bad. No relevant first or second remodels. They will eat up your exp and give nothing back.

 

 

 

| {{Shiplink|Kitakami}}, {{Shiplink|Ooi}} || The torpedo queens. They remodel early and have the highest torpedo stat out of all shipgirls by a significant margin. They are extremely powerful right out the gate and they will stay that way forever.

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| {{ShipLink|Mogami}} || Remodels into a CA(V) at the very low level of 10. Likely to be your first CA(V).

| {{ShipLink|Mogami}} || Remodels into a CA(V) at the very low level of 10. Likely to be your first CA(V).

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| {{ShipLink|Takao}}, {{ShipLink|Atago}} || Honorable mentions that rival Tone, Chikuma and Myoukou at Kai, but do not have a final remodel and probably never will.  

| {{ShipLink|Takao}}, {{ShipLink|Atago}} || Honorable mentions that rival Tone, Chikuma and Myoukou at Kai, but they do not have a future Kai Ni remodel and thus should not be leveled instead of Tone, Chikuma, or Myoukou.

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In the end, you should have a small but well rounded fleet of 5DD, 2CL, 1~2 CA(V), 2 CV, 2 CVL, 1BBV, 1 (F)BB, 1 AV. This combination of ships, if Kai and modernized, will allow you to tackle every main world map from 1-1 up to 5-2.

In the end, you should have a small but well rounded fleet of 5DD, 2CL, 1~2 CA(V), 2 CV, 2 CVL, 1BBV, 1 (F)BB, 1 AV, 2 CLT. This combination of ships, if Kai and modernized, will allow you to tackle every main world map from 1-1 up to 5-2.

=== Ships you should collect ASAP, even if you're not leveling them ===

=== Ships you should collect ASAP, even if you're not leveling them ===

FBB: {{ShipLink|Kongou}}, {{ShipLink|Hiei}}, {{ShipLink|Kirishima}}, {{ShipLink|Haruna}}

FBB: {{ShipLink|Kongou}}, {{ShipLink|Hiei}}, {{ShipLink|Kirishima}}, {{ShipLink|Haruna}}