Sandbox/expedition

General Expeditions

#	Key Resource	Time					+	Total Gross Resources per Hour		Sparkling Load
2		0:30		200	60		200	230	1	8+ for GS
3		0:30	90	90	120		180	300		9+ for GS
5		1:30	133	133	13	13	266	318
5 GS		1:30	200	200	20	20	400	477		3 1⁄3
6		0:40				120		360
6 GS		0:40				200		600		6
21		2:20	137	116			253	253
21 GS		2:20	206	174			380	380		1.7 or 2.1
37		2:45		138	98		138	236
37 GS		2:45		207	147		207	354		1.5 or 1.8 or 2.2
38		2:55	144		69		144	213
38 GS		2:55	216		104		216	320		1.4 or 1.7 or 2.1

Discussion of Expeditions

• Great Success rates (GSR) stand at ~16 ²⁄₃% (i.e. 1/6) per sparkled ship, the base GS rate for expeditions with 4 and 5 sparkled ships is therefore approximately ²⁄₃ (66 ²⁄₃%), ⁵⁄₆ (83 ¹⁄₃%). The rate for 6 ships should theoretically be 1, but instances of 6 sparkled ships not returning a GS have been reported, leading it to be theorized that there is a cap on the GSR.
  • For expeditions that utilize drums (i.e. the short expeditions 21, 37, 38, and the long expeditions 24 and 40), carrying over the minimum number required will also increase the GSR

Short Expeditions: 2, 3, and 6 These three expeditions form the core "short expedition" group, with 2 and 6 being the more important expeditions of the three

• Expeditions 2, 3, and 6 possess extremely high turnover rates, and as such possess an high sparkling load
  • Expedition 2 is a fairly decent ammo and steel expedition, but its main resource is in the form of buckets, which are brough in at an average rate of 1 for every 2 expeditions, regardless of sparkling
  • Expedition 3's low ship count results in a low base GSR, and its high turnover rates mean that sparkling enough ships to ensure a high GSR is not only time-consuming and inefficient, but will result in net losses of fuel and ammo in exchange for a greater amount of steel. It is nonetheless one of the best early-game steel expeditions for those without access to 3-2, or the submarines with which to sortie there
  • Expedition 6 is the gold standard of bauxite expeditions (bauxite standard?), and is the primary source of bauxite for any player; for this reason, it may be well-suited for sparkling in situations of critical shortage
  • While expedition 6 gives the "highest" gross resources per hour, this is all in bauxite, which has varying utility.

"Fuel and Ammo": 5 and 21

Expeditions 5 and 21 represent the two expeditions which grant the highest combined rate of fuel and ammo

• Expedition 5 is overall the best expedition in the game, effectively dominating expedition 21 by bringing in fuel and ammunition at high rates, while also providing a small trickle of bauxite.
  • It also costs only fuel, which means that almost any DD can be used
  • Expedition 5's only real drawback is its relatively high sparkling load. As it is a 4 ship expedition, adding on a 5th sparkled ship for a higher GS rate is highly recommended
• Expedition 21, with its 5 ships and drum canisters, can easily attain a near-100% GS rate

• Expeditions 37 and 38 are relatively poor expeditions for resource gain, and should only be used when the
  • In terms of gross resources gained, a GS 38 brings in only 2 more resources per hour than base 5

Discussion of Expeditions

Key assumptions and limitations:

• The table assumes that expedition timings are run optimally (i.e. with continuous monitoring)
• The table lists gross, not net, resource gain.
• Gross Resources Weightage is derived from natural regeneration rates, in which Fuel, Ammo, and Steel are weighed equally, and Bauxite is given triple weightage.
  • In practical gameplay, Fuel (used for repairs and sorties) is much more important than Ammunition (only for sortie), while steel is the least important resource (only for repairs),
  • Bauxite usage, by contrast, varies greatly depending on the current demands of the fleet (a carrier or LBAS-dependent event will consume bauxite rapidly, while less CV-heavy events will consume far less)
• The chart does not take into account resources spent sparkling

Common Expedition Combinations

As one of the three expeditions is usually committed towards either expedition 2 for buckets or expedition 6 for bauxite, most combinations here will cover the options for the remaining two expeditions.

Combination	Overall Resource Focus					+	Total Gross Resources per Hour
5 GS 21 GS		406	374	20	20	780	860
21 GS 38 GS		422	174	104	0	596	700
5 GS 38 GS		416	200	124	20	616	800
37 GS 38 GS		216	207	251	0	423	674
5 GS 21 GS 38 GS		622	374	123	20	996	1180

Forming Expedition Compositions

The following can be seen from the above table

• For extra sparkling chance, expedition 5 can be run with five sparkled ships instead of the minimum of 4.
• Assuming perfect efficiency, expedition 5 effectively dominates expedition 21.
  • This means that expedition 21 should not be run unless expedition 5 is also being run
• Stacking expeditions 5, 21, and 38 for an all-out fuel focus

Bucket Expeditions

#	Key (Non-Bucket) Resource	Time					Average Time Per Bucket (lower is better)
2		0:30		200	60		1H
4		0:50		72			1H 40M
9		4:00	87				No Buckets
9 GS		4:00	130				2H 40M
10		1:30	33			19	3H
13 GS		90	113				5H 20M

Sortie Resource Farming

This portion of the review will discuss maps in which resources may be farmed.

• 2-2: Runs have a 25% chance of averaging 10 bauxite per 1.5 nodes and a 75% chance of averaging 25 bauxite for 2 nodes
  • This works out to an average of 21 bauxite per run of 1.9 nodes
• 2-3: Orel cruising collects about 45 fuel and 12 ammo for a single sub, and is discussed further on its page
• 3-2: Kis Island is an excellent place to farm steel with submarines, averaging 100 steel per successful run
  • Farming here requires either a single high-evasion/armor submarine (to ensure that attacks are aimed a target with high evasion), or failing which, a larger fleet of submarines to eliminate enemies, preferably 4

Overnight/Long Expeditions

#	Key Resources	Time					+	Total Gross Resources
9 GS		4:00	525				525	525	1.5
11 GS		5:00				375		1125	1
12 GS		8:00	75	325	300	75	400	925
13 GS		4:00	360	450			810	810	1
15 GS		12:00			450	600		2250
16 GS		15:00	750	750	300	300	1500	2700
24 GS		8:20	750			225	750	1425	1
35 GS		7:00			360	420		1620
36 GS		9:00	750		300	300	750	1950	1
40 GS		6:50	450	450		150	900	1350	1