Combined Fleet

A combined fleet during battle (aerial phase).

Combined Fleets were first introduced during the Summer 2014 Event.

During events, "Combined Fleets" may be introduced to sortie, combining two fleets at a time. Combined Fleets are only usable during events on some event maps. A Combined Fleet is formed out of the 1st and 2nd fleets, and so requires both fleets to be unlocked.A combined fleet is formed by clicking and dragging the flag icon for the 2nd fleet over to the flag icon for the 1st fleet in the Composition menu, then selecting a type of fleet to form from the "Combined Fleet pop-up menu".

The three different fleets are detailed below, but they are:

• Carrier Task Force (Kidou Butai "機動部隊") (CTF)
• Surface Task Force (Suijou Butai "水上部隊") (STF)
• Transport Escort Force (Yuusou Goei Butai "輸送護衛部隊") (TCF/TE)

General Information

1. If the flagship of the 1st or 2nd fleet is Moderately Damaged (中破) or worse, the Combined Fleet cannot be sortied.
2. The accuracy of shelling and carrier attacks during daytime combat is reduced. Please see Accuracy for more details.
3. Both flagships cannot be sunk.
   • The fleet will be retreated if the 1st fleet flagship is Heavily Damaged (大破) unless she has damage control equipped.
   • It is possible to continue the sortie if the 2nd fleet flagship is Heavily Damaged (大破).
4. Aerial combat works differently.
   • When contesting the air control state:
     • Against single fleets, only the fighter power of the main fleet is taken into account.
     • 'Against combined fleets, the fighter power of both fleets is taken into account.
     • This means that versus single fleets, planes in the 2nd fleet aren't considered for triggering contact.
   • Anti-air shoot down is calculated using the sum of both fleets.
     • Ships of both fleets are eligible to perform anti-air cut-ins.
   • Ships in the 2nd fleet are eligible targets for enemy bombers.
5. Torpedo attacks, Opening Anti-Submarine Warfare, and night battles, are only performed by the 2nd fleet.
6. When encountering a maelstrom node, there are two types of supply loss reductions at play. Which version applies depends on the node and is fixed.
   • The first only considers the amount of radars in the 1st fleet and the 2nd fleet does not lose any supplies.
   • The second considers the amount of radars in both fleets independently. This means that having no radars in the 1st fleet but radars in the 2nd fleet would cause only the 1st fleet to lose supplies.
7. The Combined Fleet will automatically be disbanded if the composition requirements for that fleet type are no longer met.
8. It is possible to bring duplicate ships as long as they are in separate fleets.

Special Mechanics

Fleet Command Facility

Combined Fleet evacuation screen translated for convenience

The Fleet Command Facility (FCF), is used to evacuate Heavily Damaged (大破) ships mid-sortie instead of retreating.

• It works for Combined Fleets.
• This can help increase your pass rate to the boss node.

Requirements for using FCF are

• FCF equipped on the flagship on the Main Fleet,
• At least one ship is heavily damaged,
  • Cannot be the flagship of either fleet.
• At least one destroyer in the 2nd fleet that is not Lightly Damaged (小破) or worse.
  • The destroyer must not be the 2nd fleet flagship.

• The fleet is a Combined Fleet.

If a ship can be evacuated, after the battle a prompt will ask to choose to evacuate "退避" or not evacuate "退避せず" the damaged ship from the fleet for the remainder of the sortie.

• The damaged ship to evacuate will be shown.
• It is not possible to choose which ship to evacuate when multiple ships are damaged.
• The selection is based on fleet order, the ships higher in the order coming first.

Notes

• Only one ship can be evacuated per battle.
  • An additional Healthy DD will be evacuated alongside the damaged ship, counting both as evacuated.
  • If more than one ship are heavily damaged, retreat should be considered instead.
• Evacuated ships will:
  • Lose all of their morale, all their remaining fuel and ammo.
  • No longer count for determining victory conditions, being neither alive nor lost.
  • Affect routing requirements:
    • It is possible to fail some requirements by no longer having said ships or equipment, or by no longer having enough LoS.
• The damage the ship suffered may become worse during the evacuation, but she will never sink.
• See this video for a better explanation.

Combined Fleet Night Battle

In Combined vs Combined engagements, only a single fleet will participate in night battle. So the game will determine if the escort fleet engages the enemy escort or main fleet.

The fleet must obtain less than 3 points in order to fight the enemy main fleet:

Damage Status	Points
Not Damaged / Lightly Damaged (小破)	1
Moderately Damaged (中破)	0.7
Heavily Damaged (大破)	0
Sunk (撃沈)	0
Modifiers
If Escort Flagship >0HP	+1

• This means the escort flagship can count for 2 points if she is above moderate damage.

The following are also exceptions to Combined Fleet night battles.

• ASW damage and accuracy is not reduced.
• Night battle equipment on the main fleet does not count.

Combined Fleet Types

Combined Fleet menu selection.

Combined Fleet icons: Surface Task Force (top), Carrier Task Force (bottom)

Composition requirements
	Main Fleet (1st Fleet):	Escort Fleet (2nd Fleet):
Minimum requirement	2 CVL/CV/CVB	1 CL 2 DD
Maximum limitation	4 CVL/CV/CVB 2 FBB/BB/BBV	1 CL 1 CVL 1 AV 2 CA/CAV 2 FBB/BB/BBV being: FBB (including Gangut slow). "Fast" for Warspite Kai. "Fast+" for other BB/BBV (see speed modding).
Forbidden	SS/SSV cannot be the flagship	SS/SSV cannot be the flagship any CV/CVB any BB/BBV being: "Slow" for Warspite Kai. "Fast or Slow" for other BB/BBV (see speed modding).

Notes

• This is the easiest type to obtain air supremacy thanks to the number of carriers allowed.
• The powerful airstrike can take out multiple enemies before shelling begins.
• Because the escort fleet attacks first, it can leave vulnerable ships exposed.
  • It does mean that the escort has a chance to take out the weaker ships so that the main fleet can focus on the tougher targets.

Combined Fleet menu selection.

Combined Fleet icons: Surface Task Force (top), Carrier Task Force (bottom)

Composition requirements
	Main Fleet (1st Fleet):	Escort Fleet (2nd Fleet):
Minimum requirement	2 CL/CLT/CA/CAV/FBB/BB/BBV	1 CL 2 DD
Maximum limitation	4 BB/FBB/BBV 4 CA/CAV Either: 1 CV/CVB 2 CVL	2 CA/CAV Either: 1 AV 1 CVL 2 FBB/BB/BBV being: FBB (including Gangut slow). "Fast" for Warspite Kai. "Fast+" for other BB/BBV (see speed modding).
Forbidden	SS/SSV cannot be the flagship	SS/SSV cannot be the flagship any CV/CVB any BB/BBV being: "Slow" for Warspite Kai. "Fast or Slow" for other BB/BBV (see speed modding).

Notes

• This fleet typically has the highest pass rate because the heavy main fleet faces the enemy first. This spares the light escort from the brunt of enemy attacks.
• It can be difficult to secure air superiority because of a lack of fighter power.

Combined Fleet menu selection.

Combined Fleet icon: Transport Escort Fleet

Composition requirements
	Main Fleet (1st Fleet):	Escort Fleet (2nd Fleet):
Minimum requirement	4 DD/DE	1 CL/CT Flagship 3 DD/DE
Maximum limitation	2 CL/CT/CAV/BBV/AV/LHA/AS/AO 1 CVE 1 AR	2 CL/CT 2 CA/CAV
Forbidden	any FBB/BB/CV/CVB/CVL (but CVE)/CA/CLT/SS/SSV	any FBB/BB/BBV/CV/CVB/CVL/CLT/SS/SSV/AR/AV/LHA/AS/AO

Notes

• The lightest of all the Combined Fleets, making it the most vulnerable to attacks.
• It is typically only used for Transport Operations or for Anti-Installation.
• It can be very hard to secure air superiority because of a lack of carriers.

Combat Flow

Formation Selection

Combined Fleets have special formations that differ from the standard single fleet formations. The following formations can be selected.

Formation	Formation Icon	Fleet	Shelling			Torpedo			ASW			Night			AA	Flagship Protection	Notes
			Dmg	Acc	Eva	Dmg	Acc	Eva	Dmg	Acc	Eva	Dmg	Acc	Eva
Cruising Formation 1 (ASW Alert) 第一警戒航行序列（対潜警戒）		Main	0.8	0.9	?	-			1.3	1.2~1.25?	?	-			1.1	Day	Moderate shelling and torpedo accuracy. Similar to Line Abreast.
		Escort	0.8			0.7	?	1.0	1.3			?	?	?		Night
Cruising Formation 2 (Forward Alert) 第二警戒航行序列（前方警戒）		Main	1.0	1.0	1.3	-			1.1	?	?	-			1.0	Day	Higher shelling and torpedo accuracy than Formation 1. Similar to Double Line without the accuracy bonus.
		Escort	1.0			0.9	1.0	?	1.1			?	0.9	?		Night
Cruising Formation 3 (Ring Formation) 第三警戒航行序列（輪形陣）		Main	0.7	0.8	1.1	-			1.0	?	?	-			1.5	Day	Requires 5 or more ships in the 2nd fleet. Very low shelling and torpedo accuracy. Similar to Diamond.
		Escort	0.7			0.6	0.4?	1.0	1.0			?	0.7	1.1		Night
Cruising Formation 4 (Battle Formation) 第四警戒航行序列（戦闘隊形）		Main	1.1	1.1	1.0	-			0.7	?	?	-			1.0	Yes	Requires 4 or more ships in the 2nd fleet. Highest shelling and torpedo accuracy. Similar to Line Ahead.
		Escort	1.1			1.0	1.2	1.0	0.7			?	1.0	1.0		Night

Oposing Fleets

Depending on what fleet type is engaging what other fleet type, some combat phases may be altered compared to standard single vs single fleet engagements.

Combat Phase	Carrier Task Force Transport Escort Force	Surface Task Force
Detection	Same as single fleet with only the main fleet participating.
Land-based Jet Assault	Same as single fleet.
Fleet's Jet Assault	Same as single fleet with only the main fleet participating.
Land-based Bombing	Same as single fleet.
Aerial Combat	Same as single fleet with only the main fleet participating.
Support Expedition	Same as single fleet.
Battle Opening	Same as single fleet with only the escort fleet participating.
Engagement	Same as single fleet (both fleets are counted for Saiun deployment)
1st Shelling	Escort	Main
Closing Torpedo	Escort	N/A
2nd Shelling	Main
3rd Shelling	Main	Escort
Closing Torpedo	N/A	Escort
Night Battle	Same as single fleet with only the escort fleet participating.

Combat Phase	Carrier Task Force Transport Escort Force	Surface Task Force
Detection	Same as single fleet.
Land-based Jet Assault
Fleet's Jet Assault
Land-based Bombing
Aerial Combat	Same as single fleet with both fleets participating.
Support Expedition	Same as single fleet.
Battle Opening	Same as single fleet with only the escort fleet participating.
Engagement	Same as single fleet (both fleets are counted for Saiun deployment)
1st Shelling	Main vs Main
2nd Shelling	Escort vs Escort	Main vs Both Fleets
Closing Torpedo	Escort vs Both Fleets	N/A
3rd Shelling	Main vs Both Fleets	Escort vs Escort
Closing Torpedo	N/A	Escort vs Both Fleets
Night Battle	Same as single fleet with only the escort fleet participating.

Combat Phase	Action
Detection	Same as single fleet.
Land-based Jet Assault
Fleet's Jet Assault
Land-based Bombing
Aerial Combat
Support Fleet
Battle Opening
Engagement
1st Shelling	Vs Escort
Closing Torpedo	Vs Both Fleets
2nd Shelling	Vs Main
3rd Shelling	Vs Both Fleets
Night Battle	Same as single fleet.

Special Nodes

Some Nodes with exceptions to the usual combat flow are:

• "Aerial Combat Nodes" that are similar to the ones in 1-6 consist of two aerial combat phases with only the main fleet participating.
• "Enemy Air Raid Nodes" that are similar to the ones in 6-5 just consist of a single aerial combat phase with only the main fleet participating.
• "Submarine Combat Nodes" will skip the aerial combat phase.
• "Night Battle Nodes" that are similar to the ones in 5-3 work the same way as a single fleet.
• "Night to Day Battle Nodes" that can be found on some event maps begin with a normal single fleet night battle and then shifts to a combined fleet battle in the day. Because selection is from a single fleet formation, the fleet will shift to the equivalent combined fleet formation at day.
  • Line Abreast → Cruising Formation 1
  • Double Line → Cruising Formation 2
  • Diamond → Cruising Formation 3
  • Line Ahead → Cruising Formation 4

Damage Calculations

Basic attack power in a Combined Fleet has slightly different formulas for shelling, carrier attacks, and torpedo attacks. Damage is otherwise calculated the same way as a single fleet. Please see Damage Calculations for more details.

See Also

• Accuracy, Evasion and Criticals
• Help:Equipment Setups