Blueprints are items used for remodeling certain ships, usually under the rationale of these ships' unique circumstances in history.
In addition to the difficulty of obtaining blueprints, ships that are upgraded in this manner tend to carry very rare and powerful stock equipment, making prioritizing certain remodels important.
How to Obtain
The only way to obtain a blueprint is by exchanging four medals, found in your inventory (the fourth panel from the left in the overhead menu). The following are ways to obtain medals:
Extra Operations
There are currently four extra operations in the game, accessible in World 1, World 2, World 3, and World 5. Clearing an extra operation yields one medal in addition to bountiful HQ experience; take note, however, that clearing 1-6 does not yield a medal, and instead rewards a present box.
- These can each be cleared once a month, resulting in a maximum of four medals. The boss's health gauge will reset on the first of each month; if it has not reset for you at that time, try obtaining a new API link.
- Extra Operations are intended to be significantly more challenging than other sorties in their respective worlds; sortieing to 2-5 immediately after clearing 2-4 is not recommended for this reason. 5-5's outstanding difficulty and potential ship requirements limit most players from clearing it.
- This is the only consistent way to obtain medals.
Events
Medals are often rewarded in event maps, usually in the later stages. This isn't a reliable way to obtain them, but veteran players can acquire an additional blueprint during the event's duration through these medals.
- The 2015 Winter and Spring events each yielded 5 medals for clearing all the maps on Hard; expect future events to follow a similar trend.
Other
The only other way to obtain a medal is through quest B33.
Blueprint Requirements
The following ships require a blueprint for one or more of their remodels:
- Amagi
- Bismarck (Fully remodeling her to Drei requires two blueprints; she is the only ship with such a hefty demand)
- Chikuma
- Choukai
- Fusou
- Italia
- Katsuragi
- Roma
- Ryuuhou
- Tone
- Unryuu
- Yamashiro
The total number of blueprints required for all of these remodels is 13. That amounts to 52 medals!
Many blueprint remodels are considered indispensable in difficult circumstances like events. For this reason, here is a list of the benefits of each remodel, and a general idea of their remodeling priorities:
- In terms of stats, these two cruisers are highly favored for their dominant stats when the Myoukou and Takao class Kai Ni; however, their utility truly shines in branching, where they offer an extremely appealing alternative to the Mogami class, which is very fragile. Their artwork is also greatly celebrated by the playerbase for obvious reasons.
- Their stock equipment consists of a 20.3cm(no.3) Twin Gun Mount, Zuiun (634 Air Group), and Type 21 Air RADAR each. While these items are rare, they aren't quite as significant the equipment carried by the Fusou or Unryuu classes. However, each admiral has his/her specific needs, and may require an upgraded Zuiun or cruiser main gun promptly.
- This remodel rectifies the primary issue that confronts aviation battleships: firepower. With Nagato-tier output, slightly enhanced durability, and an incredible 23 plane slot, these two have very useful remodels.
- While not as often needed as CAV for branching, they are valuable during events for this purpose, and offer slow-battleship alternatives for those without the Nagato and Yamato classes. Both of these battleships can be used together with a CV or 2 CVL inside a Surface Task Force for dominant air-power during events.
- Their stock equipment includes a Prototype 41cm Triple Cannon (Useful on all battleships, though it cannot be improved), Zuiun Model 12 (The highest-air-power seaplane bombers in the game), and 41cm Twin Gun Mount each. Fusou's unique gear is a 12cm 30-tube Rocket Launcher, which is nearly useless, while Yamashiro comes with a Searchlight, which again has little use. Their gear should be more useful than that provided by the Tone class, but the CAVs' stats probably put them ahead slightly. Their priority, then, is about tied.
- Her second remodel seems like a direct challenge to Haguro's long uncontested offensive power; Choukai is only-slightly better than the Kai Ni cruisers in each parameter, but all of these improvements add up, making her arguably the highest performing CA(V) in the game.
- Despite having somewhat better stats, her remodel isn't quite as important as Tone and Chikuma because she can be replaced by a Myoukou-class Kai Ni in any circumstance, though to slightly less effect. On the other hand, the Tone class offers a profound improvement over the Mogami class in situations that explicitly require a CAV for branching or against enemy fleets with no air power.
- Her stock equipment includes a 20.3cm(no.2) Twin Gun Mount (Easily found elsewhere), Skilled Lookouts (The only non-event source of this unique item), Searchlight, and Type 22 Surface RADAR Kai 4. The radar is of particular significance.
- When you look at her stats at Drei, two blueprints certainly seems like a fair price; she is at least as durable as the Nagato class and acquires the ability to fire torpedoes. This greatly enchances her night-time output, making her the ideal candidate for an escort fleet.
- While her first blueprint remodel (Zwei) doesn't improve much, her final remodel is accompanied by some of the best FBB equipment in the game.
- Her Zwei stock equipment includes a 38cm Twin Gun Mount, 3.7cm FlaK M42, and 2cm Flakvierling 38.
- Her Drei stock equipment includes two 38cm Twin Gun Mount Kai (Very nice guns with an accuracy lean that can be improved with ordinary gear, eventually making them the best FBB gun in the game in most circumstances), a 3.7cm FlaK M42, and a Ar196 Kai (Recon planes are always nice, but these don't improve much over the Type 0 except in ASW).
Unryuu(E):
- The first of the Unryuu-class, who all require blueprints and all come with excellent planes. She is listed separately for two reasons: one, she is needed for the Skilled Carrier-based Aircraft Maintenance Personnel (SCAMP), and two, she is needed for a building quest that yields Reppuu (601 Air Group) at the cost of two ordinary Reppuu.
- The SCAMP is an auxiliary item that can extend a carrier's reach to Long and confers 10 firepower. It's true appeal, however, is not in use on CV(L), but on CAV; arming Tone with two 20.3cm(no.3), a Type 0 Recon Seaplane, and the SCAMP, you can achieve 107 firepower (Not including improvements on your main guns)!
- In terms of stats, the Unryuu class is very lackluster; their health and plane-count are the lowest among carriers, though they somewhat compensate with their low deployment cost.
- While not accessible through normal sorties, she has been a recurring drop in events.
- Her stock equipment includes a Zero Fighter Type 52 Type C (601 Air Group), Suisei (601 Air Group), Tenzan (601 Air Group), and Saiun (Iridescent Cloud). Out of these, the fighter is the only particularly noteworthy plane; her priority is derived from quest requirements.
- The other two Unryuu-class carriers. They are Unryuu's deficient stats and lack her extremely rewarding quests, but are still useful CV for cheap farming purposes, aesthetics, and planes.
- If you own both ships and haven't remodeled either, keep in mind that Katsuragi Kai's stock equipment is superior.
- Amagi Kai's stock equipment is identical to Unryuu's with one exception; it includes a Zero Fighter Type 52 Type C (601 Air Group), Suisei (601 Air Group), Tenzan (601 Air Group), and instead of a Saiun, she comes with a 12cm 30-tube Rocket Launcher.
- Katsuragi Kai's stock equipment includes a Zero Fighter Type 52 Type C (601 Air Group), Ryuusei (601 Air Group), 25mm Twin Autocannon Mount, and 12cm 30-tube Rocket Launcher. Of particular note (aside from the fighter) is the Ryuusei, which is an outstanding torpedo bomber with slightly higher accuracy than Ryuusei Kai.
- As the newest Axis Power's debut in Kancolle, these fast battleships do not disappoint. They both boast completely exclusive equipment, improved stats when compared to the Kongou-class, and the quirk of having Very Long range by default.
- If choosing between the two ships, the most significant difference is Italia's 30 Luck and Roma's +3 firepower.
- Their stock equipment includes a 381mm / 50 Triple Gun Mount kai, OTO 152mm triple extended machine gun, and 90mm Single High Angled Gun each. The 381mm mount kai is a very imposing FBB main gun that can be improved like the 38cm Twin Gun Mount Kai, while the 90mm Single High Angled Gun can be used in conjunction with a high-angle gun to enable Anti-Air Cut-Ins, outshining Maya's 25mm Triple Autocannon Mount (Concentrated Deployment).
- The only carrier in this list. Her stats are very lackluster, and she has nothing in the way of incredible stock equipment. She is remodeled primary for aesthetic purposes.
- Ryuuhou's stock equipment included a Type 21 Zero Fighter and Type 97 Torpedo Bomber.
- Ryuuhou Kai's stock equipment includes a Type 52 Zero Fighter, Type 97 Torpedo Bomber (931 Air Group), and 12cm 30-tube Rocket Launcher. The torpedo bomber is somewhat notable for being exclusive to Ryuuhou Kai and its ASW stat, though it can be replaced by Akitsumaru Kai's stock equipment.
Ships marked with (E) can not be obtained through normal sorties and must be found through event drops.