Combined Fleet
(This page is created in anticipation that combined fleets will be a regularly featured system in events and may eventually be available to future normal maps.)
The combined fleet system was first introduced in the Summer Event of 2014 specially for the Battle of Midway. It is made using two fleets such that during a sortie, a total of 12 ships are involved as opposed to the usual 6. The combined fleet system has again been used in the Autumn Event of 2014, and the Winter Event of 2015 but with revised mechanics. This page will keep up to date with the most relevant mechanics.
Update: It appears that the same mechanics are in place for this event, so this page is entirely usable.
Composition
Combined fleets (連合艦隊 rengou kantai) (when available, i.e. events only as of now) are formed by viewing the second fleet, and then dragging the "/2" icon over the "/1" icon (refer to picture on the right). The 1st fleet is the main fleet and, in general, comprises the heavy ships, while the second fleet is a lighter "escort" fleet, and comprises the lighter ships.
There are currently two different types of Combined Fleets available for use:
- The Quick Response Naval Task Force (機動部隊 kidou butai)
- The Surface Naval Task Force (水上部隊 suijou butai)
Each type of combined fleet has different composition requirements. In some cases, you will be given the option to choose between which combined fleet you want to make. In other cases, you will be told which fleet to create for sortieing. When choosing between the two different types of combined fleets, besides fleet composition requirements, also do note that the combat order is different for each type, so do bear that in mind as well (see Combat Phases).
Main (fleet 1):
- Maximum of 2 BB/BBV
- Minimum of 2 CV/CVL
Escort (fleet 2):
- Exactly 1 CL (CLT does not count)
- Minimum of 2 DD
- Maximum of 2 CA/CAV
- Maximum of 2 BBs (fast only)
- Maximum of 1 AV
Main (fleet 1):
- Minimum 2 of a combination of CL/CA/CAV/BB/BBV
- Maximum of 1CV or 2 CVL
- Maximum of 4 BB
- Maximum of 4 CA/CAV
Escort (fleet 2):
- Exactly 1 CL (CLT does not count)
- Minimum 2 DD
- Maximum of 2 CA/CAV
- Maximum of 2 BBs (fast only)
- Maximum of 1 AV
Combat Mechanics
The combat flow for the Combined Fleet is quite different from a normal fleet battle, since there are two fleets involved.
Fleet Formations
| Formation | Formation Icon | Advised Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 第一警戒航行序列（対潜警戒）
Cruising Formation 1 (anti-sub) |
Anti-submarine |
Low firepower and accuracy for shelling and torpedoes. Similar to line abreast formation. | |
| 第二警戒航行序列（前方警戒）
Cruising Formation 2 (front facing) |
Survivability (e.g. pre-boss nodes) | High torpedo hit chance with moderate-high accuracy. Similar to double line formation. If you have CLTs in your escort fleet, you might want to pick this formation. | |
| 第三警戒航行序列（輪形陣）
Cruising Formation 3 (ring) |
Anti-air | Low firepower and accuracy for shelling and torpedoes. Requires 5+ ships in escort fleet. Similar to diamond formation. | |
| 第四警戒航行序列（戦闘隊形）
Cruising Formation 4 (battle) |
All-out attack (e.g. boss) |
High torpedo hit chance and high shelling damage with moderate accuracy. Similar to line ahead formation. If you have CLTs in your escort fleet, you might want to pick this formation. |
For different combined fleet types, the colours may be different, but the formations' effects are the same in combat.
Combat Phases
This is where there is a difference between the two types of combined fleets. The difference between the two is that for the Quick Response Naval Task Force, the escort fleet engages first, while for the Surface Naval Task Force, the main fleet engages first. Each phase in itself is similar to a normal non-combined fleet combat. For a full run through on what each phase does, please see Combat:Combat Stages.
| Phase | Notes |
|---|---|
| Aerial Scouting | No different from normal. |
| Aerial Combat | Only ships in the main fleet can launch planes, but all ships can respond with AA and can be hit by enemy planes. |
| Opening Engagement | Support fleet activates. (If support conditions are met. See Expedition:Support Expeditions)
Opening torpedo salvo by only the escort fleet (e.g. CLT, SS) and enemy fleet. |
| Engagement Type | Engagement type is declared (e.g. Head-on, Parallel, T-Cross). |
| Escort Fleet Engages | Escort fleet begins their shelling round by range order. (1 round only, regardless of whether BBs are present)
Escort fleet does a torpedo salvo exchange with the enemy fleet. |
| Main Fleet Engages | Main fleet begins its shelling round by range order, and then by line-up order. (2nd round only if BBs are present on either side) |
| Night Combat | Main fleet retreats, leaving only escort fleet.
Night battle equipment activation (if any). Night battle commences in line-up order. |
| Phase | Notes |
|---|---|
| Aerial Scouting | No different from normal. |
| Aerial Combat | Only ships in the main fleet can launch planes, but all ships can respond with AA and can be hit by enemy planes. |
| Opening Engagement | Support fleet activates. (If support conditions are met. See Expedition:Support Expeditions)
Opening torpedo salvo by only the escort fleet (e.g. CLT, SS) and enemy fleet. |
| Engagement Type | Engagement type is declared (e.g. Head-on, Parallel, T-Cross). |
| Main Fleet Engages | Main fleet begins its shelling round by range order, and then by line-up order. (2nd round only if BBs are present on either side) |
| Escort Fleet Engages | Escort fleet begins their shelling round by range order. (1 round only regardless of whether BBs are present)
Escort fleet does a torpedo salvo exchange with the enemy fleet. |
| Night Combat | Main fleet retreats, leaving only escort fleet.
Night battle equipment activation (if any). Night battle commences in line-up order. |
General Notes
- Anti-submarine warfare takes place following the same order as stated above, except that phases like aerial combat cannot occur for obvious reasons.
- The main fleet will not take part in anything related to torpedoes.
- The miss and scratch rate for combined fleets appear to be higher; probably to balance out the 12 vs 6 system.
- If a fleet does no damage in a battle (e.g. main fleet takes out all of enemy before escort fleet can fire, or vice versa), then the MVP for that fleet defaults to the flagship. Otherwise, MVP is awarded as normal on a per-fleet basis.
- Fleet command facility cannot retreat 2nd Flagship. Advance at your own risk.
- There is currently no hard evidence whether the 2nd Flagship can sink or not. Until credited evidence has been provided or a general consensus has been reached, players are advised to treat the 2nd Flagship as sinkable until further notice.
Special Mechanics
Fleet Command Facility
The Fleet Command Facility (stock equipment of Ooyodo Kai) allows a destroyer in the second fleet of a combined fleet to escort a heavily damaged ship in the first fleet away from the sortie. This may find good use if you tend to encounter just one ship going red on the pre-boss node most of the time.
- Must be equipped in the flagship of the first fleet and needs a non-flagship DD not heavily or moderately damaged for it to give the option to escort the ship.
- The screen will show up after [Results], and before the [Continue/Retreat] screen. The heavily damaged ship and another DD will show up, with green sentences. Left button will remove the damaged ship and a DD from combat and they will lose 25 morale. Right button will continue without escorting.
See this video for better explanation. (Credits to Nekomahjong)
- Both ships (the damaged ship being escorted back and the ship escorting her back) will be permanently out of the rest of the sortie.
- As of the Autumn 2014 event, escort ships are counted out of the score calculation, allowing you to get an A or S rank as long as you fulfill the usual criterion.