User:Hibari/Akashi Improvement Guide for Newfaces
Disclaimer: I've been playing since 2013 and have cleared every single event on full difficulty, so while I'm not infallible think twice before sperging at me.
This is a straight-to-the-point guide for less experienced admirals, meant to focus on upgrades with long-term usefulness and to avoid wasteful improvements.
It's pretty simple, really.
Also, keep in mind that some quest requires +10 gear and turn it into something better.
Do those when possible.
Published on March 4, 2021.
- Small-caliber guns
- The 10cm twin HA mount + AAFD (requires: Akizuki-class) has good firepower, excellent AA and enables a strong AACI, thus being a versatile weapon for both AAW and ASuW, and has long been considered a priority for improvements.
- However, admirals should keep in mind that American AACI obscures the old-style Japanese one, and that at second remodel Japanese DD are much more effective in ASuW when fitted with the proper 12.7cm gun instead (which should be upgraded later on).
- While these options are not readily available to newfaces and the 10cm is still definitely worth getting, consider whether it still deserves the screw expenditure.
- Medium-caliber guns
- The 20.3cm/3 gun (requires: Mikuma) is excellent for heavy cruisers in particular and should be upgraded in multiple copies.
- 15.2 cm guns are interesting for light cruisers, but more of a "nice to have" than anything else for now.
- Large-caliber guns
- What to upgrade here really depends on which battleships are available, keeping in mind that those improvements can be very expensive, perhaps excessively so for newfaces.
- Needless to say, tossing a few screws at subpar guns because you don't have or can't afford the good ones is a bad idea.
- Furthermore, the fit data for large-caliber gun is scarce, and frankly the whole system needs to be reworked.
- Secondary guns
- Not needed. The Italian OTO 152mm triple gun is the best of the bunch, but is rare still not worth your screws.
- Fighters
- Upgrade the Type 53 Iwamoto (requires: Zuikaku) as soon as possible.
- Getting a F6F-5 to +10 is a good investment but Saratoga is generally not accessible to newfaces.
- Dive bombers
- The Type 62 Iwai (requires: Zuikaku) is an excellent fighter-bomber with AA resistance.
- The Type 99 Egusa (requires: Souryuu) is useful as well, and can be upgraded into an excellent Suisei later on.
- Torpedo bombers
- The Type 97 Tomonaga (requires: Hiryuu) is useful, and can be upgraded into an excellent Tenzan 12 later on.
- The Type 97 (931 air) is a mediocre bomber with ASW stat. However, after maxing it (requires: Taiyou, Shinyou) it's possible to convert it into a night bomber, should those be needed.
- Recon planes
- The Prototype Keiun recon can be upgraded into a jet fighter-bomber, but the plane itself is worthless during the process, which requires a Ne-type engine and an armored Shoukaku-class as helper ship.
- Land-based aircraft
- The Hayabusa Type 3A (requires: Akitsumaru, Taiyou, Kamoi) is an excellent fighter and should be maxed out.
- The bombers worth upgrading are not for newfaces.
- Torpedoes
- Any sextuple (requires: Shimakaze, Hatsuzuki) and many quintuple oxygen torpedoes (requires: Shimakaze) are well worth upgrading.
- The late-war quadruples are also interesting, but rare.
- RADAR
- Just don't.
- The Type 13 kai is cute, but there's better use for your screws.
- ASW gear
- Type 3 depth charge projectors (requires: Isuzu, Kuroshio, etc.) are an excellent choice, not to mention cheap.
- Type 4 passive SONAR (requires: Isuzu, Katori, etc.) are also very good candidates (up to +6 for obvious reasons).
- Shells
- Hard to go wrong here!
- Both the Type 3 (requires: Kongou-class) and the Type 91/1 AP shells should be upgraded, reminding that they "eat themselves".
- AA gear
- The 12cm 30-tube Rocket Launcher (requires: Ise-class) is junk, but it be upgraded into a stupendous AA weapon, so don't ignore it.
- The Type 94 Fire Director is an option but not a priority.
- Bulges, turbines and engines
- lol
- Searchlight
- You need a searchlight in night battles. Max one.
- The large 150cm one is unnecessary.
- Seaplanes
- The Type 98 night scout (requires: Sendai) will save your ass, so it's a priority.
- Other ones aren't worth upgrading unless you're failing LoS check all the time.
- However, should seaplane fighters be required, they can be obtained by upgrading the basic Type 0 recon.
- Also, any available seaplane fighter is a good candidate for improvement.
- Small craft
- The simple Daihatsu is vital to logistics and up to 12 can be used in three fleets, I don't need to say more.
- Making Tokudaihatsu is an option for later on exclusively, but turning a few Daihatsu into land attack craft w/T89 (requires: Akitsumaru, Satsuki, Abukuma) is a good idea.
- Said craft can also be further upgraded into Type 2 amphibious tanks, increasing the fleet's effectiveness during landing operations.
- Food
- Combat rations (requires: Naganami, Agano) are useless but cost 0 screws to improve, so they can be used to get a free one from the daily improvement quest.