Tech Tree Ship Recommendations for Current T6~8 Operations.

[xamdam]

To list them separately from the Premium Ship thread.

Useful and fun Tech Tree ships to play in Operations (for me, please post yours below). My list is short as I normally play premiums in this mode for the credits and because there are so many good ones...
 

Tier 8 Tech Tree:
T8 Cruisers:
Baltimore (maybe my favorite)
Cleveland
Tallinn
Mogami (155mm)

T8 Battleships:
Bismarck
Amagi
North Carolina
Zieten (from what I see and hear. I have it but almost never play it since I have so many KM premium BBs)

T8 Destroyers: (I don't play them often in Ops)
Akizuki
Kagero
Split (Just got this today and am loving it)

Tier 7 Tech Tree:
T7 Cruisers:
Myoko
Fiji
Algerie
Edinburgh

T7 Battleships:
Gneisenau

Sometimes Okay:
Lyon (used to be a meme on Narai with it's shotgun effect)
Nagato (as much as I want to love it... it usually disappoints me)

T7 Destroyers:
Leaving this blank. I haven't played them in a long time...


Tier 6 Tech Tree:
T6 Cruisers:

Nurnberg
Pensacola
Dallas
Aoba

T6 Battleships:
Fuso

Do Not Recommend:
New Mexico (just too slow and inconsistent... Arizona is much better, but Premium)

T6 Destroyers:
Leaving this blank. I haven't played them in a long time...

There are probably a few I've forgotten to mention that are really strong. Again, I rarely play TT ships anymore unless I'm grinding them but these are the ones that have remained in my "primary" list.

Edited December 30, 2023 by xamdam

[xamdam]

Since I mentioned the Tier 8 TT European DD "Split" I thought I'd post this first Operations battle I played in it an hour ago. Narai, stayed middle until the Missouri was dead and then went over to help a Strasbourg that went for the CV alone. After it was dead, I went back in the bay and used my final smoke to farm and torp.

The torps aren't very strong, but reload quickly, have good firing angles and decent range. It is however a gun boat afterall. 90K of the damage did come from the torps though.

I was surprised I didn't get more bxp. And the credits even with a green booster was disappointing though and is the main deterrent for me to use TT ships in Ops. 

The Charles Martel cleaned up the transports and played well overall so... it's to be expected I guess. Pre Operations Nerf, this probably would have been a good paying game.

[xamdam]

And one more vote for the Split!

This thing feels like it was made for Aegis! Unfortunately, we lost one transport so only a 4 star (earnings could have been higher) but "Gunbote"? It's also a pretty good torpedo bote in the right conditions...

Using the Fletcher's smoke, did damage and even landed a couple torps on the first wave. Then moved into position for the second, just out of spotting range, smoked up and farmed them for a while. A few torps on Myokos and concentrated on the two Fusos. Once they were down, some HE into the escorting CAs and up to grab the Nagatos. This is where it truly shined. The combination of fast reloading (but low damage) torps, that have a tight spread and alternating fires allowed me to grab the full HP of both "Super Nagatos" while the rest of the team concentrated on the Amagi. We killed all three BBs, but bad luck cost us a transport.

26 Torpedo hits might by my own personal record on Aegis. 190k damage plus another 40k in floodings (plus 50k in fires) far outpaced the guns. Radar came in useful while dealing with the Nagatos as I could sit in smoke, farm and if they dropped out of spotting range of my team, light them up with radar for another torp spread and a couple fires before the radar ran out.

Great fun. I'll probably be keeping this one in my primary play list, unless they nerf it... lol

[HamptonRoads]

I would add Edinburgh to the list.  Fast firing guns, and a heal make her a personal favorite.  Also the ability to single fire torps makes clearing out enemy escort vessels or DDs a much easier task.

[xamdam]

7 minutes ago, HamptonRoads said:

I would add Edinburgh to the list.  Fast firing guns, and a heal make her a personal favorite.  Also the ability to single fire torps makes clearing out enemy escort vessels or DDs a much easier task.

Done... That was an oversight. I probably missed a few others as well.

[xamdam]

Just one more note about Split. Liked it so much, I spent the day, and a few blue boosters to grind the XP to unlock the tier 9. Then FXP skipped past it to Gdansk. Split was probably the most fun I've had in a while grinding a line. Many smiles were had.

I think I only died once in an Asym battle when I got hydro'd in front of a bazillion bots and my C cap teammate was parked behind a rock flying planes off his Kearsarge... Most were played in Ops and it worked well in all that I played.

Keeping Split. Gdansk is a snowflake for now. I don't want to move my captain. Maybe I need to save up some coal for Jerzy Swirski.


Now all my non-CV/Sub lines are complete. Until they make a new one...
 

Edited December 30, 2023 by xamdam

[tfcas119]

Best:

Tallinn: Graf Spee pen, shorter fuses, actually accurate. On 180mm guns. How this thing has been constantly buffed the last few years astounds me.
Cataluna: Solid reload and pen for 203s, plus a heal. Hard to go wrong with her.
Allende: if you can manage the funny button, you can do some really dumb things no other T8 cruisers can get away with. Plus really good AP pen.
Edinburgh: Competes with Hampshire as the only British T8 worth taking.
Baltimore: American Piercing shells for the win.
Cleveland: high DPM, always nice.
Bismarck/Zieten: Except Anhalt, going German is easy money.

Really Good:

Mearker (sp): have you been wanting to kill yourself grinding Z-31 and Maerker? Try them in ops where they don't actually suck.
Le Fantasque: Smoke would of put her among the best
Hipper: Remove Mainz and she's best
Hawke: better secondaries required.
Amagi: better secondaries required.
Akizuki: a DD with light cruiser pen and nearly DPM.

Hard Mode:

Harbin: requires insane aggression that either yields big damage for quick death, nothing in between.
Albemarle: above.
Richelieu: Secondaries don't completely suck, so they may carry you when your main guns decide to really really suck.
Split: can do well. Requires hands because no AP to blow out citadels.

Just no:

Haarrlem: no DPM, no accuracy, big fire long flood.
Kansas: Vermont is amazing. Getting to it requires FXP so you're not griefing yourself or your team bringing this filth.
Veneto: Eye candy. Can't hit a thing and secondaries are useless firecrackers.
any DD I didn't mention: either not enough AP power or gunpower in general. 

Among upcoming tech tree ships:

Auckland: Heal, smoke, 10sec reload, 203s. Stars line up toward best, but being an Albermarle hull without a super heal... probably Really Good, could go to best once we see the AP pen.

[DoW_]

Some thoughts

The original Op boss for me, Budyonny. She can come in 1st on team in a tier 8 op. 
 

Harbin is strong with DW torps, reload booster and smoke. 
 

Cataluña with a heal. 
 

Sinop is a stud no matter the game mode. 
 

Kansas can be devastating.  Not sure how fun, but grinding her in Ops was enjoyable compared to the random match or 2 I played her in. 
 

Ismail is great at tier. 
 

Hawke is good with torps and speed. 

Le Fantasque is a thoroughbred.

 

[BlueNautilus]

I wouldn't play Operations with tech tree ships unless I'm grinding a line, but if I had to choose tech tree ships to play Operations, I would go for these:

IJN Gunboat DD: Akizuki > Very fun to play.  Can work in any op.

IJN Torp DD: Fubuki, Akatsuki, Kagero (+ Hatsuharu, Shiratsuyu) > Works well in ops like Aegis where you have good opportunities to torp.

KM DD: Gaede, Maas, Z-23 > Hydro is handy, and overall well-balanced.  Can work in any op.

KM BB: Bismarck, Zieten > Secondary, hydro (and torp on Zieten).  Can work in any op.

[Asym]

OK, now you'all have made me go out and look at what I actually play in Operations.  But first, as aside:  I play mostly in Clan divisions most evenings and when I am solo, I use the same ships to "different effects..."

Here are my primary combatants (the ones in bold are the most played....)

DD:        Akizuki, Fabuki

CL/CA:  Irian, Mainz, Atago, Shimato

BC/BB:  Tirpitz, Odin, Kii, Scharnhorts 

And, honestly I use what works for me........based on how I play.

[tfcas119]

Raising this post from the dead for my thoughts on Auckland.

On 12/31/2023 at 12:49 PM, tfcas119 said:

Auckland: Heal, smoke, 10sec reload, 203s. Stars line up toward best, but being an Albermarle hull without a super heal... probably Really Good, could go to best once we see the AP pen

reload got hit, but most everything else stayed. Also her AP has better pen and ballistics than Albermarle (why- no clue)

I would put her straddling S and A. Soley because her firing angles are garbage. Torps are useable but there are better torpedo armed cruisers. Definitely an easy grind if you don't want torture of playing a super heal-less Albemarle against T10s.

 

[xamdam]

Revisiting this thread just to say that I think my favorite TT ship for Operations has to be Baltimore. It just feels the most satisfying to me. Big, huge AP hits when you're in the right position, relatively tanky if angled well, decent reload. Good HE. Radar that is useful. Just all around fun.

And I "only" have an 18pt commander on it. Haven't seen a reason to bump him up (has 2 unused pts I'm saving for when he's 21).

If I'm getting sub-par teams I'll switch to Mainz, but that feels like easy mode and usually gets me a "report" if I top the board. Which isn't that hard to do with it...

I love it when Cherry Blossom pops up. Those first two Myokos are my main objective to save the Marines on the beach. After that, the Atago and Mogamis / Myokos / Aobas etc whenever they show broadside. Cit City.

Not having a heal means I have to play it "smart" which is engaging. Having good AA helps on some maps (Hermes, Raptor) and any DD that smokes gets pummeled by HE with radar. Can't complain about anything with it.

When Cherry first came out, it was only for Allied Cruisers and the Balti's main job was always the first two Myokos so, brings back those old-school vibes.

[xamdam]

Oh, just noticed I already listed Baltimore as "maybe" my favorite in the OP. For sure it is now.

I see I also have Edinburgh mistakenly listed in T7. My bad, but the edit button for that post seems to be expired.

[xamdam]

By satisfying, this is what I mean about Baltimore's hitting power. All AP except for my first volley of HE on the first destroyer and a few on the two destroyers that attack Raptor just after repair. Unfortunately the team suffered two dead (one immediately from a Fuso hit) and we lost a support ship to the DD torps. Otherwise, plenty of AP cits.

[Wowzery]

One thing which I heard years ago and still good advice:

Play what you are comfortable with playing.

[xamdam]

I think I'll add Shimanto to my T8 list. Having fun with it Mogami style. Fragile yes, but the torps have much better arcs and range (perhaps don't hit as hard but they are definitely useful).

[Senkan]

With Budyonny and Shchors I can just about always finish in the top 2 BXP. Got 1999 BXP in one match with Shchors. Any OP with a lot of DD's you'll crush.

[KampKeema85_2D]

On 12/30/2023 at 7:56 AM, HamptonRoads said:

I would add Edinburgh to the list.  Fast firing guns, and a heal make her a personal favorite.  Also the ability to single fire torps makes clearing out enemy escort vessels or DDs a much easier task.

I had never given Edin [maybe because of the AP only] much thought for Ops.  Tried it and had some very good games.  Good call, Thanks

[xamdam]

I wish I could change the thread title... But since it's now T10 for this subject, I'm liking Yodo. Just don't get hit...

Green boosters... 21pt captain moved from my Mogami with IFHE.

[Rolkatsuki]

tier 10 line ships I used in Ops so far:

Republique: I went all in in AP dpm for this ship including the legendary mod, her guns or an ominous threat to cruisers and broadside BB bots present in game just in the same why same said enemy ships' guns are an ominous threat to Republique's hull. If you have a player in your division with a tank build GK or Kremlin, then this specific Repub build is golden in Ops.

Henri IV: I have lighthouse build on this, the og french t10 cruiser has what it takes using her speed, mbrb consumable and her deadly AP shells, she especially shines in Naval Newport using speed, surrounding islands to get on the flanks of enemy bots and with mbrb, AP their broadside.

Marseille: secondary build on this, im still learning this ship, its very strong in certain situations such as hunting lone and few isolated bots. but it crumbles if caught out close and focused down on. kinda plays like a 'support BB'.

Cerberus: glass cannon, HE spammer with usable torpedoes due to its range, good in ops were enemy ships are constantly spotted like Aegis where you have friendly bots not behaving passive sitting at the back human teammates.

Schlieffen: you will have your torpedo tubes destroyed and are easily punished when broadside(easily solved by angling) but apart from that this ship is your go to golden goose for ops then secondaries will shred cruisers and DDs even BBs at range due to plunging fire on their superstructures. torpedoes whilst fragile are very usefull in those tight quarters if you have them at your disposal.

Yamato: its recommended you keep this og t10 BB away from the front lines, she hits hard and accurate, threatening any BB or cruiser at range but her slow main gun tranverse speed makes her a klutz and unwieldy up close you can use this BB if I described you perfectly as a teammate in my Cerberus paragraph.

Other ships Im excited to use in Ops:

Hindenburg, was a very strong ship with lighthouse build when I use to run random battles alot many years back.

Kleber, had fun with Aigle when it was a tier 6 only ops and Le Terrible is a monster when WG allowed tier 8s into ops. heres to hoping their fantasy decendant doesn't let her interwar ancestors down.

Jinan, im riding on many has said that Jinan is a 'better Kitakami' and Kitakami can situationally fun ship or instrumemtal in completing secondary objectives.

[tfcas119]

Elbing works