Finally, WG corrects a long-standing deficiency!

[Ensign Cthulhu]

Update 13:10 brings three more ships into the coal fold: https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/game-updates/update-1310-star-trek/ Scroll down to the Armory tab.

T7 EU DD Stord '43 - 85,000 coal

T7 KM BB Scharnhorst '43 - 85,000 coal

T8 KM BB Anhalt, 135,000 coal.

 

The Scharn '43 is the one I'm singling out for praise here. All three of the Axis nations have long had a deficit in coal ships in the mid tiers, and this has only slightly been remedied by the T6 Italian DD Leone being available for a collection which can be completed using coal crates. Now we explicitly have the mid-tier free-mium ship that I think Germany has long needed. This is an especially good move, since they could easily have given us something "mid at best" like the Prinz Eitel Friedrich or the Schonberg (which they gave out at a discount in the recent battle pass).

Scharn '43 was given out free for a short, sharp grind at Christmas 2023 and IIRC she was very well received. Making her a coal ship will probably hurt sales of OG Scharnhorst and Scharnhorst Black, because she's quite adequate compensation for having either of those ships, and I think WG deserves a big hip-hip-hurrah for choosing to bite this particular bullet. 

One might conceivably dissent and say that a T6 freemium would be more appropriate in order to keep newbies further away from trouble they're not ready for (i.e. T9), and if you wanted to keep them still further away from it then Konigsberg's sister Koln is there for the using at Tier 5 (the name of the other sister, Karlsruhe, is already in use for the WW1-era ship). But IMHO they have done a good thing and should be applauded for it.

Edited October 28 by Ensign Cthulhu

[aleksi111]

Weird small thing there

Stord '43 is 8,800 Doubloons vs Scharnhorst '43 9,800

But both are 85,000 Coal

[Leo_Apollo11]

Hi all,

22 minutes ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

Update 13:10 brings three more ships into the coal fold: https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/game-updates/update-1310-star-trek/ Scroll down to the Armory tab.

T7 EU DD Stord '43 - 85,000 coal

T7 KM BB Scharnhorst '43 - 85,000 coal

T8 KM BB Anhalt, 135,000 coal.

 

The Scharn '43 is the one I'm singling out for praise here. All three of the Axis nations have long had a deficit in coal ships in the mid tiers, and this has only slightly been remedied by the T6 Italian DD Leone being available for a collection which can be completed using coal crates. Now we explicitly have the mid-tier free-mium ship that I think Germany has long needed. This is an especially good move, since they could easily have given us something "mid at best" like the Prinz Eitel Friedrich or the Schonberg (which they gave out at a discount in the recent battle pass).

Scharn '43 was given out free for a short, sharp grind at Christmas 2023 and IIRC she was very well received. Making her a coal ship will probably hurt sales of OG Scharnhorst and Scharnhorst Black, because she's quite adequate compensation for having either of those ships, and I think WG deserves a big hip-hip-hurrah for choosing to bite this particular bullet. 

One might conceivably dissent and say that a T6 freemium would be more appropriate in order to keep newbies further away from trouble they're not ready for (i.e. T9), and if you wanted to keep them still further away from it then Konigsberg's sister Koln is there for the using at Tier 5 (the name of the other sister, Karlsruhe, is already in use for the WW1-era ship). But IMHO they have done a good thing and should be applauded for it.

 

Finally some new Coal ships... I haven't been able to buy anything new for months now... 🙂

So, for me, the Anhalt is the only missing ship (I will still be left with 175K Coal)...

 

Leo "Apollo11"

[Tread_Head57]

Karl XIV Johan is also being released for doubloons. Wonder how much that will eat into their next dockyard sales? 

[Ensign Cthulhu]

9 minutes ago, aleksi111 said:

Weird small thing there

Stord '43 is 8,800 Doubloons vs Scharnhorst '43 9,800

But both are 85,000 Coal

I know; you'd think that would be 98K coal for Scharn 43. Maybe it's an error and will be corrected later. But for now I'm posting what I see and talking about what it means qualitatively. 

1 minute ago, Tread_Head57 said:

Karl XIV Johan is also being released for doubloons. Wonder how much that will eat into their next dockyard sales? 

It might influence some people who would have bought the Niord dockyard outright on day 1, but the two ships are very different and do different things. Some of those people will probably buy the K14J and then do the dockyard grind to get the Niord cheap. Others will have deep enough pockets to get both. Still more will either not want the Karl and some others probably already have her from the first time she was on sale. 

Anyone who's doing the dockyard for the minimum outlay because it's all they can afford wouldn't be buying the K14J anyway.

Also, I didn't talk about it in the OP because it wasn't the point I was trying to make, but... the Anhalt is now the second Tier 8 ship to be made available for coal, and the first T8 coal ship that was previously only available for money or doubloons (Pozharsky was originally a limited-edition freemium). 

[mashed68]

I thought everyone had a sharny 43 already. 

Anhalt is crap, I have no interest. And I don't DD really. But yes, I am glad they released more coal ships. That's always good. 

[Ensign Cthulhu]

3 minutes ago, mashed68 said:

I thought everyone had a sharny 43 already. 

People who missed out on that event through travel etc., who were taking a break, or who joined since then, don't.

But yes, most long-term regular players should already have her. 

[Unlooky]

I pity the inevitable hordes of clueless Wehraboos who will buy Anhalt

[Wolfswetpaws]

1 hour ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

T8 KM BB Anhalt, 135,000 coal.

I've been curious about the Anhalt since seeing Yuro's youtube video showcasing her.
But the price and slow speed of the hull were giving me cause to hesitate.
At 135,000 units of coal, she's in a better position and more attractive for purchase (especially if a coupon can be applied).  🤔

[Wolfswetpaws]

7 minutes ago, Unlooky said:

I pity the inevitable hordes of clueless Wehraboos who will buy Anhalt

Gee.  Thanks.  

  
 

[Ensign Cthulhu]

7 minutes ago, Unlooky said:

I pity the inevitable hordes of clueless Wehraboos who will buy Anhalt

She's not THAT bad, is she? 

Then again, clueless players of ANY type will find misery if they assume that any particular ship is the automatic key to victory.

[Wolfswetpaws]

1 hour ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

 https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/game-updates/update-1310-star-trek/ 

I'm looking forward to welcoming some new Commanders, as part of the overall update.

 
 

Quote

Ends: Dec 1, 01:00 AM PT (UTC-7) / your local time: Dec 1, 04:00 AM

The next part of the adventure awaits as Commanders Li Wei and Olaf Lundgren continue their journey to the North Pole! Completing parts of the mission chain will bring you useful rewards on your path to getting a free new ship! The third part of the event is available in Update 13.10, and the expedition will conclude with a final chapter in Update 13.11.

We've also spotted some new ship choices at the end of their journey! These include Japanese destroyer VIII Akizuki or Japanese destroyer X Shimakaze, which you can obtain if you get 7,500 Expedition Tokens or more during the missions.

Please note that you’ll get rewards for the Expedition to the North Pole only after the end of the whole event. We’ll go into more details later.

 

[Wolfswetpaws]

3 minutes ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

She's not THAT bad, is she? 

Then again, clueless players of ANY type will find misery if they assume that any particular ship is the automatic key to victory.

The Anhalt has some interesting parameters, which on-paper are "balanced".  😉 

UNPLANNED OBSOLESCENCE | ANHALT

 

[Unlooky]

7 minutes ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

She's not THAT bad, is she? 

Then again, clueless players of ANY type will find misery if they assume that any particular ship is the automatic key to victory.

I'm very confused as to what playstyle WG was going for when they created Anhalt. 

They gave the ship mediocre at best firepower (only saved by the number of guns she has), garbage maneuverability, and none of the typical German gimmicks like secondaries or hydro, only torpedoes which are neigh unusable on such a slow hull.

I supposed now the reason to get her is a Tier 8 ship for coal, but both Anhalt and Pozharsky are at the bottom of Tier 8s I would want to play. 

Edited October 28 by Unlooky

[Justin_Simpleton]

4 minutes ago, Unlooky said:

I'm very confused as to what playstyle WG was going for when they created Anhalt. 

It's good for flushing out a cap as long as there are allied DDs and cruisers helping.  So, she shines about as often as she detonates.

[Admiral_Karasu]

I'm low on coal... 😞

Christmas is less than two months away...🎄

I need to get seriously naughty! 😁

[Nevermore135]

1 hour ago, Unlooky said:

I'm very confused as to what playstyle WG was going for when they created Anhalt. 

They gave the ship mediocre at best firepower (only saved by the number of guns she has), garbage maneuverability, and none of the typical German gimmicks like secondaries or hydro, only torpedoes which are neigh unusable on such a slow hull.

I’m convinced that they were simply going for something “different” than the glut of tier VIII German BBs that already existed. For me it was the 14” guns that turned me off completely: those guns are terrible on PEF and passable on Mackensen (due to the improved dispersion), but those are both tier VI.

1 hour ago, Unlooky said:

I supposed now the reason to get her is a Tier 8 ship for coal, but both Anhalt and Pozharsky are at the bottom of Tier 8s I would want to play. 

Granted, Pozharsky was a “reward” ship just like Scharnhorst’43, but that’s exactly why Anhalt is the first tier VIII coal ship that used to be available solely for cash/doubloons. WG figures they already suckered everyone who would be willing to pay for her when she came out, and I suspect very few players have purchased her since her characteristics became more widely known. Anhalt probably represents a very low risk of lost sales compared to just about any other ship at the tier while also providing the PR boost and resource sink they are looking for.

Case in point: I’ll probably pick up the ship now that she’s available for coal, more out of morbid curiosity and not wanting her to drop from an SC/Santa crate than anything else.

[aleksi111]

59 minutes ago, Admiral_Karasu said:

I need to get seriously naughty! 😁

[Ensign Cthulhu]

1 hour ago, Admiral_Karasu said:

I need to get seriously naughty!

The Macquarie Thesaurus contains all the naughty 4-letter words that will get you banned here. Obtain a copy. Post from it frequently while referencing people and things you don't like. This will increase your naughtiness exponentially. 

1 hour ago, Justin_Simpleton said:

So, she shines about as often as she detonates.

Just two months to go and she won't detonate... but she can still be dev-struck!!!

17 minutes ago, aleksi111 said:

Thomas the "Who's that on the tracks... BUMP... Oh never mind" Engine.

[Wolfswetpaws]

1 hour ago, Nevermore135 said:

I’m convinced that they were simply going for something “different” than the glut of tier VIII German BBs that already existed. For me it was the 14” guns that turned me off completely: those guns are terrible on PEF and passable on Mackensen (due to the improved dispersion), but those are both tier VI.

Granted, Pozharsky was a “reward” ship just like Scharnhorst’43, but that’s exactly why Anhalt is the first tier VIII coal ship that used to be available solely for cash/doubloons. WG figures they already suckered everyone who would be willing to pay for her when she came out, and I suspect very few players have purchased her since her characteristics became more widely known. Anhalt probably represents a very low risk of lost sales compared to just about any other ship at the tier while also providing the PR boost and resource sink they are looking for.

Case in point: I’ll probably pick up the ship now that she’s available for coal, more out of morbid curiosity and not wanting her to drop from an SC/Santa crate than anything else.

I'm inclined to agree with the "something different" assessment.

[Sumseaman]

1 hour ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

This will increase your naughtiness exponentially. 

You can always do your post grad in naughtiness under Associate Professor Sumseaman. Even the letters after my name are too naughty for the eyes of this forum...

[WES_HoundDog]

4 hours ago, Unlooky said:

I pity the inevitable hordes of clueless Wehraboos who will buy Anhalt

[Silence_CN]

20 hours ago, aleksi111 said:

Weird small thing there

Stord '43 is 8,800 Doubloons vs Scharnhorst '43 9,800

But both are 85,000 Coal

Scharni is bigger, therefore she needs more paint.
Probably...

 

(I know where the door is...)

[WildWind84]

I got Anhalt from some crates. Here on forum is my post somewhere when I was terrible with him with sec. specs. But - honestly I was read what players answers to me in that post and specs him completely different, change commander and learn about Anhalt playstyle. After that I wasn't play him (I was in ranked and there is another ships to play), but yesterday I back to random and choose Anhalt. I was able to carry team with combination HE+ AP and be first in win. That ship have completelly different playstyle than other Germans BBs (exept Mecklenburg maybe) but Anhalt can be great ship. With huge help of some players here I was learn that and now - I enjoy 🙂 

[Wolfswetpaws]

48 minutes ago, WildWind84 said:

I got Anhalt from some crates. Here on forum is my post somewhere when I was terrible with him with sec. specs. But - honestly I was read what players answers to me in that post and specs him completely different, change commander and learn about Anhalt playstyle. After that I wasn't play him (I was in ranked and there is another ships to play), but yesterday I back to random and choose Anhalt. I was able to carry team with combination HE+ AP and be first in win. That ship have completelly different playstyle than other Germans BBs (exept Mecklenburg maybe) but Anhalt can be great ship. With huge help of some players here I was learn that and now - I enjoy 🙂 

🙂👍