Coal/steel ship coupon dilemma

[Zerstoerherr]

Hey everyone, 

the expiration of discount coupon for coal/steel ship is near and I am facing a dilemma how to use it. Currently I am sitting on some 511k coal and 67k steel. Normally, I would use the coupon for steel ship - from those in armory I do not have yet I am interested in Burger, Stalin, Incomparable and Lauria.

However, in the next update, the Steel will event is about to return with some rather interesting ships. As a DD main, I am interested in Georg Hoffman and since I just researched Gouden Leeuw, I might consider Prinse van Oranje as well (but in this case I will wait for reviews). Normally, I would wait for them to appear in armory later for a normal price just like Lauria, but form the WG's wording it is not clear (at least to me) whether these 2 ships + Chikuma II will appear in armory after some time or this event is the only opprtunity to get them.

Therefore I think about using the coupon for Hayate - since it got TRD and smoke on separate slots, it seems very interesting.

What are your thoughts guys? Is there a chance that Hoffman and Oranje will return like Lauria? Is it reasonable to spend the coupon on coal ship while having enough steel and ships to pick?

[MidnightPhoenix07]

At least for NA, the update is releasing a day before the coupon refreshes (not sure about EU), and we should be getting the patch notes sometime today. I usually wait until the second to last day of each coupon period to spend it, but I’m hesitating for the same reason you are. My plan this time is to wait for the update to release, see what the final announcement is for the steel will event (and the pricing), and then decide whether I use the coupon on a steel ship or not. 

[Ensign Cthulhu]

11 minutes ago, MidnightPhoenix07 said:

we should be getting the patch notes sometime today.

Seems to be unusually late. I'm accustomed to seeing it in the morning and it just hit 12pm here. 

My gut feeling is that OP should hold on to his steel, use the current coupon on a coal ship if there's one he really wants (I like my Hayate; she's like a boosted Yugumo with slightly worse concealment, now even more powerful since she has both TRB and smoke), and wait for NDA to lift and CCs to play the Hoffmann and Prinse on-stream. Chikuma we have seen before.

Given that this is a special event, I am not sure the coupon could even be used for the Steel Will ships.

[Wolfswetpaws]

1 hour ago, Zerstoerherr said:

Hey everyone, 

the expiration of discount coupon for coal/steel ship is near and I am facing a dilemma how to use it. Currently I am sitting on some 511k coal and 67k steel. Normally, I would use the coupon for steel ship - from those in armory I do not have yet I am interested in Burger, Stalin, Incomparable and Lauria.

However, in the next update, the Steel will event is about to return with some rather interesting ships. As a DD main, I am interested in Georg Hoffman and since I just researched Gouden Leeuw, I might consider Prinse van Oranje as well (but in this case I will wait for reviews). Normally, I would wait for them to appear in armory later for a normal price just like Lauria, but form the WG's wording it is not clear (at least to me) whether these 2 ships + Chikuma II will appear in armory after some time or this event is the only opprtunity to get them.

Therefore I think about using the coupon for Hayate - since it got TRD and smoke on separate slots, it seems very interesting.

What are your thoughts guys? Is there a chance that Hoffman and Oranje will return like Lauria? Is it reasonable to spend the coupon on coal ship while having enough steel and ships to pick?

I have the Hayate and I like her.
Some of my fondness is because of accomplishing my personal quest to gather 2,000,000 FreeXP to exchange for the Hayate (before she became a coal ship).
But, she's been a competent DD in my opinion, and the recent improvements only helped her appeal.

The other ship you mentioned that is also on my shopping list is the R. Lauria.
But, I've not enough steel right now, and it will take me most of a year to get the remaining steel.  
By that time, my shopping priorities may change because new ships will have sailed onto the figurative retail shelves.

I'd have to do research on the other ships you wrote about, to even begin to form an opinion of them.

[Ensign Cthulhu]

Patch notes are out:

 

[MidnightPhoenix07]

1 hour ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

Given that this is a special event, I am not sure the coupon could even be used for the Steel Will ships.

You almost certainly won’t be able to use the coupon on the steel will ships. It’s just a question of whether you want to save your steel for the new ships (and then probably use the coupon on a coal ship), or get a regular steel ship over the new ships.

Also, the patch notes just released for NA a couple minutes ago it looks like.

Edit: there’s also a 15% off coupon for the first steel will ship purchase. That’s actually nicer than I expected. 

Edited November 25, 2024 by MidnightPhoenix07

[Ensign Cthulhu]

I know the OP doesn't seem to be interested in Archerfish or Shinano, but it's worth clarifying that both of them will be sticking around afterwards, so there's no urgent rush to get them if you wanted them. 

If I hadn't bought Svea, Chikuma II would have been within my reach - but that's basically just Tone with smoke and some T9 buffs, so I don't mind having missed out there. I prefer to spend my steel on weird things anyway.

[tangofan]

2 hours ago, MidnightPhoenix07 said:

You almost certainly won’t be able to use the coupon on the steel will ships.

Edit: there’s also a 15% off coupon for the first steel will ship purchase. That’s actually nicer than I expected. 

I also assume that you cannot use the standard coupon for steel will ships. That is usually the case with special event ships. But the 15% off coupon is indeed a nice touch. I might buy one of those ships, depending on reviews.

Edited November 25, 2024 by tangofan

[tangofan]

1 hour ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

I know the OP doesn't seem to be interested in Archerfish or Shinano, but it's worth clarifying that both of them will be sticking around afterwards, so there's no urgent rush to get them if you wanted them. 

Do we know what will happen to the availability of the Prins van Oranje and the Hoffmann?

Edited November 25, 2024 by tangofan

[MidnightPhoenix07]

1 minute ago, tangofan said:

Do we know what happens to the availability of the Prins van Oranje and the Hoffmann?

As far as what’s been announced, this is the only opportunity you’ll have to buy them directly. WG might keep them in the golden crates and bring those crates back at some point in the future, but we don’t know. Right now, it looks like you either buy them now or you miss out on them completely. 

[Ensign Cthulhu]

37 minutes ago, tangofan said:

I might buy one of those ships, depending on reviews.

Maltese Knight on Prins van Oranje: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3YAMMaQSfg

Sea Kraut on Hoffmann (in German): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIjOL8zvhqY

(All the extant reviews on Hoffmann seem to be in German at the moment. IDK why.)

[OT2_2]

All four ships are interesting to me, but I'm unfortunately depending on the coupon due to a limited amount of steel. Will either go for Bourgogne or Stalingrad. Would have loved to get hold of both Oranje and Hoffman, but hopefully there will be a tomorrow. Good news though that both Archerfish and Shinano will be regular part of the steel - department, so acquiring them requires "only" the correct amount of steel.   

[tangofan]

2 hours ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

(All the extant reviews on Hoffmann seem to be in German at the moment. IDK why.)

Das ist überhaupt kein Problem. 😉

[tangofan]

3 hours ago, Ensign Cthulhu said:

Sea Kraut on Hoffmann (in German): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIjOL8zvhqY

(All the extant reviews on Hoffmann seem to be in German at the moment. IDK why.)

I watched SeaKrauts' video. Apparently the Hoffman is a clone of the T9 Felix Schultz and uptiered into T10. Noteworthy is that the HE has a good alpha damage (unlike German HE in general) and smoke/hydro combo (in addition to DFAA and Engine Boost). SeaKrauts likes the ship, but then he likes the Schultz as well.

[UnrepentantSinner]

The Hoffmann, was the only one i was somewhat interested in, i want to like it, but it looks like a worse Schultz, it has worse main battery range and no improved AP penetration angles, yes it has slightly better HE and torps + hydro, but considering it's Tier X and Schultz is Tier IX, that's not all that impressive. Really not sure, but i think i will use my coupon on Bourgogne and skip the Steel Will event ships.

Edited November 26, 2024 by UnrepentantSinner
typo

[WildWind84]

I will could choose: Meckleburg or Prinz van oranje... Haven't clue which to choose... Any advice? I am BB mainly. Tnx.

[OT2_2]

1 hour ago, WildWind84 said:

I will could choose: Meckleburg or Prinz van oranje... Haven't clue which to choose... Any advice? I am BB mainly. Tnx.

Mecklenburg is a fantastic BB IMO. She is worth the price anyways, and you can use your coupon with 25% price reduction. Something you unfortunately can't do with Prins van Oranje. 

[Ensign Cthulhu]

Maltese Knight's review of the Georg Hoffmann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6prJwzAKIKs 

 

[Boomer625]

With the 15% discount it seems like you could get one of the T10s for 30,600 steel, which is pretty much where I am at currently. I did use the coupon already to reduce the coal cost when trading f sherman for minegumo previously, so either way I'll be waiting until after the reset.

I've heard that Bourgogne struggles a bit with accuracy and with armour/lower hp pool in an era of high caliber guns 457 mm and beyond, is the speed and manuverbility enough to potentially just play it as a superheavy cruiser?

Archerfish and Shinano are pretty great historic ships to have, although probably not worth spending steel just for that reason. I do have a feeling Shinano's AP skip bombers are probably going to cause nerfs from the amount of cits they are getting, using what gameplay I've managed to find:

Shinano gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j42o1WqJzCE&t=799s&pp=ygUMd293cyBjaGluYW5v

Overloadbou's review (that I haven't watched yet lol): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLEfwKzO1j4&pp=ygUMd293cyBjaGluYW5v

 

Hoffmann seems to be a cruiser killer/ very light cruiser that could be comparable to an f sherman playstyle, potentially the 6 km hydro could be used for hunting DDs (although f sherman has the rof and sap to effective melt dds, with reduced torp capability and hydro range)

Prinz seems to be like an alaska with 283 mm and the airstrike flights, could be a way to train captains for the dutch techtrees.

 

Edited November 26, 2024 by Boomer625

[Zerstoerherr]

So, someone who wants both Oranje and Hoffmann needs almost 67000 steel (15% coupon included). For 2 somehow unimpressing ships, at least from what I have seen so far, it is a lot.

Hofmann looks like uptiered Schultz with better torpedos, higher HE damage and 6km hydro while retaining the terrible spot of Schultz and having the standard AP angles instead of the improved one found on Elbing. A bit weird combination.

Oranje appears to be more gun-focused version of Gouden Leeuw, and since the main selling point of GL are the airstrikes, not sure what is the main point of Oranje.

[Ensign Cthulhu]

19 minutes ago, Zerstoerherr said:

Hofmann looks like uptiered Schultz with better torpedos, higher HE damage and 6km hydro while retaining the terrible spot of Schultz and having the standard AP angles instead of the improved one found on Elbing. A bit weird combination.

That's what made me decide to buy the Svea instead of waiting for all this. The whole point of these oversized DDs is how well their AP bites into cruisers (and battleships outside of the main armour belt). Removing that sort of tears their soul out, and I decided that picking up hydro in exchange wasn't going to be worth it. 

[OT2_2]

I have been watching Trenlass' actual stream, and he is very, very impressed by Archerfish. He usually doesn't like subs. Hoffman hasn't become a favorite, and Trenlass claims that Ragnar is the better pick. The rest I can't answer, because I haven't watched his reviews on those. 

Edited November 27, 2024 by OT2_2

[OT2_2]

No dilemma this morning! 😁 I acquired the first steel ship for my second account, the reliable, accurate and very fast French "Bourgogne". Usually I do well with French vessels and "Stalingrad" isn't that attractive anymore. At least to me. 

[WildWind84]

Dilemma also solved in the morning - strait in armory for Mecklenburg 🙂 AND I LIKE THAT SHIP 😄 

[Verblonde]

On 11/25/2024 at 10:39 PM, UnrepentantSinner said:

The Hoffmann, was the only one i was somewhat interested in, i want to like it, but it looks like a worse Schultz, it has worse main battery range and no improved AP penetration angles, yes it has slightly better HE and torps + hydro, but considering it's Tier X and Schultz is Tier IX, that's not all that impressive. Really not sure, but i think i will use my coupon on Bourgogne and skip the Steel Will event ships.

I ended up grabbing Hoffmann (on my main EU account); based on a couple of Coop run-outs, she isn't going to supplant anything I have already for PvP (not sneaky enough, for a start), but she's worthwhile for bashing bots. I can live with that...