Talk:Sandbox/List of ships by combat performance/@comment-115.66.43.208-20151025072706/@comment-26154973-20151025141456

4 stars are still top-tier and as important as 5, they're just ranked lower based on offensive part. Also, the Aircraft Proficiency update changed things, big slots are more used for bombers now, just because you will get enough air power with fighters on smaller slots (they get +25 air power for each >> slot) and also to secure plane experience when facing enemy's AA CI. You still will use Kaga if you need a Mule, for example, for this summer E7: Chitose/Chiyoda for X/Y, Junyou/Taihou/Chiyoda for pre-final (good routing with two CVL) and Junyou/Taihou/Hiryuu for final (more offensive, but worse routing), all with bombers on bigger slots, but for E4 final you'd want Kaga/Akagi + CVL with 6 fighters for AS (if not just Kaga with fighters).

Carriers are as strong as BB, only BB, CLT and carriers reach day battle attack cap and only BB and carriers can go way over it (and also have some nice post cap multipliers like spotting/AP and expert plane modifiers), but in unfavorable conditions (not all-bombers, formation, engagement, health modifiers, the later is only important for CVB) more FP is better, so you can say those high FP CV are like Yamatos of CV class (for shelling, http://wikiwiki.jp/kancolle/?%BB%D9%B1%E7%B4%CF%C2%E2#gca9d507, support formula is basically the same with no effect from the slot sizes, so it goes Shoukaku > Hiryuu > Taihou > Souryuu > Kaga/Akagi > Unryuu > Amagi/Katsuragi > Junyou/Ryuujou (18/26/6/3 for Ryuujou isn't good though, so Chitose/Chiyoda with their 24/16/11/8 can be preferred for normal combat sometimes) > Zuikaku (until her new remodel?) > Chitose/Chiyoda, for opening air strike the slot size is under square root).