Talk:Spring 2016 Event/@comment-28550190-20160525124713/@comment-145.53.88.193-20160525140305

My 2 cents would be: take out Yamato - relatively low level, high consumption, can't play to her strengths in this map. Put Kongo or Kirishima in her place, and put a good CA (with dual gun, plane, T3 fitting) in her place in the escort fleet. Put Yuudachi and the two CAs last in the escort fleet. Give the main fleet BBs AP shells, not T3s. (Not sure if it makes any difference, they will deal pathetic damage either way because of the remaining-ammo penalty.)

As for your main-fleet CVs, use less fighters and more (torpedo) bombers. Put the bombers in the bigger slots to make it less likely they will be cleaned out (but they will still occasionally be cleaned out).

For the escort fleet I personally had success with carrier support - 4 CV(L) 2DD; 2 carriers with 3xTB and a radar and 2 with 2xTB, a reppuu and radar. (You need some fighter power, but by the time your support gets their turn, most of Hime's fighters should have been shot down.) The 2 DDs get all radars in hopes they can deal a lucky scratch. Sparkle at least the support CVs, for accuracy and chance to show up. The sparkles should last you a good few sorties and can help out tremendously.

For land-based air power I went with three bases of 2x fighter 2x bomber, the best you can field with range >= 6. There is probably room for improvement there, I always found their performance lacking; I simply did not take the time to experiment much. Setups I have heard good things about are 1) keep one base on air defense like during chipping, or 2) start with 3 fighters 1 bomber in the first base/wave, then 2F2B, then 1F3B.

Last and best of all: pray to RNGesus. I was in a situation much like you; pretty high level fleet that could roflstomp its way easily to the boss and to last dance, and then... Brick wall. Hime's armor is absurd and she has some ridiculously bullet spongy flunkies, and your girls do nothing at all because of the ammo penalty. Last dance requires a lucky break more than anything else unfortunately; so much needs to go right at once for it all to work out. The better your fleet, the smaller the break needs to be; but you still need it, your fleet will never hack it alone. All LBAS strikes need to be good, and take out the trash or maybe even something substantial. Your fleet's opening air strike needs to be good and take out something more. Support needs to show up and likewise deal some good damage or casualties. Daytime shelling will do jack-all because of high armor, no ammo and cleared out bomber slots; if you haven't reduced the enemy to about 3 orange wrecks *before* shelling even starts then you probably won't make it into the night in sufficient shape to have a chance of finishing it.

So good luck; you're gonna need it. :-)