User blog comment:Shinhwalee/Guide to Power Leveling Heavy Cruiser (CA) in World 3-2A/@comment-84.90.161.45-20150330165940

Good lord Shinhwalee, your guide is perfect! Thank you so very much!

I started by using CA, 4CVL, BBV, as someone recommended, but the pounding on the CVLs is too expensive to repair, even though the airstrike is excellent.

Then changed to your Version #3, with CA, BBV, 3CVL, SS(V), but sometimes the airstrike proved a bit strong and the BBV would kill the last enemy.

Then changed to your Version #2, with CA, BB(V), 2CA, SS(V), and all was well in the world. Some MVP hiccups while the escorts were not orange/red morale, but after that it became a breeze, with the rare MVP steal when double attack wouldn't trigger. It's a bit more expensive to run than Version #3, but manageable.

Here's my fleet:

FS: 2x SKC34 20.3cm + T0 Obs + FuMO25 radar

BB: 15.5cm main + 15.5cm sec + T0 Recon + T22 radar K4

CA: 20.3cm (nº2) + 15.5cm sec + Ar196Kai + T22 radar

CVL: Saiun in smallest slot, T2 Recon in second smallest slot, Suisei in remaining slots <- here I went against your advice, because the airstrike was too weak. Used Jun'you K2 at lvl 90+.

SS(V): 2x best engine

As I only have high lvl SS(V), I followed your advice and started rotating them after one or two runs ... but eventually the four docks fill up and I'm forced to use buckets to free space.

Ro-chan shines as tank because of her exceptional evasion. She has more base evasion at lvl 65 than any of my other (remodelled) subs at lvl 95+, with Shioi having the lowest evasion of all. Now I dream of getting my hands on two Amatsukazes so I can turn Ro-chan into the untouchable tank. To those TTK who refuse to remodel Yuu-chan, you are missing out the best tank sub in the game, as well as the best torpedo launcher. Maruyu is for fodder, not tanking.

As an experiment, I equipped the tank SSV with seaplane bombers to try and help with the airstrike. The difference is not much, but an extra enemy is targetted during airstrike (three bombing targets instead of two). Shioi shines here, because she can carry 6 planes at Kai, and that Seiran is yummy.

A word of warning about the escort BB: if her firepower is higher than the flagship, there are chances that her cut-in can overcome the flagship double attack. I used a stock lvl 3 Nagato as escort for my lvl 73 Maya, and when she reached ~lvl 13 her firepower was on par with the fully modernized lvl 74 Maya, both equipped with the respective loadouts stated above. There may be no need to worry, as the BB will be running on red morale, but still ... the MVP steal threat is there.

Now it's time for me to restock resources, my ammo reserves are below softcap and the new month is around the corner ... time to farm those medals.