Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-175.140.222.16-20160629134324/@comment-232062-20160629163708

 You need to understand  Air superiority/supremecy, how to get it and how to utilize its effects,  Artillery Spotting  to be specific. Use an air power calculator like airclac.net or kancolle-calc.net/aircrafts.html to plan the fighter power you'll need for AS/AS+ in any given situation, and fill the rest of the carrier slots with Torp bombers (Blue planes) and bring only 1  Saiun other yellow planes are not necessary.

Combat#Special Attacks pretty much lays out the standard fits. Anything that can use a seaplane to artilley spot uses the daytime double attack setup (2 red guns, a seaplane and a radar/ap if possible, a second seaplane if you dont have either) DD (which can't artyspot) use either nighttime double attack or torp cut in depending on their luck stat (40+ luck for cutin)

Some helpful pages - Ship Maximum Status , List of ships required by quests and expeditions, Sandbox/List of ships by combat performance, Equipment Ranking and http://www.himeuta.net/f6-kancolle-guides/guide-load-equipment-kanmusus-perform-767.html#P011    That one's a bit dated on the variety of gear but still does a good job of laying out who uses what and when.