Board Thread:Special Events/@comment-1820055-20150207023715/@comment-84.90.161.45-20150213021121

HQ 101, Easy - Because I only want Amagi

Combined Fleet: Surface Naval Task Force

Formations: Bottom Right all the way

17 runs total: 7 successful kills, 1 failed kill, 9 retreats

Kirishima (76): 41cm + 38cm Twin Kai + T0 Recon + T22 Surface RADAR -> 141 FP +7 ACC

Bismarck Drei (78): 41cm + Proto 35.6cm Triple + Ar196Kai + T22 Surface RADAR -> 137 FP +7 ACC

Hiei (76): 2x 41cm + T0 Recon + FuMO25 RADAR -> 141 FP +11 ACC (overweight)

Kongou (75): 2x 41cm + Ar196Kai + T22 Surface RADAR Kai -> 138 FP +10 ACC (overweight)

Chiyoda (78): Reppuu 601 (24) + Reppuu (16/11) + T62FB (8)

Chitose (80): Reppuu (24/16/11) + T62FB (8)

Escort Fleet: CL, 2DD, SSV, 2CLT

Akizuki (55): 2x 10cm HAFD + Searchlight

Jintsuu (62): SKC34 20.3cm + 20.3cm (nº2) + T98 Night Scout

Yuudachi (61): 12.7cm TBK2 + 10cm HA + Starshell

Ooi (99): SKC34 20.3cm + 20.3cm (nº2) + Hyoteki

Goya (90): 2x Quint O2

KTKM (99): 2x Quint O2 + Hyoteki

ELoS = 81 - AS = 269

Buckets wasted: 100 + ~25 from unaccounted test runs

Notable drops: Kiyoshimo, nothing else worthy

Resources at start of event: ~53k fuel, ~51k ammo, ~53k steel, ~42k bauxite, 644 buckets

Resources at end of event: ~26k fuel, ~31k ammo, ~29k steel, ~37k bauxite, 395 buckets

Resources were being replenished with expeditions and quests.

Final Comments:

- Bringing a SS(V) on escort fleet eliminates any compass troll and takes a 100% north route. E-G and E-H are random, with the same enemy compositions: either CV Oni + 2 Wo or CV Oni + 2 BB in Diamond formation.

- Due to lack of better ships (Yamato and Nagato class), decided to go for an all Fast Fleet. The advantage of this is the bonus evasion a fast fleet gets compared to a slow fleet. The trade-off is firepower and some armor.

- Decided to forfeit the use of 46cm guns and AP shells in favor of lighter loadouts with high accuracy radars, due to the accumulated accuracy penalty from FBB overweight effect and combined fleet blindness effect.

- The CVLs were there to provide air superiority/supremacy at all nodes. The required amount of fighters left them as little more than meatshields. Started out by loading them full of fighters, boasting 300+ AS, rendering them useless for shelling. As I saw no way to prevent the CV Oni troll, decided to give them a bit of shelling playtime by equipping T62FB on their smallest slots, sacrificing a bit of air power while still maintaining air superiority/supremacy. They still acted mostly as meatshields though, but took care of a DD here and there sometimes.

- Did some preliminary test runs to find a balance between firepower and accuracy, with the results stated above in the fleet loadouts. It really worked out great, specially when I switched from [Top Right pre-boss - Bottom Right boss] formation to [Bottom Right all the way] formation.

- Nodes E, G and H were blockades. Node E had 3 gold BBs that could easily wreck any of my ships, specially the escort fleet. Node G and H with that CV Oni proved to be even worse. Even with air superiority and triggered AACI, that bitch would crit to red any ship easily, even in Red T Crossing. Her most notable hit was on Bismarck, 95 to 10 hp during shelling, in Head-On engagement with air superiority and AACI triggered, facing a CV Oni + 2 BB composition. I closed my eyes and flinched everytime she attacked, 3 times per battle (2 shellings on main fleet and 1 shelling on escort fleet).

- From my experience, it seems that the Bottom Right formation provides better shelling accuracy and damage compared to the Top Right formation, maybe at the cost of some evasion. Using an all Fast Fleet, that evasion cost can be compensated, resulting in a powerful accurate fleet with good defense and evasion. Of course RNG-sama play a big role in this.

- Due to using [Bottom Right all the way], on the 15th run managed to score an awesome Perfect S rank against the CL Hime on node A. Opening rounds took out 3 ships. Hiei blasted her right in the face during the first shelling round, disabling her torpedo salvo, and Bismarck finished her off during second shelling round. Fight was over before the escort fleet shelling round. The drop was some scrap fodder DD (Thanks RNG-sama!). At node E, two of the gold BBs teamed up and rekt Chiyoda ... forced retreat, Chiyoda was the only one headed to the docks, the other 11 girls returned untouched ... Thanks again RNG-sama!

- Ooi was true to her fame as an angry lesbian overprotective of her beloved KTKM-san. Every boss kill was scored by her sharpshooter armor piercing double attacks. Starshell and Searchlight triggered, she would deal 200+200 damage on a 150~250/415 BB Water Oni. Sendai is a night maniac? Ooi is a nocturnal behemoth lusting for fresh meat. When it comes to KTKM-san, Ooi means serious business.

Overall, this was a fun event. Didn't get the First Class Medal, but managed to reach my main goal, which was clear the whole event.

This was my second event, the first being Fall 2014. Didn't finish that one due to unprepareness - only a handful of usable DDs on an event with ship lock system. But even then managed to reach my goal, which was get Akizuki and Prinz Eugen.

Now on to E-6, the farming of event-specific drops.