Home Port Expansion maximum 220 ships / 980 equipment
Special Mechanics
Combined fleet mechanics - Surface Fleet combined fleet added and required for E-1 and E-3. E-4 may use the original MI style Carrier-Escort combined fleet.
Surface Fleet combined fleet has different ship requirements. First Fleet now only allows maximum of 1 CV(B) or 2 CVLs, 4 BBs and 1 Wild card that is not BB, CV or CVL. Second Fleet requires 1 CL 2 DD.
Change in combat nodes - Surface Fleet Combined Fleet will now have to go through shelling phrase rather that only having aerial phrase. However, First Fleet will begin shelling first before Second Fleet does.
Ships that are used in E1 and E2 cannot be used in E-3 (as well as ships used in E3 cannot be used in E1 and E2). However, you can use all your ships (even those used in E1, E2 and E3) in E4. No one is locked out of E4.
Provisional E-1 set up results. (Need further testing and editing.)
2BBV, 2CA, 2CAV will lead to either ACDF or BDEF
2BBV, 2CA, 2CVL will lead to either ACDF or BDEF. Formation 2 for all nodes except the boss node for safety of a high-level fleet. AP shells are recommended. Formation 4 for the boss node.
1BBV 2CA 2DD 1CVL will sometimes lead you to B-D-F
1fBB 3CAV 2DD (BDEF) 2BB 2CAV 1CAV 1CV
1CA 2fBB 1CA 2CAV (ACDEF)
2BB 2CA 1CV 1CLT (BDEF)
1BB 3CA 2CVL (BDEF)
1BBV 2CA 3DD (BDF/ACGF)
1BB 1fBB 2CA 1CAV 1CV (ABDEF)
2fBB 1BBV 1CA 2CAV (ACEF) 2CA 4DD
1CL 1BB 1CA 2CAV 1CV(ACDEF) 1CA 1CAV 4DD
Most likely to South route on E-1 (will skipping 4th battle on E node):
For first fleet: 1xBBV, 2xCAV, 1xCA, 2xDD. Second fleet: 1xCL, 5xDD [not always southern route, also northern route A-E-F]
Lv100+ admirals will meet Tsu elite in the final boss battle. [99 also]
A node has 3 or 4 submarines with Ka elite being the flagship. (Admiral lv 100 (99))
G node has 2 patterns with 5 or 6 enemy ships, respectively. (Admiral lv 100 (99))
41 equipment LoS = C to G, with a fleet of 1CL and 5DD, admiral level 100 (99?). The actual threshold may be no higher than 34 equipment LoS.
A fleet of 1xCL and 5xDD need minimum LOS 140 to get through from node C to node G. Same with Fleet of 2x CL and 4xDD. (If you have less LOS, you will be send to node B and E).
If you have difficulty with boss, you can run a light support expedition (2 DD 1 CA 1 CL 2 CVL) to give your fleet an edge.
Having even one BB will lead you through A-B-F-E-G-H-I most of the time, meaning five battles.
Having a fleet of small/medium-sized ships will take you through A-B-F-H-I.
2 CA+2 CAV+2 CVL and 1 CL+2 DD+3 CLT will always go A-B-F-H-I and works very well, make sure to set Kitakami as your second fleet's flagship so she has a higher chance to trigger a cut-in attack.
You may deploy CLTs on your second fleet, they make the map much, much easier!
To go start->B (and avoid the first maelstrom) you cannot have more than 1 CLT and your first fleet must contain either a CL, DD, or Akitsumaru and have 2 BB + 2 CA (other combinations may work, still needs testing)
Akitsumaru can guarantee F->H, plus she can carry Reppus so Akitsumaru + a CV can get you air superiority at all nodes. Combined with the previous rule this makes easy B->F->H->I routing.
2 BB+2 CV+2 CAVs and 1 CL+1 BB+2 DD+2 CLT will always go C-D/E-G-J and works very well, make sure to set Kitakami as your second fleet's flagship so she has a higher chance to trigger a cut-in attack.
600 
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110)
