Free XP usage, Zao or Missouri?

[superiorcraft]

I currently have roughly 280k Free xp, almost done with Mogami, but now I am debating whether I should use these 280k Free XP to just skip Ibuki, since it only needed about 290k Free XP to bypass it, or should I save it for Missouri?

 

currently I am only using the papa papa flag on my Des Moines with the premium cammo. and that's kind of my main FreeXP income for about 3k/day

 

Which route should I choose?

[Whiteout]

Ibuki is not worth skipping unless you have a serious rager going on for Zao and it has been more than four hours.

[Killjoy1941]

Why not just get Missouri since you have an interest, load her up with flags, then use your new bucket of free XP to get Zao after you've had some fun with Ibuki?

[TurboT]

I hated the effing Ibuki.

[Happy668]

get the ship you have fun playing, not the "tool ship" to get the fun ship

[Battlecruiser_Amagi]

get the ship you have fun playing, not the "tool ship" to get the fun ship

 

Well, supposedly, invisifire is gonna get nerfed at some point. We'll have to see on that. So if you've got plans to get Zao just because of that, then I suggest you go for Missouri instead. As the invisifire is lesser on the Ibuki, it may get you better prepped for future if you play her, before getting the Zao.

[Special_Kay]

When you queue as an Ibuki, you're giving the other team a chance for Ibuki/Baltimore/Donskoi, and when you queue as Zao you're giving the other team a chance for Des Moines/Moskva/Zao. In the latter case, you'd better be able to perform to par, or you're gambling your win on poor odds. (Yes, I omitted RN/KM, and they're out there too.)

 

Be aware of what you're bringing to the match and what that grants the enemy via ship-for-ship balancing for the top tier in the match. Are you going to be able to jump into Zao with the required proficiency, or do you need to go through that T9 ship where every DM/Zao you go up against is offset by a T10 cruiser on your own team?

[KyourakuShunsui]

I hated the effing Ibuki.

 

Me too. It was one of the few ships I spent a significant amount of free exp to finish up (spent about 100k to get to the Zao). I absolutely hated the Ibuki, but I played her right after open beta started.

[superiorcraft]

honestly I am having fun on Des Moines, I had grind over 200k regular xp on the DM for past 7 day, the reason is that I am sick of Mogami, that's a pain for me, and I did expect Zao would perform as well as my DM, but I also wanted the Missourri, since I am on Iowa now. that's why I am not sure what to choose.

 

despite if I choose Missouri over Zao, it's still gonna take me over 110 days to grind to 750k FreeXP.......

that's why I am questioning myself, use it to get another FreeXP grinding ship and startover the saving process, or just save it till I reach both Zao and Missouri

[LegoGenius16]

You could get the most OP ship in the game, or one of the most underwhelming (compared to her real life performance) ships in the game. 

[superiorcraft]

You could get the most OP ship in the game, or one of the most underwhelming (compared to her real life performance) ships in the game. 

 

and which one might that be? Ibuki or Zao?

[Battlecruiser_Amagi]

 

and which one might that be? Ibuki or Zao?

 

I think he means the Missouri. Supposedly, he's comparing her to the Iowa too much, as his Iowa stats are so-so. The Missouri's got better bulkhead citadel armor protection than the Iowa, and radar. Yesterday, I deleted a RN cruiser sitting on his smoke using the radar. It feels disgusting attacking a broadside still cruiser lol

[superiorcraft]

 

I think he means the Missouri. Supposedly, he's comparing her to the Iowa too much, as his Iowa stats are so-so. The Missouri's got better bulkhead citadel armor protection than the Iowa, and radar. Yesterday, I deleted a RN cruiser sitting on his smoke using the radar. It feels disgusting attacking a broadside still cruiser lol

 

so should I save my 280k FreeXP for Missouri or use it to skip Ibuki?

[Battlecruiser_Amagi]

 

so should I save my 280k FreeXP for Missouri or use it to skip Ibuki?

 

It's up to you. The Ibuki is a decent cruiser, specially compared to the other tier 9.

 

But if you like BB's more instead, then go for the Missouri. She earns XP and cash really well (The best earner of the game), and performs very well too, specially with it's Radar.

[Estimated_Prophet]

I think he means the Missouri. Supposedly, he's comparing her to the Iowa too much, as his Iowa stats are so-so. The Missouri's got better bulkhead citadel armor protection than the Iowa, and radar. Yesterday, I deleted a RN cruiser sitting on his smoke using the radar. It feels disgusting attacking a broadside still cruiser lol

 

No it doesn't; it's justice served.

 

All smoke-firing, HE spamming scum deserve to get insta-deleted.

[Misniso]

I'd say save it for the Missouri.

 

That said, the Ibuki practically feels like a Mogami, so if you think that you've left the T8 grind with a T9 ship, you haven't.  And this time your grind is even longer.

[pmgaudio]

if you want to be SPECTACULAR in the Zao when you get it, you should play the Ibuki... it has a love hate relationship with most players who play(d) it, including me..

Yeah I am glad I sold it, but man I am GLAD I PLAYED IT....

trust me, if you get decent in the Ibuki you can be OUTSTANDING in the Zao.... regardless of any invisi-fire changes coming down the pipe....

 

[Pillager_Serj]

I've found when spending FreeXP prior to the Missouri announcement, that if you like the line you are playing in general, Play the ship and earn your way up. Use the FreeXP to fill out some of her modules early on like Upgraded Hull and FCS so you don't have to endure the initial suck a lot of stock ships tend to have. If you hate the line or just doesn't interest you except for a certain ship; then yeah, skip it. I think what really shows though is that some of the comments here have touched upon is that The Zao is worth enduring the Ibuki for; and that says something HUGE about that ship in the end. I personally rarely play USN BBs and really don't have much interest in them at lower tiers. I have my Arizona and that's fine, but you can bet I'm interested in Missouri. So I'd pony up for the Missouri and use her to farm what i need for those high-tier ships while enjoying her.

[HazeGrayUnderway]

Let's put things in perspective, OP, with some very simple points

Zao

+ The traditional Queen of Tier X Cruisers, the Duchess of Hellfire, the originator of "dem F3 torps," a true Cruiser Sniper.  At no point in the history of this game Live has Zao been less than an oustanding Tier X Cruiser.

+ Cheaper to acquire with FreeXPs for what you have now, OP, than Missouri.

+ Grinding through Ibuki isn't going to take you that long to get to Zao, compared to grinding to Missouri.

 

Missouri

+ She's a tweaked Iowa with all the good and bad, but has access to Radar.  Iowa isn't the best Tier IX BB to begin with, either.  That honor goes to FDG.

+ Missouri is potato-proof to make a profit.

 

Both Zao and Missouri are always going to be there but MO requires a far higher FreeXP commitment.  IMO...  Save your FreeXPs and keep working for Missouri.  Work your way through Ibuki.  The good part about working your way through Ibuki towards Zao is you'll be earning FreeXPs as you do so anyways.

[SovereignEagle]

I would advise to never free XP past a ship without first playing it. 

[Battlecruiser_Amagi]

I would advise to never free XP past a ship without first playing it. 

 

I freed XP the Nassau and went straight for the Kaiser. I was practically a BB noob, but I was surprised at how good the Kaiser was. After that, I played through the rest of the KM BB line, up to X, and had a blast with them.

[superiorcraft]

that's fair enough, thanks for all the comments

[Pope_Shizzle]

Ibuki is a wonderful ship.  Don't use free XP to skip her.  She's worth the playtime to get to the Zao.  I'll be honest.  I think the Ibuki at tier 9 is a better ship than the Zao at tier 10.  

[WhatIsTheOdds]

Missouri gets like 1k free xp without any other bonuses per decent game. If you use flags you will quickly gain enough xp to also get Zao. Ibuki is one of the best IJN researchable cruisers, I don't know how people can hate it. Although maybe that's because I have 200 games with 71% winrate in Atago.

[BadNews420]

Ibuki is a good ship, it is a buffed mogami with heal.

sure Zao is much better but if you don't like ibuki i don't think you will enjoy Zao.