Lexington AS - Worth it?

[Narren]

I haven't played my Lexington in a... long while (not much since the commander skill rework, tbh). Before then, I was playing a lot of strike loadouts, but the Shokaku just left me feeling outclassed (I see you 2/2/2). I'm thinking about respeccing to AS, but I'm not sure if it's worth it, and if it is worth it, what skills are actually useful--I feel like my fighters just get torn up anyway, but maybe I'm doing something wrong?

 

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[HazeGrayUnderway]

Well, here's the conundrum with USN CVs.

 

I take it you were originally flying Strike Lexi 0/1/3 and got tired of getting shutdown by any spec of Shokaku.  Stock 1/1/1 isn't much better.

 

If you go Air Superiority 2/0/2 you may indeed be able to contest the skies, especially rolling over a USN CV, but you give up a tremendous amount of attack power.  You may shoot down more planes, annoy your counterpart CV but you lack the firepower to affect the surface force combat.

 

Pick your poison.

 

Too many times I play Air Superiority, shoot down lots of planes, yet I still see my team getting rolled.  With an AS USN CV you lack the power to stop that.  A Strike USN CV definitely has the power to change that outcome, possibly even carry the team, but it has to be savvy in the face of IJN CVs or any fighter presence.  It can be done but it's harder.  Regardless, at least the Strike USN CV has the potential to make a good contribution to damage, sinking ships, maybe even Team Carry.  Air Superiority plays a seperate point and click game against airplanes and takes itself out of the surface fighting.  Just does not have the firepower to affect it.  There's also the fact that with no Torpedo Bombers, the USN AS CV has no means of reliable damage dealing.  You can have nicely placed Dive Bomber Manual Drops, only to see them miss.  No TBs?  You are 100% reliant on RNG.  And I really despise that.

[The_Big_Red_1]

Well, here's the conundrum with USN CVs.

 

I take it you were originally flying Strike Lexi 0/1/3 and got tired of getting shutdown by any spec of Shokaku.  Stock 1/1/1 isn't much better.

 

If you go Air Superiority 2/0/2 you may indeed be able to contest the skies, especially rolling over a USN CV, but you give up a tremendous amount of attack power.  You may shoot down more planes, annoy your counterpart CV but you lack the firepower to affect the surface force combat.

 

Pick your poison.

 

Too many times I play Air Superiority, shoot down lots of planes, yet I still see my team getting rolled.  With an AS USN CV you lack the power to stop that.  A Strike USN CV definitely has the power to change that outcome, possibly even carry the team, but it has to be savvy in the face of IJN CVs or any fighter presence.  It can be done but it's harder.  Regardless, at least the Strike USN CV has the potential to make a good contribution to damage, sinking ships, maybe even Team Carry.  Air Superiority plays a seperate point and click game against airplanes and takes itself out of the surface fighting.  Just does not have the firepower to affect it.  There's also the fact that with no Torpedo Bombers, the USN AS CV has no means of reliable damage dealing.  You can have nicely placed Dive Bomber Manual Drops, only to see them miss.  No TBs?  You are 100% reliant on RNG.  And I really despise that.

 

you and me both

[The_Big_Red_1]

i think strike is financially more viable than AS that is until WG decides to grow a brain and fix carriers plus increase credit/exp rewards for shooting down planes

[pyantoryng]

i think strike is financially more viable than AS that is until WG decides to grow a brain and fix carriers plus increase credit/exp rewards for shooting down planes

 

Was increased once at some point IIRC...used to be so bad, shooting over 100 planes down barely worth sinking a single ship...

[The_Big_Red_1]

how come they didnt revert it? what made them change their minds?

[YankeeVictor]

Absolutely YES
​Few ships has an AA as good as Lex (better than Essex)
​You wont be sniped (perhaps once) and the way you will play will be totally different then. You can play alone, only worried by enemy DDs but it happens anyway.