Arizona or Alabama?

[bogdan8938]

I want to get a premium battleship to get some extra credits and a bunch of free xp so I can skip over the Izumo, and just have something different to play. Tirpitz and Sharnhorst are out just because I already have a Gneisenau and want to work up to the Bismarck. The British BB's are coming soon™ so I don't want to buy a Warspite when the Queen Elizabeth is easily reachable at tier VI. The Dunkurque is also out because I don't like the turret placement or the armor. 

 

So the title is the real question. Is the Alabama good enough to warrant the price? An Arizona is only 30 USD at the moment comparred to the Alabama at 80, 65, or 53 USD.

[Seraphil]

I haven't played Alabama, but I wholeheartedly endorse the Arizona.

[Unabletony]

I really don't know how with 304 battles you're up this high but anyways

 

If you hate slow speeds but great tanking, Arizona is the ship. She has great guns, a somewhat tight shotgun effect, but slow in the water. Almost no AA.

 

Alabama is quite the opposite. Fast, great guns (tad lower sigma), and a tight turning for her tier. Her torpedo protection is one of the highest, so she's made for DDs and Cruisers.

[Admiral_Thrawn_1]

12 minutes ago, Unabletony said:

I really don't know how with 304 battles you're up this high but anyways

 

If you hate slow speeds but great tanking, Arizona is the ship. She has great guns, a somewhat tight shotgun effect, but slow in the water. Almost no AA.

 

Alabama is quite the opposite. Fast, great guns (tad lower sigma), and a tight turning for her tier. Her torpedo protection is one of the highest, so she's made for DDs and Cruisers.

Alabama also has very good AA which makes CV Caotains think twice about trying to attack it and the ones that do send planes after it often pay a heavy price in planes lost.

[BladedPheonix]

I have both ships.

 

AZ has some of the best punching guns for her tier but she lacks the AA that New Mexico has.

 

Alabama is basically a smaller, slightly slower but better protected North Carolina. The AA is also the same amount once maxed out.

 

Personally if I had the choice of buying them again I'd get the AZ first, because those guns just wreck things to pieces!

 

hope this helps you!

[WanderingGhost]

From what I hear, Bama is basically what the class was historically, a better NC. Don't own one.

 

Arizona, she may lack in AA, can still down a plane which can be the difference in taking a hit and dodging, and speed, but  me she can take a hit and go "please sir may I have another" Before I owned one, it took pre-buff Tirpitz and a second BB shooting at this thing to kill it, and only after taking half my HP and getting close enough I put torps in it's side. After getting one, I've had cruisers hammering me for their lives because this thing can stomp a cruiser like your a damn T-800. 

 

Sadly this abridged series doesn't have clips made yet (and I don't feel like trying to download and make it), but this scene pretty much sums it up.

If there's harsh language, I apologize, don't remember any uncensored ones and well.... New 52 DC animated universe, yeah, there's some violence and all that puts it in the PG-13 range cause cartoon later on if you don't pause and all after the 1:36-2:00 mark.

 

 

[Kapitan_Wuff]

I wouldn't be so quick to rule out the Scharnhorst, her guns change up the style of play significantly from her sister.  One of the best and most fun premium ships out there.

 

The Arizona is good, pretty decent guns and relatively tanky... but slow. I personally don't enjoy the super slow American bathtubs that much and don't find myself playing the AZ very often.

 

I don't own a Alabama, but I do have the NC.  A major step up from the slow BBs of the lower tiers (and a drastic shift in playstyle)  But still not a ship I love, would rather take out the MO. 

[Poltr]

I've had the Arizona for a while and just bought the Alabama last night. Personally I enjoy the Alabama more. Guns are great, AA is great, maneuverability is great, and I think she does fine even when uptiered. Alabama bow in can only  be overmatched by a Yamato whereas the Arizona can be overmatched by half the t6's and every t7+ bb. Also for pure credits/exp going higher tier gets you more.

[AutobotMech]

Had the Arizona for a while and I love the ship. A step up from the Texas in every  way. The Alabama, which I was gifted last night, is a beautiful ship in every way. Esthetical, functionality , even when I get in Tier X matches I don't feel as nervous as I do in my Bismarck, or even my North Carolina when I had that. Currently I've got my AA rating to 100, and she chews though planes. The beloved Bama is well worth the money if you can afford it.

[Edselman]

A good rule of thumb with purchasing premiums is don't buy a premium that is a tier you haven't reached in the regular tech trees yet. So if you're not at tier 8 yet, I wouldn't buy the Alabama.

[Wowzery]

Personally, the Arizona simply because she doesn't get into matches with T10 ships, which are some of the worst matches out there.

[bogdan8938]

15 hours ago, Unabletony said:

I really don't know how with 304 battles you're up this high but anyways

I got lucky with some super containers that gave me tons of the ocean soul camo. That and I really like the game so I've been playing alot.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone.

[nina_blain_73]

if credits and FXP are you actual goal Alabama hands down

[HazeGrayUnderway]

Alabama is a super amazing Battleship and takes so many good qualities of USN BBs and puts them into one.

 

She has NC's AA.

She has NC's 16"/45 guns, but the AP is a tad slower in velocity, so you have to lead a bit more.

NC has better concealment range but 'Bama is still very good.

Both have the same mediocre secondaries performance.

Both have the same max speed of 27kts.

Alabama however turns very well, far better than NC.  She has the speed of NC and the excellent turn ability of the prior tiered USN BBs.

Alabama has stupidly high Torpedo Defense System, among BBs, only Amagi, Yamato are around her crazy numbers... 50% or so, Yamato has that and Amagi is around mid 40%.

Alabama is the smallest Tier VIII+ BB in the game.  That is good, less ship to hit, shorter hull broadside to be hit.  Iowa / Missouri have crazy long hulls that are meant to catch every shell, torpedo going their way.

Both have the same lowered citadel.

Alabama has superior armor than NC.

 

She sails extremely well, has the reliable power of 16"/45 rifles, excellent AA, has good protection, and is compact.  You'd be hard pressed to find any BB in the game that combines all that goodness into one package.

 

I cannot stress how well Alabama sails enough.  No other BB in the game has that blend of small size, turn ability, and speed.

 

Edit:  If you know how to leverage the advantages of NC, you will do very, very well with Alabama.  She lets you do things you wish your NC could do.

[KnightFandragon]

Nab Alabama as shes only on sale for a short period of time until shes gone again.....

Alabama is a great bote.  Good turning, Good AA, good enough but quirky [edited]16 inch guns with enough range to matter.  Armor is shoddy, seems to take a metric [edited]ton of damage from light guns and lights on fire like no one's business, but its a great bote. 

Arizona, shes as close to a Heavy Tank as you can get in this game.  Great guns, able to delete cruisers fairly well if you aim well.  Armor is pretty solid when angled just right.  Only thing about the AZ is her MM sucks, T6 always sees T8 and T8s just ignore your armor and auto pen the hell out of you.  Plus, her slow speed means the battle is often times over by the time you arrive, so sometimes its frustrating as you drive around in circles but never seem to get to use your guns.  Arizona is a great bote as well though. 

If I had to recommend one, id say Alabama, as shes more fun once you learn her.  Plus, given the crap [edited]MM for T6, you wind up fighting all the same ships the Alabama faces, so might as well be on an even playing field. 

Arizona is a great ship at any rate. 

[GunnzMann]

 

forget both of them and get a Tirpitz....it's a LOT better than either  IMHO....

 

[HazeGrayUnderway]

5 hours ago, GunBoatz said:

 

forget both of them and get a Tirpitz....it's a LOT better than either  IMHO....

 

 

Tirpitz, Bismarck only excel in very short ranges.  North Carolina, Alabama excel above knife fighting ranges, which is most of the game.

[Kurok1972]

Flip a coin they are both great ships, the bama having a slight edge.

[Xlap]

If you like slow mid tier USN BBs go for AZ, its a better NM. If you like high tier mobile USN BBs go for Bama. 

 

 

[MrKilmister]

Having both, if I had to go back chose between the two, I get Alabama without a doubt. 

[HazeGrayUnderway]

4 hours ago, lemekillmister said:

Having both, if I had to go back chose between the two, I get Alabama without a doubt.