Ranked Season 4 CVs

[Edgecase]

Predictions for CV performance and picks during Ranked Season 4? I'm leaving out the SUPER TIER X BRACKET because who knows, I doubt it will even pop.

 

Obviously, this is mostly for fun, as there will be no easy way to see which carriers are performing well in specific circumstances. Maybe WRs for Ranked games, but there's going to be a heck of a difference between Rank 15 games and Rank 2 games, and publicly-available stats won't show that.

[Edgecase]

Personally, my votes are for 3/1/1 Ryujo in the low-rank matches, and 3/0/1 Saipan in the higher-tier matches. However, I also suspect that anybody who actually cares enough to pick a specific ship to play isn't going to be in the low-tier bracket for very long, so ranks 22-16 will be a statistical wash.

[Personator]

Personally, my votes are for 3/1/1 Ryujo in the low-rank matches, and 3/0/1 Saipan in the higher-tier matches. However, I also suspect that anybody who actually cares enough to pick a specific ship to play isn't going to be in the low-tier bracket for very long, so ranks 22-16 will be a statistical wash.

 

AS loadout is trash. If you think you're gonna help your team sink ships faster that way... yeah no. This is a ship-sinking game, not WoWP. Also, AA is already buffed to hell, so there is absolutely no need to protect your allies with 3 fighter squads

[Edgecase]

AS loadout is trash. If you think you're gonna help your team sink ships faster that way... yeah no. This is a ship-sinking game, not WoWP. Also, AA is already buffed to hell, so there is absolutely no need to protect your allies with 3 fighter squads

 

Actually, it's a point-controlling game. Losing control of the skies means losing control of vision on the points, and losing that means losing your destroyers. Losing those pretty much means losing the game.

 

I'd also argue that going strike against an equal-skill AS player will yield substantially mitigated effective strike capability for the strike player. It's not as bad for Hiryu vs. Hiryu, since they only differ by one squadron; however, you can count on the free group of fighters shutting down at least one of the TB squadrons, potentially more. 1/2/2 Ryujo vs. 3/1/1 Ryujo is a disaster for the strike player, as are 1/1/1 or 0/1/2 Independence vs. 3/1/1 Ryujo.

 

Also substantively, neither 3/1/1 Ryujo nor 3/0/1 Saipan lacks bombing capability. Saipan's T9 bombs in particular are pretty infamous.

 

While this is all in fun, I am pretty confident that AS is the way to go in a Ranked Battle.

[Jenska]

CV's seem to be strike loaded to get the DD's at least. You can always spot with a bomber as well as a fighter.

[Edgecase]

CV's seem to be strike loaded to get the DD's at least. You can always spot with a bomber as well as a fighter.

 

Does the other CV not use fighters to chase away the bomber?

[Gavroche_]

 

AS loadout is trash. If you think you're gonna help your team sink ships faster that way... yeah no. This is a ship-sinking game, not WoWP. Also, AA is already buffed to hell, so there is absolutely no need to protect your allies with 3 fighter squads

 

The current meta for Team Battles is running 3/1/1 Ryujo because it's just so easy to shut down an enemy CV if you have the least idea what you're doing. I suspect that it'll be the same for Ranked.

 

I think the Saipan would work in either 2/2/0 or 3/0/1. Those tier IX planes are just so powerful...

[Edgecase]

So far tonight, it's been about 50% games with no CVs (not counting games where I played one), and in T7, a swarm of Saipans. 15-point 3/0/1 is by far the trolliest thing I have seen in Ranked at this point, it demolishes both versions of Hiryu in air combat, and the 9-bomber squadron regularly one-shots DDs without detonation. 15-point 2/2/0 loses hard to the 3/0/1 in the air, but its bombers travel so fast they get their torpedo drops even against protected targets.

 

I do suspect that AS Rangers would perform favorably against Saipans in terms of air control, though. Not because they're strong, but because they'll literally run the Saipan's fighters out of ammunition and kill them. Of course, Ranger doesn't get the good bombs, so its ship damage would be minimal.

 

I wonder if the effective order is Saipan > Hiryu > Ranger > Saipan, effectively making the CV matchups a game of rock-paper-scissors.

[Edgecase]

I decided to try out the Ranger to see if it's actually as bad as people say it is, and the stats indicate.

 

Posted my thoughts here

[centarina]

ranger has lowest WR in ranked, I would avoid it lf at all possible.    bring hiryu or saipan if you must CV.     and be good at it.  bad CV play will drag your team down quicker than any other ship.

[Femennenly]

From personal experience, the best CV will always be the one the captain knows how to play best.

 

Tactically speaking AA setup should always dominate an AS setup. In saying that, a AS CV that snipes a AA CV will always have advantage.

 

AA also has the benefit of being able to better spot targets and defend the team. The downside of this is the CV dmg output will be reduced and therefore make it unlikely to be placed first in case of a loss. Personally, I run a AA Hiryu w/ 18p capt and I have no problem shutting down Saipan scouts whether its 2/2/0 or 3/1/0.

 

Rangers are the worst to bring into ranked, their planes have only marginally better strength over the Hiryus and of course, with less planes this advantage is quickly lost. American CVs not built for strike in the first place, running strike in a ranger is a bad idea as you will just get swarmed by the enemy fighters with no defense for yourself.

[Numbah18]

I would go for anything IJN or maybe a full bomber US.

[Personator]

maybe a full bomber US.

 

No, just no. Never go full strike on USN CV - you'll get shut down instantly by AS loadouts & IJN bomber loadouts. I had an Indy try & do that but just ended up being completely useless because the other Indy had AS loadout. It's never worth to go full bomber on USN CV.

[Numbah18]

No, just no. Never go full strike on USN CV - you'll get shut down instantly by AS loadouts & IJN bomber loadouts. I had an Indy try & do that but just ended up being completely useless because the other Indy had AS loadout. It's never worth to go full bomber on USN CV.

 

Current US meta is full strike if all my battles over the last few weeks in my Lexington have anything to say. I do agree with your point though.

[Edgecase]

 

Current US meta is full strike if all my battles over the last few weeks in my Lexington have anything to say. I do agree with your point though.

 

I wish I could bring my Lexington into ranked. Probably still lose to Hiryu, though.

[DrRand]

The worst thing about cvs is someone will bring a high level captain and seal club the crap out of other cvs in ranked making a win for the poor saps on the other team almost impossible. I have resorted to just leaving queue when i see cvs because i usually get stuck with the clubbed not the clubber lol. There is even a guy that goes afk all the time in his cv.

[Edgecase]

The worst thing about cvs is someone will bring a high level captain and seal club the crap out of other cvs in ranked making a win for the poor saps on the other team almost impossible. I have resorted to just leaving queue when i see cvs because i usually get stuck with the clubbed not the clubber lol. There is even a guy that goes afk all the time in his cv.

 

There is no seal clubbing in ranked. It's ranked.