"Power Jumps" (Warning: Long and comprehensive post)

[Gavroche_]

"Power Jump"

We all expect a tier VI ship to be better than a tier VII ship, and a tier VIII ship to be better than a tier VII ship, however, not all tier differences are the same. Sometimes, a jump in a single tier will result in a much larger increase in combat capability, what I'll just call "power". One example is between tier VII and tier VIII BBs, the tier VIII BBs all receive a massive uparmoring and upgunning when they're compared to their tier VII counterparts. Tier VII battleships are overmatched by 16" shells, so any 1v1 engagement between equally skilled captains of a tier VII and a tier VIII battleship results in the tier VIII battleship completely annihilating the tier VII BB, in return for minimal damage, rather than the tier VIII battleship receiving significant damage in exchange for the entirety of the tier VII battleship. This difference in power is what I deem a "power jump".

 

Examples of "power jumps"

Another example of a "power jump" is the huge advantage tier VIII CVs hold over tier VII ones. Apart from faster planes, more powerful fighter, and stronger strike specs, the tier VIII CVs receive a huge increase in AA, mostly due to the "defensive AA" consumable. This means that in most situations in which a tier VIII CV faces off against a tier VII, the tier VII is hugely vulnerable to being alpha striked by the tier VIII, while being unable to retaliate in kind.

 

A  third example would the massive increases in firepower most tier X ships recieve over their tier IX counterparts. E.G. Baltimore is a good ship, Des Moines is fantastic. Kagero is utter crap, Shima is decent, Roon and Dimitri Donskoi are okay, Hindenburg and Moskva are amazing. Izumo and Ibuki terrible, Yamato and Zao are OP. Even good tier IX ships, such as Fletcher, Udaloi, and Iowa gain significantly when they upgrade.

 

Power jumps can even be something as small as a single ship in a line being significantly better than its predecessors, for example, the Admiral Hipper is significantly better than the Yorck due to it's faster shells and AA.

 

Identifying major power jumps

I would put major general increases in power at the tier VII-VIII divide and tier IX-X divide.

For CVs, it seems that every tier is a power jump as being a CV a single tier lower is a massive disadvantage. Still, tier VII-VIII is a larger jump, with the introduction of defensive AA, the 1000lb bombs, and Shokaku shedding the TBs the IJN line has retained since Zuiho

 

For BBs, tier VIII is when ships stop being overmatched by 16" shells. Similarly, the tier X IJN BB Yamato is a power jump since it overmatches what 16" shells cannot.

 

For CAs, tier X is when all CAs receive high DPM guns, major increases in HP, and even significant increases in AA. 

 

For DDs, tier VIII is when they recieve the concealment module.

 

What does this mean?

When you're top tier above a power jump, you're OP. So, it could serve to identify ship at the top of power gaps and play them to seal club. Top tier as a North Carolina, you're more or less invincible to most  BBs with minimal angling, yet as a tier VII BB you're supremely vulnerable to not being top tiered and getting lolpenned by 16" guns. So, don't play Colorado or Nagato. Similarly, Hatsu and Mahan kinda suck. CVs get mirror matchmaking so it's not as bad.

[Czevak]

The Captain makes the ship OP, I've destroyed plenty of Zao's when I still had Ibuki.. and those were typically 1v1 near full health. Zao should've wrecked me because I am a Tier 9. But as I've said, The Captain makes the ship OP.

[1nv4d3rZ1m]

Funny you claim the Baltimore is good and at the same time claim the Ibuki is terrible. I really couldnt pay attention to anything after that. 

 

On the topic of power jumps I feel that the tier 8-9 power jump is much smaller than it should be while the tier 9-10 power jump is much larger than it should be. 

[Gavroche_]

Funny you claim the Baltimore is good and at the same time claim the Ibuki is terrible. I really couldnt pay attention to anything after that. 

 

On the topic of power jumps I feel that the tier 8-9 power jump is much smaller than it should be while the tier 9-10 power jump is much larger than it should be. 

Okay maybe "great" is a bit of an overstatement and "terrible" doesn't do the Ibuki justice, but people overstate how bad the Baltimore is while overlooking the Ibuki's weaknesses.

[Aduial]

 

For CAs, tier X is when all CAs receive high DPM guns, major increases in HP, and even significant increases in AA. 

 

Except for the Zao, which has the same HP as the tier 7 Myoko. and the same RPM basically, except with more guns. 

[BlazerSparta]

That T7/8 CV situation can literally never happen again; any game where T8 is top tier is a 1 CV game.

[Naughtius_Maximus]

1-3 basically have no citadels you can reliably hit. It is literally world of HE.

 

4-6 you need to worry about broadsides, but for the most part angles right where you unmask the rear guns will make you functionally immune to any citadels. In the meantime HE either has less guns with low DPM (6 8" guns,) "low" range USN CLs, or low HE damage german CLs. VMF are an anomaly. And hence have best WRs currently for good HE.

 

7-10. As shell accuracy/pen/shells per volley increase while relative armor/mobility regress, angling in ships matter less than completely dodging the salvo (whether AP or HE,) ballooning engagement ranges to camping levels.

[thepointofluck]

Except for the Zao, which has the same HP as the tier 7 Myoko. and the same RPM basically, except with more guns. 

 

The Zao might not have the highest rate of fire but it definitely has good DPM. Its better than any CA that's not at tier X and is on par with the Moskva with the Moskva having slightly less HE potential and slightly more AP, both of which average out barely in the Zao's favor.

 

[mofton]

Interesting thought, though sometimes you may need to account for individually OP ships such as Khabarovsk, Zao, Yamato - all T10 yes, but not all T10's are OP - I've seen people say that Fletcher is superior to Gearing for instance - better torpedoes primarily.

 

I believe that a lot of power jumps stem from the very jagged addition of upgrades as you say - indeed T8 DD vs. T7 DD with the concealment module - I'd make the same argument for cruisers with concealment and heal. BB if their guns can overmatch armor the tier below, although Tirpitz with 15in at T8 and Warspite with 15in at T6 break that rule.

 

I also think you need to sometimes look at the worst case jump between 2 tiers. Pensacola gets relatively little over Konigsberg, Baltimore gets a detection module and repair party over Pensacola, along with the general higher-tier advantages. Even so it's not great by many accounts.

 

By bringing in the upgrades suddenly at set tiers and set strengths it creates bigger jumps.

[MrDeaf]

I think it's the modifications.

particularly, the majority of T8 and 9/10 mods are really OP

 

If those mods didn't exist, the power inflation between tiers becomes very minimal.

[Vaidency]

I think it's the modifications.

particularly, the majority of T8 and 9/10 mods are really OP

 

If those mods didn't exist, the power inflation between tiers becomes very minimal.

 

This is definitely the case for destroyers and cruisers.  Functionally, there isn't much difference in stats between a tier 7 and a tier 9 for those classes.  For instance, Ibuki's stats are barely different from Myoko's at all.  Even Fletcher's base stats aren't a huge leap over Mahan's/  But the additional module slots and the stats they provide are huge.