Essex and Taiho upgrades setup: AA, servicing time or plane HP?

[Carrier_Junyo]

 

 

Tried the Essex and Taiho on the PT. I'm getting close to getting both on the live server, and due to new "third slot" I need some advice on how to spec them out.

 

On my LEX, I go full AA spec and have a 92 AA rating without AFT. My captain has ASE.

On my Shokaku, I cant quite remember but I'm pretty sure I run FT dmg and 20% FT HP boost with ASE.

 

With the slot 2 AA range increase module Taiho AA goes up to 73 rating, which seems pretty low. Essex AA is 81 I think. Don't quote me on that though.

 

In my PT test drives I didn't get attacked by enemy CV very often, so I felt AA spec seemed a bit overkill and a waste, where as my Taiho planes were melting to enemy AA. So I switched to plane HP for 2nd and 3rd modules, as well as FT dmg on 1st module, and ASE for Captain skill. But 73 AA for Taiho aint impressive.

Same for the Essex.

 

What do you run?

[SireneRacker]

Why put AA on a Carrier? Especially Essex? She gets Def Fire which is far more usefull

[Carrier_Junyo]

So that enemy Taiho or Essex doesnt delete you? Taihos stock 59 AA rating wont stop an essex strike i dont think. 

 

I guess my mentality comes from my strike Lex. Sonce inhabe no fighters my only defence against a CV strike is my carriers AA. Since my AA spec Lex has 92 AA rating, o fear no enemy strike even if i have no fighters. And for the same reason, i never strike enemy Lex unless there is no other target...

 

 

[tremor3258]

So that enemy Taiho or Essex doesnt delete you? Taihos stock 59 AA rating wont stop an essex strike i dont think. 

 

Taiho's AA is pretty self-defense oriented, and does have defensive fire to help scatter.  Essex's best shot will usually leave me battered but alive.  If they're wasting time on an early carrier strike, then go my team. 

 

I like the survivability at this level, myself.  Map sizes are big enough, and AA fierce enough, the time spent cycling planes isn't as much as they spend in transit.  Survivability can mean an extra torpedo or bomb survives to land, and makes my fighters more effective. 

[Codd]

AA on carriers aside, whats up with the weak planes? i was just in a fight not 6 minutes ago and all of my planes got shot down within seconds.

 

They never even got close to dropping torps or bombs, they just all blew up?!? No BB's close by No DD has THAT strong of an AA group and No Cruisers were around either?!?

and the torp group that DID get close enough dropped there torps (they died shortly after words) the torps armed 2 of them hit the side of the BB and DID NOTHING?!? do torps BOUNCE now too, and if so when did that crap start??

 

I'm all for stronger AA but for god sakes BUFF THE DAMN PLANES!!

[hiroshi_tea]

torps do not bounce so they most likely didn't arm.  

 

Regarding planes vs ship AA.  If you've come to the game from a long break - I have to inform you that AA has been buffed quite a bit and you really have to pick your targets carefully.  A lot of BBs run AA spec as well so expect them to have whithering fire at tier 7 and above.  

 

If you're playing IJN, you MUST stack your planes when entering AA to get a good strike off as the plane are paper and will fall apart at a very quick pace.  Do your best to pick on isolated targets or targets that have had their AA damaged in engagements.  Even if the isolated or damaged target is sub-optimal like a CA with DF, it's better to hit that, kill it, and keep your planes alive than to lose them all on a fleet covered BB.  

[saagri]

AA on carriers aside, whats up with the weak planes? i was just in a fight not 6 minutes ago and all of my planes got shot down within seconds.

 

They never even got close to dropping torps or bombs, they just all blew up?!? No BB's close by No DD has THAT strong of an AA group and No Cruisers were around either?!?

and the torp group that DID get close enough dropped there torps (they died shortly after words) the torps armed 2 of them hit the side of the BB and DID NOTHING?!? do torps BOUNCE now too, and if so when did that crap start??

 

I'm all for stronger AA but for god sakes BUFF THE DAMN PLANES!!

 

Ranges in game are hard to tell and 7.2km (8.2km max for Moskva) is really far. Also, something could have been in smoke. I once was able to delete a Hak's full strike group with my cruiser and the cv player was raging in chat.