Any one think Saipan is a tad over-powered?

[JanusSaibot]

I might be late to the game on this one, but I've recently started playing carriers a lot. I play strike mainly with my Ranger, and every time I encounter the Saipan (seemingly every other game), its fighters consistently obliterate my planes. Doesn't seem to matter whether I group them together or spread them out. It's not like I CAN'T win games against it, but, it's definitely noticeably harder; I have more success against  AS Rangers in my strike load out. In fact, I feel relieved to be in battle against AS. 

 

Just an observation (possibly biased). I'm sure some people will think differently, but that's what I want to find out.

[MrDeaf]

No, it's more like Strike Ranger is just horrible and next to useless, unless there is a huge disparity between player skill.

 

Saipan vs. Hiryu is more equal.

[Citrusss]

Saipan is good. Works the best with AS skill and AS 3/1/0 loadout

[kenki11]

No, it's more like Strike Ranger is just horrible and next to useless, unless there is a huge disparity between player skill.

 

Saipan vs. Hiryu is more equal.

 

This, The ranger isn't exactly balanced correctly for its tier, the air supority (its main job) is balanced , but its strike is not.. the ranger kind of became the garbage cv of tier 7 for a bit now. Captain skills can reduce the sting, but due to ranger having NO fighters when doing strike... vs the saipan has 1 fighter for its strike at an incredibly stupid  speed.. ranger just does not have the time nor the power or the health pools to adapt to it. (Strike wise anyway).

[Citrusss]

 vs the saipan has 1 fighter for its strike at an incredibly stupid  speed.. 

2 fighters and 2 torpedo bombers

[aSlipperySausage]

Personally I think Ranger is the worst t7 CV. You can still do a lot of damage but it doesn't really compete with the Saipan or Hiryu.

[legoboy0401]

I might be late to the game on this one, but I've recently started playing carriers a lot. I play strike mainly with my Ranger, and every time I encounter the Saipan (seemingly every other game), its fighters consistently obliterate my planes. Doesn't seem to matter whether I group them together or spread them out. It's not like I CAN'T win games against it, but, it's definitely noticeably harder; I have more success against  AS Rangers in my strike load out. In fact, I feel relieved to be in battle against AS. 

 

Just an observation (possibly biased). I'm sure some people will think differently, but that's what I want to find out.

 

your mistake is thinking that the Ranger is perfectly balanced at her tier. Spoiler Alert: she's hideously underpowered.

Enough said.

[JanusSaibot]

lol. So, so far the consensus is that I'm looking at it backwards - the Ranger (and strike in particular) is underpowered, and the Saipan is not overpowered. I guess that's a subtle yet important distinction.

[kenki11]

lol. So, so far the consensus is that I'm looking at it backwards - the Ranger (and strike in particular) is underpowered, and the Saipan is not overpowered. I guess that's a subtle yet important distinction.

 

No no the ranger air superiority is balanced, the strike is not, thats the difference..

[JanusSaibot]

touche

[kenki11]

touche

 

Yeah wargaming doesnt understand cv balance and how "national flavor" is totally messed up here, many a thread has been thrown at the ranger, I belame the essex and midway, they ruined the ranger she used to be a even fight with the hiryuu strike for strike.

[Sinboto]

Saipan is one of the easiest ships I've found to decimate your competition in, use the 3/1/0 set up and a full trained captain and make all other CVs cry, if you know how to manual drop dive bombers you make everyone else cry from taking 1000 pound bombs especially DDs and BBs. 

 

OP OP OP OP  

 

I may buy one

[kenki11]

Saipan is one of the easiest ships I've found to decimate your competition in, use the 3/1/0 set up and a full trained captain and make all other CVs cry, if you know how to manual drop dive bombers you make everyone else cry from taking 1000 pound bombs especially DDs and BBs. 

 

OP OP OP OP  

 

I may buy one

 

Saipan really isnt that op, yes its hard to fight, but a hiryuu strike load-out can still fight it to some degree depending upon fighter strafes / abilities, and over all skill and experience.

[Carrier_Junyo]

Saipan is not OP, but Strike Ranger is UP as others stated. Lex vs Shokaku is a more fai balance because Strike Lex has Significant punch and faster and more durable planes. A full siccessful strike will get u 40 to 50k dmg. All you need is 2 strikes per game and you contributed over 100k dmg to your team. But even Lex is UP compared to Shokaku and a good shokaku player that focuses on shutting you down will not let u get more than 20k dmg. 

 

Tier 7 is even worse because Ranger has no strike power (500 lb bombs) and crappier planes. 

 

Hiryu has no problem vs Saipan. Comparable fighter power and more strike power. 

 

I ran Ranger 111. Found it to ne best setup, but its still inferior to Hiryu and Saipan.

 

Essex is where it gets better because you have very good strike power + one very powerful fighter squad. If played smart the one FT can take on 2 Taiho squads. 

[iEaTDaGrudge]

If its a Skycancer ..its OP pls Nerf. 

 

[Raptor_alcor]

Saipan is one of the easiest ships I've found to decimate your competition in, use the 3/1/0 set up and a full trained captain and make all other CVs cry, if you know how to manual drop dive bombers you make everyone else cry from taking 1000 pound bombs especially DDs and BBs. 

 

OP OP OP OP  

 

I may buy one

 

Just to correct the stupid shown in the thread, it's 3/0/1, not 3/1/0 as that'd imply it had no DBs and had 1 TB

[cometguy]

So I just played a game against an air superiority specced saipan who was Johnny on the Spot with support for his team, shooting down 33 of my planes (Ranger balanced spec) Still managed to do 66k damage and secure a kill, more than a full squadron of dive bombers, and 4 torpedo bombers left when the game ended. All of the ships seemed to think AA was unnecessary, so I didn't have to go around any of their ships, but also couldn't really use my teams ships for help dealing with his fighters.

Saipan is annoying to go up against, but even with AS spec, it can be difficult to really shut down an enemy carrier.

[IronWolfV]

Not that Saipan is OP, it's just how much garbage the USN CV line is in comparison.

[Show_Me_Your_Cits]

Saipan is one of the easiest ships I've found to decimate your competition in, use the 3/1/0 set up and a full trained captain and make all other CVs cry, if you know how to manual drop dive bombers you make everyone else cry from taking 1000 pound bombs especially DDs and BBs. 

 

OP OP OP OP  

 

I may buy one

 

Manual drop and auto drop on Saipan DBs are the same, manual dropping with her is just a waste of time. 

[IronWolfV]

Anyone else find it ironic that the first fleet carrier ever designed from the keel up as a carrier(Ranger) is weaker than an ESCORT CARRIER(Saipain).

 

[VTAdmiral]

Saipan is fine.

 

Air Supremacy, the captain skill, is overpowered as hell and Saipan is merely the biggest offender for abusing it.

 

Turns Saipan's actually balanced 3-plane tier 9 fighter squadrons into stupidly overpowered 4-plane tier 9 squadrons. It's like fighting AS Taiho in Hiryu/Ranger.

[1nc0mp3t3nt_1]

strikepan is a lot of fun, but I do not think it is necessarily OP if you are not using a 15 point captain in it

[VTAdmiral]

strikepan is a lot of fun, but I do not think it is necessarily OP if you are not using a 15 point captain in it

 

See above. Saipan is fine. The Air Supremacy captain skill is what makes it broken.

[1nc0mp3t3nt_1]

 

See above. Saipan is fine. The Air Supremacy captain skill is what makes it broken.

I bought mine tonight because I just was not able to get support online my aggressive pushes and needed a change... Once again, I am reminded that right click is NOT execute, like all other RTS titles or that Ctrl+click does not form saved groups. But both battles were wins

[iHaveNoIntelligence]

AS is a bit OP when you master 5th skill.

other than that strike is fine.

 

Ranger is just.... I really doubt that It can even compete against well ran Ryujo.