Pepsi or Hipster

[The_first_harbinger]

Enough free xp for both the Pepsi and the Hipster, yet I do face a somewhat tough choice.

I know the power of the Admiral Hipper, and I love that sexy C hull with atlantic bow, yet her inferior HE does makes me think twice.

Plus I play rather conservatively in my cruisers.

The Pepsi is infamous for getting citadeled 24/7, yet I do fancy her fire output capability and her outstanding AP potential.

I can keep proper angling almost every time, so I guess I can probably make up for the poor armor of the Pepsi with skillful dodges.

Calling all experienced German and US cruiser captains, what are your suggestions?

Edits:Obvious spelling mistakes.

[DanielLeary]

In my opinion, the Hipper is the better cruiser, however, played properly the Pensacola can do very well.  

[The_first_harbinger]

In my opinion, the Hipper is the better cruiser, however, played properly the Pensacola can do very well.  

I am confident about my skill in staying alive, so damage output is what I'm looking for...

How's Pepsi's ballistics? I heard people complaining about the US shell velocity, and judging by my cleveland they have a point...

[DanielLeary]

I am confident about my skill in staying alive, so damage output is what I'm looking for...

How's Pepsi's ballistics? I heard people complaining about the US shell velocity, and judging by my cleveland they have a point...

Ballistics on the Pensacola, New Orleans, and stock Baltimore are not that bad.  They are worse than the Hipper's and IJN 8", however are still very usable at range.  The upgraded Batlimore and Des Moines shells are floaty like the Clevelands.

[anonym_id1y79i0duwB]

Don't go Pepsi -- big bullet magnet (garbage conceal rating) and not enough firepower to fight your way out.  IE quad sets of torps to either side (on the hipper).  Then, looking to your ostensible future with a foray into the Hipper line, you get rewarded with the Roon --  A beast!!  Of course you give up the Des Moines (Tier X) with its ungodly fast firing guns.  Choices!  Choices!

[gpc_4]

Play to research new ships, only use free XP on modules.

[The_first_harbinger]

Play to research new ships, only use free XP on modules.

Well I've got enough XP for modules already to give myself a fully upgraded Pepsi or Hipster

[The_first_harbinger]

Don't go Pepsi -- big bullet magnet (garbage conceal rating) and not enough firepower to fight your way out.  IE quad sets of torps to either side (on the hipper).  Then, looking to your ostensible future with a foray into the Hipper line, you get rewarded with the Roon --  A beast!!  Of course you give up the Des Moines (Tier X) with its ungodly fast firing guns.  Choices!  Choices!

True. If I'm in my Amagi I would prioritize a Pepsi.

The problem is though the Germans have the awsome AP alpha output, they don't have the penetration to back it up, neither do they have the boardside turkeys to shoot at at high tiers.

And I felt that going in a HE damage trade in a German cruiser against non German once are just so much harder, the inferior manuverbility certainly doesn't help.

I do not intend to get tier X on either line, just looking for ships that I really would enjoy.

[Zhoyzu]

Pensacola is by no means bad, you just have to play it like the IJN cruisers. I would definitely go hipper though. I used it on the PTS and i can tell you you wouldnt want to use the HE. The AP is so ridiculous i could never imagine actually using HE on the ship.

 

NO kinda sucks so theres nothing to look for after the pensa, the roon is also amazing so id go hipper.

[poeticmotion]

Pensacola's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be, but New Orleans and Baltimore are terrible. I'd go Hipper, if only because progressing beyond it won't make you lose your will to live. 

[Lert]

In my opinion, the Hipper is the better cruiser, however, played properly the Pensacola can do very well.  

 

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[The_first_harbinger]

Pensacola's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be, but New Orleans and Baltimore are terrible. I'd go Hipper, if only because progressing beyond it won't make you lose your will to live. 

If I really just want progress I would go for IJN cruiser line XD, yet the Atago and Ashigara already satisfies(kek no pun intended) me.

Grinding up the tech tree no longer means that much to me anymore (there's nothing left to love in this world...except Amagi of course), yet I guess it's time for me to get grindin again.

 

[Personator]

I love American Piercing shells over railguns 

 

[PcolaTy_1]

Pensacola is no where as bad as her rap makes her out to be and if played right, she can really tear the enemy a new one. The major disadvantage of the Pensacola over other tier 7 cruisers is her detection range which hovers at 15.7 km sea detection and 7.8km air detecttion with the camo equipped. In comparison, Myoko has 13.1km sea and 8.2km air detection without camo; the Admiral Hipper has 14.2 sea and 9.0 air detection without camo.

[pmgaudio]

 

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[vonKaiser]

I'm currently grinding both and if you'd like opinions from a mediocre player?

 

Hipper:

Great AP* (as long as they're broadside, angled will give issues)

Decent speed

Good concealment

German Hydro

Pretty good ROF

Bad HE but still a better option then no pen damage hits with the AP.  Don't go in expecting fires and the ones you do get will be a pleasant surprise, adding in the ROF, while they're bad, they're still workable

Random damage.  Some games I can bounce things and get myself feeling pretty confident, next game, all the avoiding I do, the one shell I can't avoid finds the citadel while running away

6km Torpedo

 

Pensacola

Very good guns for the tier and can do some impressive damage, both AP and HE

Notorious in her reputation and will get focus fired simply because everyone see's her and screams XP Piñata

Bad detection range

On the upside, no one tends to expect much from a Pensacola so I've had times where I've been ignored for the "Bigger threat" and managed to pull off some decent numbers

 

Mainly the Pepsi has taught me how to kite at the max range of my guns and how to avoid incoming fire instead of trying to rely on armor.  Hard cover and islands as well, kind of play her like an Atlanta in a way but stay much further

 

Also going to depend on your end game.  I mean if you're just trying to grind out Tier X in the cruisers, Hippers closer to the goal, but it's Tier 8 so you'll see 9 and 10's and that different game play that takes place at that tier.  If you're not interested in the upper tiers and like the lower better, Pepsi would probably fit the bill more.  But again, I don't have many games in either and don't do particular well with either ship so take it all with a grain of salt. 

[khan1670]

I say Hipper because it's pretty good itself and leads to two other ships that are really good. Hindenburg is awesome imo.

 

That being said, I liked the Pensacola and consider it a keeper.  It's concealment hurts it, but it's pretty nimble and can dodge well.

 

The New Orleans is ok too. I did well in it but ended up selling it for the Baltimore. Haven't played the Baltimore too much yet and didn't play well

in the games I've had.  I can't say it's great yet and the Des Moines I can't really comment on.

 

So imo, Hipper leads to better things........so far.

 

[The_first_harbinger]

Thx Kaisar!

So I guess Pepsi's kinda like a pre 0.5.3 Konigsberg. That thing really taught me how to cruiser the hard way.

I can manage that. Thx for everyone who contributed! I'm going for Pepsi, saves me credits lol. Wish me luck!

[Lance53]

Enough free xp for both the Pepsi and the Hipster, yet I do face a somewhat tough choice.

I know the power of the Admiral Hipper, and I love that sexy C hull with atlantic bow, yet her inferior HE does makes me think twice.

Plus I play rather conservatively in my cruisers.

The Pepsi is infamous for getting citadeled 24/7, yet I do fancy her fire output capability and her outstanding AP potential.

I can keep proper angling almost every time, so I guess I can probably make up for the poor armor of the Pepsi with skillful dodges.

Calling all experienced German and US cruiser captains, what are your suggestions?

Edits:Obvious spelling mistakes.

 

 

Not quite a fair comparison, since the Hipper is a Tier higher, which will thus get you into more higher Tier games than the Pensacola will.

 

The Hipper has the better range, and has very useable torpedo armament when fighting is at close quarters, while the Pepsi has no torps at all.

 

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[_Rumple_]

The Pensacola requires an extreme amount of awareness of your surroundings--ships in relation to yours, cover nearby etc. Also you have to be constantly moving and jinking, varying speeds while looking for opportunities to use your very good AP rounds. Also, of course, you will be focused on, and all it takes is a moment of inattention on your part and half or more of your hp's are gone. It requires a high skill ceiling to play it well. If you are up to the challenge, then by all means get the Pensacola. Just be aware of what you are getting into up front. If you are an average to good cruiser player, then I recommend the Hipper instead.

[nToxik]

Never use Free XP to move to the next ship, only use Free XP for purchasing modules, especially hulls.

[HazeGrayUnderway]

While Pensacola justifiably gets ragged for her nonexistent protection and that Hipper is better protected both will crumple badly when hit by Battleship gunfire.  Hipper at least will hold up better against DD and Cruiser gunfire.  Hipper's guns also are much, much better to use at any range.  Hipper also has torpedoes, something Pepsi Cola lacks as a deterrent against an overeager pursuer or as a "last resort" close combat weapon.  Pepsi Cola also has Battleship levels of concealment, and while Hipper's isn't good, it's not terrible like Pepsi Cola's either.  Cruisers tend to have to play very cowardly in a sense, but Pepsi Cola's awful concealment kind of forces that mindset even more.  Because the danger is real.  People will drop whatever it is they're doing to get shots off on a Pensacola, hoping for that lucky and likely 1-salvo kill.

 

Anti-Aircraft capability? LOL, people assume, "USN Cruiser = Best AA" but that is absolute B.S... Adm.Hipper is much better AA capability than Pensacola at short, medium, AND long range umbrellas.  The one advantage Pepsi Cola has is she turns tighter and has great rudder shift, but if you slot Steering Gears Mod 3 on Adm.Hipper, her rudder shift goes down to 5.1 seconds.  Turning radius is still the same and worse than Pensacola's.

 

But the real question you should be asking, what's your higher goal with the 2 lines, if you have it?  Is it to get Des Moines or Hindenberg?  If both, which first?  Both Tier X Cruisers are pretty sweet in their own ways and worthy of pursuit.

[Lance53]

Enough free xp for both the Pepsi and the Hipster, yet I do face a somewhat tough choice.

I know the power of the Admiral Hipper, and I love that sexy C hull with atlantic bow, yet her inferior HE does makes me think twice.

Plus I play rather conservatively in my cruisers.

The Pepsi is infamous for getting citadeled 24/7, yet I do fancy her fire output capability and her outstanding AP potential.

I can keep proper angling almost every time, so I guess I can probably make up for the poor armor of the Pepsi with skillful dodges.

Calling all experienced German and US cruiser captains, what are your suggestions?

Edits:Obvious spelling mistakes.

 

 

You are comparing Cruisers that are at different Tier levels here   Hipper is Tier 8, while Pepsi is Tier 7.    So Hipper will get you into more games with tougher opponents.   And regarding HE, it is the 8 inch guns on the Japanese Cruisers that are super awesome at starting fires.  

 

You already have the best HE spammer in the game in the Mikhail Kutuzov, though.  Its shells have only 12% chance of fire, but its rate of fire is to much greater ( plus it has a dozen guns ), that it is pretty much a flame thrower.  So what exactly are your goals in trying something else?

 

The Pepsi's AP will give you the best chance to get Citadels, while the German AP will actually do more HP damage otherwise.

 

Have you already researched the Yorck?   She is quite a good ship, and very competitive with the Pepsi.   Yorck has longer range, a faster reload time, and superior armour.  The German sonar has better range too.   The Yorck even has very useable torpedoes.  Perhaps you should give the Yorck a hard look, and put her through some sea trials.

 

Another option if you want to try something different in a cruiser would be to consider buying the Molotov, while it is still on sale.   Have you taken a close look at the stats that the Molotov is putting up?  

 

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[centarina]

hipper with rudder mod feels like tough pensacola. only time I really take dmg is if I show sides.  otherwise, it is very tough compared to p-cola.    rudder mod and fast turret make it a joy to run and gun.   I am starting to enjoy hipper with the rudder mod.