July Digest #7

WOWS

Saw another YT WOWS streamer talking about the latest WG offering - Battle Pass. Streamer said it was basically a con designed to get more game play for pitiful rewards. Which is how I first saw it. Even though I've since participated, I still believe it's a waste of time. More grinding for less rewards is his summary of it. 

Return of a favourite WOWS streamer. He's recovering from cancer. What I like about him is his skill plus the fact he explains play at top tier level. Like tonight I saw him in the latest Pan-American Tier X battleship Sete de Setembro, the same tier but a next step up from Libertad. I enjoyed his video because he took time to examine those playing with him and discussing their behaviour in-game. Easy to dismiss your fellow teammates especially they appear to be playing badly. The streamer examined their motivation and background and clarified why they appeared to be playing badly. I like that from someone skilled enough to take the time and make the effort. 

He brought up a valid point about new players jumping straight into top tier PvP game with ships gifted to them but with little to no practical in-game experience to justify playing such gifts. Like the Izumo player who was a veteran of just three games who chose to sail away from the fight from the start! Or the Montana player who learned all his skill in lower tiers and suddenly made the jump to top tier yet performed ineffectively by hanging back when his build implied he could take the fight to the enemy. 

Noticed the WOWS wiki has now been updated to bring it in line with WG's current outlook publicly. Which is about time given it's never been given a makeover since I joined back in 2019 apart from occasional updates if at all.

Continuing to play real badly in Le Terrible. No idea why I am terrible in this ship. Its 8 km detection range certainly doesn't help. Not having smoke or hydro also is a bummer. Its gun boost is meant to assist but it's short-timed and doesn't impact that well. I tend to die pretty early on whenever I try to push in as I get focus fired upon by everyone on the enemy side. I've played quite a few terrible ships but I have to confess this is the worst ship I play. I suck at it big time. 

I am planning to switch the commander whose skill level I am upgrading to another ship, either another DD or maybe a cruiser.

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Accumulated Battle Pass points do carry over. Should have a little accumulation by Thursday. 

The Italian subs are now available for upgrading if you have the Free XP and credits to do so. 

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Continued my commander upskilling today. Fortunately I did enough to collect the daily coal loot crates and thus avoid playing Le Terrible. Leaning towards playing either Siroco or La Galissoniere. Or I could restore the commander to his assigned ship - Jean Bart - and run him in Asymmetrics or Operations. 

Affondatore is available soon as part of the Salvage event. Seen a couple of YT WOWS streamer previewing the ship. But if you don't want to fork out when the Salvage event comes around, you can wait until Update 15.9 (October) when it will be released as a Tech tree line ship. It's a supership so the price may be steep for some.

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Thursday saw me play for the Daily coal crates and all the Battle Pass points on offer. Bought a Festival package (AUD3) to dip in the Wishing Wharf. The new Salvage event kicked off today but did not examine it closely dismissing it out of hand as you do when burned often enough by WG and its fake claims. 

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Friday saw me take a closer look at the Salvage event. Initially dismissed it as a waste of time believing WG was up to their usual sneaky ways of extorting money from its playerbase. Well, was I wrong (not unusual though for me) because upon closer examination I soon realised I could obtain this supership by exchanging a quantity of coal and credits (image below).

Exchanged a total of 250,000 coal and 100,000,000 credits and scored Affondatore. 

Played it to obtain the daily coal loot crates. Yeah, it does okay at long range most times. Certainly destroys ships with less than half health or even two-thirds healthy with one salvo from its sixteen guns. 

I like the exhaust smoke (which masks you from enemy ships) and SAP ammo (instead of HP). Slow to move if stationary. Air defence is okay. Bow and stern turrets fire independently of one another. Eight forward and eight stern guns give good coverage. Slow enough reload but manageable. 

How did this fortuitous circumstance arise?

Initially I was checking out the Personal challenges, part of the Salvage event. I was wondering why it was now exclusive for in the past Personal Challenges was open to most or all Battle Modes. But here in this event only participation in Random, Operations, and Ranked counted. In exchange for scoring 500 BASE XP (increments in difficulty each time you reach the target), you scored 1 Salvage token plus coal. And you need 100 such tokens to earn the ship. Or at least 100 games which is an effen hard grind if taking this arduous route to the reward!!

This then led me to examine more closely the Salvage event and that's when I made my happy discovery. Certainly enjoyed the short and different grind from per usual upon playing this vessel. 

Glad too not be grinding in Personal Challenges for Salvage tokens. Grateful to have had the necessary resources for exchange. A good Friday. Now on to Master of Command and the final battle. 

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Master of Command

Played the Thuringia campaign today (Tuesday). Slowly getting the hang of the controls.

Securing the campaign objectives is easy enough. Once done, then it's time to face the enemy HQ which will outnumber your forces and contain all three teeth arms. So having artillery is a handy assist but not necessarily critical. I do like that this game teaches you how to support one another as when launching a cavalry assault you should always have infantry/artillery backing up. And vice versa. 

It pays to upgrade your units as quickly as possible to max their potential. 

You can change the appearance of your commanders - hair, face, clothes, etc. The same applies to units including uniform facings and flags. If that's your thing, go for it.

Campaign objectives are really side shows between the real purpose which are the battles. 

Terrain plays no part other than visual eye candy during battles. Terrain does not impede, hinder or penalise movement. Which is both ridiculous and bizarre.

Viewpoint is omniscient so sneaking about is not a thing in this game. But that's to be expected. 

I would like to see what the full game offers.

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Today (Wednesday) I jumped into the demo game to run another campaign. Still liking the game. But wondering if the full game increases the maximum number of units per brigade. Demo only allows four units per brigade. You can have as many brigades as you want though it will cost you. 

Campaign terrains are seeded which implies lots of different terrains available. Currently playing a Russian campaign where I am opposed by Russians everywhere!

Earlier I finished the Pommeranian campaign and I squeaked home in the final face-off with the enemy HQ in the Battle of Tornow. For a while there I thought I would lose it as I was outnumbered. And I lost a few good men too as the score progress shows (units/commanders with white flags signify lost/routed/killed). Won it with four units and my first brigade commander Moritz Anhalt-Dessau leading. Two lifeguard infantry units, a grenadier and a canton volunteer unit. 

Prior to the final show-down I had been slowly building up my force's strength and potency. Made sure they were kitted out correctly in terms of weaponry and essential equipment - ammo pouches, footwear, gaiters, bayonets, etc. Realised the "extras" like tobacco, crosses, bibles, doctrines, haversacks, ramrods, etc., are fine when starting out. But they're not essential as you upgrade your units into their specialisations. But if you do want them because they do add bonuses, you can always buy more inventory space in the particular unit's profile (bottom left in image above). Default when you start is three inventory spaces per unit.  

Presently begun another campaign after the victory at Tornow. However it's at the next skill level up which is Colonel-grade. Been playing the demo at Major level (beginner) since I started. Each increase in playing level is meant to be more difficult than the previous one. There are two higher-up levels past Colonel as well as one for complete customisation. 

Always keep your victuals well stocked. As they say, an army marches on its stomach. And everywhere you go on the map you expend food. 

Match the horseflesh to the cavalry type. Not too hard to figure out. 

Don't know if it only applies to this demo game, but the enemy will always attack you. So barriers like stakes or cheval-de-frise or having an entrenching tool seem irrelevant or a waste of time. But it might be different in the game proper. 

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So I logged into the Demo game today (Thursday) to play out the current campaign. Trouble is I forgot to increase my troops while traipsing the countryside completing the side missions. And now because the timer's run out, I'm about to face the full force of the enemy main army (part of whom is shown below prior to battle commencement).

For this final confrontation I will be facing four enemy brigades comprising nine infantry, one cavalry, and three artillery units. 

I have three artillery, three infantry, and two cavalry units in two full brigades. Not sure how I am going to deal with this apart from placing my cavalry on the flanks and concentrate my artillery against where the enemy will advance. 

Earlier I had been taking on the enemy smaller forces wherever and whenever I could in order to boost my loot tally. Below shows my last victory before the final battle.

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Friday. Played the final battle. Unfortunately for my Prussians, I lost. 

And I lost twice. Because I started a new campaign in a new theatre of operations and new foe. But once again, I failed to get enough manpower in time to be able to face off against the enemy HQ army who moved real fast to contact me.

Playing at the Colonel level at the moment. Major level is basic and fairly easy but designed to get you familiar with the game system. As stated previously, there are several levels and one custom level. 

Came close to winning, and seemed to be doing great, in my latest defeat but my guys got exhausted and eventually broke of their own accord which quickly spread to the rest of the army. Only unbroken unit by the end was my supply wagon! Lol.  

The more I play, the more I am likely to buy the game.

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