Sub upgrades: VIIB to VIIc vs VIIb to IX? - Page 2

scandium · 03-15-06, 12:33 PM

New to posting here, though I've been lurking for a couple months and playing SH for a little longer, and anyway I thought I'd try and get some opinions on the merits of the different subs that become available after aquiring a VIIb. Specifically: do you upgrade from a VIIb to a VIIc or to a type IX and why?

My observations so far: the VIIc appears identical to the VIIb, but for the quicker drive time, and looks like it may allow certain upgrades either sooner than available on the VIIb or that may not be available for the VIIb at all (thinking specifically of MAN diesals here, though I could be wrong and there may be others).

On the IX: like the increased firepower, range, and crew compliment but it handles like a beached whale. In the early war I usually crash dive on aircraft sightings and engage with guns (if conditions are favourable) DDs but do the reverse in the IX (never engage DDs but usually engage aircraft, at least on their initial pass). The more significant drawback, in the only campaign I'd tried IXs in (so please let me know if this is the norm or not in your experience), was that I went from fighting convoy battles in the North Atlantic (with the 7th flotilla) and hair raising patrols into the North Sea and Scapa flow to, exclusively, longe range patrols between Gibraltor and Freetown (for 7 consecutive patrols, between Dec '40 - Nov '41 before retiring and beginning a new career to learn manual targetting and install SH3 Commander and IUB for more spice). Anyway, during those 11 months in the IX I encountered no convoys and only 1 warship (a flower corvette) - is this typical of others experience in the IX as well?

Anyway, apologize if this has (undoubtedly) been touched on in other threads but hoping to gain others perspective on the VIIc vs IX upgrade path and why they choose whichever they go with.

03-15-06, 12:33 PM	#1
scandium Ace of the Deep Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,098 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Sub upgrades: VIIB to VIIc vs VIIb to IX? New to posting here, though I've been lurking for a couple months and playing SH for a little longer, and anyway I thought I'd try and get some opinions on the merits of the different subs that become available after aquiring a VIIb. Specifically: do you upgrade from a VIIb to a VIIc or to a type IX and why? My observations so far: the VIIc appears identical to the VIIb, but for the quicker drive time, and looks like it may allow certain upgrades either sooner than available on the VIIb or that may not be available for the VIIb at all (thinking specifically of MAN diesals here, though I could be wrong and there may be others). On the IX: like the increased firepower, range, and crew compliment but it handles like a beached whale. In the early war I usually crash dive on aircraft sightings and engage with guns (if conditions are favourable) DDs but do the reverse in the IX (never engage DDs but usually engage aircraft, at least on their initial pass). The more significant drawback, in the only campaign I'd tried IXs in (so please let me know if this is the norm or not in your experience), was that I went from fighting convoy battles in the North Atlantic (with the 7th flotilla) and hair raising patrols into the North Sea and Scapa flow to, exclusively, longe range patrols between Gibraltor and Freetown (for 7 consecutive patrols, between Dec '40 - Nov '41 before retiring and beginning a new career to learn manual targetting and install SH3 Commander and IUB for more spice). Anyway, during those 11 months in the IX I encountered no convoys and only 1 warship (a flower corvette) - is this typical of others experience in the IX as well? Anyway, apologize if this has (undoubtedly) been touched on in other threads but hoping to gain others perspective on the VIIc vs IX upgrade path and why they choose whichever they go with.