Lvl 34, 3x 6" B-38 MK-9 Pattern 1938

This is mildly off-topic, but why exactly does the Lv29 Chapaev seem infinitely better than the Lv34 Svetlana? I'm used to nations having the AA cruisers at 26~29, not a useable main battle light cruiser...also, can't wait for the aforementioned guns. (My BO is the only one at 34 so far.)

If the Chapayev got the guns its meant to have at lvl 29... it would out-gun an Edinburgh 6 lvls too early =P

Well the question was answered but just to go off a bit more...

Ivan, yes I agree, I plan to use Chapayev until Rurik, or maybe all the way to Kirov. I got all my crew lvl 36 with 60 vets 200 experts on gunners. Let me tell u the thing is an absolute beast!

Unless u plan to AA or TW, or just for the sake of something a little different, I don't see the point in any Soviet CLs.

The only downside is Chapayev is a huge ship (big target, actually bigger than Kirov) and has low DP.

The Chapayev has awful structural strength, I remember using it and in bad situations being torn to shreds.

Its a good example of the SN glass cannon archetype...

If you look on trainworld they have a graph of how much XP you lose with sailor lvl. The situation is really bad if the sailor is lower than ship but above not so much. Up to 10 lvls above you get 100% xp, and up to about 25 lvls above you get more than 90%.

So actually it is realistic to keep your crew in Chapayev to lvl 54 without much XP loss, all the way to Gorki for example.

the table is here:

http://trainworld.us/NF2/sailor_LV/index_sailor_expchat.html

Ah, my mistake(s), Vlad. Thanks for correcting me.

lv 29 was the maximum level SDE allowed it to be, so the testing team increased the level of the guns instead.