The Economics of Battle
Here we examine the forging of currencies.
Each battle produces four currencies: Credits 
, Ship Experience (Ship XP 
), Commander Experience (CXP 
), and Free Experience (Free XP or FXP 
).[1] Rather than immediately going into the purser's safe, credits first are used to pay the costs of the battle. Thus, it is possible to lose money from combat. The three forms of XP cannot go negative. However, along with credits the paymaster may award big fat zeroes for "No battle contribution".[2]
Contents
The Raw Forging: Base Credits and Experience
Exactly what occurs in the furnace of battle to produce Credits and Ship Experience remains a mystery. Over the years, however, certain information both deduced and leaked by apprentice wizard-smiths has been compiled into a reasonable description of the ingredients, incantations, and how they influence the final product.
Performance Bonuses[3]
The terms 'booster' and 'bonus' are often used interchangeably. Here 'booster' means a set of several bonuses, usually one to each of the four earned currencies.
These are bonuses to the base earnings from battle. They include:
- For Personal Merit (permanent account) boosters
- Premium account effects
- Permanent ship boosters
- Expendable bonuses
- First Win of the Day boosters
- For Clan Merit bonuses
- Certain missions confer bonuses when the targeted ships plays
Generally, these sum and multiply with base earning. In other words, two 25% bonuses sum to a 50% bonus, which applied to 100 base units results in 150 units. ((25% + 25%) x units)
For Personal Merit
Player programs can issue awards to worthy members. The award generally consists of a special Flag and an account-wide set of bonuses. Non-program flags formerly with bonuses attached, such as Military Month Contributor, fall into this category.
Level 1 bonuses for one award.
- +5% Credits
- +5% Ship XP
- +10% Commander XP
Level 2 bonuses for two awards.
- +10% Credits
- +10% Ship XP
- +20% Commander XP
See this section for a list of awards and the accompanying flags.
Premium account effects
An active Warships Premium account adds a 65% bonus to Base XP — and thus to each of the three forms of Experience (Ship, Commander, and Free XP) — and a 50% bonus to Credits earned in battle.
An active Wargaming Premium (or WG Premium) account, in the absence of a Warships Premium account, applies a 50% bonus to Credits and 50% to Base XP.
Permanent ship boosters
Permanent ship boosters are sets of defined bonuses that, once acquired, apply permanently to the ship for which they are acquired. Each tech tree ship Tier V and above may purchase a permanent booster (one per ship).[4]
See Permanent_Boosters for the currently available perma-boosters and their effects.
All premium ships come with permanent ship boosters and Default permanent camouflage at no extra charge.
Prior to Update 0.11.6, some special camouflages had unique permanent boosters attached. These boosters are retained in the form of legacy permanent boosters but no longer may be acquired.
Expendable bonuses
When an expendable bonus is applied to a ship, it affects one currency for one battle, stacking with permanent and other bonuses if present.
Expendable bonuses are strictly optional; a ship may enter battle with or without one. Level 4 bonuses are very large indeed — the highest Ship XP bonus multiplies Ship XP from a battle sixteen times! Level 1 bonuses are much more modest.
Expendable bonuses of Level 1 and 2 can be purchased in the Armory for Coal or in-game for Doubloons. Levels 1–3 can be had from Containers, missions, etc. Level 4 bonuses are very rare and much sought after.
For Clan Merit bonuses
Clan membership and the status of the clan's Naval Base provides account-wide bonuses similar to the For Personal Merit bonuses. These can be significant:
- Up to +5% Ship XP ;
- Up to +15% Commander XP ;
- Up to +50% Free XP .
- Up to +5% Ship XP
In addition, the Naval Base can provide extra earned Coal, Steel, Research Points, and uniquely, a Service Cost discount up to -15%, as well as discounts to XP and Credit costs of new ships.
First Win of the Day
Each ship has a booster applied for her first victory in battle each day. The first win bonuses are applied to ship XP, commander XP, and Free XP. The most common bonus is 50%. (For special occasions 100% and even 200% bonuses appear.)
Missions
Certain missions confer bonuses when the targeted ships plays. For instance, some premium ship bundles include, in the form of a mission, an additional booster for N number of battles or X number of days.
Costs of the Battle
(link)
After a battle, the ship must be made ready to fight another battle. Repairing and servicing the ship and replenishing ammunition costs credits .
These operating costs are paid automatically if funds are available. In the event of insufficient funds, the ship is rendered unusable until the bill is paid. This is not done automatically — when funds are available the player must manually select the ship in port and request that it be made ready.
Service cost
Post-battle servicing includes maintenance and the repair of damage sustained regardless of the end health of the ship, even if it has been sunk. The service cost is a flat fee[5] depending on tier, type, and premium status.[6] [7]
Service Cost Discounts
There are only two Service Cost discounts.[8] Instead, there are Credits earning bonuses.
- Co-op battles, a game mode with low rewards, receive a 35% service cost reduction.
- For clan members, the clan Naval Base Dry Dock may provide up to a 15% discount (not for superships).
Premium and Special ships have innately lower service costs than Tech Tree ships.
| Tier | Service Cost per match | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech Tree Ship (base cost) |
Co-op (-35%) | Premium Ship (base cost) |
Co-op (-35%) | |
| I | 0
|
0
|
N/A | N/A |
| II | 2,000
|
1,300
|
1,800
|
1,170
|
| III | 3,000
|
1,950
|
2,700
|
1,755
|
| IV | 5,000
|
3,250
|
4,500
|
2,925
|
| V | 11,500
|
7,475
|
10,350
|
6,728
|
| VI | 23,000
|
14,950
|
20,700
|
13,455
|
| VII | 42,000
|
27,300
|
33,600
|
21,840
|
| VIII | 75,000
|
48,750
|
52,500
|
34,125
|
| IX | 115,000
|
74,750
|
60,000
|
39,000
|
| X | 150,000
|
97,500
|
90,000
|
58,500
|
| XI[9] | 360,000
|
234,000
|
N/A | N/A |
Ammunition cost
Stocks of main battery shells, torpedoes, and aerial ordnance — Ammunition — expended in a battle must be replenished. The cost in credits to refill the ship's magazines and hanger is charged on a per unit basis, and each type of shell, torpedo, bomb or rocket has its own cost. For instance, the giant 461mm (18.1") shells of Yamato and Musashi cost far more than the 76.2mm (3") shells of Smith. Ammunition for secondary and anti-air (AA) batteries or for fighter planes is not charged. Tier I ships do not incur ammo costs.
To view a breakdown of your ammunition costs, hover the mouse over the Ammunition entry on the post-battle report 'Credits and XP' tab.
See these tables for per-unit costs, by gun (and sometimes by ship). The tables aren't exhaustive but should give a good idea of what it costs to pull the trigger.
Shell Costs
Torpedo Costs
Aircraft Carrier Ammunition
Aircraft carrier ammunition costs are no longer the costs of the planes destroyed but of the ordnance expended. Actual values are a 
.
Putting It All Together
Given Base Credits and Base XP, and a bunch of bonuses and costs, this is how the numbers on the 'Credits and XP' tab of the post-battle report are calculated.
Credits Earned
= CrB • At • (1 + Σ MCr) + ZWhere:
- CrG — Total or gross credits earned from the battle
- CrB — Base credits earned from the battle
- At — Account type: 1.0 for standard; 1.5 for either type of Premium
- Σ MCr — The sum of the modifiers to credits earned, such as:
- An expendable bonus (if used, +0.20–3.20)
- A bonus permanent to the ship (if present, typically +0.05–0.50)
- A For Personal Merit bonus (usually 0.0) [10]
- Awards for the completion of Combat Missions / Events
- Z — Direct award of credits from missions such as Daily Chains
Operating costs (service and resupply) are deducted after the battle, so for the purpose of mission objectives that require earning Credits, only the total earned in battle is counted.
Net Credits
Net credits are credits earned less credits spent.
= CrG – Σ DCrWhere:
- CrN — Net credits from the battle
- CrG — Gross credits or Credits earned from the battle (above)
- Σ DCr — The sum of the deductions to earned credits, such as:
- Service cost (less discount, if any)
- Ammunition cost
Ship Experience
= XPB • At • (1 + Σ MXP) + ZXPWhere:
- XP — Total ship experience earned from the battle
- XPB — Base experience earned from the battle
- At — Account type: 1.0 for standard; 1.5 for Wargaming Premium; 1.65 for Warships Premium
- Σ MXP — The sum of the modifiers to experience, such as:
- The first victory of the day bonus, when applicable (normally +50% (0.50))
- An expendable bonus (if used, +1.00–16.00)
- A bonus permanent to the ship (if present, typically +0.50–1.00)
- A For Personal Merit bonus (usually 0.0) [10]
- A For Clan Merit bonus up to +5% (0.05)
- Awards for the completion of Combat Missions / Events
- ZXP — Direct award of ship XP from missions such as Daily Chains
Commander Experience
= XPB • At • (1 + Σ MC) + ZCWhere:
- CXP — Total commander experience earned from battle
- XPB — Base experience earned from the battle
- At — Account type: 1.0 for standard; 1.5 for Wargaming Premium; 1.65 for Warships Premium
- Σ MC — The sum of the modifiers to commander experience, such as:
- The first victory of the day bonus, when applicable (normally +50% (0.50))
- An expendable bonus (if used, +1.00–16.00)
- A bonus permanent to the ship (if present, typically +0.50–1.00)
- A For Personal Merit bonus (usually 0.0) [10]
- A For Clan Merit bonus up to +15% (0.15)
- Awards for the completion of Combat Missions / Events
- ZC — Direct award of commander XP from missions such as Daily Chains
Elite Commander XP
= CXP • Rank coefficient + ZWhere:
- ECXP — Total elite commander experience earned from battle
- CXP — Total commander experience earned from the battle (above)
- Rank coefficient — 1.0 (100%) for a commander with 21 skill points; 0.05 (5%) for all others
- Z — Direct award of elite commander XP
Free Experience
= XPB • 0.10 • At • (1 + Σ MFxp) + ZWhere:
- FXP — Total free experience earned from the battle
- XPB — Base experience earned from the battle
- At — Account type: 1.0 for standard; 1.5 for Wargaming Premium; 1.65 for Warships Premium
- Σ MFxp — The sum of the modifiers to free experience, which include:
- The first victory of the day bonus, when applicable (normally +50% (0.50))
- An expendable bonus (if used, +3.00–72.00)
- A bonus permanent to the ship (if present, typically +0.50–1.00)
- A For Clan Merit bonus up to +0.50 (0.50)
- Awards for the completion of Combat Missions / Events
- Z — Direct award of Free XP from missions such as Daily Chains
Free Experience is an extra bonus on top of other types of experience, and does not increase or count toward missions that requires any other type of experience.
In order to view the breakdown of the final FXP total, mouse over the number on the Credits and XP page of the Battle Report.
Note that the amount of Credits shown on the first tab of the battle report is not the final amount earned from the battle; costs have yet to be deducted.
Notes
- ↑ For detaiis of the various types of currencies, see the main Economy page, particularly Experience.
- ↑ 'Battles' in Training Rooms also produce no rewards.
- ↑ Not to be confused with Battle Performance Bonuses, or rewards that are triggered by battle results in addition to ship XP and credits. Two examples are Snowflake-type event rewards and Research Points
.
- ↑ Permanent camouflages are sold separately from permanent boosters.
- ↑ In early versions of the game, this cost was based on how damaged the ship was at the end of the battle; as of Update 0.5.12, it is a fixed cost.
- ↑ 'Special' ships are treated as premium for the purpose of Service Cost.
- ↑ Aircraft carriers were introduced with higher service costs because they had no separate consumables cost. With Update 0.9.4 their service costs are reduced to that of other ship types.
- ↑ See Dev Blog 217 where it was announced that service cost discounts would be retired with Update 0.10.10.
- ↑ Tier XI a.k.a Superships.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 A For Personal Merit bonus is the sum of up to two very rare awards previously attached to special flags such as Military Month Contributor or King of the Sea, applied to all ships on a player account. The maximum effective values are +10% Credits, +10% Ship XP, and +20% Commander XP with no effect on Free XP.
- Dev Blog 330 8-Jun-2002 Summary and clarifications
- Dev Blog 327 26-May-2002 More data, special cases, and conversion calculator.
- Dev Blog 318 21-April 2002 The future combat economy, with conversion spreadsheet.
- Digging into the signals conversion calculator NA forum thread.
- Dev Blog 217 30-Sep-2021 The demise of certain service cost bonuses, with the announcement of the WIP separation of visuals and economic bonuses.
