Low Tier Carrier Tactics

In matchmaking the first things you need to know is the map and the enemy composition. If the map is small then its likely you will be rushed by sea & air. Knowing if the opposition has carriers or not is also important.

As you play against the same people, especially other cv's, you will learn to associate their names with plane compositions they tend to use.

Generic Start Up

Initially you want to get 2 or 3 fighters up in the air fast. I prefer 3 as I feel more confident to snipe scouts and counter quick bomber rushes.

From that point you have choices to make depending on the map size and CV count.

Small map - if enemy team has carriers 

Start your generic start up. Depending on what the response is, back that up with one more squad of fighters (anything from 3-5 planes).

Now you have a bit of air superiority follow that up with your bombers.

With this strategy, watch for other ships attempting to rush you.

Small map - if enemy team doesn't have carriers 

You could get 1 or 2 fighters up or forego them entirely and get bombers out fast. Form groups of 3 bombers to keep the pressure on. as these will be quicker to launch.

Prioritise any ships running you down.

Enemy team has superior carrier(s) 

In situations where you are outnumbered or outclassed, try one of the following alternatives:  

1. Start with the generic 2 or 3 fighters. Keep them close to your teams' ships (ready to lower altitude & bait them into ships AAA range) or...
2. Load 5 fighters for the first two groups. Hold the first group back so you don't reveal you're spamming fighters. Keep them together. Poke around to see what resistance you meet.

Option 2 can work because of superior numbers. 10 planes should usually win out over 5 etc etc...

[A few times I've suppressed a tier nine CV in a lower tier one simply because he couldn't rally enough fighters and hence gets outnumbered]

I guess he's thinking "Hey I'm in a higher tier, that small cv will only bomb other ships instead of gaining air superiority".  

If he has loaded bombers and sees your planes mopping things up he may switch to fighters, in which case the race is on to maintain air superiority. Load a third group of fighters and maybe a fourth & fifth.

By group 4 + 5 consider whether it's worth loading bombers or not. And by this point your first group of planes will be needing to refuel.

If your first group of fighters is totally spent (weak or out of fuel) let them crash so you can get a new group ready.

Early tier CV's find it easier using torpedo bombers. I say this as TB can avoid both AA and AAA because there altitude is low to the water.

Despite low tier levels (around 50- 70) you will still be avoiding ships and aa, so the planes don't need to be strong/evasive anyway.

Enemy team has inferior carrier(s) 

If the enemy team has lower tier carriers than you still get fighters up and suppress any FW or BW that you may face.

Don't be lenient or complacent over lower tiers. Some high level players with level 100 officers run around in low tier cv's.

Basic Carrier Tips

If you are looking for a fresh perspective on the game, carriers might be the place to start. They are a fun, challenging and unquestionably the most crucial ship class in the game.

The entire team looks to their carriers as a source of protection from bombers and most importantly vision for the team during the battle.

Starter Tips

Carriers can operate quickly or slowly. A quick carrier can respond to changing circumstances. 

To begin with you have a small tier V carrier with few planes, a runway that can launch 5 planes at a time and very weak level 1 planes.

When loading planes it's quicker to ready two or three at a time over four or five which take longer to fuel. On small maps being quick is imperative.

You can control 5 groups of planes at one time. You will usually want fighters up first, protecting you and your team. Once secure then begin loading bombers. Rotate planes that are low on fuel.

TIP:  At level 1-59 use torpedo bombers and stay clear of enemy ships to preserve your planes. Level 1 dive bombers just evaporate to AAW.

TIP: When engaging other groups of fighters if you're outnumbered or the enemy is a greater level than you, lure their planes down into your friendly ships AAW radius to shred them.

From this point its up to you to read the battle situation as it develops. Are you getting harassed by small ships, or bombed by another carrier. What targets are easy to bomb, what scouts can you mop up.

Carriers have to be able to think about several different things at once and pay attention to important matters in the air first.

Advanced carrier tips coming soon...

Aircraft Carrier Tutorial For Beginners - Video Guide

After trying out CV's for the first time ever, it seems like the perfect moment to spontaneously add a brief post highlighting a video of what they do.

And to save me time and discussing what a lot of you already know, but also to benefit those that really need to learn how to operate a CV for the first time, watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC254JWAbKWPM0xYQqaza-cA

This link is already on our favorites page too. Wander over their to check it out more cool stuff and learn a thing or two.