To get your next tech-tree ship in World of Warships on PC, research it with XP, then buy it with Credits. Before using Free XP to finish the research, check that you can also afford the ship, your planned equipment and a reserve for battle expenses.
If your ship is already researched, go straight to the purchase and equipment budget. For a mission that seems to be progressing slowly, check which type of XP it requires: Ship XP, Commander XP and Base XP serve different purposes.
Check the research cost and purchase budget together
The official wiki's guide to the game's economy distinguishes research from purchases. Ship XP researches modules and subsequent ships in the tech tree. Once researched, they must be bought with Credits. Those Credits also cover upgrades, servicing and post-battle resupply, so completing research does not necessarily mean you can afford to use your next ship as planned.
- Choose the module or ship you want to research. Check the research needed to reach that target in the tech tree.
- Compare the requirement with the XP on the relevant ship. Note the shortfall and how much Free XP would cover it before confirming any expenditure.
- Add up the Credit costs. Count the ship, modules and planned upgrades separately, then allow for battle expenses using the costs shown in your results.
- Decide whether to spend Free XP now. If you still need Credits, continuing to earn Ship XP lets you reduce the research shortfall while saving for the purchase.
- Research, buy and check the balance. After each purchase, compare your remaining Credits with the equipment still to buy and the reserve you want to keep.
Once research is complete, more XP will not solve a Credit shortage. Follow your net Credits after battle to see how quickly the purchase fund is growing. If you have an economic bonus available, choose one that matches the resource you need.
Unsure what is holding you back? Use the checks for your particular obstacle before spending a bonus or committing your reserves.
When is Free XP worth spending?
Free XP unlocks at Access Level 6, according to the official wiki's Economy page. Access Level concerns account features, rather than a ship's tier. The Free XP pool is shared across ships, so spending it on this research leaves less available for your other plans.
Research uses the XP available on the relevant ship first, then takes Free XP to cover the shortfall. Check the Free XP amount before confirming: the total research requirement and the amount drawn from your shared pool can be different.
If your aim is to buy the ship immediately after researching it, keep your Free XP while Credits remain the obstacle. For example, when you lack both research XP and purchase funds, continuing with the relevant ship can reduce the XP gap while you gather Credits. Finishing the research early would still leave the purchase to fund.
Once your Credit budget is ready, the choice changes. Spend Free XP if you want to complete the research immediately, or continue earning Ship XP to preserve the shared reserve. Recheck the shortfall when you decide; battles played since your earlier calculation may have reduced it.
Elite XP conversion involves a separate cost. A ship becomes Elite when all its modules and all subsequent ships have been researched. From Access Level 6, Elite XP can be converted into Free XP in exchange for Doubloons. Check the required payment before proceeding: Elite status does not make conversion free. Continuing to earn Ship XP on the ship whose research you want to finish remains an alternative to paying for conversion.
Leave room for equipment and battle expenses
Keep the ship's purchase price separate from its equipment budget. Modules and upgrades are distinct categories, and both use Credits. Recording their costs separately shows which purchases fit your balance and which would have to wait.
Servicing and post-battle resupply also cost Credits, as explained in The Economics of Battle. Use the expenses in your battle results to choose a reserve. A balance equal to the ship's price covers the purchase itself but leaves nothing for equipment or subsequent battle costs.
If buying now would use almost all your Credits, either wait until you can cover the full plan or identify an equipment purchase to postpone. Waiting delays access to the ship; buying sooner leaves that expense outstanding. This is a budget decision, so it does not by itself tell you which module or upgrade suits the ship.
After buying, track your net Credits after battle to see how your reserve is recovering. The amount that remains after expenses matters more to your next purchase than the gross earnings displayed for a battle.
Match the bonus to the resource you need
Net Credits are Credits earned minus battle expenses. Compare that figure with the amount still missing from your budget. A battle's earnings do not all become spending money once servicing and resupply are deducted.
According to The Economics of Battle, an expendable economic bonus applied to a ship affects a single currency for a single battle. Before using one, check its currency against your immediate goal: research needs Ship XP, while purchasing and equipping the researched ship require Credits.
Reassess that choice when the obstacle changes. If research is finished, focus on funding the purchase. If the Credit budget is ready but research remains incomplete, compare earning more Ship XP with spending Free XP. Choose a bonus that supports the resource you currently need.
Missions need a separate check. Some specifically require Base XP, which appears in the Team Score tab of the battle results, according to the Economy page. When an objective names Base XP, use that value to assess progress rather than the Ship XP used for research.
Commander XP serves another purpose: acquiring skills, up to 21 skill points. Developing a commander does not replace ship research. Read the objective's resource name before deciding which earnings or bonus to focus on.
Find what is blocking your next step
Start with the target ship's research status. If research is unfinished, compare the requirement with the relevant ship's XP and check how much Free XP might be needed to cover the difference. If it is complete, compare the purchase price with your equipment and battle budget.
- Research is unfinished: note the XP shortfall, then choose between continuing with the relevant ship and using Free XP. Before spending, check the deduction; afterwards, confirm that the intended research is complete.
- The researched ship is too expensive: calculate the Credit gap, including planned equipment and your chosen reserve. Postpone other spending if this purchase is your priority, and track net Credits until the budget is ready.
- You own the ship but cannot afford the equipment: separate module costs from upgrade costs. Decide which purchase can wait or save until you can cover it, checking the remaining balance after each payment.
- An XP mission is moving more slowly than expected: reread the XP requirement. For Base XP objectives, check Team Score against the figure you were using to estimate progress.
For help with battle controls, consult Controls. Hold F1 to display help; while alive, hold H to display ship or aircraft status.
Related: the World of Warships game page. store.steampowered.com lists World of Warships as free and available for Windows. The progression mechanics covered here concern the PC edition.
Keep your Free XP while a Credit shortage prevents the purchase you want. Once the ship, planned equipment and battle reserve are funded, use Free XP if finishing the research immediately matters more to you than preserving that shared pool. Otherwise, continue earning XP on the relevant ship.
