[Guide] World of Warships progression: what to unlock first

To progress in World of Warships on PC, choose the module or ship you want, then check what stands between you and using it. Research requires XP; the purchase requires credits. Your next priority should address whichever requirement you have yet to meet.

Check research and purchase costs together

The game's economy separates these steps: Ship XP researches modules and subsequent ships in the tech tree, while credits buy them once research is complete. Enough XP gets you through research, but you still need to fund the purchase.

In Port, select the relevant ship to check its XP. Your credit, doubloon and Free XP balances appear in the top right. Compare those reserves with the research and purchase requirements of your chosen module or ship before committing resources.

If research is complete, focus on credits. If you can afford the purchase but still need research, focus on the XP shortfall. When both are missing, keep both costs in view: accelerating research will leave you waiting if you cannot pay for what you unlock.

Credits also fund upgrades, commander recruitment, servicing and resupply after battle. Allow for those expenses on ships you continue to use before spending your balance on a new one. The useful target is a purchase you can support alongside your existing commitments.

Use Free XP to finish a chosen research goal

Research uses the XP available on the relevant ship first, then covers a shortfall with Free XP. Before proceeding, check how much of the cost your Ship XP covers and how much would come from the shared reserve.

Free XP becomes available at Access Level 6 and can research modules or ships across your fleet. That flexibility is its main advantage: a reserve you keep now remains available for another research goal later. If you are undecided about your next unlock, there is little reason to spend it immediately.

1. Select the relevant ship in Port and check its Ship XP.
2. Choose the module or subsequent ship you want to research and compare its cost with that balance.
3. Check how much Free XP would be needed to cover any shortfall.
4. Compare the purchase cost with your credits, allowing for other planned expenses.
5. Proceed when the research and purchase fit your priorities, then check your remaining reserves.

Spending Free XP is useful when it completes research for something you have chosen and can afford to buy. Alternatively, postpone research that would draw on it and continue building the relevant Ship XP. The trade-off is waiting longer while preserving a resource you can use elsewhere.

A small XP shortfall can make topping up tempting. Check the credits first: if the purchase remains out of reach, using Free XP brings forward the research without giving you immediate access to the module or ship. Funding the purchase may be the more useful next goal.

Previously researched modules and ships stay researched after you sell them. When returning to an earlier ship, check what is already unlocked before planning another XP grind. You may only need credits to buy it again.

Match economic bonuses to the resource you need

Economic bonuses become available at Access Level 7. Expendable bonuses have separate categories for credits, Ship XP, Commander XP and Free XP, so choose according to the progression you want to support.

For a researched ship you cannot yet afford, prioritize a credit bonus. For unfinished research on the ship you are using, choose a Ship XP bonus. A Free XP bonus supports a shared reserve for research across ships; that reserve does not pay the credit cost of a purchase.

Commander XP earned in battle develops skills, up to 21 points. Choose its associated bonus when commander development is one of your goals. It supports a separate progression path from the Ship XP needed to research your next module or ship.

An expendable bonus applied to a ship is consumed after each battle. Use it when you intend to pursue the corresponding goal, or save it for later. One expendable bonus of each type can stack with the ship's permanent package, so the categories can support different needs during the same period of play.

Reassess after reaching your target. Once research is complete, more Ship XP does not address the credits needed for that purchase. Check your balances after battle and change your bonus priorities when the resource holding you back changes.

Read the battle result that matches your goal

Base XP appears in the Team Score tab of the battle report. Modified Ship XP appears in Personal Score and Credits and XP. Use the figure relevant to what you are tracking rather than treating the XP totals as interchangeable.

Some missions specifically require Base XP. Track that requirement through Team Score, separately from the modified Ship XP supporting your research. Free XP does not count toward missions or daily containers unless otherwise specified.

This distinction matters before using a bonus as well as after battle. A goal expressed in Base XP needs to be checked against Base XP; the modified Ship XP total is a different measure.

Check the shortfall before converting Elite XP

A ship becomes Elite after all its modules have been researched and all subsequent ships have been unlocked. From Access Level 6, Elite XP can be converted into Free XP using doubloons. Having Elite XP available therefore gives you a conversion option with a doubloon cost.

In Port, the Convert XP button beneath your Free XP balance shows the Elite XP available on Elite ships and the total you can convert. Start with the remaining cost of your chosen research, taking your Ship XP and existing Free XP into account. That shortfall is the useful figure to compare with the available conversion.

A large convertible balance is not a reason to spend doubloons. Convert only if bringing forward that research is worth the cost to you; postponing it preserves your doubloons. If research is already complete and credits are the obstacle, conversion will not solve the problem.

During battle, holding F1 displays help, while holding H shows the status of your ship or aircraft while you are alive, as described in the game's controls. These shortcuts let you consult information during a match; back in Port, your resource balances determine the next progression decision.

Choose the unlock, fund its research, then fund its purchase, changing priorities as each requirement is met. If your XP and credits already cover both, you can acquire the module or ship without further conversion. Keep the remaining reserves and expendable bonuses for a goal that needs them.

See also the World of Warships game page and other articles on JEU.VIDEO.

Sources

• Economy: XP, credits and conversion
• Economic bonuses
• PC controls
• store.steampowered.com