I have three ideas for improving the value of the cruiser.
As someone already said, give it an AA dice roll at the beginning of the attack. Just like AA guns though, two cruisers doesn’t give you two rolls.
Second, let cruisers detect submarines. Now I will buy some cruisers because I don’t have to have a DD all the time to deal with subs.
Third, give cruisers resiliance too so they get two hits. Now we’re talking! If you make that rule, you will see a mess of cruisers to soak up hits in the next battle.
Destroyers have a 2/2 strength, do anti-sub warfare, provide a “hit”, and have AA capability. Cruisers need a little something more than a 3/3 strength, shore bombard, provide a “hit”, and AA capability.
Numerically, Destroyers have a strength of 2/2 and cost $8. Cruisers are 3/3 and cost $12. The fact that a unit soaks up a hit has to be factored in to arrive at a real value. Infantry are 1/2 units and cost $3. Tanks are 3/3 units and cost $6, but also have a movement value of 2. The mech infantry is a 1/2 unit with a movement of 2 and a cost of $4. Clearly the infantry has some value factored in as cannon fodder. The cost relationship between a cruiser and a destroyer does not take this into account.
Give cruisers resilience and they will be bought to soak up hits. Destroyers will be bought to do anti-sub and AA dice. Battleships will not be bought. Subs will be bought in a small qty to do comerce raiding and soak up some hits from navy attacks. Carriers will be bought to carry airplanes. It all sounds right to me.