Close_Quarters_Expert

This. 100% this. It's vital BBs can be allowed to edge skirt, unhindered by any nasty little surprises. On a serious note, why do DDs need to have so many 'hunters'? I mean seriously now; if Cruisers did their job correctly they wouldn't be needed at all. There are more DD 'hunters' than actual DDs in the game these days. And rightly or wrongly, a LOT of people ARE taking this skill. Not a battle in my Fubuki goes by where I don't get the little icon telling me I'm getting wallhacked appear. Sheer. Joy. But you think that sounds like fun? Just wait 'till you start being perma-lit by the enemy team's 5 radar cruisers or hydro battleships. Now, I'm not whining...I actually love the radar/hydro dynamic...it's historical and is a fun counter to DD tactics. But RPF, if used alongside them correctly, tips the balance too much. For instance, I use RPF on my Atlanta and Des Moines; the latter of which also has 10km radar that lasts 30 seconds and 4km hydro which lasts 2 minutes. Consequently, I havn't yet been spotted by a DD I didn't kill with relative ease in either of these cruisers. That ain't right.

Who else is going to go secondary build (well, AFT/flag) with their Oleg? There may only be six per side but they pack a small punch and it is possible to get them out to 3km...

I bought her. Why? Dat camo...

Thank you, The_Tyke...I went for it in the end. I promised myself no more spending on this game in 2017 but dagnabbit...I'm a sucker for a lady in buff and black ;)

I am STRONGLY considering buying the Oleg supreme bundle. Why? Because just look at the thing...she's gorgeous. I also like the looks of that flag and the 5.5k doubloon discount she comes with seems pretty generous too. Thing is, I already own Aurora so I have my T3 Russian Cruiser sorted. Can I justify it? So what are you guys thinking? Or has anyone already bought her even and can offer council?

Hi all, I would just like to say a huge SORRY I havn't been around recently. I've had account troubles meaning I could barely log in and that when I could, it was very dodgy. Anyway, I come with a question. Has anyone tried the Manual Secondaries on Mikasa yet? I'm just wondering if it's worth it for 15%... Also, anyone interested in buying Oleg?

Here's proof if you need any that British CL's aren't underpowered...both teams' MVP were in them, and this happens surprisingly often from what I've seen. This is however probably not my best battle today; I'm posting it here more for the achievement I got...CQE! Had one in Kiev before but somehow this one feels more impressive given how it was a 2k health cruiser I killed with it! Bismarck eat your heart out...

Just saw Seepherd in his Belfast on Trap. Me, him, another Fiji and a Benson capped C then B together, before a Bayern got a rather lucky shot on me and it started falling apart from there on in. A defeat, but we worked well together! Div sometime, dudes?

Hi All! So before I go sending a ticket I'll just check this isn't a new feature WG have added. Couldn't find any other threads on it which hadn't been prematurely ended by smart-a** trolls saying 'stop whining about fire spam and l2p'. Anyway, just had 4 consec battles in which fires and flooding did *not* time out, and got the notorious greyed-out icon in its place. They just burn and burn and burn and burn till I'm dead or use the RP. Took my NC into training room and sure enough, it also happens there. If this is a feature, it's horrible; but what steps can i take to avoid it? I just had a Kiev burn me from full health because I forgot to load RP II. My fault, I know, but still...this shouldn't be happening. On my Bismarck I have all the upgrades and skills which reduce the time and yet, it still doesn't give me a counter. if it's a bug, I'd be surprised if I'm the only one getting it; but it's an extremely annoying one which keeps getting me killed. I should add that this has happened to me now on the Bismarck, Atlanta, Konigsberg, the NC, Baltimore, Warspite, Fiji and the Scharnhorst, so there's no type of pattern emerging. Haven't had it happen on a DD or CV yet, interestingly.

My apologies... i don't mean 'counter' as in 'counter measure', I mean the time counter for fires and flooding. No mods or anything to speak of :/ There are more than enough DD counters; I'd never moan about that ;)

With which ship and what 80k?

Disliked ship guide #2: Colorado - is she really as unbearable as people say? (For final comparison to other ships of the tier, skip to the 'Overall' section) At a glance: USN Tier 7 1921 Super Dreadnought, Won't get anywhere in a hurry but when it does it can make the enemy regret their life decisions Most similar to New Mexico in play-style, major differences being fewer guns and much stronger opponents Is a Dreadnought throwback, will come across a lot of faster, more modern Battleships at her tier Fairly good credit earner, though not as versatile as some of her contemporaries Available in the US Battleship tech tree branch following New Mexico and preceding North Carolina Moderately long grind with 3 hulls to research. First - An Opinion It's fair to say that Colorado is a ship which splits people down the middle. A few people love it, but many more 'free xp' past it. I will come right and say it; I free xp'd a good 30k of this ship on my initial grind too. This is sadly very commonplace. Her average winrate (48% as of writing) is a little below the average of the other three tier 7 Battleships, including Nagato, and it's a familiar site both on here and reddit to see somebody complaining about her, with many responses saying to 'free xp!' past. I was unfortunate enough to have initially bought into all this, and couldn't wait to get rid of her. Then, a few months later, something odd occured. However, I'm a real sucker for this design in history. So I sold my Iowa (the reason is below) and re-bought this thing a few weeks ago. Stats can't possibly reflect how happy I've been with this ship since; even a bad battle will get me reliable damage and/or points. But a ship review for this game needs to consist of far more than opinion; which is why I've seen fit to write a full guide to buying and using the Colorado. As far as I'm aware, I'm the first to do this; at least on the EU server. So I hope those on the fence about buying her or even of pursuing the US line further than New Mexico, will be able to make their minds up by the time they've at least skim-read this review! Second - A brag: Colorado can very easily kill Iowa. No, it's TRUE! I've done this more times than I care to admit. Sadly, a non-sharply-angled Iowa is an extremely easy kill for Colorado; making 3, 4 or even 5 citadels very, very possible. It's to do with the location of her citadel; it's above the waterline...almost completely, in fact. NC doesn't suffer from this nor do Colorado or New Mexico. This, alongside the cost of maintaining a T9 BB I barely played anyway on a non-premium account, is the reason I sold it and don't intend on re-buying. Iowa really isn't all that special aside from her speed and RL history...Colorado, on the other hand, is. As much as I love Nagato, Rado's queen of Tier 7. This guide illustrates why. Survivability So let's first get the elephant out of the room; Colorado's health pool stinks; no matter which way you look at it. This ship fully upgraded only has 11.5k more hitpoints than Kawachi. Kawachi. In perspective, that means you'll be fighting Friedrich and Izumo with a health pool Kongo could laugh at. Bear in mind she'll also be fighting cruisers with more HP than she has; regularly. 'So what, Cowper you old fool?' I hear you say. 'The Gneisenau isn't much better HP wise'. Thing is though, Gneisenau has speed on her side. Gneisenau has a 'turtleback' (overlaying armour extrusion) protected citadel; something the US line lost at tier 6 (curiously). Gneisenau even has better AA. So why not at least give Colorado a few k more? Armour distribution and Repair Crew efficiency is the answer. Check out her core protection layout (all but casemate and citadel removed for ease of viewing): Colorado has an extra 25mm amidships on the casemate over Gneisenau, which greatly reduces penetration of the citadel; this is on top of 85mm citadel protection and 30mm deck plating, giving her an overall greater figure than her contemporaries. Gneisenau instead relies almost solely on her 'turtleback' lower casemate armour, which while highly effective, does provide substantially less protection from plunging fire. Only 410mm+ shot will overmatch your bow too. Nagato uses the IJN deck slope system, making direct comparison a little complicated; but we all know how soft Nagato can be so Colorado wins here too! Also note the 39% torpedo protection; by far the best in tier 7! Colorado has very impressive deck armour; in fact, it's the best below tier 8 from a purely theoretical viewpoint and in practice it's easy to see why too. Her belt is also only marginally thinner than on her German counterparts; not to mention a little smaller so presents a harder target. C hull gives Colorado extra citadel protection too; that's not to be sniffed at. To be honest, I have yet to be citadeled in Colorado from any ship other than Nagato or Amagi; and even then it could've been avoided. In a brawl those 380mm German shells will rarely penetrate your core (though they may still sting); and at range everyone will have trouble penetrating your deck with plunging fire. So it's this balance across ranges which means she shines from an armour perspective. Add to this that her torpedo belt and heal are considerably more potent than the others at this tier (so much so, that Yamato also used to benefit from the same 'heal boost'; before getting nerfed. But Colorado kept it!). She can remain in battle FAR longer than Nagato. The 50,100hp is a big thing for people newer to the game; when they see that they actually lose 3,200 hit points after New Mexico, I can understand why a lot take to the forums and complain. But please understand; if you angle this ship well, she'll bounce 80% of what's thrown at her. I never even notice the lack of HP; in fact, so long as you're angled you'll bounce all 14-inch shells fired at you; and the vast majority of the 15-inch ones too! To summarize, Colorado has the best mid to long-range armour at the tier, competitive close-range armour and a super version of heal. She simply doesn't need more hit points! Artillery Now we have that monotonous yet mandatory section out of the way, let's talk guns! Packing 4 turrets of 2 16" 45 calibres, with a shell weight of 2239-ib (1016kg), she hits HARD. In fact, who here is familiar with HMS Warrior (1860)? She had the largest mounted shell-firing naval guns in the world for a good few years and was feared by the other naval powers because of it. What weight was that? Oh, a little under 110-ib! I know, I know it's completely irrelevent talking about a Victorian RML gun in this context. But it does make you appreciate the baffling power of these guns. US 16-inch guns of very similar design to Colorado's were still in use aboard the USS Missouri, among others, well into the 1990s to bombard shore targets. Many still see them as being superior to Missile technology in terms of target penetration; these guns were designed to penetrate 100s of millimeters of armour. With adjusted velocity and modified fuses, imagine what these shells could do to a modern Frigate or Guided Missile Destroyer! But anyway; US 16-inch guns are amazing in real life. We get the point! Iowa-class BB USS Missouri firing her 16-inch guns, most likely during the Gulf war (used with permission from Wiki Commons) That's all well and good, but what about here in World of Warships? Well, I'm happy to report they're somewhat true to their historical lineage! Upon checking the various stats against historical ones, WG have done a surprisingly close job with the shell characteristics on US Battleships; especially since the accuracy buff US BBs received a few patches back. I shan't go into specifics, but these guns can easily rival and possibly surpass the Nagato's 410mm beasts in terms of penetration, and with their flat ballistics firing AP at soft targets is surprisingly comfortable. Put simply, these shells will do huge damage to both cruisers and Japanese Battleships alike. The German armour negates some of their supremacy, but at mid range you can make them suffer; especially given their lack of a fourth turret. I normally win in duels vs Gneisenaus or Sharnehorsts without taking huge damage in return; so long as you keep the distance, they just don't DPM anywhere near as hard! A handsome shot of USS Colorado prior to her 1942 refits. Note how close her guns are mounted by comparison to her German adversaries; in-game, this is reproduced with her brilliant dispersion values. (Used with permission from hartshorn.us) Dispersion on Colorado is, in one word, superb. 211m base gives her the most accurate BB guns in Tier 7 and above. Seriously, even if you mount Artillery Plotting room mod you'll still have better accuracy than most of her contemporaries. This is because Colorado used to be a shotgun; so WG gave her and all her US friends better dispersion. It really is as simple as that. I could go into the C/B-Hull sigma value etc as I know that can tell a different story, but really now, what would be the point? Take a look at some youtube videos; in good hands she'll one-shot cruisers till the cows come home. This ship is pretty much on a par with New Mexico in terms of accuracy; and that's quite frankly brilliant. Turret traverse is also moderately fast, especially with the turret traverse captain’s perk which will allow you to push the helm hard over and still track the shot. Expect to get your turrets on target most of the time. Her secondaries aren't *awful*, but I'd be lying if I said they'd help you much if at all. It's not so much that she lacks the quantity or even the range (albeit she does), but simply the fact that in order to push them out to good ranges you need to either sacrifice AA range (which I would seriously put you off from doing), or keep B Hull for 2 extra guns (again, sacrificing AA damage). All in all, AA is the defacto choice on Colorado and you shouldn't try secondary building her unless you're SUPER confident it'll turn out well. Finally, range. Colorado's basic range is 16.7 with the fire control upgrade mounted and that is pretty low for a tier 7 Battleship. I've never used Plotting Room or spotting plane (catapult fighter is much more useful in my opinion), but with both of these you can push 23km. But why do this? Colorado is a dreadnought; she's designed to get to at least mid range of the enemy (14-16km). Anything above 17km, despite her good dispersion and accuracy, is quite simply pointless. I appreciate that is heavily subjective; many like the added flexibility it affords which is totally fine, but I for one love 16.7km. Islands are your friend! Nonetheless, for some I also understand it may be a little unnerving being out-ranged by other ships; however, with patch 0.5.12 you should start getting used to being closer to the enemy more; that is, if you want to earn credits and xp! All in all though, the range isn't an issue for most players. If it is for you, however, just mount Plotting room and it'll be just like being in an IJN BB! To summarize, Colorado's firepower is better than anything before it, above average at this tier, and even holds its own well into Tiers 8 and 9. The guns make this ship what it is more than anything else. Colorado's guns may look underwhelming with their dual gun emplacements, but they are a surprisingly big step-up from those found on the New Mexico AA Anti-air armament is where this ship should (and always did) shine head and shoulders above its peers. Sadly though, those days are over. While Colorado still retains a very respectable AA defence which Carriers should be aware of, she has been somewhat dethroned by Gneisenau and its slightly superior long-range anti-air. I've seen the numbers and I've seen the stats, and whilst I don't see this as being a big issue (you'll still shoot down enough torp bombers to make the drop less effective regardless of the CV's tier), it does beg the question; why does a German battleship have better long range AA than a US ship? Regardless of why this is, the important thing to note here is that Colorado is still king of the hill in close-range Tier 7 AAA. She'll shred anything that gets to within 3km with her numerous Oerlikons; moreso than the Gneisenau will and even the Pensacola without cooldown activated. So with this in mind, Colorado's AA is still very good, very competitive and the discrepancy between her and the German bretheren really doesn't notice and/or matter. Use the fighter to supplement this and hold enemy aircraft in your aura for longer. Also don't forget that if you're aiming to reach North Carolina, your defensive AA will enter god tier (100 rating) in her; something I intend on covering in a future guide. So see this as a stepping stone in the US BB gameplay. While bomber squadrons will generally get through with enough power left to strike you, they'll lose some if not all of their birds in the process; making you an unappealing target. Overall, AA is very good for defence and will punish any planes which stray too close. Be aware though that it *is* very defensive, and cruiser support is still recommended when a CV is on the warpath. Maneuverability 'Oh dear' is what many think when seeing Colorado's speed compared with her contemporaries. And frankly, this is one aspect of the ship I cannot so readily defend. Colorado's speed is terrible. However, what she lacks in speed she makes up for in turning; and she does it very, very well. With the tightest circle among her peers and a comparatively fast helm, you can get a few surprise torpedo dodges out of this ship. This improved turning circle also gives you a slight edge over Nagato when it comes to brawling with one of the torpedo-armed German Battleships. Not that I’d recommend brawling within their 6km range if you can help it as much of the time you’ll eat at least one torp. Combine this with her low speed low-momentum approach, and maneuvering is suddenly quite fun in her! I do appreciate though that for some people, the US dreadnought speed is painful. But think of it this way; it prevents you from rushing in and getting targeted, it prevents you from making rash decisions and it allows you to be measured in your counter-attack. Colorado is a tortoise; she moves slowly, hits slowly, but when she bites you in the right place it friggin' HURTS! This is how your team should view you, and if they don't or you're amongst a lot of very fast ships, there's no shame at all in playing defensively (note how I don't say 'passively' ;)). Torpedoes Colorado doesn’t have torps. Just thought I’d add this section for new players who may have seen the German entries at this tier. This isn’t a huge disadvantage unless you’re brawling; and as stated above, Colorado is a mid-range dueller anyway. Nagato also lacks torps, so you’re not alone in this. Just be aware that the Gneisenau and Scharnhorst both have 6km ranges on their torps, and they are fairly slow reloading. This is invaluable to know when entering tier 7 with a Battleship as it can save you a lot of nasty ‘surprises’. I also recommend mounting the fighter over the spotter, purely to make torps more visible. Concealment Colorado isn’t the worst out there for concealment and getting spotted. 16km is by no means ‘amazing’, but it’s certainly better than her Japanese contemporary and even without plotting room you’ll have near enough a km of firing range before getting spotted. Her air spotting range is thoroughly average for a ship of this size, though it’s likely that with the Colorado’s need to get to mid-range, you’ll be getting spotted by surface targets long before the CV can get a visual on you. It’s also important to note that you have slightly better air concealment than the other three at this tier. Just be aware though that you won’t out-spot a Gneisenau or Scharnhorst and they will be able to fire first, even with plotting room mounted. To summarize: Colorado is average when it comes to concealment; you’ll not be spotted early, but you can be out-spotted by most ships out there. Besides, if you want a stealth Battleship, buy (or perhaps grind, in this case) North Carolina, with her USS Washington-inspired 11km (fully spec’d) surface concealment! Overall Let’s see how she compares overall with Sharnhorst, Gneisenau and Nagato based upon what we’ve discussed above: Survivability: 4/4 – She’s an armoured fist well capable of out-living all 3 of the others if played well. The best at this tier without argument. Artillery: 3/3 – Her guns hit hard and accurately; just a pity about the range and secondaries, making Nagato an equal in overall artillery potential AA: 3/3 – Not supreme, but very close; tied with Gneisenau Maneuverability: 1/3 – Brilliant turning circle and good helm, but rather pitiful top speed for her tier. She ties with Nagato here too, in my opinion. Concealment: 2/4 – Loses out to the Germans, but planes will have a harder time spotting you than them. Ideal Build (In my opinion; these are only recommended and you can do whatever you feel is best!) Captain Skills (Based on a 15-point cap. None of the 5th skills really appeal to me on Colorado, but you can feel free to try one in lieu of Superintendent and BFT) 1 Point: Basic Firing Training AND Basics of Survivability. The first will give you a nice secondary and AA buff which never hurts on a US BB; the second will help you deal with fires faster. A no-brainer! 2 Points: Expert Marksman. If you, like me, enjoy being able to fire while in a full turn; get this perk. It'll increase your potential damage output and ultimately make firing more comfortable in general. 3 Points: Vigilance. The type of ships this is requires that you get closer to the enemy than you might like at times. Needless to say, seeing torps coming ahead of schedule is invaluable in staying alive; especially when brawling with the Germans. 3 Points: Superintendent. That extra use of your magic super heal potion is worth its weight in gold on this ship. Having an extra go with your fighter is nice too. 4 Points: Advanced Firing Training. This is a must on Colorado. Not only will it make your AA that bit more competitive with Gneisenau, but your secondaries will become a little more useful. Upgrades 1st Slot: Main Battery Modification. Losing turrets on any Battleship is horrible. Don't let it happen! 2nd Slot: AA Modification. A must if you want to shoot down planes. Turret shift is also an option, but for me it'll always be AA on US BBs. (I tried secondary and it wasn't as useful; purely because they're still bad range even with the upgrade) 3rd Slot: Damage Control. Fires and torpedoes will sink you. The buff this gives your torpedo belt alone makes it worthwhile. 4th Slot: Helm Speed. Acceleration is useless on a ship as slow as this to begin with, and while extra damage control is nice, it won't help you to avoid torps or shells from hitting in the first place. Repair Part II is a good idea, as is Heal II if you can afford it (RP is more important though). Catapult Fighter I is my go-to for aircraft on this ship as it's just so useful for spotting and added AA protection. Signals and Camo I always mount the 10% off Repair signal (Its just a flesh wound!) purely to make dying a bit more profitable. The Extra Heal signal (Dreadnought) can help, but I wouldn't say it's compulsory. Boosted Secondary Range (Close Quarters Expert) can help, but again, I wouldn't say it's a 'must'. Colorado isn't a very stealthy ship, period. Camo won't do much to offset this, and Colorado shouldn't often be further than 16km from the enemy anyway. I'd say only use it if you want the XP advantage or have a tonne of camo to spare for the added enemy dispersion. Otherwise, ignore camouflage completely. Conclusion I’d conclude that Colorado is a little better than average at this tier; not a ‘bad’ ship by any stretch of the imagination. However, there are a few points in which she loses out to her peers in, most notably in; Speed, Range and close range brawling. The lattermost I say purely because the Germans are simply better at it now, with their 350mil belt and torpedoes. You’re still competitive at close ranges though, especially against anything not German-built or named Yamato (Colorado is the pinnacle of US and IJN BBs in terms of brawling). I hope this has helped in deciding whether you want to go for her. If you want a fast, modern ship which will practically hold your hand in brawls and let you push certain enemies hard; go German Kriegsmarine. If you want to stay out of trouble and snipe with high caliber guns; go Imperial Japanese. But if you want a balanced, all-round solid battleship capable of holding its own against most types of foe, go Colorado. It’s simple as that ------------------------------

I too would like an answer to this

Not another Colo bashing thread? @OP, I believe it is quite historic and also balanced in-game. Colorado gets super heal to ofset the lack of hit points, but imo she doesn't really need it. 'All or nothing' sees to it that she's RELIABLY protected. Not necessarily WELL-protected. What this means in short terms, is that you can generally predict how and when to angle yourself so as to minimize damage. Having this alongside a super armoured deck complemented by reasonably good horizontal protection is a combination Nagato and the Germans can only dream of at this tier. Nagato can be utterly desolated by an enemy Colorado if giving the broadside. Colorado on the other hand, may take some damage in such a scenario and maybe a cit pen....but I guarantee it'll be the American fighting lady who comes out on top at a variety of ranges, especially within 15km. I go into more detail in my guide. @Redcap, check out the guide linked in my signature. In my opinion she's the strongest T7 ship currently. And that's coming from a Scharnhorst worshipper. Colorado is basically a better armoured, slightly stronger and more accurate, Nagato. I dread seeing those eight USN 16inchers looking at me when in my broadside Scharnhorst because I know that a good player can one-shot the German BC's with Colorado's guns if given the opportunity. Nagato tends to slightly overpen the SS making this harder. Try it in training room..this is a thing. I recently killed an FDG in my Colorado...in a fair fight, to boot. It's all about where you aim, and Colorado is accurate as hell...

SW is impressive! Good job!

I actually feel like Bismarck is the weakest of the four. 1) NC: Definitly the stronger ship here with the gun arrangement and armour scheme. She just needs to be played correctly. 2) Amagi: Sheer Alpha puts down enough hurt to reward good players and alienate stupid ones in equal measure. 3) Dirpitz: A well-played Tirpitz can beat the big B in a 1v1 anyday. Why? Because torps. B's sonar only helps so much on a ship with a turning circle as massive as that. As others have attained to, Bismarck suffers horribly from damage over time and succumbs to lower calibre shells much faster than the others. Her main battery is decent enough, but lacks the hitting power. Afterall, why wait to reload for an advantage in firepower when on NC you can just throw 6x 16ich shells ahead to finish the job?

You're talking about 'Co-Op' mode. Switch to 'Random' in the port interface

Yeah you can add me if you want. Always fun playing with people who are slightly better than c**p

First person to identify this majestic beast of a Pre-Dread gets a rep up from me

For my two cents; - Amagi is the high alpha long to mid range dueller which can put serious hurt on anyone but needs good positioning constantly -Bismarck is the pusher who makes enemies regret their decisions in life -NC is queen of tier 8, as she can effectively fight in all three ranges and most types of engagement (with a good captain, that is). She's good for brawling with Bis at close range due to her tank mode and dispersion.

Follow my below guide on her and she'll do a lot better

AHHHHH! Is pretty much what I said when I watched this trailer from March (ok, yes, it's from 1 month before I even discovered the game...but still, knowing WG's modelling backlog...): So why is this old trailer making me think it's confirmed? Well, for a start, everything in this trailer is now in-game (with the obvious exception of the KMS CV which only has a 1/2-second cameo, anyway). To be able to make it, they'd have needed to make models...note how KGV is the *only* British BB, which seems to hint to me that they've been sitting on a KGV model for a while and just havn't released it. So...WHO'S HYPED WITH ME???? ...by this 8 month old trailer?

Fair enough I jumped the gun a bit with the trailer I do like Tyrendian's idea though.... Also, this is definitely from WG. May not be 3D models, but still...at least they acknowledged her here Sure I'm not the first to mention it but that's a fine portrait of PoW if ever I saw one.

Dude....you're taking out one of the most durable ships in the whole game and moaning that 50k damage doesn't get you credits? First off, 50k is below average,especially for that ship (Amagi or NC I'd forgive for as they can be tricky sometimes with that super weak side armour of theirs...but Bismarck?) What else are you doing? Capping? Leading the charge? Brawling? Spotting (when possible)? Shooting down birds? Defending the cap? If you're doing all these things, no profit sounds harsh on premium I agree. Any screenshots? But still...Bismarck, dude. Try New Orleans if you want to be the favourite snack...and a damn sight weaker one at that.TBH it doesn't sound like KMS is for you if you're having this much trouble staying alive with one of the most durable ships in the game. You grinded for it, right?

Sadly I'm not on FB these days, but I'll take your word on that! Wish I could access it... Yeah just the shape of the hull more than anything reminds of the L'Ocean class or Redoubtable or something (in fact, it VERY strongly reminds me of the L'Oceans). Redoubtable (stern view): The single turrets always intrigue me, too, as there's no academic reason for it. Can't have been tonnage or seaworthiness for a plethora or reasons. TBH, from what I've read on this class (which is very little, mind), it was fairly unsuccessful so your points are probably all very valid, Mephisto. I'm also not sure I like the deck layout. As you rightly say, it's extremly chaotic....almost as though it really is an Ironclad hull which got converted into a Pre-Dread halfway through. Looks like an accident waiting to happen once action stations are called. Beyond that though, the firing arcs look pretty restricted. For instance, total number of guns capable of firing directly forward amounted to 1 out of 5 in practice...those forward casemate barbettes were too retreated into the beam to be of any use...especially with that window right in front of the muzzle, I don't even want to think of the damage firing that 8-incher would do in a straight-ahead position! The central 11inch barbettes also suffered the same problem. Finally, I note that the side plating was actually pretty skinny...yes, the belt was beasty but anything above 110ib or so that hits above or below it will go straight inside....meaning that in theory, Warrior could've penetrated it with a lucky shot or two! There's no middle ground with the armouring layout of her and indeed the trial and service history reflects this. In practice though, strong turrets and reasonably good endurance. Would be an interesting one for WoWs, for sure!