Zenitae

Firstly, welcome back! A couple of the other guys have made very good points of playing silver ships to get re-adjusted to the game, which should make using the Kutuzov/Atago/Tirpitz easier as you'll be comfortable with core mechanics. As for your questions about the ships, Verblonde covered most of them - I'll give a quick breakdown of the ships anyways, and I'll answer each question you've listed for the ships. Questions 1, 4 and 5 can be easily answered for each ship by referring to the Warships Wiki. I'll also link you to LittleWhiteMouse's reviews of each of the ships, but please keep in mind that some minor things may be outdated because of changes made long after the reviews. They are still excellent guidelines though, and I use LWM all the time as a reference point! Kutuzov (Wiki / LittleWhiteMouse) Kutuzov has excellent range and fire starting capabilities. Don't sit at the back of the map and just fire at maximum range, that's not efficient and it's bad practice. You are a support vessel, causing fires to make other ships use their Damage Control Party. You simply become a nuisance and a downright pain, especially to Battleships. Don't neglect the use of AP though - broadside cruisers can be devastated by an AP salvo! Use your smoke carefully, and avoid brawling. Atago (Wiki / LittleWhiteMouse) Similar to the Kutuzov, you have a solid fire chance and a good alpha damage. The HE is very good on this ship. Again though, don't just use it all the time - broadside cruisers can be citadelled easily, even at maximum range. Your concealment and speed are key in using the ship correctly; use these to relocate and escape if under a lot of fire, or to reposition yourself if you're needed elsewhere. Tirpitz (Wiki / LittleWhiteMouse) A very good brawling ship, thanks to turtleback armour, a torpedo armament and good secondaries. Just because it can brawl well, does not mean you should charge in first thing - you will find yourself having very short games if you do so. The HE isn't very good, and the AP is strong. You will probably use AP a lot more than HE. Long range does not suit your playstyle, both offensively and defensively. Your dispersion means long-range targets are harder to hit, and any incoming AP shells are more likely to go through the deck of your ship, potentially citadelling you. Stay at medium-close range to ensure your armour can protect you properly, and so that your dispersion does not matter as much as what it would mean at long range. I have simply summarised some key points, and I've probably missed one or two things. I can't stress enough to read the Wiki/LWM for each ship so that you're aware of the strengths/weaknesses of the ships. If you really want to play your premiums, I'd recommend doing so in co-op so you can get a feel for them. If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to message me in-game or to simply ask here! Good luck and have fun!

An excellent move! Thank you WG!

Yes, I don't see why not. I think it'd be unfair to base conclusions on the opinions of PTS videos alone - if I'm going to pass judgement on something then I'd like to do so knowing I've experienced it myself. Even if I don't like it, I'll still play; eventually changes will be made to the system anyways, which hopefully results in a more refined end product!

No complaints from me about the arcs and range, those are some of my favourite features of the ship. I don't think the HE is bad by any means, though. Like you said, choosing targets and switching ammo when needed is probably the best way to play this ship. Perhaps I need to adjust my style of play a bit to squeeze a bit more out of the PE?

I agree with VC381. The heal certainly isn't a bad thing and it helps with late-game action. When combined with proper angling and the occasional island hopping, the Eugen seems to hold up better than what it did before. I do still feel that damage-wise it is lacking. The AP potential is very nice, the ballistics are good, but the main downside is the HE (or rather how effective using HE is relative to reload time and the number of guns you have). I thought the Eugen was okay pre-update. It's certainly better now, but lacks that final touch to be truly competitive.

Hey fellas, would love to join you. I haven't been playing long, current highest tier is VI, though I do have a Premium VIII. I have a 50% win rate, and am usually online at least 2-3 times a week and also have Discord (I have TS but honestly prefer Discord). I've been looking for a clan for a while but a large amount of them want 65%+ win rates and generally higher requirements. To be honest, I just want to enjoy the game and relax as well as learn a few new things and improve. I played Battlestations when I was younger and maybe played it a little too much... WoWS is a very similar game except it's so much more in-depth (citadels, armour angling etc.) so I'm no stranger to Naval gameplay. If you've got any questions or anything, let me know. Thanks for reading!