Cruisers - What's best?

[thepuma2012]

try a bit of every class - this gives you the perspective of all of them and how  to cope with them.  If you have played battleships you better understand and anticipate when you fight that ship in cruiser.

My favourite cruiser is Graf Spee, but they say it is different from others.  Most of them cruisers I do not intend to keep because lack of fun with them (hard games). Graf Spee has an incredible gun for its tier.

Phoenix is another exception I have a very long time.  It can do well.  I found all higher tiers cruisers I tried after phoenix bad. They are different, weak and no torps any more, and i don t like the high arcs. But it is all personal, just try everything, it is a game after all.

[cimmerian_steel]

try a bit of every class - this gives you the perspective of all of them and how  to cope with them.  If you have played battleships you better understand and anticipate when you fight that ship in cruiser.

My favourite cruiser is Graf Spee, but they say it is different from others.  Most of them cruisers I do not intend to keep because lack of fun with them (hard games). Graf Spee has an incredible gun for its tier.

Phoenix is another exception I have a very long time.  It can do well.  I found all higher tiers cruisers I tried after phoenix bad. They are different, weak and no torps any more, and i don t like the high arcs. But it is all personal, just try everything, it is a game after all.

 

I've also found that playing a cruiser you are much more dependent on your team than a BB or a DD. 

 

To explain; you need to play to your ship's strengths, you need to find a target that is suitable and you need to start hitting it. If in the meantime the rest of your team allows you to be surrounded or targeted by other ships, you're toast!  BB's can take the punishment and DD's can run away, but a cruiser will die in seconds, in any tier if it gets surrounded. 

 

I have played with teams which naturally protected one another and didn't allow ships to be surrounded or targeted by multiple opponents, equally I've played games where every man is for himself and ..well... it isn't a fun game. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Drenkeling]

Cruisers are vital to have a balanced game. Without them, battleships become very easy targets for destroyers and carriers. Cruisers basically only have to fear battleships. So don't go broadside on them. A battleship can kill you then in one salvo. There's is no best cruiser or nation. They all have their pro's and con's. If you like to keep a distance, play German cruisers. Their guns have a longer range. If you like to have good air defense, play US cruisers. If you like to have long range torpedoes, play Japanese. If you like to have smoke and hide in it shooting the enemy, play British cruisers. Etc.

[SinkTheOthersNotMe]

So much rubbish here.

There is no 'best' cruiser, some cruisers are considered OP while others are considered garbage but that doesn't mean anything as it every player has his favorites.

Example: Most people dislike Pensacola -> I love it and do well in it.

 

Easiest cruiser line: IJN/USSR/UK starting tier 6

More difficulty: German

Hardest: USN/French

 

In my case:

Tier 4: Phoenix/svietlana -> you can win a game by yourself except if you encounter another seal clubber who is as skilled as you.

Tier 5: Omaha/furutaka/kirov: omaha HE spammer at max range/Furutaka = 203mm guns at tier 5/Kirov = will citadel any cruiser easily. I love my konigsberg too.

Tier 6: Budyonni/cleveland/nurnberg: HE spam from max range + AP spam on anything broadside

Tier 7: Pensacola for me, max range HE spam with 10 guns and 10 heavy AP shells to citadel any cruiser -> just never show broadside and know when to turn around.

Tier 8: NO + Hipper for me, HE spam + AP on any broadside fool.

Tier 9: None

Tier 10: My DM and hindenburg

 

UK cruisers: Not my cup of tea but have clan mates who do wonder in them.

French cruisers: Have no wish to grind quickly that line.

[anonym_MSqPBzxRtsaO]

So much rubbish here.

There is no 'best' cruiser, some cruisers are considered OP while others are considered garbage but that doesn't mean anything as it every player has his favorites.

Example: Most people dislike Pensacola -> I love it and do well in it.

 

I don't think what the other users have posted is 'rubbish', everyone offered their opinion on the matter as you did, and that's it.

 

What everyone seems to agree on is that the French aren't worth it as of now.

 

Anyway, I changed my mind a few times, as is usual for me, and I'll probably pick the American cruiser line. However, before I start grinding and possibly spending, there is one thing I would like to understand. I've read online of a rumored 'branch split' of the USN cruiser line, can anyone give me some more info on it? Will ships be added/removed/change tier or something else?

 

[invicta2012]

My advice? Don't rush up the Tier tree. At Tier III you have some of the best balanced ships in the game - Friant, Caledon, Bogatyr, Kollberg, St Louis(b) - take the time to learn the skills and tactics in getting the best from each of these. If you don't (and I didn't) it's a world of pain when you get to Tier V-VI, playing against enemies with better tactics and a better knowledge of the game.

[Ze_Reckless]

No American cruiser split announced, all we have is rumors something might happen some time. No need to think about it.

Also, even if there was a split it wouldn't be bad. The IJN and Soviet DD line splits came along with nice compensations for anyone who had those ships.

 

Edit: OK, US cruiser lines will be reworked after all:

 

The first versions of the tech trees aren't perfect, craphappens. Changes of the trees, as happened with VMF and IJN DDs are a lot of work that few people need - those who finished them already don't tend to re-play it, and there aren't many new players - so the only planned change to existing branches is the USN cruisers fix.

[Yuzral]

The plan, as far as I'm aware from the rumours, is to split the line into light cruisers (6"/152mm guns) and heavy cruisers (8"/203mm guns).  But it's not going to happen for a while yet...

 

[Panocek]

Best cruiser in game? Iowa. Has speed and concealment of larger cruisers, has lots of hitpoints and bow on can withstand a lot of non Yamato abuse. 

[Ze_Reckless]

Best cruiser in game? Iowa. Has speed and concealment of larger cruisers, has lots of hitpoints and bow on can withstand a lot of non Yamato abuse. 

 

Nope. Missouri. Has all the things you said + radar. And it defecates money like crazy.