Update 0.9.6
brings reinforcements to the Soviet armada—
three researchable ships at once!
The new branch starts at Tier VIII with Tallinn.
German Navy enthusiasts will find the exterior of this ship familiar.
Tallinn is one of the "project sisters" of heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper.
This translates into her having a decent amount of HP
and good armor on her sides and ends.
However, because of her 180 mm guns,
Tallinn can be formally classified as a light cruiser.
She also carries a different set of consumables.
Like the majority of Soviet cruisers,
Tallinn has Surveillance Radar in one slot
and the choice between Defensive AA Fire
and Hydroacoustic Search for the other slot.
While Tallinn is a direct relative of Hipper,
the cruisers that follow her— Riga and Petropavlovsk—
represent different stages of Project 82,
which also produced another famous Soviet ship—Stalingrad.
Naturally, they have a lot in common,
especially when it comes to their armor protection.
For example, when Riga and Petropavlovsk keep their bows towards the enemy,
penetrating them is a difficult task— even for ships with big guns.
Their secret is the presence of an armor belt at their fore ends.
As for the protection of their sides,
even the impressive 180 mm of armor on Petropavlovsk
is still vulnerable to direct hits from enemy armor-piercing shells.
If losing HP is unavoidable,
you can always make use of the Repair Party consumable
that both Riga and Petropavlovsk have at their disposal.
Let's move from armor layouts to main battery guns,
because these are the reason why these cruisers are classified as "heavy."
Riga and Petropavlovsk have all bases covered here,
as they both possess nine 220-millimeter guns.
Special characteristics of their main batteries
allow both cruisers to be highly effective when firing armor-piercing shells.
They are notable for having a short fuse delay and good armor penetration,
even at angles that would usually result in ricochets for other cruisers.
The Soviet newcomers' high-explosive shells are also likely to come in handy,
especially in situations where an enemy ship keeps her bow pointed forward.
Petropavlovsk's main turrets deserve a special mention
for their ability to rotate 360 degrees,
which is especially important when it's necessary to quickly shift fire
from one side of the ship to the other.
We would also like to discuss the accuracy of the new cruisers.
Due to the specifics of their dispersion ellipse,
their accuracy isn't the best compared with their counterparts.
This becomes especially clear when firing across long distances.
As such, the new cruisers should try to get close to their targets.
Their optimal firing range is between 10 and 12 kilometers.
A high muzzle velocity and flat trajectory
make for more comfortable artillery use on the new ships.
In our game, cruisers are often outfitted with torpedo launchers
to complement their main batteries.
Among the ships of the new branch, only Tallinn has access to torpedoes.
Riga and Petropavlovsk don't carry any,
but they possess decent AA defenses
that will ensure reliable protection against any aerial threats
if upgraded properly.
The ability to mount Defensive AA Fire will bring you even more confidence.
However, if you so choose, you can replace it with Hydroacoustic Search,
just as on Tallinn.
We recommend that all Commanders assigned to the new cruisers
learn such skills as Priority Target, Adrenaline Rush,
Superintendent, and Concealment Expert.
Later, you can either improve the ship's survivability
or reinforce her AA defenses, depending on your preferences.
You should also pay attention to the Radio Location skill,
as it will allow you to use the modest action time
of Surveillance Radar with greater efficiency.
As for upgrades, you can improve the ships in the following ways.
We recommend Main Armaments for the first slot,
and the two modifications of Damage Control System
for the second and fourth slots.
For the third slot, choose between Aiming Systems
or Main Battery Modification 2.
Mount Concealment System in the fifth slot—
when combined with the corresponding Commander skill and a camouflage,
it will allow the cruisers to stealthily approach an enemy,
or escape at the faintest sign of trouble.
For the sixth and final slot on Riga and Petropavlovsk,
we recommend Main Battery Modification 3
to increase the reload speed of their main batteries.
When you enter a battle playing one of the new cruisers,
you need to do your best to maintain an optimal firing range to the enemy
in order to take full advantage of your artillery.
This applies to all three cruisers.
Decent armor, reliable AA defenses, and detection consumables
will help you to achieve that.
If you suddenly find yourself under focused fire from several enemies at once,
be ready to retreat using your good speed and concealment.
Make sure you take advantage of your powerful
armor-piercing shells as often as possible.
As we mentioned earlier, high-explosive shells are efficient
when a target is advancing or retreating with its bow pointed towards you.
The new Soviet cruisers possess powerful guns,
decent armor, and good AA defenses.
An impressive combination for a glorious battle, wouldn't you say?
Don't believe me?
Then take command of one of the newcomers and see for yourself!