The word combination "German battleship" has always been synonymous
to a powerful secondary battery and impenetrable citadel,
as well as close-quarters
and middle-range engagements in our game.
At a glance, it might seem as though the ships of the new German branch
are not so dissimilar from their veteran colleagues in the Tech Tree.
But this is true only at first sight.
Even though the first ships of the branch—Von Der Tann,
Moltke, Derfflinger, and Mackensen—
were called battlecruisers by the German High Command,
they were close to the dreadnoughts of the early 20th century
in terms of their fighting spirit.
The only thing they had in common with cruisers was their cruising speed.
The German ships are some of the fastest
among other same-type ships at the first four tiers.
Another characteristic of the ships at lower tiers
is the unimpressive caliber of their main guns.
Battleships at Tiers III and IV— Von Der Tann and Moltke—
are armed with 283 mm guns.
Tier V Derfflinger and Tier VI Mackensen
are equipped with slightly more powerful guns—
305 and 350 mm, respectively.
It isn't that hard to master these ships
because they are highly challenging opponents
that can pose a formidable threat to other battleships.
However, things get really interesting at higher tiers of the branch!
Battleships from Tier VII to Tier X come equipped
with both mighty guns of a decent caliber and torpedo launchers.
The latter armament type could previously only be found
on board German Premium ships and Gneisenau,
but now, Prinz Heinrich, Zeiten, Prinz Rupprecht, and Schlieffen
can unleash an unpleasant surprise for their enemies
in the form of their torpedoes.
In contrast to the German Premium battleships,
the new arrivals carry long-range torpedoes
that can travel from 10 km up to 13.5 km,
depending on the ship's tier.
You might think that the main guns and torpedoes
are sufficient enough to deal some decent damage.
However, in addition to that, the newcomers possess
a secondary battery comprising numerous accurate guns—
the right choice of Commander skills and upgrades
can make the secondary battery deal almost the same damage as torpedoes.
Powerful guns, long-range torpedoes, and an effective secondary battery—
are the newcomers too good to be true?
The answer to that lies in the details, and here they are.
Even at higher tiers, the ships' main battery guns
have quite a modest firing range.
You can somewhat mitigate that shortcoming for Prinz Rupprecht and Schlieffen
by mounting Gun Fire Control System Modification 2,
but with respect to all other German battleships,
you'll have to get close to your enemies to engage them.
Moreover, the new battleships don't carry that many guns—
Prinz Heinrich, Prinz Rupprecht, and Tier X Schlieffen
carry just eight guns each.
Tier VIII battleship Zeiten is armed with six guns.
The newcomers also can't boast of having impressive HP pools.
As far as armor goes,
German battleships from the second branch have highly vulnerable ends,
while at the same time, the central parts of their hulls and decks
have complex and multi-layered armor systems.
This feature helps the warships
withstand hits from high-explosive shells quite effectively.
If fire spreads along a deck of a German warship,
Fast Damage Control Team will always come in handy.
This consumable will save the new arrivals from emergency situations
instead of the standard Damage Control Party.
On one hand, the specialized consumable
recharges faster than Damage Control Party;
on the other hand, it's important to note
that it has a limited number of charges.
Another important thing—
starting with Mackensen, all German battleships come equipped
with the "trademark" Hydroacoustic Search consumable.
It will warn you about approaching torpedo threats
and can detect enemies that get too close.
Due to the features of the new battleships,
we recommend reinforcing them along three paths:
main caliber, secondary caliber, and survivability.
It's also important to combine improvements of all three parameters.
Starting with upgrades,
we recommend installing Main Armaments Modification 1
or a modernization to improve
the survivability of the secondary battery in the first slot.
Place Damage Control System Modification 1 and 2
in the second and fourth slots.
The third slot provides an opportunity to improve the main or secondary guns,
which is why both Aiming Systems Modification 1
and Secondary Battery Modification 1 will come in handy here.
For the fifth slot, we suggest choosing
according to your playstyle and personal preferences.
If you prefer aggressive playstyle at close quarters,
install Ship Consumables Modification 1.
If you prefer a more careful approach,
then your choice is Concealment System Modification 1.
By the way, all German battleships possess decent concealment parameters
that can be further improved with the upgrade
and an appropriate Commander skill.
For the sixth slot,
you'll have to choose between the Auxiliary Armaments modification,
firing range enhancement, or reload time improvement for main guns.
When choosing Commander skills, pay attention to the recommended ones.
But it's up to you, of course—
you can always choose your own set of skills.
For example, HE Shell Inertia Fuze
enables your 105 mm secondary armament shells
to penetrate the ends and casemates of some battleships,
while 150 mm guns are capable of inflicting damage
even to the decks of some battleships and heavy cruisers.
Don't forget that Inertia Fuze halves the chances of your HE shells
setting enemy ships on fire.
An alternative to the recommended Concealment Expert skill
can be the Fire Prevention Expert skill.
This decision can be described in the same way
as for the upgrades in the fifth slot.
If you prefer to take an active part in battle,
it's better to reduce the chances of your ship being set on fire
and the maximum number of fire instances on board.
But if stealth and awareness is your cup of tea,
then you can safely choose the recommended skill.
At the beginning of the video,
we mentioned that the word combination "German battleship"
implies battling against opponents at close and middle ranges
while actively using secondary guns.
And that's entirely true.
To achieve optimal results with the new German battleships,
you need to get up close to your enemies.
If you prefer using aggressive tactics,
always bear the ships' small HP pools and vulnerable armor in mind.
Despite all of its complexity,
a mighty armor-piercing salvo from an enemy
can still deal significant damage to the citadel of your ship.
At the beginning of a battle,
choose an appropriate direction and travel to the spot
where the firing range of your guns is sufficient to reach your targets.
If you're feeling confident,
you can approach an enemy to the distance
where your secondary guns can open fire.
Remember your torpedoes—
they can push the outcome of even the hardest battle in your favor.
If a destroyer is hiding somewhere close to your ship,
activate Hydroacoustic Search.
This consumable will warn you about approaching threats.
Keep in mind that Fast Damage Control Team has a limited number of charges—
the new German battleships can outlast a single instance of fire or flooding
because the damage done by these calamities can be always restored using Repair Party.
As we previously mentioned,
the two branches of German battleships are very much alike,
but only at first glance.
The ships that have been in our game for quite some time already
also fight at medium and close ranges,
but they primarily utilize their main or secondary guns.
You can't say the same about the newcomers—
they use everything they have: main guns, secondary guns, and torpedoes.
That's why, when you see one of these newcomers
approaching you in battle,
the best tactic that you can utilize
is to keep your distance or sink them as fast as you can,
preferably with the aid of your teammates.
If you fail to do this,
the German warship will come close enough to send you back to the Port—
they have sufficient means to do so!
The new German battleships have everything they need
to emerge victorious in battle!
Doubt it?
Then take the helm of one of the new German warships
and experience the might of these battleships for yourself!