Durable armor protection for both ends and their hulls,
a unique version of Damage Control Party,
and record-breaking HP pools— behold the Soviet battleships!
Moreover, they offer good rudder-shift times,
accuracy that accommodates medium- range combat, and unorthodox gameplay.
Today we’ll tell you how to play on these newcomers to World of Warships.
Let's start with the main guns,
since they largely define the playstyle of Soviet battleships.
The farther the target, the greater the shell dispersion—
this axiom is true for any gun.
Yet, for Soviet battleships, this particular fact manifests itself
more prominently for their main guns as compared to other battleships.
The optimal range for engaging the enemy is medium, or about 10–12 kilometers.
At such distances, you get satisfying accuracy, respectable damage,
and excellent—sometimes even excessive—armor penetration.
Yes, reload times of over 30 seconds
might diminish the general impression a bit,
but you know how to remedy this, don't you?
You'll have to get used to the fact
that, at long distances, other battleships are likely to outshoot you,
but at medium ranges you’ll gain the upper hand.
Of course, fighting at medium range comes with its own significant dangers.
The key here is to survive under fire.
To achieve this, Soviet battleships feature decent armor.
Starting with Pyotr Velikiy, they have good bow and stern armor,
while Sovetsky Soyuz and Kremlin
are additionally reinforced with an excellent ATD and hull armor.
Soviet battleships can really take the heat.
Like most ships, they receive least damage
while maintaining an acute angle to the enemy.
If you take a heading with your bow towards your opponent,
the ship may get penetrated through the transverse armor of the citadel.
By contrast, if you keep an angle, you increase
both the effective transverse armor and the chance of a ricochet.
However, should you overdo it, opponents will be able to penetrate your sides.
With Sinop onwards, your assistant in selecting the right angle will be…
the aft main turret.
As soon as it can fire, the angle is just right, but don't exceed it!
An important advantage of the high-tier young-bloods
is the solid armor of their central hulls
that protects them from penetration by high-explosive shells.
Soviet battleships suffer much less from HE rounds
as compared to their counterparts.
But no armor protects against fires.
That's where the unique Damage Control Party comes to your aid—
it has one of the shortest reload times in the game.
But use it wisely because the number of charges is limited.
To pass through the perils of naval combat more easily,
we advise new players to train their commanders like this
and mount appropriate upgrades.
At the same time, experienced battleship Commanders
will surely follow their own path, one that matches their personal tactics.
So, you're prepared to survive, let's say, technically.
But preparing your mindset is no less important.
You’ll want to play Soviet battleships aggressively—
push flanks, break into key areas, lead charges.
That's what they’re made to do.
But a blind attack is likely to quickly turn you into a passive observer.
These ships have rather a high citadel.
You can't ever let opponents fire at your sides,
and getting caught in crossfire is very dangerous.
Naturally, Soviet battleships boast large HP pools.
But large doesn’t mean infinite.
Don't rush into battle.
Yes, your accuracy at long ranges isn’t your strongest side,
but this fact doesn’t prevent you from shooting from afar.
Nor does it force you into closing the distance unassisted.
The more efficient move is to lead the charge while supported by your allies.
Get accustomed to picking positions on the map where your ship
will only be targeted by 2-3 enemies, as opposed to the entire red team.
Get into the habit of watching destroyers and always be ready to dodge torpedoes.
The quick rudder-shift time will help you in this regard,
but starting at Tier VII,
Soviet battleships have a turning circle radius of over 900 meters.
At the same time, the impressive rotation speed of their main turrets
at the top three tiers will help you deal with fast opponents.
To recap, it can be stated
that all of the national particularities of Soviet battleships
can be implemented to their greatest effect at medium and close ranges.
These ships are perfect brawlers that revel in active combat.
They certainly have their weaknesses,
and they definitely require you to find the right way to play them.
Playing with these battleships is different,
and you will likely have to employ unorthodox tactics.
But all of those who favor powerful volleys and action-packed naval warfare
should definitely try leading a mighty Soviet battleship into the fray!