After the end of World War I,
a noticeable trend began to emerge in Japanese naval shipbuilding programs.
When designing new ships,
naval architects in service of the Imperial Navy would "borrow"
state-of-the-art concepts put forward by the American and British navies,
then try to improve those concepts so as to outdo their international competition.
So, for example, the Japanese scout cruiser project developed in 1916,
originally envisioned using twelve 140 mm guns spread around the ship in casemates,
was sent for revision after it became known
that the U.S. Navy was working on the Omaha-class cruiser
with its 152 mm main battery.
The new Japanese scout cruiser then did away with the casemates altogether
and placed all twelve of its guns in six flexible twin-gun turrets,
therefore allowing it to surpass Omaha’s total broadside weight.
But the iterations didn’t end there.
The Japanese Navy’s order for this project was again postponed
after the Royal Navy’s Hawkins-class cruiser with its 190 mm guns appeared on the horizon.
So it was back to the drawing board,
and formal construction of the now former "scout cruiser" began only in 1922—
with six 200 mm guns.
We all know them as the Furutaka class,
the first heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
However, what would have happened
if the Japanese had retained the original concept for a scout cruiser from the 20s?
Moreover, by 1928, a new rapid-firing 127 mm gun,
which surpassed the previous 140 mm gun,
went into production in Japan.
These same guns would historically be installed on numerous destroyers,
such as Fubuki and Akatsuki
Meet Tier VII Japanese premium cruiser Tokachi!
To create Tokachi,
the hull and general superstructure of the Furutaka-class cruiser were taken,
and its three-turret main battery was replaced with six 127 mm twin guns,
converting it into a light cruiser.
The new ship is also reinforced with a more potent anti-aircraft complement,
as well as different torpedo armament.
As a result, we have a cruiser armed with 12 guns that have a good reload time
and long-range torpedoes with decent damage.
She also has solid deck armor and the best consumables to match her role—
Torpedo Reload Booster and Hydroacoustic Search.
Compared to her same-tier peers,
Tokachi's guns have rather modest characteristics,
with a short firing range and low armor penetration owing to the small caliber.
However, her torpedo armament is noteworthy—
high range and damage, coupled with a good reload time
and the availability of Torpedo Reload Booster
make this cruiser’s torpedoes a formidable weapon.
The main role of the ship is to support allied forces,
in particular destroyers, when capturing Key Areas.
And with the right strategy, she can become a serious problem for the red team.
Oh, and all of her turrets can rotate 360 degrees—
convenient for active maneuvering!
The ship is best off engaging from behind the cover of islands or smoke,
since her small number of hit points and weak armor on the bow and stern
don’t really permit Tokachi to remain under focused fire for very long.
Hydroacoustic Search will allow you to cozy up to some smoke
if your allies are kind enough to set some for you.
The cruiser's torpedo armament is perfect for "spamming" Key Areas
due to the fast torpedo reload and presence of the Torpedo Reload Booster consumable.
Tokachi's upgrades allow you to mold the ship to fit different playstyles.
Here are some of my recommendations.
In the first slot, install Main Armaments Modification 1;
in the second slot, Engine Room Protection or Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1;
then either Aiming Systems Modification 1 if you favor guns
or Torpedo Tubes Modification 1 if your tactics are based on torpedo attacks.
In the fourth slot, you can choose between Propulsion Modification 1
or Steering Gears Modification 1.
It's time to give away a Premium Ship VII container!
Following tradition, it will go to one of the subscribers of our channel
who "Likes" this video and correctly answers this question:
"On which map did today’s hero, Tokachi, fight?"
Let me remind you that to participate in the draw,
you must correctly indicate your nickname and the server you play on
in the comment with your answer.
Participate in the draw, and good luck to you, Captains!