In the early 20th century,
U.S. senator Benjamin Tillman put forward a proposal
to build the largest battleships possible.
The only limits on the potential size of ships like these
were the dimensions of the locks of the Panama Canal,
through which these giants would have needed to pass.
Tillman's ambitious project is remembered in shipbuilding history
under the name "maximum battleship."
In World of Warships, this expression could be associated with many ships,
but we're going to specifically discuss the U.S. Tech Tree newcomers—
battleships Kansas, Minnesota, and Vermont.
The new line branches off from Colorado—
an ideological relative of the new battleships.
The newcomers share quite a lot of traits with Colorado.
For example, the guns of Tier VIII Kansas and Tier IX Minnesota
also have a caliber of 406 mm,
although they are the improved Mark 7 version
and there are 12 of them.
Tier X Vermont can fire the same number of shells per salvo,
but they are larger, 457 mm-caliber shells.
All three battleships are capable of hurling their devastating projectiles
over distances of up to 22 kilometers.
However, each salvo has to be delivered very carefully,
as the guns on the new battleships
require more time to reload than those of their relatives.
Another similarity to Colorado
is the low speed of all "super dreadnoughts" of the early 20th century.
On our three ships, this feature is compensated for
with relatively good maneuverability.
One of the planned traits of Tillman battleships
was their "maximum protection."
While the new battleships can't boast of having maximum stats in the game,
they are still quite impressive.
For example, Vermont's citadel is protected
by an armor layer that's more than 400 mm thick.
The battleships' torpedo protection is also impressive—
it reduces torpedo damage by 40%.
The trademark U.S. anti-aircraft defenses
are as reliable as they are known for being,
but can be further reinforced with the Defensive AA Fire consumable—
an unusual feature for this ship type.
For a Commander with 10 skill points,
we recommend the following skills.
Then, we recommend investing in skills such as Basics of Survivability,
Concealment Expert, and Expert Marksman.
Useful upgrades include Main Armaments Modification 1,
both Damage Control Systems modifications,
Artillery Plotting Room Modification 1, and Concealment System.
As for Minnesota and Vermont,
we recommend mounting Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2 in the sixth slot.
When playing one of the new battleships,
always try to select an attack direction
with plenty of targets within reach of their main battery guns.
It's important because, due to their modest speed characteristics,
you won't be able to quickly switch flanks
or withdraw to a safe distance in case of imminent danger.
At the same time, even the most daring enemy might flinch
in the face of 12 powerful guns,
reliable AA defenses, and good torpedo protection.
Benjamin Tillman's "maximum battleships" weren't destined to be commissioned.
But in our game, this project has spawned three new ships.
Want to test their strength, Captain?
Then, stand at the virtual helms of Kansas, Minnesota, and Vermont!