First time through - Battleships

This post aims to highlight the key points that you will come to appreciate as you play battleships  to get to that maximum tier. We'll take a look into them tier by tier starting from tier five and point out the key advantages and disadvantages of each class.

As a general note, throughout your battleship experience you will come to appreciate the following points:

• until you get good accuracy at higher levels and with high morale, your long range shell spread will be poor. Only target other battleships at extreme range. 
• be aware of the rockets ships that are destroyers. Only subs and carriers are slower than you.
• be aware of submarines: take note of when and where they dive/surface and fire.
• be aware of packs of bombers flocking towards you, they WILL be targeting you. I guarantee it.
• do not buy armor items for your BB's in early tiers. Its best to wait until around tier 8 . This is because you wont be able to afford replacing 4 slabs of armor on a regular basis without it affecting your fund and thus restricting you purchasing the next tier ship.
• don't forget to buy credit/ship exp aides. You shouldn't be running a ship without one. Aides  are far more valuable to you than blowing money on armor early on and are still extremely productive when used regularly. Its quicker to progress to the next ship using an aide rather than spending credits on armors in the early stages. 
• take note of the damage you deal. Figures will pop up to show you how much damage you made, if these figures are lower than your ship's damage values then your enemy has armor equipped. Fire armor piercing (AP) shells to strip the armor away first. Literally landing one full salvo is sufficient against even the biggest battleships.
• income scales to your tier, meaning higher tier ships earn more exp and credits than lower tiers.
• tiers 5-7 are relatively quick to level through. From tier 7-8 it takes a bit longer, then tier 9-10 becomes slightly grindy and tier 10-11 is the main bulk of grinding. 
• with premium accounts some of these grinds can be reduced drastically. Premium is the best thing to spend money on if you are unsure about how morale benefits your ship.
• battleship AA is relatively weak until tier 9, then becomes very good in the high tiers.
• tier 11 guns at max-range will not always produce a perfect blockshot even with 200% morale gunners. Tier 9 & 10 spread can be slightly better.
• do not waste gold on gold items for general matchmaking. do make use of regular items like the boiler and reload for your battleships, as you can afford them.

I can't stress this point enough: every other ship out there has a means to deal lots of damage to a battleship and will always go for you because you are big, slow and an easy target that they can cause lots of damage to.

Think about it, why target a small fast ship that can dodge when there is a juicy big battleship that is far easier to hit and, at times, not paying attention?

• Destroyers and light cruisers will use their torpedoes along with their faster speed to torpedo run you. IJN torp ships Shimikaze, Kuma and Kitakami are lethal. Also be aware of the USN gearing.
  
• Subs will stay hidden and attempt to alpha strike you. 
• Carriers will send dive bombers straight at you because you are impossible to miss and yield the most damage.
• Heavy cruisers will use the high dps of their guns coupled with their agility to whittle away your health (dp) while dodging your attacks making life difficult and aiming more fiddly.
• other battleships will be aiming for the bigger easier targets, which will be you in your bb.

A battleships life is hard because you need to pay attention to every possible threat on the battlefield. Then ultimately realize that you can only deal with one or two of those threats at any given moment.

Reading the battle and multitasking become extremely important the higher level you get. Its good practice paying attention to the sky and sniping down scouts and bombers. You can AA planes and fire your main guns quickly, dealing with scouts or bombers and dealing with a bb/dd/ca/cl threat at the same time.

Tip: If you know a CV will be dive bombing, aim all AA guns sets directly up by clicking on your ship. Both left and right side guns have a chance to score big hits on these bombers directly overhead and can easily shred squadrons of planes this way.

Recognize that if you drift close to a group of enemies who have a good composition of ships you will be forced to face a variety of threats, which will make life very difficult for you.

In the initial minutes of a match don't be overly aggressive by engaging multiple ships, let your teammates draw attention first. You can then settle into bombarding your target while not being bombarded yourself.

Avoid getting outnumbered and surrounded. Always keep at a comfortable range, a range where you can deal damage to a target without one or more targets can repeatedly fire back at you.

Avoid doing too little. As you increase the tier of ships more action is expected from the firepower you have brought to the fight. Doing nothing until you have to will infuriate your team and could cost you the match. Learn when to engage and be prepared to take a hit or two as that's what battleships are designed for, taking some punishment.

Remember though that your first few hits are crucial, and after armor is gone and you dp is declining you will notice all types of ships CA/CL and BB's take more interest in you because you are easier to destroy.

Smaller fast ships will time your salvos and turn away from you to avoid being hit. Try using gradual fire modes and predict their movement to score hits. Aim to fire when they present a larger target for you (broadside)

Below is a general tier by tier breakdown that we mentioned in the intro. It will explain some of the pros and cons of each tier and provide a little insight into how to use them effectively. It will also feature some specific ships to watch out for and why that is the case.

Tier 5

These 'pocket battleships' are a generally considered powerful for their tier because at such an early stage they have a few advantages which include:

• high dps from primary and secondary HE guns
• decent speed
• small size/ ship profile

Being small combined with high dps makes tier 5 'pocket battleships' a joy to drive as they can tear up tiers 4-6 quite comfortably. The KM Moltke (seen below) is one of the more powerful tier 5 because it's tough and armed to the teeth along with being a small target.

Disadvantages:

• no scout
• slow turn rate 
• slow speed compared to higher tier BB's

The one major downside for tier 5 is their lack of vision. Not having a scout means you rely on teammates and islands for vision. The second downside is overall speed, being slow means you cant attack/retreat as quickly as other tiers if you're not vigilant you could run into trouble.

Avoid destroyers and submarines who can cripple or outright sink you.

Best practices for tier 5 bb's include sticking around higher tier battleships and avoid taking fire from multiple enemy battleships. Retreat behind larger ships until they are the focus of enemy attacks.

Tier 6

These battleships give you access to your first scout which is the most important aspect of navyfield. Vision is a battleship's life.

Three of the four nations tier 6 bb's come with a scout. If you picked the RN (uk) unfortunately the Revenge and the tier 9 Nelson don't have scouts. RN captains have to wait to tier 7 for your first scout.

T6 advantages include:

• improved gun range
• higher damage per shell over tier 5
• more dp (damage points)
• first bb with a scout 

Some tier 6 main guns are powerful like the USN lexington which can deal a fair bit of damage when landing a full salvo. Most of the tier 9 and 10 bb's have similar caliber guns.

T6 disadvantages include:

• large ship size. (Most are bigger and longer than t5, 7& 8's)
• poor shell spread (with low level gunnery officers)

Now that you have scouts, use them to avoid running straight into the enemy team.
The scout is your newest best friend, no more relying on allies and islands for vision. Now you have to watch out for enemy flak!

At this early stage your main gun shell spread will be bad, so be selective and aim for larger targets at medium to long range, try to avoid drawing too much attention to yourself. If the target is blind then approach to allow for more shells to hit it. Always watch for incoming scouts that will reveal you and retreat accordingly if spotted.


Tier 7

These battleships tend to be smaller in length compared to tier 6 and offer some minor improvements like:

• slightly better DP than tier 6
• more shell damage
• slightly improved speed & turning force.

Again with tier 7's you shouldn't be too aggressive and attacking above your weight as t8's and above will crush you in a head-on battle. Watch out for tough tier 8/9 BB's who have stacked on heavy armor, as they can afford armor at this point armor.

It's best to stick close to high tier allies and not draw attention to yourself. Play to your ships strengths, use scouts and aa enemy scouts down. It will make life much easier for you in the long run.

Tier 8 

Ah now we're onto tier 8. These ship begin the more powerful end of the battleship spectrum. They  shine when it come to mid-range engagements due to two key factors:

• high DPS due to HE secondary guns.
• strong armor setups (like 4-0, 3-1 or 2-2 belt/deck, which becomes more affordable). 

Tier 8's can now afford to purchase regular armor items because they earn more credits. Try usinga  credit aide & premium account for maximum income. Sadly they are also the last tier of battleship to have secondary HE guns which allows them to be fairly more aggressive and able to counter support ships better.

Use these secondary guns to the full against other battleships. Use AP shells to strip your target of armor before firing you main guns. It's very effective and can catch higher tier ships out.

Tier 8's also benefit from being relatively small in size, making them harder to land shells onto. Their accuracy is very good at mid-range meaning more shells hit their mark translating to more damage being dealt with each salvo.

The USN New Mexico is considered one of the more powerful tier 8 ship even after being nerfed. This is due to having twelve main guns which fire at lower angles. When fully upgraded the New Mexico is a potent ship with its high accuracy and low-angle flight time of shells combining to make this battleship lethal at medium ranges.

Tier 9

These ships are generally a stronger breed of battleship benefiting from the following advantages:

• higher defense levels, which mitigate damage better. (see UK Nelson)
• high caliber guns
• improved AA over previous tiers 
• strong armor setups 

In particular the UK Nelson is a very potent ship when armored. It can head straight towards groups of ships with relative impunity, seemingly brushing off damage.

However, all tier 9 ships can be tougher to sink due to improved defense levels coupled with armor. They benefit from being slightly faster than previous tiers and retain decent accuracy.

Tier 9 disadvantages:

• all tier 9 ships lose their secondary HE shells and are replaced with AA ammo instead.
• tier 9 ships are relatively bigger and/or wider than previous tiers (making them easier to hit)

Transitioning up to tier 9 can be a little strange at first because of the different play style. Losing HE secondaries means you generally want to fight at longer ranges, attacking and retreating based on your main gun reload times. Drift into range of multiple ships will result in your armor and DP promptly vanishing.

Also be extremely aware of scouts in BB vs BB encounters. Denying an enemy battleship his vision is crucial,  a blind bb can not hit its target. Shoot scouts down with your improved AA guns before you engage. Attacking a blind enemy gives you the advantage as they won't be able to hit back.

Pay attention to specific ships, like Nelsons (t9) and Amagi (t10) who will probably rush anyway because they lack scouts. Both of these ships deal lots of damage so monitor their movements towards you.

Tier 10

These bb's get a slight increase in performance over tier 9's in the following areas:

• faster ship speed 
• slightly longer gun range
• improved gun damage
• high gun accuracy

The USN South Dakota is one of the best tier 10 ships due to its small profile and high accuracy.
The Bismarck 1945 & Vanguard P  are equally quick and accurate too. At this stage your gunnery officers will be getting decent accuracy even without high morale.

Tier 10 downsides include:

• No sub detection
• Long ship length ( making shells and torpedoes easier to hit you)
• Slightly less range than some tier 11's

As with all battleships avoid getting swarmed and deal damage to the targets you should be aiming for, that is other battleships primarily.

At tier 10 it is advised to get the ship upgrades first, starting with speed, dp and guns. It doesn't take too long to acquire them and they will make your ship operate correctly for the grind to tier 11.

Tier 11

These bb's are the cream of the crop when it comes to bb's, at least until tier 12's are released in 2016.

Tier 11's benefit from:

• Highest shell damage (IJN Yamato is currently the highest)
• Longest gun range (USN Iowa)
• Superior AA capabilities
• Highest DP (damage points) in game.
• 5(7) Scouts
• Fastest BB class, especially if not armored and using gold boiler

Tier 11 downsides include:

• They are massive targets having large profiles to hit. 
• Longest reload times.

Tier 11 BB's are tough to take on alone, but are not invincible. With combined fire they can be worn down over time. Any respectable tier 11 captain should know which targets to take down, and will be alert to a variety of threats. Being a torpedo and bullet magnet means staying on the move is strongly recommended. Speed is your new best friend.

Once you get your tier 11 battleship, work through getting the upgrades like speed, dp and guns. Once you master the ship you will be able to get more exp for the tier 12 ships.

Tier 12

These ships are coming soon to the server. They include the USN Montana (see image), IJN A150, RN Lion and the KM H44.

Conclusion

Battleships are a less forgiving class of ship to play in navyfield. You need to stay alert at all times and be active in the battle. They can also be very fun and challenging to master their play style especially when you get some of the biggest guns to rain down destruction on others.

Tier XI Battleships

Having spent enough time & effort along with boat loads of experience & credits you have proudly bought your first BB XI. Either the long range Iowa, the accurate H39, the devastating Yamato, or the speedy and sleek Vanguard

All tier 11 battleships do not have secondary he guns. This means your DPS is limited to your main guns reload time.

However they have the longest range and most powerful guns on the sea. Tier XI's also have the highest amounts of DP in the game so far most sport a formidable AA complement with long range and damage capability. High tier BB's are quicker than previous ones.

But being in a top tier ship whilst every other players is in a tier 10 or less means you are public enemy number one. Every ship will be itching to shoot every form of high explosive destruction they can at you under the sun.

Congratulations, you will now become the biggest electro-magnet of shells and torpedoes ever, good luck.

Gameplay Changes

Play to your strengths: range, high damage, speed and accuracy.
Be aware of weaknesses: slow turn rate, long reload times, easy to hit and bomb.

I've underlined range, because you will definitely want to use it. Once you are in the range of other battleships and heavy cruisers they will target you and that is exactly what you want to avoid: being in the range of several enemy ships at once.

Your speed will allow you to dictate the flow of battle. Push other battleships back by pinging them with a salvo or two. Then watch for support ships rushing in to attack you. If you stray too close to a few enemies, speed away back to the safety of your team.

Stay within the safety net of your team. Going it alone gives your enemy an invitation to attack you whether they can successfully destroy you or just strip your armour and be a nuisance.

Also make it a habit of targeting ships you are designed to hit. Prioritize other battleships and Heavy cruisers that stray too close. It's pointless to attack distant apa's & dd's as most shells will miss and you will be wasting your shells and overall battle effectiveness in the process.

Initially It's far better to land more shells on an enemy battleship dealing upwards of 30k damage rather than missing the majority of shells on a ship who is far away and never going to harm you.

Learn to focus fire and prioritize weakened ships. If you see a half damaged ship that will bug-out try to sink it. Sinking it results in one less enemy firing at you and makes your life that bit easier.

I've seen this many many times where players will target the nearest ship to them, when a ship a little farther away is close to being sunk. In certain circumstances (maybe a crippled BB 9-11) you may want to pursue it to remove its effectiveness from the battle.

Evaluate targets worth shooting. Some targets may be so crippled that you could be wasting your shells on them, while other nearby ships can take them out. Target a new ship and leave the crippled one to your allies. If there are no allies around you finish him off yourself, but switch firing to gradual mode and only use what ammo is necessary to sink them.

High damage is only as good as your accuracy, spread and personal aiming skills are. If you are constantly missing shells your damage output will be reduced and your overall contribution to the team effort will be low.

Items

The best items for tier XI's are the boiler enhancement, and a reload item.
You want to be fast, and reload more quickly in general matchmaking battles. You will probably want some armour. How much is up to you.

In Harbour Assaults you will definitely want to repair more quickly to keep your ships from sinking. Equipping an advance repair crew will increase your battle endurance.

Armour is good for matchmaking. Speed is just as valuable for tier XI than taking a few extra hits. Maybe 1/1 Belt/Deck is sufficient. Don't over estimate the value of armour:  it's helpful yes but it doesn't make you invincible.

Think of armour as a limited buffer of dp. It never lasts forever. And it will slow you down the more you have. It really depends on your play style and the battle situation. In matchmaking you may want a bit or a lot. In fleet battles, speed might be more crucial to attack and withraw instead of having that dp buffer. Time will tell.

Bear in mind that tier XI's won't be the top of the tree for long, as tier XII's have already been leaked by the devs. And will probably be slightly quicker, tougher, dealing more damage and having even more range.

Battleship Gameplay Tactics

General Info

Battleship are the 'big-stick' damage dealers in Navyfield 2.

Being large and heavy makes them slow, however battleships have high DP and are tougher to destroy.

Being large targets means that battleships need to be aware of other battleships, aerial bombers, submarines and nearby destroyers who want to launch torpedoes at them.

How to use a Battleship (BB)

In an ideal situation (one where scouting is good and you can see your main guns score a hit) a BB should be looking to do damage to other BB's. [maybe CA/CL depending on the situation]

Multiple BB's on a team form a line to the opposing team. This line is to cover each other and to deny access to your CV's. Your CV is the team lifeline, providing protection and sight. Ultimately they gain you victory.

Engagement Tips

As with most ships, battleships should remain in motion at all times. Generally travelling in a line, but evading where necessary.

In early BB's ( teir IV + V's) players should remain grouped together with their team. Sinking stray enemies. And using team light/vision to shoot at opponents.

Later teir BB's can provide scouting for themselves allowing them the freedom to engage in BB to BB battles.

TIP: Always keep moving at maximum speed.

Battleships should always keep on the move. Especially when on the receiving end of an attack.

TIP: Retreat from the battle line when attacked by multiple battleships, or when you can't see the enemy.

TIP: Change speed and direction to throw off BB's targeting you.

Occassionally turning into or away from your opponent means they have to readjust their aim. But so do you.

In tier IV + V BB's, use auto aim and get used to hosing down your target with Main guns at max range. Use secondary guns if you know they are blind. If a DD appears close-by scouting your position, take this DD out quickly as it becomes a major threat to you.

Tier V bb's have one of the best ratios of DPS and are relatively small in size, making them very efficient at medium ranges. Use this to your advantage.

Remember: at-level the guns will make your shells inaccurate at longer range, especially if you have only 120% max morale instead of a fully boosted morale at 200%

Scouting

When your BB can equip a scout plane, do so immediately and practice with it.

A scout will give you vision over where you are shooting. This is a crucial point because without light (vision) you are vulnerable.

With the correct scouting you can anticipate enemy movement. It also reduces the chance of receiving surprise attacks.

Scout enemy planes.

Scouts also allow you to determine enemy plane movement. This is important, because it gives you insight into your enemy's ideas. Also you can see bomber squadrons from CV's. And all CV's will bomb their favourite targets: Battleships.

A bombing CV will be gunning for a big juicy battleship that isn't paying attention. Why? because CV's can get more damage and more rewards from BB's. And let's face it you would do the same, BB's are big easy targets.

Watch for fighter planes, as they can blast your scout out of the sky. Reducing you to having no light, no visibility and back into that nasty vulnerable state again.

TIP: Keep an eye on enemy scout plane locations to determine if you are able to get within range of other BB's without being spotted.

This is another crucial skill to develope. Determining the right time to "go for it" means you can successfully engage a target without getting shot at. Which is totally satisfying when executed correctly.

Late Game - Stalemates

Eventually when both teams are balanced and filled with experienced players, you will find a stalemate happens.

In these scenarios you can do two things:

Destroy all enemy scouts until they have none left, attacking them when they are blind.

Engage in a line battle at max range and try to goad the enemy towards you, picking them off one by one.

Usually a mix of the two is best because you get damage points while reducing the enemy's offensive capability.

Above all learn to be patient. A BB's fight is never quick and easy. It's a war of attrition with the most patient and level-headed player coming out victorious.

Manual Aiming

Although I mentioned using auto aim for the start, do not neglect Manual aiming completely. Give it a go to prepare yourself for the late tier BB's, where hitting all your shells on a target is even more vital, and can really make the difference.

View a more detailed look at Manual Aiming