Tier XI CA vs BB

The main idea of this section is to compare the differences between a tier XI Heavy Cruiser against a tier XI Battleship to see how they function against one another. This post will not detail specific ships and their playstyles its more of a general comparison of the two classes characteristics at tier XI. As such both ships are assumed to be fully upgraded and the condition would be a 1 vs 1 battle situation.

Heavy Cruiser

Pros:   8 

• 40% smaller than a BB   (great benefit the further the range)
• 15% faster than a BB (great for evading shells at max range)
• Reload 40% faster than a BB ( can easy get two main salvos in against a BB's one )
• Turn rate faster than a BB (great for evading, especially the further the range)
• High Shell accuracy (low spread, even at its max range)
• High defence rating 
• High dps for main guns 
• High Damage Points (comparatively considering its smaller size)

Cons: 2

• Weaker hitting guns 
• Only 3 scouts

Battleship

Pros:    4

• Longest gun range    
• Highest damage guns   
• Has 7 scouts   (providing greater visibility for longer)
• High DP ( Due to their size, BB's should have a clearer advantage in DP, say 20 or 30k, and better damage mitigation [defence rating should be better because its a bigger, slower & less agile ship].)

Cons: 7

• No secondary HE guns 
• Slower gun reload  
• Slower speed  
• Slower turn rate
• Largest ship size 
• Poor accuracy (shell spread) at maximum/long range (rendering it less effective vs smaller & faster targets)
• Fewer total shells ( important in a sustained fight against  smaller and faster CA )

In a 1v1 situation scouting and AA become very important. The BB doesn't need to rush in and get kited. He can sit back and snipe scouts down to increase pressure on the enemy, but to reduce his opponents vision capabilities.

This puts the pressure on CA's to initiate hit and run attacks. Being faster and smaller the CA will try this, but will need to find a balance between getting his damage up while avoiding shells from the BB. Get too close and the BB will be landing full broadsides.

From the BB's perspective he can't run away or rush in close as the CA has greater speed, thus giving him control of the battle's range.

The BB has a few options: 1) he can snipe all 3 scouts down first.  2) he can rush to try get close  3) he can attack at mid range, trading shells  4) he can wait for max range broadside opportunities.

Option 1 is probably the preferred because the BB has impressive AA capability including secondary and tertiary AA gun sets. This means you have more guns to shoot down the fewer scouts a CA has.

Option 2, getting in close is the aggressive way to get more shells to hit the target and is more of a brute force option which can overwhelm the CA. However smart CA's will recognize the rush and kite you.

The best scenario is to play option 1 and 4 being very selective on salvos. Then transition into option 3 or 2 if the CA engages.

CA's know all of this, and will want to be in the most comfortable position at their max gun range.  This allows them to get hits, avoid some shells and AA scouts.

CA's will rely heavily on their speed and agility coupled with it's smaller size to engage and disengage at will.

Because of this, tier 11 CA's are referred to as pocket battleships and have a definitive and important role in a given battle. They are quick and should not be taken lightly.

Captain's Log: Episode 7

Captain's Log:

The H39 is a interesting ship as you can get the upgrades pretty fast due to earning the most xp and credits. Now that the 'final' tier ship is mine I can branch out into the heavy cruiser line. Already having a the Roon, I've managed to access the First Bismarck and the Scharnhorst very quickly too.

Heavy cruisers' compact size is a big bonus. Not just from the point of view of avoiding shells, but, more crucially, from a psychological perspective. Most players ignore a ship that is smaller in appearance and will focus on a bigger one (like a battleship) instead.

This psychological indoctrination is easy to recognise, and therefore easy to combat. You can practically see how a player thinks. Then you can predict what he is going to do. This means you have the advantage.

Speed, agility and dps are the key things that make a heavy cruiser a serious threat. Alone a heavy cruiser will be ok in a 1 vs 1 fight. But working collectively and letting friendly (battle)ships draw fire is the key to driving a heavy cruiser effectively. Chipping away your victims dp. You have to allow time for that dps to kick in

If you can not overcome your target(s) in that time, then you need to rethink your strategy.

Tier six heavy cruisers lack a scout. Therefore being with team mates and around islands is an essential tactic to improve your vision and effectiveness in battle.

You need to keep on the move. Never wander in a straight line. You are small and nippy but can still get thumped by shells if you take it easy.

I always make my ship difficult to hit by zig-zaging. Evading shells in a heavy cruisers is much easier due to erratic driving and the ship being smaller in size.

I've noticed that it is much easier to target smaller support ships with a CA's guns, as the accuracy of the shells is much better plus the range is closer so it take less travel time for the shell to hit the target.

Heavy cruisers are fun after being in a battleship. You can run and gun. It's a joy in comparison to being a shell magnet for hundreds of games.

It seems like this new class has breathed new life into the game for me.