Soviet Battleship Branch Review

Soviet battleships are set to join the World of Warships fleet very soon. The ships of the Soviet branch have a number of advantages that can surprise your rivals and help you find a way out of almost any situation.

We'll tell you about gameplay features of each of these steel giants.

Summarizing the Branch – An Unusual Concept

Soviet battleships are most effective in close- and medium-range engagements, at a distance of 10–12 km from their targets. The peculiarities of this branch emphasize their inclination to get up close and aggressively personal to their adversaries.

• Good accuracy at medium ranges. Thanks to a flatter trajectory, shells from Tier VIII–X ships reach their targets faster than shells from their counterparts. However, the dispersion ellipse grows more considerably than for ships of other nations as the distance increases, which prevents you from delivering accurate strikes on the enemy from afar.
• Reliable armor, especially efficient against high-explosive projectiles, allows these ships to approach the enemy, get within a convenient combat range, and lose less HP in the process. Many Soviet battleships have their ends protected by a durable armor belt. Use this feature to your advantage and close in on your adversary at an acute angle.
• Special settings for the Damage Control Party are another feature that will help you in close quarters. The number of charges available for this consumable is limited, but the reload time is considerably shorter than that of battleships of other nations.
• A good rudder-shift time enables you to quickly adapt to the ever-changing conditions on the battlefield, and use the peculiarities of the ships’ armor layout to your maximum advantage. At the same time, ships from the new branch have some of the widest turning circles of their respective tiers. Consider this carefully when you plan your route in battle.
• Citadels of the new battleships are positioned quite high, which is why a salvo aimed at your broadside can be especially dangerous. However, durable bow armor will more than compensate for this shortcoming if you keep your ship at an acute angle to the enemy.
• A large HP pool allows these ships to remain in battle longer and gives them the potential to sustain more damage.

It's worth noting that the above-mentioned aptitude for close quarters combat manifests itself differently on ships of different tiers. Good accuracy at short ranges is more noticeable at lower tiers, while the higher-tier ships can boast fast turret rotation, convenient gun-training angles, effective anti-torpedo defenses, durable armor belts, and sturdy armor on their decks. However, keep in mind that Soviet battleships can still fire over long distances, and that it's better to enlist support of your allies before getting in close to the enemy.

Commanders and Upgrades

When training your Commander, pay particular attention to the skills that increase the survivability of your ship. Considering the limited number of charges for Damage Control Party, the Superintendent skill can come in especially useful.

We recommend spending 10 points on skills such as Priority Target, Adrenaline Rush, Superintendent, and Fire Prevention. A Commander with 19 skill points can complement this set with additional skills as Concealment Expert; Basics of Survivability; and either Expert Marksman, which is useful at lower tiers, or Jack of All Trades, which accelerates the reload time of all consumables.

When selecting upgrades, be sure to consider the peculiarities of Soviet battleships: pay attention to those that increase the survivability of your ship. Upgrades for AA armament will come in handy for Tiers V–IX; while upgrades for secondary armament won't be as useful as for their German counterparts. Due to the specifics of their dispersion ellipse at long ranges, the Gun Fire Control System Modification 2 upgrade is significantly inferior in terms of efficiency in comparison to other upgrades, and therefore is not available for Soviet battleships.

The first ship in the branch stands out thanks to the unusual layout of her turrets, which allows her to concentrate fire from all 10 guns on a single side—a rare feature for Tier III battleships. The trade-off for the high damage and good penetration of her armor-piercing shells comes in form of a long reload time—36 seconds—which is 6 seconds longer than the majority of same-tier battleships. Armor on her bow and aft reliably protects the ship against high-explosive shells, as long as you maintain an acute angle towards the enemy. The weakest link in the ship's defenses is her anti-torpedo protection—be sure to stay vigilant if you find yourself near enemy destroyers.

This battleship can boast of extremely durable 38 mm thick armor on her deck. You'll need high-explosive shells with a caliber of more than 230 mm to penetrate it. However, as a drawback, Gangut's HP pool isn't very large. While keeping the common traits of the majority of ships in the Soviet branch, Gangut has comparatively good concealment: on average, her visibility is 1 km less than that of other Tier IV battleships. Her firing range and the reload time of her primary armament are also among her shortcomings. Pay careful attention to the layout of her main battery turrets: the first and the third are pointed towards the bow, which means that only one turret is able to fire straight forward. When in battle, don't forget that even a ship with protection like she has can't fight alone: draw enemy fire to you while your allies assist with destroying your adversaries.

Piotr Velikiy is one of the fastest battleships of her tier, but carries a relatively small number of 356 mm guns. The usual superfiring turret arrangement and convenient firing angles allow her to do battle with greater confidence when getting close to the enemy. The ship preserves the advantages and shortcomings of her two predecessors: on one hand, she boasts excellent protection of her aft- and fore-ends, 38 mm thick armor on the central part of her deck, and high damage and armor penetration of her armor-piercing shells; on the other hand, the reload time of her main guns is 3 seconds longer, and the firing range is 1 km shorter, than those of the majority of Tier V battleships.

The first thing you might notice about this ship is her unusual turret layout: all of them, except for the front one, are turned towards the aft. This needs to be considered when rotating turrets from one side of the ship to the other. The weight of her broadside stands out significantly compared to her counterparts: twelve 356 mm guns make every salvo extremely dangerous. One of the ship's advantages is a high speed of 28.5 knots, among others. However, the long reload time of the main battery, not the most durable armor, and weak anti-torpedo defenses require a careful approach in battle.

Nine 406 mm guns are installed according to the layout that’s usual for high-tier ships: two turrets on the bow and another on the aft. This layout is characteristic for all of the ships that follow her in the branch. It allows them to concentrate the bulk of their firepower on an adversary when closing in, while the armor belt on the bow can confidently withstand shelling. Take note that the anti-torpedo defenses remain unchanged compared to the previous tier. This, combined with a wide turning circle, makes torpedoes the most dangerous threat. The "Fighter" consumable is available to defend yourself from aviation.

An impressive HP pool, sturdy armor on central part of her deck, and relatively low detectability make it easy for this battleship to approach within an optimal range of engagement. A 200 mm thick armor belt on the bow provides additional protection. Her firing range and accuracy at long distances are inferior to same-tier battleships, but the high damage of her armor-piercing shells and convenient ballistics make it easier to inflict damage at medium ranges. The Fighter consumable will help you fend off air raids.

The already familiar traits of the branch become even more articulated with Sovetsky Soyuz. The thickness of her armored deck reaches 60 mm: high-explosive shells from cruisers—even the heavy variety—won't be able to penetrate it without the Inertia Fuze for HE Shells Commander skill. Only Midway and Saipan have a chance to pierce this reliable armor with their high-explosive bombs. Much more effective anti-torpedo defenses are added to this, as well as turrets with large HP reserves that can rotate 180 degrees in 30 seconds. Effective maneuverability is still present as well: fast-shifting rudders are accompanied by an impressive turning circle radius of 950 m. This picture is complemented by the flat trajectory of her shells, but the accuracy of Sovetsky Soyuz at long distances is inferior to that of her counterparts. The optimal range of engagement is between 8–12 kilometers, where the features of this battleship will allow it to remain in battle longer and deal damage effectively. The Fighter consumable is also available.

A true giant, combining all of the peculiarities of Soviet battleships, crowns this branch. On average, she has 16,000 more HP than other same-tier ships, which in combination with her reliable anti-torpedo defenses and a 60 mm-thick armored deck, makes her excellent for brawling at close-quarters. Her armor-piercing shells, fired from 457 mm guns, have some of the best penetration and damage values in the game. Flat ballistics allow for an easy target lead at any distance, while her turrets can rotate 180 degrees in just 30 seconds, as with the previous tier. It's worth noting that she has a relatively short firing range and low accuracy at long distances. Apart from this, Kremlin can't boast a large number of guns, nor a quick reloading time, and the turning circle radius of this steel behemoth is 1,090 meters. The ship isn’t equipped with the Fighter consumable, but powerful AA armament will effectively defend her from any approaching enemy aircraft.

The ships from the new branch stand out from their counterparts, and it's high time to enjoy their unique features. Lead your team to victory!

Source: World of Warships Official Page

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