HMS Nelson - mini review
Aug 28, 2017 22:00:43 GMT
R35T NO MORE, Cap'nKaitoGhost, and 2 more like this
Post by FormulaZR on Aug 28, 2017 22:00:43 GMT
I've had the pleasure of playing several games in HMS Nelson (T7 RN BB available for 375k free XP) - both in Co-op and Random battles (first random battle was a Kraken). Here are my thoughts on it:
The Good:
- Excellent fire chance with HE (46% base) and excellent HE alpha.
- Short fuse AP is strong against cruisers, broadside BBs, BB superstructures, and even DDs.
- Good maneuverability. It's no DD, but it's not bad.
- Superman heal, especially with the +20% heal flag.
- 3rd turret, while not superfiring, traverses like the front two, so changes from port to starboard are easy and quick.
- Good dispersion, especially with accuracy module.
- Very good concealment - 12.8km with camo and Concealment Expert.
- HMS Nelson serves well in captain training for the rest of RN BBs (vs Belfast, which is not a good RN CL trainer)
The Bad:
- Relatively weak armor profile and very exposed citadel.
- Turning enough to shoot the 3rd gun does put you enough broadside to be at risk of eating a citadel.
- No rear guns makes kiting difficult.
- AP struggles against angled BBs and angled cruisers.
- Slow - 24.1kts without speed flag. Not Colorado slow, but it's no Scharn or Gneis.
- Weak AA and no plane for torp spotting or AA assistance.
- Slow-ish reload of 30 seconds.
- Slow base turret traverse.
Tips:
- HE is effective against angled targets and can help bait an enemy to expose a broadside for AP punishment. Always use your different ammo types based on the situation. This is not an AP only BB.
- Don't try to shoot at/below waterline even against broadside targets. Hitting water arms the short fuse and the target will not get hit. Aim between waterline and deck.
- Don't waste your heals. As long as you haven't taken citadel damage or torp hits, you can recover tons of health. Use it wisely (especially if using Adrenaline Rush).
- IF you have to take a torp, try to take it on the stern or nose rather than the belt. Torp hits on the belt count as citadel damage and cannot be healed as much.
- Unless you're about to die, don't waste your repair on fires. Save it for flooding.
- Use premium repair/heal. The extra charge is good, but the reduced cooldown time might be the difference in surviving or not.
- Don't go solo. You will get focused - and even though your heal is good, you still have a low health pool and are easily damaged by most ships you will face.
- Don't try to shoot the 3rd turret unless you are being ignored or have it timed so you will not take return fire until you can angle back.
Captain skills: Priority Target, Expert Marksman (especially with Jack Dunkirk), Superintendent, Concealment Expert, Vigilance, Adrenaline Rush, then probably Jack of all Trades. These should also work well with the rest of RN BB line. I'd probably pick up Preventative Maintenance somewhere along there also. I rarely lost modules with Nelson, but the upcoming high tier RN BBs have weak turrets.
Bottom line:
Recommended. Lots of fun!
EDIT: would there be any interest in future mini reviews on other ships? If so, any requests?
The Good:
- Excellent fire chance with HE (46% base) and excellent HE alpha.
- Short fuse AP is strong against cruisers, broadside BBs, BB superstructures, and even DDs.
- Good maneuverability. It's no DD, but it's not bad.
- Superman heal, especially with the +20% heal flag.
- 3rd turret, while not superfiring, traverses like the front two, so changes from port to starboard are easy and quick.
- Good dispersion, especially with accuracy module.
- Very good concealment - 12.8km with camo and Concealment Expert.
- HMS Nelson serves well in captain training for the rest of RN BBs (vs Belfast, which is not a good RN CL trainer)
The Bad:
- Relatively weak armor profile and very exposed citadel.
- Turning enough to shoot the 3rd gun does put you enough broadside to be at risk of eating a citadel.
- No rear guns makes kiting difficult.
- AP struggles against angled BBs and angled cruisers.
- Slow - 24.1kts without speed flag. Not Colorado slow, but it's no Scharn or Gneis.
- Weak AA and no plane for torp spotting or AA assistance.
- Slow-ish reload of 30 seconds.
- Slow base turret traverse.
Tips:
- HE is effective against angled targets and can help bait an enemy to expose a broadside for AP punishment. Always use your different ammo types based on the situation. This is not an AP only BB.
- Don't try to shoot at/below waterline even against broadside targets. Hitting water arms the short fuse and the target will not get hit. Aim between waterline and deck.
- Don't waste your heals. As long as you haven't taken citadel damage or torp hits, you can recover tons of health. Use it wisely (especially if using Adrenaline Rush).
- IF you have to take a torp, try to take it on the stern or nose rather than the belt. Torp hits on the belt count as citadel damage and cannot be healed as much.
- Unless you're about to die, don't waste your repair on fires. Save it for flooding.
- Use premium repair/heal. The extra charge is good, but the reduced cooldown time might be the difference in surviving or not.
- Don't go solo. You will get focused - and even though your heal is good, you still have a low health pool and are easily damaged by most ships you will face.
- Don't try to shoot the 3rd turret unless you are being ignored or have it timed so you will not take return fire until you can angle back.
Captain skills: Priority Target, Expert Marksman (especially with Jack Dunkirk), Superintendent, Concealment Expert, Vigilance, Adrenaline Rush, then probably Jack of all Trades. These should also work well with the rest of RN BB line. I'd probably pick up Preventative Maintenance somewhere along there also. I rarely lost modules with Nelson, but the upcoming high tier RN BBs have weak turrets.
Bottom line:
Recommended. Lots of fun!
EDIT: would there be any interest in future mini reviews on other ships? If so, any requests?
