Italian Cruisers: Branch Review

The Tech Tree will soon welcome a new branch of ships. In Update 0.8.10, the Regia Marina’s cruisers are scheduled to exit Early Access and become freely available for all players to research.

In this article, we'll cover the specific gameplay features of the new ships!


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Please note: the article indicates SAP shell ricochet angles applicable to the release of Update 0.8.10. In Update 0.8.9, shells fired by any Tier III–IX ships have a chance of ricocheting at angles of 65 degrees or higher.

Starting from Tier II of the branch, the Regia Marina's researchable cruisers come armed with semi-armor-piercing (SAP) shells instead of HE shells.

• SAP shells may ricochet after hitting their target, but they have quite favorable ricochet angles—even better than those of the AP shells fired by British and American cruisers:
  
  • Shells fired by II Nino Bixio have a chance of ricocheting at angles of 80 degrees or higher, and are guaranteed to ricochet at angles of 85 degrees or higher.
    
  • Shells fired by any Tier III–IX ships have a chance of ricocheting at angles of 70 degrees or higher, and are guaranteed to ricochet at angles of 80 degrees or higher.
    
  • Shells fired by X Venezia have a chance of ricocheting at angles of 75 degrees or higher, and are guaranteed to ricochet at angles of 80 degrees or higher.
• If your hit doesn't ricochet, the armor penetration mechanics are similar to those of HE shells: the thickness of the armor at the point of impact is compared with the shell penetration value. The shell deals damage if the penetration value is higher than, or equal to the thickness of the armor.
  
• SAP shells can penetrate thicker armor and cause greater damage than HE shells. The exact penetration value depends on the shell’s caliber, and the damage is determined by the shell's caliber and speed.
  
• They can't overpenetrate targets.
  
• They can't start fires on enemy ships.
  
• SAP shells have no limit in terms of the damage they can cause to destroyers.

Before choosing which particular shell type to use for your attack, consider your target. SAP shells are most efficient against destroyers, battleships, and cruisers, with the latter being positioned at an angle to your ship. AP shells perform best against any cruisers that leave their broadsides exposed. If an enemy ship is positioned at an angle to you, SAP shells are preferential: when hitting the ship's front or aft ends and superstructures, they can deal impressive damage. However, the heavy damage they can cause is offset by their inability to set fires on enemy ships. Choosing the right shell for each situation and evaluating the target's armor are vital skills to learn when mastering the Italian cruisers' gameplay.

• If you come under concentrated fire or want to quickly get out of the enemy’s line of fire, use the Exhaust Smoke Generator which is available on Italian cruisers starting at Tier V. Unlike the standard Smoke Generator, Exhaust Smoke Generator will continuously surround the ship for the duration of the consumable’s action time, regardless of the speed at which she is going. But beware: while under the cover of smoke, your ship's spotting range decreases, and, when firing, its detectability range will increase to a certain value, meaning that it’s still possible to be detected by nearby enemies.
  
• Starting at Tier V, you can choose between the Spotting Aircraft and the Fighter consumables.
  
• Starting at Tier IX, the Repair Party consumable becomes available.
  
• Unlike most ships of their type, Italian cruisers aren't equipped with the Hydroacoustic Search or Surveillance Radar consumables, so you should pay greater attention to the Minimap in order to track enemy destroyers and avoid sudden torpedo attacks.

The specifications of Italian cruisers emphasize their predisposition to long-distance battles.

• The high maneuverability and speed of the Regia Marina's ships are the two important advantages of the new branch. The farther away an enemy ship is, the easier it is to maneuver away from her salvoes or brace for impact at a sharp angle.
  
• Torpedoes act more as auxiliary weapons for the ships of the new branch. Due to the small number of torpedo tubes and the torpedoes’ slow movement speed, you shouldn't rely on them too much. However, their long range and quick reload will allow you to seal a strategically important strait or make any enemy ships hidden in smoke nervous.
  
• Starting at Tier VI, Italian cruisers are armed with 203 mm guns that can boast enjoyable ballistics. Their gameplay is based on the special features of their SAP shells, relatively long reload time of their main battery, and significant damage they can inflict per salvo. If the target and moment for a shot are chosen correctly, you can inflict an immense amount of damage to your enemies.

X Venezia was built in consideration of the technical solutions used during the construction of Italian light cruisers and the last series of the Regia Marina's battleships. The ship was based on the technical designs initially proposed by the Ansaldo company’s shipbuilders for the Spanish Navy. The location of the turrets is worth a special mention: had they been placed in a traditional manner, the dimensions of the citadel and the ship itself would have been too large. To mitigate this, the turrets were given unusual positioning. This enabled a reduction in the size of the ship and its citadel at the cost of partially limiting the firing angles of the second turret. Her fifteen 203 mm caliber guns can cause excellent damage per salvo, while stronger armor compared to that of the other ships of her branch will help her to make it through intense battles.

• Priority Target
  
• Adrenaline Rush
  
• Superintendent
  
• Concealment Expert

This set of skills will be useful on ships starting at Tier V. Any further development of your Commander will depend on your play style, goals in battle, and ship tier.

• Expert Loader will allow you to quickly switch to AP shells and inflict significant damage to any enemies exposing their broadsides.
  
• Preventive Maintenance will reduce the chances of damage being caused to your engines and rudders, and maintain your ship's maneuverability.
  
• Torpedo Acceleration and Torpedo Armament Expertise will be useful if you're used to relying on torpedoes in battle.
  
• Jack of All Trades will speed up the slow reload speed of consumables on Italian cruisers.
  
• Due to the absence of the Hydroacoustic Search consumable, Italian cruisers are quite vulnerable to destroyers. Vigilance and Radio Location will allow you to assess where to expect a torpedo attack from and give you a few extra seconds to evade the attack.

• Main Armaments Modification 1
  
• Steering Gears Modification 1
  
• Aiming Systems Modification 1
  
• Propulsion Modification 2
  
• Concealment System Modification 1
  
• Main Battery Modification 3

Please note: since Italian cruisers have no HE shells, skills such as Inertia Fuse for HE Shells and Demolition Expert will have no effect. Also, the Smoke Generator Modification 1 special upgrade can't be mounted on these ships.

• Evaluate the situation! Having no Hydroacoustic Search readily available, Italian cruisers are vulnerable to torpedo attacks. Stay close to an ally capable of spotting torpedoes and enemy destroyers in good time to compensate for this disadvantage. With such support, these new ships will turn from victims into hunters—their significant damage per salvo will enable them to quickly send any detected enemy destroyer to the bottom of the sea.
  
• When facing enemy cruisers, wait for them to make a mistake. A salvo with AP shells against their broadside will inflict impressive damage. No time to change shell type? SAP shells will be effective, too.
  
• If you’re caught in concentrated fire, make use of nearby islands and the Exhaust Smoke Generator. This consumable will allow you to change course undetected or escape a threatening situation. Don't forget that it has quite a long reload time and using it with the intention of firing from behind the cover of smoke isn't very effective—the screen it produces dissipates quite quickly.
  
• Use torpedoes to protect yourself in case of proximity to enemy ships and force them to maneuver. The fast reload time and long range of your torpedoes will enable you to "comb" any smokes in which your enemies might be hiding.
  
• Keep moving—your ship’s good maneuverability will allow you to avoid being hit.

Italian cruisers, with their unusual shells and Smoke Generator, can provide new tactical opportunities. Prepare to take advantage of these new possibilities in battle and take them out to sea!