German Cruisers

[Phoenix_32]

Hi, I am a new player to this game. I was wondering what country would be best to start a cruiser style of play. I have heard it is Germany but I wanted more opinions. Thanks!

[landedkiller]

Well IJn isn't have bad and neither are the USN cruisers which I would grind as you would gain a tier 8 if you go to the tier 6. A bunch of credits as well the further up you grind on that line. German cruisers are good at he and just don't play french cruisers they are fragile. Russian cruisers are okay if I were to choose IJN (Japanese) or USN (United States) because of the split and credits. If you choose USN get to the tier 6 as soon as you can. USN is getting the split not the Japanese.

[Incendiary_Tanker]

11 minutes ago, Phoenix_32 said:

Hi, I am a new player to this game. I was wondering what country would be best to start a cruiser style of play. I have heard it is Germany but I wanted more opinions. Thanks!

 

Japan, I find them to be good ships. Expect Myoko.... I hate her.... She's the only one I disliked. 

[God_Stalker]

I agree start with the USN but if you can and have the time try the test server so you can play some of the higher tier ships for free, After going through all the lines I have found that the IJN are my favorite to play then the USN but don't think any of them are bad just need to figure out which is better for your play style.

[senseNOTmade]

The german cruiser line has a fearsome reputation at higher tiers, and I am finding a lot of fun with it myself while grinding. That said, several of the lower tier ships (particularly the tier 3 and tier 4 cruisers) are horrifically bad. I had several violent fits while playing the Kolberg, some involving shouting, crying, and wooden cooking spoons. I was incredibly happy once the grind was over and I could transition to the Karlsruhe, only to discover that it was even worse. Needless to say, more fits of rage followed.

Moreover, even when the german cruisers get better at tiers 5+, some of them are still very squishy, particularly the tier 5 and 6 cruisers. I like them, but they are totally unforgiving and I would not recommend them to new players. You will simply get frustrated and not learn much in the process.

 

My recommendation would be to start up the USN (American) line. Up until tier 6 they are a very strong and forgiving line of cruisers which will really show you what a cruiser can and cannot do. Particularly the StLouis at tier 3 and Cleveland at tier 6 are monsters. You'll bully destroyers, you'll be able to duel most same tier cruisers 1v1, and you'll learn in which situations to engage enemy battleships. All in all, they make for an excellent learning ground. That all said, I would suggest playing through a different cruiser line (maybe Japanese or French) before getting the Pensacola at tier 7. While the DesMoines at tier 10 is a monster, the USN cruisers become very terrible unforgiving between tiers 7 and 9. I suggest having a few thousand battles under your belt before bothering with them.

[Phoenix_32]

How do I get onto the test server?

[MasterDiggs]

I would grind up the US line to T6, and stop at T6. 

Then check out the IJN line. So far I have liked them all, just unlocked T8.

The Germans are okay, I'm at T9 and didn't really find the line that interesting. T6 and T9 are good. T7 is too situational and T8 is meh. I just didn't care for the rest of them much at all.  I am looking forward to T10 but I am not in much of a hurry to get there.

[God_Stalker]

12 minutes ago, Phoenix_32 said:

How do I get onto the test server?

I sent you a message with the link.

[WolfofWarship]

Hey @Phoenix_32 welcome to the game! Choosing a Cruiser is different for every player and really depends on your play style. Try out all of the different lines and see which one aligns to your style and go from there. I love French boats, others are huge fans of the German, Japanese and American lines. A lot of it is down to personal style and choice at the start!

[Chaos_EN2]

13 hours ago, Phoenix_32 said:

Hi, I am a new player to this game. I was wondering what country would be best to start a cruiser style of play. I have heard it is Germany but I wanted more opinions. Thanks!

Okay you still at the lower tiers, what I would suggest is try two or three (or even all of them) of the lines and get the feel for them one of these lines will fit you or even more than one. For me I like the MN, IJN and USN, but I have tried them all.

And let me know if there is anyway I can help you in game as well.

[SeaRaptor]

16 hours ago, Phoenix_32 said:

Hi, I am a new player to this game. I was wondering what country would be best to start a cruiser style of play. I have heard it is Germany but I wanted more opinions. Thanks!

At low tiers, almost everything is either light cruisers or armored cruisers.  It's tough to pick a single line and really get a feel for things. 

With that said, my recommendation is to try the Japanese cruiser line; the reason for that is because they get to heavy cruisers faster than anyone else.  Get through the Tier I and II boats as quick as you can.  Learn to play the Tier III and IV ships.  They are solid light cruisers and will give you a feel for that style of play (and how fragile you are).

Tier V's Furutaka introduces you to heavy cruiser play.  It is different and requires some adaptation to what you've already learned, but Furutaka is a great ship once she is fully researched.  Even when up-tiered into Tier VII games, she is more than capable of holding her own and doing mean things to enemy ships.

Based on that experience, you can decide which line(s) you want to check out.

IF YOU PREFER LIGHT CRUISER PLAY:  Pick up the British and American cruiser lines.  The USN cruiser line transitions to heavy cruisers at Tier VII, but will soon split and afford you the option of light cruisers at all tiers.  The British light cruisers are simply great boats that are fun to play.

IF YOU PREFER HEAVY CRUISER PLAY:  Stick with the Japanese line and start in on the Germans.   The Japanese line teaches patience and the value of striking from stealth; the German line teaches angling and positioning.  Both are key skills for heavy cruiser drivers.  The German line is a bit more forgiving at the high end, and Hipper is the only true rough spot due to unfavorable matchmaking these days.