So I tested out Gneisenau's armor in training room...

[MrDeaf]

Holy smokes, this thing does not get cit, at all, in testing conditions.

<15km = never get cit

Go bow on = bounce Iowa 406mm shells off the bow. (unless they know where to shoot, which is the little ring on the tip of the bow)

 

Caveats

If you expose your broadside, you will still get penned for 10k~20k a salvo.

If you make a hard turn (combat conditions) and expose your red part of the hull, you will eat cits, if shells land there.

 

Vs. Iowa = unable to cit

http://wowreplays.com/Replay/14703

[Sirus_Patton]

350mm belt armor with a ~100mm turtleback, yeah you're not punching through that unless you're point blank.

[MrDeaf]

350mm belt armor with a ~100mm turtleback, yeah you're not punching through that unless you're point blank.

 

no, I tried that too, doesn't cit.

[Lert]

350mm belt armor with a ~100mm turtleback, yeah you're not punching through that unless you're point blank.

 

350mm belt + 100mm turtleback + citadel very low in the ship + ship very low in the water = you're not going to cit her.

[MrDeaf]

 

350mm belt + 100mm turtleback + citadel very low in the ship + ship very low in the water = you're not going to cit her.

 

It's also the way her armor is shaped below deck.

That 45mm of upwards sloped armor underwater effectively prevents any shells from making it to the citadel, even if they penetrate through the weaker 170mm plate. Which is below water to start with.

 

What really surprised me about Gneisenau, is how tanky that bow is.

It deflects 406mm shells at the waterline, which means all the shells have to come in high and hit the upper bow belt to do any damage at all.

[Nuk_]

Germans OP pls nerf

[Serge_SC]

Scharnhorst has the same armour, and it tanks very well, as long as nobody fires HE, where you burn like nobody´s business...also you do take lots of damage from regular penetrations too.

[Falls_USMC]

Bismarck seems to be very similar. I never take any damage over 5-7k when I'm bow on and have only ever been truly citadeled by tier X BBs. And one very skilled Warspite who caught me full broadside at under 2km. Yeah that one hurt. 

 

But the armor is very very good. It's almost troll-ish at times. It's a welcome break from playing the NC. 

[FinalRealm]

Wait WOWS has a training room???

can you tell me how to get to it.

[gunstones]

Something I noticed today in my Scharn, when shooting at another Scharn who was perfectly bow on pointed at me. I fired a salvo into the superstructure aiming just above both of the front turrets and I landed myself an 11,000+ Volley, several more times I fired into the superstructure and was able to land a 7,000+ volley and about a 4.800+ volley. I think that's how you counter on of these head on. 

 

The opposing Scharnhorst fired back at me aiming low towards my bow, usually doing no damage, if at most 1-2k when a few stray shots. They got tough armor, its just about knowing where best to aim dependent on how they are angled at you.

[_Rumple_]

Wait WOWS has a training room???

can you tell me how to get to it.

Aslains modpack.

[Landing_Skipper]

Something I noticed today in my Scharn, when shooting at another Scharn who was perfectly bow on pointed at me. I fired a salvo into the superstructure aiming just above both of the front turrets and I landed myself an 11,000+ Volley, several more times I fired into the superstructure and was able to land a 7,000+ volley and about a 4.800+ volley. I think that's how you counter on of these head on. 

 

The opposing Scharnhorst fired back at me aiming low towards my bow, usually doing no damage, if at most 1-2k when a few stray shots. They got tough armor, its just about knowing where best to aim dependent on how they are angled at you.

 

I'm guessing that this wasn't at close range. Plunging fire works OK on German BBs at range.  Also, was he pointed STRAIGHT at you and you slightly angled?  AP going lengthwise through a ship can do a lot of damage. 

[gunstones]

 

I'm guessing that this wasn't at close range. Plunging fire works OK on German BBs at range.  Also, was he pointed STRAIGHT at you and you slightly angled?  AP going lengthwise through a ship can do a lot of damage. 

 

Yeah I should have mentioned it was about 13km or so. Also I would say I was extremely lucky with dispersion those couple of salvos. I tested this in training room trying to replicate. I was not able to land any salvo over 6k dmg, but still was able to fairly do considerable/consistent damage to bow pointed Gneisenau, Ill have to test this at close ranges next.