Akizuki

13.3

Destroyer | Japan | Tier VIII

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VIII

9,000,000

Akizuki — Japanese Tier VIII destroyer.

One of the most sophisticated destroyers in the Japanese Navy. This ship was specifically designed to provide anti-aircraft defense. Due to her significantly increased dimensions, she was equipped with new dual-purpose main gun mounts that had a very high rate of fire. Among the drawbacks of the ship were the relatively weak torpedo armament and an insufficiently high speed.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
100 mm/65 Type 98 on a Model A mount	20	11.3	99	1,200	5	1,700		0	570,000

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Akizuki (A)	15,900	13	20	4		6/1/4	1			0	610,000
Akizuki (B)	20,400	13	20	4		18/7	1			16,500	1,400,000

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Type90 mod. 1	0.6	101	7.2	17,233	62	10		0	1,300,000
Type93 mod. 2	0.5	112	7.2	20,966	67	10		20,000	1,800,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Type8 mod. 1		0		0	370,000
Type8 mod. 2		0		8,000	780,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 52,000 hp	33		0	600,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

Player Opinion

Performance

Tier VIII's Akizuki is a major departure from the rest of the Japanese destroyer line. She packs both more guns and fewer torpedoes than any of her cousins that surround her on the tech tree, giving her a very different playstyle than any ship before or after. She is a unique ship that requires a completely different approach to the typical ninja-like playstyle of other Japanese destroyers that attempt to overwhelm their enemies with torpedoes fired from stealth. She is a gunboat which can output punishing salvos to enemy ships like USN or Russian DDs while retaining the excellent stealth from the other IJN DDs. Pretty much no other destroyers can match her firepower at the same tier, lower tier destroyers will get shredded, and higher tier destroyers will have problems dealing with her.

Akizuki’s main battery is comprised of four (4) double 100mm turrets. Unlike most Japanese destroyer gun turrets, these turn quickly, roughly on par with those found in the middle tiers of the American destroyer line aboard Nicholas, Farragut, and Mahan. She can get all of her guns on target even while maneuvering, and their rate of fire rivals that of Tier X American destroyer Gearing (although Akizuki’s shells do far less damage than Gearing’s). Also notable is the initial velocity of those shells: 1000 meters per second. This gives Akizuki’s guns a relatively flat arc at close range; they are comfortable to fire and fairly easy to guide on to target. However, her shells lose velocity quickly, and beginning around 10 km they will have a very high ballistic arc similar to those of Atlanta. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it enables her to fire over islands when needed. Her main battery is equally capable of chewing up battleship and cruiser superstructure with armor-piercing rounds or dueling enemy destroyers with high explosive ones. Akizuki’s armor-piercing shells are deceptive; individually, they do very little damage, but her rate and volume of fire will ensure AP damage racks up quickly against un-angled targets. Using her AP shells against the flat, broadside hulls of enemy destroyers is likewise a valid option, as the 100mm shells will not over-penetrate them.

While her guns are excellent, her torpedo armament is lacking. She mounts only a single quadruple launcher — compared to the double quadruple launchers of Kagero, Shiratsuyu, and Yūgumo — on a relatively long reload of 112 seconds. Akizuki has access to an improved version of the Torpedo Reload Booster  consumable without having to give up access to Smoke Generator , so she is capable of doing significant damage with her torpedo armament against unsuspecting captains by virtue of mounting the same Type 93 mod. 2 torpedoes that Kagero carries. She is the only regular tech tree destroyer able to mount Smoke Generator  and Torpedo Reload Booster  simultaneously. Like Shiratsuyu, her Torpedo Reload Booster  consumable reloads faster than the one found on other ships.

Her handling takes some getting used to. She is far slower to respond to helm commands than Japanese destroyer captains will be accustomed to, and her slow top speed is a notable handicap. She will also eat lots of damage due to her large size, although her oversized health pool will help mitigate this problem to some extent. Her anti-aircraft suite surpasses every other Japanese destroyer in the game, beating most destroyers in raw anti-air capabilities. Akizuki requires some adaptation in play, but she's more than capable of dishing out copious amounts of punishment in the hands of a captain who has taken the time to decipher how to play her well.

When facing destroyers her tier or higher, captains lacking the Inertial Fuse for HE commander skill are advised to use armor-piercing rounds as Akizuki’s 100mm HE shells lack sufficient penetration to deal consistent damage.

Pros:

Quick-turning, fast-firing main battery guns.
Armor-piercing rounds are punishing against broadside ships thanks to her rate of fire.
Flat shell arcs in close combat means she will land consistent hits on enemy ships.
Outstanding anti-aircraft suite, even without Defensive AA Fire .
Can equip Torpedo Reload Booster  consumable that reduces torpedo reload time to 5 seconds, and doesn't have to give up Smoke Generator  to do so.

Cons:

Slow to accelerate and low top speed for a destroyer.
Handles more like a cruiser than a destroyer; large turning circle and slow rudder shift make Akizuki feel sluggish.
High explosive shells have very low damage and fire chance.
Only one torpedo launcher (on a long reload) means she is almost totally reliant on her guns for damage.
Her 100mm HE shells are hard pressed to damage certain targets; shatters for zero damage against cruisers and battleships are not uncommon.

Research

Hull (B) is a huge boost to Akizuki’s survivability, and should be researched first. After that, the Fire Control System upgrade to boost her range is probably the best bet, leaving the Torpedo module for last.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Akizuki are as follows:

Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
Slot 2: Propulsion Modification 1
Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1 *
Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1 ()*
Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1

Akizuki’s gunboat playstyle means that her upgrade modules will look very similar to that of similarly-tiered cruisers and Russian destroyers. Aiming Systems Modification 1 in Slot 3 is one of the best options, though a case can be made for AA Guns Modification 2 () in order to increase the ship's AA range to 6.0 km (7.2 km if stacked concurrently with the Advanced Firing Training commander skill). Either Steering Gears Modification 2 or Propulsion Modification 2 should be slotted into Slot 4 either for faster acceleration or better rudder shift.

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns. ★★	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines. ★★★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched.	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time.	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire.	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm.	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range. ★	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost. ★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding. ★	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier. ★★★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes. ★★	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★★★	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target. ★★	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes.
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only.	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three.	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm. ★★★	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken. ★★	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Meh Χ - Not recommended

Consumables

Akizuki can equip the following consumables:

Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
Slot 2: Smoke Generator 
Slot 3: Engine Boost 
Slot 4: Torpedo Reload Booster

A gunboat destroyer like Akizuki is inevitably going to come under heavy fire; the abbreviated cooldown on Damage Control Party II () will eventually pay for itself. Shelling out the doubloons or credits here is highly recommended. Her low speed also makes the shortened cooldown on Engine Boost II () highly attractive. Paying for Smoke Generator II () is captain's choice, but there are times that the shortened cooldown on smoke is the difference between sneaking away and going to the bottom.

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 1 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce detectibility range.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Akizuki with Type 18 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signals

Victor Lima () and India X-Ray () signal flags will help boost Akizuki’s meager fire chance, especially when combined with Demolition Expert. Juliet Charlie () should also go along with those flags in order to prevent detonations. Sierra Mike () will help make up some of her deficiency in top speed.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation. ★★★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration.	India Yankee -20% to fire duration.	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★★★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★★★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used.
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

Akizuki ready for battle.
Akizuki supports the fleet while concealed behind an island.
Akizuki engages an enemy destroyer.
Akizuki engages an enemy Izumo class battleship with torpedoes and gunfire.

Historical Info

Ships of Japan

Destroyers	II Tachibana • II Umikaze • II Tachibana Lima • III Wakatake • IV Isokaze • V Minekaze • V Fūjin • V Kamikaze • V Kamikaze R • V Mutsuki • VI Fubuki • VI Hatsuharu • VI Shinonome B • VI Shinonome • VII Akatsuki • VII Shiratsuyu • VII Yūdachi • VIII Akizuki • VIII Kagerō • VIII Asashio • VIII HSF Harekaze II • VIII Asashio B • VIII HSF Harekaze • VIII AL Yukikaze • IX Yūgumo • IX Kitakaze • IX Minegumo • IX STAR Kitakaze • X Shimakaze • X Harugumo • X Hayate • ★ Yamagiri
Cruisers	I Hashidate • II Chikuma • III Tenryū • III Katori • IV Yūbari • IV Kuma • IV Iwaki Alpha • V Furutaka • V Agano • V Yahagi • VI Aoba • VI Gokase • VII Myōkō • VII Omono • VII Tokachi • VII Maya • VII ARP Myōkō • VII ARP Ashigara • VII ARP Haguro • VII Southern Dragon • VII Eastern Dragon • VII ARP Nachi • VIII Mogami • VIII Tone • VIII Atago • VIII Shimanto • VIII Atago B • VIII ARP Takao • VIII ARP Maya • IX Ibuki • IX Takahashi • IX Azuma • IX AL Azuma • IX Chikuma II • X Zaō • X Yodo • X Yoshino • X Yoshino B • X Kitakami
Battleships	II Mikasa • III Kawachi • IV Myōgi • IV Ishizuchi • V Kongō • V ARP Kongō • V ARP Kirishima • V ARP Haruna • V ARP Hiei • V HSF Hiei • VI Fusō • VI Mutsu • VI Ise • VII Nagato • VII Ashitaka • VII Hyūga • VIII Amagi • VIII Yumihari • VIII Kii • VIII Ignis Purgatio • VIII Ragnarok • IX Izumo • IX Adatara • IX Musashi • IX Hizen • IX Iwami • IX Daisen • IX Tsurugi • IX Iwami B • X Yamato • X Bungo • X Shikishima • X ARP Yamato • ★ Satsuma
Aircraft Carriers	IV Hōshō • VI Ryūjō • VIII Shōkaku • VIII Kaga • VIII Kaga B • X Hakuryū • ★ Sekiryu

Destroyers

Japan	II Tachibana • II Umikaze • II Tachibana Lima • III Wakatake • IV Isokaze • V Minekaze • V Fūjin • V Kamikaze • V Kamikaze R • V Mutsuki • VI Fubuki • VI Hatsuharu • VI Shinonome B • VI Shinonome • VII Akatsuki • VII Shiratsuyu • VII Yūdachi • VIII Akizuki • VIII Kagerō • VIII Asashio • VIII HSF Harekaze II • VIII Asashio B • VIII HSF Harekaze • VIII AL Yukikaze • IX Yūgumo • IX Kitakaze • IX Minegumo • IX STAR Kitakaze • X Shimakaze • X Harugumo • X Hayate • ★ Yamagiri
U.K.	II Medea • III Valkyrie • III Campbeltown • IV Wakeful • V Acasta • VI Icarus • VI Gallant • VII Jervis • VII Jupiter '42 • VIII Lightning • VIII Cossack • VIII Cossack B • IX Jutland • IX Somme • X Daring • X Druid
France	II Enseigne Gabolde • III Fusilier • IV Bourrasque • V Jaguar • V Siroco • VI Guépard • VI Aigle • VII Vauquelin • VIII Le Fantasque • VIII Le Terrible • IX Mogador • X Kléber • X Marceau • X Kléber CLR
U.S.S.R.	II Storozhevoi • III Derzki • IV Izyaslav • V Gremyashchy • V Podvoisky • V Okhotnik • VI Gnevny • VII Minsk • VII Leningrad • VII Tashkent '39 • VIII Ognevoi • VIII Kiev • IX Udaloi • IX Tashkent • IX Neustrashimy • X Khabarovsk • X Grozovoi • X Delny • ★ Zorkiy
U.S.A.	II Sampson • II Smith • III Wickes • IV Clemson • V Nicholas • V Hill • VI Farragut • VI Monaghan • VII Mahan • VII Sims • VII Sims B • VIII Benson • VIII Kidd • IX Fletcher • IX Benham • IX Halford • IX Black B • IX Black • X Gearing • X Somers • X Forrest Sherman • ★ Joshua Humphreys
Germany	II V-25 • III G-101 • IV V-170 • V T-22 • VI Ernst Gaede • VI T-61 • VI Karl von Schönberg • VII Leberecht Maass • VII Z-31 • VII Z-39 • VIII Z-23 • VIII Gustav-Julius Maerker • VIII Z-35 • IX Z-46 • IX Felix Schultz • IX Z-44 • IX ZF-6 • X Z-52 • X Elbing • X Z-42
Pan-Asia	II Longjiang • III Phra Ruang • IV Shenyang • V Jianwei • VI Fushun • VI Anshan • VII Gadjah Mada • VIII Hsienyang • VIII Siliwangi • VIII Loyang • VIII Fenyang • VIII Loyang B • VIII Ship Smasha • IX Chung Mu • X Yueyang • X Lüshun • ★ Kunming
Spain	X Álvaro de Bazán
Europe	II Tátra • III Romulus • IV Klas Horn • V Visby • V Muavenet • VI Västerås • VI Stord • VII Skåne • VII Grom • VII Błyskawica • VII Stord '43 • VIII Öland • VIII Split • VIII Orkan • IX Östergötland • IX Lambros Katsonis • IX Velos • IX Friesland • IX Jäger • X Halland • X Gdańsk • X Småland • X Ragnar • ★ Dalarna
Netherlands	IX Groningen • X Tromp
Italy	II Curtatone • III Nazario Sauro • IV Turbine • V Maestrale • VI Aviere • VI Leone • VII Luca Tarigo • VII FR25 • VIII Vittorio Cuniberti • IX Adriatico • IX Paolo Emilio • X Attilio Regolo
Commonwealth	III Vampire • VII Haida • VII Huron • X Vampire II
Pan-America	VI Juruá

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Compatible Upgrades