Mackensen

13.11

Battleship | Germany | Tier VI

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VI

3,500,000

Mackensen — German Tier VI battleship.

When designing a new battlecruiser, the issue of artillery was of utmost importance. Different options were suggested for the armament of the new ships, such as a configuration with six 380 mm guns distributed among three turrets or an alternative with ten 305 mm guns. As a compromise, it was decided to arm the battlecruisers with eight 350 mm guns. Construction was halted due to the end of hostilities when the ship was only 15 months away from completion.

Mackensen was first released in Early Access with Update 0.10.9.

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 ()
350 mm/45 SK C/14 on a Drh LC/1914 mount	2.2	30	187	4,000	27	10,500		0	350,000

	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 ()
Mackensen	52,300	6	300	4	8/14	20/8				0	525,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 6 Mod. 1		0		0	350,000
FKS Typ 6 Mod. 2		0		10,000	700,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 90,000 hp	28		0	350,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning. The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.

Background

To combat the construction of HMS Hood and make up for the thirteen cruisers sunk during the war, the Mackensens were designed as a further development of the Derfflinger class. Originally requested by the Kaiser to be armed with 15in guns, the Commander in Chief of the navy preferred the 12in guns of the Derfflingers. A compromise was made for a 13.8in gun size. While based off of the Derfflingers, the Mackensen had several improvements in their design. The aft deck was raised to reduce the wetness at speed, and the rudders were mounted side by side to cut down on the turning radius. Construction on all four of the Mackensens were never completed, as supplies were diverted to build U-boats.

The Ship

Tier VI Mackensen continues many of the distinctive traits of the preceding battlecruisers — high speed for her tier, good concealment for a battleship, and better main battery accuracy, but lower survivability. She also gains access to the Hydroacoustic Search  consumable and features improved horizontal dispersion on her secondaries, two other traits that will be shared with the rest of the line.

Mackensen shares many similarities with her premium cousin and real life sister ship VI Prinz Eitel Friedrich, including very similar hull designs, handling, and armament. However, while Prinz Eitel Friedrich in game leans more toward the battleship side of battlecruisers, Mackensen is slightly more on the cruiser side.

Her guns are still battleship caliber for the tier, but her speed and ideal positioning give her some cruiser-like aspects in-game and her armor protection lies somewhere in between. She is still forgiving of some mistakes against lower and same tier enemies, but higher tier enemies are more likely to punish those same mistakes.

Maneuverability

In keeping with the characteristics of preceding ships, Mackensen is one of the fastest battleships at Tier VI. This high top speed allows her to quickly reach advantageous positions and react to changes in the battle over time. Experienced players should use that speed to her advantage, but newer players need to be careful of overextending.

Like the earlier battlecruisers, Mackensen is not an agile ship. With one of the largest turning circles and slowest rudder shifts among Tier VI battleships, she relies on positioning and concealment to avoid enemy fire and torpedoes. Her torpedo protection is average as well, further increasing the importance of positioning and her hydroacoustic search consumable to dissuade torpedo attacks.

Armament

Mackensen is armed with eight 350mm guns in four centerline twin turrets. She uses the same turrets and shells as found on VI Prinz Eitel Friedrich, although Mackensen’s rotate faster. She also has one of the fastest reloads of all Tier VI battleships, currently beaten only by French battleship VI Dunkerque.

As with the rest of the line, Mackensen uses the large cruiser dispersion found on ships like IX Alaska and VI Graf Spee. This gives her better dispersion than other battleships at her tier, but her lower sigma will result in some inconsistent salvos. Players of other lower sigma battleships like VII Lyon should be familiar with the effect this has on dispersion, where some salvos are accurate and others land nowhere near the aim point. However, the improved dispersion still results in fairly accurate shots where other low sigma ships may feel less consistent. As a result, players can comfortably select modules to boost her secondaries without having to sacrifice too much main battery performance.

Mackensen’s secondaries are surprisingly effective for a Tier VI battleship. Like the preceding battlecruisers V Derfflinger and IV Moltke, most of Mackensen’s secondaries are casemate-mounted 150mm guns, supplemented by eight (8) 88mm guns. As with most other German battleships, they feature improved range and the 150s also have improved penetration. Although Mackensen only gains two (2) 150mm guns and some range over the preceding ships, her secondaries have improved horizontal dispersion.

Survivability

Like Derfflinger at Tier V, Mackensen has one of the highest stock health pools among Tier VI battleships, but the lack of an upgraded (B) hull leaves her slightly below average against other upgraded hulls. While not as fragile compared to her tier as later battlecruisers, Mackensen is less durable against higher tiers than Derfflinger.

As a German battlecruiser, Mackensen features thick armor belts covering her entire side and extending along the lower half of her bow and some of her stern. Her upper bow and most of her stern are only 25mm thick, leaving her vulnerable to most cruiser HE and overmatch from larger battleship caliber AP. But it offers much more protection against same tier battleships than Derfflinger’s 19mm. However, Mackensen lacks the turtleback of the preceding battlecruisers and most German battleships. As such, she can be a difficult ship to kill quickly when properly angled, but she is much more vulnerable when caught broadside.

Like the Russian battleships, Mackensen uses the Fast Damage Control Team  rather than the normal Damage Control Party  consumable. The significantly faster cooldown leaves her less vulnerable to full duration fires or floods after repairing, but the limited charges can run out quickly in long engagements if not used selectively.

She also has access to the Hydroacoustic Search  consumable, an unusual feature among battleships and the first at Tier VI. Due to her weaker torpedo protection, the advantage it provides in spotting and dodging enemy torpedoes can be significant. Players should note that Mackensen uses the cruiser version as found on VI Nurnberg and VII Yorck, rather than the one found on the main battleship line starting at VIII Bismarck.

In addition to the durability provided by her thick belt, Mackensen’s survivability is further enhanced by her best in tier concealment. When fully specced for concealment, her detection can even rival several cruisers in her matchmaking range. That allows her to sneak up on unsuspecting broadside targets when possible, as well as go dark if she starts to take too much focus fire.

Anti-aircraft

If Mackensen’s speed and concealment are some of her strongest points, her anti-aircraft defenses are easily her worst. Even compared to other stock hulls, her long range defenses lack substantial continuous damage and her single flak cloud does little to improve it. Her short range damage is outstanding among stock hulls and still impressive compared to upgraded hulls at her tier. But with only a 1.5km range, it offers almost no protection against a strike — most of her plane kills will come after they’ve already launched their attack.

If a carrier is present in the battle, Mackensen will need to stick closer to friendly AA and be more cautious on flanks. On top of her weak AA defenses, she also has one of the highest air detection ranges of all Tier VI battleships. With little ability to protect herself, she’s an attractive target for carriers and very easy to spot from the air.

Battle performance

While the preceding battlecruisers could still fill a battleship role, Mackensen plays more like an oversized cruiser. Players should use her speed and concealment to position on a flank at the start of the battle, and react quickly as the battle evolves. Her thick belt armor and Fast Damage Control Team 

allow her to be aggressive when needed while still being difficult to kill quickly. But she should pick her fights with care and avoid leading pushes herself.

Pros:

Good main battery reload speed
Uses large cruiser dispersion
Improved secondary range and penetration
150mm secondaries have improved dispersion
One of the fastest Tier VI battleships
Lowest detection of all Tier VI battleships
Uses the Fast Damage Control Team  with a shorter cooldown
Has access to the Hydroacoustic Search  consumable

Cons:

Average health pool and weaker armor for a German battleship
Most of her AA defenses are short range
Below average AA DPS and only one flak cloud per salvo
Large turning circle with average rudder shift
One of the highest air detection ranges of Tier VI battleships
Limited charges of her Fast Damage Control Team 
88mm secondaries are unable to directly damage most ships at her tier

Research

Availability of researchable upgrades for Mackensen is as follows:

Gun Fire Control System: Upgrade to FKS Typ 6 Mod. 2 for an extra 10% range on the main battery.

Tier VII battlecruiser Prinz Heinrich is researched directly off the stock (A) hull. While the extra range of the upgraded fire control system can be helpful when bottom tier, her stock range is still sufficient for most same and top tier battles.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Mackensen are as follows:

Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1 
Slot 3: Secondary Battery Modification 1 or Aiming Systems Modification 1
Slot 4: Damage Control System Modification 2

To get the most out of Mackensen’s secondaries, Secondary Battery Modification 1 is recommended. Players that wish to further improve her main battery performance should select Aiming Systems Modification 1 instead.

For players with large coal reserves, the Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1 in Slot 2 is available to further boost Mackensen’s hydro duration. But for those short on coal, it’s recommended to save that upgrade for the higher tiers.

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack			Defense
1	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type. ★★	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance when firing at submarines. ★★	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except: Damage Control Party , Repair Party .	Emergency Repair Specialist -3% cooldown time of Damage Control Party  and Repair Party .	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning about a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km.	Preventive Maintenance −30% chance of main armament, engines, steering becoming incapacitated +15% to HP of secondary and AA guns. ★★★
2	Grease the Gears +20% main turret traverse speed.	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells. Base fire chance reduced by half. ★★	Brisk So long as the ship remains undetected: +10% ship speed.	Vigilance +25% detection range of enemy torpedoes +7% damage reduction of Torpedo Protection System. . ★★	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★	AAA & ASW Expert +15% continuous AAA and flak damage . +10% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −40% ship consumables reload time..
3	Super-Heavy AP Shells +7.5% AP shell damage −10% fire and flood damage received +25% fire and flood duration.	Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells +20% secondary battery firing range. ★★	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Basics of Survivability -15% repair, fire, and flooding duration. ★★	Improved Repair Party Readiness −0.8% reload time of Repair Party each time your ship receives potential damage equal to 100% of the ship's base HP. After receiving 2M HP potential damage: +1 charge of Repair Party .. ★	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: • +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. • +25% continuous damage. • +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament..
4	Furious 1st fire / flood −10% Main battery reload time 2nd etc. (up to 5), each −5% Main battery reload time	Manual Secondary Battery Aiming −10% secondary battery reload time. −10% secondary battery dispersion. When firing at a manually selected target: dispersion gradually improves from -25% to -50%. ★★	Close Quarters Combat -10% reload time of main battery if an enemy ship is spotted within secondary range.	Emergency Repair Expert Damage Control Party  and Repair Party : +1 charge (each). +10% action time . ★★★	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	Fire Prevention Expert -10% risk of fire. Three fires maximum. ★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Mackensen can equip the following consumables:

Slot 1: Fast Damage Control Team 
Slot 2: Repair Party 
Slot 3: Hydroacoustic Search

Players should note that Mackensen’s Hydroacoustic Search consumable is the version found on VI Nurnberg rather than the version found on higher tier battleships like VIII Bismarck.

Signals

Signals that focus on survivability are strongly encouraged.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Charlie Kilo +5% ship HP; +2.5% squadron HP.	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. ★★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding.	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 . ★

Gallery

References

Ships of Germany

Destroyers	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 • VII Z-32 • VII Z-33 • VII Z-34 • VII Z-38 • 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 • X Georg Hoffmann • X Lübeck
Cruisers	I Hermelin • II Dresden • II Emden • III Kolberg • IV Karlsruhe • V Königsberg • VI Nürnberg • VI Admiral Graf Spee • VI Leipzig • VI HSF Admiral Graf Spee • VII Yorck • VII München • VII Weimar • VIII Admiral Hipper • VIII Prinz Eugen • VIII Mainz • VIII Schill • VIII Mainz B • VIII Cross of Dorn • VIII Wiesbaden • IX Roon • IX Siegfried • IX Ägir • IX Admiral Schröder • IX Roon CLR • IX AL Ägir • X Hindenburg • X Hildebrand • X [[Ship:[Hindenburg]\|[Hindenburg]]] • ★ Clausewitz
Battleships	III Nassau • III Von der Tann • III König Albert • IV Kaiser • IV Moltke • V König • V Derfflinger • VI Bayern • VI Mackensen • VI Prinz Eitel Friedrich • VII Gneisenau • VII Prinz Heinrich • VII Scharnhorst • VII AL Prinz Heinrich • VII Scharnhorst B • VII Scharnhorst '43 • VIII Tirpitz • VIII Bismarck • VIII Zieten • VIII Odin • VIII Brandenburg • VIII Anhalt • VIII Brandenburg B • VIII Tirpitz B • VIII BA Tirpitz • IX Friedrich der Grosse • IX Prinz Rupprecht • IX Pommern • IX Pommern B • IX Prinz Sigismund • X Grosser Kurfürst • X Schlieffen • X Preussen • X Mecklenburg • X [[Ship:[Grosser Kurfürst]\|[Grosser Kurfürst]]] • ★ Hannover
Aircraft Carriers	IV Rhein • VI Weser • VI Erich Loewenhardt • VIII August von Parseval • VIII [[Ship:Graf Zeppelin (< 23.01.2019)\|Graf Zeppelin (< 23.01.2019)]] • VIII Graf Zeppelin • VIII Graf Zeppelin B • X Manfred von Richthofen • X Werner Voss • X Max Immelmann • X Otto Lilienthal

Battleships

Netherlands
U.S.A.	III South Carolina • IV Wyoming • IV Arkansas Beta • V New York • V Oklahoma • V Texas • VI New Mexico • VI Arizona • VI W. Virginia '41 • VII Colorado • VII Florida • VII West Virginia '44 • VII California • VII Colorado 2 • VIII North Carolina • VIII Kansas • VIII Nebraska • VIII Alabama • VIII Massachusetts • VIII Alabama VL • VIII Constellation • VIII Massachusetts B • VIII Alabama ST • VIII Tennessee • VIII North Carolina CLR • VIII Volunteer State • VIII North Carolina 2 • IX Iowa • IX Minnesota • IX Delaware • IX Missouri • IX Kearsarge • IX Illinois • IX Kearsarge B • IX Georgia • IX Iowa 2 • X Montana • X Vermont • X Louisiana • X Ohio • X Rhode Island • X Wisconsin • X BA Montana • X [[Ship:[Montana]\|[Montana]]] • X Montana 2 • X Utah • ★ Maine
Europe	V Viribus Unitis • VII Lugdunum • IX Karl XIV Johan • IX Niord
Germany	III Nassau • III Von der Tann • III König Albert • IV Kaiser • IV Moltke • V König • V Derfflinger • VI Bayern • VI Mackensen • VI Prinz Eitel Friedrich • VII Gneisenau • VII Prinz Heinrich • VII Scharnhorst • VII AL Prinz Heinrich • VII Scharnhorst B • VII Scharnhorst '43 • VIII Tirpitz • VIII Bismarck • VIII Zieten • VIII Odin • VIII Brandenburg • VIII Anhalt • VIII Brandenburg B • VIII Tirpitz B • VIII BA Tirpitz • IX Friedrich der Grosse • IX Prinz Rupprecht • IX Pommern • IX Pommern B • IX Prinz Sigismund • X Grosser Kurfürst • X Schlieffen • X Preussen • X Mecklenburg • X [[Ship:[Grosser Kurfürst]\|[Grosser Kurfürst]]] • ★ Hannover
U.S.S.R.	III Knyaz Suvorov • IV Imperator Nikolai I • IV Gangut • V Pyotr Velikiy • V Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya • VI Izmail • VI Novorossiysk • VII Sinop • VII Poltava • VIII Vladivostok • VIII Lenin • VIII Borodino • VIII V. I. Lenin • IX Sovetsky Soyuz • IX Navarin • IX AL Sov. Rossiya • X Kremlin • X Slava • ★ Admiral Ushakov
Italy	IV Dante Alighieri • V Conte di Cavour • V Giulio Cesare • VI Andrea Doria • VII Francesco Caracciolo • VIII Vittorio Veneto • VIII Roma • VIII AL Littorio • IX Lepanto • IX Marco Polo • IX Giuseppe Verdi • X Cristoforo Colombo • X Ruggiero di Lauria • X Sicilia • X Amerigo Vespucci
Pan-America	V Rio de Janeiro • VIII Ipiranga • VIII Atlântico • IX Los Andes • X Libertad • X Comodoro
Japan	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 • VI Ise 2 • VI Ise 3 • 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 • X [[Ship:[Yamato]\|[Yamato]]] • ★ Satsuma
U.K.	III Bellerophon • III Indefatigable • III Dreadnought • IV Orion • IV Queen Mary • V Iron Duke • V Tiger • V Agincourt • VI Warspite • VI Queen Elizabeth • VI Renown • VI Repulse • VI Repulse B • VII King George V • VII Rooke • VII Hood • VII Nelson • VII Duke of York • VII Collingwood • VII Renown '44 • VII Rodney • VIII Monarch • VIII Hawke • VIII Vanguard • IX Lion • IX Duncan • IX Marlborough • IX Scarlet Thunder • X Conqueror • X St. Vincent • X Thunderer • X Incomparable • X Cumberland • X [[Ship:[Conqueror]\|[Conqueror]]] • ★ Devastation
France	III Turenne • IV Courbet • V Bretagne • VI Normandie • VI Dunkerque • VI Dunkerque B • VII Lyon • VII Strasbourg • VIII Richelieu • VIII Gascogne • VIII Champagne • VIII Flandre • VIII Picardie • VIII [[Ship:[Richelieu]\|[Richelieu]]] • IX Alsace • IX Jean Bart • IX Jean Bart B • X République • X Bourgogne • ★ Patrie
Pan-Asia	VII Teng She • IX Bajie • IX Wujing • IX Sun Yat-Sen • IX Louchuan • IX Xuan Wu
Spain	IX Victoria
Commonwealth	VII Yukon

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