Kitakaze

13.11

Destroyer | Japan | Tier IX

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IX

13,200,000

Kitakaze — Japanese Tier IX destroyer.

A V7 project destroyer. This ship was a further development of the Akizuki-class destroyers. Compared to her prototype, she had a higher speed and carried more powerful torpedo armament.

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	108	1,200	5	1,700		0	1,000,000

	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 ()
Kitakaze (A)	16,200	13	20	4		18/6/4	1			0	980,000
Kitakaze (B)	20,700	13	20	4		18/6/4	1			26,000	2,000,000

	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 ()
Type93 mod. 2	0.4	167	7.2	20,966	67	10	0	1,800,000
Type93	0.4	157	7.2	21,366	76	8	30,000	2,500,000
Type93 mod. 3	0.4	171	7.2	23,766	67	12	30,000	2,500,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Type9 mod. 1		0		0	530,000
Type9 mod. 2		0		14,000	1,100,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 52,000 hp	36		0	900,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5
Slot 6

Player Opinion

Performance

Tier IX Japanese destroyer Kitakaze continues to improve on the gun focused characteristics of her predecessor Akizuki. She gains improved maneuverability characteristics and additional firepower.

Armament:

At first glance, Kitakaze gains no additional firepower in terms of main battery over Akizuki, with the same 4x2 100 mm guns that have the same base damage per minute. However, as a tier IX ship, Kitakaze gains access to the 6th slot module which lets her take Main Battery Modification 3 to increase her damage per minute.

These 100 mm Japanese guns are still very potent, with 30 mm base HE penetration and a low 5% fire chance. This makes Kitakaze able to fight the majority of high tier cruisers and destroyers through sheer penetration damage. The commander skill Inertia Fuse for HE Shells (or IFHE) can be taken to increase the HE penetration to 37 mm, allowing the shells to penetrate 32 mm plating found on battleship bow/sterns and some deck plating. This alters Kitakaze’s playstyle from trying to light fires and hit superstructure to aiming at penetrable armor plates and sacrificing fire chance. The AP shells are quite usable due to the high fire rate of the main battery. They should only be used against broadside ships. Only armored destroyers that are broadside should warrant the use of AP, otherwise the HE will deal more damage, break modules, and set fires. The guns have a modest range of 12.5 km which can be increased through the commander skill Main Battery and AA Expert to 15 km. However, the shells are quite floaty at max range and can only really be used to hit stationary targets and slow battleships.

Similar to the Japanese torpedo destroyer line, Kitakaze gets 3 torpedo loadout choices. The difference is that Kitakaze has a single sextuple torpedo launcher and a very long torpedo reload time, somewhat offset by the Torpedo Reload Booster Consumable. The stock option carries similar torps found on Akizuki, which have a modest range of 10 km and hit fairly hard. The 2nd option improves on these torpedoes with 12 km range and 23,767 alpha damage. Lastly, Kitakaze can equip the unique F3 torpedoes that travel very fast at the cost of a low range of 8 km. While not a torpedo destroyer, the 12 km torps can be fired alongside the Torpedo Reload Booster Consumable for 12 torpedoes into the water, creating additional opportunities for damage and DOT setting through floods.

Hull:

While her predecessor Akizuki is known to be a sluggish destroyer, Kitakaze fixes these issues through a balanced mixture of survivability and maneuverability. She is not exactly nimble or very fast but has a faster base speed of 36 knots and comfortable 4.6 second rudder shift time. However, her turning radius is still lackluster at 730 meters.

With the commander skill Survivability Expert, she has a healthy hp pool of 23,850, allowing her to play aggressively Against other destroyers and take on knife fights with ease. Additionally, she keeps the same good minimum concealment of 6.1 km, meaning she can usually run at and spot most destroyers at her tier.

Consumables:

The classic Japanese destroyer consumables are present on Kitakaze, with an additional tool in the form of Torpedo Reload Booster Consumable.

She comes with 3 charges of Smoke Generator consumable, which have a short 20 second action time and 93 second dispersion time. The cooldown is lengthy at 160 seconds and thus these smokes should be used only when necessary to break detection or when setting up to farm targets for extended periods of time.

The Engine Boost consumable is also present, with 8% speed boost for 120 seconds. This increases Kitakaze’s top speed to 38.9 knots, allowing her to comfortably rotate and reposition her hull quickly.

Finally, the Torpedo Reload Booster Consumable reduces the reload time of torpedoes to 5 seconds instantly when pressed and has a 160 second cooldown. This is a versatile consumable and is useful for torping to deny areas in cap zones or for self protection against rushes

Anti-Aircraft:

The dual purpose 100 mm guns were historically good Anti-Aircraft defenses but this does not translate well into the game. Kitakaze’s Anti-aircraft dps is not much different from Akizuki, with only additional mid range AA dps of 122. As with most destroyers, it is important to not stray too far away from one's team and retreat back into Allied Anti-Air aura when focused by a carrier.

Battle Performance:

Regarded as many as the peak of the Japanese gunboat line, Kitakaze is a well rounded destroyer that can fulfill many roles. While the main focus is the main battery firepower, she also has formidable torpedo power and good survivability.

In the majority of games, Kitakaze will be able to outgun enemy destroyers through sheer firepower and proceed to farm larger enemy ships. Players should utilize her 6.1km concealment to either outspot enemy gunboats or utilize islands to sneak up on enemy destroyers. Reversing into cap circles to take caps should be standard practice and potentially find destroyers who run into hard detection.

For many gunboat destroyers, cruisers are hard to fight due to their thicker armor plating but this is not a problem for Kitakaze with her 30 mm HE penetration. IFHE is an option to increase the effectiveness against 32 mm plating battleships but neuters fire chance heavily. Players must be good at aiming and hitting specific parts of ships to get the most out of the skill.

Overall, the playstyle does not change heavily from Akizuki but the increased mobility and survivability allow Kitakaze to play more aggressively into enemy destroyers and move faster around the map to impact the outcome of matches.

Pros:

Large health pool
Fast firing main battery
30 mm base HE penetration
12 km torpedoes with high alpha damage
8 km torpedoes with fast speed
Decent top speed
Decent concealment
Access to Torpedo Reload Booster Consumable

Cons:

Large target
Slight dpm improvement over Akizuki
Mediocre Anti-Aircraft defenses
Floaty shells at range
Long torpedo reload
Poor turning radius

Research

Upgrade to Hull (B) for a significantly increased health pool and faster rudder shift, and to unlock progression to Harugumo.
Type9 mod. 2 Gun Fire Control System for increased main battery range.
Torpedoes.

Captains may prioritize researching the Gun Fire Control System earlier or later. Since torpedoes are more of a secondary focus, leave them for last, though more torpedo-oriented captains may want the Type93 mod. 3 sooner.

Optimal Configuration

While her torpedoes are very dangerous indeed, it is difficult to justify a full Torpedo build. Best to stay with a Gun build.

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Kitakaze are as follows:

Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
Slot 2: Engine Room Protection or Engine Boost Modification 1
Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1
Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1
Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1 
Slot 6: Main Battery Modification 3

Commander Skills

Kitakaze's Priorities are survival and Guns. An all rounder build for Kitakaze takes advantage of her firepower and increases effectiveness for random battles. The first ten points are mandatory for pretty much every destroyer:

Preventative Maintenance: increase survivability of modules

Last Stand: ensure the hull can still move with a damaged engine

Survivability Expert: more health allows for more risks and surviving engagements

Concealment Expert: easier time sneaking up on enemies and disengaging from fights

Next skills improve range and firepower:

Adrenaline Rush: more damage output when damaged

Main Battery and AA Expert: more range

Main Battery and AA Specialist: more damage output

Grease the Gears: easily putting guns on target faster

Another build focuses more heavily on destroyer gun fights and is more effective in the ranked gamemode: The first ten points are mandatory for pretty much every destroyer:

Preventative Maintenance

Last Stand

Survivability Expert

Concealment Expert

Next skills improve knife fighting potential and gaining information:

Adrenaline Rush: more damage when damaged, useful when trading with enemies

Fearless Brawler: increased dpm when spotted

Radio Location: information on enemy destroyers and unspotted ships

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed. ★	Liquidator +30% chance (multiplicative) of causing flooding.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except: Damage Control Party , Repair Party .	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type.	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	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the damage-inflicting area of HE shells fired at submarines. ★★	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of: Hydroacoustic Search , Surveillance Radar , Smoke Generator , & Engine Boost .	Extra-Heavy Ammunition +7.5% main battery AP shell damage. +10% damage from depth charges.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies aiming at you with main battery.	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
3	Main Battery & AA Specialist -5% main battery reload time. +10% continuous AA damage. ★★	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half. ★	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables.	Survivability Expert +350 HP per ship tier. ★★★
4	Main Battery & AA Expert +20% main battery range. +15% flak damage. ★★★	Swift in Silence So long as the ship remains undetected: +8% ship speed +5% main battery reload time.	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.. ★★	Fearless Brawler +1 flak burst per salvo. -10% main battery reload when ship is spotted.	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	Dazzle For 15 seconds after you are detected: * +20% dispersion of enemy shells fired at you. * +8% ship speed.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Kitakaze equips the following consumables:

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

Signals

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

A Kitakaze plays failbeats.

References

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 [[Ship:Mutsuki (< 01.12.2016)\|Mutsuki (< 01.12.2016)]] • VI Fubuki • VI Hatsuharu • VI Shinonome B • VI Shinonome • VII [[Ship:Hatsuharu (< 01.12.2016)\|Hatsuharu (< 01.12.2016)]] • VII Akatsuki • VII Shiratsuyu • VII Yūdachi • VIII [[Ship:Fubuki (< 01.12.2016)\|Fubuki (< 01.12.2016)]] • VIII Akizuki • VIII Kagerō • VIII Asashio • VIII HSF Harekaze II • VIII Asashio B • VIII HSF Harekaze • VIII AL Yukikaze • IX [[Ship:Kagerō (< 01.12.2016)\|Kagerō (< 01.12.2016)]] • IX Yūgumo • IX Kitakaze • IX Minegumo • IX STAR Kitakaze • X Shimakaze • X Harugumo • X Hayate • X AL Shimakaze • X [[Ship:[Shimakaze]\|[Shimakaze]]] • ★ 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 • VIII Tone 2 • VIII Tone 3 • IX Ibuki • IX Takahashi • IX Azuma • IX AL Azuma • IX Chikuma II • IX Chikuma II Golden • IX BA Takahashi • X Zaō • X Yodo • X Yoshino • X Yoshino B • X Kitakami • X Yari • X Zaō CLR • X [[Ship:[Zaō]\|[Zaō]]]
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 • 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
Aircraft Carriers	IV [[Ship:Hōshō (< 23.01.2019)\|Hōshō (< 23.01.2019)]] • IV Hōshō • V [[Ship:Zuihō (< 23.01.2019)\|Zuihō (< 23.01.2019)]] • VI [[Ship:Ryūjō (< 23.01.2019)\|Ryūjō (< 23.01.2019)]] • VI Ryūjō • VII [[Ship:Hiryū (< 23.01.2019)\|Hiryū (< 23.01.2019)]] • VII [[Ship:Kaga (< 23.01.2019)\|Kaga (< 23.01.2019)]] • VIII [[Ship:Shōkaku (< 23.01.2019)\|Shōkaku (< 23.01.2019)]] • VIII Shōkaku • VIII Kaga • VIII Kaga B • IX [[Ship:Taihō (< 23.01.2019)\|Taihō (< 23.01.2019)]] • X [[Ship:Hakuryū (< 23.01.2019)\|Hakuryū (< 23.01.2019)]] • X Hakuryū • X Shinano • X [[Ship:[Hakuryū]\|[Hakuryū]]] • ★ Sekiryu

Destroyers

Netherlands	IX Groningen • X Tromp
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 • IX Johnston • IX Frank Friday • X Gearing • X Somers • X Forrest Sherman • X [[Ship:[Gearing]\|[Gearing]]] • ★ Joshua Humphreys
Europe	II Tátra • III Romulus • IV Klas Horn • V Visby • V Muavenet • V Kalmar • 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 • X Södermanland • ★ Dalarna
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 • 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
U.S.S.R.	II Storozhevoi • III Derzki • IV Izyaslav • V Gremyashchy • V [[Ship:Gnevny (< 06.03.2017)\|Gnevny (< 06.03.2017)]] • V Podvoisky • V Okhotnik • VI [[Ship:Ognevoi (< 06.03.2017)\|Ognevoi (< 06.03.2017)]] • VI Gnevny • VII [[Ship:Kiev (< 06.03.2017)\|Kiev (< 06.03.2017)]] • VII Minsk • VII Leningrad • VII Tashkent '39 • VIII [[Ship:Tashkent (< 06.03.2017)\|Tashkent (< 06.03.2017)]] • VIII Ognevoi • VIII Kiev • IX Udaloi • IX Tashkent • IX Neustrashimy • X Khabarovsk • X Grozovoi • X Delny • X [[Ship:[Grozovoi]\|[Grozovoi]]] • ★ Zorkiy
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
Pan-America	VI Juruá • X La Pampa
Japan	II Tachibana • II Umikaze • II Tachibana Lima • III Wakatake • IV Isokaze • V Minekaze • V Fūjin • V Kamikaze • V Kamikaze R • V Mutsuki • VI [[Ship:Mutsuki (< 01.12.2016)\|Mutsuki (< 01.12.2016)]] • VI Fubuki • VI Hatsuharu • VI Shinonome B • VI Shinonome • VII [[Ship:Hatsuharu (< 01.12.2016)\|Hatsuharu (< 01.12.2016)]] • VII Akatsuki • VII Shiratsuyu • VII Yūdachi • VIII [[Ship:Fubuki (< 01.12.2016)\|Fubuki (< 01.12.2016)]] • VIII Akizuki • VIII Kagerō • VIII Asashio • VIII HSF Harekaze II • VIII Asashio B • VIII HSF Harekaze • VIII AL Yukikaze • IX [[Ship:Kagerō (< 01.12.2016)\|Kagerō (< 01.12.2016)]] • IX Yūgumo • IX Kitakaze • IX Minegumo • IX STAR Kitakaze • X Shimakaze • X Harugumo • X Hayate • X AL Shimakaze • X [[Ship:[Shimakaze]\|[Shimakaze]]] • ★ 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 L'Adroit • V Jaguar • V Siroco • VI Duchaffault • VI Guépard • VI Aigle • VII Le Hardi • VII Vauquelin • VIII L'Aventurier • VIII Le Fantasque • VIII Le Terrible • IX Orage • IX Mogador • X Cassard • X Kléber • X Marceau • X Kléber CLR
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 Zhu Que • VIII Ship Smasha • IX Chung Mu • X Yueyang • X Lüshun • ★ Kunming
Spain	X Álvaro de Bazán
Commonwealth	III Vampire • VII Haida • VII Huron • X Vampire II

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