User:AlphaDeltaEpsilon:na/Application_Temp_Koto
Kotovsky is the Tier V Soviet light cruiser, and marks the important transition from "low" to "mid" tier gameplay. She is the first ship in the line to demonstrate the line's key characteristics: light armor, decent speed, and good guns.
While her predecessor Svietlana carries 15 130mm single-mounts, Kotovsky has her eight 152mm guns in a centerline ABXY layout with two forward and two back. As such, her salvoes punch harder, travel farther and faster, and penetrate through more armor. Indeed, her gun ballistics are similar to her higher tier successors.
Like the rest of the line, Kotovsky has is relatively frail, with light armor and low HP. However, unlike her immediate predecessor Svietlana, her citadel belt is a mere 35mm and her 22,000 HP is second-worst in tier. As such, captains should be wary, as unlucky AP salvoes can and will rapidly sink her, much like her American counterpart Omaha.
In addition, her powerful torpedoes have a suicidal range of only 4km. Despite the excellent arcs, they are only usable as self-defense weapons to deter rushing battleships, due to the ship's poor armor.
Kotovsky is unable to shoot while hugging islands due to the flat gun arcs, a trait shared with successor ships. Instead, captains should play at or just beyond her concealment range, where she can go dark easily, but can still consistently hit shots.
Indeed, these traits force a certain playstyle, as even a destroyer like Podvoisky can quickly kill her at close range. Like the Kotovsky is a ship that requires caution. Prefer kiting over pushing, as the armor scheme makes the latter much riskier than normal. Her fragility is only mitigated by her passable speed and agility. Although less agile than Omaha, speed is Kotovsky's most effective form of armor. In the hands of a skilled player, this allows her to mitigate or dodge some incoming damage, assuming a long enough shell flight time.
Pros
- Excellent gun handling - Good reload for 152mm guns in tier - Good concealment in tier (better than Omaha!)
Cons
- Practically non-existent armor - Second-worst HP in tier (22.7k vs 22.6k on Königsberg) - Low effective fire chance
Research
Like most other light cruisers, first research GFCS V mod. 2 for the increased range. This gives Kotovsky just over 5km of range beyond her concealment, assuming Concealment Expert.
Optimal Configuration
- Slot 1: Main Armaments Mod 1 - Slot 2: Engine Room Protection - Slot 3: Aiming Systems Mod 1
Commander Skills
- Incoming Fire Alert, Expert Marksman, Expert Loader - Priority Target, Demolition Expert - Adrenaline Rush, Survivability Expert - Concealment Expert
