Cruisers
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|content = Larger than destroyers, yet smaller than battleships, cruisers have fulfilled as many roles as they had designations; common ones include light, heavy, protected/armoured, torpedo cruisers, and later, missile cruisers. Cruisers are often called upon to hunt down enemy destroyers, perform quick response duties, escort and protect merchant shipping or larger vessels like battleships and aircraft carriers from various threats, provide an additional layer of defense...whatever needs to be done at any given moment. | |content = Larger than destroyers, yet smaller than battleships, cruisers have fulfilled as many roles as they had designations; common ones include light, heavy, protected/armoured, torpedo cruisers, and later, missile cruisers. Cruisers are often called upon to hunt down enemy destroyers, perform quick response duties, escort and protect merchant shipping or larger vessels like battleships and aircraft carriers from various threats, provide an additional layer of defense...whatever needs to be done at any given moment. | |||
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Rather than a category of vessel, ''cruiser'' originally meant the purpose or mission for the ship; to "cruise" long distances in escort, scouting and raiding duties, or simply to provide an intermediate military presence where the deployment of larger, more expensive battleships were deemed strategically and financially unwise. The advent of steam power and steel accelerated the growth of the cruiser's development, discarding unwieldy, unreliable sails and wooden hulls for powerful engines and stronger hulls and components. Up to the opening stages of World War II, the various naval treaties (or their evasion thereof) created classes of cruisers such as "heavy cruiser" or "pocket battleship", reflecting their disproportionate firepower and performance in contrast to what the treaties were supposed to limit. In the present day, advances in technology meant that the destroyer could perform the duties that once required a cruiser's services more cheaply, efficiently and effectively, leading to its declining use in most navies today. | Rather than a category of vessel, ''cruiser'' originally meant the purpose or mission for the ship; to "cruise" long distances in escort, scouting and raiding duties, or simply to provide an intermediate military presence where the deployment of larger, more expensive battleships were deemed strategically and financially unwise. The advent of steam power and steel accelerated the growth of the cruiser's development, discarding unwieldy, unreliable sails and wooden hulls for powerful engines and stronger hulls and components. Up to the opening stages of World War II, the various naval treaties (or their evasion thereof) created classes of cruisers such as "heavy cruiser" or "pocket battleship", reflecting their disproportionate firepower and performance in contrast to what the treaties were supposed to limit. In the present day, advances in technology meant that the destroyer could perform the duties that once required a cruiser's services more cheaply, efficiently and effectively, leading to its declining use in most navies today. | |||
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While the various nations had different mindsets when it came to the duties expected of cruisers, and outfitted them accordingly, cruisers can be considered the jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none class of warship. Almost all of them are able to adequately respond to changes in the battlefield and project considerable influence in the sector, outgunning anything they cannot outrun, and outrunning anything they cannot outgun, but are most commonly expected to act as destroyer and AA screens. Watch the flow of battle, adapt to the circumstances as they unfold, and your cruiser will be a great asset to your team. | While the various nations had different mindsets when it came to the duties expected of cruisers, and outfitted them accordingly, cruisers can be considered the jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none class of warship. Almost all of them are able to adequately respond to changes in the battlefield and project considerable influence in the sector, outgunning anything they cannot outrun, and outrunning anything they cannot outgun, but are most commonly expected to act as destroyer and AA screens. Watch the flow of battle, adapt to the circumstances as they unfold, and your cruiser will be a great asset to your team. | |||
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Cruisers come with a wide array of tools to help them adapt to many situations and can have up to 4 slots for consumables, the most of any ship class (but do keep in mind that, as with all other ships, the first slot is always the '''Damage Control Party'''). '''Hydroacoustic Searches''' increase the range at which your ship can detect enemy ships and torpedoes, ''even through smokescreens''; '''Defensive AA Fire''' increases the fire intensity (but not necessary effectiveness) of the cruiser's defensive AA batteries, greatly reducing the performance of enemy aircraft unfortunate enough to be caught on the receiving end; '''Catapult Fighter''' launches fighter aircraft from the cruiser's catapults that escorts the cruiser and engages enemy aircraft that wander too close, although the effectiveness of a single aircraft against entire squadrons is understandably questionable (it's actually oddly effective); and at the higher tiers, they also receive the same '''Repair Party''' ability that battleships have, enabling them to regenerate some of the damage taken during battle. And to hail the arrival of the Russian cruisers, the consumable '''Radar Scanner''' is available to American and Russian tier 8 and above cruisers, reported to even be able to detect ships from behind landmasses, unlike Hydroacoustic Search which has much less range, but having a shorter duration than the latter. | Cruisers come with a wide array of tools to help them adapt to many situations and can have up to 4 slots for consumables, the most of any ship class (but do keep in mind that, as with all other ships, the first slot is always the '''Damage Control Party'''). '''Hydroacoustic Searches''' increase the range at which your ship can detect enemy ships and torpedoes, ''even through smokescreens''; '''Defensive AA Fire''' increases the fire intensity (but not necessary effectiveness) of the cruiser's defensive AA batteries, greatly reducing the performance of enemy aircraft unfortunate enough to be caught on the receiving end; '''Catapult Fighter''' launches fighter aircraft from the cruiser's catapults that escorts the cruiser and engages enemy aircraft that wander too close, although the effectiveness of a single aircraft against entire squadrons is understandably questionable (it's actually oddly effective); and at the higher tiers, they also receive the same '''Repair Party''' ability that battleships have, enabling them to regenerate some of the damage taken during battle. And to hail the arrival of the Russian cruisers, the consumable '''Radar Scanner''' is available to American and Russian tier 8 and above cruisers, reported to even be able to detect ships from behind landmasses, unlike Hydroacoustic Search which has much less range, but having a shorter duration than the latter. |
Revision as of 07:03, 30 May 2016
Rather than a category of vessel, cruiser originally meant the purpose or mission for the ship; to "cruise" long distances in escort, scouting and raiding duties, or simply to provide an intermediate military presence where the deployment of larger, more expensive battleships were deemed strategically and financially unwise. The advent of steam power and steel accelerated the growth of the cruiser's development, discarding unwieldy, unreliable sails and wooden hulls for powerful engines and stronger hulls and components. Up to the opening stages of World War II, the various naval treaties (or their evasion thereof) created classes of cruisers such as "heavy cruiser" or "pocket battleship", reflecting their disproportionate firepower and performance in contrast to what the treaties were supposed to limit. In the present day, advances in technology meant that the destroyer could perform the duties that once required a cruiser's services more cheaply, efficiently and effectively, leading to its declining use in most navies today.
While the various nations had different mindsets when it came to the duties expected of cruisers, and outfitted them accordingly, cruisers can be considered the jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none class of warship. Almost all of them are able to adequately respond to changes in the battlefield and project considerable influence in the sector, outgunning anything they cannot outrun, and outrunning anything they cannot outgun, but are most commonly expected to act as destroyer and AA screens. Watch the flow of battle, adapt to the circumstances as they unfold, and your cruiser will be a great asset to your team.
Cruisers come with a wide array of tools to help them adapt to many situations and can have up to 4 slots for consumables, the most of any ship class (but do keep in mind that, as with all other ships, the first slot is always the Damage Control Party). Hydroacoustic Searches increase the range at which your ship can detect enemy ships and torpedoes, even through smokescreens; Defensive AA Fire increases the fire intensity (but not necessary effectiveness) of the cruiser's defensive AA batteries, greatly reducing the performance of enemy aircraft unfortunate enough to be caught on the receiving end; Catapult Fighter launches fighter aircraft from the cruiser's catapults that escorts the cruiser and engages enemy aircraft that wander too close, although the effectiveness of a single aircraft against entire squadrons is understandably questionable (it's actually oddly effective); and at the higher tiers, they also receive the same Repair Party ability that battleships have, enabling them to regenerate some of the damage taken during battle. And to hail the arrival of the Russian cruisers, the consumable Radar Scanner is available to American and Russian tier 8 and above cruisers, reported to even be able to detect ships from behind landmasses, unlike Hydroacoustic Search which has much less range, but having a shorter duration than the latter.