Iowa

Revision as of 17:00, 26 January 2021

13.3

Battleship | U.S.A. | Tier IX

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IX

15,500,000

Iowa — American Tier IX battleship.

One of the most powerful battleships of World War II. The ship was designed for escorting attack carrier forces. She surpassed the speed of all battleships in the world. The battleship's survivability was significantly improved owing to a novel and powerful torpedo protection system and a fundamentally different armor protection system featuring an internal armor belt.

All four Iowa-class ships built are now preserved as military museum ships: USS Iowa in San Pedro, California; USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia; and USS New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey.

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 ()
406 mm/50 Mk.7 in a turret	2	45	272	5,700	36	13,500		0	1,350,000

	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 ()
Iowa (A)	68,100	16	439	3	10	32/19/10				0	1,750,000
Iowa (B)	79,000	16	439	3	10	32/19/10				60,000	5,000,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk9 mod. 1		0		0	1,000,000
Mk9 mod. 2		0		24,000	2,100,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 172,000 hp	28.8		0	550,000
Propulsion: 212,000 hp	33		19,000	1,300,000

Compatible Upgrades

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

Player Opinion

Performance

The historical counterpart of the famed battleship Yamato, Tier IX's Iowa is the pinnacle of the various fast battleship designs the United States commissioned into service before and during World War II.

Veterans of North Carolina will be well-familiar with how Iowa plays, as both ships are laid out in an identical AB-X turret arrangement. The key differences are found in Iowa’s handling — she is faster, with a larger turning circle and slower rudder shift speed — slightly improved AA suite, and longer main battery rifles. Iowa’s barrels are 50 caliber (as opposed to North Carolina’s 45 caliber barrels) and the improvement in the velocity of her armor-piercing shells is notable. Her AP shells get on target faster, and new Iowa captains should allow a few games to learn how to adjust leading their shots accordingly. Additionally, she gains access to Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2 , which provides a significant reduction to her dispersion.

Exposing her flat broadside to enemies is as inadvisable in Iowa as it is in most battleships. Even though her citadel is at the ship's third deck at roughly waterline height, the third deck plating can be overmatched by every battleship in her matchmaking spread. Consequently, Iowa can deal catastrophic damage by well-aimed AP shells. Careful positioning and good situational awareness are required at all times to ensure she isn't removed from the game in a single enemy salvo, and this vulnerability makes fighting at close ranges very tricky as her overall length is more of a liability than an asset.

Once mastered, however, Iowa’s capabilities are unmatched by just about any battleship in game. She combines speed, firepower, and survivability in a way that is unrivaled by any other ship in her tier and below. Her mobility allows her to get to where she is needed, her powerful super-heavy shells allow her to inflict significant damage on whatever she encounters there, and her armor allows her to tank punishment provided she doesn't expose her broadside or get blindsided by incoming torpedoes.

LittleWhiteMouse's Ship Review: Iowa from the NA Forums

Pros:

Same gun range as her predecessor and can go up to 27km when fully upgraded, which is the highest range for a battleship at her tier.
Powerful hard hitting AP shells that make citadel hits on enemy ships painfully felt.
Better penetration and shell velocity compared to North Carolina due to the 50 caliber gun.
Able to mount Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2 for better dispersion.
Armor is more durable than her predecessor North Carolina
Incredible anti-aircraft suite makes her highly resistant to aerial assault.
Improved torpedo defense system with a torpedo damage reduction of 27% (compared to North Carolina’s 19%).
Decent ship speed of 33 knots which is an improvement of North Carolina 's 27.5 knots.
Good firing angles, meaning that not much board side is needed to fire all guns on a target.

Cons:

Weaker broadside armor than standard battleships, but still stronger broadside armor than North Carolina.
Bad rudder shift time (over 20 sec) until Hull (C).
Iowa's dispersion is poor at range without Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2 .
Overall length combined with her turning circle takes some getting used to when trying to dodge torpedoes.
While at waterline level, the citadel is very long and the deck plating can be overmatched by every battleship and large cruisers in her matchmaking spread.
Very tall superstructure makes her easier to hit compared to other tier IX battleships, especially when trying to hide behind islands.
Weak secondary armament with a very low range compared to Tier IX counterparts Izumo, Friedrich der Große, and Alsace.

Research

Availability of researchable upgrades for Iowa is as follows:

Hull: Upgrade to Hull (B) for an additional 10,000 hit points and an improvement to her mid- and short-range AA bubbles. Upgrade to Hull (C) for faster rudder shift and further enhancements to her AA suite. Research of Hull (C) unlocks progression to Montana.
Gun Fire Control System: Upgrade to Mk9 mod. 2 for an extra 10% range on the main battery.
Propulsion: The propulsion upgrade bumps Iowa’s speed from 28.8 knots to her historical maximum of 33 knots.

Investing experience into Hull (B) is a top priority; it brings additional hit points and a large bump to Iowa’s anti-aircraft capabilities. The Propulsion module upgrade should come next, followed by Hull (C), with the Fire Control System upgrade saved for last.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Iowa are as follows:

Slot 1: This slot is most commonly filled with Main Armaments Modification 1 , though Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 is a popular pick for captains who go for a full AA build with other upgrades and commander skills.
Slot 2: There's really only one choice here for battleships - Damage Control System Modification 1 . This will reduce chances of fire and flood.
Slot 3: There are a few options available. AA Guns Modification 1 will boost her AA strength, while Secondary Battery Modification 1 will boost the range and accuracy of secondaries instead. Artillery Plotting Room Modification 1 will increase range and give secondaries a slight boost in range and accuracy, but is likely a weaker choice than the other two.
Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1 is recommended and will reduce rudder shift time. Captains with fire problems could also consider Damage Control System Modification 2 , reducing the amount of time on fire and conserving hit points.
Slot 5: Maximizing stealth is never a bad choice. With the Concealment Expert commander skill, Concealment System Modification 1 , and appropriate camouflage, this ship can choose when to engage the enemy.
Slot 6: The recommended choice is Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2 to give the main battery better accuracy; installing this upgrade will make her guns exceptionally accurate at ranges of ~12-13 kilometers, much more so than contemporaries. Main Battery Modification 3 will improve damage-per-minute, and may surprise a cruiser who still expects the battleship to be reloading.

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

Iowa equips the following consumables:

Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
Slot 2: Repair Party 
Slot 3: Spotting Aircraft  or Catapult Fighter

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 2 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce the accuracy of incoming shells.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Iowa with Type 19 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

Iowa’s signal loadout should focus on two objectives: maximizing her experience earnings and maximizing her survivability. Equal Speed Charlie London (🚫), Hydra (🚫), and Red Dragon (🚫) will help with the former, while India Delta (), India Yankee (), and Juliet Yankee Bissotwo () will help with the latter. Sierra Mike () is worthy of consideration for captains who enjoy flexing Iowa’s speed, while November Foxtrot () and November Echo Setteseven () will help reduce her consumable cooldowns and further enhance her AA suite.

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

Historical Info

References

Ships of U.S.A.

Destroyers	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
Cruisers	I Erie • II Chester • II Albany • III St. Louis • III Charleston • IV Phoenix • V Omaha • V Marblehead • V Marblehead Lima • V Rattlehead • VI Pensacola • VI Dallas • VII Atlanta • VII New Orleans • VII Helena • VII Indianapolis • VII Atlanta B • VII Boise • VII Flint • VIII Baltimore • VIII Cleveland • VIII Wichita • VIII Anchorage • VIII Congress • VIII Rochester • VIII San Diego • VIII AL Montpelier • IX Buffalo • IX Seattle • IX Vallejo • IX Alaska • IX Tulsa • IX Alaska B • X Des Moines • X Worcester • X Puerto Rico • X Salem • X Austin • ★ Annapolis
Battleships	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 • VIII North Carolina • VIII Kansas • VIII Nebraska • VIII Alabama • VIII Massachusetts • VIII Alabama VL • VIII Constellation • VIII Massachusetts B • VIII Alabama ST • VIII North Carolina CLR • IX Iowa • IX Minnesota • IX Delaware • IX Missouri • IX Kearsarge • IX Illinois • IX Kearsarge B • IX Georgia • X Montana • X Vermont • X Louisiana • X Ohio • X Rhode Island • X Wisconsin • ★ Maine
Aircraft Carriers	IV Langley • VI Independence • VI Ranger • VIII Yorktown • VIII Lexington • VIII Enterprise • VIII Saipan • VIII Hornet • VIII Saipan B • X Essex • X Midway • X Franklin D. Roosevelt • ★ United States

Battleships

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 • 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
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 Duke of Bronte • VIII Monarch • VIII Hawke • VIII Vanguard • IX Lion • IX Duncan • IX Marlborough • IX Scarlet Thunder • X Conqueror • X St. Vincent • X Thunderer • X Incomparable • ★ 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 • IX Alsace • IX Jean Bart • IX Jean Bart B • X République • X Bourgogne • ★ Patrie
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 • IX Sovetsky Soyuz • IX Navarin • IX AL Sov. Rossiya • X Kremlin • X Slava • ★ Admiral Ushakov
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 • VIII North Carolina • VIII Kansas • VIII Nebraska • VIII Alabama • VIII Massachusetts • VIII Alabama VL • VIII Constellation • VIII Massachusetts B • VIII Alabama ST • VIII North Carolina CLR • IX Iowa • IX Minnesota • IX Delaware • IX Missouri • IX Kearsarge • IX Illinois • IX Kearsarge B • IX Georgia • X Montana • X Vermont • X Louisiana • X Ohio • X Rhode Island • X Wisconsin • ★ Maine
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 • IX Friedrich der Grosse • IX Prinz Rupprecht • IX Pommern • IX Pommern B • X Grosser Kurfürst • X Schlieffen • X Preussen • X Mecklenburg • ★ Hannover
Pan-Asia	IX Bajie • IX Wujing • IX Sun Yat-Sen • IX Louchuan
Spain	IX Victoria
Europe	V Viribus Unitis • IX Karl XIV Johan
Netherlands
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
Commonwealth	VII Yukon
Pan-America	V Rio de Janeiro • VIII Atlântico

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 |Pros=<!-- write list of positive points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. -->
-* Same gun range as her predecessor and highest range for a battleship at her tier.
+* Same gun range as her predecessor and can go up to 27km when fully upgraded, which is the highest range for a battleship at her tier.
+* Powerful hard hitting AP shells that make citadel hits on enemy ships painfully felt.
 * Better penetration and shell velocity compared to ''[[North Carolina]]'' due to the 50 caliber gun.
 * Able to mount {{Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2}} for better dispersion.
@@ Line 25: / Line 26: @@
 * Incredible anti-aircraft suite makes her highly resistant to aerial assault.
 * Improved torpedo defense system with a torpedo damage reduction of 27% (compared to ''North Carolina''’s 19%).
-* Top speed of a whopping 33 knots.
+* Decent ship speed of 33 knots which is an improvement of ''[[North Carolina]]'' 's 27.5 knots.
+* Good firing angles, meaning that not much board side is needed to fire all guns on a target.
 |Cons=<!-- write list of negative points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. -->
@@ Line 57: / Line 59: @@
 |CommanderSkills=<!-- write text about best set of Commander Skills below -->
-{{Commander Skills 2
+{{Commander Skills 3 BB
-<!-- This version enables a '0' rating. Use it for skills that have no effect (e.g. Improved Engines on a non-CV) or are detrimental to the ship.  They should mirror what appears in the game client. -->
+| rating11 =  <!-- Gun Feeder -->
-| rating11 = 2 <!-- Priority Target -->
+| rating12 =  <!-- Pyrotechnician -->
-| rating12 = 1 <!-- Preventive Maint -->
+| rating13 = 2 <!-- Consumables Specialist -->
-| rating13 = 1 <!-- Expert Loader -->
+| rating14 =  <!-- Emergency Repair Specialist -->
-| rating14 = 0 <!-- Air Supremacy -->
+| rating15 =  <!-- Incoming Fire Alert -->
-| rating15 = 1 <!-- Direction Center for Fighters -->
+| rating16 = 2 <!-- Preventive Maintenance -->
-| rating16 = 0 <!-- Improved Engine Boost -->
-| rating17 = 1 <!-- Incoming Fire Alert -->
-| rating18 = 0 <!-- Last Gasp -->
-| rating21 = 2 <!-- High Alert -->
+| rating21 =  <!-- Grease the Gears -->
-| rating22 = 1 <!-- Jack of All Trades -->
+| rating22 =  <!-- Inertial Fuse for HE Shells -->
-| rating23 = 3 <!-- Expert Marksman -->
+| rating23 =  <!-- Consumables Enhancements -->
-| rating24 = 0 <!-- Torpedo Acceleration -->
+| rating24 =  <!-- Vigilance -->
-| rating25 = 0 <!-- Smoke Screen Expert -->
+| rating25 =  <!-- Priority Target -->
-| rating26 = 0 <!-- Improved Engines -->
+| rating26 = 2 <!-- AA Gunner -->
-| rating27 = 2 <!-- Adrenaline Rush -->
-| rating28 =  <!-- Last Stand -->
-| rating31 = 3 <!-- Basics of Survivability -->
+| rating31 =  <!-- Super-Heavy AP Shells -->
-| rating32 = 0 <!-- Survivability Expert-->
+| rating32 =  <!-- Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells -->
-| rating33 = 0 <!-- Torpedo Armament Expertise-->
+| rating33 = 2 <!-- Adrenaline Rush -->
-| rating34 = 0 <!-- Aircraft Armor -->
+| rating34 = 2 <!-- Basics of Survivability -->
-| rating35 = 1 <!-- Basic Firing Training -->
+| rating35 =  <!-- Enhanced Anti-Torpedo Protection -->
-| rating36 = 3 <!-- Superintendent -->
+| rating36 = 2 <!-- Expert AA Marksman -->
-| rating37 =   <!-- Demolition Expert -->
-| rating38 = 1 <!-- Vigilance -->
-| rating41 =  <!-- Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament -->
+| rating41 =  <!-- Dead Eye -->
-| rating42 = 3 <!-- Fire Prevention -->
+| rating42 =  <!-- Improved Secondary Battery Aiming -->
-| rating43 =  <!-- Inertia Fuse for HE Shells -->
+| rating43 =  <!-- Close Quarters Combat -->
-| rating44 = 0 <!-- Sight Stabilization -->
+| rating44 = 2 <!-- Emergency Repair Expert -->
-| rating45 = 1 <!-- Advanced Firing Training -->
+| rating45 =  <!-- Concealment Expert -->
-| rating46 =  <!-- Massive AA Fire -->
+| rating46 = 2 <!-- Fire Prevention Expert -->
-| rating47 = 1 <!-- Radio Position Finding -->
-| rating48 = 3 <!-- Concealment Expert -->
 }}

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Iowa

Revision as of 17:00, 26 January 2021

Modules

Compatible Upgrades