Vanguard
IDS_PBGM101_15IN42_MK1_VANGUARD4 х 2 pcs. |
Rate of Fire2.4 shots/min. |
Reload Time25 sec. |
Rotation Speed5 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time36 sec. |
Firing Range20.02 km. |
Maximum Dispersion257 m. |
HE Shell381 mm HE Mk VIIIb SC |
Maximum HE Shell Damage6,300 |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell34 % |
Initial HE Shell Velocity804 m./s. |
HE Shell Weight879 kg. |
AP Shell381 mm AP Mk XXIIb SC |
Maximum AP Shell Damage11,700 |
Initial AP Shell Velocity804 m./s. |
AP Shell Weight879 kg. |
133 mm/50 QF Mk.I on an RP10 Mk.I mount8 х 2 pcs. |
Firing Range6.6 km. |
Rate of Fire9 shots/min. |
Reload Time6.67 sec. |
HE Shell133 mm HE Mk IC |
Maximum HE Shell Damage1,900 |
Initial HE Shell Velocity792 m./s. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 % |
133 mm/50 QF Mk.I on an RP10 Mk.I mount8 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second68 |
. . . Firing Range5.19 km. |
40 mm/56 OQF Mk.IX on a Mk.VI mount10 х 6 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second202 |
. . . Firing Range3.51 km. |
40 mm/56 OQF Mk.X on a STAAG Mk.2 mount1 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second13.4 |
. . . Firing Range3.51 km. |
40 mm/56 OQF Mk.III on a Mk.VII mount11 х 1 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second95.7 |
. . . Firing Range3.51 km. |
Maximum Speed30 knot |
Turning Circle Radius850 m. |
Rudder Shift Time9.7 sec. |
Surface Detectability Range15.56 km. |
Air Detectability Range10.97 km. |
Vanguard — British premium Tier VIII battleship.
The last battleship of the British Royal Navy. Due to specific conditions during the construction phase, she combined high speed and powerful AA guns with up-to-date equipment while still using largely obsolete main battery guns.
Vanguard was first released for sale worldwide on 16 November 2018.
Modules
Compatible Upgrades
Slot 1 |
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Slot 2 |
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Slot 3 |
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Slot 4 |
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Slot 5 |
Player Opinion
Performance
Vanguard is essentially an up-tiered Warspite, even so far as possessing identical guns to that of her Tier VI cousin (albeit with improved shells). Like Warspite, Vanguard has excellent maneuverability and main battery accuracy among battleships at her tier, but suffers from comparably weaker armor to her counterparts in the other nations’ tech trees. Even when compared to her tech-tree counterpart, Monarch, Vanguard has a noticeably larger and easier to hit citadel. Like all British battleships, Vanguard is covered with 32mm plating that makes her highly vulnerable to heavy cruiser high explosive shells and IFHE equipped light cruisers and destroyers.
Her main battery is an improved version of that found on Warspite, with similar dispersion characteristics and the all-too-familiar turret traverse speed, or lack thereof. Her armor piercing shells have a faster muzzle velocity that allows for an easier time with long-range gunnery, while her high explosive shells are similar to that of Monarch and other tech-tree British battleships, with high alpha damage. With only eight guns, Vanguard’s firepower against other battleships, and even some cruisers, often feels anemic. This is offset somewhat by a quick reload of 25 seconds on her main battery, and her aforementioned accuracy. Her AP shells struggle to do much damage on battleships even when broadside and any angling will cause them to bounce off without doing any damage. As a result, Vanguard's AP is best used against enemy cruisers, as they are less likely to overpenetrate and cause minimal damage while her HE should be used against enemy battleships. Her HE shells, while having high damage, have a rather average fire chance more akin to battleships of other nations.
The largest flaw that captains of Vanguard will find is with her firing angles. Both her forward and rear firing angles are atrocious, requiring significant amounts of broadside to be shown in order to bring all guns to bear on a target. As Vanguard does not possess a well protected or low citadel (unlike Monarch), exposing large amounts of the ship's side armor will often lead to catastrophic amounts of damage taken when fired upon by enemy battleships. Captains are encouraged to remain angled with only her fore or aft set of guns on target if there’s any possibility of an enemy returning fire. Luckily, Vanguard’s excellent rudder shift time (just 9.7 seconds) can allow her to “wiggle” her remaining set of guns onto and off of targets quite quickly.
Vanguard is best played from mid-range, where her lack of armor is less noticeable, and her accurate low-volume firepower can be better put to use. Her slow turret traverse and easily hit citadel make her sub-par at brawling, while her small turning circle and good concealment allow her to disengage quite easily. Fans of Warspite or should have no problems playing Vanguard; captains who have no experience with Warspite may struggle with her peculiarities, but she is easy to learn, and is a capable Tier VIII battleship.Pros:
- Good rudder shift time and turning circle make Vanguard great for dodging torpedos.
- Most accurate Tier VIII battleship thanks to relatively low dispersion and high sigma.
- Concealment could be brought down to mere 12.0 km.
- Excellent medium range anti-aircraft armament.
- Has 1/4 pen and high damage on her HE shells.
- Fast reload time for main guns of 25 seconds.
- Good belt armor.
- She has an improved version of the Repair Party consumable, though not as good as Conqueror but similar to Warspite. Her Repair Party also has a quick recharge time also, that can be brought down to 54 seconds.
- Surprisingly nimble for a battleship, with a high top speed.
Cons:
- Armament can feel lacking against higher tier battleships, due to her mediocre AP.
- Very bad turret firing angles.
- Takes large amounts of damage from High Explosive rounds that can penetrate her 32mm plating.
- Large citadel makes attempting to use all turrets very risky.
- Low volume of main battery shells makes misses unforgiving.
- Weak torpedo protection.
- While her HE shells have high damage, as per standard with British battleships, they don't have the high fire chance also typical of other British battleships(her fire chance is only 34%, which is the same as Bismarck and Tirpitz)
- Lacks access to Spotting Aircraft and Catapult Fighter .
Research
Optimal Configuration
Upgrades
The recommended upgrades for Vanguard are as follows:
- Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1 *
- Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1
- Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1 *
- Slot 4: Damage Control System Modification 2 *
- Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1
Slot 1 allows players to choose between two viable options. Main Armaments Modification 1 is generally recommended, but players who wish to increase the survivability of the secondary and anti-aircraft armaments may choose to mount Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 .
Slot 3 provides further options for specialization. Most players will choose to mount Aiming Systems Modification 1 to increase the ship's surface warfare capability. However, due to slow turret traverse, some players may mount Main Battery Modification 2 at the cost of a 5% slower reload. For anti-aircraft builds, players should mount AA Guns Modification 1 .
Slot 4 gives players a choice between two good options. For increased survivability, players should mount Damage Control System Modification 2 . For increased maneuverability, Steering Gears Modification 2 should be mounted.
Commander Skills
The skill set for Vanguard is fairly typical of other British battleships, with Priority Target at Level 1, Expert Marksman at Level 2, Superintendent at Level 3, and Fire Prevention and Concealment Expert at Level 4. The remaining points should be put into Adrenaline Rush, Expert Loader and Jack of All Trades. Mounting the Unique British commanders on her is a very good option because of the extra bonuses for Expert Marksman and Jack of All Trades.
Recommended Commander Skills | ||||||||
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Cost (points) |
Endurance | Attack | Support | Versatility | ||||
1 |
★★★ |
★★ |
★★★ |
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★ |
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2 |
★ |
★★★ |
★★★ |
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★★★ |
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3 |
★★ |
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★★★ |
★★ |
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4 |
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★★★ |
★ |
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★★★ |
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Meh Χ - Not recommended |
Consumables
Vanguard can equip the following consumables:
- Slot 1: Damage Control Party
- Slot 2: Repair Party
Premium variants of the consumables can be equipped to improve her performance in battle.
Camouflage
As a premium ship, Vanguard comes included with Type 10 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
Vanguard captains should mount standard signal flags to improve the ship's performance in battle. Sierra Mike () flags are recommended to increase the ship's top speed. India Delta () and India Yankee () flags should be mounted to improve the ship's survivability. November Foxtrot () flags should also be mounted to decrease consumable cooldown time. Lastly, economic and special signal flags can be mounted to increase the ship's economic gains per battle.
Recommended Signal Flags | |||||
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Combat | |||||
★ |
★ |
★★★ |
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★★ |
★★ |
★★ |
★★★ |
★★★ |
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Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.
Gallery
Historical Info
Historical Gallery
Video