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LordKelvin
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The reason that you are here, presumably, is because you are now at level 38 and want
to choose between the Brooklyn and the Northampton, but can't because you're picky and
indecisive. That's what this thread is here for.
Now, this decision is a very important one because, unlike the Somers vs Gearing decision, the
ship tree doesn't merge until you reach the Iowa, which is over 50 levels away. So what
you're able to pick inbetween there is vastly different, minus Premium and Event ships. As I've
stated in my DD to CA guide, this is easily the most complex decision that you'll have to make
in your entire USN ship career, so choose wisely.
I'm going to assume for now that you've decided to get a BB instead of a CV or a SS;
otherwise, you would do well to read as many of the stickies here as possible before coming
back. The BB vs CV decision is not something to be taken lightly, as it's something that you
need to have prepared for long before you even began your grind up the tree; the same thing
applies to choosing a SS, as submarine crews are highly specialized and cannot be used
properly on almost anything else. If you're leaning towards getting a CV or an SS, you'd better
take a few steps back and think about it for a while before committing.
In any case, this guide is divided into three main parts:
1. The ships themselves
2. The ships leading up to your first BB1
3. All battleships between BB1 and BB3
As the tree reconverges at BB4, the Iowa, there's no point in discussing any further than
that.
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THE SHIPS
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So, the first step on the path, what are the differences between the first two ships on
each line, the Brooklyn and the Northampton?
The most obvious difference here is, one is a Light Cruiser while the other is a Heavy
Cruiser. The difference in styles of play between the two ships is vastly different, as is
the equipment used on both of them. Of course, the biggest difference is in the crew
requirements needed in order to use either ship effectively.
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Northampton
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The Northampton, being a CA, uses triple 8" guns in all of its R mounts, for a total of nine
barrels. The optimal guns of choice for the Northampton are the level 38 triple 8"/55 Mark
13 L's. These guns have far more range than the Brooklyn's recommended guns, so the
following is extremely highly recommended:
1. Gunners of a much higher level than the Bridge Operator, preferably level 45 or so
2. A Bridge Operator that can spot the shells at long distance
The reasons for the above are because of the longer range, the spread on the guns will be
very bad unless your gunners are reasonably good, and because of the longer range, your
Bridge Operator must be able to see them land in order for you to hit anything. While it
is possible to play the ship without either of those two, you will have a much harder time
playing the ship, or doing anything beneficial for your team.
The longer range and heavier hitting power comes with a price though: much longer reload
times. So you will need to learn how to keep your targets at long range, where you can shoot
at them but they can't shoot at you. If you let a small target into close range, their faster-
reloading guns will have the advantage over you, and you'll have a hard time tracking them.
The T mounts on the Northampton are largely useless, as the optimal range that it fights
at are too great for using torpedoes, and it can't mount any worthwhile AA guns. Those
mounts are far better used for leveling sailors that you will need in the future.
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Brooklyn
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The Brooklyn, on the other hand, is a CL, which mostly use small-caliber weapons. Also,
the crew requirements for this ship are not nearly as steep as those for the Northampton,
and thus it is quite a bit easier on low-level players. In this case, the Brooklyn's
recommended guns are the level 37 triple 6"/47 Mark 16 L's. Because of the Brooklyn's five
R mounts, you will be able to wield a total of 15 barrels. This is the Brooklyn's
trademark, the ability to shower targets with a mass of shells.
Another feature of the Brooklyn is that if it mounts the CL III Heavy Engine, it can move
very, very fast. At an excess of 50 knots, the Brooklyn is capable of chasing down most
ships in the game, and force them to make a stand. Depending on what that ship is, the
outcome may be varied though.
The way that the Brooklyn is frequently used is as a DD killer; it can take out enemy DD's
with very little effort, and is very fun to play with for lower-level players. But on the
flip side, the Brooklyn's range is not very great, so it can be fairly easily outranged by
larger ships. Its high speed can't always be used to close the distance, so against large
ships, the Brooklyn doesn't really stand much of a chance.
Like the Northampton, the T mounts on the Brooklyn are largely useless. Unlike the
Northampton, the distances that the Brooklyn fights at are about the same range where
torps would come into play, but players are recommended not to put torp launchers on their
Brooklyn. Torpedomen are pointless on anything but an ASW ship or an SS, and attempting to
rely on torpedoes is terrible practice.
The Brooklyn also has more than one way of being used; it can mount the level 40 dual
8"/55 Mark 11 D's, which give it more range and ten barrels of 8" guns, or it can mount
the level 36 dual 6"/47 DP Mark 16 L's and play as a heavy AA ship. Next to the Cleveland
and the Omaha, it is one of the most flexible USN ships.
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SHIPS LEADING UP TO BB1
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Now, if you're smart, you would have considered the other ships down the line from the
Brooklyn and the Northampton, instead of just the ships themselves. These ships also play
quite differently between the lines, even if there are only four of them.
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Northampton line
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Portland
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This ship comes right after the Northampton, and you have to choose between it and the
New Orleans. Performance wise, if you had a crew capable of handling the Northampton, then
you should be able to drive the Portland just fine. The Portland gets enough space to use
the level 44 triple 8"/55 Mark 14 L's, which are the longest ranged set of triple 8" guns
that you have access to. However, the Portland is also quite slow in comparison, so it can
be hard to get used to.
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New Orleans
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As above, you choose between this and the Portland after the Northampton, and your crew is
most likely able to handle it if you were able to use the Northampton well. Unfortunately,
this ship uses the same guns that the Northampton used, the level 38 triple 8"/55 Mark 13
L's, since it doesn't have enough space to use longer ranged guns. However, what the New
Orleans does have is flexibility; it can either speed whore and go very fast, or it can
deck whore and be protected against most 8" HE shells. However, the flip side is that deck
armor can be very expensive, so you'll need a lot of credits if you want to go down that path.
**********
Brooklyn line
**********
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Cleveland
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This ship is one of the most flexibile in the game, and is also one of the most fun as
well. The recommended guns for the Cleveland are the level 40 dual 8"/55 Mark 11 D's,
though the level 37 triple 6"/47 Mark 16 L's are also sometimes used in anti-DD roles, and
sometimes the level 38 dual 8"/55 Mark 11 N's are used for extended range. It can also
carry the level 36 dual 6"/47 DP Mark 16 L's, and become an AA ship like the Brooklyn.
Unlike the ships on the Northampton line, the Cleveland can carry usable AA guns on its T
mounts, which gives it both AA and potent anti-ship capabilities, all built into a small,
fast hull.
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Baltimore
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The Baltimore is the first and only CA on the Brooklyn line, and it comes later than any
of the other USN CA's, but it most certainly pays off. The Baltimore combines the AA
capability of the Cleveland with the long-range capabilities of the Portland, being able
to easily carry the level 44 triple 8"/55 Mark 14 L's. It is one of the best all-around
ships in the game, and is considered one of the top CA's of the game as well.
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BB1 AND BEYOND
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So, this is where your decision has the most impact on your USN playing career, which BB's
you have access to. Aside from the initial BB1 and the BB3, there isn't a whole lot of
difference between the two lines, since the two branches at the BB2 stage are available to
both lines. The BB1 grind takes longer than the BB2 grind, which then leads to the
considerably longer BB3 grind.
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Northampton line
**************
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Nevada
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The best way to describe the Nevada is slow and steady. It carries the level 58 triple
14"/45 Mark 10 L and dual 14"/45 Mark 9 L guns, for a total of ten barrels. It's very slow
compared to any other ship you may have driven to this point, but it makes up for it with
stopping power. At-level accuracy is an issue on all BB1s, so having higher-level gunners
for the Nevada can make your grind a lot easier.
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Pennsylvania
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The Pennsylvania is part of a miniature tree branch, and players must choose between it
and the Tennessee. It can mount four level 58 triple 14"/45 Mark 10 L guns, giving it two
more barrels than the Nevada, but also reducing its speed. As most players' crews are
higher leveled than when they went through the Nevada, playing the Pennsylvania is
somewhat easier.
At level 69, the option to remodel the Pennsylvania to a BB2 comes into play, which gives
it more range, AA capability, more firepower, and much more speed at the cost of accuracy.
The level 70 triple 14"/45 Mark 7 L guns are better than the earlier Mark 9 and Mark 10
guns in virtually every way except for accuracy, but this gets better with time.
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Tennessee
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The Tennessee plays very similar to the Pennsylvania, with the exception of being able to
mount a partially usable AA battery. Other than that, the base ship is pretty much the
same. The difference comes at level 70 with the remodel, which gives the a lot of the same
perks as the Pennsylvania after its remodel but with less speed, and it comes with the
capability to carry the level 68 dual 16"/50 Mark 2 L guns.
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North Carolina
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The North Carolina is the last ship on this line before the tree converges at Iowa.
Combat-wise, it's fairly slow and packs more firepower than its predecessors, but it also
has slight durability issues. Its main battery uses the level 79 triple 16"/45 Mark 6 L's, with a
total of nine barrels that give you very competitive range. It also carries a very capable AA
battery that can bring down entire waves of enemy planes if used right. Otherwise, the rest is
skill.
**********
Brooklyn line
**********
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Alaska/Guam
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The Alaska is something of the polar opposite of the Nevada. While it does have formidable
hitting power (though still somewhat weak compared to the other USN BB1), it has severe
durability issues and range problems. It does, however, have a major speed advantage, and
unlike the other BB1's, it can carry an AA battery right from the start, which is very
useful. The optimal guns to use on the Alaska are the level 53 triple 12"/50 Mark 8 N's,
for a total of nine barrels. With the remodel to the Guam, the level 54 triple 12"/50 Mark
8 L's come into play, eliminating the range issue, and the durability issue is stemmed off
somewhat with an extra support slot. It loses a bit of speed with the remodel though, but
it still goes quite fast.
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New Mexico
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The New Mexico is, in a nutshell, the Pennsylvania of the Brooklyn line. Like on the
Northampton line, it has its own little branch in the ship tree, and players must choose
between it and the Colorado. The base ship, again, plays a lot like those of the
Pennsylvania and the Tennessee, but the remodel grants it the same advantages of the
Pennsylvania, without as much speed but with more ammo capacity. The base ship uses the
same guns, the level 58 triple 14"/45 Mark 10 L's, while the remodel uses the level 70
triple 14"/45 Mark 7 L's.
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Colorado
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The Colorado is the odd duck out of the bunch; it comes 5 levels later than the New Mexico
and doesn't have a remodel, but it comes as a fully fledged BB2 instead of a BB1 that is
remodeled to become a BB2. It has virtually all the perks of the Tennessee, but with a bit
more speed. Furthermore, besides being able to carry the level 68 dual 16"/50 Mark 2 L's,
it has enough space to run the level 79 triple 16"/50 Mark 3 D's, which gives it twelve
barrels.
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South Dakota
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If there were one word to describe the South Dakota, it would be "speed." The South Dakota
uses the level 77 triple 16"/50 Mark 3 L guns, which have range issues but still hit very hard.
Its secondary battery carries little improvement over that of the Colorado and New Mexico, but
its major advantage is in its speed. Right out of the box, the South Dakota is capable of
outspeeding almost every other BB in the game, which virtually eliminates its range issues.
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SUMMARY
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-The Northampton requires higher level crew at the beginning to play effectively
-The Northampton line gives fast access to CAs, while the Brooklyn line leads to another
CL and then a CA
-The Brooklyn line has fewer levels between ships and remodels, making grinding between
ships slightly easier
-At early BB1 stage, the Alaska/Guam offer speed and AA, while the Nevada offers firepower
and durability
-At late BB1 stage, there are virtually no differences between the Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, and New Mexico
-At BB2 stage, both lines have the same choices of 14" and speed vs 16" and firepower with
minor but distinct differences between the four ships
-At BB3 stage, the South Dakota outspeeds the North Carolina, but the North Carolina has
more range and better AA
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