I went both top and bottom lines for France. If you go top the Emile Bertin I found to be a pain. The Galissonniere was not better. The Tourville (CA) for top line however is the exact equivalent to the Algerie (CA) on bottom line. I personally liked the Bretagne better than the Courbet because it seemed to be more adaptable once you're out of Blitzkrieg's. The remodel to the Lorraine removes the middle turret but gives you much bigger guns. The Normandie (BB2) is an awesome ship and has a much better speed than the Lyon on bottom line. Both lead up to the Strasbourg which is a decent ship in the later levels (85+). I'd recommend buying a Dunkerque though.
The Jeanne D'Arc on bottom line was a great CL and you hop over to the Suffren quickly which is decent. The Algerie (CA) is exactly the same as the Tourville, and it was personally my favorite CA I've ever played. I recommend you use the dual 8"s or load up on belt armor and use the quads. The Courbet is a great ship in Blitzkrieg but no where else. It remodels at 69 which gives it a little bit more sustainability in a Great Battle, but it's still going to lack speed big time. The Lyon at 63 was, in my opinion, the worst ship I've ever played. I bought a Dunkerque roughly 10 games after the Lyon. It may have been my crew at the time because I've yet to buy a Lyon and use my level 90-100 crew on it, but as far as I'm concerned it's slow and has terrible range.
In short: Going top line will have some crappy CL's in the way, but the CA and BB1 and BB2 are well worth it. Going bottom line has the better CL and CA's, a great Blitz BB, but you'll be frustrated once into Great Battles.
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