TOP 10 Best Premium Ships with the Most Unique Gameplay in WoWS
By Denis Marasan ☆ 08/Apr/2020It has been known that tier IX premium ships are the best to farm credits. And tier X premium ships are good on their own, since they are the highest-tier ships for playing at the top of the list. Therefore, in my TOP 10 Premium Ships list I will focus on lower tier ships that grant the most special, unique, and unusual gameplay in World of Warships (play now!)
Tier VII USN Small Light Cruisers* Atlanta and Flint
*Small Light Cruiser is a Cruiser with main battery guns from Destroyers (in WoWS that’s up to 139 mm inclusive)
We have little Small Light Cruisers here in World of Warships. And since the removal of Smolensk, there’s only one Small Light Cruiser remained on tier X that is Colbert, granting you some unique gameplay on high-tiers. You can get Colbert via Research Bureau (that’s in Armory) for 57k Research Points. But alternatively you can buy Atlanta for Doubloons or wait for Flint that should be available for Coal by the end of 2020.
The difference between the two of them is that Atlanta has an additional gun turret on each side and Surveillance Radar, whereas Flint has longer range torpedoes and Smoke Generator. The latter makes Atlanta more of a Destroyer hunter and a very skill-dependent ship, whereas Flint is meant for burning down enemy Battleships from smokes and grants a more relaxed play. Both USA Cruisers provide unique gameplay and are among the best mid-tier ships for farming credits and XP even after the rebalance of IFHE.
Tier VI German Large Heavy Cruiser* Admiral Graf Spee
*Large Heavy Cruiser is a Cruiser with main battery guns from Battleships (in WoWS that’s usually from 305 mm)
Admiral Graf Spee was the first Large Heavy Cruiser to appear in World of Warships back in 2016. She features 283 mm main battery guns in two triple-turret mounts and a well-armored hull. Other features are torpedo launchers with 8 km torpedoes and incredible launching angles, impressive hit points’ pool, and Repair Party.
Want to taste Large Heavy Cruisers without spending ridiculous amounts of Free XP on high-tier premium ships like Alaska or Azuma? Try this unique German "pocket battleship", she’s great! Though her farming qualities are questionable and main battery guns are not-too-accurate, the opportunity of relaxed play on mid-tiers is invaluable.
Tier VII German Battleship Scharnhorst
Scharnhorst is a sistership to linear tier VII Battleship Gneisenau. The main difference is her main battery guns. Unlike the latter, Scharnhorst features 283 mm main battery guns in three triple-turret mounts, making her feel more of a Large Heavy Cruiser, but with an impenetrable citadel. As a counter to her perfect armoring, her main battery guns are rather inaccurate. Speaking of other great features, Scharnhorst (and Gneisenau, since they are very similar) is renowned for her secondary armament and triple-tube torpedo launchers with 6 km torpedoes.
If you want a ship with the best armor protection on her tier, rapid-firing main battery guns and a few aces up your sleeve, keep an eye out for Scharnhorst, coz she’s one of the best and the most unusual ships in WoWS!
Tier VIII German Battleship Tirpitz
While on the subject of German ships, tier VIII Tirpitz is one of the most unusual Battleships in World of Warships. The more so, though she first appeared back in 2015, Tirpitz is frequently improved by game developers, staying on par with more recent warships.
Impenetrable citadel, good all around armoring, terrific secondary armament and four 6 km torpedoes on each side are counterbalanced by a large superstructure that is a real HE-shell eater and a not-too-good main battery. As a result, Tirpitz is a master of close combat and since she’s a tier VIII Battleship – a great farming machine. And the largest Destroyer ever introduced in World of Warships.
Tier VI French Battleship Dunkerque
Don’t get me wrong, French Destroyers are great. But just in case you can’t afford to research every single tech tree line in World of Warships, and you have no opportunity to buy tier IX premium Battleship Jean Bart that was removed from sale in spring 2020, here’s a Battleship to consider – Dunkerque.
Her main feature is the same as with linear tier VIII Richelieu and premium tier IX Jean Bart: both of her quadruple turrets are at her bow. This means that Dunkerque is the ship that will surely grant you some unique gameplay. I’m not saying it will be striking, the more so tier IX Jean Bart is better thanks to her Main Battery Reload Booster that Dunkerque is missing. But even so, considering the latter is a tier VI Battleship, I highly recommend Dunkerque for all players who love playing Battleships on mid-tiers. Otherwise pray the developers will return Jean Bart back to the premium store, or research Richelieu, coz she’s free.
Tier VI Soviet Cruiser Molotov
Tier VI Molotov is basically tier V Kirov, but with gun turrets right from tier IX Dmitri Donskoi. Yes, this tier VI Cruiser really features those signature Soviet 180 mm guns with insane penetration and flat trajectory, counterbalanced by higher reload time.
I personally rate this ship as one of the most uncomfortable Cruisers in World of Warships because of her squishy hull and over-penetration-prone guns, but if by any chance you love gameplay on tier V Kirov or want to try tier IX guns on tier VI, this Cruiser is for you.
Tier VII Destroyer Haida and tier VI Cruiser Perth
Since there’re only three Commonwealth ships in World of Warships for now, and they’re all great, I recommend reading a short review of the Commonwealth tech tree line.
In short, tier VII Destroyer Haida and tier VI Cruiser Perth feature Crawling Smoke Generators. And since this gimmick is so unusual, tasting it is a great idea. Just choose the ship of a class and tier you like the most, but remember that though both ships are great, they are far from being perfect or overpowered. Perth lacks main battery firing range, while Haida lacks the second torpedo launcher.
There’s also another ship featuring Crawling Smoke Generator, Pan-Asian Huanghe, but since this tier VI Cruiser is inferior to Perth she’s not recommended for buying. Unless you’re Chinese.
Tier VII UK Battleship Nelson and tier VIII USSR Battleship Lenin
If you’re not planning to research a line of British Battleships, tier VII Nelson is a great way to taste their special features. Coz apart from an odd arrangement of main battery turrets, with all three turrets in front of the superstructure and facing forward, Nelson has all the features of high-tier British Battleships. That is an increased HE-shells penetration and fire chance, all-or-nothing armoring that makes Nelson particularly vulnerable to HE-shells, and most importantly, a unique Repair Party consumable that can heal a massive amount of hit points. Another good reason to buy premium Nelson is that she’s for Free XP that is free.
Alternatively, you may go for tier VIII Soviet Battleship Lenin that has similar main battery turrets’ arrangement with very high traverse speed, but different features. Unlike her British kindred, Lenin will give you a taste of Soviet Battleships: good armor plating, including ends and deck armor, small and hence hard to hit superstructure, increased gun accuracy at shorter ranges, fast recharging Damage Control Party with a restricted number of charges and Repair Party.
Unlike Nelson, that is easily damaged but can restore much of her hit points, Lenin is very damage resistant, unless you show your broadside to an enemy Battleship. Either ways each ship is unique and great in her own way.