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The USA Tech Tree Review / World of Warships guide / WoWS

The USA Tech Tree Review / World of Warships guide / WoWS

By Denis Marasan ☆ 11/Mar/2019

This is a review of the USA tech tree in World of Warships (play now!). It answers the question of "is the USA nation good enough for beginner and advanced players", describes the specifics of tech tree lines, points out the ships to watch (both linear and premium) and much more.

USA Destroyers

Main features of USA Destroyers:

  • Main battery with high damage per second (DPS) and bad ballistics
  • Long-running Smoke Generators
  • Short range torpedoes
  • Poor concealment and poor torpedo range on low-level ships
  • USA Destroyers are good for beginners

USA Destroyers in World of Warships have a main battery with high damage per second (DPS) and bad ballistics. This means that USA Destroyers are great for close combat artillery duels with enemy destroyers, but hitting fast moving and evasive targets from a distance is difficult and hence not very efficient. E.g. when dogfighting Soviet Destroyers at close range, the USA Destroyers have an advantage because of higher DPS; at long range – Soviet Destroyers have an advantage over the USA Destroyers because of better ballistics. Another great tactic is shooting large enemy ships from a smoke screen.

Low-level USA Destroyers suffer from poor concealment and short-range torpedoes, that's why torpedoes are considered a second-rate weapon. E.g. torpedo range up to tier VI is less than surface detectability range, which makes concealed torpedo launches impossible without the use of islands or smoke screens. But these parameters will improve after tier VI and by tier X you'll get a Destroyer with good concealment and torpedo range.

Destroyers to notice: tier IV Clemson looks overpowered. Basically, all Destroyers starting from tier VII Mahan are great. Lower level Destroyers suffer from short range torpedo launchers that could be used for close quarters only.

Notes on tier X Destroyer Gearing: great warship for close combat with enemy ships, taking caps, spotting enemies and concealed torpedo launches.

Premium USA Destroyers: tier IX Black is the warship to watch because of a Surveillance Radar consumable available. This gives Black an advantage over its opponents and unique tactical capabilities. Tier VI Monaghan and tier VII Sims are not too bad, whereas Kidd advantages are questionable.

  • Check out this guide on Commander Skills, including the skills overview, as well as the Commandes Skill builds for different classes of ships in WoWS.

 

USA Cruisers

Main features of USA Cruisers:

  • Better rebound angle for AP shells
  • Bad ballistics and high DPS
  • Great AA defense
  • No torpedo launchers on most ships
  • USA Heavy Cruisers are good for beginners

The main feature of USA Cruisers is better rebound angle for AP (Armor Piercing) shells, which ensures fewer ricochets and better penetration of AP shells. This feature is great for sniping enemy Cruisers at any range for the sake of hitting Citadel and inflicting maximum damage. The main drawback is that the USA Cruisers have no torpedo launchers except for some low-level linear ships (like tier V Omaha) and premium ships (like tier VII Atlanta and Flint). All USA Cruisers also feature great AA (Anti-Aircraft) defense.

 

A note on USA low-level Cruisers (tier I-V)

Awesome warships with great firepower and ridiculous ballistics, though the latter is true for any low-level Cruiser in World of Warships.

 

USA Heavy Cruisers (tier VI-X)

The progression towards Des Moines is smooth and the only warship that drops out is tier IX Buffalo because it’s obviously oversized and has a different turret layout, so you’d better adjust your style to get the most out of it. USA Heavy Cruisers feature 8-inch main battery guns with great AP and good HE (High Explosive) shells and their combination is the key to success. Generally, USA Heavy Cruisers are a good choice for beginners and are highly recommended for novice players.

Heavy Cruisers to notice: tier VII New Orleans, tier X Des Moines. Basically, all USA heavy Cruisers are great, but the two mentioned above are the greatest.

Notes on tier X Cruiser Des Moines: this is arguably the best tier X Cruiser in World of Warships that is definitely worth getting.

 

USA Light Cruisers (tier VI-X)

Because of poor ballistics and high firing range of their 6-inch main battery guns, the USA Light Cruisers, and that’s a line towards Worchester, are more suited for hunting enemy Destroyers and setting enemy Battleships on fire. I personally don’t recommend USA Light Cruisers for newbies. Though Light Cruisers have insane firing rate and hence DPS, they are fragile with prolonged rudder shift time and slow acceleration that makes them difficult to use.

Cruisers to notice: basically all light Cruisers starting from tier VII Helena are great.

Notes on tier X Cruiser Worchester: this Cruiser is as great as difficult to use. Worchester is definitely not the first tier X Cruiser you want getting in World of Warships.

Premium USA Cruisers: tier VII Atlanta and Flint with 5-inch main battery guns are arguably the best tier VII Cruisers in World of Warships, though they require a lot of skill to play and are not recommended for newbies. Tier VII Boise is an easier version of those. At least it has standard 6-inch guns and an unexpected bonus in a form of Repair Party for restoring a ship’s hit points that is an exotic consumable on a tier VII Cruiser. Tier VIII Wichita is a fun combination of light Cruiser hull (with fast rudders) and heavy Cruiser turrets. Tier XI Alaska is a well-balanced Large Cruiser with 12-inch guns and unique gameplay compared to other USA warships. Tier X Salem is a Des Moines sistership, so if you like the latter you may consider getting another one with some minor changes in a set of consumables.

 

USA Battleships

Main features of USA Battleships:

  • Low maximum speed up to tier VII inclusive
  • Mediocre main battery ballistics and questionable armoring
  • Great AA defense
  • USA Battleships are arguably the best for beginners

The main feature of USA Battleships is maybe their AA defense, whereas the main drawback is that low and mid-level Battleships (tier III-VII) are very slow and hence lack tactical superiority over enemy warships. And because novice players don't have the experience and skills required for using speed at their advantage, I personally recommend selecting the USA as the starting nation for playing on Battleships.

USA Battleships use the “all or nothing” method of armoring, meaning that the citadel is well armored, whereas the bow, aft end and topside armoring are negligible. Therefore the USA Battleships take a lot of white damage (these are hit points that can be restored by Repair Party consumable), though their Citadels are well protected. Tier III-VII Battleships have small turning circle radius and are good in evading incoming torpedoes.

Battleships to notice: any tier VIII-X linear or premium Battleship, they are all great.

Notes on tier X Montana: a great Battleship for sniping down enemy warships from a distance, though it’s huge, sluggish and has large Citadel that could be easily penetrated from short and medium distances.

Premium USA Battleships: tier V Texas is basically a linear New York battleship, but with better AA defense. Tier VI Arizona is obviously overpowered, but still very slow. Tier VI West Virginia is basically a tier VII Colorado sistership that was moved one level down the tech tree. Tier VIII Alabama has lower accuracy compared to North Carolina, but better antitorpedo protection, while tier VIII Massachusetts has even worse main battery accuracy compared with North Carolina and Alabama, but great secondary armament (and hence requires a separate Captain trained in using secondary armament). Tier IX Missouri is an Iowa sistership and has an advantageous Surveillance Radar.