User blog comment:FlammeumDraco333/Tales From the Not so Blocky Seas/@comment-27820070-20151105054127

I finally got the Gangut in the Soviet Navy line of ships and let me tell you, it is...I have no idea. I have very mixed opinions about the Gangut, some of which are good, some of which are bad.

Lets start with the background information. The Gangut-Class will be unlocked after 35 levels (It is actually 30, but I will clarify later on) in the Soviet Battleship line. You can unlock it by either the Dreadnaught or the Cruiser line of Russian ships. The ship is only 200k silver, cheap as chips, and it isn't very hard to unlock it...

...to level 30. You see, this ship is known for being one of the worst ships in the game, and for a good reason; at level 30, this ship is literally weaker then the Nevada.

Well, enough theory crafting. I will make a Pros and Cons list here.

Pros:

+Toughness behind the armor is fairly impressive, and they will allow you to soak up damage. Note that the Gangut is pretty unarmored until you get to level 35, and that the Gangut is a very slow ship indeed. The ability to soak up damage, not reflect it, can make or break this ship.

+At level 35, it's guns are very solid. It deals 1500 damage, and it has 300 range, fairly acceptable for any ship of this time. One thing is that these guns are also much, MUCH lighter then the ones you initially receive, allowing you to attach more armor.

+The guns also have a very, VERY high elevation as well, allowing you to hit the DECK ARMOR of battleships at maximum range. These can seriously damage and destroy ships.

+The ship has broadside mounted torpedoes. Now, while they are only aimed at one side, you can seriously do some damage to enemy ships with them. Note, however, that they are self defense torpedoes, when your target ship (preferably another battleship) is very close. They can be used to supplement your damage, but you cannot rely on them to sink ships outright.

Notable (Not Pro-Con)


 * The Manuverability of this ship isn't exactly the best, but it isn't exactly bad, either. You can rely on the ship to turn around, and to launch torpedoes


 * Accuracy is thoroughly mediocre. At close range, this ship excels, but at long range the Gangut often has trouble landing hits on ships that are smaller then battlecruisers (Cruisers/Destroyers)


 * The Armor of this thing is...its not that bad. For a start, I loaded 9" of deck armor, and for Belt, I managed to crap 10.5"/20"/10.5" of Belt armor alone. Note, however, that this is using the upgraded 12" guns you get at level 35. That brings us onto...

Cons:

-This ship is absolutely horrid in stock configuration. Your guns have LESS then 280 range, meaning that even RENOWNS at your respectable tier can outrange you. The worst part is that these guns are very, very heavy. They weigh within the region of 3700, and even lowering ammunition won't help the weight.

-This also leads to low armor at stock config.

-21 knots is not very impressive, and many battleships will end up hitting you, which is why you absolutely NEED to stock up on belt armor and better guns.

-Do not, in ANY WAY, think that secondary weapons are good with this. THEY ARE NOT. You will hardly ever use them, and they are also very heavy indeed.

-The torpedoes are at a fixed position.

-Last thing, the gun arcs in this ship is very, very bad indeed. Turret 1 and 3 will be able to fire at their targets, but turret 2 is where troubles arise. If you are angled even at a 45* angle to your opponent, you are lucky if turret no. 4 even gets close to the enemy. This forces you to cross the T with your opponent, and present yourself as a huge target.

All in all, Gangut gets a 6/10. Better then expected, but it can be much, MUCH better.

Mariya review coming soon, one level away from unlocking it :/