DUNKERQUE

Country
France

Class
Battleship

MMweight
6.5

Obtain Method
Gem

Arena rating

C

PVP rating

B

Dunkerque was the first capital ship built by the French navy after World War I. Dunkerque was armed with a main battery of eight 330 mm guns arranged in two quadruple gun turrets, all at the front. Dunkerque’s gun caliber is small and it doesn’t have good penetration, which makes its damage output very low unless the enemy is completely broadside at short to medium range. In exchange, Dunkerque has fast shell velocity, good accuracy, and fast reload so it can reliably hit the enemy. Dunkerque can overmatch cruisers, but with angling many of its shells will bounce.

The all-frontal gun configuration means Dunkerque doesn’t have to show broadside to shoot all guns. Bowtanking in other ships usually makes them lose 1/3 – 1/2 of their firepower, but Dunkerque is still at full power. However, Dunkerque’s armor can be overmatched by 380 mm guns. Dunkerque can be citadeled from the front by ships that have those guns. This means bowtanking against Repulse, Queen Elizabeth, Colorado, Warspite, or most of MMweight 7.0 battleship will result in quick death. If the enemies are at the rear, Dunkerque will struggle to fight them because it has no back turrets.

The main selling point of Dunkerque is its speed. At low tier, Dunkerque is the fastest battleship. Combined with engine overload consumable, it can find a good position quickly and outmaneuver the enemy. Considering that many battleships can overmatch it, good positioning becomes extremely important.

Playstyle

At the start of the match, observe the enemy’s composition. If there is no ship that can overmatch it, play aggressively. Sail to a flank or find a big island as a cover. Point your bow straight to the enemy. Make sure only 1-2 enemies can shoot back at you. The ideal engagement range is below 12 km. You can brawl if needed. If the situation turns bad, just reverse and hide behind the island.

If there are ships that can overmatch you, observe where they’re going. Let your teammate tank it while you set up a crossfire. Use engine overload consumable to quickly position yourself at their broadside. If possible, use an island to block their line of sight so you don’t get shot back (you lob shells from behind the island like a cruiser). Your aim is to sink the enemy as fast as possible before your teammate gets sunk. If you don’t have a teammate that can tank for you, stay at long range (>13 km) and just snipe the enemy. Use speed juke to dodge shells. Keep your ship angled.

Is it worth to buy?

Dunkerque is very situational. If there’s no enemy that can overmatch it, Dunkerque is incredibly strong. But if there’s one or more enemy that can overmatch it, Dunkerque is very weak.

Dunkerque is a gem ship. If you want to buy it, you don’t need to spend money. Just save gems from daily missions and events. Because it’s a low tier ship, the price is cheap. However, considering its below average performance and high skill floor, Dunkerque is not recommended for new players.

Strengths
High initial shell velocity, good accuracy, fast reload, fast speed, has engine booster, good AA, has fighter planes.
Weaknesses
Low caliber, bad penetration, high air resistance, bad armor.
General playstyle
Pushing, flanking
Preferred fighting range
Medium range

Recommended Build

Equipment
Slot 1: adv. disaster retardant module
Slot 2: engine enhancement module or disaster control module
Slot 3: aiming system module
Consumables
Slot 1: elite damage control
Slot 2: elite repair
Slot 3: elite engine overload
Crew Skills (after basic skill)
Captain: artillery warning – boost morale – hull protection
Gun: crack gunner – high speed aiming – burn the ship behind
Engine: quick shift – adv. quick shift – steering master
Damage control: buoyancy reserve -emergency flooding – extinguish

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