G3

Country
United Kingdom (UK)

Class
Battleship

MMweight
9.0

Obtain Method
Tech Tree

Arena rating

D

PVP rating

C

G3 was a large “battlecruiser” design in the 1920s. It was one of the ambitious projects of the Royal Navy, but Washington Naval Treaty forced them to cancel the project and redesign to make it smaller. The result is Nelson-class battleship. This is why G3 looks like Nelson but larger.

G3 has 3×3 406 mm guns. Two turrets are at the front, while the third turret is at the ship center. It has fast reload, decent shell velocity, and good fire chance, but unfortunately it’s held back by bad accuracy and penetration. G3 can’t even land half of its shells against a broadsiding battleship at more than 12 km. The dispersion pattern is vertical, so some shells will hit the superstructure even if you aimed at the citadel.

The AP penetration is terrible. G3 can’t citadel a broadsiding battleship at point blank range. G3 can only citadel cruisers, but other battleships can deal more damage due to better accuracy.

G3’s main gimmick is supposed to be the HE ammunition. However, the HE penetration is very bad, even lower than 380 mm guns of other country’s ships. G3’s potency as a fire starter is mediocre because in order to set fires, penetration is very important. That being said, due to low AP performance, HE is still a better option.

G3’s primary ammunition should be set to HE. Only change to AP if the enemy is a broadsiding cruiser. Against bowtanking enemies, G3’s performance will increase exponentially because more HE shells will hit. The British HE battleship line is unique because they’re terrible at punishing broadsiding enemies but better at farming bowtanking enemies.

G3’s third turret has decent firing angle, but the turret configuration makes it struggle to fight enemies at the back. It also has to expose quite a lot of broadside to fire the third gun. It can kite, but must be done from long range because of how big the ship is.

G3’s hull is big but it has terrible armor. The side armor is thin. Even when angled, G3 still takes a lot of penetration damage. G3 is also vulnerable to HE. HE shells can easily penetrate and set multiple fires. G3 will melt in seconds under focused fire. The only good thing about G3’s armor is citadel protection. Even at close range, G3 rarely gets citadeled.

G3’s turning radius is big, but it has fast rudder shift and fast speed. In case situation turns bad it can run away. G3 has engine overload consumable that can increase its speed to 35.2 knots. G3 has good surface detection range which helps it disengage and it can reposition without being detected. G3’s AA is bad.

Playstyle

At the start of the match, sail to a flank, ahead of your teammates. Activate engine overload consumable if needed. Your speed will help you reach a good position before your teammates.

The best position for G3 is sitting beside a big island and keep the enemy directly ahead of it. Bowtank and just use the two front guns. The island acts as a cover so only one or two enemies can shoot back. There’s no reason to let your ship get focused by multiple enemies. If possible, spread fires to multiple enemies. Because most islands are located near capture sites, this automatically makes G3 an aggressive attacker and a good team support. This is beneficial for G3 too, because at long range the accuracy is terrible. If the situation turns bad, just reverse and hide behind the island.

G3 can also be positioned at the far right or far left of the flank. Use engine overload consumable to reach this position quickly. In this position, G3 can make crossfires with its slower teammates that are at the back. Keep angling and if possible, use the third turret.

G3 can be used for pushing, but not for a long time. Keep your bow pointed straight at the enemy. Rotate the tanking role with your teammates. If you come under a focused fire, quickly find an island to hide or reverse and let your teammate tank for you.

If there are enemies that has MAP ammunition (for example Lion) or there’s a CV, G3 must not stay bowtanking. MAP can penetrate G3 from the front. CV can farm it to death. Stay at long range and keep maneuvering.

If there’s an enemy behind you, use engine overload consumable to get away quickly. You don’t need to shoot, unless you’re already more than 10 km away. Shooting will expose too much broadside at close range and you’ll sink quickly. Ask for help from your teammates.

Is it worth to buy?

G3 is not a good ship. American, French, and Russian battleships have better HE-spamming potential despite not belong to an HE-focused line. Since G3 is bad at punishing broadsiding enemies, the enemy can just disrespect its guns.

G3 is a tech tree ship, so you don’t need to spend money to get it. In general, the entire British HE battleship line is not worth grinding for new players. It’s for old players who just want to have fun without caring about winning or losing.

Strengths
Good fire chance. Fast reload. Good speed. Amazing acceleration. Good rudder shift. Good concealment. Has engine booster. Good repair.
Weaknesses
Bad turret firing angle, vertical-style dispersion, bad accuracy, bad AP and HE penetration, low damage, short range, no rear guns, bad side armor, easy to get burned, large turning radius, bad AA, no fighter plane.
General playstyle
Pushing, bowtanking, flanking, sniping
Preferred fighting range
Medium range, sometimes long range

Recommended Build

Equipment
Slot 1: adv. disaster retardant module
Slot 2: engine enhancement 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: emergency flooding – buoyancy reserve – extinguish

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