IOWA (WISCONSIN)

Country
United States of America (USA)

Class
Battleship

MMweight
9.0

Obtain Method
Tech Tree

Arena rating

C

PVP rating

A

Iowa-class is US navy’s most advanced battleship during World War II. It has very fast speed for a battleship that makes it excellent for tactical formation, especially as a CV escort. It also has heavy AP shells and a large amount of AA guns. Even to this day, Iowa-class is constantly being compared to Yamato.

In this game, Iowa has the characteristic US guns: good accuracy, good penetration, and good damage but slow shell velocity. The guns are pretty good for mid to close range, but bad for long range. Interestingly, Iowa’s secondary guns have long range and can penetrate up to 33 mm or armor. Secondary build Iowa is possible and quite fun to play.

The bow armor is good but the side armor is weak. It has to show a lot of broadside to fire all guns due to bad firing angle. If the player doesn’t angle properly, Iowa can be easily citadeled. It’s big and takes a lot of time to turn because of large turning radius. The player must be careful when maneuvering.

Iowa is among the fastest battleships in its tier. Iowa has 33 knots speed and engine overload consumable, which can further increase its speed to 36.3 knots for 81 seconds. Iowa is capable of chasing cruisers and outrun enemy battleships.

Iowa has low surface detectability. It can ambush enemies and then disappear from view again. Iowa has the best AA among battleships in its MMweight. Because it has fast speed, Iowa has a decent chance of survival in a CV battle. However, it’s a big ship and an average CV player can still farm it.

Playstyle

At long range its performance falls due to slow shell velocity. Stay at 6-14 km from the enemy. At medium range, Iowa’s guns can hit the targets reliably while still be able to respond to enemy’s attack. Iowa has good bow armor so it can be used for pushing and capture a base. Still, an Iowa player must be very careful before committing to an attack. Never show broadside. If you’re not sure how to approach the enemy ship, just point your bow straight at it.

Iowa is best used for pushing together with teammates to destroy the enemy flank. Another way to use Iowa is sail to a different direction from your teammates to create a crossfire. Fast speed and good concealment means it can easily reach the desired position before the enemy can react. It’s recommended to sail beside an island to cover its weak side armor.

In a CV battle, Iowa will suffer because of slow shell velocity, big size, and large turning radius. However, strong AA will be a deterrent to below average CV players. If you see the enemy CV is a noob, you can try to play more aggressively (but don’t rush). Also, try to sail together with your teammates so you can cover them with your AA. Your damage output might be low compared to sniper ships, but there’s a chance that you can be useful for your team.

Is it worth to buy?

Iowa is a good ship but situational. With cooperative teammates it can be really strong.

Iowa is a tech tree ship. You just need to grind to get it. There’s no need to spend money. If you like battleships with fast speed, you should try this ship.

If you see Wisconsin in battle, don’t be confused. Iowa’s camo is called Wisconsin in this game.

Strengths
Good accuracy, good penetration, good damage, good bow armor, good speed, good secondaries, good AA, has fighter planes.
Weaknesses
Slow shell velocity, bad turret firing angle, big turning radius, bad side armor, big size.
General playstyle
Pushing, bowtanking, flanking
Preferred fighting range
Medium to short range

Recommended Build

Equipment
Slot 1: adv. disaster retardant module
Slot 2: engine enhancement module or steering gears enhancement module
Slot 3: aiming system module or secondary battery enhancement 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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