JEAN BART

Country
France

Class
Battleship

MMweight
8.8

Obtain Method
Gem

Arena rating

A

PVP rating

A

Jean Bart is the second Richelieu-class battleship. Jean Bart saw some action during World War 2 even before she was completed. Jean Bart was completed after World War 2. In this game, Jean Bart is the higher tier version of Richelieu and has many similarities to it.

Jean Bart’s guns are 2×4 380 mm caliber, all located at the front. Jean Bart’s guns are more accurate and has better penetration than other 380 mm guns of the French navy. Jean Bart’s guns can still deal decent damage at long range whereas other French battleships with the same caliber will probably have to switch to HE. Even though Jean Bart only has 8 low caliber guns, it has very fast reload which makes the DPM pretty high. The HE is also good. The all-frontal gun configuration means Jean Bart 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 Jean Bart is still at full power. Jean Bart can just sit bowtanking and outgun the enemy. But if the enemies are at the rear Jean Bart will struggle to fight them.

Unfortunately, Jean Bart’s bow armor can be overmatched by any battleship that has 457 mm or higher caliber, which makes it hard countered by Yamato-class, Michigan, and most MMweight 10.0 BBs. Also remember that ships with MAP ammunition like KGV, Lion, and L3 can citadel it from the front. Jean Bart has very low HP compared to other ships in its tier (it’s equal to battleships one tier lower). Any damage hurts it more than other battleships. When facing those enemies, Jean Bart must always move to avoid shells or angle properly so the shells hit its side armor. Jean Bart’s side armor is very good. Jean Bart is very hard to be citadeled. If angled properly, the side armor can bounce even Yamato’s shells.

Jean Bart’s low HP is compensated by its speed and maneuverability. Jean Bart has 33 knots base speed and engine overload consumable. If engine overload is activated, Jean Bart’s speed can reach more than 38 knots. This makes Jean Bart the fastest battleship in the game. Getting into a good position, angling, and dodging shells at close range is possible. Jean Bart can even be used for kiting because of this. Jean Bart is also pretty small compared to other high tier battleships. The freeboard sits low on the water. This increases the chance of avoiding shells and makes it tankier. Jean Bart’s concealment is great. It’s one of the stealthiest battleship in high tier.

Playstyle

The best position for Jean Bart is sitting beside a big island and lob shells against enemies directly ahead of it. The island acts as a cover so only one or two enemies can shoot back at it. There’s no reason to let your ship get focused by multiple enemies. You just need to fight one at a time. Because most islands are located near capture sites, this automatically makes Jean Bart an aggressive attacker and a good team support. This is beneficial for Jean Bart too, because it enjoys fighting at medium range. If the situation turns bad, just reverse and hide behind the island.

Jean Bart 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, Jean Bart can make crossfires with its slower teammates that are at the back.

If there are enemies that can overmatch its armor (457+ mm or MAP) or there’s a CV, Jean Bart must not stay bowtanking. Keep maneuvering, speed juke to dodge shells, use engine overload if needed. Angle your ship all the time.

Is it worth to buy?

Jean Bart is very strong but situational. There are some ships that can counter it. But if those ships are not present, Jean Bart can easily dominate the battle.

Jean Bart is a gem ship. You need to save gems from daily missions and events in order to buy it. No need to spend money.

Strengths
All guns at the front, high initial shell velocity, good accuracy, fast reload, good penetration, good side armor, low freeboard, great concealment, great speed, has engine booster.
Weaknesses
Bad bow armor. No rear guns. Anti-air barrage consumable doesn’t work. Low base HP. No fighter plane.
General playstyle
Pushing, bowtanking, flanking
Preferred fighting range
Medium 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: boost morale – hull protection – artillery warning
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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