NORTH CAROLINA

Country
United States of America (USA)

Class
Battleship

MMweight
8.0

Obtain Method
Tech Tree

Arena rating

D

PVP rating

B

North Carolina class battleships were the first US battleship design that departed from the standard-type design. They’re faster, better armed, and incorporates more modern technologies. North Carolina’s design was limited by The Washington Naval Treaty System.

North Carolina has 3×3 406 mm guns. The guns have good accuracy, good penetration, and good damage. North Carolina’s full salvo power is one of the best in its tier. The main problem is the AP shell velocity. With only 701 m/s velocity, aiming at more than 13 km range is incredibly difficult especially for new players. North Carolina’s HE performance is very good, and it has decent shell velocity. When fighting distant targets, HE is usually better because of easier aim.

North Carolina has weak side armor. It’s one of the easiest battleships to be citadeled from the side. However, the bow armor is good and it has good maneuverability. North Carolina is slightly more resistant to HE spam compared to its competitors. It’s also relatively small and has decent concealment. With proper angling and maneuvering, North Carolina is capable of tanking for a long time. The speed is slow though, so the player must be careful when choosing a position. The AA is great; better than most higher tier battleships.

Playstyle

At the start of the battle, sail to a flank. Observe the enemy team. If your team’s firepower in your flank is superior, push together with your teammates. Since North Carolina has good bow armor, it often acts as the lead. Fight at <13 km range. Bowtank the enemy and don’t show broadside. If possible, find an island to cover your side armor. You just need to fight one enemy at a time anyway. Hide behind island if you’re getting too much focused fire. You can show more broadside to fire all guns only when the enemy is not shooting at you.

If you’re forced to fight at long range, use HE unless your aim is good. If the enemy’s firepower is superior, don’t push. Angle away and kite the enemy. Keep more than 12 km distance, shoot HE and burn the enemy. Switch to AP if the enemy is broadsiding.

In a battle with CVs in play, most of the time it turns to a long range battle. North Carolina will suffer because of slow shell velocity. However, its 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?

North Carolina is a good ship but situational. It rewards aggressive gameplay, but there are better ships for that role. On the other hand, it really struggles when fighting at long range.

North Carolina is a tech tree ship. If you want to get it, you just have to grind it. There’s no need to spend money. The continuations in the US battleship line are pretty solid in PVP. This line is worth to grind.

Strengths
Good penetration, good accuracy, good damage, good bow armor, good maneuverability, good AA, has fighter planes.
Weaknesses
Very slow shell velocity, bad side armor, slow speed.
General playstyle
Pushing, bowtanking, kiting
Preferred fighting range
Short to 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 or adv. special control
Slot 2: elite repair
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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