ORION

Country
United Kingdom (UK)

Class
Battleship

MMweight
9.0

Obtain Method
Gem

Arena rating

B

PVP rating

B

Orion is basically a Lion-class battleship with six 457 mm guns instead of nine 406 mm guns. The guns are similar with the ones in L3, but with much faster reload because it only has six guns. Orion is reasonably fast but less maneuverable than Lion.

Orion has fast-reloading guns. The damage per salvo is low, but fast reload compensates it in the long run. Just like Lion and L3, it has MAP ammunition. MAP can penetrate bow and stern armor, citadeling the enemy from the front or the back. Read more about MAP and other ammunitions here. Orion’s dispersion pattern is circular-slightly horizontal (not vertical like most British battleships). This means Orion’s chance to hit a broadsiding enemy is pretty good. The accuracy has been buffed and now it’s pretty enjoyable. Still, low number of guns and slow shell velocity makes it hard for hitting enemies.

Orion has the same armor as Lion. The side armor can easily be citadeled and it gets burned very easily. Even regular penetrations can inflict a lot of damage. Only the bow armor is strong. Orion has bad turret firing angle so it has to show a lot of broadside to fire all guns. This means new players might get sunk quickly if they’re not careful with angling.

Unlike Lion, Orion has standard acceleration but faster speed (31 knots). Even though the maneuverability is good compared to other nation’s battleships, among British battleships it’s below average. Orion has excellent surface detectability, even better than Lion. This means in a battle without cruisers, Orion can be a spotter and base capturer. Interestingly, Orion has good AA (almost on par with American battleships).

Playstyle

Orion is not good at sniping due to slow shell velocity. At the start of the battle, sail to a flank. Due to its good concealment, you can sail more forward than other battleships and spot enemies before they can spot you.

When the enemy is bowtanking, load MAP. When the enemy is broadsiding, load AP. When the enemy is angling, both MAP and AP are effective. If you’re not sure which ammunition to choose, just use MAP all the time. Since it has large caliber guns, the MAP has sufficient penetration to pierce through the armor of most ships in its tier.

If your team’s firepower is superior in your flank, you push with your teammates. Point your bow towards the enemy when pushing. Use an island to cover your weak side armor. If there’s no island, use speed juke and keep maneuvering. Don’t play too aggressively because it doesn’t have the armor to sustain an intense battle. Regularly switch the tanking role between you and your teammates so everyone has time to repair.

If the enemy team’s firepower is superior, don’t push. Turn back and kite at medium range. MAP ammunition is often better when kiting. Don’t immediately run away because your team needs you to protect the flank. Run away only when your HP is low. Orion has good concealment and speed anyway so you don’t need to be too afraid of fighting.

If you’re an experienced player and has artillery warning skill, you can sail in open water and fire all guns. This poses a risk of getting citadeled because you’re showing a lot of broadside, so you must always maneuver and use speed juke to dodge the enemy’s attack. You can try this simple speed juke tactic: stay at medium range (12-15 km), sail at 1/4 speed when the enemy isn’t shooting, accelerate to full speed when the enemy shoots at you, reverse if the enemy shoots in front of your ship.

Is it worth to buy?

To play Orion you need a lot of experience and skill. If played properly, Orion can be strong. This is because MAP can still deal damage even when the enemy is angling. Often, the presence of Orion is already a deterrent that makes the enemy hesitant to push. This allows your teammates to gain map control.

Orion is a gem ship. If you want to get it, you need to save gems from daily missions and events. No need to spend money.

Strengths
MAP ammunition can penetrate any bow and stern armor. Fast reload. Good maneuverability. Good concealment. Good repair. Good AA. Has fighter planes.
Weaknesses
Bad turret firing angle, slow shell velocity, small amount of guns, bad side armor.
General playstyle
Pushing, flanking, kiting
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
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 – noise reduction
Damage control: emergency flooding – buoyancy reserve – extinguish

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