VANGUARD

Country
United Kingdom (UK)

Class
Battleship

MMweight
8.0

Obtain Method
Tech Tree

Arena rating

D

PVP rating

D

Vanguard was a fast battleship of the Royal Navy. It was built during World War II and commissioned after the war ended. It was a modern battleship and the last battleship ever built. Her design incorporates the accumulated experience Royal Navy had during the world war.

Vanguard has 4×2 381 mm guns. It has fast reload but the accuracy is bad. It has vertical dispersion pattern just like most British battleships. Vanguard 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 aim at the citadel.

Another problem with Vanguard is low penetration on both AP and HE shells. It can rarely citadel enemies even though the aim is good (low accuracy complicates this even more). Recently, the AP penetration has been buffed but the effect is not significant. Vanguard’s HE has good fire chance, but the actual HE performance in battle is low because it’s hindered by low accuracy and penetration. That being said, due to low AP performance, HE is often still a better option. Against bowtanking enemies, Vanguard’s HE performance will increase because more shells will hit (perk of having vertical dispersion).

The British HE battleship line is unique because they’re terrible at punishing broadsiding enemies but better at farming bowtanking enemies. This is further complicated by Vanguard’s slow shell velocity. It makes aiming at maneuvering targets very hard, even at medium range. Vanguard’s ideal target is a battleship that sits bowtanking and not moving.

Unlike other ships with slow shell velocity, Vanguard’s shell trajectory is flat. Vanguard can’t lob shells from behind island. The 4×2 gun arrangement and bad turret firing angle makes it bad at pushing and angling. This means Vanguard must fight in open water despite having bad armor and large turning radius.

Vanguard’s freeboard is high and the side armor is very thin. Vanguard is easy to hit and takes a lot of penetration damage. Vanguard is also vulnerable to HE spam. Vanguard’s citadel is well protected, but it can melt very quickly in a focused fire.

Vanguard has large turning radius, compensated by fast rudder shift and fast speed. Vanguard also has engine overload consumable that can increase its speed to 34.7 knots. It’s fast and quite maneuverable, but the large size and bad turret firing angle makes it vulnerable. Vanguard has mediocre surface detection range. The AA is decent.

Playstyle

At the start of the match, sail to the far side of a flank, ahead of your teammates. Activate engine overload consumable if needed. Your speed will help you reach a good position before your teammates. Before you shoot, use kiting position first. Do not show broadside. You can let your teammates shoot the enemy while you maneuver. This is because Vanguard’s armor is really bad and you need to prepare to dodge shells. Only after your position is safe, then you shoot.

Vanguard has slow shell velocity but bad armor. It’s better to play at medium range, between 11-14 km. Move together with your ally battleship because you need someone else as the main tank and punish the broadsiding enemy. Your role is to spread fires to as many enemies as possible. Use HE as your default ammunition. Use AP only if the enemy is fully broadside. If the enemy keeps maneuvering, better to stick with HE.

Use speed juke to dodge incoming shells. You can try this simple tactic: stay at medium range, 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. Use engine overload if needed. Vanguard is not suitable for pushing or sniping. Play it like a battlecruiser.

CV battles are often conducted at long range, and the slow shell velocity will make Vanguard suffer. It does have AA to deter enemy CV so you must sail together with your teammates. Your damage output will be low, but at least you can help protect your teammates.

Is it worth to buy?

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

Vanguard 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
Fast reload. Good fire chance. Good speed. Amazing acceleration. Fast rudder shift. Has engine booster. Good repair.
Weaknesses
Slow shell velocity, bad penetration, low damage, vertical-style dispersion, bad accuracy, bad armor, big size, large turning radius, no fighter plane.
General playstyle
Kiting, 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: 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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