YORCK REPLACEMENT (ERSATZ YORCK)

Country
German

Class
Battleship

MMweight
7.0

Obtain Method
Gem

Arena rating

C

PVP rating

B

Ersatz Yorck (Yorck Replacement) was a battlecruiser that was ordered by the German Imperial Navy in 1916. It was intended as the replacement (German: ersatz) for cruiser Yorck that was sunk in 1914. Ersatz Yorck was never completed.

Ersatz Yorck has 4×2 380 mm guns. The guns have sufficient caliber to overmatch all ships in its MMweight except Gneisenau, Wichita, and itself. The accuracy is bad, just a bit better than Gneisenau. It has short range, but that kind of accuracy it’s not suitable for sniping anyway. Ersatz Yorck has very fast reload which makes its firepower in close combat frightening.

Ersatz York has decent armor. The front armor is the second strongest in its MMweight after Gneisenau. It can bowtank 381 mm guns but not 406 mm. It has high performance damage control and repair just like other German battleships, which makes it extremely resilient in intense combat.

Ersatz Yorck is a unique German battleship. It has thin side armor and can be citadeled. The ship is pretty long so hitting it won’t be hard. Unlike most German battleships, Ersatz Yorck has trash secondary guns. This means Ersatz Yorck must rely on its inaccurate main guns to deal with the enemies.

Ersatz Yorck is the only German battleship with engine overload consumable instead of underwater search. This consumable can boost its speed from 27.5 knots to 31.6 knots for 135 seconds. This is very fast for a low tier battleship. Ersatz Yorck is very maneuverable, with tight turning radius and fast rudder shift. Ersatz Yorck also has good concealment. It can outmaneuver enemies and dictate the engagement.

Playstyle

Ersatz Yorck should not be used for sniping. At long range, not even half of its guns can hit. Not to mention it has long hull so the enemy can easily hit it back. The ideal engagement range is within 13 km. Ersatz Yorck is a good ship to push the enemy formation because the front armor is strong. The fast speed makes it capable of chasing the enemy.

At the beginning of the battle, sail to one flank and find a good island for cover. Observe the enemy and plan a route to create a crossfire. Use engine overload consumable to position yourself at the enemy’s broadside. If possible ask your teammates to support you from the side. Always angle against enemy players. Don’t show broadside. Alter your sailing direction and speed every now and then so the enemy has a hard time hitting you.

Ersatz Yorck can fight at long range better than Gneisenau due to having better guns. It’s the only non-prism German battleship that’s actually viable in arena. It still won’t outgun pure snipers though. Use speed juke to dodge shells and always angle your ship. Kiting is also worth trying.

Is it worth to buy?

Ersatz Yorck is a fun ship, but in PVP it’s being outshined by Gneisenau due to lack of torpedoes and secondary guns. In arena, there are many other options. Ersatz Yorck is not a priority to buy.

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

Strengths
Good HE penetration, fast reload, good bow and stern armor, good maneuverability, good concealment, has engine booster, long damage control duration, short damage control and repair cooldown.
Weaknesses
Short range, bad accuracy, high air drag, low damage, bad side armor, easy to get burned, long hull, bad AA, bad secondary guns, no fighter plane.
General playstyle
Pushing, brawling, bowtanking, kiting
Preferred fighting range
Short to medium 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
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: buoyancy reserve – emergency flooding – extinguish

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