NEPTUNE

Country
United Kingdom (UK)

Class
Cruiser

MMweight
8.5

Obtain Method
Tech Tree

Arena rating

D

PVP rating

C

Neptune is a strange continuation of Belfast. Unlike other British light cruisers, this ship has bad concealment. You have to be careful because it has very thin armor so a small mistake can be fatal. In order for its guns to deal damage it must attack broadside targets using AP. Smokescreen really helps it survive when attacking or retreating. With a good smokescreen usage, it can farm broadsiding enemies without getting shot in return.

Playstyle

Neptune has a lot of guns and fast reload. The accuracy is improved considerably compared to Belfast. This makes farming damage actually possible and you don’t rely too much on RNG. Just like all British light cruisers, Neptune’s HE performance is terrible. Neptune is not suitable for kiting. The best position for Neptune to farm damage is hiding behind an island and lob shells to broadsiding enemies. Flanking with the help of smokescreen is also good. With a good smokescreen usage, it can farm the enemy’s broadside without getting shot in return. Smokescreen can also help conceal badly damaged allies so they can hide, retreat, and repair. Neptune has slow shell velocity and bad accuracy, so it shouldn’t be used for sniping. Neptune’s damage output will drop considerably if the enemy is actively maneuvering.

Neptune has bad armor, typical of British light cruisers. It’s hard to directly fight cruisers, not to mention battleships. Just a single salvo can severely damage this ship or even destroy it. Unfortunately, Neptune is pretty big and has bad surface detectability, which makes its survivability even lower than other light cruisers. Staying undetected is the prime method of staying alive. If you get shot, quickly retreat and hide. Stop shooting when retreating. Don’t get too close to the enemy (remember, it has bad concealment). Use repair consumable when the HP is 60% or below. Saving repair consumable is not a wise decision.

Unlike other British light cruisers, the bad concealment makes Neptune’s utility in combat limited. It can’t capture bases, spot enemies, and support ally DDs. The long range torpedoes can be used to deny the advance of enemy ships, but the torpedoes have low damage so some hits won’t cripple the enemy. Neptune’s AA is good and it has smokescreen to protect teammates and itself. In a CV battle, always stay close to allied ships (especially BBs and CV) so you can react quickly and protect them from enemy planes. Neptune has slow speed, so positioning is important.

Is it worth to buy?

While Neptune is below average in performance, the top tier cruiser in the British tech tree line (Minotaur) is pretty enjoyable. The playstyle might not suit everyone. If you’re familiar with smokescreen, grind this ship. If you have a lot of unused free exp, you can use them to skip this ship then unlock Minotaur.

Strengths
Good AP penetration, fast reload, fast turret rotation speed, good AA, good torpedoes
Weaknesses
Bad HE, bad accuracy, bad armor, slow speed, bad concealment, bad maneuverability, big size, no planes
Consumables
Elite DC, super repair (3 charges), smokescreen (3 charges)
General playstyle
Flanking, lobbing shells from behind island, torpedo spread
Role/specialty
Area denial, wide AA protection, ally smoke protection
Preferred enemy target
BB, plane

Recommended Build

Equipment
Slot 1: adv. disaster retardant module
Slot 2: engine enhancement module
Slot 3: cruiser aiming system module
Consumables
Slot 1: elite damage control
Slot 2: super repair
Slot 3: elite smokescreen
Crew Skills (after basic skill)
Captain: artillery warning – boost morale- hull protection
Gun: crack gunner – ADA enhancement – burn the ship behind
Engine: noise reduction – quick shift – adv. quick shift
Damage control: buoyancy reserve – emergency flooding – extinguish
Torpedo: engine maintenance – excess charge – weak point attack

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