Country
German
Class
Cruiser
MMweight
8.5
Obtain Method
Gem
Arena rating
PVP rating
Seydlitz was the fourth ship of the Admiral Hipper-class cruiser. Seydlitz was initially intended to be armed with 150 mm guns in triple turrets. Later, it was redesigned to equip 203 mm guns like other Admiral Hipper-class cruisers. Due to the change in naval doctrine, Seydlitz was then converted to an aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, Seydlitz was never completed.
In the game, Seydlitz has 4×3 150 mm guns. Those guns have very high performance among light cruisers. It has decent reload, good accuracy, fast shell velocity, good penetration, and long range. The shells retain high performance over long distance. The HE penetration is good enough to penetrate high tier battleships. The fire chance and damage is low. Still, being able to consistently inflict damage at any range is a big advantage because other cruisers are usually not effective past 15 km range.
For a light cruiser, Seydlitz has good armor. The armor is not as strong as Prinz Eugen, but stronger than Hipper. With careful angling, Seydlitz can bounce 381 mm shells. This allows the player to move more aggressively and gain map control. However, this doesn’t mean Seydlitz players can be reckless. Of course, if broadsiding it can get citadeled like any other ship. Seydlitz has slow speed, bad maneuverability, and bad concealment. It’s relatively easy to get hit. The player must plan ahead before committing to attack.
Seydlitz has side torpedoes with short range. The damage output from torpedoes on one side is only enough to reduce a full HP battleship to half HP. To sink a full HP battleship, Seydlitz needs to turn around and launch the torpedoes from the other side. There’s a high chance that Seydlitz will get sunk long before it do such maneuver. Not to mention that the enemy can just run away before it gets close enough. Its concealment is bad so it can’t do sneak attack. Seydlitz also doesn’t have the speed to chase the enemy. The only time a torpedo ambush can be successful is when the enemy ignores it for a long time.
Unlike other German ships, Seydlitz doesn’t have underwater search consumable. It’s risky to move to a location where an enemy destroyer is lurking.
Playstyle
At the start of the battle, sail to a flank. Don’t sail too forward. Don’t get yourself spotted first. Remember, shooting will increase your detectability range so don’t do that unless you absolutely need to. If the enemy is spotted, let your battleships shoot the enemy first. Just like all cruisers, you need to find a good island to hide while still being able to lob shells. Ideally, you want to be able to lob shells to the enemy but the enemy can’t see or shoot you back. If you’re getting shot, just move closer to the island to hide or run away.
If there’s no such island, fight in open water at more than 14 km from enemy battleship. Angle your ship away from the enemy (kiting position). Speed juke to dodge shells. You can try this simple speed juke tactic: 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. Turn your ship away to increase its effectiveness. If the enemy is chasing you, drop your torpedoes too. Don’t show broadside. If your HP is low, just run away and stop shooting. Once you get out of your basic detection range, you won’t be spotted anymore.
To maximize your effectiveness, try to create a crossfire with your teammates. If your teammate is tanking, you sail to the side of the enemy ship and shoot at their broadside. Your primary targets are cruisers and broadsiding battleships.
If the enemies are few, you can play more aggressively. Push together with your teammates, ask your teammate to cover you from the side. Let your battleship become the main tank. If the enemy is shooting at your teammate, you can show more broadside to fire a full salvo. If you’re getting shot, angle your ship. Turn slightly to the left and right regularly and speed juke to dodge shells. Always change your direction and speed to throw off the enemy’s aim.
Don’t sail too close to the enemy. Ideally, keep more than 14 km distance from the enemy so you can be undetected after 20 seconds not shooting. This is important if your HP is low and you need to retreat safely. Remember, even though Seydlitz has good armor, it’s still cruiser grade armor. Battleship should be the primary tank.
If you like adrenaline rush, Seydlitz can be used to ambush an enemy. This move is very risky and requires more practice. Ideally, the enemy is bowtanking, not maneuvering, and is currently taking cover from behind an island. Use the same island to hide yourself as you move closer. Quietly approach the enemy that’s on the other side of the island. If possible, try to not get spotted. The plan is to torpedo the enemy at point blank range. Rush the enemy while keeping your ship angled towards the enemy (remember, don’t point your bow directly ahead). If needed, turn your ship to the left and right regularly to throw off the enemy’s aim. When the enemy is very close (less than 2 km), drop your torpedoes. If the enemy is not sinking yet, turn your ship around and drop torpedoes from the other side. You might get sunk quickly, but if successful you might win the battle. It’s a high risk – high reward strategy.
In a CV battle, always stay close to allied ships (especially BBs and CV) so you can protect each other with overlapping AA. You have long range, so you don’t need to get close to the enemy anyway.
Is it worth to buy?
Seydlitz is a light cruiser that has balanced firepower and survivability. In its MMweight, Seydlitz is the only non-prism light cruiser that can be competitive even in a battle full of battleships.
Seydlitz is a gem ship. If you want to get it, you must save gems from daily missions and events. It’s worth to buy if you like playing light cruisers.
Strengths
Long range, good accuracy, fast shell velocity, fast turret rotation speed, good HE penetration, decent armor, has torpedoes, has fighter planes
Weaknesses
Bad fire chance, low damage, slow speed, bad maneuverability, bad concealment, bad AA
Consumables
Elite DC, elite repair (3 charges), anti-air barrage (3 charges)
General playstyle
Kiting, sniping, flanking, ambushing
Role/specialty
Damage dealer
Preferred enemy target
BB, cruiser, DD
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: elite repair
Slot 3: elite anti-air barrage
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
Torpedo: engine maintenance – excess charge – weak point attack
Naval Creed: Warships Guides 
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