TONE

Country
Japan

Class
Cruiser

MMweight
7.5

Obtain Method
Tech Tree

Arena rating

D

PVP rating

D

Tone was built by the Japanese navy based on Mogami-class cruisers. All main guns are placed forward of the bridge, reserving the entire stern area as a large seaplane operations deck. Tone was intended to provide the long range reconnaissance needed for Japan’s aircraft carriers.

Tone has 4×2 203 mm guns with good accuracy and damage. Still, Tone is bad for kiting because all of its guns are at the front. Tone can’t be used for pushing either because it has bad armor. Tone’s armor can be overmatched by any battleship. This makes Tone incapable of aggressive gameplay and must rely on its teammates. Firing full salvo is only safe at long range or when the enemy isn’t shooting at it. Tone’s shell arc is flat, so it’s hard to lob shells from behind island. Tone has plenty of torpedoes that can help when ambushing or being chased by the enemy.

In order to compensate for its restrictive playstyle, Tone has the best engine power among its tier. Tone accelerates more than 30% faster than other cruisers and decelerates 16% more efficient. Tone also has excellent rudder shift time coupled with decent turning radius and fast speed. Tone is a very maneuverable heavy cruiser. Tone must use its fast speed and good maneuverability to live longer.

Tone is one of the few cruisers that has dive bombers. Those bombers are controllable, but the control panel is not as sophisticated as CVs. It is recommended that you do not use the bomber to attack, but to spot enemies. The bombers die easily and don’t do much damage anyway. If you can control the planes, Tone will be a good reconnaissance cruiser.

Playstyle

At the start of the battle, launch your planes and sail to a flank. When you spot an enemy, click “attack” on the aircraft control panel. When the planes are around 5 km from the enemy, click “escort” to call them back so they don’t get destroyed by AA. When the planes are around 9 km from the enemy, click “attack” again. This will make the enemy permanently spotted. Cycle between attack-escort-attack-escort commands when the planes are near the enemy without actually commit to the attack. Put the planes just enough distance from the enemy to keep them spotted while avoiding too much AA. Using this technique, Tone would be a good reconnaissance cruiser. You commit to attack with dive bombers only if the enemy is a destroyer. Even then, there’s a risk that your bombs will miss and the destroyer will run away while your planes are going back to your ship. After the bombs are dropped, the planes can’t be controlled anymore.

While you’re spotting the enemy, let your teammates shoot. You sail at more than 14 km from the enemy. Remember, shooting will increase your detectability range so don’t do that unless you absolutely need to. 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. Finding a suitable island is often hard because of its flat shell arc.

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 and don’t bowtank the enemy. 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. This cruiser has fast speed so you must use it to find a good position quickly. If possible, sail in the same area as your ally destroyer. If the enemy destroyer is spotted, you must support him with your guns and planes.

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 fast shell velocity, so you don’t need to get close to the enemy anyway.

Is it worth to buy?

Tone is only good for spotting the enemy. Tone’s effectiveness will rise in a DD battle with few battleships. However, such situations are rare.

Tone is a tech tree ship. If you want to get it, you just have to grind it. No need to spend money. Considering it’s a low performance cruiser with no continuation, it’s not worth to grind.

Strengths
High velocity and accurate guns, fast speed, great acceleration and deceleration, good maneuverability, low freeboard, has dive bombers, has torpedoes.
Weaknesses
Guns are all at the front, most of the guns have bad firing angle. Slow turret rotation speed. Bad armor. Bad AA.
Consumables
Elite DC, elite repair (3 charges), anti-air barrage (4 charges)
General playstyle
Flanking, sniping, ambushing
Role/specialty
Spotter
Preferred enemy target
Cruiser, DD

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 seaplane quick servicing
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

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