Cruiser - France Tier X Henri IV
Lighthouse Build and Strategy Guide
French CA Henri IV - Lighthouse Build
- Build focus: Maximum firepower with Henri IV's legendary upgrade
- Playstyle: Long-range damage farming and high-speed kiting
- Main trade-off: Sacrifices concealment completely for maximum offensive output
- Key requirement: Comfortable with dodging incoming fire at long range
- Engagement range: Longer range than the standard Henri IV build
- Moderate option: Replace Consumable Enhancement, Consumable Specialist and Incoming Fire Alert with Concealment Expert
- Alternative: Heavy HE can be exchanged for Survivability Expert
- Commander: Honoré is highly recommended because of his improved Expert Marksman and Adrenaline Rush skills
- Slot 2: Engine Boost Modification is preferred; use Emergency Repair Specialist if unavailable
- Also applies to: Condé, with a choice between Concealment System Modification and Steering Gears Modification in Slot 5
- Alternative build: A Standard Henri IV Line Build is available for a more balanced playstyle
- Applies to: Henri IV and Condé
Henri IV's Lighthouse Build is designed specifically around her legendary upgrade and pushes the ship's firepower as far as possible. The major trade-off is concealment: this setup gives it up almost entirely and therefore requires a much longer-range playstyle than the standard Henri IV build.
The build works because Henri IV is capable of using her mobility to avoid incoming fire. Instead of relying on concealment to control engagements, you use speed, range and maneuvering to remain difficult to hit while continuously applying damage. This makes the build considerably more demanding, but also gives Henri IV much greater offensive pressure when played correctly.
With no concealment investment, engagement control comes primarily from distance and movement. Stay far enough away that enemy battleships have difficulty landing consistent salvos, then use Henri IV's speed to change your position whenever the enemy begins to focus you. Avoid becoming predictable, as the entire build depends on your ability to dodge damage rather than simply avoid detection.
The downside is that you will generally play from a longer range than with the standard setup. This can reduce your ability to directly influence close-range objective fights, so the Lighthouse build is best suited to situations where you can safely farm damage while still supporting your team's flank.
For a more moderate version of the build, Consumable Enhancement, Consumable Specialist and Incoming Fire Alert can be exchanged for Concealment Expert. This restores some of Henri IV's engagement control while retaining much of the additional firepower provided by the Lighthouse setup.
Another option is replacing Heavy HE with Survivability Expert. This reduces some of the offensive specialization in exchange for additional durability, which can be useful if you are finding the full damage version too unforgiving.
Honoré is highly recommended for the Lighthouse setup because his improved Expert Marksman and Adrenaline Rush skills complement Henri IV's mobile gunboat playstyle. Faster gun handling helps during constant repositioning, while improved reload performance becomes increasingly valuable as the battle progresses and the ship takes damage.
Engine Boost Modification is strongly preferred in Slot 2. The additional Engine Boost duration supports the central concept of the build: staying mobile while maintaining long-range fire. If the modification is unavailable, Emergency Repair Specialist is the practical alternative.
In battle, the priority is to keep your guns active without allowing the enemy to establish an easy firing solution. Use long-range HE pressure against battleships and other heavily protected targets, then switch targets when necessary rather than sitting under concentrated fire for too long.
Henri IV's ability to dodge incoming shells is especially important with this setup. Vary speed and heading, use the Engine Boost to change your movement pattern and avoid sailing in a predictable straight line. The more consistently you can avoid damage, the more value the offensive specialization provides.
Condé can also use this general Lighthouse concept. The alternative build allows either Concealment System Modification or Steering Gears Modification in Slot 5, depending on whether you prefer more concealment or stronger maneuverability.
For a more balanced setup with stronger concealment and engagement control, use the separate Henri IV Line Standard Build. That build is better suited to players who want more flexibility around objectives and less dependence on long-range damage farming.
The Lighthouse Build is best viewed as an advanced Henri IV setup. It gives up defensive flexibility in exchange for maximum firepower, so positioning and dodging become much more important. Stay at range, keep moving and use your speed to survive while taking advantage of the legendary upgrade's offensive potential.
When mastered, the build turns Henri IV into a highly mobile long-range damage platform. You are deliberately giving up concealment, so success depends on replacing stealth with distance, speed and accurate maneuvering. The standard build remains the more balanced option, while Lighthouse Henri IV is built for captains who want to push her firepower to the limit.