Aircraft Carrier - U.K. Tier VIII Colossus
Captain & Ship Build and Strategy Guide
- Build focus: Carrier aircraft performance
- Tier: VIII
- Nation: U.K.
- Aircraft: AP rockets, torpedo bombers and HE dive bombers
- Main strength: High aircraft HP and strong strike potential
- Key weapon: HE dive bombers with high fire chance
- AP rockets: Excellent against cruisers and other suitable targets
- Main weakness: Low carrier HP and poor hull maneuverability
- Playstyle: Strike-focused carrier that relies on choosing the appropriate squadron for each target
- Applies to: Colossus
Colossusis a Tier VIII British aircraft carrier built around three very different strike squadrons: AP rockets, torpedo bombers and HE dive bombers. Her aircraft have above-average HP, but the carrier itself has relatively low survivability and poor maneuverability, so positioning the hull safely is particularly important.
The AP rocket aircraft are particularly useful against cruisers and other targets with enough side armor for the AP to penetrate. The current ship data lists five rockets per payload, with 201 mm penetration and up to 3,400 damage per rocket.
The torpedo bombers provide Colossus with a repeatable option against larger ships. Their torpedoes are slow, with only 35 knots of speed, so prediction and attack angle are important. The relatively short 2.4 km torpedo range also means these attacks need to be planned carefully rather than launched from extreme distance.
The HE dive bombers are the other major damage tool. They carry six 250 lb bombs per payload, with 32 mm penetration and a 27% base fire chance. This makes them particularly useful for applying fire damage and pressuring lightly armored targets, while heavier armor will often require you to rely more heavily on fires.
Colossus rewards deliberate squadron selection. Use AP rockets when the target offers a good penetration profile, torpedo bombers against suitable large ships and HE bombers when fires or reliable HE damage are more valuable. The carrier becomes much less effective when you repeatedly send the wrong aircraft against the wrong target.
The carrier hull itself should remain well behind the frontline. Colossus has below-average ship HP and maneuverability, so relying on the hull to survive an enemy push is a poor strategy. Reposition before the battle reaches you rather than waiting until the carrier is already threatened.
Overall, Colossus is a specialized British Tier VIII carrier that rewards good aircraft selection and target awareness. Her aircraft can deliver strong damage while her relatively fragile hull stays safely behind the fleet. The key is to exploit each squadron's specific strengths while avoiding unnecessary aircraft and carrier losses.