Battleship - France Tier VIII Champagne
Captain & Ship Build and Strategy Guide
- Build focus: Speed and concealment
- Playstyle: Fast, long-range battlecruiser
- Main strength: Excellent accuracy and very fast shell velocity
- Engine Boost: Pushes top speed to approximately 42.4 knots with the recommended build
- Key consumable: Main Battery Reload Booster for rapid follow-up salvos
- Main weakness: Weak armor makes close-range fights dangerous
- Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1 or Steering Gears Modification 1 are both viable
- Key tactic: Use Engine Boost to change speed and dodge incoming salvos
- Applies to: Champagne
Champagne is a Tier VIII French battlecruiser built around speed, accurate long-range fire and mobility rather than armor. Her combination of fast shells and Engine Boost allows her to operate very differently from slower conventional battleships. French battleships from Tier VIII onward have access to Engine Boost, which enhances both speed and engine power.
The recommended build doubles down on that mobility. With the speed and concealment setup, Champagne can reach approximately 42.4 knots, allowing her to reposition around the map extremely quickly and potentially outrun many destroyers. The goal is to constantly create better firing positions rather than remain tied to one area of the battlefield.
Her main battery is particularly effective at longer ranges. The excellent shell velocity makes aiming easier than on many battleships, while the strong accuracy allows well-aimed salvos to punish cruisers and battleships that expose their sides. Her Main Battery Reload Booster can then provide a rapid follow-up salvo when an important target presents a vulnerable angle. The consumable is most effective when activated immediately after firing so the next salvo benefits fully from the shortened reload.
Champagne's major limitation is her protection. She is not designed to absorb sustained punishment at close range, so the speed build should be used to avoid unfavorable engagements rather than simply to reach the enemy faster. Keep your distance when the enemy has a strong numerical advantage and use your mobility to disengage before the situation becomes dangerous.
Propulsion Modification 1 and Steering Gears Modification 1 are both reasonable choices in Slot 4. The Propulsion option emphasizes Champagne's acceleration and helps you change speed rapidly, while the rudder option gives you more direct control over directional dodging.
Speed changes are particularly useful against long-range battleship fire. With Engine Boost active, alternate between acceleration and deceleration instead of maintaining a constant speed. Combined with changes in course, this can make your movement much harder to predict and lets you speed-juke incoming salvos with practice.
The ship's high mobility also makes her excellent at exploiting weak flanks. Watch the minimap for enemy ships that have become isolated, then use your speed to appear from an unexpected angle. Likewise, do not hesitate to abandon a flank that has become unfavorable. Champagne can often reposition much faster than the ships pursuing her.
Champagne works best when she is constantly moving and looking for the next advantageous position. Use concealment to control when you engage, accurate guns to punish exposed targets and Engine Boost to dictate the distance of the fight. Avoid unnecessary brawls and let your mobility provide the survivability that her armor cannot.