Cruiser - France Tier X Amiral Lartigue
Captain & Ship Build and Strategy Guide
- Build focus: Main battery firepower, survivability and skip bomber utility
- Playstyle: Aggressive gun-focused hybrid cruiser
- Main battery: Six 330 mm guns with high penetration and accuracy
- Aircraft: Skip bombers for additional damage and utility
- Mobility: French Engine Boost for repositioning and damage avoidance
- Captain: Modified French cruiser build
- Applies to: Amiral Lartigue
Captain Build
This build uses a modified French cruiser captain setup with an additional emphasis on the hybrid aircraft. The two-point AA skill is taken primarily because it improves the skip bomber cooldown, allowing the aircraft to be used more frequently throughout the battle. The aircraft should complement the main battery rather than dictate the ship's positioning.
Admiral Kutuzov is usable, but he is generally better reserved for ships that can take greater advantage of his specific talents. Honoré works particularly well with this build because Amiral Lartigue can make good use of Adrenaline Rush during the later stages of a battle. As the ship loses hit points, faster main battery reload becomes increasingly valuable while the 330 mm guns remain one of the primary reasons to keep fighting.
Engine Boost Modification is not essential. Amiral Lartigue has multiple Engine Boost charges, and the standard duration is sufficient to maintain mobility throughout a typical battle. The upgrade can therefore be skipped in favor of other options if you prefer to maximize the ship's overall combat performance.
Strategy Guide. A Gun-Focused French Hybrid Cruiser
Amiral Lartigue is a Tier X French hybrid cruiser that puts considerably more emphasis on her main battery than her aircraft. Her six 330 mm guns combine cruiser-style accuracy with battleship-caliber shells, giving her the ability to punish broadside cruisers and battleships from range. The skip bombers are an additional weapon rather than the ship's primary source of damage.
The ship plays somewhat like a larger, gun-focused version of Marseille. Her 330 mm guns reward careful target selection, while her French Engine Boost allows her to rapidly reposition between flanks and alter the engagement distance. The downside is that her large-caliber guns and hybrid profile make her a priority target whenever she becomes exposed.
A strong opening strategy is to use the Engine Boost to reach a useful flank before the enemy has fully established its positions. From there, use islands to limit the number of ships that can shoot at you while keeping enough room to maneuver. Amiral Lartigue should not simply sit behind an island for the entire battle; she needs firing opportunities and mobility to make full use of her main battery.
Once enemy ships begin focusing you, disengage early. Amiral Lartigue can survive punishment better than many light cruisers, but being caught in sustained crossfire removes the advantage of her mobility. The Engine Boost is particularly useful for rocking back and forth while accelerating and braking, making your movement less predictable and helping reduce incoming damage.
Using the Skip Bombers
The skip bombers give Amiral Lartigue a useful way to attack ships that are difficult to reach with the main guns. They are especially useful against targets that are being harassed from cover, ships that have used Damage Control Party, or destroyers that are attempting to operate around the edges of the battle.
Because the aircraft have a long preparation time, avoid treating them as a weapon that must be launched immediately whenever available. Look for situations where the skip bombers can create pressure that the main battery cannot. A target that has just used Damage Control Party can be particularly attractive because the aircraft can potentially create additional fires while the consumable is unavailable.
The skip bombers also give Amiral Lartigue a useful harassment tool against destroyers. They should not replace proper cruiser positioning or direct gunfire, but they can force a destroyer to maneuver and disrupt its ability to comfortably contest an objective.
Battlefield Positioning
The ideal position for Amiral Lartigue is usually somewhere between an open-water kiting cruiser and an island-supported gun cruiser. Hugging an island can protect the ship from unnecessary battleship fire while still allowing the forward-mounted guns to punish enemy broadsides. When the flank becomes dangerous, Engine Boost gives you the mobility needed to withdraw before the enemy can establish a crossfire.
Do not spend the entire battle hiding behind islands, however. Amiral Lartigue is still a cruiser, and her primary contribution comes from using the 330 mm main battery. Think of the ship as the gun-focused sister of Hildebrand: the aircraft provide additional tactical options, but the main guns should remain the foundation of your damage output.
The biggest mistake is staying exposed after becoming the enemy team's focus target. Hybrid ships naturally attract attention because opponents want to remove their additional sources of damage and utility. Fire your main battery while you have a safe opportunity, use the skip bombers when they provide a meaningful advantage, and be prepared to retreat as soon as the enemy fleet begins concentrating fire on your position.
Amiral Lartigue rewards players who can combine accurate large-caliber guns, speed and aircraft utility without becoming overly committed to any one weapon system. Use Engine Boost to control the engagement distance, islands to limit incoming fire, the 330 mm guns to punish exposed ships, and the skip bombers as an additional tool when the situation calls for them.