Cruiser - Germany Tier VII Weimar
Captain & Cruiser Build and Strategy guide
- Build focus: Main battery DPM, survivability and aggressive cruiser gameplay
- Playstyle: Mobile HE farming, kiting and opportunistic close-range attacks
- Main battery: Twelve 150 mm guns with a fast reload and 38 mm HE penetration
- Primary ammunition: HE for sustained damage; AP against broadside cruisers and exposed targets
- Consumables: Repair Party, Hydroacoustic Search and Engine Boost
- Torpedoes: Twelve torpedoes provide a powerful close-range deterrent
- Best targets: Destroyers, cruisers, battleship superstructures and pushing ships
- Key strength: Very high main battery DPM combined with strong consumable utility
- Key weakness: High concealment, weak armor and short-range torpedoes
- Applies to: Germany Tier VII Weimar
Weimar is a German Tier VII premium light cruiser built around volume of fire. Her twelve 150 mm guns reload every eight seconds, giving her excellent sustained damage output compared with many cruisers at the same tier. Unlike a traditional heavy cruiser, Weimar does not rely on large-caliber shells or individual high-damage salvos. Her strength comes from putting a large number of shells into the enemy continuously.
The 150 mm HE shells are particularly useful because they have 38 mm of penetration. This allows Weimar to damage substantially more armored sections of enemy ships than a typical 150 mm cruiser would normally be able to penetrate. Battleship superstructures and other vulnerable areas should therefore be priority targets when direct hull penetration is not possible.
Weimar should generally be played as an active mid-range cruiser rather than a passive long-range sniper. Her 14 km firing range is workable, but her high detectability and weak armor make prolonged exposure dangerous. Use islands and friendly ships to create firing opportunities, then kite away when the enemy begins concentrating fire on you.
Kiting is one of the safest ways to exploit Weimar's DPM. When an enemy pushes toward your position, turn away early enough to establish an escape route and continue firing while retreating. The enemy is then forced to chase a target that is constantly creating distance while being hit by a rapid stream of HE shells. This is considerably more effective than allowing yourself to become trapped in a stationary position.
Weimar's AP should not be ignored. The 150 mm AP shells have a maximum damage of 3,900 and can punish broadside cruisers particularly well. When a cruiser gives you a clean broadside, switching to AP can produce significantly better results than continuing to fire HE. Against angled targets and battleships, HE remains the more reliable choice.
Destroyer support is another important role for Weimar. Twelve guns and a fast reload allow her to punish spotted destroyers very effectively. However, the ship's relatively high detection means you should not blindly chase enemy destroyers into open water. Let allied ships provide spotting whenever possible and use your DPM from a position where you can disengage after the salvo lands.
Hydroacoustic Search significantly improves Weimar's ability to operate around islands and objectives. It provides additional warning against torpedoes and can reveal ships hiding in smoke when they are within Hydro range. This makes Weimar particularly useful when supporting an allied destroyer contesting a cap or when fighting around narrow passages.
The Repair Party is one of the ship's most valuable advantages. Weimar's armor is not strong enough to shrug off repeated battleship hits, so the ability to recover some lost hit points gives her considerably more staying power. Do not use the heal as an excuse to trade health unnecessarily. Preserve it for situations where recovering damage allows you to remain active on an important flank.
Engine Boost adds another dimension to Weimar's mobility. It can be used to reposition between flanks, accelerate away from an advancing enemy or create additional distance while kiting. It is also useful when making a sudden aggressive move toward an isolated target. The key is to use the speed advantage to control the engagement rather than simply activating it whenever it becomes available.
Weimar's torpedoes are extremely dangerous but have only a 6 km range. This means they should normally be considered a defensive and ambush weapon rather than a primary long-range attack. Islands are particularly valuable because they allow Weimar to approach without being exposed for the entire duration of the attack. A ship pushing around an island can suddenly face a full spread of twelve torpedoes.
The combination of Hydro, torpedoes and a large health pool recovered through Repair Party makes Weimar surprisingly effective in close-range situations when the engagement is planned. The important distinction is between an intentional close-range attack and being caught at close range. Use islands and enemy positioning to create the former and avoid the latter whenever possible.
During the opening minutes, Weimar should avoid becoming the first cruiser on the flank to reveal itself. Identify the enemy battleships and radar ships before committing to an aggressive position. Once the initial spotting information is available, move into a position where your guns can support friendly destroyers and punish enemy ships without exposing yourself to the entire enemy fleet.
Mid-game is where Weimar's high DPM becomes increasingly valuable. As enemy ships become damaged and isolated, you can move closer and increase your rate of fire impact. Use your concealment breaks to relocate rather than remaining permanently visible in the same position. A Weimar that changes position regularly is much harder to eliminate than one that simply sits behind the same island and fires continuously.
When fighting battleships, concentrate on superstructures and other areas where your HE can consistently deal damage. Set fires when appropriate, but do not become fixated on fire farming if a better target is available. A damaged cruiser giving broadside or an exposed destroyer can represent a much more immediate threat to the battle than another salvo into a distant battleship.
In the late game, Weimar can become considerably more aggressive. With fewer enemy guns available to punish her, the ship's combination of DPM, Hydro, Repair Party, Engine Boost and torpedoes becomes much easier to exploit. Isolated cruisers can be punished with AP, while battleships that attempt to push can be forced to respect the torpedo threat.
The biggest mistake with Weimar is treating her like a conventional German heavy cruiser. She does not have the armor or range to sit in front of the enemy and trade damage indefinitely. Her survival depends on movement, positioning and knowing when to disengage. The goal is to remain close enough to maintain pressure while always having a route out when the enemy turns its guns toward you.
Overall, Weimar is an aggressive damage-oriented light cruiser that rewards active positioning and good target selection. Her twelve 150 mm guns provide excellent sustained firepower, while Hydro, Repair Party, Engine Boost and a twelve-torpedo broadside give her tools for almost every phase of a battle. Play around cover early, transition into open-water kiting when the flank allows it, and become increasingly aggressive as the enemy fleet loses the ability to punish your positioning.