Cruiser - Pan-Asia Tier IX Baotou
Captain & Ship Build and Strategy Guide
- Build focus: Main battery performance, torpedo utility, concealment and Combat Instructions
- Playstyle: Flexible kiting cruiser that can switch between long-range gunfire and close-range torpedo attacks
- Main battery: Nine 180 mm guns based on the Nevsky armament, with long range and high shell velocity
- Primary ammunition: HE for sustained damage, AP against favorable broadside targets
- Torpedoes: Powerful deepwater torpedoes provide significant area denial against larger ships
- Combat Instructions: Reduces consumable reload time by 95% while active, allowing Baotou to rapidly restore key consumables
- Build option: PaP and Fill the Tubes can be replaced with Top Grade Gunner and/or Outnumbered for a more gun-focused setup
- Commander: The Rong brothers are strong choices because of their improved Survivability Expert
- Commander alternative: Rong's improved Demolition Expert can also be taken by replacing Fill the Tubes or Priority Target
- Upgrade: Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1 is preferred where available
- Upgrade alternative: If the Hydro modification is unavailable, use Engine Room Protection
- Best role: Long-range damage farming with selective torpedo pressure and destroyer support
- Key strength: Excellent concealment, long-range guns, powerful torpedoes and Combat Instructions
- Key weakness: Fragile Nevsky-style hull and limited cruiser utility outside the offensive toolkit
- Applies to: Pan-Asia Tier IX Baotou
Baotouis a Tier IX Pan-Asian light cruiser based on the Tier X Soviet Nevsky design. She retains the same general hull and high-velocity railgun concept, but trades some main-battery reload speed for improved concealment and a powerful deepwater torpedo armament. The result is a cruiser that can operate comfortably at long range while also having the ability to threaten large ships from much closer distances.
The biggest difference from Nevsky is that Baotou's torpedoes are a much more important part of her identity. Instead of relying almost exclusively on her guns, she can use long-range deepwater torpedoes to create area denial and punish predictable enemy movement. Because the torpedoes are deepwater, they are intended primarily for larger targets rather than destroyers.
Baotou's main battery remains highly effective. Her nine 180 mm guns provide excellent shell velocity and long-range firepower, allowing the ship to remain relevant even when closing the distance for a torpedo attack would be too dangerous. The main-gun reload is slower than Nevsky's, however, so the build benefits from improving the ship's firepower where practical.
The recommended build is modified to take advantage of the torpedoes. The combination of main-gun pressure, concealment and torpedo utility allows Baotou to perform several roles without specializing completely in any one of them. This makes the ship somewhat similar to Zao in overall philosophy: stay mobile, farm damage from range and use powerful torpedoes whenever the enemy gives you an opportunity to get closer.
PaP and Fill the Tubes are part of the torpedo-oriented setup. If you prefer to focus more heavily on the main battery, they can be exchanged for Top Grade Gunner and/or Outnumbered. The resulting version sacrifices some torpedo performance in exchange for stronger sustained gunfire and a more conventional cruiser gameplay loop.
The Rong brothers are particularly useful commanders because of their improved Survivability Expert. Baotou inherits the relatively fragile nature of the Nevsky hull, so additional HP provides useful protection against the battleship fire that she will inevitably attract while kiting. Rong's improved Demolition Expert is another viable specialization if you are willing to sacrifice Fill the Tubes or Priority Target.
Combat Instructions is the most unusual part of Baotou's kit. When activated, it reduces consumable reload time by 95%, effectively allowing the ship to rapidly refresh her consumables while the effect is active. This can dramatically increase Baotou's survivability and torpedo output when the mechanic is used at the right time.
The important point is that Combat Instructions should be treated as a resource rather than simply activated on cooldown. You have two especially valuable ways to exploit it: use the effect to refresh your Repair Party when additional survivability is needed, or use it to accelerate the recovery of your Torpedo Reload Booster when the tactical situation calls for another torpedo attack.
The exact value of Combat Instructions therefore depends on what the battle needs at that moment. If Baotou is being heavily focused, refreshing Repair Party can keep the cruiser alive. If a large enemy force is approaching or several battleships are trapped in predictable positions, refreshing the torpedo consumables can provide much more offensive value.
Charging Combat Instructions should happen naturally while playing rather than forcing the ship into unnecessary danger. Main battery hits contribute toward the mechanic, so maintaining steady gunfire against appropriate targets helps build the meter. The objective is to accumulate charge while still playing the ship's normal kiting role.
Baotou can fight at several different distances depending on the situation. At long range, her guns provide safe and consistent damage against larger targets. At medium range, both her guns and torpedoes become relevant. At closer distances, she can create extremely dangerous torpedo attacks, but the risk to her fragile hull increases sharply.
This flexibility means there is no single mandatory engagement range. The ideal distance should be determined by the enemy composition, the number of ships currently targeting you and the availability of your consumables. Do not move close simply because you have torpedoes; move close when the tactical situation makes the additional torpedo pressure worth the risk.
Open-water kiting is the safest default. Baotou's long-range guns allow her to deal damage while maintaining distance from battleships, and her concealment gives her opportunities to disappear when enemy attention becomes excessive. Vary your speed and rudder angle continuously rather than relying on raw distance alone to keep the ship safe.
The opening phase should focus on establishing a safe firing position and learning where the enemy battleships are located. Do not immediately push into torpedo range. Baotou's torpedoes are powerful, but her Nevsky-derived hull is not forgiving when several large-caliber guns have a clear shot at her.
Use the main battery to support your destroyers whenever an enemy DD becomes visible. Although Baotou's primary role is damage farming, she should not ignore opportunities to remove or severely damage enemy destroyers. Reducing the enemy's spotting and torpedo threat makes your later torpedo-focused gameplay considerably safer.
Against battleships, HE is generally the preferred ammunition. The 180 mm guns provide long-range pressure while the deepwater torpedoes give Baotou another way to threaten battleships that attempt to push. The strongest attacks often involve combining the two: use gunfire to pressure a target and launch torpedoes toward the route it is likely to take.
Torpedoes are particularly effective against ships that are already committed to a push. A battleship moving around an island or toward an objective has fewer options for avoiding a well-placed spread. Even when the torpedoes miss, forcing the ship to turn can create a better angle for your guns or delay the enemy advance.
Baotou's concealment makes these torpedo attacks more practical than they would be on a conventional long-range cruiser. You can move closer while remaining undetected, launch the torpedoes and then retreat before the enemy can fully respond. The key is to maintain an escape route before beginning the approach.
Do not forget that deepwater torpedoes cannot be used against enemy destroyers. When supporting a destroyer engagement, rely on your main battery and team coordination rather than attempting to solve the fight with torpedoes. This distinction is important when deciding whether to close the distance toward an enemy objective.
Against cruisers, AP becomes attractive whenever a target presents a broadside. Baotou's 180 mm AP can deliver significant penetration damage against exposed cruiser hulls, while HE remains useful against angled targets. Because the reload is not exceptionally fast, ammunition discipline is important.
If a cruiser is heavily angled and appears unlikely to expose its side, there is little reason to continue committing your position solely to maintain gunfire. Disengage or change targets instead. Baotou's combination of concealment and range means she can afford to be selective.
Combat Instructions becomes particularly valuable during these engagements. If a cruiser or battleship is pushing into your position, you can use the mechanic to refresh Repair Party and continue kiting. Alternatively, if the enemy is retreating through a predictable route, saving the mechanic for additional torpedo pressure can create an opportunity that would otherwise not exist.
The ability to refresh consumables also gives Baotou unusual late-game staying power. A cruiser that preserves enough HP and charges Combat Instructions efficiently can potentially gain several additional uses of key consumables over the course of the battle. This makes managing the mechanic correctly one of the main differences between average and strong Baotou play.
Hydroacoustic Search provides useful protection when moving into closer positions. Hydro helps detect incoming torpedoes and ships around islands, making the approach toward a torpedo attack safer. Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1 is therefore the preferred upgrade when available.
If the Hydro modification is unavailable, Engine Room Protection is a sensible fallback. Baotou relies heavily on maneuvering to survive, so protecting the engine and steering systems prevents a single disabling hit from turning an otherwise manageable engagement into a fatal one.
One of the most useful ways to think about Baotou is as a two-mode cruiser. The first mode is the safe kiting mode: stay at range, fire the main guns and build Combat Instructions. The second is the aggressive torpedo mode: use concealment and positioning to close the distance, launch torpedoes and then use Combat Instructions to refresh the tools required for another attack or to restore lost HP.
Switching between these modes according to the battlefield is more important than committing to one permanently. A player who spends the entire battle at long range wastes much of Baotou's torpedo potential, while a player who spends the entire battle trying to torpedo enemy battleships will quickly discover how fragile the Nevsky hull can be.
The mid-game is generally the best time to begin using the torpedoes more aggressively. Enemy formations have started to fragment, some battleships have committed to specific routes and there are fewer ships providing overlapping fire. These conditions make it easier to approach isolated targets without exposing Baotou to the entire enemy fleet.
This is also when Combat Instructions becomes easier to exploit. Once enemy ships are damaged and forced into predictable positions, the ability to repeatedly use torpedoes or Repair Party can have a much larger impact on the battle. Save the mechanic for moments where it directly improves your chances of winning the current engagement.
The late game is where Baotou can become particularly oppressive. An isolated battleship can be attacked by both long-range guns and deepwater torpedoes, while the ship's concealment allows it to disengage if the target receives support. Combat Instructions can then restore consumables and allow Baotou to repeat the process.
At this stage, it can be worthwhile to move considerably closer than you would early in the game. The risk is lower because fewer enemy guns remain, while the reward from landing torpedoes becomes much greater. Nevertheless, always check for destroyers and supporting cruisers before committing to the approach.
The biggest mistake with Baotou is treating her as a pure torpedo cruiser. Her guns are an important part of charging Combat Instructions and provide the safest way to maintain pressure throughout the battle. Use the main battery continuously when the situation allows and let the torpedoes complement that firepower rather than replace it.
Another mistake is using Combat Instructions for the wrong consumable. The 95% reload reduction is powerful enough that spending it casually can leave you without the ability to recover a critical Repair Party or torpedo consumable when you actually need it. Before activating the mechanic, ask yourself whether you need survivability or offensive pressure more urgently.
Baotou can also provide useful support to allied destroyers while remaining primarily a damage farmer. If an enemy DD is exposed, use your guns to punish it. You do not need to abandon the long-range kiting role simply because a destroyer appears; often the best support you can provide is removing the cruiser or battleship supporting that destroyer.
The large amount of utility also makes Baotou a relatively flexible ship for different battle situations. She can safely farm from range, create torpedo denial around objectives, support destroyers with gunfire and use Combat Instructions to extend her consumable uptime. Her main limitation is that none of these tools compensates for a poorly positioned cruiser caught under concentrated fire.
Overall, Baotou is a versatile Tier IX Pan-Asian light cruiser that combines Nevsky-style high-velocity guns with powerful deepwater torpedoes and a unique Combat Instructions mechanic. The ship trades some main-battery reload speed for better concealment and much stronger torpedo utility, creating a cruiser that can shift between long-range farming and aggressive close-range attacks.
The ideal Baotou captain should use the main guns to maintain pressure and charge Combat Instructions, while treating the torpedoes as a second weapon system rather than the sole source of damage. Stay at range when the enemy formation is strong, move closer when targets become isolated, and use Combat Instructions deliberately—either to keep the Repair Party available when survival is the priority or to refresh torpedo-related consumables when the opportunity for offensive pressure appears.
In short, Baotou rewards a fluid kiting-and-torpedo playstyle. Farm safely from range, support your destroyers when opportunities arise, use concealment to approach vulnerable large targets and let Combat Instructions extend the ship's ability to keep fighting long after a conventional cruiser would have exhausted its consumables.