Sandbox/Key Ships

Destroyers - DDs

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Light Cruisers and Torpedo Cruisers - CLs and CLTs

Abukuma Kai Ni 阿武隈 - Lander/Tank Capable, Minisub Capable - Level 75, Blueprint

By designation, Abukuma is a CL, however, in practice, she is a CLT. This is because she possesses the unique ability to equip the Kou-Hyouteki, better known as the midget submarine, allowing her to perform pre-emptive torpedo attacks.

Do not mistake her poor daytime firepower for a lack of daytime damage output, although she may possess a weak shelling phase, her damage being frontloaded onto her opening torpedo puts her ahead of almost every other CL in the game. Her torpedo serves as her main damage in the day, while having the added benefit of preventing an enemy from shelling, while her short range prevents her from clashing with any ships with strong shelling power (e.g. Heavy Cruisers)

Due to her base opening torpedo power of 111 (94+5+12), it often becomes feasible for her to be equipped with dual torpedoes, this boosts her daytime torpedo power directly, keeps her range at short to prevent her from clashing with stronger ships, and also enables her to perform a torpedo CI at night. No other surface ship in the game innately benefits as much as her from running a torpedo set (the CLTs are at daytime torpedo cap of 151 already), as a consequence of this, she is a natural candidate for luckmodding, allowing her to keep her boosted day power while improving her at night.

Despite this, it is most important not to overestimate her, she is incredibly strong and possibly overpowered, but remember that other cruisers do possess their niches, Ooyodo with her four slots in particular is often better at anti-installation combat. She is also extremely expensive to obtain, not only being relatively rare, but only reaching her full combat potential at level 75 while also requiring a blueprint to do so.

Heavy/Aviation Cruisers - CAs and CAVs

Generally, when a certain ship subtype, such as a CA or CAV is mandatory, the designation is given sans brackets i.e. CA or CAV respectively; when either a CA or a CAV is allowed, a fleet composition will have the designation CA(V)

Furutaka-Class

Furutaka 古鷹 and Kako 加古

Aoba-Class

Aoba 青葉 and Kinugasa 衣笠

Myoukou-Class

Myoukou 妙高, Nachi 那智, Ashigara 足柄, and Haguro 羽黒

The Myoukou-class is one of the best

Takao-Class

Takao 高雄 & Atago 愛宕

The next two Takao sisters will be reviewed separately, simply because they have vastly differing roles in a fleet, Maya is an overall strong K2 with a specialization in anti-air, while Choukai is the single-best night attacker in the game apart from the CLTs.

Maya 摩耶

Choukai 鳥海

Tone-Class

Tone and Chikuma are pretty special, they become CAVs when they hit level 70

Tone 利根 and Chikuma 筑摩

Battleships, Fast Battleships, and Aviation Battleships - BB, FBB, BBV

Fast Battleships - FBB

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Editor's note, yes, Kongous started out as Battlecruisers which would be designated CCs, but in Kancolle, they're often referred to as FBBs

Fleet Carriers and Armored Fleet Carriers - CVs and CVBs

Armored Fleet Carriers - CVBs

The good news is that there are only three armored carriers in the game