AL Tier List V1.1

Kopfjäger's opinionated & extra-biased tier list

Ships are compared to others in their own CLASS for tiering purposes,
Ships are tiered under IDEAL conditions pertaining to their own respective skills.
Ships in a tier are listed from BEST TO WORST within the tier.
All skill values mentioned are at MAX level.

Tier Explanations:
Tier 0  : Fucking Broken. Meta-defining
Tier 1  : Best of the Best, use if available, ASAP
Tier 1.5: Nearly as good as the best, but has flaws compared to the best
Tier 2  : Good and perfectly usable, especially if waifu

DD (Destroyer, blue torpedo icon)

Tier 1:
- Poi (IJN Yuudachi)
Skill: 6% chance on firing main gun to boost Firepower, Torpedo, RoF, and Evasion by 40% for 8s
Drop-only, 6-4 Boss node
Poi is best of the best for a simple reason. Superior stat spread compared with an all-rounder skill that pretty much boosts EVERYTHING worth boosting on a DD. The general strat is to gear her with a super-fast DD gun to proc her skill as often as possible, though using a slower but harder hitting gun also works to make use of the firepower boost.

- IJN Ayanami
Skill: 5% chance on firing main gun to boost Torpedo by 60% for 8s
CN: Collection reward for 15* total among the 3 starters, buildable afterwards
JP: Starter choice, drops pretty much everywhere
Ayanami is Poi-lite, but much more focused. She lives and dies by her torps. With her skill procced, Ayanami easily causes OBSCENE damage with her torpedoes.

- IJN Kagerou
Skill: 15% boost of torpedo stat to every DD in the fleet; 30% chance to launch a second salvo on torpedo launch
Drop-only, Relatively common drop at later maps
A relatively common ship that packs a LOT of punch. Combines high torpedo stat with double-torplaunch proc and a fleetwide torpedo boost.


Tier 1.5:
- KMS Z23
Skill: 5% chance on firing main gun to boost Firepower by 60% for 8s
CN: Starter choice, drops pretty much everywhere
JP: Collection reward for 15* total among the 3 starters, buildable afterwards
Z23 is special in one way: She is basically a CL masquerading as a DD. Capable of mounting a CL main gun, she actually has pretty poor torpedo stat, and relies more on her gun to do damage.

- KMS Z46
Skill: 15% chance on firing AA gun to boost AA by 50%; increases AP damage by 25%
CN: Limited crafting back at KMS event
JP: Does not exist yet
Z46 is an all-round decent DD, not really standing out in many ways, but perfectly serviceable overall. Best used with her sisters.

- KMS Z1
Skill: Increases Firepower and Evasion of Z-series ships by 40%
Craftable
Z1's main use is for running the Z-class destroyer trio, where she provides a MASSIVE boost to her sisters. She herself is a pretty normal torpedo-focused DD statwise.


Tier 2:
- USS Gridley
Skill: 15% boost of torpedo stat to every DD in the fleet; 30% chance to launch a second salvo on torpedo launch
Identical skillset to Kagerou, worse stats

- USS Maury
Skill: 40% chance every 10s to raise evasion by 60% for 8s; 30% chance to launch a second salvo on torpedo launch
Collection reward
Another DD with double-launch skill, always useful to have.

- IJN Shigure
Skill: 5% chance on firing main gun to boost Evasion by 60% for 8s
Drop-only, earliest at 4-2
Excellent stats, lackluster skill, still pretty good to use overall

- USS Laffey
Skill: 6% chance on firing main gun to boost Firepower, Torpedo, RoF, and Evasion by 40% for 8s
Starter Choice, drops pretty much everywhere
Same skill as Poi, worse stats everywhere.


Honorable Mention:
- USS Eldridge
Skill: Upon taking damage, 15% chance to make entire escort fleet to evade all attacks for 10s
PVP Shop only
Often overrated because her skill IS pretty broken in low to midgame PvP matches. Lategame her utterly low HP just causes her to die way too fast to be of use.



CL (Light Cruiser, Yellow gun icon)

Tier 1:
- USS Cleveland
Skill: 15% chance every 20s to boost Firepower fleetwide by 25%; 25% chance on firing AA guns to boost AA by 40% and reduce Firepower by 20% for 3s
Craftable, also farmable
Cleveland is an oddball. She takes the "Best CL" throne by virtue of her stats alone since her skills are mostly poor and unreliable. What Cleveland DOES offer, is a very solid combination of HP and Evasion that lets her out-tank the vast majority of CAs in the game, paired with her decent Firepower and the fact that she's a gunboat do to good DPS at the same time.

- HMS Belfast
Skill: Increase HE damage by 25% and chance to ignite fire by 3%; 10s after battle starts and 20% chance at every 20s thereafter, create a smokescreen that lasts 10s. Smokescreen provides 35% evasion and 35% reduced damage taken from airstrikes
Craftable
Belfast is an HE-specialist who provides good damage and packs a punch with her torpedoes. Her main selling point is her smokescreen, which is amazing for reducing damage taken in PvE and in cutting down airstrike damage in PVP.

- HMS Edinburgh
Skill: Increase AP damage by 25%
Craftable
Edinburgh is in a similar situation as Cleveland. While her skill is arguably MORE relevant, she is placed here mostly based on her stat. She trades some offense for even MORE tankiness compared to Cleveland, and is indisputably the tankiest CL in the game. Very powerful in an all HMS setup.

- HMS Leander Kai
Skill: Increases Firepower of Cruisers (both CL and CA) in the fleet by 15%; At battle start and 20% chance at every 20s thereafter, create a smokescreen that lasts 5s. Smokescreen provides 40% evasion
Craftable, common drop
Arguably the best support-DPS CL in the game. Leander offers extremely solid stats despite her low rarity, paired with two useful skills. As a bonus, she is also a HMS ship, ideal for usage in an all-HMS setup.

- USS Helena
Skill: 60% chance every 20s to make all enemies take 40% more damage for 10s
Craftable, also farmable
Helena's stats are decent, but her main selling point is her skill, which while amazing when it procs, is hard to time well because it affects ONLY enemies that are on-screen when it procs, IF it procs. This makes her a bit RNG-reliant.


Tier 1.5:
- HMS Ajax Kai
Skill: 60% chance every 20s to boost Firepower by 40% for 10s; increases damage dealt to CAs by 25%
Craftable, common drop
Ajax is a brutal offensive machine, but is put down by her relatively poor defenses.

- KMS Leipzig
Skill: Increases Firepower, Torpedo, and Reload of Cruisers (both CL and CA) in the fleet by 10%
Collection Reward
Leipzig is a solid buff-provider, but is put down by her own somewhat lacking stats. Best used in an all-KMS lineup for maximum impact.

- IJN Abukuma Kai
Skill: 15% boost of torpedo stat to every DD in the fleet; 30% chance to launch a second salvo on torpedo launch
CN: Droppable in several past events and world 8 onwards
JP: Does not exist yet
Abukuma is a DD-support CL. Her own torpedo stat is high, and she is mostly there as a tankier alternative to Kagerou in a DD-heavy composition


Tier 2:
- USS Phoenix
Skill: Once per battle, when HP falls under 20%, heals 25% HP and increases firepowe by 30% for 15s
Craftable and farmable
Phoenix's claim to fame is her skill, which makes her a monster in PvE clear fleets and powerful in PvP both.

- USS Brooklyn
Skill: Increases Firepower of Cruisers (both CL and CA) in the fleet by 15%
Craftable and farmable
A worse Leander Kai, has the benefit of being a gunboat, but inferior statwise and lacks additional benefits.


Honorable Mentions:
- USS San Diego
Skill: doesn't matter
You'll see WAY more of her than you ever want
Best use: Scrap for 10 medals

- USS Juneau
Skill: When sunk, heals all other ships in fleet for 25% HP
Craftable and Farmable
Has a niche use in PvP trollish defense fleets


CA (Heavy Cruiser, Yellow gun icon with a +)

Tier 1:
- USS Portland Kai
Skill: When together with Indianapolis, Increase Firepower, AA, and Reload by 15%; 15% chance every 20s to reduce damage taken by 15% for 8s
Common craftable and drop
Portland is much like Cleveland. She's Tier 1 solely based on her statline and gunboat status, with her skills being merely icing on the cake. As it is, Portland combines heavy DPS and great tankiness all in one very common and yet solid siscon package.


Tier 1.5:
- USS Wichita
Skill: Increases Firepower of Cruisers (both CL and CA) in the fleet by 15%; 25% chance when firing main guns to fire another salvo
Collection Reward
Wichita is bar none, THE heaviest frontline DPS in the entire game. Why she's tier 1.5 you ask? Because she's simultaneously made out of wet single-ply toilet paper.

- IJN Takao
Skill: 30% chance to do double damage when firing main gun; 30% chance to launch a second salvo on torpedo launch
Craftable
Takao is a tad on the RNG side. Her skills are what makes her as good as she is, but they're not exactly the most reliable. Still, they are powerful and thus worth respect.

- IJN Maya
Skill: Increases Reload by 25% and 30% chance to launch a second salvo on torpedo launch
Drop-only, 8-4 Boss node
Maya trades Takao's double damage chance for a permanent passive reload boost, combined with her very high torpedo efficiency, this makes her a hilariously powerful torpedo-CA while still packing good non-torpedo firepower.

- KMS Deutschland
Skill: Increases damage dealt to DD and CL by 35%
CN: KMS Event drop
JP: does not exist yet
Deutschland boasts the highest firepower among ALL CAs in the game, and her bully of a skill makes her a superb member of a PVE clear fleet, while also being a great piece of an all-KMS PvP fleet.


Tier 2:
- KMS Admiral Hipper
Skill: Every 30s, spawns 2 shields that last 15s and blocks 10 shots; 8% chance to reduce any damage taken by 50% on taking damage
CN: KMS Event craft/drop
JP: does not exist yet
Arguably the best "tank" type CA in the game atm, with a great balance between offense and defense.

- USS Indianapolis
Skill: Every 30s, spawns 2 shields that blocks 8 shots; 8% chance to reduce any damage taken by 50% on taking damage
Day 2 Login
The "tank" gunboat, often used together with Portland to buff her onee-chan.

- KMS Prinz Eugen
Skill: 70% chance every 20s to spawn 3 shields that lasts 10s and blocks 10 shots
Day 8 Login
The tankiest CA in the game due to her absurd health pool. Poor offense brings her rating down however.

- IJN Atago
Skill: Increases HE burn chance by 8% and burn damage by 50%; 30% chance to launch a second salvo on torpedo launch
CN: Craftable
JP: PoW event crafting
Worse than her sisters, but still pretty solid overall. Atago's main issue is that there is no competitively good HE gun for CAs atm.

- HMS London
Skill: Increases escort fleet firepower by 15%
Craftable and farmable
A decent support-DPS CA brought down by her relative fragility

- HMS Suffolk Kai
Skill: 25% chance when firing main guns to fire another salvo; 60% chance every 20s to increase Firepower by 40% for 10s
Common craftable and drop
Superb offense, but fragile. Also not a gunboat which makes her double-shot skill half as good as Wichita's.


BB/BC (Battleship/Battlecruiser, Red gun icon)

Tier 1:
- KMS Tirpitz
Skill: 30% damage increase when Tirpitz is the only BB/BC in the fleet; Every 15s, launches 4 Magnetic Torpedoes
CN: KMS event point shop and drop
JP: does not exist yet
THE Hardest-hitting, toughest ship in the game. Pair her with CV/CVLs only because her damage increase is the main reason for her power. Tirpitz just brute forces everything to submission with ease.

- HMS Hood
Skill: 70% chance on firing main gun to fire a special salvo and increase main fleet reload by 40% for 8s
Craftable
Hood lives and dies by her skill. Her skill is plain ridiculous, and easily wipes the map clean from enemies when it procs. For this reason, all Hood setups emphasize speed for more procs per fight.

- HMS Prince of Wales
Skill: For every USS ship in the fleet, increase her own Firepower, AA, Reload, and Evasion by 5%
CN: Craftable
JP: PoW Event drop and craft
Demands a specific fleet composition, but the boost she gets from it is pretty broken, totaling to 25% to each of the boosted stats.

- HMS Warspite
Skill: Every 15s, fires a 2-bullet salvo at the furthermost target. This salvo will automatically crit
Craftable
Warspite mostly gains her spot by combining solid stats with an overall good skill.


Tier 1.5:
- HMS Queen Elizabeth
Skill: Increases Firepower, Torpedo, Air Power, AA, Reload, and Evasion of HMS ships by 15%
Craftable and farmable
Another ship that deserves her spot mostly for her skill. QE is the core of an all-HMS lineup and the reason it's so powerful.

- KMS Gneisenau
Skill: Increases Firepower by 25%; Every 20s launches 3 torpedoes
CN: KMS event drop
JP: does not exist yet
Discount Tirpitz

- KMS Scharnhorst
Skill: Every 15s, fires a 3-bullet salvo at a random target. This salvo will automatically crit; Every 20s launches 3 torpedoes
CN: KMS event reward/drop
JP: does not exist yet
Discount Warspite


Tier 2:
- IJN Yamashiro (Kai)
Skill: Increases Firepower by 20%; (Launches more seaplanes on first airstrike)
Droppable
Yamashiro has 2 approaches. Either leave her at the last node before Kai to have a super-high firepower BB, or Kai her to trade some firepower for extra bulletclearing airstrikes.

- USS Arizona
Skill: 50% chance on firing main gun to heal escort fleet for 10% HP
Craftable and farmable
Generally used for extra endurance in PvE clear fleets. Great synergy with Phoenix and other healers.

- IJN Hyuuga
Skill: Increases Firepower by 20%; Increases main fleet Firepower by 15%
CN: ZKK/SKK event craft
JP: Coming soon
A high-firepower BB who also boosts other BBs in the fleet with more firepower.


Honorable Mention:
- USS South Dakota
Skill: Every 30s, absorb 50% damage taken by main fleet for 8s, then heal for 50% of the damage taken during that time; 30% chance to do double damage when firing main gun
PVP point shop only
Two major reasons why South Dakota does not even make the list: 1. while the same skill is great on a CA like Takao, BBs fire too slowly for the very RNG-y 30% proc chance to work well. 2. The defensive skill is too little, too late, and only affects main fleet to boot.


CV/CVL (Fleet Aircraft Carrier/Light Aircraft Carrier, Purple plane icon)

Tier 0:
- IJN Akagi & IJN Kaga (Tier 1 if not paired)
Skill: First Airstrike launches 50% faster; When paired, increase Air Power by 35%
Drop-only, 3-4 Boss node
So good they're what defined the PvP meta even until now. Their main feature is their obscene air power (when paired) coupled with the early launch for brutal damage at high speeds.


Tier 1:
- USS Enterprise
Skill: 70% chance on Airstrike to do double damage and evade all attacks for 8s
Craftable
The best solo CV in the game, her skill is as overpowered as it gets. The only reason she loses to the Akagi/Kaga pair is because they would wipe her out before she gets to launch most of the time.


Tier 1.5:
- KMS Graf Zeppelin
Skill: 30% increase in efficiency for equipped German planes; All KMS ships in fleet take 15% less damage
CN: KMS Event craft
JP: does not exist yet
The best bomber-focused CV in the game, courtesy of her 2 3x Bomber slots at 160% efficiency. Her KMS-focused buff also makes an all-KMS composition hilarious tough.

- IJN Zuikaku (Tier 2 if not paired)
Skill: Increases next airstrike damage by 20% on launching airstrike, stacks up to 3 times; When paired, increases Air Power by 20% and takes 20% less damage
CN: ZKK/SKK Event point shop/drop
JP: Coming soon
An extra-tough carrier designed for boss fights. Not as great for PvE clear fleets, serviceable in PvP

- IJN Shoukaku (Tier 2 if not paired)
Skill: On launching an airstrike, gives a fleetwide increase of damage dealt by 10% and reduces damage taken fleetwide by 10% for 12s; When paired, increases Air Power by 30% and INCREASES damage taken by 10%
CN: ZKK/SKK Event point shop/drop
JP: Coming soon
More support-based than her sister. The odd debuff on her paired skill makes her rather fragile, but still a good supporting CV overall


Tier 2:
- HMS Illustrious
Skill: On launching an airstrike, provides a shield to the escort fleet for 8s. Shield HP is 10% of Illustrious's HP
Craftable
A very defensive-focused CV with double fighter slots. Her offense is poor in comparison to others, but she excels at defense.

- USS Lexington/Saratoga
Skill: Every 10s, fires a special salvo; On launching an airstrike, increases escort fleet Firepower by 15% for 8s
Craftable and farmable
These two ships are identical in use, and specialize in clearing smaller enemy fleets due to their bomber focus and special salvo. Great for PvE clear fleets.

- HMS Ark Royal
Skill: Airstrikes deploy a round of Torpedoes from Swordfish planes, slowing enemies hit by 60% for 8s
Craftable and farmable
A rare Torpedo-focused CV. Ark Royal kills bosses like no other CV can for this reason. Sadly, she's sub-par at clearing enemy fleets.

- HMS Unicorn
Skill: On launching an airstrike, heals the escort fleet for 8% HP; Increases Reload of escort fleet by 15%
Craftable
Arguably the best support CVL in the game, between the heal and the reload buff she provides a lot of value simply by existing.

- IJN Hiryuu (Tier 2.5 if not paired)
Skill: Once a battle, upon taking lethal damage, will not sink and will evade all attacks for 15s, simultaneously launching an additional airstrike; When paired, increases Air Power by 35%
Farmable
High airpower when paired, but otherwise her skill is pretty lackluster outside PvP

- IJN Souryuu (Tier 2.5 if not paired)
Skill: On launching an airstrike, increases escort fleet Firepower by 15% for 8s; When paired, increases Air Power by 35%
Farmable
A more support-based version of Hiryuu, with most of the same pros and cons.

- IJN Shouhou Kai
Skill: On launching an airstrike, heals the escort fleet for 8% HP; On launching an airstrike, Increases Air Power of other CV/CVLs by 15% for 8s
Farmable
Trades the permanent reload buff of Unicorn's for a temporary Airpower buff. Arguably inferior for that reason.

- USS Yorktown
Skill: Once per battle, if HP falls under 20%, heals for 25% HP and simultaneously launching an additional airstrike; On launching an airstrike, increases escort fleet Firepower by 15% for 8s
Craftable and farmable
Reasonably useful skill for PvP and also decent to use in PvE, but isn't that great overall.