Supertest: British Tier X Freemium Battleship Incomparable
5 min read
Historical background
Welp. Looks like another one of these days where the brits felt the need to compensate for something. Of course, in good tea drinker’s manners, they even decided to flex with the name of the damn thing… Anyway, let’s be a bit more serious.
HMS Incomparable was a battlecruiser design from 1915, pushed by Admiral John Fisher. The Incomparable was basically taking the concept of a battlecruiser to its limits. A very large ship displacing 46 000 tons at standard displacement and fitted with powerful engines allowing it to reach a speed of no less than 35 knots. In exchange, her armor would have been quite thin with a belt of 279 mm.
When it comes to the firepower… well Incomparable was definitely a fitting name. The ship was meant to be armed with six 508 mm guns in three twin turrets, two superfiring at the front and one at the rear.
In the end, considering the questionable military value of such a ship and with the events of Jutland in mind, the design was completely abandoned.
In World of Warships, Incomparable is, to nobody’s surprise, a “Battlecruiser-like” battleship with thin armor, especially on the bow and stern as well as accurate guns.
Incomparable is also equipped with an Engine Boost similar to Repulse as well as a Short-range Hydroacoustic Search.
Ship’s commemorative flag
Ship’s preview
Camouflage
For the classic reminder, this is a ship in testing, anything can change so don’t look at her like she would already be released.
Modules
Hull | Engine | Gun Fire Control System | Main battery | Torpedoes |
Incomparable |
160 000 HP |
Mk X mod. 1 |  508 mm/45 Mk I |
533 mm Mk IXM |
General Characteristics
| Tier | X |
| Health | 70 000 HP |
| Torpedo Damage Reduction | 14 % |
| Displacement | 49 936 tons |
| Dimensions | |
| Overall length | 301.86 m |
| Beam | 31.85 m |
| Overall height (keel to the highest point on the ship) | 25.0 m |
| Freeboard | 6.0 m |
| Main Armament | |
| Maximum Firing Range | 17 570 km |
| 508 mm/45 Mk I | 3 x 2 508 mm |
| Secondary Armament | |
| Maximum Firing Range | 7.000 km |
| 102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX | 11 x 2 102 mm |
| Torpedo Armament | |
| Maximum Firing Range | 12.000 km |
| 533 mm QR Mk II | 2 x 4 533 mm |
| Maximum speed | 33.0 knots |
| Turning Circle Radius | 1 160 m |
| Rudder Shift Time | 16.0 s |
| Surface Detectability | 13.5 km |
| Air Detectability | 12.27 km |
| Detectability After Firing Main Guns in Smoke | 16.44 km |
Main Battery
| 3 x 2 508 mm/45 Mk I | |
| Maximum Firing Range | 17.570 km |
| Reloading Time | 28.0 s |
| 180 Degree Turn Time | 30 s |
| Optimal firing angles at the front | 30° |
| Optimal firing angles at the rear | 30° |
| Sigma | 2.00 sigma |
| Maximum Dispersion | 196 m |
| Shells | |
| Type of Projectile | HE – 508 mm HE Mk I |
| Alpha Damage | 7 400 |
| Damage | 7 800 |
| Penetration capacity | 85 mm |
| Explosion size | 3.56 |
| Fire chance | 55 % |
| Projectile Speed | 751 m/s |
| Air Drag | 0.325 |
| Projectile Mass | 2 053 kg |
| Type of Projectile | AP – 508 mm AP Mk I |
| Alpha Damage | 19 500 |
| Projectile Speed | 751 m/s |
| Air Drag | 0.325 |
| Projectile Mass | 2 053 kg |
| Projectile Krupp | 2 300 |
| Projectile Detonator | 0.033 s |
| Detonator threshold | 77 mm |
| Ricochet Angles | 45° – 60° |
Secondary battery
| 11 x 2 102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX | |
| Maximum Firing Range | 7.000 km |
| Reloading Time | 3.0 s |
| Sigma | 1.0 sigma |
| Shells | |
| Type of Projectile | HE – 102 mm HE 35 lb |
| Alpha Damage | 1 500 |
| Damage | 310 |
| HE penetration | 17 mm |
| Explosion Size | 0.3 |
| Chance to Cause Fire | 6 % |
| Projectile Speed | 811 m/s |
| Air Drag | 0.33 |
| Projectile Mass | 15.88 kg |
Torpedo Armament
| 2 x 4 533 mm QR Mk II 533 mm Mk IXM | |
| Reloading Time | 96.0 s |
| Maximum Distance | 12.000 km |
| Optimal firing angles at the front | 30° |
| Optimal firing angles at the rear | 30° |
| Damage | 16 767 |
| Flooding Chance | 282 % |
| Speed | 62 knots |
| Surface Detectability | 1.3 km |
Anti-air Armament
| 11 x 2 102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX | |
| Sector range | 0.1 km – 5.8 km |
| Hit chance | 75 % |
| Sector’s damage | 33 |
| Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
| Sector’s damage per second | 116 |
| Flak clouds number | 6 |
| Flak cloud damage | 1 400 |
| 4 x 8 40 mm Vickers 2-pdr. Mk VIII 4 x 1 40 mm Bofors Mk VII 12 x 2 40 mm Bofors Mk IV | |
| Sector range | 0.1 km – 3.5 km |
| Hit chance | 75 % |
| Sector’s damage | 177 |
| Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
| Sector’s damage per second | 620 |
| 8 x 2 20 mm Oerlikon Mk V 26 x 1 20 mm Oerlikon Mk IV | |
| Sector range | 0.1 km – 2.0 km |
| Hit chance | 70 % |
| Sector’s damage | 78 |
| Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
| Sector’s damage per second | 273 |
Consumables
Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Slot 4 | Slot 5 |
Damage Control Party  Work time: 15 sCooldown: 80 s | Repair Party  Number of charges: 3Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s HP regeneration: 0.5%/s Casemate damage regeneration: 50% Citadel damage regeneration: 10% | Engine Boost  Number of charges: 3Work time: 180 s Cooldown: 120 s Speed bonus: +10% | Short-Range Hydroacoustic Search  Number of charges: 3Work time: 180 s Cooldown: 120 s Torpedo spotting range: 3.0 km Ship spotting range: 3.0 km | Spotting Aircraft  Number of charges: 4Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 240 s Maximum firing range: +20% |
Fighter  Number of charges: 3Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 90 s Number of planes in a squadron: 4 |
The Armor
External armor protection:
Front and rear armor protection of the middle section:
Citadel armor protection:
Turrets armor protection:
Hidden armor protection inside the bow and stern:
Personal Opinion
Well overall, the concept seems interesting. Let’s go point by point, shall we?
First, the biggest strong point is the amazing concealment and when I say amazing it’s straight-up scary because you even outspot stuff like Des Moines. Incomparable can reach a spotting range of 10.6 km by sea.
With the 33 knots base speed and 10% engine boost, the combination of amazing concealment and high speed busts wide open the door to some really nasty flanking maneuvers.
The problem is that firepower-wise, it is actually… kind of a wet firecracker for 508 mm guns. The HE doesn’t have the 1/4 penetration like the rest of the British battleships, the AP has a normal fuse time and when it comes to the penetration, it’s pretty much the same as Thunderer and in fact, it’s a tiny bit worse. In the end, overall, a Thunderer has much stronger firepower with one more turret, harder-hitting guns and faster reload.
Also, the Incomparable gets the shortest range of all battleships by a good margin. Which is another reminder of why I should be happy to not test it on the Asian server.
In terms of armor… eh. The 25 mm bow and stern are pretty large but at least the citadel’s athwartships are well covered. Also, there is the middle section with the 51 mm deck that will provide some nice protection against HE.
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About Author
A gl*** canon, that relies on stealth to survive longer them 3 minutes. Looks a very situational ship to me, but i liked it.
I like the design of the historical HMS Incomparable, and this just bothers me. Why does she have the QF 4″/45 Mark XVI? She was designed to use 5×3 BL 4″/45 Mark IX in the triple-mounts Repulse has in-game. Not to mention the fact that gave her two funnels for some reason. She just looks like a Super Hood essentially. Incomparable’s design PREDATED Hood and shouldn’t have design similarities to her, especially when you look at the fact all known designs for Incomparable features a large SINGLE funnel, not two funnels like Hood had.
I know Wargaming will probably say she has the Mk XVI 4″ guns because “it’s a hypothetical modernization.” Yeah, but would they really rearm such a m***ive battlecruiser with m***ive guns with those guns? I don’t think so. The only ones that got those into WW2 were the Revenges (mainly because they were relegated to second-cl*** battleships since they were seen as more of a liability than anything), Warspite (but she is a special case since she’s the only fully-modernized QE to keep even her casemate guns), and Hood (but her 1940s modernization was to replace them with either QE/Valiant/Renown’s 4.5″/45 DP guns or the KGVs’ 5.25″/50 Mark I DP guns). Considering Renown’s modernization saw her 4″ guns replaced with the 4.5″ DP guns much like QE got, and Hood was planned to have hers replaced with either those 4.5″ guns or with the newer 5.25″ guns, I would personally give her either 11×2 4.5″ guns or 10×2 5.25″ guns. The triple 4″ guns, or rearmed her with 4.5″ or 5.25″ guns would be far more interesting and unique than the overused 4″/45 Mk XVI guns that are on almost every British light cruiser and every non-5.25″ armed British BB other than QE.
Nope. Just no. If you are going to include Jackie Fisher’s crazy idea for the ultimate battlecruiser, you should keep it historically accurate and completely follow his crazy idea. I’m tired of Wargaming trying to p*** off these BS “what-if” refits as an accurate depiction of ships never built. Recreating her accurately means giving her 15 QF 4-inch guns in five triple mounts and 9 QF 3-pounders in single mounts. Also, where did these morons get the idea that Incomparable had two funnels? She had one. Also, no aircraft. Also, give her her designed 35 knot speed. Wargaming already screwed up the Lexington-cl*** and the original South Dakota-cl***. Do not screw up Incomparable.
Nope. Just no. If Wargaming is going to put Jackie Fisher’s crazy idea for the ultimate battlecruiser into the game, then they should stick to his idea and keep it historically accurate. That means 15 QF 4-inch guns in 5 triple mounts and 9 QF 3-pounder guns in single mounts. Also where did they get the stupid idea to give her two funnels. The design had one. Plus, you should keep her 35 knot design speed and not add any aircraft. I am sick of Wargaming trying to p*** of these “what-if?” alternate history BS refits as legitimate representations of legitimate ship designs that were never built. As it stands now, this is another bland, useless premium that frankly I wouldn’t use if I were paid to use, a pathetic, poor attempt to recreate a ship made by people who clearly have no p***ion for historic naval ships, built or not, and are incapable of doing their jobs. Either reprimand the people who are cranking out these monstrosities or fire them.
Yeah this Incomparable is a very probable what might have been done if the UK built her and she’d more than likely serve as a carrier escort