Emile Bertin is pretty good when you get the trip 6s. I wouldn't advise using it before
that unless you are some kind of masochist, but the guns seem (at least to me) to be
pretty decent and they can at least high angle; good training for DLG, I suppose.

The thing with the french ships is that they ALL lack displacement for sufficient armor.
The things were build for speed, for catching up with (at the time) the fast cruisers,
battlecruisers and Panzershiffe's of the German Navy. They weren't ment to slug it out.

Imo, they don't need a displacement buff. The game developers designed the french for
speed and rushing, and thats the way it should be; they shouldn't be armor whored like a POW.

Once you ACC cap (old ACC cap numbers are what I'm using) your gunners in the late 60's,
the quad spread becomes quite nice. Shell-spotting and the inability to close on
*anything* are the killer parts of the at-level BB1/2 grind.

Goeland:

1. With the level 54 guns, Courbet can fit 4 binds total.
2. As for armor setup, I put on 0.5 belt (for the 70-75% torp dmg reduction) and as much
buldge as I can fit without slowing me down too much. I dropped a knot or two, but meh.

After suffering through roughly 20 levels, MN players on the Jeanne line get the Algerie.
At first, it might be an equally frustrating ship to play with because the spread for
either the 6" or the 8" are not very accurate or even consistent. However, like fine
wine, the ship gets better as your crew level up. With its very slim profile and speed of
50+ knots, you can weave in and out with your 8" duals causing quite a ruckus. A downside
to the 8" duals is ammo. With only 3 binds, and rather bad spread, you'll run out of ammo
in no time.

Courbet. Well, as Shigure has said, this ship is tons of fun. The spread is bad, to say
the least. But hey, if you've played any BB1 at level and still continued on grinding,
then you're going to be fine. The one thing I've noted is that, in a Blitz game, I found
taking off the two side turrets to be a better result. The ship is very cumbersome with
the 2 side turrets, only one of which you could fire at any given moment. Taking both off
gives an extra 3 knots, which is very useful in avoiding the swarms of DD, or even enemy
shells--especially shells from the longer ranged Bretragne. However, in GB, as long as
you joined a game that isn't filled with BB4/5, or just filled with really bad BB4/5
players, then your XP will be amazing.

Good luck.

question: how many ammo binds can you fit in the Courbet? Any chance of having 1 bind AP
and the rest HE? (that's my setup for all my other BBs, for when AP is necessary).

Also, what is the best armor setup for CA/BB? I've seen no indication as to what armor on
MN does. I can play with it all I want on CL and DDs, but not get a clue because the
bigger ships always get me.

Thanks.

I'll give my two cents for some of these.

Suffren: In my view not a bad CA for those Blitz players who enjoy the close action or
for those who want to play multiple roles in GB. Using the triple 6.1" guns you can
carry enough HE and AA to make a difference against intruding non-capital ships and
aircraft alike as well as load up on HH in the T slots for those times when subs come
poking. I think its probably one of the most versatile CA available for any nation. Not
amazing certainly but enjoyable enough.

Algerie: You can continue with the dual role you played in Suffren with the 6.1s or
you can graduate to the 8" guns like a proper CA player. Certainly not the greatest
range of any CA but its capable in its own ways. You can get a decent turn of speed
out of this ship as well. The T slots could be used but by now the supports that
should have been in these slots have classed into their specialties and can no longer
use weapons.

Courbet: Wing turrets...you used to only be able to get them with EBBs. Now the
less fortunate can get them too! I spent my time from 54 to 61 in blitz with this ship
and really enjoyed myself. Yeah you don't get the kind of exp you could get leeching
from GB in blitz but at least in blitz you can feel like you're doing something. Played
well the Courbet can be a match for any BB1 in blitz...even Revenges.

the observations downplease said are spot on. As for the two ships that aren't
mentioned that I'm playing, I do have some extended notes...

-Emile Bertin: when you first get it, it doesn't have any real useful guns since the
spread is horrible, your better off lvling up the gunners on a kita in the support slots.

So even with the trip 6s with at lvl gunners its like a shotgun but are better at closer
ranges, tho the range is good and can really reach out, its spread sucks and having
a 70deg max angle its awkward.Not to mention the T slots have limited to no use,
unless you want to put hedgehogs on there.

As for other things, 3 support slots are good for lvling up engys or what have you.
The speed of the ship is fair, and the turning speed isn't that great. Also the ship
looks like a CA so your targeted quite often in battle.

-La Galissonniere: a step up from the previous tho its the same but a wee bit better,
the T slots are actually useful, you can either go for torps or AA, tho the AA guns only
fit in 4 out of the 6 slots (using the lvl20 duals). you have 4 support slots which is
again nicer, you can also use the dual 8s in the R slots(which are awesome due to
the 35deg angle) but they can only hold 1 bind of ammo, so you only get 20 volleys,
really the trip 6s should be used. Speed is excellent and turning speed seems good.

Overall I'm still getting used to Galissonniere and the trip 6s are a pain to get used
to. The Tourville will probably be really nice with the dual 8s, since it can hold more
ammo but I have 6 more lvls to go.

If you still haven't figured which route to go, I personally don't know, all the CLs suck
to a certain extent and in the short run of things, if you don't care what BB line you
go, I'd stick with whatever CAs turn out to be better(ie Tourville vs Algerie)....

He had a Nevada with BB guns. But he didn't have a scout.

What CL/CA guns did he have on what BB?

*EDIT* - D's with Heavy? Is that what they do in Blitz now?