Through the Spy Glass: Myōgi

Myōgi (妙義, named after Mount Myōgi in Gunma Prefecture) is based on Project B-40, which was a preliminary battlecruiser design drawn up by Sir George Thurston for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Project B-40 was one of three designs originally submitted to the Japanese for consideration: B-39, B-40, and B-41. All three were rejected because the Japanese didn't consider them adequate for their needs, but their designs were further developed upon and would eventually result in the Kongō-class battlecruiser (B-46). Since B-40 was never built, she never received a name historically, and the name Myōgi—which was never given to any warship of the IJN—was given to the design in accordance with the Imperial Japanese tradition of naming battlecruisers after mountains.

The first question you might ask is: “Why play Myōgi when I have Kongō?” Well, there are differences (the most obvious one being the number of guns each ship brings to the battle), though looking at the base stats of both ships (that is, compared to a fully upgraded Kongō), the following distinctions can be spotted:

• Myōgi offers significantly better torpedo damage reduction: 39% vs. Kongō's 25%
• Myōgi benefits from a much better turret traverse time: 37.5 s vs. Kongō's 54.5 s
• Myōgi also boasts a few more 6-inch (152 mm) secondaries: 16x1 vs. Kongō's 14x1
• Myōgi has a smaller turning circle: 730 m vs. Kongō's 770 m
• Myōgi comes with better concealment: 13.1 km vs. Kongō's 13.6 km
• Additionally, Myōgi enjoys a lower citadel

With that said, we can tailor our build to improve these parameters and compensate for that low main battery gun count: Takeo Takagi can be considered a good pick—his Phoenix base trait increases the amount of HP restored by the Repair Party consumable. Continuing up the skill tree, we’ll mostly focus on enhancing the guns:

• Flammable Cannonier to extend their range and accuracy
• Gyrating Drillbits to improve traverse speed and AP damage
• Marksmanship to ensure that most of the six shells of her salvo reach their intended target
• Reaching Out XXL to keep your opponents in range
• And finally—Will to Rebuild—as Myōgi's HP is middle of the pack for a Tier IV battleship

Preparation is half the victory: turn the tide!