Minotaur Review

HMS Minotaur -- Review and analysis

HMS Minotaur is a Tier 10 Royal Navy light cruiser. She is the pinnacle of the British CL line, with an impressive array of weapons and consumables. Minotaur also retains the fundamental weaknesses of the British CLs, which make her a challenging ship to play. High-risk, high-reward is the name of the game, making her one of the most entertaining ships at her tier.

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DIFFICULTY: Challenging
How hard is it to stay afloat and perform decently well in this ship?

EFFORT REQUIREMENT: High
How much screen-tapping and situational awareness is needed to perform decently well?

POTENTIAL INFLUENCE/OUTPUT: Very high
In skilled hands, how much damage output or game influence can this ship exert?

SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT:

Slot one: Dispersion (-7%)

Slot two: Acceleration (+20%) OR Legendary module (+25% acceleration, +25% rudder shift)

Slot three: Concealment (+10%)

Bonus: Cruiser Modernisation.

Minotaur's turrets already rotate exceptionally fast, so the "Advanced Turret" bonus isn't needed. Cruiser modernisation isn't a huge boost, but better than nothing. The equipment choices are quite run-of-the-mill, with a full concealment build and dispersion equipment being the norm.

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Raw damage output and excellent evasion are the high points, with unsurprisingly terrible protection.

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FIREPOWER:

Minotaur's firepower is extremely good on paper. Her 10 guns reload extremely quickly, giving her one of the highest DPM values in the game. She also boasts 16 torpedoes, with decent range and the ability to single-fire. A well-played Minotaur can spit out a scary amount of damage very quickly, but there's a catch. Minotaur's weapons aren't quite the easiest to use.

What a fabulous DPM value! I sure hope there are no strings attached!

The first catch with Minotaur's weaponry is effective range. She has a maximum range of 11.6km, but should NEVER spend her games plinking shells off enemies from this distance. Minotaur's guns are hampered by loopy ballistics and rather wonky vertical dispersion, meaning her effective DPM falls off a cliff beyond 8km range. This is not a camping ship, requiring good use of her concealment and consumables to reach an aggressive position. At close range, Minotaur can make full use of her excellent DPM- at long range, she's relegated to picking scraps off enemy ships. Close-range play is obviously dangerous, so players have to be very aware of the risks in any given match. Do this well, and you'll be rewarded with extremely high output.

The second catch with Minotaur is entirely lacking HE shells. This will single-handedly turn many people away, because lacking HE means Minotaur has no easy-mode damage output against battleships. However, Minotaur doesn't lack a way to hurt big ships, she just needs a little bit more attention. By aiming for weakpoints on armoured ships, she can still deal full damage with her shells. Hitting these weakpoints is difficult at long range, further pushing Minotaur's reliance on aggressive play. Try not to take down battleships alone if you can avoid it, but don't feel like there's no way to damage them.

Shooting at a battleship? This is where to aim. Hitting these weakpoints becomes exponentially easier at close range, so use your evasion to reach these distances.

Minotaur has 16 torpedoes as well, 8 on each side. They have decent range, decent damage, and with a full concealment build can be stealth-fired. This being said, Minotaur is not a stealth-torping ship. Use guns as your primary damage output, firing torpedoes whenever it's convenient. I find the torpedoes are best used for routing people, denying areas, or pushing smokescreens. Consider any hits they score as a bonus.

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PROTECTION:

Minotaur's armour protection, resistance values, and damage reduction values are all very bad. She will take very heavy damage from large caliber shells striking her belt or deck, so minimise your profile when possible. Hits to the bow and stern are more likely to overpenetrate, so juke back and forth in an attempt to bait shots into these areas.

This in mind, Minotaur isn't supposed to be tanking to begin with. Before making a play, assess the risks and know your escape route; Once you get spotted, chances are you'll be a primary target.

Due to her high fragility, aggressive plays are a challenge. Minotaur needs to get close to deal high damage, but she cannot afford to tank incoming fire for long. Her best method of survival is using her evasion, which will be discussed in the next category.

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EVASION:

As is the norm for British CLs, Minotaur tops the charts in the evasion category. She is very stealthy, very agile, and boasts a good set of consumables to extend her lifespan. Evasion comes to dominate Minotaur's playstyle, with every aspect playing a role in her aggressive moves.

Concealment is the most important of her stats. Minotaur needs to get close, and concealment allows this. With a full build, Minotaur won't be spotted until she reaches 7km range- And indeed, you'll generally want to get as close as you safely can before dropping smoke and opening fire. Minotaur's general ineptitude at long range means there's no reason to break cover and reveal yourself right at the start of a battle, so take the time to reach a forward position where you can be most effective. As a bonus, staying concealed until close range makes DD hunting significantly easier.

When you've set up in a forward position, I suggest dropping smoke before opening fire. Try to remain undetected as long as possible, especially in the opening engagement of a battle; enemies will generally target spotted ships over smoked-up targets. While in smoke, be sure to juke with the throttle and rudder to throw off potential return fire, and be wary of torpedo drops as well. Fire at everything in sight, prioritising ships like destroyers that have wandered too close. Don't tunnel-vision though, prepare your escape route while shooting.

Concealment lets Minotaur get close, and agility lets her bug out. When falling back from forward positions, Minotaur should juke as much as possible to throw off incoming fire. While disengaging, hold your fire to reset your detection range and go unspotted again. Risk assessment is very important, because knowing when to disengage will keep your guns afloat.

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ANTI-AIR:

Range, damage, and high level DFAA are necessary for ships to defend against CV strikes. Minotaur only really has the range- her middling damage and low level DFAA are grossly insufficient to prevent strikes on herself.

Minotaur is a very nice AA picket ship for team support, owing to her excellent range. Unlike the majority of ships in this game, Minotaur's effective AA bubble is large enough to cover friendly ships from a reasonable distance. The presence of DFAA 1 brings her damage output from "decent" to "good", allowing her to pick off a few aircraft before they exit her range.

Where Minotaur falls apart is in the self defence category. Her AA is great when she's being ignored, but it CANNOT and WILL NOT repel strikes against herself. Tier 10 CVs will push straight through her AA bubble to land big drops, even with DFAA active. Minotaur will shoot down some of the attackers, in exchange for losing big chunks of HP. Carriers will only need two or three runs to remove Minotaur from a battle, so the only self-defence against them is running away and hoping the CV picks a new target.

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FINAL REMARKS:

Minotaur is a great ship. Characterised by a very engaging playstyle and very high potential output, she makes for one of the best designed T10 ships in the game. A well played Minotaur can absolutely dominate a match, but the risk required to achieve high results keeps her in check. "High-risk, high-reward" is the easiest way to summarise this ship.

Due to her risky nature, Minotaur won't be for everyone. In good hands, she will perform very well, but she doesn't have an easy way to deal large amounts of damage. For players seeking a more passive style, Worcester, with her HE shells and trollish armour, will suit them better. But if you like risk, and you know how to play fragile ships, Minotaur may well be for you.