Ah, Yamato, what can one say? Yamato was the ultimate Japanese battleship, none compare. Biggest, most powerful, heaviest, everything-est. Feel free to add your own superlatives.

Other arrangements have been tried for various reasons, but for fleet battling, this is the one I'd stick with.

With 24 second speed, Yamato has the go to get where you need to be. She has four shafts, and the room and power to swing some large props for hefty acceleration too.

One area where Yamato does come up a bit short (haha) is the maneuverability departmant, but ... it's not as bad as you'd think. She gets a very large rudder, and when you combine that with a very beamy hull and (ahem) plump stern, you get a big battleship that handles surprisingly well.

On the other hand, you can't have the biggest battleship in the world without having a lot to shoot at. Yamato is all hull, all day long, no casemates, and no long quarterdeck. Best bring some extra silkspan.

Yamato is not for beginners. Period. Yes, hulls and kits are available, but ... getting a ship this large and complex on the water and keeping it working is a task even the best battlers can have a difficult time with. The best battlers, especially if they have good teamwork on their side will find her to be a very powerful ship on the water that can provide a strategic and tactical edge.

Are you the big Kahuna? Do you have what it takes to handle a big girl like Yamato? Do you own a back brace? Do you want to own one? Do you like gladiator movies??? Okay, maybe not that last one. Much like the other 8 unit ship, Yamato is as much about the statement off the water as it is about the action on the water. If you have what it takes to build her, and the skill to show her moves on the water, then nothing will send a message like 64,000 tons of Japanese steel. Or your doctor bill.

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