Aircraft carriers are the most controversial class in World of Warships and the one with the highest skill ceiling. The best carrier in World of Warships depends on your experience level and playstyle — Midway is the most forgiving and versatile, Hakuryu rewards the highest skill, and the European and German lines offer different tools for specialists.
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Best overall: Midway (USA, Tier X)
Midway is the most recommended Tier X carrier for the majority of players. All three squadron types — attack aircraft, torpedo bombers, and dive bombers — perform well against every ship class. It has the most forgiving mechanics of any Tier X carrier: attack runs are easier to execute, plane losses are more sustainable, and the armoured flight deck gives it more survivability than competitors.
Midway is the best carrier for hunting destroyers. Its HE rockets deal reliable damage to destroyers, which have no citadel, and the fast attack run timing makes them harder to dodge than torpedo approaches. Against battleships, the torpedo bombers deal consistent flooding damage. Against cruisers, all three weapon types work depending on the angle.
Best for: New carrier players, players who want versatility, ranked/competitive play
Best high-skill ceiling: Hakuryu (Japan, Tier X)
Hakuryu has the highest damage potential of any standard tech tree carrier when expertly played. Its AP dive bombers can citadel battleships and cruisers for enormous burst damage — a skill Midway cannot match. The torpedo bombers are also strong against broadside targets.
The trade-off is punishing. Mistimed runs against competent AA clusters lose planes faster than Midway, and the AP bomb aiming requires precise angle reading. A Hakuryu played well beats every other carrier. A Hakuryu played poorly is a liability.
Best for: Experienced players, those who enjoy high-ceiling gameplay, AP specialists
Best for sustained pressure: Essex (USA, Tier IX)
Essex is the Tier IX tech tree carrier widely regarded as one of the most consistent in its tier bracket. Its tactical squadrons replenish entirely rather than one plane at a time — making it nearly impossible to deplete. Frequent attack runs and sustained spotting over long matches are its defining strengths.
Essex sits at Tier IX rather than X, which means it faces different matchmaking. For players who enjoy the Tier IX bracket or want to maximise consistent performance without the Hakuryu learning curve, Essex is often the better choice.
Best for: Consistent farming, players who dislike running out of planes
Best European option: Audacious (UK, Tier X)
Audacious plays differently from the US and Japanese carriers. It carries skip bombers — a unique bomb type that bounces along the water surface before hitting the target, allowing release from further away outside the densest AA. It also has a strong Repair Party consumable that restores plane HP mid-flight, giving it more sustainable attack runs than most competitors.
The UK carrier line up to Audacious is often recommended as a learning path because ships at earlier tiers have the skip bomber mechanic throughout, meaning skills transfer cleanly up the whole line.
Best for: Players who want a different attack style, attrition-focused play
Best alternative: Manfred von Richthofen (Germany, Tier X)
The German carrier plays with heavy AP rockets that can penetrate cruiser armour — unusually strong against cruisers for a carrier. Its skip bombers add a third attack dimension. The German line is sparsely occupied on most servers which means less direct competition for the learner tier experience.
Richthofen is rated lower than Midway and Hakuryu for overall efficiency, but it’s a viable and interesting alternative for players who have mastered the standard carriers and want something different.
Best for: Players who’ve mastered Midway and want variety, cruiser-hunting specialists
Lines to avoid
Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA, Tier X) — Poor plane economy. One committed attack run into a AA-heavy cluster and you lose planes for several minutes. Avoid as a first Tier X carrier.
Admiral Nakhimov (USSR, Tier X) — Slow squadrons with clunky skip bomber mechanics that are hard to land efficiently. Outclassed by every other Tier X option in most situations.
Shinano (Japan, Tier X) — Painfully slow squadrons that lose spotting races and reach targets late. Only available as a premium; not recommended.
Best tech tree lines to grind
USA (→ Midway) — best starting line
The US line from Langley through Ranger, Lexington, and into Midway is the most recommended for new carrier players. Each ship plays similarly and attack timing skills transfer directly from one tier to the next. The rocket-heavy loadout trains you on the fundamental carrier skill — aiming rockets at destroyers — before introducing the more complex torpedo mechanics.
The US line also branches to Essex (Tier IX) via a separate path, which many players consider the better endpoint for consistent play.
Japan (→ Hakuryu) — best for advanced players
The Japanese line ending in Hakuryu teaches torpedo bombing throughout. By the time you reach Tier X you’ll have extensive experience leading targets with torpedoes. The AP bomb mechanics only arrive at Hakuryu itself, so expect a learning adjustment at the top of the line.
UK (→ Audacious) — best for learning skip bombers
The British line teaches skip bombing at every tier. Players who finish this line have a skill set that’s genuinely different from US or Japanese carrier competency. Audacious at Tier X is a reasonable endpoint but not the strongest; the line is more valuable for the learning experience.
How to get a carrier in World of Warships
Carriers must be researched through the tech tree like any other ship class. See how to play Carrier in World of Warships for the full guide.
What is the best Carrier for beginners?
Midway via the US line. The line teaches fundamental carrier mechanics progressively, attack aircraft are the easiest weapon type to start with, and Midway at Tier X is forgiving of mistakes that would cost you dearly in Hakuryu.
Is Hakuryu better than Midway?
In the hands of an expert, yes — Hakuryu’s AP dive bomb damage potential exceeds anything Midway can do. In the hands of an average player, Midway is more consistent. Most tier lists rank Midway as the stronger practical choice because its floor is higher; Hakuryu’s ceiling is higher but its floor is lower.
Are Super Carriers worth getting?
Super carriers (Sekiryu, United States, Eagle) are significantly stronger than standard Tier X carriers and are not available through normal tech tree progression — they require special events, premium currency, or promotional campaigns. They are controversial in the community for their impact on gameplay balance. If you can access one, they are powerful, but they shouldn’t be the primary goal for a player learning carriers.
How do I get better at carriers?
Practice attack run timing in the training room before playing randoms. See the full guide on how to play Carrier in World of Warships for the core mechanics.