U.K. · Tier VI Aircraft Carrier
Ark Royal
U.K. carrier: strike uptime and safer attack runs
Aircraft Carrier Commander Skills — verified — 24 skills
Recommended role
U.K. carrier: strike uptime and safer attack runs
Ark Royal · Tier 6 Aircraft Carrier · Balanced playstyle
- 1
Air Supremacy
1 ptEssential5 out of 5Faster aircraft restoration: more strikes per match, the best first point on a carrier.
In game: -5% aircraft restoration time. · Unlocked from 1 total points.
- 2
Improved Engine Boost
1 ptEssential5 out of 5Longer squadron boost, so less time spent inside enemy AA.
In game: +5% aircraft Engine Boost duration. · Unlocked from 2 total points.
- 3
Improved Engines
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5Faster squadrons shorten every trip to the target.
In game: +2.5% squadron speed. · Unlocked from 4 total points.
- 4
Torpedo Bomber
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5Shorter torpedo arming distance makes drops on turning targets far easier.
In game: -10% aerial torpedo arming distance. · Unlocked from 6 total points.
- 5
Sight Stabilization
3 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Faster aiming means tighter drops with less exposure.
In game: +7.5% aiming speed for attack squadrons. · Unlocked from 9 total points.
- 6
Aircraft Armor
3 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Less continuous AA damage keeps planes alive on the run-in.
In game: -10% continuous AA damage received by your aircraft. · Unlocked from 12 total points.
- 7
Survivability Expert
3 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Flat aircraft hit points per tier — a large buff to every plane you launch.
In game: +25 aircraft HP per ship tier. · Unlocked from 15 total points.
- 8
Proximity Fuze
4 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Reduces enemy torpedo protection, a real damage gain against big targets.
In game: Reduces the target's torpedo protection by 10 percentage points. · Unlocked from 19 total points.
- 9
Patrol Group Leader
2 ptsRecommended4 out of 5An extra Patrol Fighter charge: the cheapest way to support your team.
In game: +1 charge of the Patrol Fighter / Interceptor consumable. · Unlocked from 21 total points.
Class-based recommendation
Slot 1
Air Groups Modification 1
Helps aircraft return to the carrier sooner.
Slot 2
Aircraft Engines Modification 1
Extends engine boost for safer approaches and exits.
Slot 3
Attack Aircraft Modification 1
Gives attack aircraft more time on the attack run.
Slot 4
Torpedo Bombers Modification 2
Improves torpedo-bomber survivability during attack runs.
Build complete — every recommended skill is already unlocked at 21 points.
- This is a no-reset path: every skill taken earlier is still in the final 21-point build, so you never pay to redistribute points.
- Aircraft restoration and squadron speed give more strikes per match than any damage skill at this tier.
- Aircraft survivability skills come next so your planes survive the run-in.
- Points are only spent when the next skill in the plan is fully affordable — intermediate points are banked rather than wasted.
- Scout with one squadron before committing: a strike into massed AA loses more planes than it earns damage.
- Attack ships that are already spotted and already turning, not the healthy battleship in the middle of the enemy line.
- Drop Patrol Fighters over your destroyers and cruisers, not over yourself.
- Keep your carrier moving towards the safest map corner all match.
Skill data: Skill names, point costs and effects taken from the current World of Warships Wiki commander skill list (last edited 11 Aug 2026), using the current skill names rather than legacy aliases.
Build: Curated beginner-safe no-reset progression built only from this app's verified class skill catalog (current World of Warships PC sources). Ship role reflects the ship's well-known in-game character; no numeric ship statistics are claimed. Not an official Wargaming build.
Secondary Armament Expert
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5Optional: a carrier should never be in secondary range.
Bomber Flight Control
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5Optional: excludes torpedo bombers, which this build invests in.
Full skill table for Ark Royal
Aircraft Carrier Commander Skills — 24 skills, 6 per row
Laid out like the in-game tree for this class. Each row is one point cost.
- Last GaspSituational3 out of 5
- Improved Engine BoostEssential5 out of 5
- Engine TechieSituational3 out of 5
- Air SupremacyEssential5 out of 5
- Direction Center for FightersSituational3 out of 5
- Search and DestroySituational3 out of 5
- Torpedo BomberEssential5 out of 5
- Swift Flying FishSituational3 out of 5
- Improved EnginesEssential5 out of 5
- Combat Maneuver SpecialistSituational3 out of 5
- Secondary Armament ExpertOptional2 out of 5
- Patrol Group LeaderRecommended4 out of 5
- Sight StabilizationRecommended4 out of 5
- Enhanced Armor-Piercing AmmunitionSituational3 out of 5
- PyrotechnicianSituational3 out of 5
- Aircraft ArmorRecommended4 out of 5
- Survivability ExpertRecommended4 out of 5
- InterceptorSituational3 out of 5
- Bomber Flight ControlOptional2 out of 5
- Proximity FuzeRecommended4 out of 5
- Defensive Fire ExpertSituational3 out of 5
- Enhanced Aircraft ArmorSituational3 out of 5
- Hidden MenaceSituational3 out of 5
- Enhanced ReactionsSituational3 out of 5
Showing 24 of 24 aircraft carrier commander skills , rated for Ark Royal.
Improved Engine Boost
1 ptEssential5 out of 5+5% aircraft Engine Boost duration.
Longer squadron boost, so less time spent inside enemy AA.
Air Supremacy
1 ptEssential5 out of 5-5% aircraft restoration time.
Faster aircraft restoration: more strikes per match, the best first point on a carrier.
Torpedo Bomber
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5-10% aerial torpedo arming distance.
Shorter torpedo arming distance makes drops on turning targets far easier.
Improved Engines
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5+2.5% squadron speed.
Faster squadrons shorten every trip to the target.
Patrol Group Leader
2 ptsRecommended4 out of 5+1 charge of the Patrol Fighter / Interceptor consumable.
An extra Patrol Fighter charge: the cheapest way to support your team.
Sight Stabilization
3 ptsRecommended4 out of 5+7.5% aiming speed for attack squadrons.
Faster aiming means tighter drops with less exposure.
Aircraft Armor
3 ptsRecommended4 out of 5-10% continuous AA damage received by your aircraft.
Less continuous AA damage keeps planes alive on the run-in.
Survivability Expert
3 ptsRecommended4 out of 5+25 aircraft HP per ship tier.
Has no effect on the carrier's own hull HP.
Flat aircraft hit points per tier — a large buff to every plane you launch.
Proximity Fuze
4 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Reduces the target's torpedo protection by 10 percentage points.
No effect against ships without torpedo protection, such as destroyers.
Reduces enemy torpedo protection, a real damage gain against big targets.
Last Gasp
1 ptSituational3 out of 5Fully restores the squadron's Engine Boost for the last attack flight.
No ship-specific note yet.
Engine Techie
1 ptSituational3 out of 5-20% Engine Cooling cooldown.
No ship-specific note yet.
Direction Center for Fighters
1 ptSituational3 out of 5+1 aircraft in the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) Fighter group.
Does not apply to the Patrol Fighter consumable.
Situational: helps defend yourself, not your allies.
Search and Destroy
1 ptSituational3 out of 5+10% patrol radius of Patrol Fighters and Interceptors.
Situational: wider patrol radius for a dedicated fighter-support role.
Swift Flying Fish
2 ptsSituational3 out of 5+5% aerial torpedo speed.
Listed on some older pages under the legacy name “Swift Fish”.
No ship-specific note yet.
Combat Maneuver Specialist
2 ptsSituational3 out of 5+1 charge and +10% action time for the squadron's In-flight Repair consumable.
Current name for the in-flight repair skill; older pages still show it as “Repair Specialist”.
No ship-specific note yet.
Enhanced Armor-Piercing Ammunition
3 ptsSituational3 out of 5+3% damage of AP bombs and AP rockets.
Does not increase penetration.
No ship-specific note yet.
Pyrotechnician
3 ptsSituational3 out of 5+1% fire chance for HE rockets; +5% fire chance for HE bombs.
Situational: only for HE rocket and bomb loadouts.
Interceptor
3 ptsSituational3 out of 5Patrol Fighters are replaced by Interceptors: +10% patrol radius, invulnerable to enemy fighters, but they cannot attack fighters and cannot spot ships.
No ship-specific note yet.
Defensive Fire Expert
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5Greatly increases the carrier's own short-range continuous AA damage.
Current name for the skill previously called “Close Quarters Expert”. The exact current multiplier was not independently confirmed, so no number is stated here.
No ship-specific note yet.
Enhanced Aircraft Armor
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5-25% flak damage received by your aircraft.
Situational: flak matters most against high-tier AA.
Hidden Menace
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5-15% carrier detectability and -20% Damage Control Party cooldown, at the cost of -50% safe flight altitude and -50% returning squadron speed.
The lower safe altitude and slower return trip mean squadrons spend longer exposed while climbing out and returning to the carrier.
No ship-specific note yet.
Enhanced Reactions
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5Patrol Fighters / Interceptors: -80% time before attack, +25% action time, +50% arrival time.
No ship-specific note yet.
Secondary Armament Expert
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5-10% secondary battery reload; +10% continuous AA and flak damage; +10% depth-charge damage.
Optional: a carrier should never be in secondary range.
Bomber Flight Control
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5+5% cruising speed of bombers.
Does not apply to torpedo bombers.
Optional: excludes torpedo bombers, which this build invests in.