U.S.A. · Tier X Cruiser
Des Moines
Radar utility / high-DPM heavy cruiser (island cover and positional play)
Cruiser Commander Skills — verified — 24 skills
Recommended role
Radar utility / high-DPM heavy cruiser (island cover and positional play)
Des Moines · Tier 10 Cruiser · Balanced playstyle
- 1
Last Stand
1 ptEssential5 out of 5Des Moines fights from behind islands and gets its rudder and engine knocked out constantly. One point keeps you mobile.
In game: The ship keeps moving and steering with incapacitated engine or steering gears. · Unlocked from 1 total points.
- 2
Priority Target
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5Tells you the moment several ships are aiming at you, which is exactly when a heavy cruiser should stop firing and swing back behind cover.
In game: Shows how many enemies are currently aiming at your ship. · Unlocked from 3 total points.
- 3
Superintendent
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5An extra charge of Repair Party and Surveillance Radar. Radar charges are Des Moines' main contribution to the team.
In game: +1 charge to consumables, excluding those with unlimited charges and Squadron consumables. · Unlocked from 6 total points.
- 4
Concealment Expert
4 ptsEssential5 out of 5Lower detection lets you choose when to open fire and when to radar, instead of being spotted first.
In game: Reduces the ship's detectability radius. · Unlocked from 10 total points.
- 5
Adrenaline Rush
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Des Moines already has the fastest 203 mm reload in the game; faster still as you take damage is a large DPM gain.
In game: Reload speed improves as your ship loses hit points. · Unlocked from 13 total points.
- 6
Survivability Expert
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Extra hit points let you absorb one more battleship salvo while repositioning between islands.
In game: Increases the ship's maximum hit points per tier. · Unlocked from 16 total points.
- 7
Heavy AP Shells
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Valid here: the bonus needs main battery calibre 190 mm and above, and Des Moines has 203 mm guns. Its AP is the ship's main damage source.
In game: AP shell damage +5% for main battery calibre 190 mm and above. · Unlocked from 19 total points.
- 8
Consumable Specialist
2 ptsRecommended4 out of 5The final 2 points: faster Radar and Repair Party cooldown, so your utility comes back sooner.
In game: Reduces the reload time of consumables. · Unlocked from 21 total points.
Class-based recommendation
Slot 1
Main Armaments Modification 1
Keeps the main guns and torpedo tubes working after incoming hits.
Slot 2
Damage Control System Modification 1
Reduces the risk of fires and flooding while under fire.
Alternative: Engine Room ProtectionChoose this if losing engine or steering is the bigger problem for you.
Slot 3
Aiming Systems Modification 1
Improves main-battery accuracy for more reliable salvos.
Slot 4
Steering Gears Modification 1
Helps the ship respond faster when dodging incoming fire.
Slot 5
Concealment System Modification 1
Improves concealment so the ship can choose safer engagements.
Slot 6
Main Battery Modification 3
Improves sustained main-battery damage for a gun-focused build.
Build complete — every recommended skill is already unlocked at 21 points.
- This is a no-reset path: every skill taken at an earlier milestone is still in the final 21-point build, so you never pay to redistribute points.
- Between 6 and 10 points you bank rather than spend, because Concealment Expert costs 4 and is worth waiting for on a radar cruiser.
- Superintendent comes early because extra Radar and Repair Party charges are what a Des Moines actually gives the team.
- Heavy AP Shells is legal and strong here: it requires 190 mm or larger guns and Des Moines mounts 203 mm.
- No torpedo or secondary skills are used — this ship has neither as a real damage source.
- Fight from island cover: use the extreme shell arcs to lob AP and HE over terrain while staying unspotted.
- Hold radar for a contested cap or for a destroyer you can actually shoot, not for the first thing you see.
- Angle and keep moving; Des Moines is heavily armoured for a cruiser but still dies fast broadside to a battleship.
- Use Repair Party early and often — the extra Superintendent charge is only worth it if you actually use them.
- In carrier games stay near an ally so your strong AA covers two ships instead of one.
Ship class / skill tree
Cruiser Commander Skills
Verified — 24 skills, 6 per row
Main battery calibre
203 mm
Enables Heavy AP Shells (requires 190 mm+)
Commander skill points
1 – 21
Progression milestones at 1/3/6/10/13/16/19/21
Final 21-point build
Last Stand 1 · Priority Target 2 · Superintendent 3 · Concealment Expert 4 · Adrenaline Rush 3 · Survivability Expert 3 · Heavy AP Shells 3 · Consumables Specialist 2
Unverified — Total 21 — curated prototype, not an official recommendation
Only values confirmed from the supplied sources are listed. Unverified numbers such as reload, detection, hit points, radar range/duration and torpedo range are deliberately omitted.
Skill data: Skill names, point costs and effects verified against the supplied in-game screenshots.
Build: Ship characteristics: current World of Warships Wiki Des Moines page. Skill mechanics: the verified Cruiser commander skill catalog in this app. Progression: curated beginner-safe no-reset recommendation — not an official Wargaming build.
Pack a Punch
3 ptsAvoid / Inefficient1 out of 5Torpedo damage does nothing for this ship.
Swift Fish
2 ptsAvoid / Inefficient1 out of 5Torpedo speed does nothing for this ship.
Outnumbered
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5Requires being alone near several enemies — the opposite of the island-cover, team-supported play this ship wants.
Incoming Fire Alert
1 ptOptional2 out of 5Priority Target already gives you better information for the same kind of point.
Eye in the Sky
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5Spotting Aircraft is only one of several consumable options here; not part of the core radar kit.
Focus Fire Training
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5Secondaries are irrelevant on a cruiser that fights from cover.
Full skill table for Des Moines
Cruiser Commander Skills — 24 skills, 6 per row
Laid out like the in-game tree for this class. Each row is one point cost.
- Grease the GearsSituational3 out of 5
- Demolition ExpertSituational3 out of 5
- Gun FeederSituational3 out of 5
- Incoming Fire AlertOptional2 out of 5
- Last StandEssential5 out of 5
- Swift FishAvoid / Inefficient1 out of 5
- Consumable SpecialistRecommended4 out of 5
- Consumable EnhancementsRecommended4 out of 5
- Eye in the SkyOptional2 out of 5
- Priority TargetEssential5 out of 5
- Focus Fire TrainingOptional2 out of 5
- Fill the TubesOptional2 out of 5
- Heavy HE and SAP ShellsSituational3 out of 5
- Pack a PunchAvoid / Inefficient1 out of 5
- Adrenaline RushEssential5 out of 5
- Heavy AP ShellsEssential5 out of 5
- SuperintendentEssential5 out of 5
- Survivability ExpertEssential5 out of 5
- OutnumberedOptional2 out of 5
- Top Grade GunnerRecommended4 out of 5
- Concealment ExpertEssential5 out of 5
- AA Defense and ASW ExpertSituational3 out of 5
- Radio LocationSituational3 out of 5
- Inertia Fuse for HE ShellsSituational3 out of 5
Showing 24 of 24 cruiser commander skills , rated for Des Moines.
Last Stand
1 ptEssential5 out of 5The ship keeps moving and steering with incapacitated engine or steering gears.
Des Moines fights from behind islands and gets its rudder and engine knocked out constantly. One point keeps you mobile.
Priority Target
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5Shows how many enemies are currently aiming at your ship.
Tells you the moment several ships are aiming at you, which is exactly when a heavy cruiser should stop firing and swing back behind cover.
Adrenaline Rush
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Reload speed improves as your ship loses hit points.
Des Moines already has the fastest 203 mm reload in the game; faster still as you take damage is a large DPM gain.
Heavy AP Shells
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5AP shell damage +5% for main battery calibre 190 mm and above.
Ineffective on main batteries below 190 mm (Brisbane B: 152 mm).
Valid here: the bonus needs main battery calibre 190 mm and above, and Des Moines has 203 mm guns. Its AP is the ship's main damage source.
Superintendent
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5+1 charge to consumables, excluding those with unlimited charges and Squadron consumables.
An extra charge of Repair Party and Surveillance Radar. Radar charges are Des Moines' main contribution to the team.
Survivability Expert
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Increases the ship's maximum hit points per tier.
Extra hit points let you absorb one more battleship salvo while repositioning between islands.
Concealment Expert
4 ptsEssential5 out of 5Reduces the ship's detectability radius.
Lower detection lets you choose when to open fire and when to radar, instead of being spotted first.
Consumable Specialist
2 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Reduces the reload time of consumables.
The final 2 points: faster Radar and Repair Party cooldown, so your utility comes back sooner.
Consumable Enhancements
2 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Increases the action time of consumables.
Longer Radar and Hydroacoustic Search action time — a fair swap for Consumables Specialist if you prefer uptime over cooldown.
Top Grade Gunner
4 ptsRecommended4 out of 5Main battery reload improves while the skill's in-game condition is met (see the skill card in port for the exact condition and value).
More main battery reload on an already high-DPM ship; a strong alternative 4-point pick if you drop Heavy AP Shells.
Grease the Gears
1 ptSituational3 out of 5Improves main battery turret traverse speed.
Turret traverse matters when you peek out from an island; a reasonable 1-point filler.
Demolition Expert
1 ptSituational3 out of 5Increases the chance of setting a fire with HE shells.
Cheap fire chance; useful when you are forced to spam HE at angled battleships.
Gun Feeder
1 ptSituational3 out of 5Reduces the time needed to switch main battery shell types.
You do switch between AP and HE often on this ship, so the swap bonus is not worthless.
Heavy HE and SAP Shells
3 ptsSituational3 out of 5HE and SAP shell damage +10%. Main battery detectability penalty applies for main battery calibre 149 mm and above.
+10% HE damage is real, but the detectability penalty applies at 149 mm and above and fights the concealment plan.
AA Defense and ASW Expert
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5Improves continuous AA damage and ASW aircraft performance.
Des Moines has excellent AA, so this pays off in carrier games — but it competes with Concealment Expert.
Radio Location
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5Shows the direction of the nearest enemy ship.
Helps you predict destroyers before radar, but four points is expensive next to concealment.
Inertia Fuse for HE Shells
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5Increases HE shell armour penetration but lowers fire chance.
Only for a dedicated HE build; you give up fires and Des Moines earns more with AP.
Incoming Fire Alert
1 ptOptional2 out of 5Warns you when shells are fired at your ship from long range.
Priority Target already gives you better information for the same kind of point.
Eye in the Sky
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5Increases the action time of the Spotting Aircraft consumable.
Spotting Aircraft is only one of several consumable options here; not part of the core radar kit.
Focus Fire Training
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5Improves secondary and AA performance against a priority target.
Secondaries are irrelevant on a cruiser that fights from cover.
Fill the Tubes
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5Speeds up torpedo tube reload.
Des Moines has no torpedo armament to speak of in its default role.
Outnumbered
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5Bonuses when several enemies are close and friendlies are not.
Requires being alone near several enemies — the opposite of the island-cover, team-supported play this ship wants.
Swift Fish
2 ptsAvoid / Inefficient1 out of 5Torpedo speed +5%.
Torpedo speed does nothing for this ship.
Pack a Punch
3 ptsAvoid / Inefficient1 out of 5Torpedo damage +15%.
Torpedo damage does nothing for this ship.