U.S.A. · Tier X Battleship
Montana
Balanced main-gun survivability battleship (mid-range trading and area control)
Battleship Commander Skills — verified — 24 skills
Recommended role
Balanced main-gun survivability battleship (mid-range trading and area control)
Montana · Tier 10 Battleship · Balanced playstyle
- 1
Emergency Repair Specialist
1 ptEssential5 out of 5One point that shortens Damage Control Party's cooldown. Montana is a fire magnet and wants its damage control back quickly.
In game: -3% cooldown of Damage Control Party and Repair Party. · Unlocked from 1 total points.
- 2
Grease the Gears
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5Montana's twelve 406 mm guns turn slowly; faster traverse means you can keep firing while you angle.
In game: +20% main battery turret traverse speed. · Unlocked from 3 total points.
- 3
Adrenaline Rush
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Montana has a large hit point pool and expects to trade damage, so the reload bonus is active for most of a match.
In game: For each 1% of HP lost: -0.2% reload time of all armaments and +0.2% continuous AA damage. · Unlocked from 6 total points.
- 4
Concealment Expert
4 ptsEssential5 out of 5Lower detection is the cheapest way to control your engagements and disengage when focused.
In game: -10% ship detectability radius. · Unlocked from 10 total points.
- 5
Fire Prevention Expert
4 ptsEssential5 out of 5Fewer fire zones is the single strongest survivability skill for a battleship that everyone spams HE at.
In game: -10% fire risk and one fewer maximum simultaneous fire (to three; the superstructure is limited to one fire zone). · Unlocked from 14 total points.
- 6
Super-Heavy AP Shells
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Montana's American super-heavy AP is its main damage tool; this build leans on the guns rather than secondaries.
In game: +7.5% AP shell damage; -10% damage received from fires and flooding; +25% fire and flooding duration. Does not increase AP penetration. · Unlocked from 17 total points.
- 7
Basics of Survivability
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5Faster fire, flooding and module repair pairs directly with Montana's Enhanced Repair Party.
In game: -15% module restoration, fire extinguishing and flooding recovery time. · Unlocked from 20 total points.
- 8
Gun Feeder
1 ptRecommended4 out of 5The final 1 point: faster shell switching so you can punish a suddenly broadside cruiser with AP.
In game: -40% minimum main battery shell-type switching time. · Unlocked from 21 total points.
Class-based recommendation
Slot 1
Main Armaments Modification 1
Protects the main battery that provides most of the ship's damage.
Slot 2
Damage Control System Modification 1
Improves resistance to fires and flooding during sustained fights.
Slot 3
Aiming Systems Modification 1
Makes long reloads more rewarding by improving salvo accuracy.
Alternative: Artillery Plotting Room Modification 1American battleships carry this in place of Aiming Systems Modification 1.
Slot 4
Damage Control System Modification 2
Shortens the time spent taking fire and flooding damage.
Slot 5
Concealment System Modification 1
Helps the ship disengage and reposition between salvos.
Slot 6
Main Battery Modification 3
Improves main-battery reload for more consistent damage.
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 and again between 10 and 14 you bank points, because the two 4-point survivability and concealment skills are worth waiting for.
- Montana is better at short and medium range than at extreme range, so concealment and durability let you get to a working range and stay there.
- The build is deliberately main-gun and survivability focused; no secondary-brawling skills are used.
- Basics of Survivability works with Montana's Enhanced Repair Party — you burn less and heal what you do burn faster.
- Fight at short to medium range where your dispersion behaves and your twelve guns actually land.
- Angle constantly: your armour is good, but only when you are not showing full broadside.
- Use AP by default and switch to HE only against heavily angled battleships.
- Hold Repair Party until you have several fires or a flood, then heal the whole batch at once.
- Stay close enough to a cruiser or destroyer that your strong AA and their spotting both matter.
Ship class / skill tree
Battleship Commander Skills
Verified — 24 skills, 6 per row
Main battery
12 × 406 mm
Super-heavy AP shells
Commander skill points
1 – 21
Progression milestones at 1/3/6/10/14/17/20/21
Final 21-point build
Emergency Repair Specialist 1 · Grease the Gears 2 · Adrenaline Rush 3 · Concealment Expert 4 · Fire Prevention Expert 4 · Super-Heavy AP Shells 3 · Basics of Survivability 3 · Gun Feeder 1
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 taken from the current World of Warships Wiki battleship skill list (Aug/Sep 2026).
Build: Ship characteristics: current World of Warships Wiki Montana page (12 × 406 mm, Enhanced Repair Party, Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2 available, strong AA). Skill mechanics: the verified Battleship commander skill catalog in this app. Progression: curated beginner-safe no-reset recommendation — not an official Wargaming build.
Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells
3 ptsOptional2 out of 5Belongs to a secondary brawling build, which Montana does worse than the German battleships.
Manual Secondary Battery Aiming
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5Four points into secondaries you do not build around.
Close Quarters Combat
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5Rewards short-range brawling; Montana is better at short to medium range but should not seek knife fights.
Inertia Fuse for HE Shells
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5An HE skill on a ship whose value is super-heavy AP.
Incoming Fire Alert
1 ptOptional2 out of 5Marginal on a ship that cannot dodge long-range salvos anyway.
Full skill table for Montana
Battleship Commander Skills — 24 skills, 6 per row
Laid out like the in-game tree for this class. Each row is one point cost.
- Gun FeederRecommended4 out of 5
- Demolition ExpertSituational3 out of 5
- Consumables SpecialistSituational3 out of 5
- Emergency Repair SpecialistEssential5 out of 5
- Incoming Fire AlertOptional2 out of 5
- Preventive MaintenanceRecommended4 out of 5
- Grease the GearsEssential5 out of 5
- Inertia Fuse for HE ShellsOptional2 out of 5
- BriskSituational3 out of 5
- VigilanceSituational3 out of 5
- Priority TargetSituational3 out of 5
- AA Defense and ASW ExpertSituational3 out of 5
- Super-Heavy AP ShellsEssential5 out of 5
- Long-Range Secondary Battery ShellsOptional2 out of 5
- Adrenaline RushEssential5 out of 5
- Basics of SurvivabilityEssential5 out of 5
- Improved Repair Party ReadinessRecommended4 out of 5
- Focus Fire TrainingSituational3 out of 5
- FuriousSituational3 out of 5
- Manual Secondary Battery AimingOptional2 out of 5
- Close Quarters CombatOptional2 out of 5
- Emergency Repair ExpertRecommended4 out of 5
- Concealment ExpertEssential5 out of 5
- Fire Prevention ExpertEssential5 out of 5
Showing 24 of 24 battleship commander skills , rated for Montana.
Emergency Repair Specialist
1 ptEssential5 out of 5-3% cooldown of Damage Control Party and Repair Party.
One point that shortens Damage Control Party's cooldown. Montana is a fire magnet and wants its damage control back quickly.
Grease the Gears
2 ptsEssential5 out of 5+20% main battery turret traverse speed.
Montana's twelve 406 mm guns turn slowly; faster traverse means you can keep firing while you angle.
Super-Heavy AP Shells
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5+7.5% AP shell damage; -10% damage received from fires and flooding; +25% fire and flooding duration. Does not increase AP penetration.
Montana's American super-heavy AP is its main damage tool; this build leans on the guns rather than secondaries.
Adrenaline Rush
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5For each 1% of HP lost: -0.2% reload time of all armaments and +0.2% continuous AA damage.
Montana has a large hit point pool and expects to trade damage, so the reload bonus is active for most of a match.
Basics of Survivability
3 ptsEssential5 out of 5-15% module restoration, fire extinguishing and flooding recovery time.
Faster fire, flooding and module repair pairs directly with Montana's Enhanced Repair Party.
Concealment Expert
4 ptsEssential5 out of 5-10% ship detectability radius.
Lower detection is the cheapest way to control your engagements and disengage when focused.
Fire Prevention Expert
4 ptsEssential5 out of 5-10% fire risk and one fewer maximum simultaneous fire (to three; the superstructure is limited to one fire zone).
Fewer fire zones is the single strongest survivability skill for a battleship that everyone spams HE at.
Gun Feeder
1 ptRecommended4 out of 5-40% minimum main battery shell-type switching time.
The final 1 point: faster shell switching so you can punish a suddenly broadside cruiser with AP.
Preventive Maintenance
1 ptRecommended4 out of 5-30% risk of module incapacitation; +15% survivability of secondary and AA mounts.
Cheap module protection; a fine 1-point substitute for Gun Feeder if your turrets keep dying.
Improved Repair Party Readiness
3 ptsRecommended4 out of 5-0.8% Repair Party cooldown for each multiple of the ship's base HP in potential damage; once per battle, +1 Repair Party charge after 2,000,000 potential damage.
Strong alternative 3-point pick given Montana's Enhanced Repair Party; swap it for Basics of Survivability if you heal more than you burn.
Emergency Repair Expert
4 ptsRecommended4 out of 5+1 charge and +10% action time for Damage Control Party and Repair Party (Damage Control Party has unlimited charges on most ships).
A larger damage control upgrade, but four points is a lot next to Fire Prevention Expert.
Demolition Expert
1 ptSituational3 out of 5+1% chance of setting a fire with main and secondary battery HE shells; +15% explosion radius of munitions, except depth charges used against submarines.
Montana earns far more with AP than with HE fires.
Consumables Specialist
1 ptSituational3 out of 5-7.5% cooldown of consumables, except Damage Control Party and Repair Party (and their special variants).
Cheap consumable cooldown; reasonable filler if you drop Gun Feeder.
Brisk
2 ptsSituational3 out of 5+10% ship speed while your ship is undetected.
A little extra speed helps a ship that struggles to rotate flanks.
Vigilance
2 ptsSituational3 out of 5+25% enemy torpedo acquisition range; +7% torpedo protection.
Better torpedo warning matters in close-quarters maps where Montana is slow to turn.
Priority Target
2 ptsSituational3 out of 5Shows the number of enemies currently aiming their main battery at your ship.
Useful information, but Montana can usually afford to take the first salvo while it keeps firing.
AA Defense and ASW Expert
2 ptsSituational3 out of 5+15% continuous AA and flak damage; +10% depth charge damage; -40% consumable reload/preparation time while AA is active.
Montana's AA is already strong; take this only if carriers are common in your games.
Focus Fire Training
3 ptsSituational3 out of 5+1 flak shell; -15% Airstrike reload; -10% aircraft preparation time where applicable; +1.5% priority sector damage and +25% sector reinforcement speed.
Secondary-oriented. Montana's secondaries are decent but not the plan here.
Furious
4 ptsSituational3 out of 5While a fire or flooding is active: -10% main battery reload for the first instance, and a further -5% for each additional instance, up to five.
A secondary-oriented pick; this build is deliberately main-gun and survivability focused.
Incoming Fire Alert
1 ptOptional2 out of 5Warns you about a main battery salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km away.
Marginal on a ship that cannot dodge long-range salvos anyway.
Inertia Fuse for HE Shells
2 ptsOptional2 out of 5+25% HE shell armour penetration; base HE fire chance is halved.
An HE skill on a ship whose value is super-heavy AP.
Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells
3 ptsOptional2 out of 5+20% secondary battery firing range.
Belongs to a secondary brawling build, which Montana does worse than the German battleships.
Manual Secondary Battery Aiming
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5Permanent -10% secondary battery reload and -10% secondary dispersion; when firing at a priority target, dispersion improves to -50% over 45 seconds.
Four points into secondaries you do not build around.
Close Quarters Combat
4 ptsOptional2 out of 5-10% main battery reload while an enemy ship is spotted within your secondary battery firing range.
Rewards short-range brawling; Montana is better at short to medium range but should not seek knife fights.