Azur Lane

Azur Lane Tier List - Best Aircraft Carriers (March 2024)

Updated: Apr 26th 2023

Welcome to Azur Lane, the mobile game that combines naval warfare with anime-style characters. One of the game's essential features is its vast selection of aircraft carriers, each with its unique set of skills and abilities. But with so many options to choose from, it can be challenging to determine which carriers are the best to use in battle. That's why we've compiled a comprehensive tier list of the top aircraft carriers in Azur Lane. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting, this guide will provide you with valuable insights into the most effective carriers to use in your next mission. So let's dive in and explore the best aircraft carriers that Azur Lane has to offer.

 
Azur Lane Tier List - Best Aircraft Carriers (March 2024)
Azur Lane Tier List - Best Aircraft Carriers (March 2024)

Disclaimer: Please be reminded that Tier Lists are not definite measures of the character's strength and potential. There are a lot of factors to be considered like the character's availability, their synergy with your team, their utility, equipment, etc. As such, please use our tier lists as what they're meant to be - a guide. Use tier lists to help you decide whether you'll want to invest resources and time to build a character. At the end of the day, it's you who will decide which ones you'll use based on preference and performance.

Azur Lane Ship Classification (CV, CVL)

CV and CVL are ship classifications used in naval terminology and in the game. In Azur Lane, they are positioned in the Main (rear) slots in a fleet formation. Here are the definitions for each of them:

  • Aircraft Carrier (CV): CVs in Azur Lane are considered as capital ships and are capable of bringing major combat advantage when deployed in battle. CVs can unleash powerful airstrikes after a longer cooldown but unlike battleships, they have better AoE coverage, mostly able to bombard the entire battlefield. CVs can also carry various plane types that provide a variety of tactical advantages like fighters for increasing your fleet's Air Superiority, and damaging enemies using torpedoes or dive bombs. CVs can also defend themselves at close proximity using their guns but not as effective as battleship guns.
  • Light Aircraft Carriers (CVL): They function and deploy aircraft the same as CVs but their main difference is their loadout capacity. CVLs have lesser power and carry one less weapon (aircraft) slot but they make up for it by having a faster charge-up time for their airstrikes

Azur Lane Aircraft Carrier Tier List

As of April 2023, Azur Lane has a total of 522 regular ships, 90 of which can be retrofitted. These ships are divided into four major classes, each with their own specialty, position, and role in the game so compiling them into a single tier is almost impossible and won't do any shipgirl justice. That's why we have decided to create separate tier list pages for each major category to make it easier to compile and grade them fairly and accordingly the best we can.

In the tier list below, we have compiled all aircraft carriers and light aircraft carriers in the game (including subtypes). We haven't graded these units based on their damage output alone but also the tactical significance of having them in your fleet.

SS Tier

Implacable, Perseus, Shinano, August von Parseval

S Tier

Aquila, Chkalov, Enterprise, Hakuryuu, Independence, Klaudia Valentz, Ryuuhou, Unicorn, Volga, Yorktown II

A Tier

Akagi µ, Albion, Ark Royal, Centaur, Chihaya Kisaragi, Chise Asukagawa, Essex, Formidable, Graf Zeppelin, Hiryuu META, Hornet II, Illustrious, Impero, Indomitable, Joffre, Shouhou, Souryuu META, Taihou, Theseus, Ticonderoga

B Tier

Argus, Ark Royal META, Bunker Hill, Intrepid, Saratoga, Shangri-La

C Tier

Akagi, Casablanca, Hiryuu, Illustrious µ, Kaga, Katsuragi, Peter Strasser, Serri Glaus, Shoukaku, Souryuu, Taihou µ, Tokino Sora, Zuikaku

D Tier

Anniversary Kizuna AI, Bataan, Béarn, Chaser, Chitose, Chiyoda, Eagle, Elbe, Hermes, Hornet, Junyou META, Lexington, Little Enterprise, Nyotengu, Ookami Mio, Princeton, Ranger, Ryuujou, Weser, Yorktown, Zeppy, Victorious

E Tier

Akagi-chan, Bogue, Chen Hai, Glorious, Green Heart, Hiyou, Hiyou META, Houshou, Hwah Jah, Junyou, Langley, Langley II, Little Illustrious, Long Island, Murasaki Shion, Vert, Wasp

Best Azur Lane Aircraft Carriers Description

Unfortunately, we won't be able to give a description to all shipgirls in the game so we will just provide the description for the SS and S-tier units for your perusal.

Implacable

Construction: 4:35:00

Rarity: UR (Ultra Rare)

Faction: Royal Navy

Aside from looking incredibly seductive and sultry, Implacable offers a lot of tactical advantage to her fleet thanks to the various buffs and debuffs. She has a skill that activates when a ship in your fleet is hit, giving the fleet a stack of No Mercy (can stack up to 9 times) for the first 3 battles of a sortie. When launching an airstrike, the ship launches an additional special airstrike, expending all stacks of No Mercy. Activates effects based on the number of stacks expended, including increased damage dealt, negating detection gauge value, and guaranteed critical damage.

The ship also has a chance to lower enemy SPD and EVA when launching an airstrike, and expends all stacks of No Mercy for effects that decrease enemy SPD. The ship increases its own AVI and ACC, and with a Dive Bomber equipped, increases RLD. Lastly, while afloat and with a higher Airspace Control rating than Air Denial, the ship increases AA and EVA of Royal Navy Vanguard ships and decreases aircraft DMG taken by Royal Navy Main Fleet ships.

Perseus

Construction: 2:30:00

Rarity: SR (Super Rare)

Faction: Royal Navy

Perseus has exceptional healing capabilities making her a great addition to any fleet where you're expecting prolonged raids and heavy enemy resistance. Perseus can launch up to 3 Airstrikes, but the loading time for each Airstrike is increased by 90%. When an Airstrike is launched, it can heal all ships in the Vanguard and Main Fleet for a percentage of their max HP. The ship can also launch a special airstrike every 12 seconds that can cause damage based on the skill's level. Perseus can also restore 1% HP to all ships in the same fleet every 40 seconds and can heal the Vanguard of the fleet she's not part of for 1.5% HP every 20 seconds.

Shinano

Construction: 5:15:00

Rarity: UR (Ultra Rare)

Faction: Sakura Empire

Shinano is a powerful carrier that can fit well in any fleet due to her unique features. She has 9 planes in her loadout instead of the standard 8, providing her with high single target damage potential through her efficient torpedo bombers and guaranteed aimed torpedo barrage. She can be quite versatile, thanks to the ability to equip any plane in her first slot. This means you can equip a fighter in that slot if you need additional AA values for Air Superiority, a dive bomber for general use, or a torpedo bomber for single target burst (against bosses).

She also offers multiple buffs to your fleet, including an enemy stat debuff, IJN carrier AVI buff (including herself), and firepower, evasion, and anti-submarine stats for all DDs in your fleet. Additionally, if there are at least two other Sakura Empire ships in the fleet, Shinano gains damage reduction buff against gun and plane damage while also increasing AVI and accuracy stats of all Sakura Empire CVs and CVLs for the rest of the battles. To maximize these buffs, it’s recommended to have a full CV/CVL main fleet where Shinano is part of, with a vanguard of powerful Sakura Empire DDs.

Unicorn

Construction: 2:30:00

Rarity: SR (Super Rare - default), Elite (Retrofit)

Faction: Royal Navy

By default, Unicorn can heal your entire fleet whenever she launches an airstrike. She also has a passive buff that increases the reload rate of your Vanguard units. After retrofitting, Unicorn’s healing abilities will be significantly improved. At the beginning of the battle, the ship has one loaded Airstrike. When this Airstrike is launched, it can heal the Vanguard for 3.5% (8%) of its max HP. The first time this effect activates, it also heals the Main Fleet for 1% (5%) of its max HP and the HP with the lowest HP in the Main Fleet for another 1.2% (3%) of its max HP.

August von Parseval

Construction: Research

Rarity: Priority

Faction: Iron Blood

August von Parseval has several abilities related to launching airstrikes. When an airstrike is launched, there is a chance to inflict damage and slow down all enemies. Additionally, the ship can launch an aerial barrage that deals extra damage to light and medium armor enemies and increases their vulnerability to aviation damage for a short time. Finally, this ship deals increased damage to certain types of enemies, and if it has Iron Blood aircraft equipped, its aviation and reloading stats are improved and its fighters are more efficient.

Hakuryuu

Construction: Research

Rarity: Decisive

Faction: Sakura Empire

With its robust dive bombers, two adaptable plane slots, and several barrage options, Hakuryuu is a highly capable damage-dealing carrier that can adjust its loadout as required. To make the most of her loadout, it's highly recommended to equip her with a Sakura Empire plan (preferably a fighter) to trigger her passive that boosts her AVI and Accuracy. She lacks fleet-wide buffs compared to the other high-tier carriers we covered so far but she makes up for it for raw firepower. She's a great addition to your main fleet especially if you have Shinano and deploy her in the same team.

Yorktown II

Construction: 4:25:00

Rarity: UR (Ultra Rare)

Faction: Eagle Union

Yorktown II has several abilities in battle. At the start of the battle, she launches a recon squadron and inflicts a debuff to a random enemy. If she launches an airstrike with Eagle Union aircraft equipped, she can also launch a special airstrike. Additionally, she can increase her own AVI and ACC by 5% (15%) if there are 3 or more Eagle Union ships in the fleet.

Every 18 seconds, Yorktown II has a chance to fire a special barrage and decrease her Detection Gauge value. She can also increase the FP of another fleet's Main Fleet Eagle Union ships during the first 4 battles, and fire a special barrage 20 seconds after that fleet's battle starts. When she launches an airstrike, she reduces the loading time for Yorktown-class CVs by 1% (10%) and Essex-class CVs by 3.5% (8%). Lastly, thanks to her skill effect, all Yorktown-class and Essex-class CVs in your fleet will deal more damage and launch an interceptive airstrike when they launch an airstrike.



Paul, Staff Writer

PaulVhayste started writing free guides and walkthroughs in 2006 for several online gaming sites. He has written hundreds of guides covering games from a wide variety of genres across different platforms. He's an avid JRPG and mobile gaming fan, and regularly plays games on the PC, Steam Deck, PS5, and mobile platforms. He strives to continue making comprehensive and easy-to-follow guides for his readers.

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