Their absolutely disgusting guns at 5.0.
If they were better protected, 5.3 would actually be a viable option given how good they are overall. Great guns, firerate, AP (even if it’s trash at range) and an acceptable AA suite. They’re the best 5.0 cruisers by a country mile.
Self contradicting where? There’s only a few disparities within the brackets as extreme as 4.7/5.0 DDs. Contradictory would be saying it’s fine when it literally isn’t.
I’m not blind to power level disparities; some ships are straight up capable in an uptier scenario. The last decompression literally did nothing and arguably made the power gap disparity worse.
So you just self reported that you don’t play naval.
Z46 with 9mm of shell penetration, 25ishmm total at 7.5km cannot fight a cruiser and expect to win. Hell, some destroyers straight up wall it on armor belt.
Akizuki’s HE penetration at 7.5km is so irrelevant it isn’t even on the STAT CARD. Or 18mm
Isuzu has 6mm of penetration at 7.5km. 1.96kg HE.
I can keep going. These are just 3 examples and all ships I have played, both in EC and regular matches.
Let’s use Luigi Cadorna. One of the most dangerous 5.0s in the game currently in terms of offense. Range 7.5km
Granted, armor viewer is unreliable.
Akizuki 100mm HE: Walled. No penetration on most of the ship, minor compartment damage near turret 3.
Z46 12.8cm HE: can knock out turrets and damage ammo elevators.
Isuzu 12.7cm HE: Same as Z46.
‘just aim better, 5head’.
You will get killed in any realistic scenario before you will bring down what is effectively a ship made of paper mache if he has a functioning brainstem.
This is without other factors such as torpedoes or other teammates.
Edit
I do not consider the capability of knocking out turrets ‘significant damage’ when the opposing ship can straight up one-tap you at any range or even ignore you until you become enough of an annoyance to require removing.
7.5km is straight up GENEROUS on how close you will realistically get before an enemy will open up on you which is arguably also a suicide rush scenario.