CN Type 636

The Type 636, as seen in-game

* Base
* Top

"A multi-purpose diesel-electric submarine. Her small size, high speed, and large oxygen supply are qualities of a true underwater hunter." - In-game description

## Overview

CN Type 636 is a Chinese tier 2 submarine, Russian in origin. She is a support ship specializing in defensive aspects. She offers very little offensively with only one torpedo and missile launcher slot. Because of this, she has a poor reputation.

When compared to the Barrakuda and Seawolf, she has great oxygen time, great speed, poor turning capabilities, and poor health. She is also smaller than her competitors.

## Background History

The Project 636 also known as the Improved Kilo class of diesel electric submarines were a class of soviet built submarines that represented a marked shift in their diesel electric submarine doctrine, shying away from the older more surface ship like hull shapes into the torpedo shape that was the contemporary modern at the time. Far from just looks, the Improved Kilo class also boasted a hugely improved armament suite, better performance, and acoustic silencing which almost overnight gave the Soviet and later Russian navy the most potent diesel electric submarine fleet in the world for some time until the introduction of the German Type 212 and 212A submarines. The 636 variant is an improved export model sold to other countries, with the main buyers being the Chinese navy while the Russians use a domestic 636.3 model. The single most numerous class of diesel electric submarines currently in active, they are expected to serve with newer upgrades for quite some time, well after its replacements have entered service.

## Analysis

Type 636 is a weaker vessel compared to other tier 2 submarines. Her damage output is rather poor and her health pool is among the lowest. Unlike the Barrkuda, her two weapon slots are separated into one torpedo and one missile launcher instead of the two torpedo launchers. Because of this, it offers her some versatility in the ways she can attack, which means if one of her weapons is countered she may be able to attack using the other. However, if this situation were to occur, and it will, or she is submerged and unable to fire her missiles, this means that her attack power may be substantially reduced on an already low attack vessel.

It is recommended to use Tomahawk missiles as they are the only tier 2 missiles that can be launched when submerged. Either that or use C-Stars, CJ-20s, or BrahMos. Torpedoes are a personal matter as it will fit your playstyle or which targets you are attacking. TA 53-56s are slower in speed and reload and are more vulnerable to grenade launchers, but have the highest damage of tier 2 torpedoes and excel in submarine versus submarine fights, having a higher chance of hitting than most others. Blue Sharks and Mark-50s offer great variation in fighting both surface and submerged targets. HUWS's have very short range lock-on capabilities, but offer greater DPS and separate damage into three torpedoes meaning that missing one means you only lose part of the damage.

She may have the lowest health of any tier 2 submarine, but this is offput by her small size and great speed which allows her to dodge most torpedoes. She is able to dodge most incoming torpedoes by pathing a near head-on collision. Her defensive status is furthered by her unusually high oxygen capacity, being the second highest behind the Barrakuda. With this, she can hide from aircraft and missiles while launching torpedoes and perhaps Tomahawks.

## Tactics

### Playing as a Type 636

Now that we've gone through the ship itself it's time to talk about her role in a fleet. Type 636 is a support vessel relying on her fleet as she cannot 1v1 in most situations without proper skill. In the beginning of a match she can use her extended radar range to spot ships earlier than other submarines. She can give her fleet firepower where it is absent, whether it be torpedoes or missiles, and can serve as a distraction against enemy submarines. Furthering her fleet support role, she can extend her capabilities as a harasser or tackle ship using her speed and submerge ability to attack or push enemies in hiding or through pinging on the radar. This keeps enemy ships distracted or prevents full repairs. It is advised to stick with the fleet in the beginning of the fight and only split off to attack enemy targets alone when a sufficient amount of time has passed or an enemy ship is damaged greatly.

### Playing along a Type 636

When you get submarines in your fleet it is not very often a Type 636. However, they can still be a great asset when applied. In order to help her you can provide air support when she is surfaced or attack enemy submarines if you have torpedoes or grenade launchers. You may also attack ships she is attacking to more quickly dispatch enemies. There is not much else to be done beyond that since she is a support ship - she will be playing alongside you.

### Playing against a Type 636

Type 636 has poor damage output but can still be a threat at times especially with her ability to dodge efficiently. However, she cannot dodge torpedoes from more than one angle. It's suggested to have two ships attack her from different angles so she has no wiggle room. And just like any other submarine you can guard her resurface with aircraft of any kind. This may actually be enough to take her down as her health pool is the lowest of her kind. Furthering this, you can panic them into keeping submerged until they completely run out of oxygen, forcing them to resurface and unable to re-submerge for an extended amount of time.

## Advantages and Disadvantages

### Advantages

* Small size can make most torpedoes miss.
* Great speed.
* Different weapon sets - missile and torpedo.

### Disadvantages

* Very weak offensively.
* Somehow more expensive than the Barrakuda and Seawolf.
* Terrible maneuvering ability.

## Suggested Armaments Setup

Support/Attacker

* **Missile**: BGM-109 Tomahawk --> (The only tier 2 missile capable of firing from underwater)
* **Torpedo**: HUWS (324 mm) --> (3 torpedoes, decent damage and good reload, missing one means only losing part of the damage)

## Trivia

* She is the smallest submarine in the game.
	+ She is the second shortest in length by 3 meters, second smallest in width by 1 meter, and has the smallest displacement of any submarine.
* Has the lowest health of any tier 2 submarine.
* Has the 2nd highest oxygen capacity in tier 2.
* Tied with the RF ATAKRP 914-Bis for the worst maneuvering ability of all submarines in the game.
* Strangely highly priced despite statistically appearing worse.
	+ Costs 300,000 dollars more than the Barrakuda despite higher oxygen capacity and higher health pool and costs 50,000 dollars more than the Seawolf despite more weapons, slightly better health, same speed, and higher turn rate.

## Gallery

Type 636 alongside the RF Barrakuda.A Type 636 and Kursk fighting an enemy Barrakuda.Type 636's radar pinging a Seawolf.