In Azur Lane, equipment plays as much of a role in a shipgirl’s performance as her stats, skills, or rarity. Even the strongest ship will underperform with weak gear, while a lower-tier ship can shine with optimized equipment. For new players, it can be confusing to figure out which guns, planes, and auxiliaries to use when you’re still progressing through story chapters and events. This guide covers what equipment you should prioritize from the early game to the endgame, ensuring you don’t waste resources while still building toward the best loadouts.

Understanding Equipment Tiers in Azur Lane

Equipment comes in various rarities: Gray (Normal), Blue (Rare), Purple (Elite), and Gold (Super Rare). While it might seem like gold gear is always the best, the truth is more nuanced. Some purple equipment is easier to obtain and performs just as well or even better than gold alternatives in certain cases.

Best Equipment for DD (Destroyer) Guns

Check out the best equipment to use for DD ships:

  • 127mm Single Gun Mount (Purple) – Very fast firing, great for triggering skill procs.
  • 120mm Twin Gun Mount – Easy to farm, strong balance of reload and DPS.
  • 127mm Twin Gun Mount (Gold) – One of the best DD guns for consistent DPS.
  • 100mm Twin High-Angle (Gold, IJN) – Superb reload speed, often best for skill-focused DDs like Ayanami.
  • 113mm Twin Gun Mount (Gold, RN) – Balanced option with good DPS and range.

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Best Equipment for Light Cruiser (CL) Guns

Check out the best equipment to use for CL ships:

  • 152mm Twin Gun Mount (Purple) – Good balance of damage and reload, easy to get.
  • 155mm Triple Gun Mount (Purple) – Strong spread and firepower, but slower reload.
  • 150mm TbtsK C/36 (Gold, Ironblood) – One of the best CL guns for DPS.
  • 152mm Twin DP Mark XVII (Gold, Royal Navy) – High efficiency, fast reload, very reliable.
  • 155mm Triple (Gold, Retrofit) – Endgame upgrade of the purple version, very strong AoE coverage.

Best Equipment for Heavy Cruiser (CA) Guns

Check out the best equipment to use for CA ships:

  • 203mm Twin Gun (SKC, Purple) – Reliable and easy to farm.
  • 203mm Twin (Type 3, IJN, Purple) – Great damage for early to mid-stages.
  • 203mm SKC (Gold) – Best-in-slot for most heavy cruisers thanks to DPS and reload balance.
  • 203mm Twin (Prototype Triple, PR) – Strong but limited to specific builds.
  • 234mm Twin Gun Mount (PR, RN) – High damage option, slightly slower but devastating.

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Best Equipment for Battleship (BB/BC) Guns

Check out the best equipment to use for BB/BC ships:

  • 356mm Twin Gun (Purple) – Decent, easy to get, good for learning timing.
  • 380mm Twin (Purple, Ironblood) – Early farming option with decent power.
  • 406mm Triple Mk6 (Gold, USN) – One of the best all-rounder BB guns, fast reload, solid damage.
  • 410mm Twin Type 3 (Gold, IJN) – High damage per salvo, reliable for Japanese battleships.
  • 457mm Prototype Triple (PR) – Best-in-slot for raw power; long reload but devastating damage.
  • 381mm/50 Mk I (Gold, RN) – Strong accuracy, great synergy with Royal Navy BBs.

Best Equipment for Aircraft Carrier Planes

Check out the best equipment to use for Aircraft carrier planes:

  • F4F Wildcat (Purple) – Reliable and easy to farm.
  • F6F Hellcat (Gold) – Excellent balance of DPS and anti-air.
  • F4U Corsair (Gold) – Good DPS option.
  • Sea Fury (Gold) – Royal Navy synergy, strong overall.

Best Equipment for Dive Bombers

Check out the best equipment to use for Dive Bombers:

  • SB2C Helldiver (Purple) – Strong and reliable.
  • SB2C Helldiver (Gold) – Remains relevant in endgame.
  • Suisei Model 12A (Gold, IJN) – High DPS dive bomber.
  • Ju-87C Stuka (Gold, Ironblood) – Excellent damage, but situational.

Best Equipment for Torpedo Bombers

Check out the best equipment to use for Torpedo bombers:

  • Fairey Barracuda (Gold, RN) – Very strong, long torpedo spread.
  • Ryusei (Gold, IJN) – High-damage torpedo bomber, great for bossing.
  • TBF Avenger (Gold) – Reliable, widely usable.

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Best Equipment for Anti-Air Guns

Check out the best equipment to use for anti-air guns:

  • Twin 40mm Bofors (Purple) – Easy to get, reliable.
  • 40mm Quad Bofors (Gold) – One of the best AA guns in the game.
  • Twin 40mm STAAG (Gold, RN) – Slightly weaker DPS, but boosts accuracy.
  • Twin 37mm Flak (Gold, Ironblood) – Niche but decent.

Best Equipment for Auxiliary Support

Check out the best equipment to use for Auxiliary support:

  • Oxygen Torpedo (Gold) – For DDs and subs, mandatory for torpedo builds.
  • Improved Hydraulic Rudder (Gold) – Grants evasion and dodge chance, amazing for fragile DDs.
  • T3 Repair Toolkit (Gold) – Still relevant in endgame for extra bulk.
  • SG Radar (Gold) – Boosts accuracy and evasion, crucial in high-level maps.
  • Type 93 Pure Oxygen Torpedo (Gold) – Endgame auxiliary for nuking builds.

Players can enjoy playing Azur Lane on a bigger screen of their PC or Laptop via BlueStacks along with your keyboard and mouse.

Keep progressing in Azur Lane with our other in-depth guides.