Is the Kotovsky a good ship?

A small pros/cons and guide to the cruiser Kotovsky.

The Ship

SN Kotovsky, Tier V

The Kotovsky is a Soviet Tier 5 Cruiser, designed in 1932-33, and taking inspiration from Italian designs of the time, and one of my personal favorites! She can play both as a cruiser and as a destroyer, so it is up to you how you play.

Combat Power

The Kotovsky carries 4x2 152mm cannons (6in) as her main battery. With a maximum range of 14.3km (stock) or 15.8km (upgraded), they have a range higher than some battleships of that tier.
Her secondary battery consists of 6x1 100mm (3.931in) cannons, engaging at 4.3km.
She carries 2x3 533mm (21in) torpedo tubes. They have high damage output (up to 14,400 damage per torpedo, or up to 43,200 if all 3 hit.) Although they are strong and have a relatively short reload time (70s), these are countered by the short range of only 4km. This means that you should wait to use your torpedoes until you're right next to (within <2.5km of) an enemy ship, preferably a battleship, since they are big (high chance of all torps hitting) and usually don't have any torpedoes to counter you with.
Her anti-aircraft defense is mediocre, and better than some ships of her tier. It engages at 4km, and has a continuous damage output of 107 when within range of all guns (1.5km).
In terms of maneuverability, she has a good speed (35.5kn), but this is met with a large turning radius of 850m. Her rudder shift also has a little to be desired of a ship of this speed, taking 7.4s to shift from hard port to hard starboard and back. She has relatively good concealment, with a spotting range of 11km from sea and 6km from air.

Dangers and Counters

Now it is time to go over some of the dangers with the Kotovsky.
1. As previously mentioned, your torpedoes have limited range. This puts you well inside the range of enemy torpedoes, as well as battleship, carrier, and cruiser secondaries.
COUNTER: Use islands and smoke screens to your advantage. When you see an enemy
ship approaching, you can make use of her high top speed and acceleration to pop out, launch
your torpedoes, and hide again.
2. Her large turning radius might catch users off guard, especially if you associate high speed with the small turning radius of destroyers. Her radius is larger than that of some battleships, so be wary of this.
COUNTER: Be aware of your surroundings. Use large gaps between islands to turn easily,
and remember to bring her speed down to 1/2-1/4 if necessary.
3. Kotovsky has a very exposed citadel. Located in the center of the ship and slightly aft, with AP shells from some destroyers being very capable of hitting it.
COUNTER: Be sure to never expose your broadside, unless you need to, in a case such
as firing torpedoes or firing a salvo. Try to move head on towards enemies you know are
capable of striking your citadel.

Conclusion

So, In Conclusion...

Is the Kotovsky a bad ship? Not at all! Like most ships in this game, she requires some amount of planning to use effectively, and with all ships, can be mastered by a dedicated player. You know what, not even a dedicated player! Any player at all can master this ship with enough practice.
She's easy to pick up, and fun to play!