Forward armament rewards a commander who manages angle, range, and movement so the battery can bear without offering an easy broadside solution. Nelson and Rodney were slow but difficult to stop, and their narrow forward aspect could leave a faster opponent's machinery more exposed. Damage to that machinery could erase the opponent's speed advantage. A protected ship still making 23 knots might then hold the decisive mobility advantage despite starting as the slower design.
Notable Point · 1:33:06-1:35:43
Commander skill makes forward armament pay
A forward battery rewards a commander who can keep maximum friendly fire on target while forcing the enemy into a less favourable firing angle.