World of Warships

[Sea Skimmer]

They are justifying it because they mostly use 50s designs for their high-end cruisers, whereas the US cruisers are the 40s version. Don't ask me if that makes sense or whether they should even use 50s designs.

The ship itself was basically all 1930s technology except some radars as it was and most of those were still copies of US supplied systems. The main armament wasn't new in design or anything like that.

The date of the US fire control radars would make little if any difference in a surface action. The Mk13 radar all US cruisers had during or soon after WW2 was effective well outside the accurate range of any 6in gun as it was scaled to support the main batteries on battleships. Could track and spot shell splashes at the range anything in the US navy could shoot. Detection range on battleship sized targets out to the radar horizon. Cruisers you'd certainly see in time to open fire. Search radars improved more rapidly, but that was mainly relevant to air defense. Automatic clutter rejection technology and ilk, mean more when the target is fast! Also nobody had shipboard X-band radar jammers in the 1950s.

[Thanas]

So after finishing the US T10 grind I can now report on the Roon.

OH MY GOD.

She is an absolute monster. No cruiser who gives her any hint of a broadside can survive. Just had a battle where - despite being a loss- I did 140k damage (4 kills, including a Tirpitz, Ibuki, Kagero and Atago). Volleys of 5 or more citadels are possible. And you can pen a BB for 8k damage per salvo - with AP. The penetration values on her are insane, and with the upgrades you can get her to 8-9 second reload iirc.

This ship is my favorite cruiser ever. Nothing can challenge her if you know how to play her and how to aim. Especially not Japanese cruisers - they have to give full broadside to use all their turrets. BAM, instant citadel. Took me two volleys (16 seconds) to get an atago from full health down to 5k. This ship might even out-DPS a Yamato.

There are a few drawbacks though -
1. engaging the Des moines and Baltimore seems to be a bit harder due to their armor. But unless they get within 12km they are no real threat to you as your fire arcs and AP are so much better.
2. Turret rotation speed is slow. This ship has BB-turn rates. Not that good, but then again you always play the positioning game with her anyway.
3. concealment is only 11.5 km with all upgrades and captain skills. Still, given that you should always have a DD scouting ahead anyway, this should not be such a big problem.
4. HUGE ship. Much larger than Des Moines and the Des Moines has 150% the rudder shift time, so less evading possible. That said, you are not there to evade. You are there to take the enemy cruisers best shot and then laugh while you quadruple-citadel him in return.
5. HE sucks, so enemies who know how to angle are a bit of a problem, as is the fact that you only got one turret forward. But it makes running away easier if need be and like I said, you always have to hold fire, wait till enemy reveals himself, then reposition and then fire anyway.

Still, I am so very much impressed and in love with this ship. What a gift after suffering through York and the somewhat mediocre hipper.

[Imperial528]

So with the latest update making the skill boost to low caliber guns essentially worthless for cruisers and US DDs after the Clemson (155mm down to 139mm), I thought to myself, hmm, that's a pretty specific caliber.

Lo and behold, every Russian and Japanese destroyer has guns with a caliber no higher than 130mm.

If USN DDs and CA/CLs were overpowered on gunnery, you'd think they'd try a more elegant solution than saying "oh hey this skill is just filler for you guys unless you want it for the AA"

Wargaming, why.

[Thanas]

I wouldn't say it is worthless for cruisers, more AA is pretty decent. Not as good as demo expert, but still decent.

It does not effect US DDs at all, as they all have sub 139mm calibers.

[Imperial528]

Ah, my mistake then. I thought the Farragut had 6" instead of 5"

Still, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[Sea Skimmer]

So with the latest update making the skill boost to low caliber guns essentially worthless for cruisers and US DDs after the Clemson (155mm down to 139mm), I thought to myself, hmm, that's a pretty specific caliber.

139mm was chosen because a number of Japanese cruisers and battleships ships have 140mm main and secondary guns. They wanted to rule out all of those, while leaving all destroyer weapons affected.

[Thanas]

^AFT still buffs secondaries though.

In other news, I just wanted to showcase what US DDs are capable of if you know how to play them.

Yep. 5k base experience.
Probably my best game in a dd ever.

[Kojiro]

I've only recently started playing this. Thus far the biggest ship I have is the Wyoming.

Is there some secret to aiming I am unaware of? My shots- even against stationary targets- seem to vary wildly with the bigger ships. I have the sight lined up perfectly, and fire three turrets. One goes perfect, one splits and goes wide *in each direction* and the last fires one accurate and the other wildly off course. This happens whether I stagger the fire or blast all at once.

Is there something I'm missing? Because other battleships seem to be able to land entire volleys on me.

Also fuck torpedo bombers. I hate them so much.

[Borgholio]

I've only recently started playing this. Thus far the biggest ship I have is the Wyoming.

Is there some secret to aiming I am unaware of? My shots- even against stationary targets- seem to vary wildly with the bigger ships. I have the sight lined up perfectly, and fire three turrets. One goes perfect, one splits and goes wide *in each direction* and the last fires one accurate and the other wildly off course. This happens whether I stagger the fire or blast all at once.

Is there something I'm missing? Because other battleships seem to be able to land entire volleys on me.

Also fuck torpedo bombers. I hate them so much.

Shooting requires you to lead the target and to correct for distance. If you have that spot on and you find your shots going wild, it's due to programmed inaccuracy in the guns. IRL, battleships never landed an entire salvo on the same point...the shots were spread out a bit due to aerodynamics and the physics / quality of the guns and ammo themselves. Newer ships had more accurate guns, and older ones were sometimes like shotguns. Just gotta get in the right ship. Once you get into the New Mexico, you'll find hitting the target so much easier.

And yes, torpedo bombers suck. Turn into them when you see them before they even have a chance to launch their torpedoes. Keep spinning in a circle to throw them off.

[Thanas]

Wyoming has really bad dispersion, as do nearly all the US ships. If you want accurate BBs play IJN, if you want accurate cruisers play German.

US BBs are shotguns until the North Carolina, you need to get close and blast the enemy.

[Kojiro]

Thanks. I am pretty accurate with the lighter guns, just the big ones on the Wyoming seem terrible. Even when someone has beached it seems like pure luck. Sometimes entire volleys miss other times (like last night) I got triple citadel hits and utterly wrecked someone.

I think I may have to abandon the US tree.

[Imperial528]

The New Mexico has pretty decent accuracy in my experience, especially compared to its predecessors in the tree.

It's not that your shots tend to have tighter grouping in a broadside though, it's more that the variation is consistent, so those times where the entire salvo lands around the target are very rare and usually only happen at long range.

[Borgholio]

Thanks. I am pretty accurate with the lighter guns, just the big ones on the Wyoming seem terrible. Even when someone has beached it seems like pure luck. Sometimes entire volleys miss other times (like last night) I got triple citadel hits and utterly wrecked someone.

I think I may have to abandon the US tree.

I wouldn't fully abandon it if I were you. The late game ships are very accurate. I haven't played the Iowa yet, but Thanas has so you may want to ask for his input, but I hear it's a beast.

[Venator]

As someone who's spent a lot of time trying to make the US BBs work for him, because of receiving one as a closed-Beta badge of honour, they're worth sticking with.

The New York is incrementally better (IMO) than the predecessors, despite how it looks on paper. The Wyoming is definitely a blunt-force object though. The upside is having so damn many guns that you can afford to use your first turret just as a ranging shot rather than committing a full salvo to a frustrating miss.

Make sure you use armour angling too - in the Wyoming in particular, you're tempted to wag your tail out most of the time to get your centre turret on target. It's better to use that as a reserve, or at least only go full broadside when you have a clean shot - and enemy BBs are reloading.

[Kojiro]

Thanks again for the advice all. I'll stick with it and learn. I'm also having some fun with the smaller torpedo boats, with limited success. What I wouldn't give for torps with a range greater than 3km.

[Venator]

Thanks again for the advice all. I'll stick with it and learn. I'm also having some fun with the smaller torpedo boats, with limited success. What I wouldn't give for torps with a range greater than 3km.

You have three choices as far as destroyers go.

Japan: Torpedo range > detection range.

US: Torpedo range < detection range, BUT - vastly better guns.

Soviet: Torpedos have NO range, but the number per salvo dial is simply turned to 'yes'.

Speaking of...

^AFT still buffs secondaries though.

In other news, I just wanted to showcase what US DDs are capable of if you know how to play them.

Yep. 5k base experience.
Probably my best game in a dd ever.

I'm so glad I'll never have to play against you on the NA server, you filthy stat-padding unicorn .

First ever game in the Clemson, post CBT - http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee4 ... wal8n1.jpg

[Nephtys]

Wyoming has VASTLY better guns at it's tier vs it's opponents than the New York: Which enjoys ZERO advantages in real terms vs it's competition, the excellent Kongo.

New Mexico is the highlight of the entire line, but Fuso is as good if not slightly better (for some inexplicable reason)

Battleships really require you to get a good gut feeling of how to aim. I aim flight-time in tics center-mass against battleships and 20knot ships, nose of ship vs 25-28 knot ships, and 'somewhat ahead' for 30+ ships or smaller ones, when they're travelling exactly perpendicular to my fire arc.

[Venator]

Wyoming has VASTLY better guns at it's tier vs it's opponents than the New York: Which enjoys ZERO advantages in real terms vs it's competition, the excellent Kongo.

The guns are better for the battles it finds itself in, sure (the NY in a tier VII game is NOT fun), but the dispersion on the NY feels a little less RNG-tastic. Is that just relative inexperience on my part, or is the Arkansas even worse than the Wyoming in that regard?

[Imperial528]

I actually think the Arkansas has better accuracy than the Wyoming. Of course, I'm pretty sure the Arkansas gets some form of premium matchmaking, as well.

[Thanas]

It does have premium matchmaking.

Wyoming has VASTLY better guns at it's tier vs it's opponents than the New York: Which enjoys ZERO advantages in real terms vs it's competition, the excellent Kongo.

Unless it runs into the real king of TIV, the Imperator Nicholas. Which can take any ship, even T6, and just slap them around due to its ridiculous heal and damage. Pure pay2w that one. Games with 60-80k damage (in T4!) are the norm for me.

New Mexico is the highlight of the entire line, but Fuso is as good if not slightly better (for some inexplicable reason)

Fuso IMO is much better than the New Mex, because while the New Mex theoretically is better when angled (due to six guns forward) the Fuso is much narrower, thus making her much harder to hit when angled. And Fuso has got better guns, much better accuracy. A smart Fuso driver will win against the New Mex every time, as he will just keep her at 16km+ when her range sucks while landing accurate volleys on the fat target.

[Thanas]

Oh and I do love the Roon.

70% winrate, 65k average damage.

She might be the strongest T9 ship in the game I have ever played.

[darthkommandant]

I just got a escort to my Fuso. I used 7000 free XP from the Fuso to get it. Big improvement over the horrid Karlsruhe.

[Thanas]

The Königsberg is awesome, strongest T5 cruiser IMO. Had about 50k average damage in her.

[darthkommandant]

In my first battle I got 20000 damage. 17000 AP damage and 3000 HE. Total of 53 hits.

[Venator]

Konigsberg is best Berg. I'm finding the Nurnberg good, but not nearly as competitive against VIIIs as the Konig was against VIIs. Will definitely re-buy the Konig as a keeper ship after I finish the Nurnberg.

Question for Thanas from a Clemson scrub;
- Is the extra torp range/damage worth the much lower RoF?
- What difference does the gun upgrade make? It shows the exact same stats.