[Col. Fishguts]

That's scary. I've come to hate the T10 DDs when driving around in my Hipper, Shimakaze for its high speed and deadly long lances, and Gearing because it can do painful stealth shooting at a incredible ROF.

In other news, I took the plunge and started playing USN CVs (I need $$$ to buy Benson). The UI is still pants, but once you get used to it, it can be awesome. It's most fun when there are 2 CVs per team because you can do some devastating attack runs when pooling all planes. Langley was unimpressive, Bogue has much more potent planes (I use the stock loadout because I find the upgrades take away too much flexibility) but is horribly slow itself. But I just unlocked Independence for some 31knot action.
Also, it's a money-printing scheme, because you get to reliably dish out huge damage and have very often almost no repair costs.

[Enioch]

I've learned to hate USN CVs in my IJN CVs, because most USN CVs run Air-superiority packages. There is very little you can do when the other guy has specced his ship for the one purpose of f***ing up your game - and there is no valid answer to a USN airsup spec in the IJN line.

That said, if you're willing to cruelly sacrifice your fighters to 'bind' the enemy fighter groups, you can usually sneak by one or two full torp/dive squad hits. Eight to twelve torp hits are a decent turnout for me in my Ryujo / Hiryu.

Yeah, not a good CV player. I think I'm missing some of the basic tactics of the line. I usually output more (and more consistent) damage in my DDs and CAs.

[Col. Fishguts]

Yup, running into an air-sup USN CV when it's 1vs1 CVs is painful. In that case I try to focus on spotting DDs and maybe lure the enemy fighters over a friendly BB and wait for an opportunity to sneak my TBs through. A well placed strafe run can also turn the tides a bit, but I believe that's not available for the IJN fighters?
Luckily, on the EU server the IJN carriers seem to be the majority, so in most of my Bogue games I have to deal with a Zuiho. My fully upgraded Wildcats can eat his fighters fast enough to still kill 1 or 2 TB squadrons on their way back form the first run. That way he's usually running out of planes after the 3rd attack run.

My favorite combination is when I have a Zuiho/Hosho on my team, and we have 2 IJN carriers opposite. In that setup I can dominate the skies while my buddy has free reign to torp everything into oblivion, while I can still land some torps of my own. Good times.

[Spoon]

Carrier gameplay is ****ing awful for so many reasons.
And I say this as one of the top carrier players on the eu server.

So glad I quit, this game infuriates me with nothing but terrible game designs decisions.

[AtomicClucker]

Eh, they borked carrier aircraft in the most recent patch.

And I'm taking a break after repeatedly watching Nooblets run into my torpedoes or get hit by torpedoes DESPITE ALL CAPS IN THE CHAT.

After a few weeks, feck it, gonna go cruisers and try my luck there.

[Enioch]

Some people would call Ibuki my cèshì. Shimakaze would slap them over the head and ram a Type 93 up their stern. All three of us know there's no hierarchy in this relationship - I love them both so dearly and all of us contribute something different to our marriage.

For instance, Ibuki once in a while gets this...look on her. And then she grabs me by the necktie, puts her 203s in my hand and 'come hithers' me around a corner, right into a full-health Atago and Baltimore, at under three kilometres. And we both emerge a short while later, with rather tousled hair and goofy grins on our faces and a ****ton of *ahem* 'citadel penetration' *ahem* ribbons. And we seem to have misplaced a few torpedoes and AP shells.

Not today, *****es.

Props to the Blyska, too. Ballsy as all hell.

[TwentyPercentCooler]

Quest for all the ARP ships almost completed. Although I see Ashigara is on the PTS, so that'll be another to add.

I wish we could have an ARP battle mode or something. You know, with the supergravity cannons and all.

[Spoon]

http://forum.worldofwarships.eu/index.php?/topic/54485-deep-sea-tournament-how-do-tx-teambattles-actually-work-out/#topmost

I was the carrier player for Tora Tora Tora.

[Enioch]

Best cruiser in the game? No. Zao has her beat in everything. Favourite cruiser in the game? Yes. No doubt.

[Col. Fishguts]

Best cruiser in the game? No. Zao has her beat in everything. Favourite cruiser in the game? Yes. No doubt.

Which reminds me of something I've been wondering... why does the Zao do so significantly more average damage (according to Warships Today) than the Des Moines and Hindenburg?
Is it because of the massive torps?

Moskva does similarly well, but I guess it is still so new that not any people have it yet, and the ones that do are really good with it?

[StarSlayer]

Hindie is AP all the time which takes more finesse than invisifiring HE, Des Moines has American Shell Arcs and Moskva has guns that don't know the definition of balance.

[Enioch]

Which reminds me of something I've been wondering... why does the Zao do so significantly more average damage (according to Warships Today) than the Des Moines and Hindenburg?
Is it because of the massive torps?

It's because of:

• Stealth. With 15 point captain, the Zao has a <10km spotting range and can invisifire @ 16km. This means that it can consistently output damage, expose broadsides to get all turrets working and run away from danger, thus staying in the game longer than its tier counterparts.
• The stupidly OP HE. It's essentially the same damage as the Ibuki, but the firing arcs are retardedly flat, with almost a four or five second difference in time-to-target at max range and what 'feels' like better dispersion. You can consistently land over 6 shells per broadside onto the enemy for salvos that range from 3 to 7k damage, plus 20% fire chance. If you stagger the fire and move the reticule around, you can consistently light multiple fires per salvo. I once had a Montana burning in four different locations with two salvos.

The torpedos are actually not that important. If you're firing them, it means you're spotted and the firing arcs mean that your broadside is very much exposed (worst firing arcs for an IJN cruiser); if you're spotted, the entire enemy team is shooting at you (if they've got half a brain). Torpedoes are very much a last-resort weapon in the Zao, in my experience. Sure, they can give you a ~ 20k damage 'spike' at the end, but you're usually dead seconds after firing them. It's better to stay at distance and keep them burning - it'll only take you about a minute to do the same amount of damage and you'll still be in the game.

[Rodo]

Frikking budyonny! how tough are it's cits anyway? Shot him like 3 full salvoes on an almost flat trayectory 6ks out with my omaha and could not even pen it properly with most shells.

I feel scammed, seriously scammed. Aren't soviet ca's supposedly made of paper armor?

[Col. Fishguts]

Ah, I didn't notice the short spotting range of Zao

Hindie is AP all the time which takes more finesse than invisifiring HE, Des Moines has American Shell Arcs and Moskva has guns that don't know the definition of balance.

Hold on, when using your Hindie, do you use AP even on T10 BBs at range?
Hipper, Roon and Hindenburg all use the same guns (just different turret layout), right? Is the penetration capability of the AP shells identical on all 3 ships?

I'm still derping around in my Hipper, where I'm often thrown into T9/T10 matches, and I'm having trouble doing serious AP damage against higher tier BBS.
When getting closer (<10km), damage output is better, but it's maybe 4-5k damage per salvo at best. And I think I never citadeled any T9/T10 battleship. Am I doing it wrong?

In contrast, Hipper nicely citadels Colorados at max range. But especially since the last patch, where Hipper got a HE buff, I find myself using HE shells against the higher tier BBs, and I seem's do be doing more damage together with the fires.

But I would love to go back to the all-AP-days of Königsberg/Nürnberg. Teach me your ways, Sensei!

[StarSlayer]

Just to be clear if there are CAs and DDs available to shoot at I'd go for them first.  A good BB player should be looking to tank damage for their team, they've got the armor, health pools and heal to absorb cruiser gunfire and stay in the game.  On the other hand Roon and Hindie can wipe out an exposed CA before they know what the hell happened, removing those guns from the board. 

As far as far as the 20.3 cm SK C/34 naval gun goes, so long as something is showing a flat I throw armor piercing.  Always be on the lookout for pen opportunities and prioritize them, you almost need to think like a BB when choosing targets.  When shooting high tier BBs citadels are not necessary, punching AP salvos into the flank above the belt armor can deliver very high yields.  Both the Roon and Hindie have absurd 8.8 second reloads with mods, that rate of fire can trash anything even with normal pens.

I'd check out Flamu or Voulezvous TV on youtube, they do some ridiculous damage with the Roon and Hindie.

[Rodo]

When your team is slacking off and you do ABSO-LUTELY everything to win.




At least, this time me breaking my ass got me something nice in return.

[StarSlayer]

Not to shabby, not too shabby at all.

[TwentyPercentCooler]

Lots of exciting stuff going on these days. I've been seeing a few Arizonas around, Sims and Yuubari are back, someone had a Tone the other day (somehow, probably hacking, RIP that guy's account), Flint stats are leaked and it looks amazing, and USS Black, DD-666, a T9 premium...that should cause some salt avalanches.

Been playing through Gnevny. This would be a great ship if the turrets weren't so stupid slow.

[Blue Lion]

It's been released? I guess I can start playing again. Time to slowly catch up to everyone again.

[NGTM-1R]

Yubari: still too easy to citadel.