How to destroyer?

[iGotKandy]

Hi everyone...I just started playing a while ago; about a couple of weeks. I've been wanting to get into playing some destroyers because I have seen them on youtube and such, and they do seem like a boatload of fun. But when i tried to play one, I sucked. i have seen people do a lot better in the same ships, so i know its more of a me problem then a ship problem. I just can't really seem to get the hang of them. So if anybody as a destroyer tip, trick, or even a full destroyer guide, even if its not yours, or if anyone here can send me to a person who CAN play a destroyer, i would greatly appreciate it

[1nv4d3rZ1m]

Destroyers are played very differently depending on the line and even the ship. We can give you advice but it would be helpful for us to know what ships you are playing and what ships you are aiming to play in the future. 

 

Some general tips for DDs:

• Keep an eye on your detection range
• Get your detection range as low as possible including camo, captain skills, modules, etc
• Turn your AA off unless the planes are obviously not going to miss you. 
• Dont suicide in cap, DDs need to contest the caps but they also need to live. I generally test the waters and if the cap is not contested I take it otherwise I let the enemy take it then come back later. Its not worth taking a rando pede or losing a bunch of HP to get the cap first. 
• Learn patience, sometimes its best to just wait for a better situation than open up immediately. 
• Dont be afraid to shoot your guns.

 

Those are some general tips that generally apply to DDs but knowing what ships you are playing will help us give more detailed advice. 

 

There is also some guides in the newcomers section including this: 

 

[Destroyer_Zeka]

I do have a DD guide, link to which can be found in my signature 

[More_Witches]

26 minutes ago, iGotKandy said:

Hi everyone...I just started playing a while ago; about a couple of weeks. I've been wanting to get into playing some destroyers because I have seen them on youtube and such, and they do seem like a boatload of fun. But when i tried to play one, I sucked. i have seen people do a lot better in the same ships, so i know its more of a me problem then a ship problem. I just can't really seem to get the hang of them. So if anybody as a destroyer tip, trick, or even a full destroyer guide, even if its not yours, or if anyone here can send me to a person who CAN play a destroyer, i would greatly appreciate it

Which line are you working on at the moment?

[Camo68]

As well as the guides listed above there are some very good youtubers like ichasegaming (captains academy very good for newbies) , Notser, flamu & aeroon (that have game footage along with commentary on what they are doing and why).  You may find these guys helpful.

[PolarWolf32]

Most of my experience comes from USN DDs, but most of my tips apply to DDs in general:

• Especially in later tiers, your eyes are the most important asset to your team. Spot ships for your larger friends to dispatch
• Don't be selfish with your smoke screens. Lay them down in lines ahead of your team to conceal their advance. The less targets the enemy has=less damage your team takes=happy team
  • Don't sit in smoke as soon as you get to a cap in the beginning of the game. It's selfish, a waste because the cap is contested 90% of the time, and usually ends with a torp cracking you in half.
• Most ships will start turning if they see you within torping range. Be prepared for this and aim accordingly. This will take some practice.
• Concealment expert skill and Type 2(?) camo reduce your detectability. Even a few meters can mean the difference of an attack or getaway succeeding.
• Get a timer in the back of your mind that can count to 20. This is how long you will be detected from gun range after you fire your last MB shot.
• Communicate! Your team doesn't need a play-by-play, but step up and coordinate tactics.
• Don't tunnel vision when you're fighting. use RMB to pan around your ship and check your surroundings while keeping the guns fairly trained
• There's no shame in going into co-op battles to learn the mechanics of everything.
• Be patient. A target might not present itself right away, and don't force yourself into a situation that costs your team a set of eyes
• Finally, do not chase the carrier for an inordinate amount of time. Especially at low tiers, it's just a waste.

Happy hunting :)

[VTAdmiral]

The advice you'll find useful on destroyers differs greatly depending on what line you are playing.

[iGotKandy]

Right now Im trying to play the USN and the Russians 

[VTAdmiral]

Russian destroyer advice:

1: Go max speed

2: Stay near max range at all times

3: Weave slightly when targeted, take Priority Target for your tier 1 skill

4: Shoot guns

5: Shift targets once a fire is started

6: Shift back after the target's fire goes out, don't stop until multiple fires stick

7: Be the most overpowered imaginary garbage scow in the game.

8: Repeat steps 4-8

 

[iGotKandy]

14 minutes ago, Destroyer_Kiyoshimo said:

Russian destroyer advice:

1: Go max speed

2: Stay near max range at all times

3: Weave slightly when targeted, take Priority Target for your tier 1 skill

4: Shoot guns

5: Shift targets once a fire is started

6: Shift back after the target's fire goes out, don't stop until multiple fires stick

7: Be the most overpowered imaginary garbage scow in the game.

8: Repeat steps 4-8

 

What about her torpedoes? IK they have only 4km range but why not just close the range and torp them? Isnt that what destroyers are for?

[More_Witches]

1 minute ago, iGotKandy said:

What about her torpedoes? IK they have only 4km range but why not just close the range and torp them? Isnt that what destroyers are for?

Only if you can use islands to close the gap/set up ambushes safely, otherwise you're going to lose health or die in the process

[VTAdmiral]

3 minutes ago, iGotKandy said:

What about her torpedoes? IK they have only 4km range but why not just close the range and torp them? Isnt that what destroyers are for?

Highly situational. Russian torpedoes aren't very good.

 

If you want good torpedoes, you're looking for IJN destroyers. And if you do that, you're in for suffering. Weakest and most inconsistent line in the game.

 

(why do i main them, again?)

[Destroyer_Zeka]

1 hour ago, iGotKandy said:

Hi everyone...I just started playing a while ago; about a couple of weeks. I've been wanting to get into playing some destroyers because I have seen them on youtube and such, and they do seem like a boatload of fun. But when i tried to play one, I sucked. i have seen people do a lot better in the same ships, so i know its more of a me problem then a ship problem. I just can't really seem to get the hang of them. So if anybody as a destroyer tip, trick, or even a full destroyer guide, even if its not yours, or if anyone here can send me to a person who CAN play a destroyer, i would greatly appreciate it

 Being a main of the Russian DDs myself, and partly of the USN, both lines you say you are working on,

1.) Try consulting my "How to Not suck with DDs" guide, the link to which can be found in my signature

2.) Message me ingame via the little orange chat box in the bottom left of your port screen, search for my name, add to contacts, send message. Ill division up with you and watch how yoiu handle you ship, and give you some pointers here and there on how to get better

[Noble_Taipan]

7 hours ago, PolarWolf32 said:

• Don't be selfish with your smoke screens.

 

Something I'd like to add to this point. I've recently noticed some DDs getting careless with their detection ranges, getting spotted and then laying smoke in an panicky effort to stay alive. He may live, he may not. But what that DD did was inadvertently provide a smoke screen for the enemy. This will upset your team. 

[Taichunger]

7 hours ago, iGotKandy said:

What about her torpedoes? IK they have only 4km range but why not just close the range and torp them? Isnt that what destroyers are for?

 

Nope. Torps under 5 kms should be regarded as situational, as in "holy cow, this idiot drove right up to me." Otherwise, you use guns, stealth, and smoke to help your team.

 

You should gunboat as much as you can -- set a damage or hit number goal for yourself. Back when I played the old Umikaze 3 years ago, my goal was always 30 hits with its crappy guns. With Fletcher or Groz I strive for at least 100-150. Many DD drivers fail to exploit their guns properly. Even IJN DDs hit hard, properly handled. 

 

The fact it is that it is difficult to "force" a situation by bumrushing ships. A good BB driver will wreck you and frequently there is a cruiser you didn't see which is also hitting you. Torping with short range torps requires patience, skill, and poor play by red. Some players never learn this -- you see them in Takao or Furutaka turning to launch their torps which they think are invincible, and giving their fat broadsides to experienced BB players, who nuke them and then dodge the torps. To use 4 km torps you have to plot ambushes carefully, thinking not only about how you will torp the BB but also how you will exit the area to avoid the wrath of its teammates. 

 

It would help if we knew what DDs you were playing. Also, if you see me on the server, happy to div and show you some stuff.