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[Mahrs]

	Benson	8	DD	USA	65	46.15%	44,914	1,764	2.6	1.3	0.0	51%	37%	8%	1,487
	Sims	7	DD	USA	21	71.43%	41,500	1,612	2.8	1.0	1.0	62%	40%	7%	1,705
	Mahan	7	DD	USA	36	72.22%	35,438	1,566	2.4	0.9	0.0	61%	34%	5%	1,589

 

Assuming the table pasted correctly on your screen, what you should be seeing is the jump from Tier VII USN DD to Tier VIII USN DD.  A point of order - at 21 games, my Mahan performance was near identical to my Sims performance.  I have played Mahan since 0.6.0 and the stealth fire nerf dropped, I have not played Sims since then.  I attribute the difference in damage to that.  However, my WR actually increased slightly after a short drop.  Over the 57 games played between them, Sims and Mahan maintained a strong WR - each features about 1 kill per match, which is low-ish, and a 2.5-ish K/D.  Benson features a middle of the road, same ball park, K/D, 1.3 kills per match - BUT, distinctly less survivability.  Now, this is not to debate radar and CVs and all the other things that might be getting me killed in Benson.  It is what it is, part of the game.  Comparing Benson to Mahan, since both are 0.6.0, the damage bump is 10k or so...roughly 13-14% increase.  I play the Benson in the same style I played the Mahan.  

 

OK - so...after all that, can someone help me to understand the change in USN DD play between Tier VII and Tier VIII?  It's pretty clear that my play style isn't suited to Benson at all.  The trouble is, my play style for USN DD hasn't changed.  I don't know if it's a combination of high tier play AND 0.6.0 or what.  I just know that I cannot win consistently in Benson.  The payoff just isn't there and I am not sure how to change my tactics to suit higher tier USN DD play.  I'm hoping to use the weekend event to research Fletcher...but, I need to get this ironed out before I go flailing around at Tier IX...if, indeed, I do at all.

[FayFay731]

Perhaps play with divisions? Your battle stats are fine, it's just your win rate. Maybe you yolo rush too much?

[Ronin_ICOP]

I have had much the same problem. I don't claim to know the reason, but currently I speculate that I am trying too hard to do damage (which I could do at Tiers VI and VII) when I might stay alive longer (helping the team win) by concentrating on spotting and dropping smoke for teammates. It was easier to maneuver out of harm's way once spotted in Tiers VI and VII than it seems to be facing Tier X ships. I will be watching this space in hope of seeing some helpful suggestions.

 

Respects,

 

Am

[RedSeaBear]

Benson stats after 354 battles 

61.86%

43,562

1,338

2.4

1.2

0.5

51%

41%

7%

1,509

Maybe you're not doing it right. 

Of course the Benson doesn't sail easy seas, T9/10 ships can be a pain and if you run the B hull a good CVs can end you. But she's a good ship and can carry a team in random or rank. 

[Sovereigndawg]

If you look up my stats in the Mahan and the Benson you won't feel so bad.

[Greenday4537]

Benson by far crushed it compared to all my other DDs.

[Mahrs]

This is where skipping Tier VIII in the VMF line (due to the split) doesn't seem like a such a hot idea.  I have no Tier VIII DD experience to draw on other than Benson.  

 

@ RedSeaBear - that's my point.  I KNOW I'm not doing it right...I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.  My previous tactics are just no longer effective.  I had the same thing happen to me at Tier IX in German cruisers...my play was completely unsuited to Roon.  

[Rocketpacman]

You're (possibly) being over-aggressive. In the Mahan you could almost always push a cap straight away, slap down enemy DDs in a gunfight, then use smoke to either disengage if you'd run into too many or hammer away at the approaching enemy ships. Short of an Atlanta or being sorted into a higher tier game (both pretty rare when I was playing Mahan) you were pretty safe with that approach and could rack up a very impressive WR. At Tier 8 you have to be more cautious (which does not mean overcautious the Benson is still a damn fine gunboat) and basically shift from playing aggressive to playing support. Don't be afraid to pull out of a cap or not rush a cap if you can't account for all the threats. 

 

It's also possible that you're not doing anything really wrong. Your stats are pretty solid aside from WR and sometimes you can have streaks that wreck that. If you keep playing the Benson consistently it'll almost certainly go up. If you're like me and not a unicum player however you're going to find that your influence on games in a US DD simply drops off a bit when you hit T8. What you gain in the jump from the Benson to Mahan simply isn't enough to make up for the increased threats you're going to see every game and when you're mostly playing a support role you're heavily reliant on your team being good enough to take advantage of that support to win. A lot of the time they're just not. 

 

To put this in perspective I had a 66% WR in the Mahan and just finished the Benson grind at 54% WR all playing solo. 

[awildseaking]

60 games isn't a valid sample. Seriously, keep track of your next bad luck streak. A week ago, I had a ~30% WR streak over roughly 70 games. Since then, I've been 70%+ and dominating like I usually do. If you still play that poorly with the Benson after ~200 games, then you may have a problem. It'll get better, don't worry. The streaks always end (and then start all over again).

The only advice I have for people when first starting to play T8 DD is to be especially careful in T9/T10 CV games. At this tier, CV become so overpowered that they can easily delete overextending DD. While sailing near the cap concealed wouldn't count as overextending normally, it is at high tiers because you start getting attacked with triple cross drops and DB nukes. This is why AA spec DDs like Akizuki and DF capable ships like USN DD and Ognevoi tech tree DD are especially useful for early aggressive play. Personally, I have always played C hull USN DD and it doesn't affect my damage at all. AFT doesn't help USN DD much, but MFCAA is useful for an AA spec if you don't want to use RL for more accurate torpedo salvos against concealed targets.

[Mahrs]

Eh...you may be right...but, I cannot see myself continuing to play Benson much at all, let along for 200 games.  She's not a fun ship to play, honestly.  Some of that is the WR talking, for sure, because failboats are never fun.  However, even though I might have some aptitude with USN DD they are...well...they are the ships I stop playing for a while because I need a break and then come back to keep grinding.  I cannot seem to really get into them.  I'll probably spend some time hating life with T-22, Mutsuki and maybe even Ogenvoi (part 3) just to get some respite.

[Cobraclutch]

Mahrs don't take it personally.. I have the same lul in my USN DD stats. For some reason I just had a really hard time with the Benson. 

 

Benson

8

DD

127

44.09%

27,314

1,317

1.3

0.8

0.5

38%

35%

7%

982

 

Just keep on doing what you did with the Mahan and Farragut, once you reach the Fletcher I am sure you will see some success again.