Looking for advice on the Friedrich Der Grosse

[mohawkdriver]

Oh ye Great and Powerful FDG experts,

I would be much obliged for any and all advice on best ways to play FDG.  Is it me, or does it seem that the FDG is a better close-in brawler than a long-range shooter?

Which guns do better overall?  I'm thinking bigger is better.

Gratefully,

m'driver

[RipNuN2]

I'm still fairly new to the FDG but I find she does better at moderate range but not full on brawling until the enemy team is weakened. I like the smaller guns due to the faster reload and I pair that with the reload module and AR so I can pump out shells like crazy. This helps make up for the more wonky dispersion at range because you put so many shells downrange. I'm sure others with more experience will likely have some other recommendations.

[Akeno017]

The german battleship line is based around brawling and short-midrange ( 12km or less ) fighting to utilise their secondary armament and protection schemes.

FDG seems to be a odd one, not unlike the izumo in that theres strong like or dislike for it, I personally found it took me almost the entire grind to kurfurst to get the ship to work for me.

I didn't really see much difference in the gun types, but I feel that the extra pen on the 420s made for more reliable salvos against same tier and higher battleships.

[Xlap]

The German BB line is good from mid-short ranges. Try to stay at ranges around 10 km, a Littleton more or less depending on the situation. 

 

About the guns, there is not a huge difference between them, is more like player preferance. The 406mm have better RoF, while the 420mm have better alpha damage. 

[Ace_04]

10 minutes ago, RipNuN2 said:

I'm still fairly new to the FDG but I find she does better at moderate range but not full on brawling until the enemy team is weakened. I like the smaller guns due to the faster reload and I pair that with the reload module and AR so I can pump out shells like crazy. This helps make up for the more wonky dispersion at range because you put so many shells downrange. I'm sure others with more experience will likely have some other recommendations.

^^ This 100%.

 

I struggled with her up until about the half way point through her grind.  Once I realized her sweet spot was in the 10-14km range and had enough restraint to not charge in and brawl too early, things became much better.  

 

As for the guns, I didn't find any serious difference in penetrating power between the 406's and 420's, so I stuck with the former for faster reload.

 

Also, don't bother with a full secondary build on her either.  The amount of time you actually get in close enough to use it is not enough to rack up any serious damage numbers, nor is it worth the points for such a dedicated build.  Survivability build is much more effective in the long run, especially with all the HE spamming cruisers and BB's out there now.

[shoy07]

I'd FXP to the GK... that's my advice

[Balck_]

Definitely an up close and personal operator.  Personally, I didn't like this ship much because the main guns were not dependable.  Make your captain either a zombie build (main gun dependent) secondaries build. 

[HazardDrake]

Get shot at so your teammates don't. Stay alive as long as possible. Bounce as much damage as you can. 

[Edgecase]

If you take the 420s, be prepared to get tons of overpens on cruisers that you would otherwise demolish. Found that out the hard way this weekend.

[Dr_Venture]

Okay...so...here is the thing:

 

You're essentially a larger Bismarck, meaning if you spec'd for secondaries you essentially wanna fight in the 15 to 11k radius. Battleship rules apply, close when the destroyers are either located/destroyed and the game has a few casualties. Angle and watch shells bounce off you...manual target destroyers/whoever and murder them. 

 

420's are nice for higher hitting power, the 40's are better with adrenaline rush and overall are more multi-role...but if you wanna bully the big boys the 420's are life...I've even citadelled other German battleships...and that's just down right hilarious. 

[theanhtb]

Unpopular opinion: Build your captain with secondary build in mind (Manual secondary and AFT), but don't get 20% secondary range mod, instead, get the main gun accuracy mod. You can consistently do 8k per salvo.

Keep a distance more than 13km and act like a normal Japanese or American BB and don't yolo with your secondaries. Near mid game, start closing the distance and charge, if the condition allows.

You can still spew secondary shells out at 10km (20% less accurate tho) while having significantly better main guns accuracy. Considering my FDG have the 2nd highest dmg per game in NA server, I think my build works.

 

[Stauffenberg44]

I enjoyed FdG but the Kurfürst is such a monster I sold her. I'll likely get her back on sale down the road and I feel the same way about the Izumo.

A review I found really helpful for FdG by Flamu:

 

 

[LancerUlysses]

Not spectacular by any means, but tooling around in her today. Basically keeping to medium range.  Had a four kill loss earlier due to screen melt (my screenign ships, not my monitor), but generally better than my average day so far.

[Paulo2011]

The Freddie is fun but it can NOT be played as a long rang sniper. Best advice is to go get a cup of coffee in the first minute of the game then choose your path based on what is seen on the map. Never ever get caught alone, you won't live long enough for those secondaries to help or to get in knife range.

My preferred strategy is to sail to detection range then pick off cruisers first with AP. Then if your high tier stay with the AP and go after BB's, if you can suck one into a point blank duel more power to you and eat him alive. If you are up against T10 then be a noble coward and get your tail to the nearest island so you can get out of there if things go wrong. Avoid DD's at all costs. You don't turn well enough to avoid the torp walls but if one pops up near you make sure you make them your priority target or you are toast with no butter. Oh and if you are up against a Conqueror RUSH him, Close in you are going to hurt him badly and his HE fires are equal to what you and your secondaries can set on him. Remember he has an HP pool closer to yours than any other T10 in the game.

 

Hope that helped. Probably not and I'll get flamed for be Capt Obvious or doing it bassackwards but I gave you my version.

[HazeGrayUnderway]

https://forum.worldofwarships.eu/topic/59528-armor-penetration-curves/

If you're brawling with Ze Germans, the 406s are the way to go.  When you're in a German BB brawling range of 12km or less, the 420s still have slightly more penetration at 12km, but at 11km and less, penetration advantage dissipates and then starts swinging to the 406.  Add in Adrenaline Rush it can get silly for the 406.

 

The Secondary Build still works, but you have to be very patient and preserve the ship until that moment presents itself to plug a German BB in a brawl.  Early match tends to be stand-off affairs.

[mohawkdriver]

Gentlemen,

Many good thoughts and a wealth of advice.  My thanks to you all for your input.

Happy sailing!

[Ulthwey]

19 hours ago, mohawkdriver said:

Oh ye Great and Powerful FDG experts,

I would be much obliged for any and all advice on best ways to play FDG.  Is it me, or does it seem that the FDG is a better close-in brawler than a long-range shooter?

Which guns do better overall?  I'm thinking bigger is better.

Gratefully,

m'driver

 

FDG is a pain to play, its main guns are inaccurate even if you spec for them and its secondaries are mediocre at best even if you spec for them ... so in the end you have to chose the lesser of the the evils. I tried both specs and hated both equally.

 

If you spec main guns, you will still have inaccurate dispersion with bad german ballistics and suboptimal firing angles. Shells do a lot of damage but the bounce angles are pretty high.

 

If you spec for secondaries, yes you will have the 11.3km secondaries but they will do little to no damage overall as they dont pen the 32mm bows of tier 9-10 BBs. With IFHE only the 150mm secondaries benefit, 105mm do NOT so the skill isnt worth it when only half of your secondary armament is capable of penning the 32mm bows. Consult the IFHE chart if you want to know more.

 

Honestly whichever way you spec, this is probably going to be a ship that you will have to force yourself to suffer through. For me, I can regularly squeeze out 150k or more damage out of a ship on regular basis, but with FDG I struggle to do that. Its a big, fat, armored punching bag with a very underperforming armament. Sell this piece of sh*t the moment you get to the Kurfurst, 99% of the people never look back on this ship after they get the Kurfurst.

[Dr_Venture]

406's and the German National Anthem + second build = hilarious

[LowSpeed_US]

Put on mans shirt, and drive. Drive her like there's no tomorrow into instilling fear into enemy; without her god given (okay man) ability to duel at closer ranges, and take the punches too. 

 

There is nothing more sexy, than to see a Battleship player utilising her prowess in battle. No one likes to be reared (okay, surprised), but she can take it. :P

 

 

[BlailBlerg]

Play early game getting into med range, taking some potshots. You got the health to tank a bit. Move slowly into a rocky area where its hard to get torps on you, protect one side

and laugh as you blast everything. 

 

Not maneuverable.  two ways to play. Position like a fort and pump damage. Or ram her forward in mid-late game down a weak flank. 

doesn't turn. Doesn't... really need to.