Reversing - how not to do it.

[Nukelavee45]

I've been playing since CBT, and I play a range of nations, classes, and tiers on a regular basis, and I play about 8-10 games a day.  Over time, that has given me a lot of opportunity to observe other players, either as I target them, or after I'm sunk and just watching the match play out.

Having said that, one thing that makes me shake my head a bit is the ways people screw up WASD hacks.  Specifically,  reversing, moving forward a bit, and reversing again, over and over.  Yes, it can be a good move, and varying your speed and course is the best way to avoid torps and to throw off the ships firing at you.  But!  That only works for a short period against most players.  Observant players (who are likely at least green, stats-wise), aren't fooled for long.  When my salvos that have been a bit ahead of your ship, or hitting the bow, are now landing on the stern or behind you... I know what you've done, and I'm going to adjust pretty quickly.  If you reverse for very long, you make an easier target, and I will swap to HE to burn bow-tankers.  If you prefer to back up a bit, then move forward, over and over... still an easy target. Worse, you have no speed, you are nearly a sitting duck for torps and BB shells, much less anything else.  Hitting you is like shooting pigs in a blanket.

The same can be said for people that camp behind land masses, and edge out to snipe every so often.  God help you if a DD manages to sneak up and drop torps - you have no speed to dodge, and you likely have no room to dodge along an entire side.

Yes - backing up can be an option, sometimes the only option, but it's effectiveness drops every second you do it.  Use it sparingly, as a trick, and it will work, generally.  If you are going to be reversing while under fire... use your rudder as you do it, to add a little zig-zagging to your course, it doesn't take much, and it's hard to notice much of the time.  Doing so prevents the reds from getting a super easy 0 deflection type shot on you.

[SluggerJackson]

WoT players.

[enderland07]

It's even more fun if you have torps because you can immediately see where they are going and how fast.

Makes long range HE spamming really easy if you are in a CA with torps.

[Kevik70]

While true, in most cases people do this to avoid massive AP pen hits, HE can't really be stopped but it can be healed.

[Ghostdog1355]

43 minutes ago, Nukelavee45 said:

I've been playing since CBT, and I play a range of nations, classes, and tiers on a regular basis, and I play about 8-10 games a day.  Over time, that has given me a lot of opportunity to observe other players, either as I target them, or after I'm sunk and just watching the match play out.

Having said that, one thing that makes me shake my head a bit is the ways people screw up WASD hacks.  Specifically,  reversing, moving forward a bit, and reversing again, over and over.  Yes, it can be a good move, and varying your speed and course is the best way to avoid torps and to throw off the ships firing at you.  But!  That only works for a short period against most players.  Observant players (who are likely at least green, stats-wise), aren't fooled for long.  When my salvos that have been a bit ahead of your ship, or hitting the bow, are now landing on the stern or behind you... I know what you've done, and I'm going to adjust pretty quickly.  If you reverse for very long, you make an easier target, and I will swap to HE to burn bow-tankers.  If you prefer to back up a bit, then move forward, over and over... still an easy target. Worse, you have no speed, you are nearly a sitting duck for torps and BB shells, much less anything else.  Hitting you is like shooting pigs in a blanket.

The same can be said for people that camp behind land masses, and edge out to snipe every so often.  God help you if a DD manages to sneak up and drop torps - you have no speed to dodge, and you likely have no room to dodge along an entire side.

Yes - backing up can be an option, sometimes the only option, but it's effectiveness drops every second you do it.  Use it sparingly, as a trick, and it will work, generally.  If you are going to be reversing while under fire... use your rudder as you do it, to add a little zig-zagging to your course, it doesn't take much, and it's hard to notice much of the time.  Doing so prevents the reds from getting a super easy 0 deflection type shot on you.

Dude, you just the cat out of the bag!!. I love seeing guys sailing BBs backwards, Easy to spot. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

[AnimaL21]

21 minutes ago, Ghostdog1355 said:

Dude, you just the cat out of the bag!!. I love seeing guys sailing BBs backwards, Easy to spot. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

I love seeing guys sailing BBs.  Makes my mouth water... 

 

 

[pewpewpew42]

It works well enough in French cruisers, but almost nothing else. Being able to wiggle easily, pop engine boost, and have an inherently faster reverse speed is quite nice. Not to mention you can get very nice concealment for when you want to get going again.

[Ghostdog1355]

8 minutes ago, AnimaL21 said:

I love seeing guys sailing BBs.  Makes my mouth water... 

I smell a DD captain!!

[SomeRandomDonkey]

1 hour ago, Nukelavee45 said:

Having said that, one thing that makes me shake my head a bit is the ways people screw up WASD hacks.

Especially the ones who sail broadside, in the open,  and start sailing backward.

 

Still, haven't figured that one out.

[AnimaL21]

30 minutes ago, Ghostdog1355 said:

I smell a DD captain!!

Sorry, i thought that febreeze would take care of it. 

[Ghostdog1355]

7 minutes ago, AnimaL21 said:

Sorry, i thought that febreeze would take care of it. 

I've been on the receiving end of one of your torp volleys. I always give a karma point to the red guy who sends me back to port early. Recognized your name.

[TheDreadnought]

Please don't stop people from sitting still or bow camping while slowly sailing forwards or backwards.

I farm a lot of kills off of those idiots.

If they were smart they would sail forwards at varying speeds and altering course from time to time.  But that might help them survive.  Don't clue them in.  Idiot bow campers are fun to harvest.

[AnimaL21]

1 hour ago, Ghostdog1355 said:

I've been on the receiving end of one of your torp volleys. I always give a karma point to the red guy who sends me back to port early. Recognized your name.

Wow i couldn't even tell you what I was in, nor how long ago.  I torp many many BBs... all before i am able to get to know them better..   lol. 

That karma point is probably long gone now.  I get negative results pretty often it seems, so i am usually at zero. 

 

[Ghostdog1355]

5 minutes ago, AnimaL21 said:

Wow i couldn't even tell you what I was in, nor how long ago.  I torp many many BBs... all before i am able to get to know them better..   lol. 

That karma point is probably long gone now.  I get negative results pretty often it seems, so i am usually at zero. 

 

Know the feeling on Karma. During the last ranked my Karma was way up and I didn't really do that great (made it to 12). Afterwards I started doing better (I thought) and it went to Zero! Never TKd anyone, cuss or had words with anyone in chat either. Nobody called me out. It's gone back up now.

[AnimaL21]

2 minutes ago, Ghostdog1355 said:

Know the feeling on Karma. 

Friend me in game if you wanna div sometime.   :) 

[Ghostdog1355]

2 minutes ago, AnimaL21 said:

Friend me in game if you wanna div sometime.   :) 

Will do. Would rather have you shooting at somebody besides me!

[Nukelavee45]

4 hours ago, Kevik70 said:

While true, in most cases people do this to avoid massive AP pen hits, HE can't really be stopped but it can be healed.

While true...(lol), some people over use it, or use it when there is no need.  Retrograde is a viable tactic, if the enemy is only facing your bow, when people are on your flanks, too, it just makes for an easier kill.  

 

3 hours ago, Ghostdog1355 said:

Dude, you just the cat out of the bag!!. I love seeing guys sailing BBs backwards, Easy to spot. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

I know, but sometimes, they are on my team, and you are not....

 

1 hour ago, _RC1138 said:

It really isn't. Always turn. Eating a citadel is much more preferable to being a sitting target. And if your health is so low that you would die to one cit, then charge in and try to take someone with you. But the reverse camp doesn't work and always backfires and if you want proof, think about what happens when you are in the other position, and you see an Iowa stopped short at 16 km backing up. What do you do? Light him up. How long does he last? Not long. It might be my position as a CA player, but I home in on reversing BB's as they are basically free damage pinatas.

Naw, it doesn't always fail, but, yes, done poorly, or at teh wrong time (which I see way too often) it's a fail.

We're in agreement, except on the" absolutely not" aspect of your post.

[aether_tech]

How to reverse:

Step 1: Aqquire Dunk-King.

 

Step 2: Move forward.

 

Step 3: Spot Enemy.

 

Step 4: Move backwards.

 

Step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 until enemy is dead, dismembered, dissected, and disseminated across the sea floor.

[Nukelavee45]

2 hours ago, _RC1138 said:

Stop ship = dead ship. At higher tiers it's even worse given the propensity and commonality of torps.

Dude - no where did I advocate stopping and sitting.