Baltimore Incoming

[Shenennigans]

So I've farmed up the XP for my first T9 ship, the Baltimore. Just need to save up a few million credits to get it and upgrade. Now, I see a lot of complaints from people who have done this grind before me about how bad this ship is, but looking at the numbers, I just can't see why. Same guns as New Orleans, but with faster reload. Significantly better AA. It has a heal which is just a huge upgrade over the New Orleans. It has ever so slightly better dispersion. The slight drop in concealment will hurt my feelings a bit, but it doesn't seem insurmountable, and the same goes for the slightly slower rudder shift/turning circle. I see a lot of complaints focused on the floaty shells... but it has the exact same guns as the New Orleans, with the same initial velocity. Plus, if you love the Cleveland as much as I do, then you know floaty shells are a strict upgrade for most cruisers, as it's basically an upgrade to your concealment (making it so much easier to lob over islands). Now I realize that a lot of stats staying the same but moving up a tier is a bad thing, but honestly I was facing T10 matchmaking so much in the New Orleans, the upgrades the Baltimore offer should just feel better all around. Why the hatred for this ship? I loved the New Orleans. I would have loved the Pensa if it was even close to as durable as the New Orleans (that thing is a floating citadel though... still fun, but oh so punishing). That US Super Heavy AP is just absurd... it's an "I-win" button in basically any duel with another non-US cruiser.

 

US cruisers are worth the play just so you can know the feeling of charging down a RN cruiser 1-2 tiers higher than you and listening to the sweet music of dozens of shells bouncing while you pen them from the same angle. It makes me happy.

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

I like the Baltimore better than the DesMoines and that is saying something coming from someone who has played over a thousand battles in the DesMoines.

It is a good ship and you will enjoy it if you enjoy U.S Cruisers.

[Shenennigans]

Great! I was hoping it was just people who didn't know how to play US Cruisers complaining about getting deleted for playing them wrong, and the more I look into it, the more confident I feel that is the case lol. I'm really looking forward to this ship.

[Erebthoron]

The Baltimore got a few buffs. They turn her from a bad ship into a good one. 

[Brhinosaurus]

I really struggled in the Baltimore.  It's one of my worst ships among those that I've actually put much time into.  But then, I'm pretty bad with all the USN cruisers really.  They're tough to play.  No smoke or torpedos to get you out of binds, so you have to know how to play the positioning game well.  I think as you say the complaints mostly boil down to matchmaking.  Baltimore is definitely better than New Orleans, but If you've got Yamatos shooting at you instead of Fusos it's not going to feel better.  

[centarina]

it is good bote.  good rof, good nose armor. radar.   it isn't snipe bote, but very useful 

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

4 minutes ago, Shenennigans said:

Great! I was hoping it was just people who didn't know how to play US Cruisers complaining about getting deleted for playing them wrong, and the more I look into it, the more confident I feel that is the case lol. I'm really looking forward to this ship.

Not getting deleted in a U.S Cruiser while firing is a skill

Learning to rely on AP more than HE spamming is a skill. 

Being able to play at ranges just outside your detection range and not behind an island all the time is a skill.

If you are able to do these things you will be successful in the Baltimore and later on the DesMoines.

 

 

[grizzly95]

Baltimore was terrible before it got its rate of fire buffed to 6rpm.

 

Funny thing is, when it was terrible all it needed was 6rpm on its upgraded main guns. Haven't heard much bad about her since. 

[Abides]

The Baltimore is a very cool/odd ship, at least for me. Have like an 80% wr in 40 games and my highest damage total is only around 80k. To me its a fantastic team ship, great radar, great AA.....just have to protect yourself at all times using islands and I mean hugging them so close you can pick fruit off of them.

The other thing that I focus on is simply ignoring my back guns.... if you can get all your guns firing at a target you can get deleted. Protect your gut, nose around corners...

[Shenennigans]

5 minutes ago, GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND said:

Not getting deleted in a U.S Cruiser while firing is a skill

Learning to rely on AP more than HE spamming is a skill. 

Being able to play at ranges just outside your detection range and not behind an island all the time is a skill.

See, this is why I'm really happy I started this game by playing the US lines for BB and CA. The North Carolina is a fantastic ship, but is brutally punishing to misplays. The whole US cruiser line is basically the same. Having started with these ships, I had to learn all of this just to stop dying constantly lol. US lines should be considered the tutorial for playing this game, as it seems like it will make you better at playing all the others.

[Shenennigans]

6 minutes ago, Sweetsie said:

The Baltimore is a very cool/odd ship, at least for me. Have like an 80% wr in 40 games and my highest damage total is only around 80k. To me its a fantastic team ship, great radar, great AA.....just have to protect yourself at all times using islands and I mean hugging them so close you can pick fruit off of them.

The other thing that I focus on is simply ignoring my back guns.... if you can get all your guns firing at a target you can get deleted. Protect your gut, nose around corners...

My WR on the New Orleans is <50%, there were some *ahem* "growing pains" moving into T10 MM lol. Lessons were learned.

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

10 minutes ago, Shenennigans said:

See, this is why I'm really happy I started this game by playing the US lines for BB and CA. The North Carolina is a fantastic ship, but is brutally punishing to misplays. The whole US cruiser line is basically the same. Having started with these ships, I had to learn all of this just to stop dying constantly lol. US lines should be considered the tutorial for playing this game, as it seems like it will make you better at playing all the others.

Not only that but if you ever move on to U.S destroyers you will already know the best spots and ways to lay smoke so that the U.S cruiser that pushed up with you will be in the best possible spot to deal the most damage and best use their radar effectively without getting detected and taking needless damage.

[Shenennigans]

2 minutes ago, GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND said:

Not only that but if you ever move on to U.S destroyers you will already know the best spots and ways to lay smoke so that the U.S cruiser that pushed up with you will be in the best possible spot to deal the most damage and best use their radar effectively without getting detected and taking needless damage.

Hahaha when you find a cruiser that supports DDs, or a DD that supports his support, you let me know! I have the IJN DDs up to Akatsuki, as well as Sims, Anshan, Gaede, Fushun. I'm not a good DD player, and I don't play them very often, but it certainly seems like a rarity to find a cruiser who will line up behind me so I can smoke/spot, and if they do, they tend to coast right through the smokes oblivious to the danger. Likewise, whenever I follow a DD into the cap with my New Orleans, they keep their smoke until they are spotted and have already started maneuvering all crazy where a cruiser can't keep up. I know... not everyone is bad, I shouldn't be so negative. It just makes it really hard to commit to a push like that knowing that if they don't give you a smoke you are almost certainly dead lol.

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

1 minute ago, Shenennigans said:

Hahaha when you find a cruiser that supports DDs, or a DD that supports his support, you let me know! I have the IJN DDs up to Akatsuki, as well as Sims, Anshan, Gaede, Fushun. I'm not a good DD player, and I don't play them very often, but it certainly seems like a rarity to find a cruiser who will line up behind me so I can smoke/spot, and if they do, they tend to coast right through the smokes oblivious to the danger. Likewise, whenever I follow a DD into the cap with my New Orleans, they keep their smoke until they are spotted and have already started maneuvering all crazy where a cruiser can't keep up. I know... not everyone is bad, I shouldn't be so negative. It just makes it really hard to commit to a push like that knowing that if they don't give you a smoke you are almost certainly dead lol.

Detection range while firing in smoke on the Desmoines is 8.2km  so as long as I am in smoke and nothing can radar me.

I can effectively sit in smoke at 10km from anything and blast away with no fear and if it is U.S smoke that is a long time for me to make life miserable for the enemy.

[Shenennigans]

Oh, how does everyone feel about hydro over AA? It's devastating to run into a good carrier like that, but a good carrier also will avoid AA ships. Meanwhile, when you DO find that DD who will smoke you up so you can radar a cap, that hydro warning for torps let's you be a bit more aggressive with your angling. I've tried both... can't seem to decide which I like better.

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

3 minutes ago, Shenennigans said:

Oh, how does everyone feel about hydro over AA? It's devastating to run into a good carrier like that, but a good carrier also will avoid AA ships. Meanwhile, when you DO find that DD who will smoke you up so you can radar a cap, that hydro warning for torps let's you be a bit more aggressive with your angling. I've tried both... can't seem to decide which I like better.

You just have to go by the feel of matchmaking for the day.

Lots of CV in que run AA,  No CV to be seen run hydro.

Most the time they are to lazy to check you out in the load screen so they just assume you are running defensive fire all the time and avoid you anyway

[Shenennigans]

I know this thread is kinda all over the place already, but how are you guys getting your stats in your signature like that? Mine are probably a bit embarrassing, but still seems kinda cool lol.

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

Ill be sure to be on the look out for you in my matches.

Can not have a knowledgeable Cruiser captain making my teams life miserable lol

[Shenennigans]

4 minutes ago, GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND said:

Ill be sure to be on the look out for you in my matches.

Can not have a knowledgeable Cruiser captain making my teams life miserable lol

Haha, the only thing scarier than the guy learning a lot on the forums is the guy answering that guy's questions. Hope you're on my team sir lol.

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

6 minutes ago, Shenennigans said:

I know this thread is kinda all over the place already, but how are you guys getting your stats in your signature like that? Mine are probably a bit embarrassing, but still seems kinda cool lol.

Visit warships today and enter your name.  But I think it is not working properly today so what you see may not be the up to date Stats.

 

[Doomlock]

I enjoyed Baltimore when I ground through her. She is a solid ship, and if you want to have real fun, go for the RoF mod, and have 9 freedom shells firing every 8.8s. 

[Shenennigans]

16 minutes ago, GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND said:

Visit warships today and enter your name.  But I think it is not working properly today so what you see may not be the up to date Stats.

 

Thanks again! (I was right, not exactly impressive lol). To be fair, I've been playing all the new ships I got from the DoY and New Year's Raid missions...and have been suffering appropriately lol.

 

[GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND]

Just now, Shenennigans said:

Thanks again! (I was right, not exactly impressive lol)

 

You have a 130,000 damage game in the NO and a 6 kill game in that  Akatsuki so you have the potential to improve those WinRates.

Another site i like to use is  World of Warships stats and numbers https://na.wows-numbers.com/player/1025988183,Shenennigans/ 

There is yours go check it out.

[Shenennigans]

4 minutes ago, GUNSTAR_THE_LEGEND said:

You have a 130,000 damage game in the NO and a 6 kill game in that  Akatsuki so you have the potential to improve those WinRates.

Another site i like to use is  World of Warships stats and numbers https://na.wows-numbers.com/player/1025988183,Shenennigans/ 

There is yours go check it out.

Haha thanks! Bookmarked both sites. Oddly, I'm more proud of that kraken in the Emerald. That is just a horrible ship with no business ever getting 5 kills (over any number of games basically lol). You've been a lot of help though! Many thanks.

[Fletcher7_1944]

  When played right, Baltimore can be an absolute beast.   I rarely bother switching to HE, unless some stinker in a BB is angling against me.  The AP is just too good to waste, lol.  And with that rate of fire...

  Right now, it's in a good place.  The extra tier 9 upgrade slot, and the heal make a big difference.   I built mine for stealth, AA and guns.  Imo, if you're up against a good CV player and he ignores you in favor of easier prey, then it's mission accomplished, and worth the investment!  When they don't, I enjoy the extra infusion of credits and xp from the plane kills as well as the free fireworks show.   Otherwise, I just concentrate on shooting the crap out of things and not putting myself in a horrible spot.

 Balti is better armored than either Pepsi or NO, and the lessons learned grinding those ships will serve you well in this one.  Only now you have the rate of fire you WISH you'd had in them.  And really good AA.   Crush enemy cruisers with AP.  Gouge huge chunks of hp out of any BB that shows you side- just like you did in the prior two ships.  When they turn to protect themselves, burn them with HE.   And now you have the rof to better use that radar vs DD's- they really hate that!

  Enjoy it while it lasts.  When it gets downtiered, it'll be an improvement over New Orleans, but a shadow of itself as it is now...