I need some help with playing carriers.

[BigSeagullEnergy]

So I mostly struggle in the beginning of a match (i'm on the Bogue right now and i'm nearing the Independence) with the following issues: 

-When the game starts, is it ok to set a route for your ship with autopilot mode?

-When you launch your planes which ones do you send to scout (and where do you send them to scout), and what do I do with the rest of the planes?

-When an enemy fighter shows up somewhere is it ok to immediately react and put your fighters off course to intercept them?

-Is it ever ok to send your fighters to escort your torpedo/dive bombers?

-How do you prevent fighters from surprise-attacking your dive/torpedo bombers?

-What carrier captain skills are the most optimal and which ones are the most unnecessary? 

That's pretty much it. Any help would be appreciated 

[SgtSpud]

Try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U0StsRvLuE

[GrimmeReaper]

11 minutes ago, ThePhantomPig said:

So I mostly struggle in the beginning of a match (i'm on the Bogue right now and i'm nearing the Independence) with the following issues: 

-When the game starts, is it ok to set a route for your ship with autopilot mode?

-When you launch your planes which ones do you send to scout (and where do you send them to scout), and what do I do with the rest of the planes?

-When an enemy fighter shows up somewhere is it ok to immediately react and put your fighters off course to intercept them?

-Is it ever ok to send your fighters to escort your torpedo/dive bombers?

-How do you prevent fighters from surprise-attacking your dive/torpedo bombers?

-What carrier captain skills are the most optimal and which ones are the most unnecessary? 

That's pretty much it. Any help would be appreciated 

First Farazelleth has done a vid series on playing carrier and he updated it on Youtube,  So check that out.  Femmenly also has vids on Youtube and runs a stream on Twitch I highly recommend.  She is one of top CV players on the NA server, if not the top.

1.  Yes it is ok to set a course for your carrier, I like to setup so I am within easy reach of the capture points.

2.  I send my fighters to scout, and my bombers.  I tend to hold my Torpedo planes back a bit, till I hit something with the Dive Bombers.

3.  In engaging fighters.  I look to see if I can get them to chase planes towards my fleet, so AA can help with taking them out.

4.  Absolutely you can send your fighters as an escort, if you do not know where the enemy fighters are, you probably should.

5. Keep an eye on the map and sometimes you are going to get jumped.  A good player will have his planes pop out just about anywhere.

6. For the bogue or any USN CV, first 11 points go to Servicing Expert, Dog Fighting Expert, Torpedo Acceleration, Demolition Expert and Air Supremacy.

 

Hope this helps.

[warpath_33]

10 minutes ago, ThePhantomPig said:

So I mostly struggle in the beginning of a match (i'm on the Bogue right now and i'm nearing the Independence) with the following issues: 

-When the game starts, is it ok to set a route for your ship with autopilot mode?

-When you launch your planes which ones do you send to scout (and where do you send them to scout), and what do I do with the rest of the planes?

-When an enemy fighter shows up somewhere is it ok to immediately react and put your fighters off course to intercept them?

-Is it ever ok to send your fighters to escort your torpedo/dive bombers?

-How do you prevent fighters from surprise-attacking your dive/torpedo bombers?

-What carrier captain skills are the most optimal and which ones are the most unnecessary? 

That's pretty much it. Any help would be appreciated 

Yes, set autopilot after you figure out the direction your team is heading.

I sent my fighters to scout caps and I usually keep my torpedo bombers somewhat close and send my dive bombers slightly further forward.

Sometimes your fighters being nearby is enough to convince an enemy to stay away from your bombers.

Escorting your bombers are fine, but defending your allies takes priority in my opinion.

 

Of course, if you've seen my stats in carriers you wouldn't touch my advice with a 10 meter long pole, so...

[Wulfgarn]

https://m.youtube.com/user/farazelleth

 

One, if not the best CV Captains  in WOWS.

[Lord_Zath]

Feel free to send me some replays and I can comment on YOUR play directly!

[senseNOTmade]

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

So I mostly struggle in the beginning of a match (i'm on the Bogue right now and i'm nearing the Independence) with the following issues: 

Step 1: switch to the IJN line. They are worse at tiers 4 and 5, but far better at all other tiers (except maybe tier 10 these days?).

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

-When the game starts, is it ok to set a route for your ship with autopilot mode?

Yes, but you have time. I suggest first finding out where the enemy team is concentrating, then checking where your own team is going, to see which parts of the map are going to be generally safe. Be aware that being somewhere in the middle/fairly close to enemy ships does give the advantage of being able to reload squadrons faster, but you should NEVER be spotted/fired at by surface ships.

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

-When you launch your planes which ones do you send to scout (and where do you send them to scout), and what do I do with the rest of the planes?

Use dive bombers and fighters to scout. Only get inside AA bubbles with fighters if the enemy fighters have been defeated, or you are facing a Zuiho/Hosho (since you outnumber their fighters). I suggest scouting near the enemy spawn in the early game to see where the enemy team is heading. Knowing the enemy's overall strategy early is highly advantageous. Later in the game, the best thing to do is scout island camping CLs and DDs which your teammates can effectively shoot at. No point spotting a DD which is 20km away from the nearest enemy ship. Also, if you see a smoke screen it might be worthwhile spotting any torps which come out of it, if you think one of your teammates is in danger of being hit.

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

-When an enemy fighter shows up somewhere is it ok to immediately react and put your fighters off course to intercept them?

Yes. You have a fighter advantage over IJN CVs, and at low tiers it is very easy to completely wipe out the enemy's fighter reserves in the first 10 minutes if he plays aggressively, giving you complete air superiority.

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

-Is it ever ok to send your fighters to escort your torpedo/dive bombers?

Priorities for your fighter squadrons:

1. Protect your torpedo bombers.

2. Protect friendly ships.

3. Shoot down enemy aircraft.

4. Protect your dive bombers.

Do not move your fighters into the AA bubble of enemy ships except for very specific circumstances. If you have shot down all enemy fighters, send them in as a meatshield for your torpedo bombers. If there are enemy fighters protecting the ship AND you think getting the kill is worth losing your fighters, send them in to intercept the enemy squadron so your torp bombers can drop unmolested (note: will not work beyond tier 6).

If any other circumstances apply, keep your fighters out of enemy AA at all times.

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

-How do you prevent fighters from surprise-attacking your dive/torpedo bombers?

When in doubt, keep your fighter squadron in the center of the map, thereby spotting B while allowing you to quickly react to any incursions. Otherwise, it's just a matter of paying attention. When things get desperate, sacrifice your dive bombers to save the torpedo bombers.

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

-What carrier captain skills are the most optimal and which ones are the most unnecessary? 

Aircraft Service Expert, Torpedo Acceleration, Torpedo Armaments Expertise and Air Superiority are absolutely necessary. After you have those, get Expert Rear Gunner on the USN CV line and Dogfighting Expert. Other skills can be nice but are unnecessary.

2 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

That's pretty much it. Any help would be appreciated 

Learn strafing and manual drops at tier 6. It is the central mechanic of the class. How good you are at those will mostly determine how well you do from tier 6 all the way up to tier 10.

[psmobius1]

Definitely makes it easier to plot a course on the map with the autopilot so you can focus on managing your planes rather than maneuvering the ship around. Keep in mind that the auto pilot most often will steer around obstacles like islands and rocks and such so you don't need to micro-manage the ship movements.

As far as scouting, I'll often look at which way the team is moving and if this is any so called "plan" and if so then send my fighters and bombers out ahead of them so you can light up the enemy on the map the best you can and engage somebody with your bombers if the target looks good.

Engaging enemy fighters as well as their bombers and torpedo planes is the goal of your fighters but you have to also look at where they are at before you engage them or if it looks like they are drawing you back into their team where you'll have AA from 5 ships tearing up your fighters. Often once you lock in with a fighter you can't break off but from what I understand some higher tier CCV's allow you to break off but I am not there yet either so you have to try to engage somewhere relatively clear so you can hopefully win the dogfight.

Meanwhile I've moved my torp planes forward to set up one of the many targets which should now be lit up on the map.

If the enemy fighters surprise attacks your bombers or torp planes then first see if you are close enough to a target to do some damage or if you'll simply lose your planes before you can drop. If you can't drop effectively then look and see if there is a cruiser or battleship on your team close enough by that you can draw the enemy fighters to your teams AA guns and take them out for you. Keep in mind that your bombers have rear gunners as well and often get several plane kills just on their own but your torp planes are kind of helpless.

Now, in case you haven't figured it out by now but I am sure you have. Use the space bar often and constantly scan what your different squads are doing and seeing. Just because you had given them a destination or target, sometimes you fly right by an enemy and need to change plans and hopefully mess them up rather than flying by unaware. Another thing that can come in handy if you want to move multiple squads to one destination is that you can hold down the shift key and then select your squads (ie 3, 4, and 5) and you will notice they are all lit on your display at bottom and then give them a destination or target and they'll all move to that location. At these lower tiers it isn't really a big deal as we only have 3 groups of planes but in higher tiers you will have quite a few more plane groups to manage (even the Japanese tier V has one fighter, 2 torpedo, and 2 bomber groups to manage). This is also why I have been really taking my time at the lower tiers and staying in them far longer than simply unlocking the next CCV and jumping straight in. I have decided to keep the tier 4 & 5 CCV's and use them to train the captain up as best you can and then leapfrog promote your CCV captains to higher boats and keep promoting upward in that respect.

Last, don't beat yourself up too badly if you just get totally wrecked when going up against the same or similar CCV as folks love to goof off in the lower tiers with their fully trained 19 point captains that will just make your captain look like private noob.

[Grevester]

Options to play carriers better.

Option 1: Don't.

Option 2: Be a girl.

Option 3: Hate yourself.

[hangglide42]

3 hours ago, ThePhantomPig said:

So I mostly struggle in the beginning of a match (i'm on the Bogue right now and i'm nearing the Independence) with the following issues: 

-When the game starts, is it ok to set a route for your ship with autopilot mode?

-When you launch your planes which ones do you send to scout (and where do you send them to scout), and what do I do with the rest of the planes?

-When an enemy fighter shows up somewhere is it ok to immediately react and put your fighters off course to intercept them?

-Is it ever ok to send your fighters to escort your torpedo/dive bombers?

-How do you prevent fighters from surprise-attacking your dive/torpedo bombers?

-What carrier captain skills are the most optimal and which ones are the most unnecessary? 

That's pretty much it. Any help would be appreciated 

Hey PhantomPig - Here are a list of links which may help you - in general, the following YouTubers have instructional CV videos: Farazelleth, Femennenly, Aerroon

(The  Links are from WOWS Enjoyment - List of Game Improvement/Mechanics Articles & Guides which contains these CV links as well as other general game mechanics, rewards acceleration, tactics and strategy advice articles and links in the New Player Section of the Forum)

 

[ Links to Farazelleth YouTube Videos ] Fara's CV Guides - CV Configuration and Play

For those interested in CV Gameplay - this section contains links to  very detailed instructional and informational videos from the EU Unicum CV Player Farazelleth's YouTube Series Fara Carrier Guide.  This series explains tactics and strategies when playing CVs which will help you get the most out of your CV (including gameplay examples).   Farazelleth has also posted a Configure Your CV series  which covers each CV in the Tech Tree including:

• Ship Upgrade Recommended Progression
• Module Upgrades
• Captains Skills
• Overall ship playstyle and information
• Play examples in Random Battles

The links below represent a sampler of basic CV information contained on his channel - if you find the information useful, please consider subscribing to his channel.

Fara Carrier Guides Series

What Makes a Good CV?

Introduction

• Ep 1 - General CV Information
• Ep 2 - Commander Skills Overview
• Ep 3 pt1 - IJN Commander Setup
• Ep 3 pt2 - USN Commander Setup
• Ep 4 - Basic Tactics
• Ep 5 - Plane Control
• Ep 6 pt1 - Advanced Bombing
• Ep 6 pt2 - Neutralizing Enemy AA
• Ep 6 pt3 - Advanced Fighter Control
• Ep 6 pt4 - Advanced Scouting
• Ep 6 pt5 - Flight Deck Management
• Ep 6 pt6 - Carrier Sniping
• Ep 6 pt7 - Dealing w/ Air Superiority
• Ep 6 pt8 - Dealing w/ Being Bottom Tier
• Ep 6 pt9 - What to do when everything goes bad
• Ep 7 - Differences betwenn Random, Ranked & Competitive Gameplay

IJN CVs

• Hosho (T4) - Starter CV
• Zuiho (T5) - Limited to Auto-drops and Click Engagements - May encounter enemy T6 CVs that have access to Strafe and Manual Drop mechanics
• Ryujo (T6) - 1st CV that permits Manual Drops and Strafes
• Hiryu (T7)
• Shokaku (T8)
• Taiho (T9)
• Hakuryu (T10)

USN CVs

• Langley (T4) - Starter CV
• Bogue (T5) - Limited to Auto-drops and Click Engagements - May encouter enemy T6 CVs that have access to Strafe and Manual Drop mechanics
• Independence (T6) - 1st CV that permits Manual Drops and Strafes
• Ranger (7)
• Lexington (8)
• Essex (9)
• Midway (10)

Premiums

• Kaga (T7) - Features strong Strike Groups
• Saipan (T7) - Features T9 Aircraft
• Enterprise (T8) - Features strong (numerically) Fighter Presence

 

 

[StoneRhino]

Skills to learn in order.

1. Commuicate 

2. Scouting 

3. Communicate 

4. Effective scouting, perma spotting a DD is useless if they are already out of position with no one able to target them. Also empty bombers can still spot use them.

5. At tier 6 learn the manual attacks 

6. Keep practicing strafing. 

7. Buy a Saipan. 

 

[Wulfgarn]

49 minutes ago, Pulicat said:

Options to play carriers better.

Option 1: Don't.

Option 2: Be a girl.

Option 3: Hate yourself.

 

[Ducc_ducc]

Alright here goes: 

A: right now your in the CV kiddie pool, which means your unlikely to fail, but don't expect to pull more then 20k a game.

B: play IJN CVs first. IJN planes are gimped, so you are forced to learn mechanics faster. 

C: never, ever stay in the rear, try to be hidden behind islands, be closer to the fight then the sniping BBs. The limit to CV damage is strike turnaround, staying close drastically reduces that.

D: DoT, DoT and DoT do that, always. Your pathetic auto drop planes will do almost nothing unless you DoT stack.

E: learn strafe early and abuse the sh## out of it. When you get to ranger/lex the one thing you have going for you is that you can clear out an IJN fighter squad in one strafe, use the level 4 skill to increase your squad size for more strafe DPS.

F: NEVER give up on a game even if you should. Believe me, sometimes I've seriously considered suiciding my CV because of how rough it gets. Don't do that, these experiences teach you, if only just how to avoid a snipe in a surface ship.

G: Learn to kill DDs, CVs don't win games, DDs do, protect your DDs and wipe the enemies DDs.

And more.