Scout Plane instead of Surveillance Radar

[MaxVladimus]

I want to know who use scout planes on Tier VIII-X American cruisers instead of Surveillance Radar ? I use it on my NO because, for me, isn't worth it. It has short duration and range and it can't detect torpedos. While using scout plane, I can spot ships and torpedos for a long period of time and outside my detction radius, also I avoid getting close to a smoke screen and finding undesirable surprises, like a cruiser or plenty DDs.

Last week a teammate saw me using scout plane, he called me dumb and brainless for not having radar to spot through the smoke screens.

Also, I don`t run Defensive AA Fire because CVs are very rare sometimes.

[AJTP89]

Definitely worth it. The NO's detection radius is about the same as the radar range (which is the same for all USN CAs and BB). That means if you get spotted, you can instantly radar and spot back. It's way better than the spotter or fighter for surprising people in smoke. The duration is long enough to wreck a DD or force him off, citadel a broadside cruiser to death, and it gets better if you have support. Torpedoes, well you can spot the DDs with radar to anticipate them, and then you have hydro. Finding surprises in smoke...radar helps there too. In short, radar is much better at spotting things than the plane.

On the Baltimore and the DM it's even more obvious. Radar all the way. The longer duration and higher ROF only make it better. In addition, you can mount the special upgrade which extends the radar duration. On the Baltimore, when the radar runs out what I'm shooting at is either dead, out of range, or spotted by something else. The USN radar is most useful for area denial, because of the long duration.

 

DF, you can go both ways. On the NO, I ran hydro because the AA is garbage anyway, and the concealment and radar make it an ideal DD hunter, so hydro was a good choice. I run DF on the Balty because the AA is awesome. CVs are becoming more common, and even if they aren't, the ability to shoot down that pesky spotter plane can be life-saving. You aren't going to be in many situation with the Balty and DM where hydro is necessary, but DF can be really useful, especially with 7.2km range for fleet escorting. Remember, midway through the game a lot of your AA is gone, and the ability to boost it might save the game.

[pikohan]

I use the scout plane in PvE.

 

 

I use DFAA always.

[pyantoryng]

On 1/31/2018 at 5:16 AM, AJTP89 said:

Definitely worth it. The NO's detection radius is about the same as the radar range (which is the same for all USN CAs and BB). That means if you get spotted, you can instantly radar and spot back. It's way better than the spotter or fighter for surprising people in smoke. The duration is long enough to wreck a DD or force him off, citadel a broadside cruiser to death, and it gets better if you have support. Torpedoes, well you can spot the DDs with radar to anticipate them, and then you have hydro. Finding surprises in smoke...radar helps there too. In short, radar is much better at spotting things than the plane.

On the Baltimore and the DM it's even more obvious. Radar all the way. The longer duration and higher ROF only make it better. In addition, you can mount the special upgrade which extends the radar duration. On the Baltimore, when the radar runs out what I'm shooting at is either dead, out of range, or spotted by something else. The USN radar is most useful for area denial, because of the long duration.

 

DF, you can go both ways. On the NO, I ran hydro because the AA is garbage anyway, and the concealment and radar make it an ideal DD hunter, so hydro was a good choice. I run DF on the Balty because the AA is awesome. CVs are becoming more common, and even if they aren't, the ability to shoot down that pesky spotter plane can be life-saving. You aren't going to be in many situation with the Balty and DM where hydro is necessary, but DF can be really useful, especially with 7.2km range for fleet escorting. Remember, midway through the game a lot of your AA is gone, and the ability to boost it might save the game.

That's assuming you spec the NOLA for full camo and wearing paint. That's 9.1km detection, and NOLA's radar has 9km radius. Anything less than that means you are getting spotted way before radar range.

I keep DFAA rather than using sonar (as much as I wanted to) just in case when I sneak around and run into planes or need to put some extra fire for the fleet when I'm with them.

[wstugamd]

I run radar/hydro on NO, great dd support ship and cap assist. Pop radar and hydro on a cap when spotted with a dd or two and the dd in smoke is toast. 

Balti I run same. CV seee and run away. When I added atf enemy planes won’t get 7 km of me. I ground the balti to dm and I got dropped out on once and I had shredded two waves before I got dropped on and finished off the 3rd wave before a torp hit me. I use the balti to screen fir bbs. No need for fighter or dfaa. Cvs run from me and unlike the NO I can’t push caps cause I get destroyed but screening for bbs I keep the cvs at bay just being there and when a dd decides to sneak around and I get detected radar and hydro go on and I finish off the dd or case him off and the bbs get warning of incoming torps

 

same set up for the dm. I can escort bbs or in the right circumstances push caps with dds. Plus in clan battle radar and hydro is what you need

[HMCS_Devilfish]

On 1/30/2018 at 1:53 PM, MaxVladimus said:

I want to know who use scout planes on Tier VIII-X American cruisers instead of Surveillance Radar ? I use it on my NO because, for me, isn't worth it. It has short duration and range and it can't detect torpedos. While using scout plane, I can spot ships and torpedos for a long period of time and outside my detction radius, also I avoid getting close to a smoke screen and finding undesirable surprises, like a cruiser or plenty DDs.

Last week a teammate saw me using scout plane, he called me dumb and brainless for not having radar to spot through the smoke screens.

Also, I don`t run Defensive AA Fire because CVs are very rare sometimes.

I use the spotter plane on my Zao as it boosts the main gun range by 20% I call it the anticamper as any B.B. camping will soon move

[seaherder]

I think it really depends on the captain points and best build you can run at the time.  I ran the spotter until I got my captain enough points to fully spec into concealment as well as having the other skills I felt were necessary to run as a low concealment radar hunter.  I waited until a free respec period (like last week) and changed my setup towards concealment then.  

 

It's anecdotal, but I'm a markedly mediocre NOLA player, being best in BBs, but when I switched to concealment based close in play using a lot of radar I did much better after that, and also felt like I contributed to my team better.  I was *bad* before I switched and still haven't caught up fully. However despite what many say I do feel you can play the NOLA as a longer range boat, I've seen many hanging out a few KM in front of my NC doing yeoman's work.  In the end I was just more successful playing her as something that waits until just after someone shoots, pops out of concealment at close'ish range (e.g. 10-12KM) inflicts a bunch of damage in 1-3 salvoes (preferably using AP on another cruiser or broadside BB) and depending on the response fades away either using concealment or an island or pops a radar and helps kill the hiding DD.

 

FWIW, I switch between DFAA and Hydro depending on the # of CVs and DDs I am seeing on any given day.