Dallas or Pensacola?

[UnknownStrategy]

I can get Pensacola right now or Dallas in like 1 game. I like HE spamming but the Pensacola's high damage per salvo is lucrative. I've been more pissed at Dallases/Hellenas that I've meet in game and have not gotten into a fight with a Pensacola (yet). Which one should I get?

[SuperComm4]

I went light cruiser first, which would be Dallas. Rate of fire and learning how to angle and not get deleted served me well, and allowed me to make the most of the slower firing but harder hitting heavy cruiser line later.

[Karstodes]

In my opinion, the light cruiser have the edge for the next 2 tier (Dallas, Helena) but starting with Baltimore the heavy cruiser get the best. At tier 10, Des Moines is better than Worcester in the current meta.

[UnknownStrategy]

Dallas for training purposes and heavies afterwards?

[Swervenkill]

Dallas first. You get to shoot more often. 

[Potohto928]

3 minutes ago, Karstodes said:

In my opinion, the light cruiser have the edge for the next 2 tier (Dallas, Helena) but starting with Baltimore the heavy cruiser get the best. At tier 10, Des Moines is better than Worcester in the current meta.

I was going to post the same thing.

Helena has 15 guns and an 8.5 sec reload. And the HE shells have a 13% chance of starting a fire. That can be a lot of fun.

[SkywhaleExpress]

That’s a subjective decision, one which is highly governed by a) your playstyle and b) your skill level.

If your playstyle geared more toward high alpha damage/slow reload ships, PepsiCRiTaDELaCola is your ship.

If your playstyle is geared toward faster reloads and mostly relying in fires and/or bullying DD’s, Dallas is your ship.

If you’re highly skilled with cruisers, the Dallas line might suit you, so long as you can aim the floatier shells.

 

Eventually, I would suggest both. I really like DM line. I was BAD at the game in early years, so my stats might not show it, but the DM is a phenomenal cruiser at t10.

[Telastyn]

Did you really like getting deleted from the game in your Phoenix and Omaha? Then the Pensacola is for you.

[rallybackmonkey]

Dallas is flat out better, imo, and easier to play to boot.  Pensacola is a literal cit magnet and everyone knows it, so you will be the first ship targeted by any BB.  Also terrible turret traverse means unless you have yourself positioned carefully you can miss windows of opportunity to do damage.  Des Moines is a very good ship, but these days plays more similar to a light cruiser anyway.  Personally I got both, hated Pensacola, did well in Dallas, even as a new player, and went up the LC tree first.

[wyoedbrown]

I use Pensacola extensively in operations,  where Dallas tends to do poorly. Also, last summer,  in the T6 clan battles, Pensacola was favored over Dallas. Finally,  I echo the others who point out the culminating ship in the Pensacola line is Des Moines, which is hands down the better ship over Wooster.

[Versili]

Dallas / IFHE. Good light CA without any gimmicks straight forward.

Pensacola / HAP. Great guns.standard light CA hull. It's an oddball but that's the beauty of it. Rewards playes with great games when you make it work and ruins it for you if you push bad positions. 

Dealers choice, I have both and play them consecutivly. 

 

 

[HazeGrayUnderway]

1 hour ago, Karstodes said:

In my opinion, the light cruiser have the edge for the next 2 tier (Dallas, Helena) but starting with Baltimore the heavy cruiser get the best. At tier 10, Des Moines is better than Worcester in the current meta.

Very much this.  USN CLs start off hot while their CA cousins are terrible to mehtastic at first.  Later on though, the USN CAs get better and better to the point of being quite superior to their CL cousins.

 

Up until Helena in Tier VII, the USN CL Line has the advantage of being handy gun cruisers.  Dallas gets the job done without throwing a bunch of uncomfortable characteristics at you like Pensacola does.  When you use Pensacola, you're fighting your own ship just as much as the enemy ships.  New Orleans isn't that good, especially compared to the awesomeness of FIFTEEN GUNS on Helena.

 

High Tier the ballgame changes and the USN CAs leap ahead.

VIII Cleveland is a good Cruiser, IMO the last good Radar Cruiser in the USN CL Tech Tree Botes.  She's competent at her job but Baltimore is handier with the better armor to foil even 15" armed Battleships (and there are many), the guns get better compared to NOLA, and she's still a very competent Radar Cruiser.  All while having good sailing characteristics.

 

IX - IMO both Seattle and Buffalo suck.  But if I was forced to sail one or the other, I'd do Buffalo.  Buffalo has issues but her firepower is impressive.  Seattle is very easy to delete and her gun angles invite said DELETION.  But Buffalo sails like a pig.  Baltimore in VIII and Des Moines in X sail pretty nicely, but Buffalo sucks *** in ship handling characteristics due to way worse rudder shift time.

 

X When the USN Cruiser Split happened long ago, Worcester used to have the same Radar Range as Des Moines.  She used to Stealth Radar very well and was IMO, the best Radar Cruiser in the game.  Then WG nerfed her Radar Range down to Tier VIII Cleveland levels on the grounds of "Stealth Radar should not be possible" but forgot that Chapayev has had Stealth Radar since RU Cruisers launched, and later implement ships in the RU Cruiser Split that could in fact, Stealth Radar.  Even back in those early USN Cruiser Split days, I was never impressed with Worcester's firepower when I had Des Moines.  DM packs bigger guns with better HE Penetration while having CL reload capability.  DM also has killer AP if given the chance to punish someone.  DM is still a greatest, all around Radar Cruisers.

[darqsyde242]

Helena theme song:
 

 

[MidnightPhoenix07]

1 hour ago, Karstodes said:

In my opinion, the light cruiser have the edge for the next 2 tier (Dallas, Helena) but starting with Baltimore the heavy cruiser get the best. At tier 10, Des Moines is better than Worcester in the current meta.

I'd agree as well. Dallas and Helena are definitely better tier for tier IMO, but I'd say Cleveland and Baltimore are a bit closer than you have them. I'd probably give Baltimore a teeny bit of an edge for a an experienced player, but Cleveland is still one of the best in tier.

And then I wholeheartedly agree that DM is * chef's kiss* 

[iDuckman]

2 hours ago, UnknownStrategy said:

I can get Pensacola right now or Dallas in like 1 game. I like HE spamming but the Pensacola's high damage per salvo is lucrative. I've been more pissed at Dallases/Hellenas that I've meet in game and have not gotten into a fight with a Pensacola (yet). Which one should I get?

You can go either way.  I love Pensacola; I've been playing her forever and know how to use her.  She has hard-hitting guns, slow turrets, and precious little armor.  Ultimately, I find the USN heavy cruiser line more satisfying that the CL line.

However!  Dallas especially Helena are a blast, properly played.  They're a good place to start with USN cruisers above Omaha.  I'd go Dallas.

---

You're still below 200 games.  Be sure to take advantage of protected matchmaking by exploring other lines below Tier V.  You lose it at 200 games and that unprotected MM wall is real.

1 hour ago, Telastyn said:

Did you really like getting deleted from the game in your Phoenix and Omaha? Then the Pensacola is for you.

That's because Pensie armor isn't much better.  She was originally designated CL-24 for her lack of armor, changed to CA-24 for her 8" rifles. 

Dallas is also lightly armored so there's not much to choose there.  IIRC, Dallas is more nimble.

---

Btw, don't fixate on the CLs as fire machines.  That USNasty AP can tear things up at close range.

 

[HamptonRoads]

The other option would be to wait about a week when the Public Test Server opens up again; play both and see which you prefer.  You can also try out ships further down the tech tree line and see which line is better for you.

[BoghieWanKanobie]

Camp the Omaha for another 30 games and get both...  It won't take you much time...

This is where you start to decide what you like best, what your playstyle will be, and where you want to spend your time.  You can get advice here, but in the end it is your call.  You will want to spend time in both.

Also, you are tier running.  Tier VI will be a nasty wakeup call.  Actually, Tier V probably was - it was for me.  But, at Tier VI you will run into Tier VI CVs and subs.  You will also run head first into exceptional players - it is not seal clubbing to decimate new players at Tier VI even if you are a starter on a KOTS team.  Slow down, get 50 games each in those USN ships you have at Tier V, figure out what you like, and you will have the knowledge needed to make the Pensacola and Dallas work.  Then, you can make the call.  Looking at your stats, I think you will make both work but I would hazard a guess that the Dallas might be a better fit.

GLHF

[Telastyn]

30 minutes ago, iDuckman said:

Dallas is also lightly armored so there's not much to choose there.  IIRC, Dallas is more nimble.

Also a smaller profile above the waterline. You’re right though that it’ll still take a few beatings.

[HamAndCheez]

Get both. Dallas will teach you how to spam HE over islands/from friendly smoke and Pensacola will teach you how and where to aim and collect black ribbons. Both are essential to have. 

[Crokodone]

3 hours ago, Telastyn said:

Did you really like getting deleted from the game in your Phoenix and Omaha? Then the Pensacola is for you.

That kinda changed when WG buffed her plating to 25mm vs the usual 16. That means Pensacola can bow/stern tank most t5-6 BBs and any large cruiser she meets.

Her downside is her turret traverse. Even with John Doe, she out turns her guns with the slightest maneuver.

[DrHolmes52]

2 hours ago, HamAndCheez said:

Get both. Dallas will teach you how to spam HE over islands/from friendly smoke and Pensacola will teach you how and where to aim and collect black ribbons. Both are essential to have. 

 

1 hour ago, Crokodone said:

That kinda changed when WG buffed her plating to 25mm vs the usual 16. That means Pensacola can bow/stern tank most t5-6 BBs and any large cruiser she meets.

Her downside is her turret traverse. Even with John Doe, she out turns her guns with the slightest maneuver.

These.  Pensacola's guns are terrifying at tier 6.  The only problem is keeping them on target and resisting the urge to turn the ship to aim.

Dallas is death by a thousand cuts and is soft.

I found Dallas more fun.  I didn't keep the Pepsi after I got the New Orleans (and Baltimore).

[iDuckman]

2 hours ago, HamAndCheez said:

Get both. Dallas will teach you how to spam HE over islands/from friendly smoke and Pensacola will teach you how and where to aim and collect black ribbons. Both are essential to have. 

I like to take Dallas into Operation Aegis to tear up the convoy escorts.  Her AP is lethal at those ranges.

1 hour ago, Crokodone said:

[Pensie's] downside is her turret traverse. Even with John Doe, she out turns her guns with the slightest maneuver.

Or, if you have your rudder on a swivel, turns into her guns.  That type of fast maneuvering is one of the secrets to playing her in Operations.  (It can have it's downside in Randoms.)

 

[UnknownStrategy]

2 hours ago, HamptonRoads said:

The other option would be to wait about a week when the Public Test Server opens up again; play both and see which you prefer.  You can also try out ships further down the tech tree line and see which line is better for you.

How do I get onto it? 

2 hours ago, BoghieWanKanobie said:

Camp the Omaha for another 30 games and get both...  It won't take you much time...

This is where you start to decide what you like best, what your playstyle will be, and where you want to spend your time.  You can get advice here, but in the end it is your call.  You will want to spend time in both.

Also, you are tier running.  Tier VI will be a nasty wakeup call.  Actually, Tier V probably was - it was for me.  But, at Tier VI you will run into Tier VI CVs and subs.  You will also run head first into exceptional players - it is not seal clubbing to decimate new players at Tier VI even if you are a starter on a KOTS team.  Slow down, get 50 games each in those USN ships you have at Tier V, figure out what you like, and you will have the knowledge needed to make the Pensacola and Dallas work.  Then, you can make the call.  Looking at your stats, I think you will make both work but I would hazard a guess that the Dallas might be a better fit.

GLHF

I have a Farragut and yes, it was ... interesting.

 

[UnknownStrategy]

Ill just get Dallas.

[HamptonRoads]

2 minutes ago, UnknownStrategy said:

How do I get onto it? 

Keep an eye out for Public Test notices (probably next Tuesday-ish.)  You need to download the Public Test Server.  When the bulletin comes out, it will explain how to do this.