Need some DD Captains advice

[LordCommanderMatthew]

I do well in cruisers and battleships. But have yet to get the hang of destroyers and want to know some tips  i got to the tier 3 watatake and have not been able to have a really good match in her yet. Just some tips and ideas on how to dominate like i see jingles and baron do

[_Sarcasticat_]

Know your spotting range and Torp range. If you're using IJN DD stay outta view range and fire Torps. 

[LordCommanderMatthew]

Know your spotting range and Torp range. If you're using IJN DD stay outta view range and fire Torps. 

 

see i try to do this and even if account for lead and turns they miss alot i normally end up being spotted by a enemy dd then killed

[biggiejordan]

You can play any ship just need to know how the ships works and practice practice practice so you can be great at it. I think cruiser and battleships and are good start but destroyers may be a little more into it and carriers I won't touch I hate the way to use them so much to do and so many ways you bean do strikes and such

 

[The_GoDDfather]

Try the guide.

[RoninMcGinnis]

Island hop and don't go straight in for a run.  Plan out an ambush point and route to escape if other ships are in the area.  

[Biloxxi]

 

see i try to do this and even if account for lead and turns they miss alot i normally end up being spotted by a enemy dd then killed

 

USing Torps as your main weapon is very tough, even when you are good. IJN can just launch their torps more safely then the US. I would suggest after hitting on ambushes to wait for ships to get preoccupied and shooting (aka tunnel vision) then launch torps. They will have even less time to react or not be able to turn and take more hits. It worked for me, but like you i struggled with getting torp hits, though i only played the US line since i like their guns and knew at higher tiers the torps get better making them a bit better then late game IJN dd's i think.

[Rotary_Rocket]

First I would start with IJN and just stay in torp mode.  Then get in a habit of studying the mini map.  Focus on targets that are unaware in the beginning.  So don't torp when there is air cover or your torp will pass another player first.  Once they spot them your chance for hits go way down.  At some point it just starts to click and you will do much better with them.  You will also gain more confidence along the way and learn what you can and can not get away with most of the time.

 

 

[LordCommanderMatthew]

SO Many good tips

[Mizzerys_Fate]

858 CBT matches.

355 OBT matches.

 

Just starting to get average at them.

 

Rule #1. Know your detection range.

Rule #2. Turn off AA fire.

Rule #3. Know your torps range.

Rule #4. Know your gun range.

Rule #5. Never fire AP, EVER.

Rule #6. If in US DD, only use torps as a last ditch defense.

Rule #7. If in an IJN DD, only use guns as a last ditch defense.

Rule #8. Never use smoke to screen friendlies. 

                (20 sec. Duration, lasts 1 min. If they bring back 

                  30 sec. Smoke for 90 seconds then ok.)

Rule #9. Save your Accelerate for escape, allways.

Rule #10. It's ok to run away if outnumbered. 

 

The destroyers primary role is to screen your capital ships from enemy destroyers. 

Your secondary role is to sink theirs.

 

Another role for destroyers is to scout for your team.

Often, a player will rush to a flank the team is not overloading.

Your role is to scout, cap if possible,  but stay alive.

 

The bitter enemy of destroyers is the evil cruiser. Remember, they can out gun you.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[Mizzerys_Fate]

 

USing Torps as your main weapon is very tough, even when you are good. IJN can just launch their torps more safely then the US. I would suggest after hitting on ambushes to wait for ships to get preoccupied and shooting (aka tunnel vision) then launch torps. They will have even less time to react or not be able to turn and take more hits. It worked for me, but like you i struggled with getting torp hits, though i only played the US line since i like their guns and knew at higher tiers the torps get better making them a bit better then late game IJN dd's i think.

 

Love your signature. 

[NeutralState]

AVOID CLOSE FIGHTING IN JAPANESE DDs. They have horrific turret turn rate, some even slower than BB's turret. If you get into a turning fight with another DD (USN for example) they will out turn you and out gun you.

 

Go into your ship's stats. Read all of them, especially your camo value. Know at what distance you can be spotted by the enemy and just skirt near that range, maximizing spotting while not getting detected yourself. I hate DDs that knows nothing about their camo value and therefore afraid to scout.

 

If you learn how to maximize your camo the next step is to get to know your torps. The white line's good and all but no where near adequate. Know your torp's movement speed, know your enemies's max speed and turn rate. If you know both, you can ignore the white suggested line and hit enemy ships even when they are maneuvering wildly trying to evade your soon to be released torps.

 

Know the maps, know where you have a chance to slide in between enemy picket lines to get to their rear (which also require you to understand your camo).

 

In short, gun turn rate NEED TO KNOW, camo rating MUST UNDERSTAND, and torp speed GOOD TO HAVE.

 

edit: have some metal preparation for once you hit mid tier japanese DDs, all of them have lesser stats than low tier IJN DDs. The Shimakaze at tier 10 is very good, but the road to Shimakaze is "want to smash my head on the wall" disappointing. 

[Srfnaked90]

Avoid using the speed boost when leaving after being spotted

[The_GoDDfather]

SO Many good tips

 

Did you read the guide that's in my sig like I told you? It's actually been very helpful to some of my clan mates.

[LordCommanderMatthew]

 

Did you read the guide that's in my sig like I told you? It's actually been very helpful to some of my clan mates.

 

yeah was able to have some great games and got the isokaze and had a great first game in it

[IJN_Kisaragi]

[Final_Spark]

The true IJN magician's trick is to place yourself into the mind of your target. Try to place yourself in a position to strike at enemies that don't have much of a reason to turn. You can also predict maneuvers and aim accordingly. You can also make judgments using the map (e.g. a BB heading directly parallel with you at full speed cannot go faster, so follow up torps can be aimed short to seal a last minute dodge).

 

A bigger focus for USN DDs is how to charge ships down. It mainly comes down to a sort of game of chicken for when you can turn to get an unavoidable shot. Try to bait some shots and hope your small profile can let you live. Also, if bow/stern on go in the direction the guns are not on.

 

Try to get aiming with your guns down pat as well. You'll be more confident when faced with an enemy DD.

[LordCommanderMatthew]

The true IJN magician's trick is to place yourself into the mind of your target. Try to place yourself in a position to strike at enemies that don't have much of a reason to turn. You can also predict maneuvers and aim accordingly. You can also make judgments using the map (e.g. a BB heading directly parallel with you at full speed cannot go faster, so follow up torps can be aimed short to seal a last minute dodge).

 

A bigger focus for USN DDs is how to charge ships down. It mainly comes down to a sort of game of chicken for when you can turn to get an unavoidable shot. Try to bait some shots and hope your small profile can let you live. Also, if bow/stern on go in the direction the guns are not on.

 

Try to get aiming with your guns down pat as well. You'll be more confident when faced with an enemy DD.

 

all the advice i have seen is use your torps since ijn dd guns are bad as bad can get. I think dds may become my second favorite class other than bbs with cruisers a close third

[IJN_Kisaragi]

DDs can never carry a game, so it's only a vessel for fun, not winning.

[Final_Spark]

 

all the advice i have seen is use your torps since ijn dd guns are bad as bad can get. I think dds may become my second favorite class other than bbs with cruisers a close third

 

They are certainly at a disadvantage, but knowing when you can get away with guns is also important, as it's hard to hit vigilant enemies with torps and the reload is long at the higher tiers.

 

You can use little tricks like sitting in your smoke and poking away at low hp opponents. I did just this to an Atlanta with 4k hp remaining. He took out one of the two turrets I had in my Fubuki, but I was able to finish him off with the working one. The smoke kept his accuracy low enough for me to survive.

 

Plus, hitting a DD with torps beyond point blank is pretty much all luck. Against another DD you're more effective with guns, which have lower trajectories and a little bit higher damage than your US counterparts. Try to focus on good salvos rather than dpm. Run if you have to.

[The_GoDDfather]

DDs can never carry a game, so it's only a vessel for fun, not winning.

 

Then I've had more fun than most people. (DDs can carry a game depending on how stupid the enemy is)

[supershutze]

DD's are the most underpowered class in the game, and it only gets worse at tier 5+

 

-They aren't a whole lot faster or more maneuverable than cruisers.

-They have really terrible guns. Even the USN DD's have terrible guns; they just aren't as terrible as the IJN DD's guns.

USN tier 5-9 DD guns are no better than the stock guns of a tier 1 cruiser.

-They have no armor whatsoever, and have very little health.

-They rely primarily on torpedoes to deal damage, but ship launched torpedoes are easily spotted and trivial to dodge if launched from long range.

-Most USN DD's are forced to launch torpedoes from close range thanks to their short range torpedoes, which would ideally mean ambush tactics, but nobody with half a brain goes near landmasses: The only feasible option left for USN DD's is to either pretend to be a **** cruiser and use their guns to plink away at whatever they are lucky enough to hit(super low muzzle velocity), or kamikaze charge the enemy and hope they survive long enough to get within effective torpedo range(USN DD's have visibility of around 6-8km, but only have torpedo ranges of ~5km until tier 7.

-The massive unwarranted smoke nerf means that smoke is now basically useless in an offensive or supporting capacity: The only feasible use for smoke is to cover a getaway.

 

There isn't really anything DD's can do that cruisers don't do way better.

[supershutze]

 

Then I've had more fun than most people. (DDs can carry a game depending on how stupid the enemy is)

 

Any tactic/strategy that relies on your opponent being stupid is a bad tactic/strategy.

[The_GoDDfather]

 

Any tactic/strategy that relies on your opponent being stupid is a bad tactic/strategy.

 

Take what you just said and think about it. ~65% of torp hits rely on your target being an idiot, the others are caused by you making it work. I make them work, maybe 30% of my torp spreads are launched based on the enemy's stupidity, then you look at the averages.

[dahdah325]

DDs can never carry a game, so it's only a vessel for fun, not winning.

 

lolwut? Myself and the Mut dragged this team, kicking and screaming, to a win. 

 

 

OP, the key to DD's (at least the IJN line) is learning to use/abuse the difference between your VR and your torps' range. A good IJN ninja DD never gets spotted. This means watching the closure rates and travel direction of enemy ships, and being aware of whether they are scout plane-capable. Don't be afraid to break contact and extend, if you are being charged. If you are 15% or more outside of your VR, pop the speedboost and get back out to max torp range. It may seem cowardly, but you are no use to your team once you are spotted. 

 

The real skill, tho, is learning how to read what the enemy is doing. If you miss (and you will, ALOT) pay attention to which way he turned. Often people favor a specific turn direction. If you can lay a trap, do it. With 3x ships (Mine, Fub, Shima) you can drop the first set, then hold for ~2-3 sec. Drop the next two sets with an offset to the direction you suspect he will turn. Nothing is more fun than seeing the target crash turn away from the initial set, only to be right in the path of two followups. Just be sure the practice the evil laughing before-hand. 

 

Lastly, Look for opportunities to drop torps on targets that are not thinking about a torp attack, either those too busy fighting, or too busy getting to a fight. In active scrums, captains are often just distracted enough to miss the first 1-2 seconds of alert to your torps, and by the time he starts to evade, its too late. On the other hand, the captain in a hurry to get to the fight is usually to hurried to worry about changing course/speed, and enemies driving in straight lines are the warm, succulent meat upon which DD's thrive. 

 

edit for spelling - I can't type tonite ffs