I Think I Get It Now with US DDs

[Treetop64]

Shamed US DDs in the forums earlier, but in hindsight it is now realized that I really didn't know what the hell I was talking about.  My apologies.  These things certainly require a resourceful playstyle to see success, and when something fat and juicy does stumble across your torpedo arc, oh boy...

 

Last game I managed to work my way into a good ambush position and put 5 torpedoes into the port side of a Wyoming.  When the time came to make my move I fired all twelve tubes.  Loosed six from one side, then turned and loosed all six from the other.  To his credit, the moment I was spotted he immediately turned away, but it was already too late.  I made sure that all torpedoes fired from each side were on a narrow spread but fanned out (I didn't bore in on the white bar, but straddled it).  His quick turn saved him from most of the torpedoes but five still thunked into him.  He had gone from full-health to marginal-health and flooding in just a couple seconds.  A nearby Phoenix soon finished him off with HE fire.  Unfortunately I was also dusted off by one of the Wyoming's teammates not long after my second salvo was in the water.

 

Had another match that played out similarly.  This time the victim was a Langley, and while working through a series of islands, no one saw me until I rounded the corner of the island that he was hiding behind (where he thought he was safe...).  It was still early in the match and he was one of the first ships sunk on the opposing team.  I quickly got alongside and fired six narrow.  All six hit.  Heard that satisfying BWOOOOONNGG! for sinking a carrier.  Survived the match.

 

These were just my first two games in the Wickes.  Took a peek at the Clemson's stats, and thought, "yeah, this might be good".

 

[Vaultin]

 

These were just my first two games in the Wickes.  Took a peek at the Clemson's stats, and thought, "yeah, this might be good".

 

 

Now take a peek at the Nickolas. Glad you got the idea of US DDs though, they can be a pain but they're livin' in the danger zone all the time..

[Legendary_Typo]

 

Now take a peek at the Nickolas. Glad you got the idea of US DDs though, they can be a pain but they're livin' in the danger zone all the time..

 

This is why I love USN DD's, the moments when you rush to a BB so you can put some fish into their side, it's an amazing feeling.

[Xenomancers]

Bro I want to help you out here. This ambush strategy can work - but I'm tellin yah - everything has to go right for it to work and there are so many things that can go wrong. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled the perfect flank moves and surprize attacks in USN DD only to end up being exploded and not even getting a kill. About the only thing your torps are good for is firing behind an island hoping some noob runs into them. They are also good for killing dd's too. USN DD are far better than the way you are playing them though - suicide runs have a low chance of success. 

 

You are about to get a great DD in the clemson - learn to use it like a gunboat - pick 1v1 fights with BB and DD and pepper them with HE shells and slip away if things get too dicey. Harrass the enemy - dance at long range and laugh as all their shots miss.

[Pudelhund]

How would an IJN DD not be better suited to the tactics you're describing?  The better torpedo range, lower detection range, and speed are huge advantages.

[Capt_Barkhorn]

They have a more risky play style but that's why I like them. They excel in the chaos of battle rather than the more gentlemanly recieve salvo, return salvo etc. Scanning for more targets to pound with volleys of fire, looking for the lone battleship to rush in on while they helplessly fling shells around you. It's an awesome feeling when it works.

[Capt_Barkhorn]

How would an IJN DD not be better suited to the tactics you're describing?  The better torpedo range, lower detection range, and speed are huge advantages.

 

The guns on US DDs allow you to pepper enemies with gunfire as well as steam toward them with torps ready to blow them out of the water. IJN DDs are better suited to firing torps outside of their detectablity range and running away during reload.

[DemonsofRazgriz]

 

This is why I love USN DD's, the moments when you rush to a BB so you can put some fish into their side, it's an amazing feeling.

 

This and when you hunt down enemy DDs and screen for torpedoes by staying ahead of fleet by a good 3-4km. Thats how I use em. Oh and cap related nonsense like capping and resetting cap.

[Vaultin]

How would an IJN DD not be better suited to the tactics you're describing?  The better torpedo range, lower detection range, and speed are huge advantages.

 

Because the guns on an IJN DD turn about as fast as a BBs turret. On the IJN ships you have greater torp range then you do detection, so you can stay in your max/little closer torp range and still not be seen the whole time. No one says an IJN DD can't do it, it's just this is the only real way to play the US DD's.

[kmanweiss]

I feel IJN DDs are better early game destroyers while the USNs are better mid-late game.

IJN DDs have the stealth and long range aspect that lets them pick away at stuff from long range, and there is enough targets that even if your target dodges, you might get a lucky hit on some other unfortunate player.

For a USN DD, trying to get into the action early is dangerous.  Too many guns from too many directions, and you're likely to get smoked before you can do much.  But in the mid-late game part of battle when the guns have spread out and thinned out, you can make some crazy aggressive moves, get in close, ensure better accuracy and even throw some shells into help finish off wounded targets.

[BrokenDoll]

Bro I want to help you out here. This ambush strategy can work - but I'm tellin yah - everything has to go right for it to work and there are so many things that can go wrong. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled the perfect flank moves and surprize attacks in USN DD only to end up being exploded and not even getting a kill. About the only thing your torps are good for is firing behind an island hoping some noob runs into them. They are also good for killing dd's too. USN DD are far better than the way you are playing them though - suicide runs have a low chance of success. 

 

You are about to get a great DD in the clemson - learn to use it like a gunboat - pick 1v1 fights with BB and DD and pepper them with HE shells and slip away if things get too dicey. Harrass the enemy - dance at long range and laugh as all their shots miss.

 

Great advice, this is how I use my USN DD's but I still will do the suicide rush when I think the time is right or I can get away with it. Most times it leads to my doom but still it can be thrilling when I get that rushed kill.  

 

[AzraeI]

One thing I have found with my limited (tier 4) experience with USN DD's is that they are great at countering other DD's.  Their guns are better than their IJN counter parts, and if they can get in to spot them, they will light them up and tear them a new one before the IJN ships even knew what hit them.  The torpedoes are more weapons of opportunity, I find.

[Falls_USMC]

 

This is why I love USN DD's, the moments when you rush to a BB so you can put some fish into their side, it's an amazing feeling.

 

These moments are what has sustained me to almost 50k XP in the Farragut (starting to sniff the Mahan. There are some really frustrating moments to be sure, but man, all of my best and most favorite moments from WoWS so far have been in those heart-pounding moments in DDs when you know you've worked your way into a perfect position and obliterate an enemy with perfect torps. 

 

I had a Mogami get reaaaally salty after I slammed 6 fish into his side and finished him within the first three minutes of the game. I don't think he had even fired a shot yet. 

[Cobraclutch]

Even fail ambushes get the blood pumping. At this point if I see a potential ambush I go for it. I play the game to have fun not min and maxing all my stats. 

 

Though I think lately I should lay off on some of these open water charges with my slow [edited]Mahan... :/ hahaha

[Xenomancers]

Even fail ambushes get the blood pumping. At this point if I see a potential ambush I go for it. I play the game to have fun not min and maxing all my stats. 

 

Though I think lately I should lay off on some of these open water charges with my slow [edited]Mahan... :/ hahaha

There is a time and a place for DD charges . I just don't think it's something you should go looking for. More like a last ditch effort. Everything I do, I do to help the team win. If I get kills that's just a bonus.

[DerGrafSpee]

USN DDs will eat same-tier (and a tier up, in most cases) IJN DDs in a gun fight.  Had an amazing match in my Clemson last night, both sides stacked with DDs, mostly IJN. I found the busy part of the map (looked like someone had kicked a hornets' nest at one point), started plugging away with HE, and ended up with 5 kills, 4 of them DDs.  I made one torpedo run that match, finishing off a Myogi that turned too close to an island, but the rest of the time I was sweeping up DDs.  

 

Your teammates will appreciate these efforts as well (though you're unlikely to hear it), since everyone in a BB swears that DDs are rabid hellspawn who can smell their blood.

[Unrustle_Them_Jimmies]

Of course DDs are hellspawn. Imagine a thousand hornets pouring out of the devil's mouth. Now imagine they have torpedoes.

 

 

[donaldEpott]

I took a page of the USS Johnstons book. I get super agressive with my DDs and bum rush BBs. of course i troll around looking for a weakness in the defensive of the enemy then choose a time to strike. Run straight at them chasing shell splashes till I get to where I want to strike which is very close to the enemy then let them have it. Sometimes I get sunk but most times I get anywhere from 2 to 4 ships in a match. The Clemson is my favorite to do that tactic with as it is small and has a very small frontal profile and hard to hit at speed. I find about the same with the Nicholas but not as easy since its a little bigger.

[Difar53]

I will try the bum rush on BB tactic next time out with my Clemson... Now I use it to ruin IJN DDs days by chasin em around with guns while they fling torps at me...lol.  Rather have the shooting torps at me at short range than killing my cruisers and BBs at long range...

 

[Cobraclutch]

I took a page of the USS Johnstons book. I get super agressive with my DDs and bum rush BBs. of course i troll around looking for a weakness in the defensive of the enemy then choose a time to strike. Run straight at them chasing shell splashes till I get to where I want to strike which is very close to the enemy then let them have it. Sometimes I get sunk but most times I get anywhere from 2 to 4 ships in a match. The Clemson is my favorite to do that tactic with as it is small and has a very small frontal profile and hard to hit at speed. I find about the same with the Nicholas but not as easy since its a little bigger.

 

You know this is a very major way on how I play my USN DD's. The only issue is that at tier 8 and on I find myself getting absolutely vaporized if the timing is off on this kind of move in any way shape or form. 

 

Coupled with the accuracy buff DD's will be getting at 3km, it does not make me feel very confident about the future of this type of move.  

[DQCraze]

Shamed US DDs in the forums earlier, but in hindsight it is now realized that I really didn't know what the hell I was talking about.  My apologies.  These things certainly require a resourceful playstyle to see success, and when something fat and juicy does stumble across your torpedo arc, oh boy...

 

Last game I managed to work my way into a good ambush position and put 5 torpedoes into the port side of a Wyoming.  When the time came to make my move I fired all twelve tubes.  Loosed six from one side, then turned and loosed all six from the other.  To his credit, the moment I was spotted he immediately turned away, but it was already too late.  I made sure that all torpedoes fired from each side were on a narrow spread but fanned out (I didn't bore in on the white bar, but straddled it).  His quick turn saved him from most of the torpedoes but five still thunked into him.  He had gone from full-health to marginal-health and flooding in just a couple seconds.  A nearby Phoenix soon finished him off with HE fire.  Unfortunately I was also dusted off by one of the Wyoming's teammates not long after my second salvo was in the water.

 

Had another match that played out similarly.  This time the victim was a Langley, and while working through a series of islands, no one saw me until I rounded the corner of the island that he was hiding behind (where he thought he was safe...).  It was still early in the match and he was one of the first ships sunk on the opposing team.  I quickly got alongside and fired six narrow.  All six hit.  Heard that satisfying BWOOOOONNGG! for sinking a carrier.  Survived the match.

 

These were just my first two games in the Wickes.  Took a peek at the Clemson's stats, and thought, "yeah, this might be good".

 

 

Get ready for insane repair costs at tier 8, 100k per battle.   The fact that there are a ton of cruisers and less BBs and DDs at higher tiers is making this venture very difficult.  Stack on top of the cruisers some tier X CVs that can literally keep you spotted out of AA range and the venture becomes even more difficult.    Currently for me the ships i dread the most are the Zao and Midway.   The tier X games are long boring standoffs that are dominated by CVs, you may see 1 or 2 DDs but thats about it, the whole ambush thing is out the window. 

[JimmyJimboJimBob]

One thing I have found with my limited (tier 4) experience with USN DD's is that they are great at countering other DD's.  Their guns are better than their IJN counter parts, and if they can get in to spot them, they will light them up and tear them a new one before the IJN ships even knew what hit them.  The torpedoes are more weapons of opportunity, I find.

 

^This.

American DD's are awesome for killing other DD's. Only once the enemy is out of destroyers do I look for other ships. Personally, I like to hang out near a land mass, wait till an enemy ship has its guns focused on someone else, poke out and light them on fire, then drop back behind the land mass before they can turn their guns on me. It really helps the team out when you can draw their guns away from a low health ally. And best of all, it really makes them mad as hell.

[JOEPAIN]

 

You know this is a very major way on how I play my USN DD's. The only issue is that at tier 8 and on I find myself getting absolutely vaporized if the timing is off on this kind of move in any way shape or form. 

 

Coupled with the accuracy buff DD's will be getting at 3km, it does not make me feel very confident about the future of this type of move.  

 

you mentioned the timing of a fight is different...is this typical at t8 level for you ??

would backing off..."loitering" a bit before going in allow for a better "backdoor" action?.......im really new to these boats so i need all the advise i can get...im thinking these ships are the way to go in ranked battle thou.....jp

[Cobraclutch]

 

you mentioned the timing of a fight is different...is this typical at t8 level for you ??

would backing off..."loitering" a bit before going in allow for a better "backdoor" action?.......im really new to these boats so i need all the advise i can get...im thinking these ships are the way to go in ranked battle thou.....jp

 

Yes the timing is very different compared to the low/mid tiers. At higher tier gameplay, your mistakes cost you much more dearly in high tier. 

 

I prefer to Loiter prior to plotting a good course of action, I maintain that USN DD's make a great reactive force, that can flex very well depending on the situation. But if you go and get yourself blown out of the water in the first 5 minutes, you cant really utilize that kind of "flex action" .

 

There is a time and place to do a rush, usually it is something you do with team mates and not by yourself. You will also find that ambushing a battleship is very much a thing of the past, as in later tiers you will never make it close enough to a BB. The secondary fire / exposure is just too much. 

 

Maybe late game you will find this available, but from early to mid game. You want to play with patience and strategy. Especially now that USN DD's have defensive fire, it allows you to hang back and perform escort duties much more effectively. 

 

Once the heard thins out a bit and there isn't a solid defensive line any more. That is your chance to really put your tools to good use.

[JOEPAIN]

great advise...thanks for the insight as well. ...sound strategy. ...now I need to find my zen of dds and busta cap in their assss when least expected