US DD buff

[Carrier_Taiyo]

Everyone has been talking about the ijn dd's.How do you feel about the US ones?

[InukamiHai]

Having not played any of them. Not too sure, smoke could be improved which aids (both) greatly. Their torps, despite shorter distances, have much higher numbers, speed and useful guns.. .and now they will also get the option of getting a more AA heavy hull. I'd say maybe a little concealment would help them too, but since being too much  of a ninja is a problem: I doubt it will happen at all.

[thestuff]

If you're not using a US DD's guns, then you are doing it wrong. 

 

For me, US DDs are the most fun to play.

[_Sarcasticat_]

They are the worse line of ships in all of the game. Their Torpedo range is so short you have to result in yolotorping and hoping you don't die along the way. Stealth is very poor. The guns are really good though.

[Harkonen_siegetank]

Buff? To their AA? Well, they can be useful now, escorting low tier BB and CV early on. But that's about it, everything else stays the same.

[Naughtius_Maximus]

They were somewhat balanced back in CBT era smoke mechanics.

 

They are completely crap now.

 

In the next patch they'll be getting abilities that may make them good for fleet escort. But considering they are vastly inferior than cruisers at the role.....they'll still suck. Literally the only real thing they get is torpedo screening (and the following torp dodge,) which is pointless currently as the DDs that would be doing that have 12 second torp reaction times. Ie. even a BB can dodge most (if not all) on reaction alone. Which begs the question.....why not get a cruiser instead. A new role that they're immediately obsolete in. Fun.

[DemonsofRazgriz]

Honestly ima stay reserved on these buffs. They don't seem that great but maybe I'm completely wrong. They buffed the wrong things in the class. Gun buff for IJN DDs is kinda pointless and AA buff for USN DDs isn't gonna turn games around...

[flyingtaco]

I really don't know why they can't just use logical smoke mechanics.. it's still like a smoke bomb rather than a smoke screen.... I mean think of it like  a divider in a hospital room you pull it open and closed and your hand has to be on the leading edge until you withdraw it after the screen is closed ... it's not a bloody umbrella. I'd be fine if what they did was at least plausible. Instead of fixing the thing though they just keep tweaking values rather than replacing the mechanic with a new build. The whole all or nothing approach to spoting is a bit goofy. Light expecially in fog can cast shadows that are visible from the other side. That would be a nice middle ground but right now they phase in and out no matter where they are in relation to the smoke so long as thry are in viewing range ... which is a contrivance dreamed up for gameplay purposes. A motorcycle does not just appear 5 feet from your truck because it is smaller than other vehicles on the road. It may be unidentifiable  and harder to see. But generally those that don't see them have other things working again them. DDs when they work tend to work because the driver knows game mechanics not  naval tactics of any sort. If you can game that system you will succeed but american dds don't have the range of the japanese torpedos. Any time you attack you are going to be in knif fight range as a result. It's very hard if not impossible to make nonsuicidal attacks because you lack the option that japanese dds have of hovering at thr edge of their detection range and just launching torpedos. Those guys can harass an enemy team all game. If you are lucky un an American dd you might get one or two ships ... they Excel at killing japanese torpedo cruisers and the like but the mechanics of the game do not allow american dds to work as intended because of the smoke issue. IJN dds are probably the closest to the real life concept of operations you will find in the game... thry had a special term for it ... I'll have to pull out kaigun by pettie after a while .... but they attacked outside of traditional torpedo ranges sometimes at ranges thst rivaled  bb guns. They don't really have to worry about smoke mechanics because thry can often attack from beyond detection range. The game itself makes american dds weak by comparison because smoke is poorly implemented and the historical advantages of each side are only really implemented on the japanese side .. because thry don't know what to do with radar yet.

Sorry did not mean to write that much ...oops 

[Carrier_Taiyo]

I really don't know why they can't just use logical smoke mechanics.. it's still like a smoke bomb rather than a smoke screen.... I mean think of it like  a divider in a hospital room you pull it open and closed and your hand has to be on the leading edge until you withdraw it after the screen is closed ... it's not a bloody umbrella. I'd be fine if what they did was at least plausible. Instead of fixing the thing though they just keep tweaking values rather than replacing the mechanic with a new build. The whole all or nothing approach to spoting is a bit goofy. Light expecially in fog can cast shadows that are visible from the other side. That would be a nice middle ground but right now they phase in and out no matter where they are in relation to the smoke so long as thry are in viewing range ... which is a contrivance dreamed up for gameplay purposes. A motorcycle does not just appear 5 feet from your truck because it is smaller than other vehicles on the road. It may be unidentifiable  and harder to see. But generally those that don't see them have other things working again them. DDs when they work tend to work because the driver knows game mechanics not  naval tactics of any sort. If you can game that system you will succeed but american dds don't have the range of the japanese torpedos. Any time you attack you are going to be in knif fight range as a result. It's very hard if not impossible to make nonsuicidal attacks because you lack the option that japanese dds have of hovering at thr edge of their detection range and just launching torpedos. Those guys can harass an enemy team all game. If you are lucky un an American dd you might get one or two ships ... they Excel at killing japanese torpedo cruisers and the like but the mechanics of the game do not allow american dds to work as intended because of the smoke issue. IJN dds are probably the closest to the real life concept of operations you will find in the game... thry had a special term for it ... I'll have to pull out kaigun by pettie after a while .... but they attacked outside of traditional torpedo ranges sometimes at ranges thst rivaled  bb guns. They don't really have to worry about smoke mechanics because thry can often attack from beyond detection range. The game itself makes american dds weak by comparison because smoke is poorly implemented and the historical advantages of each side are only really implemented on the japanese side .. because thry don't know what to do with radar yet.

Sorry did not mean to write that much ...oops

 

Yeah, to enjoy this game, you have to abandon all preconceptions of realism and historical accuracy

[Kuckoo]

I tried one of the IJN DDs briefly.  Thought I would enjoy it but didn't care for it, actually.  Yeah, the torpedoes go long, but you don't have that many tubes, the guns are all but worthless, and if anyone so much as looks in your general direction you suffer module loss.  It felt sluggish, it required a very passive playstyle, and I just didn't enjoy it.

 

Then I tried the US DDs.  The torps have shorter legs and you sometimes have to dangerously expose yourself to use them, but you get a boatload (pun intended) of torpedo tubes - six per side in Wickes and Clemson - potentially giving you twelve torps to spread over one target in short order with a quick turn.  Their short range is no handicap when you ambush around islands.  Also, the guns are great, especially the upgraded Clemson, which is basically a mini-cruiser with a ton of torpedoes and no armor.  Unless they get a luck torpedo hit, IJN DDs seem to be at my mercy since they are not really capable of effectively firing back, while I put round after round of HE into them.  That is a real joy!  Finally, the US destroyers feel a bit tougher than the Japanese counterparts (both in the one I used and in seeing the results of the ones I fire at with guns), and seem a bit more resilient to module damage, though this is a totally subjective analysis and may not actually be the real case at all.

 

I really enjoy the US DDs so far.  I'll stick with the Clemson for a while though.  In no hurry whatsoever to grind past it.  That thing's a hoot!  Wickes was great, too, with slightly friendlier matchmaking.

 

[Fast_Battleship_Iowa]

Just a sidenote - higher tiers (9 & 10 especially, not sure about the Benson) the tables turn in favor of the USN destroyers.  They have better guns, more range on their torpedoes, and are overall a bit more competitive than their IJN counterparts.

[Naughtius_Maximus]

Just a sidenote - higher tiers (9 & 10 especially, not sure about the Benson) the tables turn in favor of the USN destroyers.  They have better guns, more range on their torpedoes, and are overall a bit more competitive than their IJN counterparts.

 

It's not so much in favor as it is that both suck extremely badly 6-7.

 

Whereas USN gets decent gameplay up to Clemson, a ditch of suck until Benson (or arguable Fletcher,) and then mediocre Fletcher and Benson who have decent 8-9 second reaction time torps (still bad though, should be 5.)

 

IJN meanwhile get decent gameplay up to Minekaze, then crashes with Mutsuki and Hatsuharu, and then below average from Fubuki on afterwards due to 12 second reaction time.

[Fast_Battleship_Iowa]

IJN meanwhile get decent gameplay up to Minekaze, then crashes with Mutsuki and Hatsuharu, and then below average from Fubuki on afterwards due to 12 second reaction time.

Really struggling on the Hatsuharu myself, at least with the Mutsuki I could run away and hide using the low detection range/insane speed.  Hatsuharu is testing my patience, hoping the Fubuki is going to be OK with 3 torpedo launchers.

 

I will completely agree that high tier destroyers are getting really depressing really fast.  Being constantly spotted by CVs who just fly anything overhead or around you, every cruiser has larger guns that deal more damage, and battleships start to get a bit more accurate with really nasty secondaries.

[Submarine_Wahoo]

 

It's not so much in favor as it is that both suck extremely badly 6-7.

 

Whereas USN gets decent gameplay up to Clemson, a ditch of suck until Benson (or arguable Fletcher,) and then mediocre Fletcher and Benson who have decent 8-9 second reaction time torps (still bad though, should be 5.)

 

IJN meanwhile get decent gameplay up to Minekaze, then crashes with Mutsuki and Hatsuharu, and then below average from Fubuki on afterwards due to 12 second reaction time.

 

Nicholas feels like a decent ship. The 127mm guns fire quickly and can penetrate cruisers with AP and the torpedoes are quick enough to make up for the short range. I also liked the Fubuki, though its torpedoes feel lackluster at times.

[Kermit_Youngblood]

I am up to tier V and VI in American and Japanese destroyers respectively, and I like them both, but they play differently.  Generally, I find that you have to be much more aggressive in the American destroyers.  You die more, but you can have some really good games. The tier II and III American destroyers can be frustrating.  However, at tiers IV and V, the upgraded Clemson and the Nicholas, with their guns and improved torpedo range, can massacre enemy destroyers. By comparison, the Japanese destroyers are generally easier, but also less challenging.  I will say though, the Minekaze, with 7 km torpedoes is a great destroyer (I don't like the 10 km upgrade).

[JP_Jones]

I really enjoy the USN DD's. If you like the USN Cruisers, you will like the DD's. Sure, I don't make alot of money with them; I burnt up about 20 mil I'm guessing (on my journey to the Benson) but a few games in the Atlanta and I'm back in business for a bit. Guns, Guns, Guns,.. plus better stealth/speed/manueverability than a CA and the opportunity to get a torp ambush in or a BB suicide run. Its just fun, much funner than what I found in the IJN dd's.

 

AA buff, oh yeah baby! Need to get those pesky fighters off ya?... I'll turn my AA on any day.

 

I'm certainly not very great with them but they are a blast to play.

[Naughtius_Maximus]

I really enjoy the USN DD's. If you like the USN Cruisers, you will like the DD's. Sure, I don't make alot of money with them; I burnt up about 20 mil I'm guessing (on my journey to the Benson) but a few games in the Atlanta and I'm back in business for a bit. Guns, Guns, Guns,.. plus better stealth/speed/manueverability than a CA and the opportunity to get a torp ambush in or a BB suicide run. Its just fun, much funner than what I found in the IJN dd's.

 

AA buff, oh yeah baby! Need to get those pesky fighters off ya?... I'll turn my AA on any day.

 

I'm certainly not very great with them but they are a blast to play.

 

Just be aware that ability is only useful if you actually have really high AA DPS. In the case for USN DDs it'll mostly just disrupt the spread patterns of all planes flying over it.

 

Useful for fleet actions of course, but it won't really outright kill them quickly (as evident by IJN CAs.) Disruption is useful, but it's no annihilation, which you need to return to stealth.

[Kermit_Youngblood]

 

Just be aware that ability is only useful if you actually have really high AA DPS. In the case for USN DDs it'll mostly just disrupt the spread patterns of all planes flying over it.

 

Useful for fleet actions of course, but it won't really outright kill them quickly (as evident by IJN CAs.) Disruption is useful, but it's no annihilation, which you need to return to stealth.

 

If helps to reliably kill scouts, I will be happy.  It is really annoying when I am spotted by a scout and it hounds me forever, making me the target for all fourteen Clevelands on the enemy team.

[Xenomancers]

 

If helps to reliably kill scouts, I will be happy.  It is really annoying when I am spotted by a scout and it hounds me forever, making me the target for all fourteen Clevelands on the enemy team.

 

Esp if it belongs to the ship you just killed and it sits there hovering over the cap...No chance to kill it - so you have to try to cap visible to the whole enemy team...GREAT design IMO.

[Nachoo31]

If you're not using a US DD's guns, then you are doing it wrong. 

 

For me, US DDs are the most fun to play.

 

Guns, torps to support.   Shoot torp set to one side of bb,  Turn shot the other set on the other side to cover the BB if he turns.  Straighten out and gun a way.  IF you do it right you will kill him.   US DD are the equalizers to those minekazes and others.  Do not expect to spot them first.  US DD are not to a be stealthy form.  You can be if careful.  But just get it in your head you will be spotted and you will have to evade, dodge, and hide in land and such.  It keeps you on your toes.

[Cobraclutch]

Lately I have been struggling greatly with the Benson. 40-50x hits on a BB or higher tier cruiser rarely nets more then 10-15k damage. I normally have to put out about 150-200 rounds a game in order to break the 50k mark on gun damage, which is about 4x torp hits.

 

My biggest issue with the Benson is those super slow torps... My god I feel like paint drying is more interesting then waiting for those 55 knot torps to hit a target, sometimes i feel like parking my Benson beihnd one of them to see if pushing will make it go faster...

[IronWolfV]

USN DDs are flanker and harassment ships. Or they are the early cap ships on domination where they can ring their shorter torps to bear. Also ambush ships.

 

IJN DDs are snipers and concealment experts.  You hunt line wolves and pick then off with torpedo fire.

 

My views of the two different lines.

[x2_Weekends]

And yet again let me ask: what good is buffing AA when you get little to no XP or credits for it? Unless they increase the incentives for using AA they can buff all the DD AA they want it isn't going to save the class of ships. You can polish a Turd and make it shine but it's still a Turd. Do they not understand this?

[supershutze]

Worst ships in the game.

 

They are basically just crappy Cruisers.

[x2_Weekends]

Worst ships in the game.

 

They are basically just crappy Cruisers.

 

They are basically relegated to Anti-DD or Anti-CV before your guns are knocked out.  Once your guns are all permanently broken then you're relegated to cap duty.  Either way, both are very limited roles. One is fun the other not so much.