New to the cleaveland and I need some addvice

[gunslinger6792]

So far I've only played it in co op to get an idea for how it handles and I'm a tad confused on how to use it. Obviously it's an AA defense ship but when it comes to ship to ship combat I'm at odds of how to use it. I thought the Omaha had a high arc and long shell time but the Cleveland takes the cake on that. Is there even a point to shooting outside of ranges at 10 clicks or do I just have to learn to lead my target better? The necessary lead time though seems to drop significantly at shorter ranges say 8 clicks or lower is this actually true? It's as if the Cleveland shell to target time drops significantly more than I would assume it would at short range. Another thing I've noticed is just how squishy the hull seems to be, is this me using the ship wrong or is indeed a squishy ship?  Finally I've noticed that the turrets seem to get destroyed fairly easily on this ship, should I invest in module addons and if so which ones?

[pmgaudio]

well I  chatted with a really good Cleveland capt for awhile and I am still getting used to mine too...

it's is the St Louis' older brother.. guns for days

It is like the Omaha in that you can turn and turn and have all kinds of guns (Watch Claus on the Omaha) and the AA is phenomenal...

Tee up the  shell arc, IMO is the hardest thing to get used to on this ship.. depending on the distance, and even the shells... and yeah almost OFF screen for lead on Murmansks and Koni's and fast ships in general.. but if they go straight like stoopids! the shells, OMG the shells!!!

It does well head to head with an Omaha, but not another Cleveland...

I found best to use at range while protecting capitol ships against AA...

Although as of late, it seems every time I take mine out NO CV's  lol

I took the accuracy upgrade as opposed to AA because the AA is already good and getting the dispersion down is a better choice (for some anyway)

Like the C hull vs the B on the Omaha... it is preference....

IT seems a bit tough to get used to... but then again I went from the Kuma to the Furry Taco recently and that is a weird transition as well... (as compared to the Pheonix too)

My opinion (cause my numbers aren't good to be THAT serious a crit) is that it is a really fun ship, and a real threat to ANY enemy team with CVs and should be more an AA ship first and gun ship second... Not that it shold be played far... it seems to brawl pretty decently with some ships... but that NUrmberg pisses me off with that range!!!! lol

I am sure you can and will get a few othere's that have other ideas to throw into the mix... Good luck and have a ball with it... 

[brawler1967]

I like to play my Cleveland like its a surgical strike monster. I continually change shell type depending on what is working better for ship type. Use AP on other Cruisers and Carriers and HE on Battleships and Destroyers. Be your Battleships best buddy and just launch Salvo after Salvo at your enemy while its focused in a dual with another battleship. I have gone head to head with a Battleship and won. Be aggressive and keep maneuvering.

The biggest mistake I see ship drivers doing is slowing down or stopping to engage.

Can you imagine what it would play like if it had 7km torpedo tubes too. It would be like the angel of death.

 

[Mizzerys_Fate]

You need the modification to prevent magazine detonations.

Range mods and captains skills.

The reload mod for under 155mm guns helps. 

 

If your having trouble hitting enemy ships, walk your shells into them by ripple firing.

 

Your main role is to screen battleships from enemy destroyers and aircraft. 

The citadel is hard to hit on a cleveland, don't show your broadside and you will survive longer.

Once you learn to angle and manuver you will reign death on them all.

[Eisennagel]

 

The Cleveland along with the Omaha and its iterations (Marblehead, Murmansk) are among the most played ships in the game.  To see an enemy team with 3 or 4 of them makes a big threat.

 

I play it like a fire support cruiser, but not as a sniper.

 

1.  Support battleships by focus firing on another battleship.  Battleships are easy to hit at a distance even with the ship's long arcs.

2.  Cover your carriers with your AA against bombers and your guns against destroyers in short ranged "brawl".

3.  Cover your destroyers capping against enemy destroyers in short ranged "brawl".

4.  Brawl with enemy cruisers while supporting your own cruisers in flank or center thrust.  

[Mechanicum]

I agree with Eisennagel on this.  With proper attention to lead, the Cleveland is good for raining shots on things at long range, which will quickly make DD's and even some CA (Pensacola and Aoba in particular) want to be somewhere else.  It's a great "second man in" ship, and tag teams wonderfully with both BB and DD. 

[Chainshot13]

Don't forget to use AP in the appropriate circumstances -- that is, against other cruisers.  You will bounce, but if you can hone in on the citadels, you will beat up lower tier cruisers quickly. Eisennagel's right, use the ship differently at different times.  Keep an eye out for DD's and you can be a big help keep your BB's safe from torp runs.  Stay near them as a screening vessel, but don't forget to feather your throttle and shift your rudder to keep from being zeroed in by bigger guns.  The guns are so fast when fully upgraded/mod'd and with captain skills that you can quickly shift fire from target to target.  Getting BB's burning is useful and may get you focused -- I have been in more than a few games where it seems the entire battle line drops everything to shoot the Cleveland on the other team.

 

 

 

 

[sargentmki]

As said above the Cleaveland is a solid ship.

 

A good thing you must get used to is the gun ark. Ark is never a disadvantage tactically, it just means you need to work harder to get shots to hit. In the end the ark helps fire over islands and allow you a secondary way to hit targets without getting shot, or possibly even seen. (Classic World of Tanks right there)

 

Learning when to load AP to get Crits is a big part of the Cleveland game, since its guns are good in a ROF scenario, provide great fire starting potential and still have enough power to get thru light cruisers for crits. If you see a ship exposing their side load AP after you expend your current shells and you will do tons of damage.

 

The Cleveland is very much a hybrid of BB alpha strike capabilities, and ROF Destroyers and Cruisers.

Armor wise your actually better off in a Cleveland than you would think. But its still a Light Cruiser, so getting shot at by anything respectable means you going to take some damage. Your best defence is to stay at range and dodge rounds, but at such instances you MUST rely on your own skills to hit long range shots.

 

[Mechanicum]

You know what would have made the Cleaver awesome?  A spotter plane...   Seriously, what's with the catapult fighters?

[MrDeaf]

Another tip with aiming

 

Hit shift to zoom all the way in, then zoom out 2 clicks with your mouse wheel.

Now your shot flight time will actually correspond to the numbers on your aiming reticule and your target will actually be in your sights, instead of barely on it.

[Caucasian_Fury]

I usually don't engage in my Cleveland unless targets are ~10 km, most players know how to dodge Cleveland shells due to it's ridiculous arc. Also don't get into a long-range gun fight with heavy cruisers like the Myoko... I find Cleveland shells usually bounce off my Myoko at max range and it's so much easier to hit Clevelands rather than vice versa.

 

When I play my Cleveland I focus on taking out lighter targets, full broadsides with AP will tear light cruisers apart, or go after destroyers with HE spam. It's a powerful ship but it requires good gunnery skills and knowing your targets.

 

The other thing is I avoid New Mexicos like the plague. I don't know why but my Cleveland shells always bounce off NM's whether it's HE or AP at any range... and NM guns just tear my Cleveland apart, a single AP shell from an NM hitting ANY part of my Cleveland always does exactly 10,000 damage. I don't know what's up with that but it's messed up. I can't tell you how many times my full-health Cleveland was sunk from a single NM broadside without detonation or the NM hitting my citadel. 

[Mechanicum]

The other thing is I avoid New Mexicos like the plague. I don't know why but my Cleveland shells always bounce off NM's whether it's HE or AP at any range... and NM guns just tear my Cleveland apart, a single AP shell from an NM hitting ANY part of my Cleveland always does exactly 10,000 damage. I don't know what's up with that but it's messed up. I can't tell you how many times my full-health Cleveland was sunk from a single NM broadside without detonation or the NM hitting my citadel. 

 

I have a NM, and go up against Cleavers fairly often.  Hate to tell you this, but if a SINGLE SHELL is doing 10,000 damage that is a citadel hit, and I'd be very surprised if it was doing "exactly" that much as you claim.  Otherwise, the damage is only around 1-2K.

 

So, either you're being citadeled and not knowing it, or you're being hit by more than one shell.

[Skott]

Unsure which upgrade to get for the fourth upgrade on my Cleveland. Propulsion Mod 2, Steering Gears Mod 2, or Damamge Control System (DCS) Mod 2? Any advice?

[kbs666]

Unsure which upgrade to get for the fourth upgrade on my Cleveland. Propulsion Mod 2, Steering Gears Mod 2, or Damamge Control System (DCS) Mod 2? Any advice?

 

Personally I went with the steering gear mod. Being able to maneuver is very important.

[centarina]

I can't hit anything more than 15k so, no range mod for me.  I went with DE.   I am a fire starter   i like it   stay with BB and act like a flamethrower

[Panhandler62]

 I have been in more than a few games where it seems the entire battle line drops everything to shoot the Cleveland on the other team.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh yeah ... been there! lol

 

I alternate between my Cleveland and my New Mexico. Usually when I have a really bad game it's because I forget to change tactics.

I find me a BB early on and follow him around. Once he engages another BB I get off of the firing axis of his opponent and start spamming HE on the enemy.

 

Not only is there a good chance of setting him on fire; the distraction of the near constant rain of 6" HE tends to throw his aim off.

 

Fully upgraded; a Cleveland is a beast.

[SmokeyMcDood]

Another tip with aiming

 

Hit shift to zoom all the way in, then zoom out 2 clicks with your mouse wheel.

Now your shot flight time will actually correspond to the numbers on your aiming reticule and your target will actually be in your sights, instead of barely on it.

THIS! My ranged accuracy in the Cleveland skyrocketed when I figured this out. I have to get a new mouse now, though, because I burnt out my scroll wheel...

 I have been in more than a few games where it seems the entire battle line drops everything to shoot the Cleveland on the other team.

This happens to me WAY too often in my Cleveland. They know a half-way good player (such as myself) can do some serious harm in one of these babies, and they'll try their hardest to make it go away. Then again, it may just be the fact that I'm usually at the tip of the spear, so I'm often the first spotted ship...

 

I've got over a hundred matches in the Cleveland now, and I fully intend to keep it even after I buy the Pensacola. It's my current credit mill. At first, I had a horrible experience, but now, it's very common for me to get 200+ hits (and 200k+ coins) in a match with it.

 

To me, coming from the Omaha, it felt like I was in a mini-BB. It's a bit slower and less maneuverable than the T5 is, and up until then, only my BBs had multi-barreled turrets. My first match, I chanced upon a DD within only a half a dozen km, (poor guy was probably more surprised than I was), hit it with all four turrets, and wiped 'crew-goo' from my screen Works as intended!

 

In many ways, it felt like a BB, but it is faster, and weaker, than a real BB...Even so, sometimes I have to remind myself that the Cleveland is not actually invincible...I remember a match where I had AP shells bouncing off me constantly for probably a full minute. 'Ping-pew-pong' all over lol...If you learn how to angle yourself, and you're paying good attention to your surroundings, this thing is hard to stop. But don't ever, ever, go broadside to a higher-tier BB with it. Your match will be over before you realize why...

 

It's actually a great thing that everybody hates the Cleveland, at least for your team. It's very satisfying to get the attention of a couple reds and happily lead them into a trap that your BBs have set...That was a great moment for me. 'Get 'em, boys!' Remember, Captains, focus fire is good, but not if you ignore everything else...Just don't tell anybody on red team that; I'd like to keep using that 'exploit'

 

I guess I kinda rambled a bit there. I had consumed some...uh...plant matter...just before starting to type...For the ADD people out there (not that there's anything wrong with that), here's the TLDR: This ship's really good, once you've learned how to actually play this game (which might be difficult if you have ADD...not that there's anything wrong with that). Angling, situational awareness, aiming, and target prediction skills are all going to be force-fed to you, the hard way. And that will make you a better player in ALL your ships. And there's definitely nothing wrong with that!