Tier 3 and Dealing With Carriers

[destroika]

Maybe I'm missing something so I hope someone can shed some light on this...

 

I just got to tier 3 with a cruiser and by description, part the cruiser's primary role is AA defense but at tier 3, it seems I don't have any AA guns and I am starting to face tier 4 carriers. Also, tier 4 carriers already have torpedo planes, so with no AA guns, not only am I defenseless, I'm also primarily useless. It's also a bit of a shock trying to avoid 5 destroyers with torpedoes AND planes with torpedoes. 

 

Granted I'm new right now at this, but OMG one feels like they are making some progress and then BAM, instant fodder.

 

Any ideas to how I can do my role? Or does the game seem to have a gaping hole in balance here?

[FuyuzuKii]

The rule of thumb is never rely purely on your AA guns against planes, as you'll almost never shoot down all of them. As a cruiser, use your speed and agility to dodge plane-dropped torpedoes. Dive bombers are a bit harder to dodge, but don't deal anywhere near as much damage.

[Carrier_Taiyo]

Cruisers get their AA cooldown ability at tier 6

[Samalander]

If you're dealing with TB dropped torpedoes after they drop, you're gonna eat torps and sink. You have to pay attention to the mini map and when you see torpedo bombers heading your way, turn towards them because a CV player wants to get a side run on you for his torpedo drop to maximize the amount of torpedoes that hit your cruiser. Showing the bow of your ship offers him a smaller target to hit and allows you a easier time dodging his torps. Like Fuyuzuki above stated, don't worry too much about dive bombers at tier 3.

[redmike1617]

To a certain extent, this is a bit historical. When carriers first arrived on the oceans, they weren't seen as that big of a threat, so ships didn't carry as heavy AAA at the end of the war. The US learned the hard way how powerful carriers could be at Pearl Harbor.

[scrapking]

Here is the best advice for dealing with CVs at tier 3: Level your [edited]up faster and get out of tier 3.

[Raptor_alcor]

Honestly you aren't going to get respectable AA until tier 5 (omaha C hull) for the USN or tier 6-7 for the IJN. 

[Camo68]

For CVs as said above when

• TB planes are near point your bow at them. It's harder to hit you and easier to dodge.
• DB planes are near keep your broadside to them. It's harder to hit you due to their drop pattern

 

For DDs vary your speed and course regularly (every 20-30 seconds & it doesn't have to be huge changes 3/4 speed to full, 5 degree turn etc.), Don't hug islands and use your mini map so you have an idea if any are spotted near you. 

[Soshi_Sone]

Do as others have described here.  T3 CAs are primarily counter CA and DD hunters, and can also do good work on the BBs if you gang up.

 

If the enemy CV captain has his eye on YOU, then things get interesting.  You can see 'em coming.  And you can often see that the eye is on you.  That's when you gotta start turning in a manner that makes it most difficult to get a broadside torp hit.  A well seasoned CV captain will hit you. All you can do is extend the time required to get you and hope for most misses.

 

Also, your CV player, if they are on their game, should be able to help.  Two equal CV captains will neutralize each other, figuratively speaking.

[Fletcher7_1944]

  Been here before...  As the only tier III in a IV match, with a couple of 5's, it was a rude awakening, to be sure.  I was in a Tenryu, and it was the Ocean board.

 

I did okay hugging my nearest BB and another cruiser- until the CV driver spotted me.  "OH look- LUNCH!"  Having do defense against it wasn't fun.   The others are right- AA is not a panacea for planes, you still have to watch out for the torps!  You do get coins and xp for the planes you shoot down though.   More of a deterrence- a halfway decent  CV  driver will avoid an enemy with good AA if they can, as there are easier pickings and other ways they can help the team.   Without planes, he's a sitting duck!

 

  I've since gotten much better at dodging those pesky things.  It's the torp shooters on my own team that are the real hazard lately.

 

  One last tip:  If that DD you see stops firing and shows you his broadside, it's because he's launching torps at you.  Either turn strait into him, or strait away, and change your speed.  Much easier to dodge a torpedo if you and it are running parallel.   For whatever reason, the graphics display does NOT show torps launching, like it does with muzzle flashes- you have to anticipate that they will be coming.

[BarnsBroadside]

Here is the best advice for dealing with CVs at tier 3: Level your [edited]up faster and get out of tier 3.

 

Pretty much this^

 

Most of the tier 3 ships are ships that were historically built before there were any planes in combat, much less, aircraft carriers.  You just have to grin and bare it until you tier up.