Des Moines first impressions

[Gavroche_]

So I've had the Des Moines for a couple days now and from the first game I've noticed these few things about this ship.

Firstly, it's an awesome ship. Definitely tier X material. It excels against anything at close range. My absolute favorite place for this ship is the B point in shatter. If you don't fully push up into the point your RoF absolutely demolishes anything that pokes its way in. DDs will try to torp you, but unless it's a shima, they'll only get the chance to torp into your bow for ~ 10k damage (20% of your hp) before they melt. Cruisers won't even get that much.

 

Once, I took most of the health off an Admiral Hipper, killed an Ibuki and chunked a Zao be they were stupid enought to fight me near islands one at a time. They realize that they're getting screwed and try to turn off, but that'll expose their broadside.

 

AA is top notch.

 

 

But this ship is in no ways perfect. My biggest problem with this ship is how necessary it is not prevent enemies from flanking you, your armor is absolutely incredible, but only when properly angled. Getting focused by two targets results in massive lost to HP as you struggle to disengage or focus on one threat first.

 

Second, ships at a distance or sailing away from you are difficult to effectively engage, in part due to the long shell times, but also due to the lack of responsiveness from your guns, which really is the strength of the Des Moines, being able to rapidly adjust aim and switch shell types at close range.

 

Despite my high RoF I seem to have trouble securing kills against my teammates with higher alpha damage.

 

all this means that the Des Moines is not very effective in open water, but devastating at close range.

 

[_Jayzilla]

Times of the new. Des Moines was slowly power crept by other "gunboats" with better ballistic prowess. Right now the Moskova is a serious contender for being the better all gun cruiser, which resolves the Des Moines to the support role. USN cruisers would need some adjust to increase their main gun potential. 

 

Also quick note: New Orlean's base range out ranges the Des Moines' base range.

[10T0nHammer]

 

Right now the Moskova is a serious contender for being the better all gun cruiser,

 

Its also a serious contender for best all round cruiser. It can overmatch the armor of all the other cruisers currently in game with long range accurate fire and rate of fire better than the Zao's.

 

I know its a bit early in the stats and I will continue to monitor it but it is already the best cruiser in game damage wise and WR wise.

[Popsiclestix]

You guys are discounting DM's way better agility and concealment. If you pick up range + concealment modules and concealment captain perk, you have basically 14-19km invisifire zone. Combine that with DM's ROF and you can set fire way faster than Zao. Pickup spotting plane to temporarily extend that to 20km+. Combine that with the new radar perk and you are basically a self-sufficient lone warrior.

 

You have no real weakness in one-on-one because you shoot CV planes like they are made of paper or if you run across BB or CA you just turn tail if the engagement conditions aren't favorable, or if you encounter DD you will melt it fast if you just charge it bow on.

[aod66]

Just got this myself and I find that most CAs turn tail and run away when faced with the withering ROF. I always come in bow on and it is pretty much a losing proposition for any other CA. 

 

BBs are also not untouchable as the ROF will allow you to turn them into a bonfire or pepper them with AP if broadside. Your armor also can shrug off almost all hits when bow on with minimal damage.

 

The AA is devastating as well. Can absolutely demolish the CVs air wing all by yourself. 

 

Negatives are that it does not turn terribly fast so evading long range fire is not very effective. Also you don't want to sail into a melee because your side armor is weak but that is true of just about anything anyway. 

 

 

 

[saagri]

Wow, what a necro.

My 2 cents. 

BBs are also not untouchable as the ROF will allow you to turn them into a bonfire or pepper them with AP if broadside. Your armor also can shrug off almost all hits when bow on with minimal damage.

 

Des Moines can not shrug of BB shells. They literally overmatch the bow and it makes for easy citadel hits on yourself. 

[KaptainKaybe]

Wow, what a necro.

My 2 cents. 

 

Des Moines can not shrug of BB shells. They literally overmatch the bow and it makes for easy citadel hits on yourself. 

 

That's not actually true. If you angle the Des Moines around 30 degrees (and many other cruisers for that matter), she can bounce 16 shells that hit her citadel belt armor. Also, like Balitmore, she has a 27 inch bow and hence can totally bounce 15 shells when bow on (poor poor Bismarck). No other cruiser line can do this, including the Moskva (although Moskva can bounce absolutely everything that hits her side at an angle,so point is moot)

 

P.S: I loooove this ship. She's my first and currently only T10 and I *always* have a blast playing her.