Hipper Captains - Plz Share "How to Hipper" Advice...

[KurganSPK]

I really want to like this ship - have it fully upgraded with rudder shift upgrade and it still turns sluggishly... it seems very hard to dodge CV torps in and I'm getting cross dropped on more often in this ship in seems than any of my others, and the AA doesn't seem all that effective. Gets a lot of t10 games in which one wrong turn and the ship vaporizes.... I've had a few good games - 60K damage or so but it's a struggle at the moment for me to consistently do my own hit points in output. 

 

If I push up to even medium range for engagements - to make the AP more effective - the ship just gets focused and erased. If I stay in the back I can spam HE all match but damage output is tough to maintain. Currently on a 7 match losing streak in her. :-( My current general strat in her is to try to stick with the herd - stay behind tougher CAs and any BBs that are pushing and help focus down tough targets from distance. Mid-match I look for isolated targets to try to move in on and take out. I also find she's not that useful for covering DDs trying to cap as the ROF is too low?

 

I'm not overly concerned about the loss streak, streaks happen and you get your fair share of fail teams, but...

She seems like shes missing... something... but that's probably just a good captain. Please share some Hipper tips 

 

My current stats are below (I was 11-5 in her):

 

Overall Results
Battles	23
Victories	11 (48%)
Battles survived	7
Damage caused	918,586
Warships destroyed	12
Aircraft destroyed	16

Average Score per Battle
Experience	1,311.96
Damage caused	39,938.52
Warships destroyed	0.52
Aircraft destroyed	0.70
Main battery hit ratio	27%
Torpedo hit ratio	5

 

 

 

 

[Cruiser_Senjo]

well im not a pro hipper player but i prefer the hit and run and repeat style in her .. yeah you have 17k range and is really easy land hits .. i use her with fighter plane and hydro to help ... and use the 20%+ AA range module ...but yeah hit and run works for me ... when i get bored go full derp and use torps vs caps that dont know how to aim at close shaking range

 

and for kill dds at 14k- is great HE do their work really good

[1nv4d3rZ1m]

The AP is effective at any range, not necessarily good enough to get citadels but good enough to get consistent 4-5k salvoes vs BBs at max range. I only use HE against DDs and occasionally against highly angled targets at closer ranges. The one issue with the AP is that it does not have good normalization like IJN AP as well as not getting good ricochet angles like USN AP so its not good against angled targets, you have to hunt down targets that are giving broadsides for the AP to be effective. 

 

The high velocity AP with good penetration is the advantage of the Hipper, to use it most effectively you have to stay at range. Getting close to the enemy means you are giving up your advantages. If you do get into a close range fight remember you have a strong bow that is completely immune to anything 14" and below and partially immune to 16" guns if you get into a close range engagement go bow on and attempt to torp.  Since the Hipper has dual torp launchers on each side close range knife fights are not a terrible idea if you can get close enough. 

 

I dont have a lot of trouble with the turning, the radius is admittedly kind of large but it is responsive enough. Sometimes you simply have to give up on using two turrets so you can use a safer angle to prevent deletion. I also run sonar on mine instead of panic, the AA seems pretty decent at tier 8 compared to when I drove my NO. 

[SweetRollThief]

I'm no pro hipper captain either but I'm currently playing her a lot. I feel like the skill cap on this ship is fairly high, so try not to get too discouraged. Also remember that this ship is absolutely a support ship, and therefore is more dependent on teammates than other ships. i am surprised that you have trouble with torp bombers, I have a AA rating of 84 on mine and with fighter plane I get tons of plane kills.

 

If you tend to play agressive and go for objectives (like I do), it can be hard to adjust but you really should focus on staying alive in the early match and remember you are basically a support ship with really good AA and long range AP

[SandraSmiles]

 

You're running into opposition that knows the potential of the Hipper. It should be a deletion priority.

And yes, cross-dropping is a tactic that usually works well- either from a good CV or cruisers/dds that are double-teaming.

Been there, felt that.

Last night I was surrounded by 3 clouds of dd smoke while in a division w/the Yorck, every 120 degrees on the compass, 6 mile radius.  I looked and looked and looked for the trouble, but the concealment was simply in their favor.

I knew my fate was sealed.

 

The Hipper is a fine craft at sea.  Just rein her in a bit the 1st half...use a 2nd half strategy.

 

[vonKaiser]

CV drops are going to be tough to react to in a ship like this.  Yeah her turn is good but not good enough for that.  Only thing I suggest on that is you have to be pro-active to the torps instead of reactive.  If you're avoiding torps already in the water you're not going to have a good or easy time.  Bow on to incoming torp planes, turn into them, or turn away and run from them, make them chase you down and hopefully your AA can thin out the numbers a little.  Once the run has started slam on the reverse throttle and turn in, then once that's done full throttle and start trying to repeat those steps for the next set on the cross drop.  Listen, you're not going to avoid'em all but 1 or 2 is better then getting hit with all 6.

 

As for the other parts of the game.  Keep yourself at range and use the shell travel times of enemies firing at you as your avoidance technique and slam AP into everything that you can. 

[iHaveNoIntelligence]

You have to be really careful with Hipper because it's fragile.

I would recommend to stick with BBs or other CAs which can be your "cannonfudder". You really have to take your team mates as your shield and take as less damage as possible.

Even Colorado's AP Shell from Max distance can penetrate citadel even though you might be angled. And Soviet DD's AP shells are really dangerous.

 

I would recommend using AP shells all the time. Even against DD. Hipper's HE shell damage isn't high and it's lacks of total RPM against other Cruisers of same tier. So I won't recommend to go hunting DD alone like other CAs can do. AP shell is actually always efficient at any range. Even if you hit superstructure of BBs you still do 1~3k Damage. The Gun for Hipper is "tier 10" gun(same characteristics as Hindenburg. It only lacks barrel). Don't hesitate to engage CQB combat aginst BB if necessary. You have torpedo for short range and your brilliant AP shell will penetrate even Iowa it's citadel at 3km(NC about at 5km. Not to mention Amagi already around 10km).

 

But for most of time I would stay as far as possible as long your shells hit surely. Personally I keep around 15km to enemy. Germany also has excellent dispersion and muzzle velocity so you won't have hard time hitting any enemy at long distance.

 

And for mobility, Hipper's rudder shift time is even with C Hull not very well compared to other CAs. You have to think a head when you want to move and guess if torpedo might be coming. I just randomly slow down/speed up to avoid long distance Torpedo sniping.

 

Edit: for AA - I skilled manual AA Control. Hipper don't have enough long distance AA guns to cover a fleet, but it's short range AA is strong enough to protect itself. Just make sure you keep enemy TB's movement in sight.

[Slick201]

As a member of a clan, I have the luxury of being able to division with a BB.  A Hipper working together with a Tirpitz or Amagi is usually a win-win for both. I've found that taking Hydro rather than DF is more useful to my team. Other than when engaging DD's, I try to stay within my concealment envelope and use hit & run tactics.  In my last match I burned down a full health Nagato that insisted on chasing me.  I'm still adjusting to Hipper after doing the Konigsberg/Nurnberg to Yorck thing. Shell type selection is very important in Hipper.   

[KurganSPK]

Thanks all - gonna try running AP a helluva lot more and see how that goes. I actually didn't know the ship was that well armored in the bow either so  The torp and shell avoidance tips while good, I'm currently trying (except for that reverse part... hmmm...) Good stuff!

 

And long distance torps aren't the issue - my issue is when I'm focused by a CV with dual squads. 

 

(AP seems useless against NCs at range.... let alone higher tier bbs)

[gurudennis]

You're having trouble with Hipper because she's not a very good ship comparatively speaking. She reminds me of NC prior to several USN BB buffs: people sang her praises simply because she came after the nuclear disaster that was Colorado. Similarly with Hipper: even though Yorck was buffed, she's still nothing to write home about, so people tend to exaggerate Hipper's virtues in the context of her predecessor rather than have a long hard look at how she stacks up at tier 8.

 

Unlike the HE master race (I'm being cheeky but not sarcastic), Hipper is almost entirely reliant on her AP which as Zim pointed out above has pretty weak normalization but high velocity. It's really the combination of the hard requirement to use AP and equally hard requirement to stay at range that limit Hipper's potential. This is because AP penetration trails off with range. Conversely, the target's ability to micro-angle in reaction to incoming fire increases with range, which in turn negates Hipper's damage output.

 

As a result, Hipper is at her best when fighting at mid range against clueless cruisers and at long range against equally clueless battleships, the idea being to rain AP on their exposed broadsides. Not for citadels (those can be elusive on cruisers due to micro-angling) but for consistent damage. I say consistent but unfortunately it's consistently low. Even the dumbest of targets usually begin mitigating incoming AP damage after taking a salvo or two, so shifting fire between targets becomes an important consideration for a successful Hipper captain.

 

Another important tactic is sneaking around. Much like ships down the tree, Hipper is most effective when catching someone unaware and broadside for that meaty first strike before they angle. Hence running concealment is not just a good idea, it's a must-have.

 

Hipper is one of the ships that relies on the idiocy of her enemies to do well. She's similar to IJN DDs in that respect. Expect similar "feast or famine" results. This trend holds true all the way to tier 10, hence why Hindenburg is currently the weakest tier 10 cruiser by a hefty margin (despite being tough as a brick and sexy af).

[iHaveNoIntelligence]

(AP seems useless against NCs at range.... let alone higher tier bbs)

 

Wut? 

 

 

 

Yes it was long distance

[KurganSPK]

Hipper is one of the ships that relies on the idiocy of her enemies to do well. She's similar to IJN DDs in that respect. Expect similar "feast or famine" results. This trend holds true all the way to tier 10, hence why Hindenburg is currently the weakest tier 10 cruiser by a hefty margin (despite being tough as a brick and sexy af).

 

probably why I'm grinding up the line - just love the look of the german ships. And I do at least like the Hipper better than the Mogami.... so far at least. I kind of enjoyed the Yorkie... but wasn't in her all that long since I free xp'd all the modules. 

[KurganSPK]

Yes it was long distance

 

Okay - was he sitting broadside to you the entire time.?.. most of the time I'm shooting at their angled fronts or rears.... but 24 matches ain't a lot so much to learn. 

[1nv4d3rZ1m]

 

Okay - was he sitting broadside to you the entire time.?.. most of the time I'm shooting at their angled fronts or rears.... but 24 matches ain't a lot so much to learn. 

 

Aim for the superstructure, USN BB superstructure is pretty soft at almost any angle. IJN BBs tend to be tougher to get penetration damage on unless you get a nice broadside. 

[KurganSPK]

 

Aim for the superstructure, USN BB superstructure is pretty soft at almost any angle. IJN BBs tend to be tougher to get penetration damage on unless you get a nice broadside. 

 

I will give it more matches - but just a few minutes ago an NC ate several volleys at range into his middle/superstructure for little, if any, damage. Maybe RNG just was hatin' on me. 

 

[4bRbyHSSzZ6pk]

Admiral Hipper AA is veeery good actually, if you spec for it. Since it hasn't stealth like the Japanese cruisers, since everyone angles against them knowing their only real weapon is their good AP and since it's HE isn't strong or start as many fires as the other cruisers can, I just play my Admiral Hipper as an escort. Stick close to a BB or a few destroyers and lend them my guns. I don't get many kills doing so, but I seem to get good exp and results from it.

 

AA spec'd Admiral Hipper vs Essex Planes:

 

 

[KurganSPK]

lol - just got called out and dressed down by a Yamato captain for not brawliln' in a t10 match and not supporting the bbs up front against a Zao and Montana... 

[KurganSPK]

I"m running main armaments mod, aa guns 2 mod, steering mod, concealment mod - working on last point needed for fourth skill for captain. Assuming I want DE...?

[vonKaiser]

AP tip for the Hipper when facing enemy BB's Aim high.  You don't want your shells hitting the belt armor, you're not trying to get to the citadel.  You want it to land just above the belt armor but you don't want to go so high that it's landing on the deck.  Well Deck shots are for extreme range shooting, when you get closer and the shell flattens out you want to aim at the upper armor.

[iHaveNoIntelligence]

 

Okay - was he sitting broadside to you the entire time.?.. most of the time I'm shooting at their angled fronts or rears.... but 24 matches ain't a lot so much to learn. 

 

broadside and superstructure both.

hitting superstructure also deals around 1~4k damage

[SeaRaptor]

The Hipper is a fine craft at sea.  Just rein her in a bit the 1st half...use a 2nd half strategy.

 

This is really the key to the high tier German CA's.  Patience uber alles.  

 

When the map loads, don't immediately run forward at high speed.  Take your time.  Survey your team, figure out where you want to go.  Head there at half or three-quarters speed.  Choose your first salvo carefully if you aren't spotted.  Don't recklessly push forward; you have to play a long game.  The back half of a match is where you can really shine and will likely to a significant chunk of damage, the key is surviving long enough to realize that potential.   

 

Another important tactic is sneaking around. Much like ships down the tree, Hipper is most effective when catching someone unaware and broadside for that meaty first strike before they angle. Hence running concealment is not just a good idea, it's a must-have.

 

Hipper is one of the ships that relies on the idiocy of her enemies to do well. She's similar to IJN DDs in that respect. Expect similar "feast or famine" results. This trend holds true all the way to tier 10, hence why Hindenburg is currently the weakest tier 10 cruiser by a hefty margin (despite being tough as a brick and sexy af).

 

Dennis and I disagree on how well Hindenburg stacks up against her peers - a discussion best left for elsewhere - but his advice on Hipper is sound.  Concealment is important; so is your AA.  You sound as if you have had the unpleasant experience of coming under heavy CV assault in an A or B hull Hipper.  Once you get to the C hull, pick up AA Mod 2 along with BFT and AFT on your captain and enemy CVs will learn to leave you the hell alone.  I've shot down 1/3 of a Hakuryu's air wing before.  Not bad for a T8 cruiser.

[1nv4d3rZ1m]

I"m running main armaments mod, aa guns 2 mod, steering mod, concealment mod - working on last point needed for fourth skill for captain. Assuming I want DE...?

 

I wouldnt build on the HE, I dont use HE for much. If you are having problems with Aircraft get AFT or Manual AA. 

 

I generally try to build on strengths rather then build up weaknesses. Plus with only 8 shells per salvo a DE Hipper will never be able to compete with IJN or USN CAs at HEing things down. 

[SeaRaptor]

I wouldnt build on the HE, I dont use HE for much. If you are having problems with Aircraft get AFT or Manual AA. 

 

I generally try to build on strengths rather then build up weaknesses. Plus with only 8 shells per salvo a DE Hipper will never be able to compete with IJN or USN CAs at HEing things down. 

 

Definitely pick up AFT.  Your AA is a strength, and buffing your mediocre fire chance isn't really going to be super-beneficial given how few HE rounds you will fire in a typical game.  

[KurganSPK]

Very helpful stuff here - thanks everyone! I'm comforted by the fact that I'm already trying to do many of the core tactics - I think I'm trying to utilize the ship properly overall: it's just a question of practice and better use of AP - and I'll go with AFT when I hit that fourth point (have BFT).   

 

(Most Hindy captain's I've asked in game say they love the ship...I'm also at the IJN t9 so plan to have Zao, too, eventually.)

[SweetRollThief]

I"m running main armaments mod, aa guns 2 mod, steering mod, concealment mod - working on last point needed for fourth skill for captain. Assuming I want DE...?

I passed on DE, either take the extra AA range or the extra health