DD tactics staying alive...

[anonym_tUyM5hSFdwT6]

Ok so I've just reached and gotten my tier 5 Russian dd and its a pain to stay alive its not the armor but you as a dd player are an instant target does any one have any suggestions on how I can change my game play in order to stay alive longer and get the kills I need in order to improve my score in the game.  I would like to know from some of you higher tiered dd players if you have any thoughts or suggestions on this.

[SubTender_Taigei]

DDs are the master of WASD hacks. This, combined with their speed, small size, and concealment should lead to you dodging shells from ships left and right. Just so you know, the closer you get, the more accurate their guns are. You should try and find the perfect distance for comfortably hitting your shots and being able to dodge them at the same time.

[Reymu]

As a cruiser main, I say you should just rush me so I can blast you

 

DDs survive best when they dictate the battle on their terms. Your job at start is scouting and grabbing/contesting early caps; later in the match, depending on your position and enemies' movement, you might be able to island ambush, bait them into a waiting teammate, chase the enemy CV--the opportunities are there, just learn to recognize them.

 

Important thing to last longer is have a teammate within 4km called "your savior." Straight from Tengu's humorous vid on how to Clemson, you don't have the means to survive nasty odds except by running and having a teammate get the fire off you.

 

Ultimately there is little you can do if the red team has PTSD from dying to DDs. Especially around T7 when concealment on Hatsu and Mahan becomes a real pain, people are always alert for a DD to pop up so they can take you out. I'm not ashamed to say that after all their sneaking around and surprising me with torp volleys and invisifiring, I swear any DD that gets too close loses 1/3 of his HP very quickly.

 

DDs are safe from return fire unless they get within 10km, then even BB guns have enough accuracy to smash them.

[CapnCappy]

Stay at full speed... keep angled... keep your distance.... shoot at everything.

 

Premium repair and speed boost... also last stand.

[Kuckoo]

Don't be too aggressive at the start of matches.  Be cool, see how things develop, survive the match so you can better influence things later.

 

All the time you will see scrubs in destroyers yoloing in and getting sunk in the first three minutes of the match.  This is NOT how to play destroyers.

 

BTW, you can get the speed boost on any destroyer.  It's a destroyer consumable, not a commander training skill.  That's something you should have already figured out with a Tier II destroyer...

[RedSeaBear]

The best piece of advice that got me through the mid levels of the Russian dds and still servers me in the higher tiers is, consistent steering adjustments. In a gun duel stay on the rudder, don't use the rudder locks but keep the rudder somewhere between 0 and 1/2. This will throw off the aim of your enemy but keep you from pulling a turn that will take your guns out of the fight.

My own personally advice is stay near you cruisers, RU dds are not stealth fighters, they are destroyer hunters. So either support friendly destroyers or protect cruisers and battleships from enemy destroyers.   

[HazeGrayUnderway]

Unless you're ambushing from around an island at close range, Range + Speed + Maneuvering is the lifeblood of Russian DDs.  The sooner you have AFT, the better.  You need to maintain distance to make up for sluggish turret traverse and the worst DD concealment ranges.  With AFT the safety buffer is better and your capacity to reliably hit at the edges of your gun range is unrivaled compared to IJN & USN DDs.  Gnevny can easily troll Cruisers and Battleships if you play the Range + Speed + Maneuvers game.

 

The Cruisers that you have to watch out for are the ones with low shell arcs and good velocity shells:  Generally German and Russian Cruisers.  Example ships that Gnevny can face with these characteristics?  Tier 5 Kirov, 6 Molotov, 6 Budyonny, 7 Schors (seriously, 12 152mm lazor gunz), 5 Konigsberg, 6 Nurnberg, 7 Yorck if the player is sticking to his better flying HE shells.  Spammy, short ranged Gun Cruisers with low shell velocities like St Louis, Phoenix, Omaha?  I was never concerned about them.  The ones that have fast flying and accurate shells, those are the dangerous ones.

 

All BBs are fat pigs for Gnenvy to pick apart with guns.

 

If engaging enemy DDs, close in with IJN ones if you want, they're bad in a gunfight at any range just be aware of torps.  If engaging USN ones, you need to use your speed and keep them away from you.  Your guns will be more effective than his with more range.  Either way, you have a fast DD and can use that to dictate a fight.

[The_Mighty_Rabbit]

DDs are the master of WASD hacks.

 

THIS THIS THIS. 

Don't be too aggressive at the start of matches.  Be cool, see how things develop, survive the match so you can better influence things later.

To this I would tune by saying, try and cap in the beginning, but don't get crazy or spotted.  This, of course, works best with the IJN DDs.  The longer you can stay alive, the more you help your team.  If, at the end of the match you're still alive, then let the hunt begin!

[NavarWynn]

Actually looks like they buffed T6+ Russian DDs ability to swerve.  My Og's rudder shift time dropped from 6.6s to 4.8s, higher level ones dropped too (kiev was like 8.8, now 6.7s).  I've certainly noticed a differerence, as, used to be swerving was an exercise in destroying your keyboard for no tangible benefit.  I've just fought it w/ several USN DDs and came out alive (marginally ;) ) due to the ability to swerve as I retreated.

 

Upgrading the ship to improve rudder shift (steering gear mod 2) is worth the cool mill it'll cost you.  

[Delicious_Bait]

Run. A lot. Shoot and run. Run and shoot. VMF destroyers should either hang with cruisers and pick at their targets or solo troll while otherwise engaged targets. AP is strong enough to punch through light cruisers.

[Captain_Insano]

Just don't get within 7k of a US DD and you should be fine.

 

[_Rumple_]

If you can, division up with a friend. I team up with another Udaloi, and it really helps when you can support each other.