Gun Range Decreases on Mahan? Why?

[Deacon33]

Unless I'm mistaken, I just lost a kilometer on my gun range (with the improved firing system) versus my Farragut. The guns are the same (127 mm), what's the deal?

[poeticmotion]

Mahan is your penance for getting to play Benson and, especially, Fletcher later. Just bend over and remember, the Fletcher will be worth it. 

[Terrible_Turtle]

The Mahan is a beast. The guns are really only used for close quarters engagements or lobbing HE fire on BBs at range. The short range doesn't really hurt you all that much. When you find that perfect balance between your torpedoes and your guns you'll be in heaven. 

[DoctorMcDerp]

It's sorta to compensate for the fact that you get stealth torp capabilities.  That and as penance for what you did in the Farragut, and for what you are about to do in the next ships up.

[Special_Kay]

WG tends to incorporate factors which don't translate into the game directly when they set artillery ranges. Perhaps Mahan's FCS sits slightly lower, or the computers were different in a historically notable way, or maybe one of the ships in her class suffered some malfunction which was sufficient justification for them to make a change they felt was helpful for T7 balance anyways.

 

From what I've seen from the way they think, I don't doubt they spent the time to justify it. But I would be surprised if that justification was clear and universally accepted.

[Deacon33]

Thanks Kombat and Special K for the insights. I know the guns are for close quarters, but I did enjoy the fact that I could bomb away at a BB from beyond visibility range. Once burned a BB down from half health and he never saw me. So... Can someone tell me what I'm looking forward to in the Benson? 

[Special_Kay]

Thanks Kombat and Special K for the insights. I know the guns are for close quarters, but I did enjoy the fact that I could bomb away at a BB from beyond visibility range. Once burned a BB down from half health and he never saw me. So... Can someone tell me what I'm looking forward to in the Benson? 

 

5.8km concealment, with full concealment build. Much more plentiful radar. Easily bested lower-tier destroyers, and slower matches when you're bottom tier.

[poeticmotion]

 Can someone tell me what I'm looking forward to in the Benson? 

 

Benson's access to the concealment upgrade gets your concealment down way farther. Guns are the same from Farragut up to Gearing pretty much, but Benson can stealthtorp much more effectively thanks to concealment upgrade. She's also a bit more nimble, has better AA. and more hitpoints. 

 

Fletcher with upgraded torps is the best torp boat in the game and the best *pure* DD in the game IMO (I like Khab even better, but she plays more like a CL than a DD). Her torps have less range than the tier 10s, but 10.5k is plenty of range for anything but area denial and Fletch has a quicker reload, esp with torp reload upgrade, plus she has access to defensive fire without giving up a turret unlike the Farragut, Mahan, and Benson. And 5.8k detect with concealment upgrade and CE. She can bully any DD in the game at knife range, light up BBs with HE spam from stealth under the right conditions and torp like an IJN skipper's fevered dreams.