Don't Ask Me Why, Dunkerque Just Works

[Retnav54]

Well, I'll admit I was wrong about this weird French duck. Looking at the stats and the reviews, I initially thought like many others this was a warmed-over POS, that it just wouldn't fit my style, I'd detest playing it and regret the purchase.

Couple things changed my mind. First, I went back and rewatched some of the less critical videos, and paid attention to how they played it.  And then atsf put his usual-tongue-in-cheek review up. After that, I'm like "OK, the ship can be made to work, it can be fun to play, bow armor looks troll as all hell, and I play mainly co-op so there would be no harm in taking this thing out to dink around in". But I still didn't know if I wanted to spend $25 on it for the privilege of finding out.

Then iChase put up his videos on armor penetration mechanics, and a link to the thread on the EU forums with the armor penetration charts for various ships. I downloaded many of the charts, including the one for the Dunkerque, and then sat back and compared them. What I found then clinched the deal.

Dunkerque's main guns have the best armor penetration performance overall of any Tier 6 BB......

Say WHAT??????

Yep, as far as penetrating X thickness of armor at Y range, Dunkerque had all the other Tier 6 BB's beat, save Fuso - and even then, when the range moved outside 10 km, it beat out Fuso as well. High velocity, fairly hefty shell, and low air drag coefficient. Size still matters when it comes to things like overmatch mechanics, but all other things being equal....

And throw in that 35% fire chance HE as well.... Okay, I'm intrigued, I'll give it a whirl.... at least it's not Russian....

After playing enough co-op games to get a 6 point captain on it, I'm thinking I may have found my favorite BB when it comes to slaughtering bots. Start off running hell for leather right behind the cruisers and DD's, give them some heavy support grabbing a cap and eliminating their opposite numbers, then swing around bow on and go into Fort Apache mode to face off against the heavies bringing up the rear, then when all's clear in that sector put it in B for Boogie and move to another area with something left to shoot at.

And I do think someone at WG has a trollish sense of humor.... a French ship, and it can do 12 knots in reverse?....

All told, maybe the reason this weird French duck seems to work so well in game, is that it's JUST WEIRD ENOUGH TO WORK in this game...

 

[Francois424]

Dunkerque is bet described by this one acronym: FCM50T.

 

It plays exactly like this premium tank from World of Tanks.  Lots of HP, above average gun, good speed, no armor....

 

Both have the same golden rule:  It's a great vehicle as long as you don't get shot at.

The Dunkerque makes an amazing battering ram to complete a match.  When you have time to see death coming, just ram a half-or-more HP battleship.  I've pulled two 90k damage matches doing that.

But the WarSpite is just superior to it in everyway.

 

And yeah, it's HE is nothing to sneeze at, but with ppl burning their repair kit, you're better off with 4-5 turrets than 2.  It still works mind you, as long as you catch BB's with their pants own (or watch for the opportunity).

 

[Sturmkurz]

Dunk has armor but only from the front.

[BrushWolf]

Dunkerque is bet described by this one acronym: FCM50T.

 

It plays exactly like this premium tank from World of Tanks.  Lots of HP, above average gun, good speed, no armor....

 

 

Both have the same golden rule:  It's a great vehicle as long as you don't get shot at.

The Dunkerque makes an amazing battering ram to complete a match.  When you have time to see death coming, just ram a half-or-more HP battleship.  I've pulled two 90k damage matches doing that.

But the WarSpite is just superior to it in everyway.

 

 

And yeah, it's HE is nothing to sneeze at, but with ppl burning their repair kit, you're better off with 4-5 turrets than 2.  It still works mind you, as long as you catch BB's with their pants own (or watch for the opportunity).

 

 

 

Dunk has armor but only from the front.

 

Actually when angled even the stern armor will bounce BB shells although not as good as the forward armor. The trick is surviving that turn.