Procrastes

Isn't it nice to feel appreciated?

To tell the truth, it would have been unreal to hope that the Duca d'Aosta would be a true contender for best tier VI HE-equipped light cruiser. That position is probably still held by the Budyonny - or, depending on playstyle, possibly the Molotov. Still, if ever given the benefit both CE and IFHE, as suggested by Flyto above, I feel that the Duca should be able to make some good battle runs.

Are we talking about the 4th level skill, 'Advanced Firing Training', here? That's the one to pick if you want that extra range for your secondaries (as well as your Flugabwehrkanonen*). * Aka. Flak, aka. Anti-aircraft guns.

The choice between CE and AFT is not a given one for the Blyskawica, in my opinion. CE is the more versatile choice. It makes the Blyskawica a true scout ship, as she can now move around the battlesea much more freely without continually getting spotted. It is probably the best choice in ranked battles. AFT is the more aggressive choice. It opens up a lot more opportunities to harass and burn down enemy ships. The long range ballistics are good, but not as superlative as on the Russian destroyers. Of course, once my Blyska captain reaches his 17th skill point, he'll have both those skills, and no mistake. But which one to choose as the first one, is mostly a question of playstyle and personal preference.

They work just fine on any German battleship as well.

You should mount the 'Secondary Battery Modification 2' upgrade, that boosts secondaries range with 20 percent (as well as decreasing dispersion). There is also a signal flag you can hoist, the 'Mike Yankee Soxisix', that boosts range and accuracy with another 5 percent. Welcome to the game, captain!

Does that actually make a difference on the secondaries, when you don't have the *Manual Secondaries' skill? I know it boosts AA performance. Nice post with great advice, btw!

IS AFT still worth it on the Blyskawica? Yes, I would expect so. I chose CE as the first 4th-level skill on my Blyskawica captain, and I feel that this is the more versatile option on this ship irrespective of (now extinct) stealth fire capabilities. The huge detection range was always the Achilleus-heel of the Polish destroyer. But I always planned on getting AFT once I reach 17 points on my Blyska captain, and this has not changed. The Blyskawica has good fire arcs and excellent shell velocity, and those extra 2,4 km range means a lot more chances to harass and set fires on enemy ships. As for the removal of stealth fire, it doesn't really bother me overmuch - getting detected at 14 km range is not such a huge disadvantage unless there are several cruisers shooting at you at the same time. This usually only happens when you are the first ship spotted in a battle.

That's a nice and fitting symbol to have on an international online game, then. Thumbs up!

Are you really asking people on the internet why they get offended?

Flags do have a tendency to stir up emotions. It's their job, after all. I can't fault Wargaming for treading softly on that mental minefield.

Again with this server-comparison masochism? I really can't summon up the motivation, myself... However, I must agree with cracktrackflaks evaluation in post #12 above. The Oleg falls short of the Bogatyr in every regard except pure aesthetics - the Oleg is an even more beautiful ship than her (his?) sister!

There was an option to by a permanent and rather nice-looking green camo pattern for the Emerald, during St Patricks Day 2017. I suppose the offer might resurface at the same time next year, or perhaps at some other point when Wargaming wants to offer some Irish-related goodies to the community.

Yeah, this is so familiar... When I'm in a destroyer, I try to assist battleships and cruisers with smokescreens whenever I see a good opportunity. But without prior communication, I can't really complain if an ally sails right on. No matter my good intentions, I can't dictate how anyone else should play simply by employing a game mechanic.

I also bought her primarily for the fun value! But, what is a "meme-boat"?

You seem to have had much the same experience with the Duca as I; now that's a comfort. Personally, I think I will go for IFHE as a first choice. There is no point in simply staying afloat for five more minutes, if you can't be of any use in the fight.

NOTE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND AMERICANS: One shilling = Five Pee. It helps to understand the antique finances of the Witchfinder Army if you know the original British monetary system:Two farthings = One Ha'penny. Two ha'pennies = One Penny. Three pennies = A Thrupenny Bit. Two Thrupences = A Sixpence. Two Sixpences = One Shilling, or Bob. Two Bob = A Florin. One Florin and one Sixpence = Half a Crown. Four Half Crowns = Ten Bob Note. Two Ten Bob Notes = One Pound (or 240 pennies). One Pound and One Shilling = One Guinea.The British resisted decimalized currency for a long time because they thought it was "too complicated." ______________ From Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Right you are! Decapitating the majority of the higher naval officers, or driving them into exile, had a rather detrimental effect on the fighting power of the French navy.

Range should be given in farthings, or palm lengths. Base ten is so boring and universal. Also, prices in the store should be measured in guineas and tupenny bits.

Well, of course the Royal Navy is overhyped. Having enjoyed more than three centuries of global naval domination, how could it be otherwise? But this domination has more often than not been due to quantity rather than quality. All else being equal, the most numerous battalion will usually win the day. The British certainly took this to heart during the 19th century, as they adopted the very straight-forward naval policy to always have a fleet that would be larger than any two other nations' fleets put together. Numbers will tell. This is not to say that the British Navy has been lacking in quality; far from it. With the resources at its disposal, it has generally upheld a very high relative professional standard. But it has not been superlative in all regards. During the 18th century, for instance, the French naval gunnery schools were generally considered to be the best in Europe (and by extension, the world). French gunnery sergeants excelled at such things as aimed shots to bring down masts or rigging, which could effectively put a ship out of the fight in short order. The British responded by drilling their gun crews to be able to fire three salvoes for every two fired by the French - again, making the numbers count. Given the very low level of precision of the artillery of that era, this was probably the more efficient tactic in the long run - as suggested by the outcome of the conflict at sea during the Napoleonic Wars, if nothing else.

The "sailing down the middle channel-manoeuver" has been elaborated upon in at least one Jingles-video, which I took as an opportunity to open a thread on the whole "Playing for Fun" issue. Is it a good thing, or a bad one? What does it truly mean? Gaming philosophy in its purest form, in my opinion! I'll add a link below; not to invoke thread necromancy but because my opening post really says just about all I have to say on the matter. http://forum.worldofwarships.eu/index.php?/topic/61403-playing-for-fun-a-question-of-philosophy/page__fromsearch__1

Plus, she's the only ship so far with an actual crew on board! (She's got koalas!)

Historically, this was done by bouncing shots off the armour of the enemy ships, to strike enemy aircraft coming in from above. In US navy slang, this was referred to as "walling", or "a waller". If one managed to bring down a plane on top of the enemy ship, it was hailed as "a reefer". If that resulted in the ship blowing up, bringing down the whole squadron of planes above it, this was called an "eight-ball", or an "Okinawa Flush". Despite claims to the contrary after the Battle of Okinawa, this achievement was never confirmed in actual combat.

I hope you are wrong, but I fear you may be right. And that would be a bit miffing - because I tend to take a rather dim view of any skills and perks that can be said to be "mandatory", in this context. They narrow down the practical diversity in the skill tree, in that they make it impractical to choose anything else. It was for this reason I applauded the removal of 'Situational Awareness' from the skill tree, since it was, to all intents and purposes, a must-have skill, for any kind of ship. Well, I suppose time will tell!

My advice: Take the first opportunity to buy the Perth - which is a nice ship, with a unique and fun playstyle - and then install your special smoke generator module on her. I did. It works.