Dying in the new Operation

[CircleOfSorrow]

No matter what I do, I usually get taken out by bombers in the new Operation mode.  I am using my Leningrad, I stay away from the mines, I dodge the coastal barrage, I shoot down planes, I position myself at the front, middle and rear of the pack, and the bombers all pick on me!  What am I doing wrong?!  Is there an equivalent of a Fort Knox package I am supposed to buy for favourable RNG?

[RAHJAILARI]

Hmm, sounds distressing. What ship are you playing? Make sure to fully AA spec your ship, modules, signals and Cap skills too. AI usually targets the nearest ship so making sure someone else is between you and the direction the planes are coming from might help. OR maybe just stay close enough to another ship to benefit from its AA "umbrella". If all else fails, remove the "Bullseye" camo-scheme from your ship.

[ColonelPete]

• Use AA flags
• Try to evade

If you have that much trouble to survive, stay behind your team at the beginning and in front later.

But tanking air strikes is good for defending the civilian ships. The more the planes attack you, the more civilian ships might survive.

[Malfuss]

Use smoke, it helps you and protects the other ships.

[CircleOfSorrow]

1 minute ago, RAHJAILARI said:

Hmm, sounds distressing. What ship are you playing? Make sure to AA spec your ship, modules and Cap skills too. AI usually targets the nearest ship so making sure someone else is between you and the direction the planes are coming from might help. OR maybe just stay close enough to another ship to benefit from its AA "umbrella". If all else fails, remove the "Bullseye" camo-scheme from your ship.

 

I'm using the Leningrad, so I can position myself wherever I want.  The only thing I can think of is the AA on that ship is weak.

 

1 minute ago, ColonelPete said:

• Use AA flags
• Try to evade

If you have that much trouble to survive, stay behind your team at the beginning and in front later.

But tanking air strikes is good for defending the civilian ships. The more the planes attack you, the more civilian ships might survive.

I get that tanking damage is a good thing for the mission, but do I have to die?!  I tried staying out in front at the end, but position doesn't seem to matter...I just die. 

[eliastion]

12 minutes ago, CircleOfSorrow said:

No matter what I do, I usually get taken out by bombers in the new Operation mode.  I am using my Leningrad, I stay away from the mines, I dodge the coastal barrage, I shoot down planes, I position myself at the front, middle and rear of the pack, and the bombers all pick on me!  What am I doing wrong?!  Is there an equivalent of a Fort Knox package I am supposed to buy for favourable RNG?

For starters... Leningrad probably isn't all that good of a DD for this operation.

More disastrously - you're not a very good player.

My guess would be that you actually position yourself in front of or to the side of "the pack" (making yourself the prime target for bombers), you do a bad job dodging (you should turn towards incoming torpedo planes and sidewise against incoming dive bombers). I also doubt you're manually selecting planes to shoot at or that you have a relevant AA build.

Anyway - the primary defense against air attacks if you don't have AA consumable in this scenario is to be in the ship blob. You being targeted (successfully) by enemy planes strongly suggests that you're failing at doing that.

[ColonelPete]

Leningrad might not be the best ship for the OP.

 

Used Sims yesterday. Over 40 planes shot down....without BFT or AFT...

[Malfuss]

Just checked, you only have 5 games in a Leningrad and no other Russian ships, so I'm guessing your captain is very low level. You will have a huge detection range without Concealment Expert and I'm guessing no Survivability Expert, all of which will help, so not surprised you are struggling. This is why everyone suggests not buying premiums until you have the skill and captains skills to use them properly.

[aboomination]

Bombers always go for the nearest or (preferred) target with least HP.

If you see that they are coming in your direction, use your smoke - even better if your SS covers the convoy.

[CircleOfSorrow]

You

2 minutes ago, eliastion said:

For starters... Leningrad probably isn't all that good of a DD for this operation.

More disastrously - you're not a very good player.

My guess would be that you actually position yourself in front of or to the side of "the pack" (making yourself the prime target for bombers), you do a bad job dodging (you should turn towards incoming torpedo planes and sidewise against incoming dive bombers). I also doubt you're manually selecting planes to shoot at or that you have a relevant AA build.

Anyway - the primary defense against air attacks if you don't have AA consumable in this scenario is to be in the ship blob. You being targeted (successfully) by enemy planes strongly suggests that you're failing at doing that.

Haha, you're funny.

[RAHJAILARI]

5 minutes ago, CircleOfSorrow said:

I'm using the Leningrad, so I can position myself wherever I want.  The only thing I can think of is the AA on that ship is weak.

That explains a lot yes. DD's often have problems in operations specially if there are enemy planes present, they seem to target the DD's in particular probably becuse of their weak AA. If you insist continuing to use Leningrad, I think your best chance would indeed be to use smoke and hide there until the air raid is over. Otherwise consider changing ship, due to their better AA Cruisers tend to do very well in Scenarios, where there is heavy enemy air activity. But of course, still need to AA spec it. OR, as Colonel said Sims is a good choice too.

[aboomination]

Just now, RAHJAILARI said:

That explains a lot yes. DD's often have problems in operations specially if there are enemy planes present, they seem to target the DD's in particular probably becuse of their weak AA. If you insist continuing to use Leningrad, I think your best chance would indeed be to use smoke and hide there until the air raid is over. Otherwise consider changing ship, due to their better AA Cruisers tend to do very well in Scenarios, where there is heavy enemy air activity. But of course, still need to AA spec it.

Leningrad's guns are perfectly suited for taking out the smallboates.

[Malfuss]

1 minute ago, RAHJAILARI said:

That explains a lot yes. DD's often have problems in operations specially if there are enemy planes present, they seem to target the DD's in particular probably becuse of their weak AA. If you insist continuing to use Leningrad, I think your best chance would indeed be to use smoke and hide there until the air raid is over. Otherwise consider changing ship, due to their better AA Cruisers tend to do very well in Scenarios, where there is heavy enemy air activity. But of course, still need to AA spec it.

He's talking about Dynamo which only allows DD's to participate.

[RAHJAILARI]

Just now, Malfuss said:

He's talking about Dynamo which only allows DD's to participate.

Yupp, realized that just now... But then there's always Sims...

[BLUB__BLUB]

1 minute ago, CircleOfSorrow said:

You

Haha, you're funny.

He is n't trying to be though.

 

You have 250 battles. Also check @Malfuss : " you only have 5 games in a Leningrad and no other Russian ships, so I'm guessing your captain is very low level. 

You will have a huge detection range and I'm guessing no Survivability Expert, all of which will help."

 

Compared to the other players in that operation, you are like 'green as grass'. 

That doesn't matter so much if you know what to do. But you have not got the 'supercaptain experience points', and THEY will have it.

This is one (big) reason you die and they survive. 

[CircleOfSorrow]

2 minutes ago, ColonelPete said:

Leningrad might not be the best ship for the OP.

 

Used Sims yesterday. Over 40 planes shot down....without BFT or AFT...

Hmmm, you might be right.  I'm grinding some of the other Destroyers to use of the operation is still going.

2 minutes ago, Malfuss said:

Just checked, you only have 5 games in a Leningrad and no other Russian ships, so I'm guessing your captain is very low level. You will have a huge detection range and I'm guessing no Survivability Expert, all of which will help.

Good points.  Thanks.

2 minutes ago, aboomination said:

Bombers always go for the nearest or (preferred) target with least HP.

If you see that they are coming in your direction, use your smoke, even better if your SS covers the convoy.

My smoke is usually still on cool down during the fatal attack, so I'll try keep it to pop later.

[Malfuss]

Whoa, you guys post too fast.....

[aboomination]

1 minute ago, Malfuss said:

Yep and my got to ship for this operation. 40+ plane kills in most games.

Mahan will do just fine...

[CircleOfSorrow]

4 minutes ago, RAHJAILARI said:

That explains a lot yes. DD's often have problems in operations specially if there are enemy planes present, they seem to target the DD's in particular probably becuse of their weak AA. If you insist continuing to use Leningrad, I think your best chance would indeed be to use smoke and hide there until the air raid is over. Otherwise consider changing ship, due to their better AA Cruisers tend to do very well in Scenarios, where there is heavy enemy air activity. But of course, still need to AA spec it. OR, as Colonel said Sims is a good choice too.

 

Oh, I think this gets cleared up later...

 

3 minutes ago, aboomination said:

Leningrad's guns are perfectly suited for taking out the smallboates.

 

Yeah, I smash em...I started to think the AI was targeting the greatest dmg dealer like a tank agros in MMOs.

 

3 minutes ago, Malfuss said:

He's talking about Dynamo which only allows DD's to participate.

 

Yes, sorry about the confusion.

 

1 minute ago, BLUB__BLUB said:

He is n't trying to be though.

 

You have 250 battles. Also check @Malfuss : " you only have 5 games in a Leningrad and no other Russian ships, so I'm guessing your captain is very low level. 

You will have a huge detection range and I'm guessing no Survivability Expert, all of which will help."

 

Compared to the other players in that operation, you are like 'green as grass'. 

That doesn't matter so much if you know what to do. But you have not got the 'supercaptain experience points', and THEY will have it.

This is one (big) reason you die and they survive. 

Oh, I understand the difference in captain level.  I thought it was funny how he was explaining techniques for damage mitigation like it was rocket science.  I am playing boats to unwind after playing tanks.  It's not like boats are incredibly competitive or anything.

[aboomination]

Just now, CircleOfSorrow said:

I started to think the AI was targeting the greatest dmg dealer like a tank agros in MMOs.

I don't think so.

[FallenOrchid]

US DD usally have rather good AA so staying close to them might help. And try to coordinate your use of smoke with the team: Use smoke of others to hide and after it runs out pop your smoke.

[aboomination]

4 minutes ago, CircleOfSorrow said:

It's not like boats are incredibly competitive or anything.

Yeh..unlike your premium ammo infested slow paced tank game.

You have no idea, sorry.

[BLUB__BLUB]

2 minutes ago, CircleOfSorrow said:

Oh, I understand the difference in captain level.  I thought it was funny how he was explaining techniques for damage mitigation like it was rocket science.  I am playing boats to unwind after playing tanks.  It's not like boats are incredibly competitive or anything.

Well, we have players here that have 2500 games and still don't know, so... he's not trying to be funny.

Also it is pretty much competitive, just a lot less 'pay to win' than tanks with the gold ammo. 

Yes you can buy premiums. But no they will not be that much better.

When you want progress in this game, you (mostly...) have to earn it not buy it.

[CircleOfSorrow]

2 minutes ago, aboomination said:

Yeh..unlike your premium ammo infested slow paced tank game.

You have no idea, sorry.

Who says that?  Haha!  And slow paced?  Are you serious?  My captains need some serious skills then, 'cause all my boats move about cruise liners...

[Malfuss]

5 minutes ago, CircleOfSorrow said:

If there are serious boat players here like there are those weirdos that take WoWP seriously, I am going to lol to death :D

 

As in any game, there are people who play for fun and those who like to try and win, the majority on the forums fall into the latter category. It's no funnier than serious WoT players, some enjoy tanks, some enjoy ships.