Cruisers?

[Verblonde]

2 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

Thanks, I might try RN DDs to see if I like them.

If you want a gentle introduction, perhaps buy Cambeltown (T3) and/or Gallant (T6) - they both give an introduction to single fire torps, but lack some of the more difficult aspects of the regular RN DDs: they get normal smoke, and speed-boost, for example.

 

You can also run both with the same captain (hopefully ten points - Gallant is much more comfortable with CE).

[twoCannonsLess]

Thanks, I got the campbeltown using coal.

[Verblonde]

23 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

Thanks, I got the campbeltown using coal.

Good choice - she isn't sheer gloriousness embodied, but she's an inexpensive way to work out how single torps work (plus, the history behind the RL ship is notable)...

 

I still play mine occasionally, although Vampire remains my T3 go-to.

[twoCannonsLess]

Thanks, I guess I could use the campbeltown to train some 10pt captains for other UK DDs

[lafeel]

45 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

Thanks, I guess I could use the campbeltown to train some 10pt captains for other UK DDs

Not the worst at it, but the Gallant would be better..

[Verblonde]

25 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

Thanks, I guess I could use the campbeltown to train some 10pt captains for other UK DDs

Absolutely, although it may be a little slow in the long-term. Keep an eye out for free (ideally) 10 point captains; besides winning them in operations, you can get a few from the Arsenal, plus with the upcoming space thing, there is a probably quite a good chance of some 10 pointers being available in connection with that too (I picked up several last time around).

 

It's way too early for this yet (with, at time of writing, 235 battles), but your ultimate aim is to get to the point where you have at least one 19 point captain; besides being more powerful than more prosaic ones, all the captain xp you earn with them goes to elite captain xp, which can be used to help advance other captains. As you'll spot immediately, the effect then snowballs - the more 19-pointers you have (and play), the faster you'll accumulate more, and so on.

 

Different players will have different views on where the balance point lies, but one has to decide how much emphasis to put on getting your first captain to 19 points, versus getting other captains to 'good enough' (10 points, say). As you'll have noticed already, each captain point takes more and more experience to gain, compared to the last e.g. to go from 18 to 19 points requires 300,000 xp (more details here: http://wiki.wargaming.net/en/Ship:Commander), versus 2,500 to go from 1 to 2!

 

A helpful state of affairs to eventually arrive at is to have a high point captain for a high tier silver ship, plus a couple of premiums that he also works well with, to cycle through: that way, you get the benefit of more than one daily win bonus. For example, since we're talking about Brits, I have (I think) an 18 point captain assigned to my T9 RN DD, so every day I can bag the daily win bonus for the T9, plus Cossack, plus Gallant, plus Cambeltown, making his journey to 19 points faster, plus generating more elite xp after he gets there...

 

BTW if you complete the Dunkirk collection (via coal in the Arsenal) you get the Jack Dunkirk special captain, who's a 10 pointer, although his special skills are more suited to CLs (and maybe BBs - players with more RN experience can help here?). You can also buy his 'twin' straight from the Arsenal (1,500 doubloons). The various 'unique' captains are a whole separate topic though; the short version is that a few of their skills are better than the standard version, so making them especially suited to some ships more than others e.g. the 'Doe' twins have boosted EL and EM, which is suggestive of being a good fit with a BB; meanwhile the 'Ovenchicken' (the hockey guy) captains, have boosted EM, and SE (I think) making them great for Russian DDs particularly, and so on...

[twoCannonsLess]

Thanks, Do RN Cruisers teach bad habits? Or is it just hard to play them?

[Verblonde]

1 hour ago, twoCannonsLess said:

Thanks, Do RN Cruisers teach bad habits? Or is it just hard to play them?

Whilst my abilities in RN cruisers are similar to the levels you might expect from a concussed whelk in the matter of quantum physics, I'd suggest they might actively teach you good habits:

• If you give someone broadside, there's a good chance they'll delete you in one salvo, so it encourages angling, and hiding your vulnerable bits.
• No option of HE, so spamming said ammo type not possible - forces you to learn what to do with AP.
• Single fire torps, with their associated skill needs.
• Teach you to manage DCP/RP with a very fragile ship.

Personally, I find them a bugger to play well (plus, it helps to have a high point captain); although I'm showing zero signs of it myself, if you can master them, you'll probably be a rather better player at the end of it. If you want to learn to play torp cruisers, I would suggest that the IJN ones are perhaps rather more forgiving...?

[The_Pillager]

Right on point by@Verblonde imo.

 

My first try with RN cruisers  was a Desaster,  honestly. Only  the second try with two  10pt  cpt was Better.

I hated  the ships up to T5, pure pain for me. 

But from T6 on i learned to love them. T6, T7 and T8 still in harbour. 

They all are incredibly  squishy, everybody citadels you from almost every angle with Guns bigger than 15cm.

The range is meh so you have to go closer  then you might want  to be and god beware if a bold BB is rushing  you. Your AP will pling of harmlessly and you have no HE to burn  him down.

But if You succeed in finding good  positions and use your smoke wisely, you can be such a pain in the a*** for the Reds with these  Cruisers ...

I learned to love  them ... but i failed  hard with them at First,  really.

[twoCannonsLess]

Thanks, I will probably try them, although should I get them to the t6 leander? I've heard the emerald is not really good.

[Verblonde]

Just now, twoCannonsLess said:

Thanks, I will probably try them, although should I get them to the t6 leander? I've heard the emerald is not really good.

Something I should have mentioned: even if you're not great in them (being polite in my case), RN CLs are a hoot in coop. So, even if you find them to be a bit much in randoms, you can still make use of your ships against bots.

 

I like Leander a lot, but I would still suggest playing the previous tiers properly and extensively first; at the very least, it'll help teach you the basics of RN CL play in a less alarming environment. Emerald is, IMO, a good learning tool, but spectacularly unforgiving; make sure you spend plenty of time in the T4 (with its +1 MM) first, to pick up the necessary basic skill-set.

[The_Pillager]

Well, Emerald definitely is a difficult ship.

I found Danae better tier for Tier,  but Emerald makes you learn  the mechanics: hydro smoke and heal. 

And the ship prepares you for the difficult because weak ammo.

 

I jumped to Leander with free xp the First time  and failed Bad. 

Second time i restarted with Emerald, suffered through IT and fared better

 

My experience. 

[twoCannonsLess]

Thanks, btw I have almost finished the dunkirk collection so I should get the 10pt captain soon. What captain skills should I get? 

I was thinking I should get Priority target because these are very squishy ships.

[The_Pillager]

Seems @Verblonde and me always share the Same Positions 

[The_Pillager]

Definitely PT. 

I always take last stand next because you never want to be immobile with these ships.

More consumables for me at Level 3, more smoke and hydro is good.

CE is a nobrainer at level 4.

 

Works with CL and DD pretty good 

[twoCannonsLess]

thanks,  I know that RN CLs are easily citadeled but do they have bad completely bad armour or is it just a big citadel?

[The_Pillager]

I am not the specialist regarding data, but at last up to Leander the ships are wrapped in toilet paper.

Makes it easy: just dont get hit,  dont get shot at all.

 

Fiji and Edinburgh are weak, but can bounce 15cm AP, if you angle properly.

 

Neptune ... i abandoned the line at this point honestly ...

[twoCannonsLess]

thanks, I will probably get them to t6 and see if i want to continue with the UK line.

[Panocek]

18 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

Thanks, btw I have almost finished the dunkirk collection so I should get the 10pt captain soon. What captain skills should I get? 

I was thinking I should get Priority target because these are very squishy ships.

Unique Jack Dunkirk captain have few improved skills and personally I find him working best on UK battleships due to improved Expert Marksman (turret traverse) and improved Jack of all Trades (quicker consumable reload). Former skill is not that needed on UK cruisers and definitely a waste on tier 9 and 10, though latter is not a bad idea.

 

Priority Target is never a bad idea on all ships except carriers

 

13 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

thanks,  I know that RN CLs are easily citadeled but do they have bad completely bad armour or is it just a big citadel?

Its combination of very thin hull, as up to and including tier 7 heavy cruisers and their 203mm AP will overmatch you and exposed citadel, which is EXTRA exposed on tier 9 and 10. Actual citadel thickness is in line with other cruisers, though Caldeon, Danae and Emerald can be citadeled by even small caliber HE due to 16-25mm citadel deck acting as main deck of the ship

 

That said, Leander and Fiji are one of the better ships for Operations due to "oh " smoke and handful of heals to patch yourself, while latter fixes any issues you might have with lack of firepower due to having 12gun broadside and very serviceable range. Edinburgh is literally Fiji with some extra AA, longer ranged torps and better camo, but suffers from tier 8 MM. Neptune improves reload of main battery and gets fearsome AA, but its first ship with EXTRA exposed citadel and its the only ship in line with actually crappy concealment. Minotaur is well worth it, combining one of the highest DPMs in game with stealth, 8 torps/side and one of the finest AA in game. Still made of glass though, so its definition of high risk-high reward.

[twoCannonsLess]

Did they give the campbeltown normal torps instead of single fire torps because I can't launch single torps, I click to launch torps and it launches a full salvo.

 

thanks

[lafeel]

9 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

Did they give the campbeltown normal torps instead of single fire torps because I can't launch single torps, I click to launch torps and it launches a full salvo.

 

thanks

She pre dates the introduction of single launch torpedoes, so obviously doesn't have them.

[The_Pillager]

Yep, standard torpedoes 

 

Pretty old ship, single fire was no option at that time

[twoCannonsLess]

thanks

 

[lafeel]

2 minutes ago, twoCannonsLess said:

thanks

 

This is in fact one of the reasons (along with tier 6's generally getting more xp than tier 3's) why I said the Gallant would be a better crew trainer than her.

[The_Pillager]

Basically I agree with You. Gallant definitely has a lot more variation in playstyle. But he is an absolute starter, still. 

As long as @twoCannonsLess is not absolutely sure about his preferences in ships and styles, the cheap Campeltown is a perfect ship for testing.

He seems to be testing IJN DD at the moment and that does not look too bad up to now.

 

For the moment he absolutely seems to be on the right path, imo, for someone with less than 250 battles.

Asking questions, taking advice, testing techtrees but staying grounded.

All fine for my eyes ... 

 

@twoCannonsLess, you still have not found solid ground outside of the protected matchmaking.

All T5+ ships are not promising in terms of damage, still.

Quite some work to to and to learn, keep on going