Fire is no viable option for BB.

[St4n]

Everytime I have to fight a CA my ship (BB) burns like a candle so I tought:

Ok, if I meet a full-health enemy BB (same tier or higher) than I fire HE to set it on fire and if he repairs than set it on fire again and rack up fire damage like those damn CAs do with my ship.

 

I tried for several games and what I usually get is this:

Yeah, 14 hits with 365mm HE shells and not one fire...

 

But ok, small sample size and bias... so let's look at the numbers:

Tier IV BB Myogi - 6 shells per salvo - 2rpm - 27% fire chance -> chance to set someone on fire in 1min = 12 x 27%

Tier IV CA Kuma - 6 shells per salvo - 10rpm - 12% fire chance -> chance to set someone on fire in 1min = 60 x 12%

So you can allready see that the Kuma has a little bit less than half the chance to set someone on fire while having 5 times more tries to roll the dice.

 

Since firechance is rolled per hit statistically the ships would set someone on fire:

Myogi - one fire every 3,7 hits -> set someone on fire in 1min = 12/3,7 = 3,2 times

Kuma - one fire every 8,3 hits -> set someone on fire in 1min = 60/8,3 = 7,2 times

Here the picture get's a little bit more clear. The Kuma would statistically cause double the amount of fires than the Myogi.

The exact ratio is: 1:2,25

 

Now we need to take into account the dispersion:

Myogi - 218m

Kuma - 111m

-> Myogi would hit a target of the same size and at the same range roughly 50% as much as the Kuma.

Taking that into account the ratio changes to 1:4,5.

 

Conclusion: Aside from small inaccuracies from rounding and that other comparissions may yeld slightly different numbers, BBs are allways far behind to cause fires. With these calculations the Kuma would cause 4,5 fires in the same time the Myogi would cause one.

 

Yes, the Myogi has the alpha advantage if using AP and a little bit more range (arguable since hitting something at max range is just gambling because of dispersion), but that's it. The Kuma is smaller, faster, more maneuverable and has torpedos. It doesn't need a longrange flamethrower in addition to that and that counts for every CA.

 

[Askorti]

Battleships are supposed to deliver Knock-Out salvos to the citadel, not play around with fires, simple as that.

[DtXpwnz]

I allways like to meet enemy BB shooting HE, he is deliberately loosing 80% of his dmg output...

[Moulie]

There are 2 times I fire HE in my BB.

1. I forgot to load AP at the start.

2. I have to shoot at a DD because it's their last ship or no one else is trying to shot at the one the team let get through to the rear.

[Hummus]

Cruiser chance for fire on hit : 12%

Fire prevention, tier 2 captain skill : chance of fire -7%

Damage control system, upgrade 250k credits: chance of fire -5%

 

If you don't want fire you can basically remove fires from cruisers and destroyers. Battleships can still cause fires even on targets that have the full fire protection.

 

[Nethraniel]

Cruiser chance for fire on hit : 12%

Fire prevention, tier 2 captain skill : chance of fire -7%

Damage control system, upgrade 250k credits: chance of fire -5%

 

If you don't want fire you can basically remove fires from cruisers and destroyers. Battleships can still cause fires even on targets that have the full fire protection.

 

That is unfortunately wrong.

 

If you have both skill and upgrade you get to 12*0.95*0.93 = 10.6% fire chance.

 

It is not %points it is real percentages.

[St4n]

Battleships are supposed to deliver Knock-Out salvos to the citadel, not play around with fires, simple as that.

I allways like to meet enemy BB shooting HE, he is deliberately loosing 80% of his dmg output...

Fine by me, but what is the reason to give the CA such an advantage? CAs should use HE if they can't pen the enemy to make at least some damage, not to do the same or more amount of damage. What's the point of having a choice if one is allways the best?

[Hummus]

That is unfortunately wrong.

 

If you have both skill and upgrade you get to 12*0.95*0.93 = 10.6% fire chance.

 

It is not %points it is real percentages.

 

That would be a bit disappointing. Are you sure ?

I never relly tested it, bit it feels like some targets are a LOT harder to set blaze then others (more than the 2% difference your example gives) It would also mean the firestarter skill is useless (1.03*12=12.36 ... so a whopping +0.36%  whoohoo) 

[Askorti]

Fine by me, but what is the reason to give the CA such an advantage? CAs should use HE if they can't pen the enemy to make at least some damage, not to do the same or more amount of damage. What's the point of having a choice if one is allways the best?

 

Not always. Shooting HE at CAs is almost always a waste of time. You can use 8in CA guns to shoot AP at BBs at range to utilize plunging fire and possibly penetrate the decks. You can use AP rounds on CVs after you've set them ablaze with HE.

[Slo_Mo_Shun]

I am assuming that WG has reviewed fires in all scenarios as they have stated that, fires are working as design and will not be looked at again.

[NecroFlex]

That is unfortunately wrong.

 

If you have both skill and upgrade you get to 12*0.95*0.93 = 10.6% fire chance.

 

It is not %points it is real percentages.

 

Soooo, overall, the perk and the upgrade are both useless? only 2% less chance of fire...that's nothing not worth the points spent and not worth the credits...

[MAD_3R_Marauder]

 

Soooo, overall, the perk and the upgrade are both useless? only 2% less chance of fire...that's nothing not worth the points spent and not worth the credits...

 

That´s my take of it, yeah.

[dumbo11]

Soooo, overall, the perk and the upgrade are both useless? only 2% less chance of fire...that's nothing not worth the points spent and not worth the credits...

It means that e.g. instead of taking 9 seconds to start a fire, it takes 10.  (it's certainly not worth the points/credits given how HE spam works, but it does do "something").

 

Overall the HE/AP/ammo mechanics are horrible for battleships:

- the wonky ammo switching mechanics hurts if you have slow rotating turrets.

- the captain skill intended to mitigate the ammo switching problem is utterly useless.

- the overpenetration mechanics for AP are punishing for BBs.

- the fire mechanics/module damage are worthless for BB's offensively as their reload speed is comparable to the repair cooldown.

- on the other hand, the fire/module damage is a total pain-in-the-[edited]for BBs defensively.

 

They're still good ships, but it's all a bit frustrating.

[Moulie]

In my Phoenix I got 'pyromaniac' vs a tier 5 BB using HE. I was wrecking stuff left and right on him, I felt a bit bad tbh. Dodge his shot, light him up for ages, rinse and repeat. 

[Slo_Mo_Shun]

In my Phoenix I got 'pyromaniac' vs a tier 5 BB using HE. I was wrecking stuff left and right on him, I felt a bit bad tbh. Dodge his shot, light him up for ages, rinse and repeat. 

 

You felt a "bit bad", right, of course you did. You felt about the same amount of sorry as I do when I do it. The Atlanta is great for it, its cruel, very cruel, but fair. They will vapourize you given the chance.

[gizaman]

Often when meeting a ca one on one in a bb, you go towards him. Angle the ship between shots. Let him set one or two fire on you. When two fires or more, repair and stop them. Let him again set you on fire...one or two fires...then use repair ability that effectively nullifies one fires total damage. Well that is on warspite....meanwhile load AP and blast him away. when into 7 km range..the secondaries have lunch..they eat people like crazy on that ship.

 

That is the best way to deal with one like cleaveland. It is not easy but can be done.

[deathcaster]

Often when meeting a ca one on one in a bb, you go towards him. Angle the ship between shots. Let him set one or two fire on you. When two fires or more, repair and stop them. Let him again set you on fire...one or two fires...then use repair ability that effectively nullifies one fires total damage. Well that is on warspite....meanwhile load AP and blast him away. when into 7 km range..the secondaries have lunch..they eat people like crazy on that ship.

 

That is the best way to deal with one like cleaveland. It is not easy but can be done.

 

If a Cleveland (or any cruiser at all, with IJN as possible exceptions) let's you get closer than 7km (hell 10km is stretching it already) he/she is an idiot. Your clunky battleship shouldn't have any chance to get that close if the cruiser plays right. And while you make a futile attempt to get closer, and also reduce the amount of gun you can bring to bear in the process, than have fun while I have fun staying at range and lighting you up as a Christmas tree.

[gizaman]

True but while we wait for the certain cleaveland nerf, there are a ton of newb cleavelands out there.

 

Besides...it only take a few hits to cripple it with him sailing broadside towards me.

 

 

[deathcaster]

True but while we wait for the certain cleaveland nerf, there are a ton of newb cleavelands out there.

 

Besides...it only take a few hits to cripple it with him sailing broadside towards me.

 

 

 

Yeah sailing with your broadside facing a battleship (at medium/short range at least) is a good way to get yourself killed, and there are, like you said, far to many cruiser captains who just wanna bring all their guns to bear without respecting the battleships firepower.

[Tinbawx]

 

That would be a bit disappointing. Are you sure ?

I never relly tested it, bit it feels like some targets are a LOT harder to set blaze then others (more than the 2% difference your example gives) It would also mean the firestarter skill is useless (1.03*12=12.36 ... so a whopping +0.36%  whoohoo) 

 

Yes, fire mitigations are worthless, pick something else .

 

I got the Fire Prevention + Damage Control System combo, because I went by the same assumtion as you did. Doesn´t work that way, still fires aplenty on my BBs. No difference noticeable. Although you can get the module if you want, since the alternatives are reduced chance to get steering or engine knocked out (I had steering knocked out once in all my BB games). Or you can just save the credits.

[SgtTincan]

Battleships are supposed to deliver Knock-Out salvos to the citadel, not play around with fires, simple as that.

 

This, a hundret Times this !

[St4n]

This, a hundret Times this !

And what's the point of longrange flamethrowers of CAs?

[piritskenyer]

Cruisers have the rate of fre to make HEwork, BB's don't. It's just that simple. At 7-15% chance of setting something on fire with HE, spamming HE shells is what makescruiser effective at using HE. BB's fire 2-3rounds per minute from each barrel, that makes it near impossible for them to reliably set fires. Besides when they have AP shells that do as much damage as torps, that's what they should be firing.

[Grouchy116]

Cruiser chance for fire on hit : 12%

Fire prevention, tier 2 captain skill : chance of fire -7%

Damage control system, upgrade 250k credits: chance of fire -5%

 

If you don't want fire you can basically remove fires from cruisers and destroyers. Battleships can still cause fires even on targets that have the full fire protection.

 

 

Explanation is given here:

https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fforum.worldofwarships.ru%2Findex.php%3F%2Ftopic%2F20041-&edit-text=&act=url

[Moulie]

Was practicing with the Myogi this evening, in coop mode, the number of times I set the enemy on fire!! Seriously, secondaries are like flame throwers. NOTE: this up close and personal approach will only work against the WG bots (4 of which ignored me within 1000 yds so they could keep shooting at the destroyer they saw first!) or people who think HE is a good load out for BBs ;p. On a serious note, I tried nothing but AP (bar the odd HE against squishy targets) vs nothing but HE. Yes, the HE is more consistent at producing OK damage numbers every time as opposed to the bounces and over pens AP produces a lot of the time. But, without a doubt, AP wins hands down in the long run. When the RNG smiles on you for both accuracy (aka actually hitting where you were aiming rather than your shells flying off to visit their relatives in Nebraska) and pen, well, then it's all rainbows and unicorns as your target wonders where all it's health has gone!