The HMS Campbeltown hit the Premium store this week and, being a sucker for cheap, low tier premium ships, I naturally bought her. For the uninitiated, the Campbeltown was formerly a US Wickes class Destroyer that was famously used to sabotage the dry dock for the Tirpitz, essentially removing the Battleship from the theatre of World War II. It's a story that's been well covered so I'm not going to go over it again, but there are documentaries you can find easily enough for the full story. It's pretty epic.
In the World of Warships it fills the Tier III bracket and is an almost dedicated torpedo destroyer. The standout features of this tug are the 7.5km range of its torpedoes and it's 6.5km concealment range allowing the cunning Captain the ability to surprise butt secks his victims. The guns are awful, there's only three of them and you can only use two at once so they're almost redundant, but it can make for some pretty funny gun battles with other Campbeltowns. The torpedo armament is an interesting one, with a triple launcher mounted on each side of the vessel, much like you see in low tier US Destroyers. On the flip side, it's quite agile and you can almost fire them forward, so it's not impossible to get six torpedoes into a fat, slow target, it just requires a little practice and daring.
I've had some early success with it, you quickly forget how fond low tier Battleship Captains are of not using their rudders, and I think it's right up there for fun factor as the Russian Derzki. Nothing tops the Derzki for doing stupid shit like this though...
So is it worth it? Well, it was eleven bucks, so yeah, I'll say it is. I've spent more than that on a sandwich before. If nothing else it gives me a chance to put some Command Points into a Royal Navy Destroyer Captain which will, if the rumours are true, pay dividends later this year as the Royal Navy ship tree hits World of Warships. As long as it keeps returning lol moments like the one below, it's making a return on the investment that I'm pretty comfortable with.
Recently I had a little bitch about turret destruction on the Atlanta. It was only a little one as War Gaming have seen fit to address it with the next patch but it brings to mind what must be the most maligned mechanic in the game; detonations.
Now, it goes without saying that a detonation in a ships magazine would be a catastrophic disaster. The USS Arizona that still lies in Pearl Harbour is probably the most famous incident of this kind, so no one can argue that this sort of incident has no basis in reality. But World of Warships isn't reality. It's entertainment.
It's entertaining to one shot an enemy ship, sure. But only for the person who rolls the 20 to actually get the detonation. For the victim it's utterly frustrating, dare I say a table flipping moment that, in that moment, ruins the game experience for the victim. Most people can deal with being out flanked, out gunned, out numbered or out played but detonations have no influence on those variables. It's taking one particular real life incident and incorporating it into a game where it has no place and is often the determining factor in a win/loss result.
Take for example last weekend, TankManMick and I were out in our Atago and Mogami trying to flank the main group when we got a brief visual on a Tashkent. Fortune smiled on me with my artillery being already well aligned to his position, I fired a volley and detonated him. Moments later a Hatsuharu appeared briefly to Mick who fired a volley and detonated him. Two Destroyers gone in two volleys, the enemy weren't coming back from that. Yes, it was hilarious, to everyone except our opponents.
Does this sort of game changing, rage inducing mechanic have any place in our game? I don't think so, but I'm interested to hear your opinion. In the meantime I'll just keep rolling the dice and hoping my enemy doesn't roll a damn 20 again...
Do you remember grinding your way to the Cleveland? It was my first Tier VI Cruiser and from the moment I could see what it was capable of, I had to have one. Twelve 155mm artillery pieces raining all fiery hell upon your foes, setting fires all day, delivering close range citadels to unsuspecting Japanese cruisers and having an elusive citadel of its own, it was everything I had hoped for and more. In fact, of my lower tiered ships, it's the only non-premium that remains in my port. Then I bought a Pensacola and my love affair with US Cruisers came to an end.
My efforts then went into the Japanese and then German lines and whilst the Myoko wasn't disappointing, it wasn't particularly exciting either. Sure it gets a high chance of fire but the rate of fire is slow and the turret rotation even slower. The Yorck at Tier VII in the German line felt more like a Pensacola than its predecessor, the Nurnburg. Sure it could deal impressive damage, but the situations that allowed that to happen seldom came for me.
So recently I've started on the Russian line of cruisers and I wrote recently of my experience with the Budyonny, and whilst it has been enjoyable, I've been eager to get to the Schors and see if I could finally have a Tier VII Cruiser that really suited me. Well, today I bought a Schors and it appears my prayers have been answered.
I spent the dubloons to retrain my captain instantly and set about taking advantage of the Schors high rate of fire, range, shell velocity and accuracy. With demolition expert I have a 15% chance of starting fires on target and when you can fire 7.5 salvos a minute from twelve barrels, that's a lot of fires. Being able to reach out to 16.8 km's and stretch that to a whopping 20 km's with a spotting plane it really allows you to deliver the love and keep your enemy at arms reach all the while having plenty of time to avoid incoming fire. The upgrades are predictable enough with turret survivability, accuracy, damage control and rudder shift, all no brainers. Regarding the consumables, I always pack a Damage Control Party II and Defensive Fire Upgrade II. The AA stats are not impressive on the Schors, but your turning speed is pretty terrible so making any incoming bombers panic drop is absolutely necessary.
With the ship in order, it was time to take it out for a test run. Keep in mind I still haven't upgraded the hull or artillery fire control radar yet, so this was really just a test run. The verdict? I've finally found the Tier VII cruiser I've been looking for, I just hope they don't smack it with the nerf bat. The next few days will see me have this lovely ship fully upgraded and ready to take into Team Battles on the SEA server which is currently capped at Tier VII. It means my team will have to share the AA load without my Atlanta around, but I'm confident we can cover it. The Schors is a beast.
The Yamato remains the most famous Battleship of the modern era, but it has been the Moby Dick to my Captain Ahab. On numerous occasions I've had it slip from my grasp, never able to secure a kill against it in my own right. Granted, I don't see myself opposed to it very often as I get the most enjoyment in Tiers V to VII, but it has always remained on my bucket list.
This morning I went into a Tier X match with a couple of friends in a Yamato of his own and a Shimakaze. My Fubuki didn't look too out of place and it's high concealment factor means it's still viable at this level, I would just have to play it smart. The round started off routinely enough with Musty and I laying torpedo walls for the enemy Benson to sail into as he tried to capture the position we wanted. He obliged, blundering into one of Musty's torpedoes and we moved North to try and flank the main group, secure in the knowledge that their Destroyer escort was now gone. The next ten minutes consisted of unsuccessful torpedo runs and a close encounter with a Mogami that saw Musty's Shimakaze go to the bottom. I barely escaped and kept forward recon up for cycpwnus' Yamato but in tangling with the enemy Iowa and it's cruiser support he went to the bottom also, taking the Iowa with him. With only an Amagi left to escort and an increasing imbalance in enemy ships to friendlies, things were looking grim. To compound issues, the Amagi now had to deal with a Yamato that had joined the fray, which is about where this video picks up.
Nine torpedoes launched, seven strikes, one Yamato down. From that point on the dominos kept falling with our Zao captain performing a hard carry on the other side of the map, giving us the ticket lead and eventually the victory.
The Atlanta is a much maligned vessel. All too often it is falsely compared to other cruisers when, in reality, it is like no other cruiser in the World of Warships. Indeed, it probably more resembles a Destroyer. Bristling with Destroyer sized weapons and packing an almighty Anti Air suite, it fills a role as a powerful escort vessel that can devastate small and large vessels alike when allowed to play in its range. This morning's round is a prime example.
The round started off in predictable enough fashion. Both teams had the new Premium CV, the Saipan, providing air cover and being a relatively low tier match I surmised the chances of an early carrier strike as quite high. With no enemy planes spotted for several minutes I became convinced that was the enemy CVs plan so sailing as close escort to our own Saipan I waited patiently for the strike aircraft to appear. Sadly, they didn't. Now well away from our undefended base I was contemplating my next move when the alarms started ringing, someone was trying to capture our base! A nearby Myoko and I made best speed for the base to hopefully repel the offending ships but it was going to be a tight call. The video below starts with the Myoko committing suicide to save the capture and then my efforts, backed up by a Mahan and the Saipan, to repel what remained.
It was a close call but highlights once again how powerful the Atlanta can be under the right circumstances. The much needed buff to turret hit points coming in the next patch 0.5.5 will be a huge bonus for the ship as turret destruction stands out as its biggest flaw. Hopefully the days of seeing my primary weapons all but stripped from my hull will finally be over. Now if only War Gaming would do something about those shell arcs...
First off, a little about me. I'm your classic daddy gamer, grew up on a Commodore 64 and Atari consoles and currently a card carrying member of the PC Gaming Master Race. I own a couple of Xbox consoles but I don't use them, they're reserved for my kids, blinded by the shiney stuff that is console gaming with no appreciation for the level of depth that PC gaming offers. In the past I've been pretty involved with first person shooter competitive teams in the Battlefield franchise but age has wearied my twitch reflex to the point of no return, so in recent years my attention has been drawn towards more tactical pursuits that reward cunning, patience and guile, not just reflexes. As such, EVE Online has been a consuming force for the last five years or so and I've maintained a blog for some time with amusing anecdotes and tactical discussions but, as so often happens, my interest has waned in the face of a new title. World of Warships.
I'm an ex-serviceman of the Royal Australian Navy so World of Warships had immediate appeal for me. With more than a passing interest in all things World War II and as an outright addict of the original Company of Heroes RTS, falling in love with this game was probably inevitable. With this blog I hope to share my insights, discoveries, humorous and skillful plays and fails, and maybe the odd pearl of wisdom. I will of course be open to all forms of feedback, be they kind or not, so feel free to counter any position I hold, I'm open to all perspectives. With all that said, I'd like to start with a review of my most recent fleet requisition.
Tier VI Budyonny
This Tier 6 cruiser is part of the newly released Russian line, promising highly accurate fire at good ranges and high speed but with poor maneuverability, concealment and anti aircraft defences. Such a doctrine is very much in line with the already well established Russian Destroyers who share almost identical properties only in a smaller hull. I've progressed through to the Tier VIII Tashkent in the Russian Destroyer line, so it's fair to say I enjoy the play style they bring. They're very powerful where they specialize but are very much lambs to the slaughter if you get yourself into a less than ideal situation.
The Budyonny took me some time to adjust to. The lower tier cruisers don't really prepare you for what's to come, although many would argue that the Kirov at Tier V is similar. There are similarities, sure, but the ships themselves gain success in different ways, in my experience. Initially with the Budyonny I was using it very much as I did the Kirov; as a stand off weapon, taking advantage of my range and speed to engage and disengage at will, lobbing armour piercing shells with high accuracy at ranges beyond which my enemies could shoot back, searching for those elusive citadel hits. But they never came. Round after round I persisted, convinced I was doing something wrong or just plain unlucky, but the consistency of damage, or lack thereof, was soul destroying. A new tack was needed.
Early in the round I keep myself at ranges that are unlikely to make me a primary target, allowing destroyers and more agile Cruisers to draw fire and spot threats as they appear. Under such circumstances I'm picking out the largest targets and firing High Explosive rounds, trying to set ships ablaze and scoring consistent damage volleys that force my targets to either burn a repair consumable or withdraw from the battle or both. Astute attention to the mini map will undoubtedly show an attempted flank before long and this is when I think the Budyonny can really shine. One on one engagements are the kind I seldom lose, even with significantly less hit points than my opponent and it's very much due to the Budyonny's ability to charge down a target at high speed, head on whilst keeping two thirds of its primary weapons to bear on a target. Front on, it receives laughable damage from armour piercing rounds and in my experience it seems to be the ammunition of choice of my enemy when I'm faced with another cruiser. High explosive rounds are much more hazardous to the Budyonny, but with good angling on approach you can still bounce a good portion of incoming rounds. More often than not, in an effort to bring more firepower to bear or turn to maintain range, my enemies show their broadsides and at under 10km's, the Armour Piercing power of the Budyonny opens up opportunities for punishing citadel hits. Failing that opportunity I just keep charging down my quarry to around 5km's and open up my angle of approach slightly to launch a narrow spread of five torpedoes, finishing the fight in an instant.
If you've spent any time in Japanese cruisers you'll appreciate the benefit of Torpedoes on a Cruiser hull. However, at Tier VI & VII those torpedoes are rear firing, making their benefit very situational, especially when the lion's share of your turrets are forward, not aft. A similar problem exists with the German Cruisers. The Konigsberg and Nurnburg have better torpedo firing angles than thier Japanese couterparts, but their turret layout has one fore and two aft, so charging down targets means only one third of your guns are brought to bear. Moreover, the High Explosive damage is quite poor with the German ships, so you really have to hope your quarry panics and turns to run so you can get the broadside shot you need to punish them. The Budyonny may not get the 10km range of the Myoko and Aoba, but the ability to fire their torpedoes forward whilst keeping two thirds of their guns forward and closing at speeds in excess of 35 knots cannot be under stated. It enables you to protect your very fragile broadside and keep significant amounts of firepower to bear on your target, all the while closing the gap to get the lethal blow.
The situations to avoid are any that involve your broadside being exposed and whilst this might go without saying in Tier VI cruisers, it is especially important in the Budyonny. A Cleveland, for instance, has a notoriously difficult to hit citadel so the exposure of executing a turn in a Cleveland is greatly reduced. In the Budyonny, it's probably going to be fatal. Equally dangerous is air power. You can equip the AA consumable which will at least allow you to spread incoming torpedo bomber or dive bomber runs, but the AA guns are horribly inefficient and shooting down more than one aircraft in a squadron that's making a run on you is close to a miracle. Some might argue that such poor AA armament is a good reason to fit the Hydroacoustic consumable for hunting Destroyers more effectively but the turning speed of the Budyonny is so bad that you really do need to have your aggressors panic drop if you're to have any chance of avoiding the torpedos that hit the water. If I find myself in a situation with a lot of aircraft, I try to stick close to the Battleships in my fleet, they're usually a juicier target for the Carrier captain and I'm still able to maintain fire from similar ranges as the BBs.
Lastly, always fit the upgraded emergency repair unit. You'll be up against Myokos, Aobas and Clevelands who love nothing more than lighting your decks on fire all game. You need that cool down timer to be as low as possible.
In the World of Warships it fills the Tier III bracket and is an almost dedicated torpedo destroyer. The standout features of this tug are the 7.5km range of its torpedoes and it's 6.5km concealment range allowing the cunning Captain the ability to surprise butt secks his victims. The guns are awful, there's only three of them and you can only use two at once so they're almost redundant, but it can make for some pretty funny gun battles with other Campbeltowns. The torpedo armament is an interesting one, with a triple launcher mounted on each side of the vessel, much like you see in low tier US Destroyers. On the flip side, it's quite agile and you can almost fire them forward, so it's not impossible to get six torpedoes into a fat, slow target, it just requires a little practice and daring.
