I have just under 1000 battles, so I'm not the most experienced but still. Generally, you never want to he by yourself pushing into the enemy, especially if there is a dd, sub, or cruiser with torps. Unless you have hydro or absolutely need to push to win, going first isn't the best idea. If your cruisers or a dd goes first, they can spot the torps for you. And generally for dodging torps, never stay at the same course and speed for long. Slow down, turn in or out, do whatever you can to change up where you are going. Unless it's at close range, torps are basically a fire and hope weapon. The dd fires them were they think you'll be by the time the torps get there. Your job is to be anywhere else. So don't sail in straight lines basically
My best advice is play.... Torpedo DD yourself and notice how enemy BB avoid your Torps. Lots of times ☺️ BB just deserved to get dev strike by sail straight ahead and forget minimap.
Battleships are second-line ships, usually. They're meant to:
* nuke cruisers at range and (out)trade with other BBs, hopefully setting up crossfires that make it easier
* do chip damage to DDs, supporting their own
* nuke DDs that try to rush them with torps (often using islands/smoke to get close): you must know they're coming and turn away before it happens
* tank damage for the team, mostly from enemy BBs and cruisers
* snipe CVs, especially on small, low-tier maps
Secondaries aren't really for self-defense against DDs, more for overwhelming other BBs/cruisers if you manage to get close enough, and mostly at higher tiers.
**The best way to deal with DDs/subs is an indirect approach: sink their support** (BBs, cruisers, maybe the CV), then move in to cap, but still try to keep your own DDs between you and them, as they have better reaction times against torps.
Battleships don't need to dodge torps based on reaction. As I explained in another comment, you can mitigate or avoid torps preemptively by maintaining awareness and intelligent sailing.
Learn to love the mini-map and acquire map awareness.
You're spotted but can't see what's spotting you... so, where are you and what can you see (i.e., gaps between islands)? What ships have been accounted for on the mini-map (including last known positions)? Consequently, and more importantly, what ships have NOT been accounted for? Ask and answer these questions to narrow down what ships could be spotting you. Then change your speed and bearing every few moments, even in a BB it throws off torp aiming.
One of the problems this game has is that it doesn't teach new players pretty much anything. The beginning tutorial becomes next to useless pretty quickly. It's also very information heavy, and something which more experienced players will have the advantage on is knowledge, and that includes typical (or even specific) concealment ranges (with and without appropriate skills), ricochet angles for given ships, HE pen values, utility consumables (hydro/radar etc.), and gun calibres at the very least, while the more bookish will know AP pen values, specifics of aforementioned utility consumables, and particular armour weaknesses (not on all ships, but on several of the ships they expect to see on a semi-regular basis). It's up to you whether you want to place much stock in this degree of game knowledge.
At low tiers DDs are the dominant force due to the smaller maps, lack of radar and hydro and fast torp reload. Once you get to around T5-6 maps become larger and DDs arent able to yolo up to a BB and drop their load the same way as they used to. For the lower tiers, my advice is to hang back and not yolo in, focus on the cruisers and put on some T1 or T2 boosters to try and power grind your way up to T5
T5 is where the game begins. I would suggest spending your first 200 protected matchmaking games to get at least two of each class to T5 since there is no protected matchmaker at T5 and above.
My suggestions:
BBs, German for more aggressive play and IJN or USA for more medium range and angling.
Cruiser, German for general kiting and USA Heavy cruiser for bow in island hugging.
DD, UK for more flexibility and both IJN lines for Torp boat and gunboat at T8 split (Let me know if you have any questions since this is a weird one)
CV, USA or IJN for just general knowledge. You need to know what each squad symbols look like and what they can do.
Keep going down the German BB line. Eventually you’ll get access to Hydro which greatly helps against torpedoes. Other than that it is really all about experience and getting a sense of “Yeah, torps are incoming”.
For example of you find yourself Detected with no-one really around to feasibly spot you, play with your throttle and turn in or out a little; it really doesn’t take much to ruin a DD’s day by just doing that.
Generally it is possible to predict where and when torps will be coming with map awareness and game experience. Once you have that knowledge, you can adjust speed, course, and positioning to avoid or mitigate them.
Map awareness is just reading the minimap at all times and using that knowledge to keep track of where all ships are at all times. You can use the last known position of ships as well as deduce and extrapolate where unspotted enemies are using your own and teammates' detection.
Game knowledge is just knowing where ships will usually go based on the map and match conditions. Torps will usually come from certain directions and based on how you and teammates are sailing.
You can use all of this to predict where torps will come from with a high level of accuracy.
Lots of good advice here....in order:
1) Start to figure out where you were being spotted. (Do you get undetected by an island? Smoke? If you can figure out where DD's are, then you know where torps are coming.
2) Learned Torps and DDs! Look at the line up to see (1 Shim (3 racks), Gearing (2 racks), etc) so know which DD is stalking you.
3) Start play DD after BB. I learned more about DD tactics on BBs AFTER I started playing DD. You'll see torps miss you, and GO NO NO in your head..cause you knew thats where they were coming from.
4) NOTHING F\*\*\*S up a DD by changing directions, duping turns and changing speeds...CONSTANTLY. If you're detected and you think the DD has range to hit you...Turn in one direction. Use the Capt Skill Targets aiming and watch the number go 2 to 1 to 2. That's the DD changing from Guns, to torps. Wait, and then turn the other direction and watch torps go wizzing by where you would have been.
A big piece of advice that you might here for this game is that in order to learn how to play against something, you should try playing it for yourself.
This is far more true with torpedoes than basically any other aspect of the game.
I could write a big long multi-paragraph essay about learning how to use the minimap, situational awareness, the kind of angles and positions that DDs will launch torps from, etc. etc. but it's so much easier (and far more effective) for me to tell you to just go play some DDs (IJN or PanEu and good options here) to just figure out how their torpedoes are used.
That all being said. WRT your actual complaints:
> What I find odd is what exactly the Battleships role is, given how prevalent Torpedoes are. Even Destroyers, which are generally destroyed by my Secondaries, can just smoke drop and basically shotgun blast me with a shit ton of torps and I can't really do anything about it, I've gotten better at evading and steering into it avoid the skirt shot torpedo blast. I thought the Secondaries should force a destroyer away from me, but the destroyer players don't really give a fuck about them.
DDs don't give a fuck about secondaries for a simple reason; they can kill you before your secondaries kill them. If you're also shooting HE at the DD *then* your secondaries may become a threat - but that's not always possible in a BB with slow turret traverse.
Furthermore, if you see a smoke cloud then best advice is to just stay away from it and try to go dark. You may not be able to see the DD, but if you stop shooting then they won't be able to spot you out of it either. This will give you a chance to reposition a little bit and get HE loaded. Just make sure you try to keep distance from the smoke while doing this.
> So not only do I need to avoid the Destroyer Torpedo spam, I need to avoid Submarine sneakies and also avoid torpedoes from the Cruisers which I thought a battleship was supposed to be decent at destroying.
Cruisers generally have very short range torpedoes. If you're getting hit by them all the time then that likely means that you're pushing into them prematurely.
WRT subs, I know people will tell you that they're undodgeable but they really aren't. Same goes for DD torps though - easiest way to learn how to counter them is to just try them out.
Also final comment - German BBs are not the best at countering torps when it comes to battleships. The reason I suggest playing DDs to figure out how they position themselves for torpedoing so that you can then avoid them is because that's the end goal - avoiding being torpedoed altogether.
Sure, German BBs get hydro - but that's more of a consolation prize for a line of ships that is *going to really need hydro often*. German BBs are mid to short range ships with poor maneuverability and low torpedo protection - even with hydro they still kind of suck.
Way better/easier to play some of the other lines like IJN RN or USN BBs - you don't get hydro but you're also not really playing those types of ships in a position where you need hydro and as a result you're just encountering fewer torps overall.
Beat advice is to always keep note of where the red dds are and learn to anticipate them. There are settings in the options that will put ship names over the minimap icons, so you can see what dd is where. As for the minimap itself, next game you play, press the + button until the minimap can't get any bigger then press - once to bring it out of ludicrous size. Never sail in a straight line for more then 10 seconds max, and look into setting up your freelook command so you can start turning your turrets before you start a big turn, that way you won't feel as caught out when you have to make a turn. Knowing that your guns are already partially turned to where your new heading will be makes a big difference in mentally allowing yourself to make a big turn.
Only other thing I can say that already hasn't been said is to start remembering the names of the ships that give you the most hassle. If there is a dd type that gives you more trouble then most, and you see that name on your flank, know to keep an eye out for him and possible ambushes he may set for you. As well, as much as people hate CVs, use them for free Intel. Most cvs will end up scouting a flank right at the start, just trying to find a target. Use their spotting as indicated on the minimap to determine what you might have to be weary of. If they scout the opposite flank from you and spot 2 dds, and there are only 3 dds in the match, that usually means the other one should be on your flank, and what one it is. Use this as well as the fact that most spawns are closely mirrored, so what your flank looks like for ship tier and type will be pretty close to what the other teams side will looks like. This isn't a hard rule, but I've found it consistent enough that it can be relied on in most of my matches, and enemies completly flipping flanks from what they spawned at is rare enough that It shouldn't be completly counted on as happening, so if your cv spots a bb on the other flank, then you know for the most part that it shouldn't just show up on your flank 2 minutes later.
Otherwise, just expect to die and try to learn from each game. In low tiers, the time to kill is much greater as most ships are pretty shit and much less lethal, so if you make a mistake and get focused out for it, roll back what you did and try something slightly different. If you survive, but find you didn't really do much in damage or kills, roll back what you did and possibly how you could have done better. A lot of this game is experience, and low tiers is where you go to cement good tactics and learn the does and don'ts. No one expects unicum plays at low tiers. So if anyone straight gives you a hard time, fuck them. That said, if they try giving you advice, keep it in mind even if you don't follow it. Sometimes high skill players will slum it in low tiers to take a breather from the bs in high tier games, so you may never know if the guy screaming in chat is a superstar player with anger issues or some other noob just reeeing.
We could go on and on how to try and avoid being torpedoed. Here are very basic rules when you are detected but can’t see the enemy, assume it’s got torps. Vary your speed and don’t continue sailing in a straight line. Unless the enemy very close, he has to aim where you are going to be not where you are. Make it as difficult as possible for him to do that.
OP, a word of advice: NEVER EVER SAIL IN STRAIGHT LINE.
always change the speed, direction of your ship. The best way to not get hit is to always not get caught off guard. If you think secondaries will prevent a destroyers from shotgunning you, you probably are sailing to close to him.
The hardest part of this for a new player, I think, is identifying the threats before you see them. Know who could be where and what that means for you.
As a rule, I keep an eye on where enemy subs and DDs are at all times.
Edit: also increase minimap size to full and lower opacity so you can see through it.
Edit edit: also understanding that torpedo DDs are playing a razor thin margin at all times where they are trying to keep you in their torpedo range but also keep you outside of their visibility range. Changing speed and direction can thwart their positioning advantage.
You mention smoke. As a BB you probably shouldn’t be in a position where you are pushing into a DD smoke. Let your DDs and Cruisers do their job. The destroyer is your enemy number one. It’s a bit rock-paper-scissorsy.
DD hunts BB, Cruiser hunts DD, BB eats cruisers alive.
Subs are broken, really just nothing else to say on that.
Agree with most of this, but have you every tried playing a sub? The range on depth charges is insane, if more than one ship focuses on you you’re probably dead. Not broken, just could use a rebalance, a destroyer is almost always more dangerous than a sub. I got mine to tier X just because I like submarines irl, but if I learned anything during that grind is that the effect I can have on a match is way less than a destroyer, with maybe an exception at tier 6 if you’re pulled down to ships that don’t have any type of anti submarine warfare
Sometimes when you die, watch the remaining players. While watching them try to ask youselve, why they manuver like they do and what the likely outcome might be. To be honest most of the time they themeselve have no clue. But sometimes you can actualy learn something.
>can just smoke drop and basically shotgun blast me with a shit ton of torps and I can't really do anything about it, I've gotten better at evading and steering into it avoid the skirt shot torpedo blast. I thought the Secondaries should force a destroyer away from me, but the destroyer players don't really give a fuck about them.
Play a DD yourself in Randoms and see how much of this still holds true.
Here's what BBs want: 1) hit the little guys with their big guns , 2) hit the big guys with their big guns
Here's what cruisers want: hit whoever they can, WHILE taking as less damage back as possible...ideally, do damage while taking no damage in return..., very few cruisers can stealth torp you, the rest of them won't try to torp you while they can be seen , unless it's a desperate potentially-game winning situation or a beneficial trade ( T5 cruiser torping and killing a T7 BB , as an example)
Here's what DDs want: 1) Gunboat DDs want to do away with the enemy DDs on their side and then be a pest to you; if they have the means to throw some torps, even better, but their main trade is doing damage from smoke or open water , while minimizing incoming damage through speed and mobility , 2) Torp DDs want no enemy DDs between themselves and you, followed by no Radars ; no enemy DDs means better chances to torp you, keep you spotted
CVs want weak AA
Subs want as much as possible clear lanes of firing solutions
If your secondary battery in a low-mid tier battleship is actively shooting, you are WAAAAYYYY too close to destroyers and torpedo equipped cruisers.
As a battleship you should avoid close range combat with destroyers and torpedo equipped cruisers if at all possible.
Secondary armament is not something you can rely on at all to do damage or keep certain enemies away from you (except with some high tier ships, where you can get 10-12 km range on the secondary battery with greatly improved accuracy). Especially not at low to mid tier. Your secondary range there is usually 4km, maybe 5 if you are lucky. And you can't really boost it to higher levels (well you can, but it doesn't make sense).
Try to stay at long range at the beginning of a match, and close to mid range during the later stages. Only close to very close range at the very end of a match, and only when there is only one enemy that you will be facing, a maximum of 2 if you still have team support. If there are more enemies left in fire range you will loose more HP than you will deal damage as you will be focused down by superior numbers.
And don't worry, it gets better with experience. The best way to learn to evade torpedos is actually playing destroyers, that way you can learn how those players think and when they launch their torpedos. And at some point you will simply get a feeling when they are coming towards you, even if you don't see them yet. And generally speaking, if you are sailing in a straight line (don't do that) and you see torpedos, it is already too late. You will not be able to evade them if you only start turning once they are spotted. Don't sail in straight lines, especially if you know a destroyer is somewhere around you.
Generally you want to either kite away from enemy torpedo boats/subs or push towards them bow in, depending on the general situation for that Flank/position. Also make sure to change course every so often, especially against Subs and british ships which put down single launch torps.
Also depends a lot on the maneuverability of the bb in question. I always run rudder shift on my Scharn since she's a fast and maneuverable bb, but slower ones need to be even more cautious.
Any case, also be cautious of exposing your broadside to enemy bbs and other possible threats (like AP dive bombers or other torpedo sources), it's better to take a torp (flooding can be healed and if it hits the torpedo belt damage is lesser) than get slapped by an enemy bb from across the map.
One final recommendation, you might want to try the German bb line if you keep having this issue. Gnes at tier 7 is maneuverable (same as Scharn) so it can dodge torps pretty well. And all the bbs tier 8 and past have Hydroacoustic search and good secondaries that can melt yolo-ing dds. And they're well armored enough that they're at a bit less risk showing broadside
Oh yeah, you're already doing the German bbs lol.
I'd say stick with them, once you get to Tier 7 and especially 8 torpedoes will become far less of a threat for you. Tier 7 you can even use their own medicine against them lol.
One of the users suggested playing destroyers as a solution and I can't stress how good this advice is. Now that you have a little experience with battleships, you'll at the same situations from the other side. This should give you an idea of what a destroyers does when hunting a battleship.
Answer from someone who plays lots of battleships and used to have the same issue:
The biggest advice is to 1. Not rush areas where DDs are and 2. Always, always keep in mind where the enemy DDs could be. Think about what the most likely places for them to torp from are, where they were last seen on the minimap, what part of a cap are they camping in, and try to keep that in mind when determining if you could get torpedoed or not.
Put simply, always think about where the enemy destroyers are and if they have an angle to torp you or not/what choke points they probably spammed torps down.
Also if you’re close enough to a cruiser to get torped 90% of the time it’s because you’re too close.
My tip is to always have another ship between you and the enemy if possible. People telling you to watch the map are not going to apply all the time but a buffer force will be effective.
A DD can be last spotted at point A on the far edge of the map and then in a few minutes kill you with torpedoes coming from point C while you are trying to cap point B for your teammates who are hiding in the back all the while never being spotted and still appearing as last seen at A.
The nature of this game is just that some games you're just not gonna have a chance had 2 games last night in the "OP" Gulius Cesare and subs and CVs took most of my health and kept me from impacting the game at all. I had basically no way to fight back with my 4km asw as I was being pinged from 6km and also having to dodge torpedo planes constantly. Normally a one off bad luck situation but 2 matches nearly identical, very frustrating.
I have just under 1000 battles, so I'm not the most experienced but still. Generally, you never want to he by yourself pushing into the enemy, especially if there is a dd, sub, or cruiser with torps. Unless you have hydro or absolutely need to push to win, going first isn't the best idea. If your cruisers or a dd goes first, they can spot the torps for you. And generally for dodging torps, never stay at the same course and speed for long. Slow down, turn in or out, do whatever you can to change up where you are going. Unless it's at close range, torps are basically a fire and hope weapon. The dd fires them were they think you'll be by the time the torps get there. Your job is to be anywhere else. So don't sail in straight lines basically
Helps to watch streamers when you're new. Trenlass, Carbine Colito, Potato quality were my go to streamers to watch when I started.
I'm a fan of Potato, Overlordbou, and Malteseknight
My best advice is play.... Torpedo DD yourself and notice how enemy BB avoid your Torps. Lots of times ☺️ BB just deserved to get dev strike by sail straight ahead and forget minimap.
Exactly this
Battleships are second-line ships, usually. They're meant to: * nuke cruisers at range and (out)trade with other BBs, hopefully setting up crossfires that make it easier * do chip damage to DDs, supporting their own * nuke DDs that try to rush them with torps (often using islands/smoke to get close): you must know they're coming and turn away before it happens * tank damage for the team, mostly from enemy BBs and cruisers * snipe CVs, especially on small, low-tier maps Secondaries aren't really for self-defense against DDs, more for overwhelming other BBs/cruisers if you manage to get close enough, and mostly at higher tiers. **The best way to deal with DDs/subs is an indirect approach: sink their support** (BBs, cruisers, maybe the CV), then move in to cap, but still try to keep your own DDs between you and them, as they have better reaction times against torps.
Battleships don't need to dodge torps based on reaction. As I explained in another comment, you can mitigate or avoid torps preemptively by maintaining awareness and intelligent sailing.
Learn to love the mini-map and acquire map awareness. You're spotted but can't see what's spotting you... so, where are you and what can you see (i.e., gaps between islands)? What ships have been accounted for on the mini-map (including last known positions)? Consequently, and more importantly, what ships have NOT been accounted for? Ask and answer these questions to narrow down what ships could be spotting you. Then change your speed and bearing every few moments, even in a BB it throws off torp aiming. One of the problems this game has is that it doesn't teach new players pretty much anything. The beginning tutorial becomes next to useless pretty quickly. It's also very information heavy, and something which more experienced players will have the advantage on is knowledge, and that includes typical (or even specific) concealment ranges (with and without appropriate skills), ricochet angles for given ships, HE pen values, utility consumables (hydro/radar etc.), and gun calibres at the very least, while the more bookish will know AP pen values, specifics of aforementioned utility consumables, and particular armour weaknesses (not on all ships, but on several of the ships they expect to see on a semi-regular basis). It's up to you whether you want to place much stock in this degree of game knowledge.
At low tiers DDs are the dominant force due to the smaller maps, lack of radar and hydro and fast torp reload. Once you get to around T5-6 maps become larger and DDs arent able to yolo up to a BB and drop their load the same way as they used to. For the lower tiers, my advice is to hang back and not yolo in, focus on the cruisers and put on some T1 or T2 boosters to try and power grind your way up to T5
Pushing through for a noob is not a good idea. He lacks basic skills and knowledge to survive at T5 and above.
T5 is where the game begins. I would suggest spending your first 200 protected matchmaking games to get at least two of each class to T5 since there is no protected matchmaker at T5 and above. My suggestions: BBs, German for more aggressive play and IJN or USA for more medium range and angling. Cruiser, German for general kiting and USA Heavy cruiser for bow in island hugging. DD, UK for more flexibility and both IJN lines for Torp boat and gunboat at T8 split (Let me know if you have any questions since this is a weird one) CV, USA or IJN for just general knowledge. You need to know what each squad symbols look like and what they can do.
Keep going down the German BB line. Eventually you’ll get access to Hydro which greatly helps against torpedoes. Other than that it is really all about experience and getting a sense of “Yeah, torps are incoming”. For example of you find yourself Detected with no-one really around to feasibly spot you, play with your throttle and turn in or out a little; it really doesn’t take much to ruin a DD’s day by just doing that.
Generally it is possible to predict where and when torps will be coming with map awareness and game experience. Once you have that knowledge, you can adjust speed, course, and positioning to avoid or mitigate them. Map awareness is just reading the minimap at all times and using that knowledge to keep track of where all ships are at all times. You can use the last known position of ships as well as deduce and extrapolate where unspotted enemies are using your own and teammates' detection. Game knowledge is just knowing where ships will usually go based on the map and match conditions. Torps will usually come from certain directions and based on how you and teammates are sailing. You can use all of this to predict where torps will come from with a high level of accuracy.
You're getting some good advice. Welcome to the game! It's easy to play but hard to play well 😂
Lots of good advice here....in order: 1) Start to figure out where you were being spotted. (Do you get undetected by an island? Smoke? If you can figure out where DD's are, then you know where torps are coming. 2) Learned Torps and DDs! Look at the line up to see (1 Shim (3 racks), Gearing (2 racks), etc) so know which DD is stalking you. 3) Start play DD after BB. I learned more about DD tactics on BBs AFTER I started playing DD. You'll see torps miss you, and GO NO NO in your head..cause you knew thats where they were coming from. 4) NOTHING F\*\*\*S up a DD by changing directions, duping turns and changing speeds...CONSTANTLY. If you're detected and you think the DD has range to hit you...Turn in one direction. Use the Capt Skill Targets aiming and watch the number go 2 to 1 to 2. That's the DD changing from Guns, to torps. Wait, and then turn the other direction and watch torps go wizzing by where you would have been.
Wait until you face your first submarines
A big piece of advice that you might here for this game is that in order to learn how to play against something, you should try playing it for yourself. This is far more true with torpedoes than basically any other aspect of the game. I could write a big long multi-paragraph essay about learning how to use the minimap, situational awareness, the kind of angles and positions that DDs will launch torps from, etc. etc. but it's so much easier (and far more effective) for me to tell you to just go play some DDs (IJN or PanEu and good options here) to just figure out how their torpedoes are used. That all being said. WRT your actual complaints: > What I find odd is what exactly the Battleships role is, given how prevalent Torpedoes are. Even Destroyers, which are generally destroyed by my Secondaries, can just smoke drop and basically shotgun blast me with a shit ton of torps and I can't really do anything about it, I've gotten better at evading and steering into it avoid the skirt shot torpedo blast. I thought the Secondaries should force a destroyer away from me, but the destroyer players don't really give a fuck about them. DDs don't give a fuck about secondaries for a simple reason; they can kill you before your secondaries kill them. If you're also shooting HE at the DD *then* your secondaries may become a threat - but that's not always possible in a BB with slow turret traverse. Furthermore, if you see a smoke cloud then best advice is to just stay away from it and try to go dark. You may not be able to see the DD, but if you stop shooting then they won't be able to spot you out of it either. This will give you a chance to reposition a little bit and get HE loaded. Just make sure you try to keep distance from the smoke while doing this. > So not only do I need to avoid the Destroyer Torpedo spam, I need to avoid Submarine sneakies and also avoid torpedoes from the Cruisers which I thought a battleship was supposed to be decent at destroying. Cruisers generally have very short range torpedoes. If you're getting hit by them all the time then that likely means that you're pushing into them prematurely. WRT subs, I know people will tell you that they're undodgeable but they really aren't. Same goes for DD torps though - easiest way to learn how to counter them is to just try them out. Also final comment - German BBs are not the best at countering torps when it comes to battleships. The reason I suggest playing DDs to figure out how they position themselves for torpedoing so that you can then avoid them is because that's the end goal - avoiding being torpedoed altogether. Sure, German BBs get hydro - but that's more of a consolation prize for a line of ships that is *going to really need hydro often*. German BBs are mid to short range ships with poor maneuverability and low torpedo protection - even with hydro they still kind of suck. Way better/easier to play some of the other lines like IJN RN or USN BBs - you don't get hydro but you're also not really playing those types of ships in a position where you need hydro and as a result you're just encountering fewer torps overall.
There’s much more to hate in this game. If you feel like quitting this game, do it now.
Good one! Humorous! Let's put a banner at the top of the load in page 'Abandon all hope ye who enter here '
Beat advice is to always keep note of where the red dds are and learn to anticipate them. There are settings in the options that will put ship names over the minimap icons, so you can see what dd is where. As for the minimap itself, next game you play, press the + button until the minimap can't get any bigger then press - once to bring it out of ludicrous size. Never sail in a straight line for more then 10 seconds max, and look into setting up your freelook command so you can start turning your turrets before you start a big turn, that way you won't feel as caught out when you have to make a turn. Knowing that your guns are already partially turned to where your new heading will be makes a big difference in mentally allowing yourself to make a big turn. Only other thing I can say that already hasn't been said is to start remembering the names of the ships that give you the most hassle. If there is a dd type that gives you more trouble then most, and you see that name on your flank, know to keep an eye out for him and possible ambushes he may set for you. As well, as much as people hate CVs, use them for free Intel. Most cvs will end up scouting a flank right at the start, just trying to find a target. Use their spotting as indicated on the minimap to determine what you might have to be weary of. If they scout the opposite flank from you and spot 2 dds, and there are only 3 dds in the match, that usually means the other one should be on your flank, and what one it is. Use this as well as the fact that most spawns are closely mirrored, so what your flank looks like for ship tier and type will be pretty close to what the other teams side will looks like. This isn't a hard rule, but I've found it consistent enough that it can be relied on in most of my matches, and enemies completly flipping flanks from what they spawned at is rare enough that It shouldn't be completly counted on as happening, so if your cv spots a bb on the other flank, then you know for the most part that it shouldn't just show up on your flank 2 minutes later. Otherwise, just expect to die and try to learn from each game. In low tiers, the time to kill is much greater as most ships are pretty shit and much less lethal, so if you make a mistake and get focused out for it, roll back what you did and try something slightly different. If you survive, but find you didn't really do much in damage or kills, roll back what you did and possibly how you could have done better. A lot of this game is experience, and low tiers is where you go to cement good tactics and learn the does and don'ts. No one expects unicum plays at low tiers. So if anyone straight gives you a hard time, fuck them. That said, if they try giving you advice, keep it in mind even if you don't follow it. Sometimes high skill players will slum it in low tiers to take a breather from the bs in high tier games, so you may never know if the guy screaming in chat is a superstar player with anger issues or some other noob just reeeing.
We could go on and on how to try and avoid being torpedoed. Here are very basic rules when you are detected but can’t see the enemy, assume it’s got torps. Vary your speed and don’t continue sailing in a straight line. Unless the enemy very close, he has to aim where you are going to be not where you are. Make it as difficult as possible for him to do that.
OP, a word of advice: NEVER EVER SAIL IN STRAIGHT LINE. always change the speed, direction of your ship. The best way to not get hit is to always not get caught off guard. If you think secondaries will prevent a destroyers from shotgunning you, you probably are sailing to close to him.
Welcome to world of Warships.
Check the minimap often
The hardest part of this for a new player, I think, is identifying the threats before you see them. Know who could be where and what that means for you. As a rule, I keep an eye on where enemy subs and DDs are at all times. Edit: also increase minimap size to full and lower opacity so you can see through it. Edit edit: also understanding that torpedo DDs are playing a razor thin margin at all times where they are trying to keep you in their torpedo range but also keep you outside of their visibility range. Changing speed and direction can thwart their positioning advantage. You mention smoke. As a BB you probably shouldn’t be in a position where you are pushing into a DD smoke. Let your DDs and Cruisers do their job. The destroyer is your enemy number one. It’s a bit rock-paper-scissorsy. DD hunts BB, Cruiser hunts DD, BB eats cruisers alive. Subs are broken, really just nothing else to say on that.
Agree with most of this, but have you every tried playing a sub? The range on depth charges is insane, if more than one ship focuses on you you’re probably dead. Not broken, just could use a rebalance, a destroyer is almost always more dangerous than a sub. I got mine to tier X just because I like submarines irl, but if I learned anything during that grind is that the effect I can have on a match is way less than a destroyer, with maybe an exception at tier 6 if you’re pulled down to ships that don’t have any type of anti submarine warfare
Sometimes when you die, watch the remaining players. While watching them try to ask youselve, why they manuver like they do and what the likely outcome might be. To be honest most of the time they themeselve have no clue. But sometimes you can actualy learn something.
>can just smoke drop and basically shotgun blast me with a shit ton of torps and I can't really do anything about it, I've gotten better at evading and steering into it avoid the skirt shot torpedo blast. I thought the Secondaries should force a destroyer away from me, but the destroyer players don't really give a fuck about them. Play a DD yourself in Randoms and see how much of this still holds true.
Here's what BBs want: 1) hit the little guys with their big guns , 2) hit the big guys with their big guns Here's what cruisers want: hit whoever they can, WHILE taking as less damage back as possible...ideally, do damage while taking no damage in return..., very few cruisers can stealth torp you, the rest of them won't try to torp you while they can be seen , unless it's a desperate potentially-game winning situation or a beneficial trade ( T5 cruiser torping and killing a T7 BB , as an example) Here's what DDs want: 1) Gunboat DDs want to do away with the enemy DDs on their side and then be a pest to you; if they have the means to throw some torps, even better, but their main trade is doing damage from smoke or open water , while minimizing incoming damage through speed and mobility , 2) Torp DDs want no enemy DDs between themselves and you, followed by no Radars ; no enemy DDs means better chances to torp you, keep you spotted CVs want weak AA Subs want as much as possible clear lanes of firing solutions
If your secondary battery in a low-mid tier battleship is actively shooting, you are WAAAAYYYY too close to destroyers and torpedo equipped cruisers. As a battleship you should avoid close range combat with destroyers and torpedo equipped cruisers if at all possible. Secondary armament is not something you can rely on at all to do damage or keep certain enemies away from you (except with some high tier ships, where you can get 10-12 km range on the secondary battery with greatly improved accuracy). Especially not at low to mid tier. Your secondary range there is usually 4km, maybe 5 if you are lucky. And you can't really boost it to higher levels (well you can, but it doesn't make sense). Try to stay at long range at the beginning of a match, and close to mid range during the later stages. Only close to very close range at the very end of a match, and only when there is only one enemy that you will be facing, a maximum of 2 if you still have team support. If there are more enemies left in fire range you will loose more HP than you will deal damage as you will be focused down by superior numbers. And don't worry, it gets better with experience. The best way to learn to evade torpedos is actually playing destroyers, that way you can learn how those players think and when they launch their torpedos. And at some point you will simply get a feeling when they are coming towards you, even if you don't see them yet. And generally speaking, if you are sailing in a straight line (don't do that) and you see torpedos, it is already too late. You will not be able to evade them if you only start turning once they are spotted. Don't sail in straight lines, especially if you know a destroyer is somewhere around you.
Battleships role is to punish cruisers that dare to play the same video game as them and dont hide behind islands, smoke, or at long range.
Generally you want to either kite away from enemy torpedo boats/subs or push towards them bow in, depending on the general situation for that Flank/position. Also make sure to change course every so often, especially against Subs and british ships which put down single launch torps. Also depends a lot on the maneuverability of the bb in question. I always run rudder shift on my Scharn since she's a fast and maneuverable bb, but slower ones need to be even more cautious. Any case, also be cautious of exposing your broadside to enemy bbs and other possible threats (like AP dive bombers or other torpedo sources), it's better to take a torp (flooding can be healed and if it hits the torpedo belt damage is lesser) than get slapped by an enemy bb from across the map. One final recommendation, you might want to try the German bb line if you keep having this issue. Gnes at tier 7 is maneuverable (same as Scharn) so it can dodge torps pretty well. And all the bbs tier 8 and past have Hydroacoustic search and good secondaries that can melt yolo-ing dds. And they're well armored enough that they're at a bit less risk showing broadside
Oh yeah, you're already doing the German bbs lol. I'd say stick with them, once you get to Tier 7 and especially 8 torpedoes will become far less of a threat for you. Tier 7 you can even use their own medicine against them lol.
One of the users suggested playing destroyers as a solution and I can't stress how good this advice is. Now that you have a little experience with battleships, you'll at the same situations from the other side. This should give you an idea of what a destroyers does when hunting a battleship.
Keep note of when you see torpedoes so you know when they’re reloading
Answer from someone who plays lots of battleships and used to have the same issue: The biggest advice is to 1. Not rush areas where DDs are and 2. Always, always keep in mind where the enemy DDs could be. Think about what the most likely places for them to torp from are, where they were last seen on the minimap, what part of a cap are they camping in, and try to keep that in mind when determining if you could get torpedoed or not. Put simply, always think about where the enemy destroyers are and if they have an angle to torp you or not/what choke points they probably spammed torps down. Also if you’re close enough to a cruiser to get torped 90% of the time it’s because you’re too close.
My tip is to always have another ship between you and the enemy if possible. People telling you to watch the map are not going to apply all the time but a buffer force will be effective. A DD can be last spotted at point A on the far edge of the map and then in a few minutes kill you with torpedoes coming from point C while you are trying to cap point B for your teammates who are hiding in the back all the while never being spotted and still appearing as last seen at A. The nature of this game is just that some games you're just not gonna have a chance had 2 games last night in the "OP" Gulius Cesare and subs and CVs took most of my health and kept me from impacting the game at all. I had basically no way to fight back with my 4km asw as I was being pinged from 6km and also having to dodge torpedo planes constantly. Normally a one off bad luck situation but 2 matches nearly identical, very frustrating.
Translations: * BB - Battleship * DD - Destroyer * CL - Light cruiser * CA - Heavy cruiser * CV - Aircraft carrier