Captains! We're getting on with our How to Play videos,
and now it's time for a long talk about destroyers.
Players usually associate this ship type with low visibility,
Smoke Generator, modest survivability,
rapid-firing guns, and menacing torpedoes.
However, depending on the power and efficiency of a specific armament type,
in-game destroyers can be conventionally divided into three large groups.
The first group is represented by torpedo destroyers,
whose main parameters focus on stealth and strong torpedo armament
while having, on the other hand, unimpressive artillery characteristics.
The second group consists of artillery destroyers.
They are less stealthy and deal the majority
of the damage with their main guns.
Torpedo armament on these destroyers takes a back seat
and, in some cases, can even be completely absent.
The last one is the dual-purpose destroyer group.
The torpedo and artillery armaments of these ships
can be used in battle with equal efficiency.
We're going to divide the How to Play series about destroyers
into three videos, each addressing one of the mentioned groups.
Today's video is dedicated to the first group—torpedo destroyers.
For convenience’s sake, we'll take Tier X destroyers as examples in this video.
After all, in most cases, Tier X ships
represent the pinnacle of accumulated gameplay features
of all previous ships in a branch.
That's why all our advice will also be applicable to ships of lower tiers.
Another strong advantage of today's heroes,
in addition to their lethal torpedoes, is their concealment.
In fact, the combination of these two features
is the source of these ships’ signature tactic—
stealthy torpedo attacks.
So how can one unleash the might of their torpedoes
onto an opponent while remaining safe and sound?
We need to determine the battle range,
its nearest and farthest points being your destroyer's detectability radius border
and the maximum torpedo range.
To make it clear, we'll take a hypothetical destroyer
with a detectability range of 6 km
and equipped with torpedoes that can travel up to 12 km.
All enemy ships within this 6-to-12 km range from our destroyer
are the targets that can be attacked without being spotted.
It goes without saying that you can approach enemies closer
than your detectability range allows for,
but don't forget that a torpedo destroyer is easy prey at close quarters.
It would be wise to improve the concealment of your ship
to have a chance of approaching your enemy without being seen.
For that, the essential Commander skills and upgrades
for any torpedo destroyer will come in handy.
However, you won't be able to increase your maximum torpedo range —
and, as a result, the maximum battle range —
using Commander skills and upgrades.
The solution is to pay attention
to the researchable modules available to your ship.
For example, Shimakaze has three types of torpedo launchers.
And one of the differences between these modules
happens to be the torpedo range.
Fighting at your destroyer’s ideal range
can be more complicated if some of your opponents in battle
are equipped with Surveillance Radar and Hydroacoustic Search.
Knowing which ship can be equipped with such consumables
and what their operating range is
is vital for players helming a torpedo destroyer.
The easiest way to acquire this information
is by checking the Consumables page on the World of Warships Wiki.
And even if you're used to gaining knowledge in real practice—
in our case in battle—always remember
that it doesn't matter whether you're hidden behind a smoke screen or an island
for Surveillance Radar and Hydroacoustic Search.
Once in their operating range, you’re getting detected no matter what!
So, now we've checked the Wiki, improved concealment,
and defined the combat range! A question then arises...
Where should you sail to be the most useful in battle?
To the area where your torpedoes will inflict the most damage.
As battleships are your primary targets,
your hunting grounds lie in areas they populate.
In open waters close to Key Areas or near dense clusters of islands—
a stealthy torpedo destroyer can be of use everywhere.
If the opposing team has a similar stealthy torpedo enthusiast,
try to get rid of your rival.
You've spotted a smoke screen?
Don't hesitate to send your torpedoes to inspect it.
A careless enemy might "catch" your surprise gift and return to the Port.
Be cautious while staying behind a smoke screen yourself.
Always keep in mind that enemy torpedoes can come at any moment.
Make yourself a small target
by exposing your bow or aft to a potential threat.
Doing this, you'll reduce the chances of being hit
by random torpedoes to the minimum.
This trick, by the way, can also be used when capturing Key Areas.
Experienced players sometimes approach a Key Area with the ship's aft
so that they can gain speed and retreat faster in case of danger.
Another job of any torpedo destroyer is area denial.
Invisible threats make enemies act cautiously.
Sometimes a single torpedo destroyer on a flank
can fend off an entire group of enemies.
Hardly anyone wants to get hit by your torpedo spread,
so the enemies will just stomp in place,
hesitating to break through that flank.
To make torpedoes even more intimidating and effective,
you need to enhance them.
Remember that apart from dealing damage to enemy ships,
recon is another important task of a torpedo destroyer.
Since your detectability radius is among the smallest in the game,
you can detect enemies while staying concealed.
Additionally, you will receive XP and Credits
for any damage dealt upon your spotting.
If aircraft carriers join the battle,
Japanese and Pan-Asian destroyers are advised to stay close to their allies,
at least during the initial minutes of the battle.
AA defenses are their weak spot,
but it's still important to switch priority sectors
to increase the damage they deal to any airborne threats.
On the other hand, European destroyers are much better
at fighting against enemy air groups.
Their AA defenses are capable of creating a lot of problems for enemy aircraft,
thus making ships of this nation
perfect support means for allied forces against airborne attacks.
Pay attention to an important game feature—
if enemy aircraft enter the operating range of your AA defenses
and your guns open fire at them, you're immediately spotted.
As a rule, the operating range of AA defenses
is significantly greater than the detectability range
of a destroyer from aircraft.
In some cases, in order to stay hidden from enemy aviation,
you need to disable AA defenses (by pressing P by default).
To have a good command of "spotting" ranges,
you need to know the characteristics of your ship
and use the Minimap functions,
the latter where you can enable the display of the AA defense range
and air detectability range.
Naturally, torpedo armament is your primary asset in battle.
But what about main battery guns?
In what cases should you use them?
First of all, avoid artillery duels at all costs,
especially against enemy ships with full HP and artillery destroyers.
In such brawls, you will likely suffer defeat or lose most of your HP.
Moreover, you're still visible for 20 seconds
every time you open fire if not hiding behind a smoke screen,
and most enemies will try to eliminate you
at the first opportunity they get to neutralize a torpedo threat.
Remember that main guns are a highly situational armament
for torpedo destroyers,
but it doesn't mean you should only open fire in extreme cases.
Before you open fire, make sure there is a reason for doing so.
In addition, firing main guns can scare your enemy
and make them change course,
which might indirectly help them dodge the torpedoes you launched at them.
But there is a flip side to the coin:
If you see that your torpedoes are going to miss,
fire a couple of shots at the enemy to provoke them for a return fire maneuver.
In some cases, in an attempt to fire back at you,
the enemy might change their route toward the torpedoes.
By staying alive longer, you'll be more useful to your team.
All the more reason to remember that by the end of a battle,
destroyers can have a greater impact on its outcome.
For example, if a team has two torpedo destroyers left
against two battleships from the opposing team,
the latter's fate is unenviable.
Thus, surviving is one of your crucial priorities.
Of course, this doesn't mean you should surf along the edge of the map
in the first half of battle, but you do need to play cautiously.
Sensible actions, together with justified risk-taking,
are the keys to victory. Don't be reckless!
Of course, there is no universal solution
that would work for every given situation.
But your choices should be conscious ones.
The ability to adapt to battle conditions
and skillfully use your ship’s strengths
are the key components of high efficiency in battle.