Italy!
By saying this, many World of Warships Captains
immediately recall semi-armor-piercing shells,
smoke screens allowing ships to hide from opponents without losing speed,
and an elegant look.
All these features help cruisers and battleships from the Apennine peninsula
to confidently compete with ships of other nations.
Will new Italian destroyers be able
to duplicate the success of their compatriots?
Let's figure this out now!
Curtatone, Nazario Sauro, Turbine, Maestrale, Aviere,
Luca Tarigo, Vittorio Cuniberti, Adriatico, and Attilio Regolo—
that's the order of the newcomers from Tier II through Tier X in the Tech Tree.
At first glance, the image of an Italian destroyer is laconic and rough.
But if you take a closer look,
you'll immediately see their "trademark" features.
They are armed with semi-armor-piercing shells
that deal great damage per salvo for destroyers.
The cost for that luxury is a short firing range
and quite average firing rate capabilities.
In contrast to researchable Italian cruisers and battleships,
their destroyers carry high- explosive shells in their magazines
along with semi- armor-piercing shells.
If utilized correctly, their torpedo armament
is also capable of increasing the amount of damage inflicted.
All thanks to their decent cruising range and convenient reload time.
Despite the not-so-high speed of the torpedoes,
they have pretty low detectability,
which makes them highly effective, especially against large targets.
Another important element in the portrait of Italian destroyers
is their detectability, which increases as the ship's tier goes up.
Moreover, this parameter
is often close to the base firing range of their main guns.
But it doesn't turn the newcomers into easy prey—
even if spotted, the Italian ships can easily get away
by utilizing their decent maneuverability
and Emergency Engine Power which increases the ship's speed by 25%.
To be on the safe side, we can also add Exhaust Smoke Generator.
Unlike branches of other nations
which add consumables and characteristics as the ship's tier increases,
the Italians have everything available from the start.
As a result, the newcomers' playstyle is based on two main tactics.
First is a levelheaded playstyle, involving utilization of torpedoes,
which, as we've mentioned before,
are highly effective due to their convenient reload time.
The second tactic presupposes fast attacks
by utilizing both the torpedoes and the main guns.
The destroyers from Tier II through Tier IV teach new players
how to deploy semi-armor-piercing shells and Exhaust Smoke Generator,
while experienced Captains get to know the basics of playing with this branch.
It should be noted that these destroyers prove themselves most effective
when utilizing the torpedo tactic.
The ships from Tier V through Tier VII
require players to utilize the torpedo armament more often to achieve success.
However, with these ships, players can also experiment with the second tactic,
which is more about fast attacks that utilize all their available armament.
At higher tiers, switching between these two tactics
is probably the best way to unleash the full potential of Italian destroyers.
Here, Engine Boost and Smoke Generator
are important not only as defensive means, but offensive ones as well.
This is true for all ship tiers.
Wisely chosen upgrades can improve the characteristics of Italian ships.
To improve the survivability of torpedo launchers and main guns,
mount Main Armaments in the first slot.
Mount Engine Room Protection or Engine Boost to the second slot.
Aiming Systems or the upgrade that speeds up turning of main turrets
will be great for the third slot.
With the fourth slot,
we improve maneuverability by mounting Propulsion Modification 1.
For the fifth slot, we need to make a choice once more—
this time between improving concealment or maneuverability.
As far as the sixth slot goes,
Italian destroyers lack Gun Fire Control System Modification 2,
which is why we recommend improving the firing rate of the main guns
by mounting Main Battery Modification 3.
How will a battle play out for the Italian newcomers?
At the beginning of battle, you need to be cautious
while traveling to a Key Area or taking an advantageous position on a flank—
it's advised to seek support from allied forces.
Always keep in mind
that you can be spotted earlier than you spot the opponent.
That's why you should utilize torpedoes often in the first half of a battle.
In terms of the main battery,
it's better to open fire when you're supported by allied forces.
When the midpoint in battle approaches, and the positions of enemies on the map
are already clear, you need to focus on single targets.
Especially on battleships and destroyers.
It's all clear with the latter—
several successful salvos of semi-armor-piercing shells
can send almost any destroyer to the Port.
However, victory in such duels depends on how wisely you approach your target.
Also keep in mind
that rapid-firing guns of other destroyers can deal substantial damage—
if Repair Party is unavailable, the best way to avoid defeat in such duels
is to get away by utilizing Exhaust Smoke Generator.
And don't forget that some enemies can use search consumables.
As for battleships, here you should also choose single targets.
As soon as you've chosen a target, come closer to it until you're spotted.
Then activate Emergency Engine Power and Exhaust Smoke Generator.
But prior to that, try to make sure that you won't be detected
behind a smoke screen by enemies with search consumables.
Next, approach your target
so the battleship won't be able to evade your torpedoes.
There are several important things to remember with such attacks…
First of all, check that there are no other large opponents around
because you'll need time to reload your torpedo launchers
and wait for the consumables to recharge after a single successful attack.
Secondly, the battleship should be always in your sight,
or speaking in game terms, somebody should spot the opponent for you.
Finally, try to figure out in advance
whether you'll be able to overcome the opponent with a single torpedo salvo
plus probably several shots from your main guns.
There's a very good reason why we're talking about single targets here.
Similar attacks on two battleships that travel close to each other
can become a big problem for an Italian destroyer.
We've repeatedly talked in our videos about how a destroyer
becomes twice as valuable for their team in the final part of battle.
That's true for Italian destroyers as well.
Even though here you still need to take features of your ships into account
and think carefully about each of your actions.
Italian destroyers aren't the simplest ships to master.
But those Captains who are able to "tame" them
and learn how to utilize all the features of the newcomers
will get a ton of vivid emotions and great results in battle.
These destroyers will impress everyone for sure!