Quick poll: Gearing for ranked (AA build? Concealment build?)

[Rina_Pon]

I have 16 captain skills, and a free reset apparently. Currently run a torp / stealth build. Is boosting the AA worth it for ranked?

[legionary2099]

Even with all boosting , you would not be able to put a dent on a tier 10 CV strike on first pass. You would only really hurt him on 2nd pass and more. 

You only chance of telling him FU would be that DFAA button press , which could theoretically drop 3-4 planes on first pass combined with priority sector.

Though that leave you seriously underpowered to fend for yourself if any other dd decide to pick a fight , including a Shima.

[humusz]

Quite maso for u to play dd in ranked.

The best to avoid planes was to smoke, so, Daring imo would be best choice. It Got heal and short smoke cd and reserve to break focus.

If you smoke in bad position with gearing you would left without lifesaving tools for very long time. And Cv can prob do couple of strike before your smoke back up. Even with all your aa boosting skill, its not efficient ship in ranked imo, esp vs midway.

[Mechfori]

My answer : go play Worcester or DM or Minotaur or ....

[Rina_Pon]

8 hours ago, humusz said:

Quite maso for u to play dd in ranked.

I only have two T10, Zao and Gearing, and Zao being a) equipped for CB and b) far from ideal in this kind of matchup, Gearing it must be...

[Mechfori]

if you insist .. OK to the point .. its 7vs7 so CV rely can focus his/her effort , this is ranked, so do not expect noobs , the might not be unicum, but they would be in the know of what should or should not .. spec Gearing for AA is then a matte of survival ; the question you must ask yourself, is - can you use Gearing in this spec to actually help the team win and in what capacity , do know that your team also in the need to protect you ( OK whether they do it or not we won't know ) 

So as a DD you are both an asset and a burden on the team , but both can be made to give advantage .. yes I had done that in Random, going out to be fire bait presented to the enemy, especially CV , when I am focus down that mean my teammates is free to do whatever they need to do .. mind that its a desperate measure .. or if you ca still be productive and contributing when needing to stay within the group , and at what capacity

Last season DD is the vanguard, and go fetch the buff , and in turn denying enemy so .. this season the task is not here and a lot more like random with a fixed team size .. so if you can made Gearing work in Epic Center, in Domination, in Standard ... with that AA build and with the limitation thus imposed, and with the need to stay with the group and be respond to any both offensive and defensive .. then yes you can go ahead do it 

My take can it made to work .. yes .. is it optimal or even making the grade .. highly questionable

[Rina_Pon]

13 minutes ago, Mechfori said:

My take can it made to work .. yes .. is it optimal or even making the grade .. highly questionable

Good post. Thanks.

My early experiences from yesterday suggests that as with T10 Randoms, the CV presence (along with plenty of radar and RPF)  devaluates concealment, which in turn increases average engagement distances for the critical early stages of the game. The Gearing then tends to fall into the team support role, smoking up friendly ships, helping the CV with spotting duties, and defending areas clear by speculative torping.

Radar made my life miserable more than planes, actually, and the biggest problem with buffing the AA is as a DD you want the AA turned off until the planes are within air detection range.

However, it might be that playing in the Sims/Kidd role of close support DD, offering AA support to friendly ships in addition to smoke, starting fires and sweeping out torps, maybe a better strategy than the forward scout / capping role / stealth torp role I tend to normally play given the likelyhood of being air spotted, and the high probability of death should you get spotted in an advanced / exposed position.

 

Ah, decisions decisions.

Anyone know how long the free re-spec is being offered for?

 

 

[Mechfori]

What you've stated match my experience and part of that making why many DD players are refusing to participate or even play at all , not just Ranked but normal Random .. their role and task are all taken away from them making them unable to go out and perform , without proper alternatives and not even counter measures ; and DD(s) are relegated to this support duty, but support duties, are generally dirty jobs, need to be done, dangerous, and at time exhausting but basically reward none .. and the team still demand DD to go out and do theirs ( spotting, cap that ... )  yes the forum talks AA, talks CV but in the end for many DD player its not the singular ones, but all of those play out together ...

its a case of " spec and designed to fail " scenario to many , playing USN DD there is a fighting chance but you are still handicapped, playing RN you are somewhat OK since you had all the smoke but don't expect to excel at leisure as CV and BB can, playing Soviet DD, well good luck -- at least you got the speed and HP, and playing IJN DD , well you have my salute ; cause you are the HERO who look death in the face and call it a smile

its exaggeration of course but that's the mentality and in fact my experience is if at all CL suffer even worse but they are allowed the margin of error , where CA, in particular Radar CA benefit , cause now ships are basically herded together in fairly tight grouping and that Radar of yours, when used properly ( and many do not ), can be a mighty tool . and Cruiser / CA is good at group fight

 

For Gearing to work in this season I see it as same as playing say T9 Soviet gunboat last season ; forget stealth , you're basically deprived of that most, at least half, of the time ; so your main goal should be focusing on how best to employ that weapons of yours to enhance your teams effort in confrontation .. which is one reason I believe , surprise, surprise, the IJN Harugumo could very well be a very useful one, its a machine gun and its good at it .. paired with Cruiser or BB main to quickly wear down enemy, set fire, and if possible eliminate the specific individual ship as quick as possible . I too question some time if turning off AA being the best of choice, if its only for my own survival .. then of course that would not be a question but if I am say just about 3.2KM from my teammate whose being pounded by multiple aerial incoming, isn't the added Mid / long range flak a factor that could mean killing those planes vs just hurting them ( and they sill carry on fellow up attack ) .. My strategy is I would avoid the first wave ( unless the team dearly need every AA on , say teammate is low on health already , and your smoke is on  cooldown ) , and position myself so that I could put my mid / long range to overlap his entire one and sail to maximize my own survival ( after all you won't know if the plane just decide that you be the juicier target ) . as far as AA goes, ther's always a difference between survival mode vs support mode .. sometime turning AA off until getting spotted just might not made the most out of it, that advice is sound but its focusing on own survival over overall tactical situation at times. Being a DD player at current CV/RADAR meta means new mode of thinking , spotting and screening is pretty much out of the door, and getting in range of the weapons now itself already a challenge , spec for AA is just now to me at time needed instsad of a choice; I must though stated that I still had many of my DD spec for their optimal role , not for AA ... I know its not good for  that DD's survival , but I play DD not for survival , for carrying out what DD do and I aim to perfect that. In Ranked however its more about the TEAM victory , over personal performance if any so the priority must be to support the TEAM first and personal performance second

[Rina_Pon]

Update. (thinking aloud here...

This is really complicated to game out, but realistically, I think you are gonna want to run DFAA if only as a deterrent. Then it comes down to three alternative builds:

1. Just keep minimal AA and hope DFAA makes the enemy CV decide he'd make better use of his time and resources attacking other ships.

2. Add a few AA buffs. Of course option 2. covers a spectrum of choices.

3. Go all in AA. This will mean giving up significant capability against surface ships to equip Manual AA  as well as AA Guns Mod 2 in Slot 6. In return you can stack potentially devastating AA when in close support role protecting your team.

The problem with 3. is that's a job far more efficiently performed by a Worcester. So in these high level, ranked CV games, what is a Gearing supposed to do, where is she supposed to be? Gunboat or torp, scout or support, stealth or AA...

Looking at it the other way, if I was a BB or cruiser, where would I want my Gearing to be? I think the answer is "protecting me". Which, first and foremost means "alive", and secondly "close by". That suggests a "survivalist" build is optimal, which the more I think about it seems like the way to go...

So load up on DFAA for emergencies, Survivability expert for the hp, Superintendent for the smokes and DFAA charges. Concealment expert is still required. I'm going to put RPF as extremely desirable also, that situational information is often vital for survival when facing enemy DDs in smoke or otherwise out of vision.

So forget BFT, AFT and MFAA.

AA Mod 1 seems like a good choice.

AA Mod 2 is only on the table because the other Slot 6 options are meh.

Captain skills: PT, PM / LS / SE SI / CE for 14. Remaining two for AR. I really want RPF though. Seriously considering flipping CE for it, as insane as that sounds***. Otherwise I'd have to give up SI and AR...

*** this comes down to are you more likely to die by being outspotted, or more likely to die by being outflanked...

[Otago_F111]

On ‎6‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 8:11 PM, Rina_Pon said:

*** this comes down to are you more likely to die by being outspotted, or more likely to die by being outflanked...

Heads or tails? let us know how it went.

[LordTyphoon]

I played 3 ranked games in a DFAA, torpedo-reload build Gearing. 

2 really great games and 1 crap game (vs Daring on enemy team). In the 2 great games, the 16.5km torpedoes did great work. 

Planes werent too much of an issue. 

Give it a go! Gearing is a fun DD, but should be considered a high-skill DD in today's meta. 

[THAI_THIEF]

Just be stealth with holding the DFAA 

[dejiko_nyo]

The problem is Russian Roulette. I personally would go with a middle of the road build that maximizes your utility. Going the full AA build you are taking a chance that MM will be nice to you and give you planes to down. RPF is a n00blord skill. Heavy cost for a situational skill. What I have learnt is it is more effective in a game where the team talks, ie. CW.

[Robby_Hermanto]

Secondary built might works.

[PanzerRunner]

I heard that SEA server have the worst amount of CV player out of all servers in ranked. Maybe AA build?

[Happy_Parida]

I don't see a ton of CVs so I use Speed Boost but Extra 5 knots or so for 2 minutes is too less compared to being Annihilated by a potential CV player. So I think I would say go for AA if you see a lot of CVs otherwise go for anything else.

[Rina_Pon]

Funny after all that, there are not so many CV in ranked anymore. It's irritating to have to invest in the insurance of AA only not to use it most games, but still necessary since carriers do pop up from time to time...

My build hasn't changed: dfaa and both AA modules, but no captain skills buffing AA.

BTW I consider RPF mandatory. The enemy DD will have it, if you don't equip it that hands him one helluva big advantage.