Smolensk, Colbert, Atlanta, Flint, and now Austin ... skill change mean no options

[Mechfori]

well run through quite a few game trying different build and different play with these super light CL using DD guns on PTS , confirm my suspicion , the so call Cruiser skill set that offer alternative, well it offer no alternative , especially for the T10 ships, on Live the ca be spec double range , brawl ( if you dare ), single range and support ( full AA build using AFT ) , but the skill change take away almost all possibility to specialize , cause the range just do not cut it , no even for the two T7 ships ( cause they got MM into T8/T9 games ). Alanta and Flint had no option to spec the 6th slot upgrade , and are stuck with it. Smolensk and Colbert , both at 13.8KM stock range simply will not cut it in a T10 game if not spec any range mod .. so they are pretty much forced to spec for the range upgrade and then this force the skill se to be spec for allowing gun effectiveness , and this take away its ability to spec for support whether its AA or close support for DD

And then we look at Austin, 8 sec reload for similar school of small guns but at stock 9% fire chance , and 15KM range , well and unlimited Main Battery reload booster consumable. I really cannot apprehend how WG can be so screw up with the spec .. if your base reload is so lousy as to be needing unlimited supply of the consumable , then you might as well buff the reload even if its only a second ... and the range , so WG had acknowledge these CL need that range stock at 15KM at T10 ... hmm  ... and then we had

I think Smolensk / Colbert need some major shuffle of spec to allow the range but reel in the rainbow somewhat, as of now its further encouraging rainbow spamming and pretty much force them to cause spec for close in support, do not work ( no skill good enough for survival build ) , spec for AA, do not work, since you can do nothing with that 13.8KM stock range ... and guess what its not just the high tier, and mid tier, even Svetlana at T4 suffers , its aT4 and in the past it could spec AFT to extend the range to at least able to match peers  , and its already handicapped by its 10 sec reload on 130mm when peers are having something like 7.5, 6 sec on 150/152mm , even the IJN 140mm reload faster.

 

WG might wanting Austin, Smolensk, Colbert to adopt what they call that Ragged play style, but no I do not think it would come to be , so long their T10 BB can range out others and still effect their shoots, then they will and ten hen Cruiser CA/CB will do likewise and then all others are forced to be likewise. That will be the range the game are to be played, and the new skill set further that, so unless they change a load of skill for DD / CL , otherwise the so call customization / specialization will not come to be , they need to made Cruiser able to play at Cruiser distance. Even USS CL and Royal CL are finding it hard if they do not spec for range these days, And they need to made BB less range specialized , and DD able to force into their effective range while keeping their Stealth so they can utilize theirs  ; Yoshino, Ashashio, and 20KM Shima saying hi here , with Gearing , Halland also on the gang

[Metal_illness]

Colbert is the most expensive ship I ever whaled by a long margin, 10x the price of a Massa at least!.

When I added the firing range extension my Colbert became playable, not great, because 300 hits onto enemies still only means 20k damage, but it was playable and could survive more than 5 mins of a battle.

If they remove Colberts firing range extension, she becomes absolutely worthless to any poor team she graces with her presence, and that team should expect to lose a battle, ranked or otherwise.

 

[Grygus_Triss]

This is my problem with the ranged meta. If the 3 other ships on your flank are engaging the enemy at 18km+, how are you supposed to close in to less than 15km in order to engage? Especially in a low hp lightly armoured cruiser? I have enough trouble in cruisers like Worcester....

As for Flint and Atlanta, bit Salty on those, I really only use them when playing Narai, so I can understand why you would nerf their range, then increase Atlanta’s range, but not Flint. Don’t they know how easily Little Trouble can take out a light cruiser? You need that range to lop shells over islands at her. Yeah, the smoke helps... but still.

[Mechfori]

The flip side of it one must ask how are BB suppose to hit 20km+ with certain degree of accuracy and still so much hits and damage. And this extend to CB also . What I figure for these T10 super light cruiser with the DD guns , they should had the 6th slot range and reload upgrade removed but captain skill should allow BFT & AFT 

With the skill change even with range upgrade on 6th slot it's out to only 16km and it's just not enough and worse it take away all the AA Buff on hand current so it made it a short range small gun unable to do anything and yet cannot really specialize for AA, cannot build for brawl, cannot build for anything.

Blaming HE spamming on Cruiser IMHO is blaming the victim. HE spamming is there even before the meta develop into this chaos we had but when WG introduce long range over match super heavy guns that can range out others with armor that only fellow BB can deal with, what is left for others, Torpedo are ranged out already and stealth is a joke at high tier anything less than 12, even 15km out .

The game mades it that BB today simply over power , way over power others and both offensive and defensive capacity of Cruisers are reduced to almost irrelevant unless you play a CB or the big gun Soviet 220 French 240 else you are left with only 1 alternative stay ranged cause layman cruiser DD just cannot survive closing in and the teams' BB will not push forth to tank anyway.  In turn use the only mean left , HE , and since most cannot even hope to pen no matter what , HE SPAMMING for fire it will be.

The meta is a product of BB, CB, Armor, over power guns that can effectively. Reach out easily 20km+. So blaming it that BB cannot go within and close in amongs the wolf crying over the slaughtered sheep. Cause it's the big guns who actually foster this. 

Nobody like to need to loop 300 shell yet still only got 20k damage, ask any DD player, if they actually can get their Torp hit in consistent fashion and able to in range would they use it, ask any Royal Navy CL player if they can actually utilize the fast AP would they or ...

The meta had develop to a point that even BB resort to HE spamming it's because of simply one reason, it's the only mean left.

 

 

[Mechfori]

6 hours ago, Grygus_Triss said:

This is my problem with the ranged meta. If the 3 other ships on your flank are engaging the enemy at 18km+, how are you supposed to close in to less than 15km in order to engage? Especially in a low hp lightly armoured cruiser? I have enough trouble in cruisers like Worc ...

That is very much the problem , I state in previous thread before it's those with the reserve, the margin of error that can had the choice and clearly today it shows ; the game fashion too many who can abuse the range, and effectively farm, with almost guaranteed safety .. then player will do it CV & BB just play out like that and at what price , well , screwing everybody else ....

So much so that these day on live server I made it a point to always take my DD and CL and do support to those who would positively forward and in turn I would positively neglect and made sure I do not support those who cruise that 18, 20km away from the front.  If enemy CV send plane over them that much better, they deserve it.

WG just unwilling to made DD CL and a whole gang of layman CA actually able to work with the spec they had now and yet they will not re-spec to update them and now the skill change will further alienate these group of ships.