The real answer is neither. Why? Read on and I'll explain.
L E V E L - Ship, Dur, Mounts, Cost 12 - Fletcher, 6700, 5R/2T, 36,504 17 - Gearing, 7500, 3R/2T, 47,880 19 - Somers, 7400, 4R/3T, 72,000 26 - Timmerman, 7200, 4R, 11,970 refit cost 26 - DDX, 7500, 5R/1T, 73,000
The Fletcher is the sleeper in the USA DD group. You get it at L12 and in theory it can last you to 30-35. It's weakness is it's 6700 durability and that it can't mount twin 5-inch guns. It can mount twin 4-inch guns and two torp launchers.
The Gearing to Timmerman path never appealed to me. You can't use all your crew with the Timmerman, nor the DDX for that matter. You lose two gun mounts, which also annoyed me. Even with the extra durability it just didn't feel like an upgrade to the Fletcher.
Somers is a nifty ship. I've toyed with only installing the two rear guns, the three torp launchers and no ammor to make this an decent torpeado whoring ship. I use Light HE ammo and peck away long range guns. Really only good for "all welcome" games. You can probably get more XP over time using a DDX but it's worth a night or two goofing around in, in order to get used to whoring torps. It's initial cost is so abusive that you probably won't be able to ammor it up when you get. Thus, a tricked out Fletcher will own a fresh un-armored Sommers.
Timmerman, I'll leave this ship to someone else. Again, the few gun mounts and low crew made me wonder why anyone would use this ship.
DDX is the crown jewl of the U.S. DD line. It's only weakness, if you can call it one, is that it only has one T mount. Otherwise, it feels like you're in a Fletcher with better guns and more durability. It too doesn't mount a full crew and that might annoy some.
So, my recommendation is Fletcher from 12 to 26 then go DDX. Pick up the Somers to play around with torps. Use the extra cash you'll have to ammor up your Fletcher.
|