First off, this guide is written with the intention that you are using an AIMING FCS
and
LIGHT HE AMMO
-O Class
Well, sadly the O class will start you off with a pretty bad impression of the UK
gunships. It possesses none of the trademark UK features such as survivability or
firepower. Instead it has the least Damage Points of all starting DDs, the lowest
amount of crew slots, and cannot mount armor so dont even try. Not to mention its
ugly to boot. Tied with Kagero as the worst DD01, its only redeeming feature is that
it can be remodeled into Q class (you'll see later) and that it is relatively small. I
have to admit however that it is reasonably fast.
The combination of low DP, low firepower, and horrible firing arcs, as well as its small
size, makes the best choice for a O class user is to stay at range, Which leads us to
guns.
The best at level gun for the O class is hands down the x1 4.7' /45 QF Marks IX (Only
hasN and D verion, no L) which comes at level 11.
The reason this gun is so superior to the NUMEROUS guns at the same/lower level
(such as
4.7" /45 BL Marks II L and 4.7" /40QF Marks XII) are a combination of factors. The
Marks
IX has more range, faster reload, and has a maximum angle of 55, and higher the
angle
means higher the damage. The Marks XII can actually achieve a higher angle up to
90, but
the fact that it has less range than the Marks IX and a new player will have trouble
grasping the concept of high angling on a gun that passes angle 55, means that the
Marks
IX is the hands down superior choice.
With these guns, you still will not range a smart fletcher or z1 user, nor outdamage
either, but its the best of what you have. Play at range, you will not survive a close
quarters brawl. Dont even bother with torps, they will just weigh you down and you
wont
live 2 seconds if you get in the range needed to use them. You need all the speed
you can get.
DO NOT CHANGE GUNS FOR O CLASS. You will grind through to Q class (level 16)
within a few hours, if you change guns on O class, you will be subjected to rule 9,
which basically means lost credits. Just survive the O class grind for the few short
hours with the guns mentioned above (might even be less than an hour total
considering blitz) and the remodel to Q class, which you should do IMMEDIATELY as
your BO hits 16, without a second to spare. Although o class can fit the dual 4", the
limited use of the oclass makes it not worth it to switch.
____________________________________
-Q Class
Tadaa, now you will get to experience why everyone loves UK, and why the enemies
despise
it. The Q class gives you your first taste of all the UK's advantages. A testament to its
power came in the form of it being banned from almost all DD rooms until it was
nerfed. Even after the nerf it is the best DD until DD3 stage, and even at DD3 stage
it can go toe to toe with z99, ddx, and tsuk. Unfortunately, at level the Q class
doesnt really seem like such a spectacular ship except for the ability to armor (which
is gone into more detail further below). It is when you start using guns 4-10 levels
higher than the Q class's required level.
The only disadvantages the Q class really possesses are the low DP and crappy
firing arcs it inherits from the O class. Luckily, it keeps the O class's small size,
making it a notorious hard target to hit. It also gains even more speed, another
crew slot, decent turning speed, DD2 FCS which gives you better spread and more
sight and shell-spotting range. Most noticeably, the Q class gains an enormous
addition to its available displacement, which means one thing.
ARMOR!!!
(If you choose speed over armor, either mount the dual 4" guns mentioned below or
skip down to the section with single 6" gus)
You now have the option (given you have the money for it) to explore one of UK's
most
vaunted advantages. Armor does not work like most people suspect however. Armor
in NF
abides by an 'all or nothing' principle, by which i mean either you have enough armor
to
bounce a shell completely and take little to zero damage, or if you have even .1" less
than the amount required to bounce, you take the full brunt of the damage.
Luckily, Q class has enough displacement to be able to reach that bounce-amount
for DD
shells with any of its recommended guns (which I will list below). However, to be
able to
also consistently bounce CL caliber guns, Q class must be setup and played a very
specific
way with specific guns, which leads me to...
The x2 4" /45 cal QF HA Mk. XVI is the best at level gun for the Q class. At this point
in
terms of firepower, you still lag behind other DD1s (something that will definitely be
corrected later) but the difference between you and everyone else is that you now
have the
ability to armor whore. At this point it is up to you whether or not you choose to
armor
whore, I would say if you dont have the credits to fully armor at least 5" BELT, then
take
it all off, ALL OF IT, and go for speed, due to the all or nothing policy. For a DD, do
not mount any deck, and never any bulk. Bulge is up to you but you really should be
aiming
for the maximum amount of belt possible.
***NOTE IF YOU PREFER OR CANNOT ARMOR SKIP TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THIS
Q CLASS GUIDE,
STARTING WITH THE SINGE 6" GUNS***
The Q class will be able to easily bounce DD caliber shells with the armor it can
mount,
and even some low caliber CL shells such as UK and USN 6", KM 5.9, and IJN 6.1.
You will
run into trouble bouncing shells such as KM 6.75 on kbergs and mpros and IJN 7.9's
and
8"rs found on mogami. YOU WONT BE ABLE TO BOUNCE CA SHELLS.
IMPORTANT!!! Although you are aiming for the maximum amount of belt possible, do
not EVER
compromise your crew to do so. NEVER cut down on the amounts of recruits your
sailors
carry, and keep all your sailor slots filled with sailors at all times. Leveling support
crew is much more important than armoring. Support crew you keep for life while you
cannot
armor many of the other UK ships. If you rely too much on armor, when you reach an
unarmorable ship, your poor support crew will phuck you incredibly. Armor only when
it
makes sense.
A much better option for armor whoring (and the true Q class armor whore's guns)
are the
Granted these guns come more than 10 levels after you reach Q class, but they are
hands
down the guns of choice when it comes to armor whoring. You might end up skipping
them
when going through the grind the first time, but if by chance you happen to have
higher
level gunners on hand (and thus most likely extra credits for armor to spare) you will
turn into a near unkillable beast on the battlefield that people will fear.
First off, make sure to use Heavy HE and the D version of the x3 4". That is right, I
said
D version and HEAVY HE, this is one of the ONLY times I will recommend the D
version over
the L and HHE over LHE. The reason I say this is because with the tripple 4", the
differences in D N and L versions are not as extreme as in other guns, and also the D
version turns faster, reloads quicker, weights less (more room for armor!) and allows
for
more ammo, which negates the ammo shortage problems that the L sometimes
suffers from. The
reason for Heavy HE is because you will be doing most of your work at close range
with
this gun, and need the most hitting power possible.
If you find you have trouble bouncing shells with 4 turrents, take off the back 2
turrents
and play with only the front, which is actually my preferred method. This setup
changes
your play style dramatically. First of all, aiming is much easier once you have only the
front turret. Also, this setup forces you to play close range, as you gain no
advantage
staying at range with your limited firepower of 2 guns, which is perfect for maximizing
the advantage of the tripple 4". Keep your other gunner in the back R sailor slot, he
will
gain the same XP as the front sailor as long as he is on the ship, even if he himself
does
not fire any guns. Dont take him off to reduce weight as you want your gunners to
hit new
guns at the same time.
What I usually do is pick one DD or CL to be my bitch at the start of the game. Could
be
any DD or CL, but be mindful to avoid mpro, mogami's or clevelands with good
spread, as
you will be unable to bounce their 6.75, 7.9, or 8" shells no matter how much armor
on the
Q class. Avoid the huge herd at the beginning, your playstyle will draw attention
soon
enough. Find that DD or CL you picked, or any one that is semi alone in groups of 1
or 2.
Charge straight at them at full OverHeat. Chances are in a Blitz level room they will
not
run from you, and allow you to get in range. Start pounding on them with your x3
4"rs, and
keep getting closer and closer so to maximize the chance their shots will hit your
belt.
The ideal situation would be where you are very close behind them where they are
unable to
bring their front turrents to bear on you. At this point they will be food for you. Also,
if they are using auto FCS, getting extremely close will trick with their Auto and
cause
their turrents to spin wildly. An added bonus is that their teammates will fire at both
of
you, hoping to sink you. Too bad your armor will bounce their shells while your target
will constantly be TK'd by his teammates, giving you an easier kill. The only thing you
have to watch out for are torpedoes. If they wise up and run, as well as are faster
than
you, DO NOT CHASE! Leave them be, chasing someone who is faster than you and
ranges you
never makes sense.
***NON-ARMOR, SPEED ORIENTED SECTION BELOW***
If you have no money for armor, your crew is too heavy, or simply find that the up
close
brawling does not fit your style, then you might find single 6"s to more fit your style.
There are 2 sets of single 6". The x1 6" /45 BL mark XII L at level 22 is the hands
down
best choice, the 6" /50 BL Mark XVII L at level 20 plain sucks. Although the Mark XVII
comes 2 levels earlier, carriers more ammo and is lighter, it has a high angle of 20, as
opposed to the Mark XII's of 30, which means drastically less range.
Tarrif.net/navyfield
is erroneous in listing the XII has LESS range than the Mark XVII, the Mark XII is
definitely superior in range. The Mark XII reloads faster, more damage, and most
importantly more range (you should be using the L version and LHE ammo now).
A Light HE 6" shell will hit for around 250-300 damage at max range, which is very
respectable. However, since you have overall less fire power than the tripple 4"
setup
(keep all 4 turrents when using 6" by the way) and reload slower, range is your most
important advantage. A Q class with 6" singles will range basically any non-DD3 DD
in the
game, and its small size makes it PERFECT for range fighting, as people's low level
spreads will have trouble hitting you.
Avoid armor with this setup if possible. Since you are playing at range, you need your
speed to keep it that way. Your reload and barrel count will make things hard if you
enter
into a close range fight with other ships, try at all possible to keep the other ships at
your max range. The 6"rs do weight very small, so armoring IS a possibility, but not
recommended. A range style will prepare you for later in the game.
What exactly is a range style game? Specifically, you are maximizing your range
advantage
to hit enemies while they cannot hit you. You constantly want to keep enemies at or
near
your max range of your guns, and if they get any closer, you must run from them
until you
area again out of their range and theirs at your maximum.
Obviously this is not feasible with anything above a DD2, since the single 6"s will not
range anything DD3 and up. This does not mean you should rush and throw range
to the wind.
In a Q class, you most definitely still want to keep the enemy at your max range
window.
The reason being that even if you are within their range, the fact that in Blitz and
capped DD/CL/CA rooms everyone's spread is a shotgun for the guns they are
using, and the
fact that you are extremely small, combine to make you a very very hard target to hit.
Even if the enemy has the angles of his guns perfectly memorized for the range you
are at,
unless he has high level gunners the randomness of his low level spread will
prevent him
from effectively engaging you and your small profile, while your single 6's should be
pounding on his larger frame. Turning and dodging help immensely in this aspect as
well.
As a final reference, I have marked the ranges between the x4" N, and both 6" sets
L
versions. ***RANGES GO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT*** (Further right the marks, further
the range)
This was done unzoomed (red indicates range winner)
_____________________________________________
-Tribal
There is a reason why I recommended so many guns that were so many levels
above Q class's
level. That is because the Tribal absolutely sucks and you should grind Q class to L
class
and skip Tribal completely. Well, that is not totally fair. The Tribal is by no means a
HORRIBLE ship, but simply everything it can do, Q class can do better, in a smaller
profile ship.
The foremost noticeable thing about upgrading to Tribal is that you lose a crew spot.
Tribal only has 1 sailor T space instead of the Q classes 2, meaning you have to ditch
one
of the sailors you had been leveling on Q class, that alone is reason enough to
say "screw
you Tribal" It cannot mount any guns that Q class cannot, except for the dual 6" first
set
type N, but only with 1 bind of ammo, making that setup useless. The Tribal turns
slower,
is fatter and bigger, and offers really no advantage except better firing arcs, and a
bit
more DP. It doesnt even fit a better FCS.
If you do for some odd reason decide to use the tribal, use the same gun
suggestions I
posted for the Q class. Otherwise, rightfully skip it.
______________________________________________
-L class
Truthfully, if you really wanted to you could skip L class as well with the Q class and
level right into Emerald, but L class can be a great DD in its own right if played right.
It is not in the same league as the DDX and z99, even post ONF patch, but played
by a
capable player in a Blitz room, you will be able to rack up the attack. The L class is
played basically like an over-sized Q class, with the same armoring capabilities (even
more actually) as well as the same options for playing at range. You also gain a
better
FCS, and better firing arcs, helpful for playing the range game.
Unfortunately you do not gain another sailor slot with the L class, making it harder to
level up the essential support crew you are going to need later in the game. You still
maintain a 1 slot advantage over the other nations at that stage however. Be
thankful that
this is the case now, as before the ONF patch, the L class actually had 1 slot less
support slots, making it have less crew slots than the Q class. If this was still the
case
I would had advised you to skip the L class completely.
Armoring the L class is the same affair as before with the Q class. Now you should
be able
to stock on about 7-8"s belt, making you imprevious to all but the highest caliber CL
and
CA shells. 8" belt still will not completely bounce 8" shells, but anything below it
shouldnt have a problem deflecting. For armoring, again use the tripple 4"
At this point, using either the D or N version of the x3 4" is a personal preference, as
you wont have to worry about ammo space with the larger gun mounts of the L
class.
Alternatively, you can also play the Armorwhore game with some new guns.
The x2 6"/ 45 BL Mark XVII L are the only dual 6" guns that will fit on the L class.
They
carry more range than the single 6"rs that the Q class wields, although
understandably
they weigh more and reload is longer. Since these do weigh significantly more than
the
tripple 4", they will restrict how much armor you will be able to put on.
Instead, a better use for these guns would be playing at range. As I said these give
you
greater range than the Q class 6", but you will still be ranged by the DDX and z99,
and be
on a competitive stance with the IJN Tsukikei, although the Tsukik will vastly
outdamage
you, as will the DDX.
The advantage that the L class has over the DDX and Tsukikei, besides its armoring
capability, is its speed. A relatively fast boat, it will not compare to the z99 in terms
of sheer speed, but you can easily out pace a DDX or Tsukiki if you find yourself in
trouble. Use this speed and your 320 degree firing arcs to get yourself out of tight
spots, as well as find a nich for the L class as a great chaser/runner.
Ignore the fact that you can mount the rp10 L's on the L class. Yes these guns have
ridiculous range for AAing, but their weight is incredible, and the fact that your
gunners
will not be high enough to reload the guns fast enough for AA work, but since the L
class
only possesses 3 turrents, it also has insufficient broadside power for AAing. Not only
this, but High angling with the rp10 nets you notoriously low damage, with about
250-300
damage per Light HE shell at max 70 degree angle, about the same as a standard
6" light
shell. Their range falls short of the Dual 6" XVII L.
Also ignore the fancy 7.5" and 9.2" guns. They are purely fun-guns, and even at that
they
aren't so fun. While their ranges may seem impressive, their weight, reload, and low
barrel count will get you killed. It is satisfying to hear a big BOOM in a DD war room,
but beyond that, they are trash.
This concludes the section on UK DD's