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A DD Captain's perspective:
While I may still be a new player, I have been having a great time in my DDs, having gone
up through the US ranks from Fletcher, through Gearing/ Timmerman, to DDX. With subs still
relatively new to the game it seams a lot of SS drivers are still working to perfect their
arts. In the meantime, the ASW role was a task I really had a lot of fun with. In fact I
am expecting to see some players going back to playing DDs, as these "noob trainers" now
have found a specific niche role.
If you are just looking to grind XP then stick with all guns. If you want to be a useful
team player, even as a newbie with a low level BO, then ASW is a good way to go. You
aren't dependent on your crew skills to drive the ship around and roll ash cans off the
deck, so being low level isn't a major hindrance. Some days it feels like you are getting
one-shotted by nearly everything except other DDs, so it's nice to be able to seriously
put the hurt on something else, especially something even the mighty BBs fear!
So, here are a few things I've learned on fighting subs:
Watch for torpedoes! Torpedoes work like tracer rounds; they point both ways. If you
suddenly see a small wave of torpedoes coming out of an area where you see no enemy
surface contacts or planes, that's a good sign there might be a sub there.
Don't rush! Seriously, yet another reason not to charge headlong into the fray and die.
Stay back and watch the large map. Your side's spotters may reveal an enemy sub before it
makes its initial dive and you can get a general idea of where it is going.
Stalk their prey. Subs will be watching the overview map as well, so they can get an idea
of where their big prey is heading. Stick around the big ships, but stay out of their way!
The subs will come to them, and thusly, come to you. Again, stay out of the way. Your DD
can run circles around those BBs, it's your job to not run into them. Besides, that BB
driver's attention if half a map away marking his shells, and he has no idea some idiot DD
is shot blocking him when all his 12"+ guns go off.
Most of the subs preferred targets will, rather predictably, go either North or South, and
so you'd assume the subs will try to go there. That however, tends to be untrue. Subs are
generally slow and can't move fast enough to get into position for the opening phase of
the game. They'll hang back a bit then move in once the general cluster of the rushers is
done with. That means you need to stay back to last until then as well. Often, a sub will
move forward quickly and submerge about the time the initial wave of torpedoes hits their
fleet's forward ships. They will then stay submerged and move under the torps and fighting
above and come out in a position to flank your forces moving N or S. For the sub, it's a
safe bet that none of the center rushers have any sort of sonar to even detect them.
So, hang back at first then move forward. Use this time to watch the map. Look for subs
either hanging back on their side, in the N or S, so trying to slip under the middle. Then
start to move up with your forces, keeping just in front of the larger ships so you can
convincingly "play dumb" then turn sharply and dart in on the sub.
Oh, and don't put stuff like "I h8 subs" or "ASW" in your ship's name. You just gave up
any element of surprise you might have had.
Another little sub trick to be wary of: Mines! Some SS drivers like to carry mines so be
attentive. You may suddenly need to do some fancy rudder work yourself. Be a team player
and warn your team about mine fields too!
You'll know when you are doing your job well when suddenly half the enemy's CAs and BBs
start dropping shells on your little DD...
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