[Naval] Is Japan and/or the UK worth playing?

[shadain597]

I have very little naval experience, so I'm trying to pick a "main" for now, and I would prefer to play something outside the Big 3. However, my limited experience from the UK, and what little I've heard on the forums, suggests that they are pretty much chronically lacking in firepower without really making up for it in other areas. As for Japan, the reserve destroyer seems pretty good, but I've suffered my way through rank 2 coastal and I'm starting to envy the performance of the Big 3's ships that I face in every battle.

So, are either of those nations actually decent, further down the tree{s}? Or are they best reserved for the diehard fans? Because while I would like to choose something a little different, I'm also willing to "sell out" if it that's what it takes to actually have halfway-decent ships.

Oh, and here's the obligatory "bUt NaVaL iS dEaD;" now the randos who never play Naval don't need to give me that bit of suuuuper helpful advice

[Eftwyrd]

japan is worth playing within certain bounds. For reference even their own officers during WW2 considered their small boats to be garbage, they really come into their own with destroyers however. The akizuke class is more than a match for any other destroyer in the game in a gunfight and most of the later destroyers, even if not as well gunned carry type 93 torpedoes which are bar none the best torpedo of WW2 making them a threat to even much larger ships if they are not careful.

Now personally destroyers are my happy place and i dont generally play japan above that (which nicely matches up with the BRs of most of japans WW2 naval aviation for those who actually like the history like myself) but in cruiser design they tend to have all the firepower to match their counterparts but much less armour than the real monsters like the German admiral hipper, US brooklyn etc. Though the cruisers do often come with the aforementioned type 93s compared to much more agile destroyers they will have a much harder time deploying them effectively and mostly just serve as an ammo detonation waiting to happen. This is also where the japanese failure to develop or equip their ships with truly effective anti air defense is really going to bite you as you are no longer agile enough to get out of the way of incoming ordinance.

In the future as we move from the WW1 and interwar battleships currently ingame towards actual WW2 era battleships they should get some genuine contenders though dont expect them to ever be truly top tier. For all people wank about the yamato class if it is ever added for all of its raw size the technical and material superiority of the US at the time meant the smaller and faster Iowa class will be a match for it while having much better anti air defence.

[Lucid]

Originally posted by Eftwyrd:

The akizuke class is more than a match for any other destroyer in the game in a gunfight and most of the later destroyers, even if not as well gunned carry type 93 torpedoes which are bar none the best torpedo of WW2 making them a threat to even much larger ships if they are not careful.

I don't play U.K much.

But yea, very notable for Japan are the Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 torpedoes. They can be a game changer, without putting you in range of enemy artillery.

If you can read the enemy correctly, wait for them to get on a steady path and into tunnel vision mode. You can easily get a few torpedo scores every time.

https://wiki.warthunder.com/Type_93_Model_1,_Mod_2_(610_mm)

The Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 is a particularly useful weapon. The 20 km maximum range is more than enough to reach across the entire map, which usually spans roughly 15 km. Ships armed with the Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 torpedoes can strike the enemy team's AI convoy immediately from spawn.

Pros:

Very large explosive mass
Very high top speed, one of the fastest torpedoes in the game
Very long range
Ships that carry Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 often carry a large amount, upwards of 16

Cons:

Ships that carry Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 torpedoes must reload in order to access entire load

[shadain597]

Okay, so if I do continue with Japan I really need to learn how to use torpedoes effectively; is the end of the Coastal tree worth reaching or should I pretty much just skip it?

[Eftwyrd]

Originally posted by shadain597:

Okay, so if I do continue with Japan I really need to learn how to use torpedoes effectively; is the end of the Coastal tree worth reaching or should I pretty much just skip it?

nothing in the coastal tree is going to win a fight against a pr206/pr206m, f220 etc. the only thing really worth bringing would be the premium PG02 if you are that way inclined

[Lucid]

I agree Japan coastal is lacking the heavy hitters other nations bring. But the end of the line Bluewater Hyuga with 2x6 36cm/14 inch cannons which all 12 can fire to each broadside is a devastating foe.

But out of all nations for coastal, nothing even comes close to the Italian Saetta with #5 10km user guided missiles. and than add the Freccia (if u were lucky to get it) in the same line-up. ouch! (Still USSR does come with many very powerful top coastal ships also and a awesome squad vessel) So your always gonna be wanting no matter who you go with. xD