1st rates tactics

[Steelfury]

Well, I'm having real problems with playing 1st rates, perfectly fine playing the Bellona, but when it comes to the Vic & Santi a lot of my games are: getting a few leaks, ok, go to survival and start plugging them and try to disengage, but while disengaging I generally get so many leaks that they overwhelm me and I sink before I can patch it up. So what I'd like to know is how ppl. would advise playing first rates? Do I just stay at long range and avoid close engagements as much as possible or what?

[Crankey]

They are as you've noticed not immune to damage, they are a HUGE target, they have better armour at range.

 

So try to limit your opponents options to fire at you close up and once your armour is eroded you really need to either repair or get range. Your are slow to turn, slow to move, so sometimes just outfighting your opponent is the only way forward.

 

In essence don't expect it to be more than a slightly better gunned Bellona thats slower - easier to target and less nimble and you won't go far wrong ^^

[Grim DeGrim]

I would think (as I am yet to get one), that once you are in close, then that's it. You're committed.

If a brawl, have both broadsides going... Otherwise focus fire and picking have the right target are key (requires coordination with your teammates).

At range you might have more options for survivability, as you can get a block or turn out. Not as many ships can pen you at range.

[Steelfury]

Thing is: Bellona doesn't start sinking like a stone as soon as you get a few leaks, whereas these 1st raters seem to just get a few hits to the waterline and start doing submarine impressions at a moments notice.

[Flip]

Thing is: Bellona doesn't start sinking like a stone as soon as you get a few leaks, whereas these 1st raters seem to just get a few hits to the waterline and start doing submarine impressions at a moments notice.

 

Yea it happens, the victory really does this, there may be no visible leaks but if you get below 20ish% armor your probably sunk, especially if your pump is yellow. Haven't noticed it on the Santisima as much but you tend to either destroy or get destroyed quickly in first rates, especially in trafalgar. If you get focused by the enemy 1st rates assuming they have 3-5 you are sunk usually before your reps can even repair if they keep pounding you as you rep.

[Henry d'Esterre Darby]

Thing is: Bellona doesn't start sinking like a stone as soon as you get a few leaks, whereas these 1st raters seem to just get a few hits to the waterline and start doing submarine impressions at a moments notice.

 

The Devs are also looking at this - it may be a bug.

[Illusive Tabby]

My issue with the first rates are the lack of adaptability to a fight. It really is line fight or get surounded and sunk. Bellona can manouver atleast and stick behind Vic and Santi. Manouverablity, and just as importantly, raw speed, can be more important than raw firepower.

[mouse of war]

My issue with the first rates are the lack of adaptability to a fight. It really is line fight or get surounded and sunk. Bellona can manouver atleast and stick behind Vic and Santi. Manouverablity, and just as importantly, raw speed, can be more important than raw firepower.

 

I guess bigger did mean less maneuverable in real life too - personally I prefer frigates. More tactical options 

[Illusive Tabby]

I agree. They just are not properly practical unless supported by other lineships.

[Magnum]

Well, for now ammo is free - so keep your guns warm is a good tactic.

 

IOW as long as you are firing broadsides at the opponent - they can find pain from them. Just the other day I was about stranded in a dismasted Santi and the only shot I had was a wayyyy far away Victory (at the very limit of the Santi's range) - and low and behold I knocked off his bowsprit and foremast, what a lucky shot!

 

If I had not taken that broadside - I would not have had that luck!

[Prater]

These are reasons why I dislike sailing the 1st rates.

[Illusive Tabby]

These are reasons why I dislike sailing the 1st rates.

  This guy gets it. Slow. Lethargic. Not good for the solo player. Why do we romanticize the Frigate? Because alot of us are lone wolves. In DayZ, we have a Mosin on a hill. We hide, evade, avoid and pounce when we know we are going to win. In the wee hours of the day, sailing something like Surprise, that's what I'd be doing. Tracking a target, making sure I can take her in combat, and when I know I have the upperhand.... "Beat to quarters, let fly and run out the guns! For England, for Home, and for the Prize!" Because that is what frigates could do, and did do.

 

  But later, if my "Squadron" mates or whatever clans are called, and I say they should be "Squadrons" because that's what small fleets of ships were called (from wiki and a few other pages) I'd be in said small fleet taking slightly larger ships on. But then I just dislike personally sailing large line ships. Bellona is an exception because she retains just enough manouverability for my tastes. But Surprise to Connie are my prefered "large ships". I hope Rattlesnake or similar will have enough of a punch for me and enough armor for what I would want to take on that I could win.

[Steelfury]

Fair enough, I'll stick with Bellona & Trinco for now then

[Prater]

Seriously sail all the ships from time to time.  It will help stop you from getting bored of over playing one ship.  If you have unlocked all the ships, ask people what ships are needed to balance the pvp and take that ship.  We don't all have to be in rates.

[Illusive Tabby]

I suppose I'm biased against rates because I sucked at PvP in PotBS and just did PvE in a Wenden looking to grind for a Victory. No fun. Just as Prater said. I have the Victory now, in NA, but I have only sailed her in PvP 3 times I think.

[admin]

These are reasons why I dislike sailing the 1st rates.

Leaks or their performance?

[Illusive Tabby]

I think he meant the performance...but performance is why I do not like them so I may be projecting.

[Dragonfire]

Leaks or their performance?

For me it is both.

I get position on a Vic or Santi with even a Snow and it may take time but it is sunk.

Take away its 3 repairs and it sinks very quick after that.

Doing that now is easy just chain its sails , it repairs auto damage, figure out how many repairs it has left and when zero move in with double and start blasting it in bow using single or directed deck double shot in close and down it goes quite easy.

[nebsif]

Well, you also have to consider those games where one team gets a 1st rate and the other one doesnt.. these are usually sad games for the scrub team despite the numerical advantage.

Once it was me in a Brig and some other guy in a snow or lower vs a victory, so we stern camped him for 30 min and nothing special happened. Then he went out of the combat circle, we followed, he did a U turn and parked at the combat zone edge so that I have either to stay outside and loose or go past his broadside back inside. Hated that dude but hat off for the creativity.

[Illusive Tabby]

Yea, I hate when it's late night and someone joins a game in a Santi. No one else is running a Santi or a Vic or even a Bellona. Not his fault the first time. But if he does it again, yea. It's annoying as hell.

[Prater]

Leaks or their performance?

 

Both.  I'm just not any good with a 1st rate.  I try and sail them like a Bellona or frigate.

[Balsafer]

1st rates are line ships meant to fight in a line problem is battles eventually will become close quarters and that is where the 1st rates are not as good in unless you are a skilled Captain and have a skilled team mates or squad mates that can help. 

 

I have not done a Traf yet in my Victory so I do not know how I will fair, but in pvp skirmishes i do pretty well.

[Robert Danforth]

Historically, the SOLs did fight up close in Trafalgar.

[Magnum]

Historically, the SOLs did fight up close in Trafalgar.

 

For a Vic or a Santi - 10 ships length is "up close" - in game.

 

At Trafalgar I understand in certain areas they were deck to deck and you had trouble breathing from the smoke.

[Leviathan]

First rates are definitely a different animal. In a frigate you can rely on maneuvers and counter-maneuvers and make decision more on the fly. In a first rate everything moves at a much slower pace so you have to begin planning your attack much sooner. In some cases you may need to think 2 or 3 steps ahead in a situation to get the most benefit out of it.

Currently the yellow pump is the curse of death if enough leaks are present and you can't remove yourself from fire. I posted it somewhere else but basically the mass volume of leaks generated from another first rate results in a cascade effect. Once a few red leaks appear it can easily turn into a situation where 3 red leaks turn into 20 in moments. No way to pump that out.