The most underrated combat ship in World of Warships is the destroyer, which is very vulnerable to every other boat and weapon type due to its low survivability.
Playing on a destroyer is complex, and it is tough to influence the outcome of a fight, but for some tasks, it is indispensable. In the absence of this warship on the battlefield, allies may have difficulties.
We also advise you to familiarize yourself with a helpful article: Super Containers in World of Warships: How to Get Them, What You Can Get
How to properly play on the destroyers in WoWs, what are its features and importance for the team game we will understand further.
Features of the Destroyer Class in World of Warships
The features of a destroyer are related to the functions it performs on the battlefield, specifically:
- The need to detect and destroy submarines determines the presence of sonars and depth bombs,
- Operational support of the main allied forces is made possible by high speed and maneuverability, which allow them to approach the enemy in a straight trajectory and perform torpedoing.
- Gun turrets are needed mainly for distraction, so they don’t do much damage but don’t negatively affect speed and evasion.
- Armor and survivability leave much to be desired, but the destroyer has the smallest turning radius due to its lightness and the fastest rudder shifting.
- The small dimensions of the hull and gun turrets allow them to remain undetected at a short distance from the enemy (less than 7 – 8 km).
Tips on How to Play Effectively with Destroyers in WoWs
Unlike other combat vessels, a destroyer’s effectiveness lies not in its contribution to destroying enemies but in its teamwork for the benefit of the allied forces.
Distracting the Enemy
Suppose an allied battleship or cruiser is in a tight spot, and destruction seems inevitable. In that case, the destroyer’s job is to intervene by firing a salvo of main caliber and torpedo tubes at the enemy. After this attack, in most cases, the enemy’s attention will switch to the bold “lightweight,” which must continuously maneuver, changing tack to allow the ally to restore the reserve survivability.
You can make a swift dash toward the enemy, if he is alone, and attempt to sink the enemy with a torpedo attack.
Smoke Torpedoing
A common way for destroyers to execute a torpedo attack is to use smoke screens, which make it impossible to determine the presence of an ambush and the position of the lurking destroyer.
By default, other ships perceive any smoke on the map as a potential threat, but since it is impossible to evade them all, are forced to pass close by and are subjected to a rapid torpedo attack.
Surge Attack
The only effective weapon of the destroyer against surface ships is the torpedo attack, which requires getting close to the enemy, and to do this, the destroyer must dash a straight trajectory, performing evasive maneuvers along the way.
The small size of the destroyer, moving towards the enemy with its bow on a broken trajectory, makes it difficult to aim at it, which allows it to approach the target and perform torpedo discharge successfully.
Common Mistakes When Playing Destroyers
A destroyer’s main caliber cannot do severe damage, so using it for anything other than a distraction is a mistake because it draws the enemy’s attention to itself.
Being on the line of visual contact between an enemy ship and an allied battleship or cruiser, you should always assume a torpedo attack that can destroy a light destroyer that happens to be in the way.
Do not fire all torpedoes, because then the destroyer is temporarily disarmed and represents an easy victim rather than a potential threat.
Destroyer: Pros and Cons
The strengths of destroyers include:
- high speed and maneuverability, providing evasion from attacks;
- low visibility, allowing them to get close to their opponents;
- compact size, making it difficult to hit;
- high firepower of torpedoes, allowing the destruction of any vessel;
- The presence of smoke screens makes it possible to ambush.
The weaknesses of destroyers are:
- low safety margin and thin armor, which make massive shelling lethal;
- the weakness of the main caliber, which does not allow for severe damage;
- vulnerability to air attacks.
Battle Tactics for Destroyers in World of Warships in 2024
The optimal tactic for a destroyer is to stay slightly ahead and to the side of the primary attacking formation of battleships and cruisers while remaining invisible to the enemy.
Offsetting from a straight line is necessary to avoid being hit by torpedoes that might be dropped by a cruiser or enemy destroyer.
Detection of the latter is also the task of the destroyer, which will need to approach the ships of the enemy at a distance of visibility plus 2 – 3 km to remain undetected, but light up the enemy ships.
Far away from the battleships should not be provided close to the appearance of the enemy submarine, which can be detected on the trail of hydroacoustics and make a drop of depth bombs.
If there is a threat to allies or the presence of a lone enemy, you can dash to torpedo and possibly sink an enemy battleship or cruiser.
Maneuver constantly, because any hit can be fatal, especially if it is a torpedo.
