Tactics and Strategies - Target Selection

To me the most important victim selection parameter is what is the force of the opponent and your own team. If it's just you and your cruiser against a fleet of capital ships and change - the tactical decision is pretty much made for you. You're going swimming. Or is it? You might take a swim, but is it possible to take the weakest opponent down with you? Often times we're faced with exactly this sort of decision. My advice, if you're hands down outgunned and the opposition is skilled at combat, then your best bet is to focus your attack on the weakest member and try to at least achieve duplicity. Do not allow yourself to be drawn to the opponents side of the pond. If the weaker player will not come to your side, select another target- the next weakest. You can always talk dirt about the weakest to try to get him to your side again. Do not engage if you have no chance of achieving duplicity- that's called stupidity.

So why your side of the pond? Visual advantage. To me it's one of the most important tactical parameters of our game. Recently I engaged a ship at a distance. I thought I was pounding the snot out of them. Water was flying at the victims boot line. Or so I thought. Later I was told I was hitting low. They could see my rounds passing- under the hull! ! The reverse can also be true, that all you're hitting is superstructure and aboves. Myself, all my shots are aimed at the water near the hull. No water, means no below hits, which means re-adjust my aim. Let other people poke holes. I want sinks.

Okay the teams are equal, what now? Your team might have a plan that takes precedence of course. Aside from that, there also might be other extenuating circumstances impacting the decision. Like that BB after you is skippered by a rookie and you have many kills stenciled on your bow, or visa versa and you are the rookie. Let's quickly put these aside. If you are a rookie, hold back and play cautiously against any vet, even if you have the larger ship. The learning curve doesn't appear like much when you first start to play, but mark my words that few rookies threaten veteran skippers. Odds are you will miss most shots and he won't. Of course, if you can team up with a vet, then of course go after the veteran bad guy.

If you're a vet, the decision is simple - put tonnage under the water. Attack rookies. If it's the rookie's first time out though, please maintain a sense of club spirit. Pop them maybe to give them a taste of the game, but by no means sink them. Let them battle the whole day and get the combat bug big time. Second timers are free game.

Now, the teams are equal and the skills are pretty much equal, what do you do? Remember the game is a war simulation, and war means things aren't fair. Always try to gain the advantage. Attack the smaller ship. I know - normally capital ships attack capital ships right off the bat. But that doesn't make those decisions tactically correct. If the weaker ship easily outruns you then switch targets, but switch to the next easiest to sink. But what about that vet BB after you? In our game it is difficult to sink a target that refuses to engage. Stick to the plan, sink the weaker, avoid the stronger. But what if there is no weaker? There always is, even if the enemy has two of the same ships. Decide based on the opponents skill. We're all different here.

So when should you attack that vet bad guy? When you have the advantage. Don't play fair. Don't allow for equal odds. If your skills are greater - there's the advantage. Other advantages- attack when you have more firepower, or gang up on him with team members. Don't attack on equal terms if you don't have too. Forget all that wimp talk or whatever some vets will lay on you (me included). The object is for them to be looking up at your hull floating on the surface above. Get an advantage! Sink stuff!