Old Forum - How to play Dutch Airstrikes - Kijkduin game play with Q&A on airstrikes

[Tpaktop2_1 NA]

Posted August 8, 2021 saved from the old WoWS forums

This first impression video explains how the Dutch airstrike has been introduced into WoWS and how to play the airstrike feature. I felt the WoWS developers let us down by not explaining the airstrike feature fully. The Kijkduin is the first of the Dutch fleet that uses the airstrike weapon. There are still some questions that have not been answered by Wargaming yet, but will probably be expanded on as time goes on. Anyways, this video is to educate all who play WoWS on what I found out from the WoWS forums and other web sites in using the Dutch airstrike.

I got to say the Q&A in my video is what I know on the Dutch airstrikes. If you know more than me please add them for the sake of all who play and educate us.

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KnifeInUrNeck
1,212 posts
8,907 battles
Report post #2 
Posted August 8, 2021
Those airstrikes get better as you go up tiers. Using airstrikes on same tier or lower BBs is the way. The T9 can knock about 20k damage off a Georgia per strike if you land it. Basically the bigger the target, the more bombs hit, and you get more damage. AA can shoot the planes and reduce the number of bombs so AA cruisers are bad targets. I avoid cruisers in general unless I’m trying to just make them move. 

ive had some really strong games in the T9. People sleep on the AP of these Dutch but after deleting a full health Buffalo in 1 salvo I am now a believer. They’re tan lines when angled properly at mid range is spectacular. In the right hands these are super fun ships.

 

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Cool 1
BrianDavion
Ensign
944 posts
2,427 battles
Report post #3 
Posted August 8, 2021 (edited)
I find airstrikes are a GREAAAT screw you to a parked Battleship trying to lob shells behind the "safety" of an island. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by BrianDavion
[CVA16]

 

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Sabot_100
Vice Admiral
9,687 posts
29,157 battles
Report post #4 
Posted August 15, 2021 (edited)
Airstrikes are interesting/different but after a number of games I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer a good set of torpedoes. (say the equivalent German torps for the tier). There are times you  can hit targets with airstrike that you could never do with torps but the converse is also true and probably more often. Seems like a single torp hit does  more damage than a typical bomb run. And torps have the potential for huge alpha strikes (especially on a drive-by)  where the airstrike does not,  Torps seem easier to aim and have the potential to take out unintended targets beyond the ship you targeted (and now can't hurt friendlies).

For example, airstrike from Eendracht on New Mexico landed pretty much on target (good guess on his speed) and only got 4 bomb hits for 2871 damage and a fire. A single torp hit would have done more and might have caused a flood too.

My experience may be tainted by only playing in coop where the bots have an uncanny knowledge that you just set an airstrike so they will turn or stop so your strike misses completely. Bots  often get stuck on islands but do  not camp like humans are prone to do.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Sabot_100
[ASALT]

 

 

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HallaSnackbar
Lieutenant Junior Grade
1,526 posts
15,220 battles
Report post #5 
Posted August 25, 2021
I find the air strikes about as useful as torpedoes on a Kitakazi.   Yes they can do damage and they have their uses but they are not strong enough to build your playstyle around.  Be aware of stationary targets and get in position to use strikes on them but don't get out of position to make it happen.   Your guns are your bread and butter, air strikes are icing on the cake.

 

[Arcus_Aesopi]

Wow, the training room shows how horrible the airstrikes are...  Super situational... looks like a loss of overall dps if you can shoot instead, but fine for a potshot if you can't.

[Daniel_Allan_Clark]

I've mostly found the airstrikes useful to FORCE the enemy ship to move. It's very situational to actually do good damage with them...you need the enemy ship to misplay, basically.

[Tpaktop2_1 NA]

29 minutes ago, Arcusaesopi said:

Wow, the training room shows how horrible the airstrikes are...  Super situational... looks like a loss of overall dps if you can shoot instead, but fine for a potshot if you can't.

The video is two years old. Many updates have happened since then. Maybe I will do an update if I have the time.

10 minutes ago, Daniel_Allan_Clark said:

I've mostly found the airstrikes useful to FORCE the enemy ship to move. It's very situational to actually do good damage with them...you need the enemy ship to misplay, basically.

The Dutch Airstrike is a response vs camping ships as you said. They prey on one-shotable ships too. I think also if you just play the Dutch ships all the time you would be extremely deadly in WoWS. 

[OldSchoolGaming_Youtube]

Great video! 

Wont comment on the information from WG or even the fact that Dutch cruisers, that apparently have full airplane hangers on board cant have air launched ASWs but instead ship launched .... only in WG land.

My experience: Having both Golden Lion and Tromp. Its hard AF to predict a good airstrike wit the high delay unless window licker going straight line or sitting stationary (looking at you Yamato), so how I go about it in both ships is to pretty much going for the easy hits, stationary "bow tanking BBs" or DDs that smoke up, then you aim the strike a tick behind the DD before it disappears, usually then you will hit it and even with Tromp you can take like 60-70% of the enemy DDs health if you aim well.

Other than that its mostly island camping and hitting ships pushing you, but I for one dont like that weird 45-degree angle that you aim with, for some strange reason it seem like even Yamato player get the speed and maneuverability of a Kleber every time you launch a strike and try to predict his movements with this.

Whats youre experience predicting these? I say its usually hard AF (if they have hands).

Edited October 28, 2023 by OldSchoolGaming_Youtube

[Arcus_Aesopi]

If they have hands...  🙂