How to Dodge Homing Torpedoes (Arlskandir)

[HogHammer]

(Note: Copy and courtesy of a post by Arlskandir)

Following comments from another thread, I'm making this quick reference guide on how to dodge homing torpedoes.

Basic 101: Homing

It is important to understand how the homing mechanic works. The torpedoes don't home to your actual ship, they home into the expected "collision point" between the torpedo trajectory and yours. 

Understanding this concept is very important to understand how to exploit the guidance system in order to avoid the torpedo. The faster you move, the farther ahead from you the collision point is, speed means space, the more space you have the easier it will be to dodge the torpedo. 

Another important aspect is understanding you lead the torpedoes, you set their course as a follow-up of your own course and speed. This opens the possibility of leading the torps in the way most convenient to you, you can force the torps into an island or obstacle.

Basic 102: Shutoff range

This is the second critical aspect to understand. It is already well explained in the Wiki so I leave you the link here:
Torpedoes -WoWs WIKI

The takeaway is torpedoes stop homing at a certain range from the collision point (not your ship). This is critical because the direction in which you are moving can work for or against you, In general terms moving into the torps will win you space, but moving away from the torps will lose you space. 

As you can see, moving away from the torps makes them more difficult to dodge the faster you move. In extreme cases for very fast DDs, the torps can home right into your ship because the shutoff distance is smaller than the collision point, meaning the torp is still homing when it reaches your ship.

It is very important for you to become familiar with the shutoff range values shown in this table (it is in the WIKI).

From studying it you will realize some rules of thumb, the more relevant ones are:

• For BBs, torpedoes stop homing around the torpedo-spotting range, so you win nothing by using DCP as once you spot it, the torpedo is already not homing. So, don't use DCP to break homing on BBs, for the most part, it is useless
• Double pings on Cruisers and DDs are extremely dangerous, use your DCP if you have it and are in a position to pull the dodge. 
• On Submarines always use the DCP, you won't be dodging those torps otherwise.

Basic 103: The Dodge

If you are familiar with Tauromaquia (Bullfighting) then dodging torps will come naturally to you. The general idea is to feint and lead the torps away from you and then change your direction once the torps stop homing, make an appointment with the torps (at the collision point) but leave them hanging once they are unable to correct their direction.

The basic steps are:

• Once you are pinged, immediately set up your dodge move according to the direction you want to go and the direction the torps are coming, Remember running straight away is the worst alternative as the torps will home right into you. Try to keep as much angle as possible, around 30-45 degrees is usually enough. 
• Once you spot the torps keep your bearing steady, don't panic, and let them line up with your trajectory. As long as the torps are homing they will adapt to your move so maneuvering is a wasted effort unless you do it to set up a more convenient angle. You need to wait for the shutoff range
• Once the torps near the shutoff range, then it is when you start pulling your dodge. Cutting speed and turning hard away from the collision point is usually enough to clear the torps.
• Once you cleared the torps try to regain speed and move wherever you want to move but remember the odds are there will be a next salvo of torps.

That's it for the basics, hope it is of some help.

Advanced 201: Your ship characteristics

The ability to dodge the homing torps is a direct function of your ship's performance characteristics. Your ship must be able to react (change course) in the space provided by the shutoff range. Some ships will be better suited for the task while for others it will be very difficult to pull the maneuver. 

There are 3 key values on your ship to account for dodging homing torps:

• Rudder Shift Time: The quicker the better, a quick rudder will allow you to change your bearing faster, improving your reaction time and rate of change. Using Improved Rudder modules can provide you significant advantages when dodging homing torpedoes, unlike Prop mod which is largely irrelevant for dodging homing torps. 
• Turning Circle: The smaller the better, this combines with the Rudder to generate your angular rate of change. The greater your rate of change (how much you can change your bearing in a set time) the better. Turning Circle is a fixed ship value so there's really not much you can do to improve it. 
• Speed: Speed is important because it is a factor determining the Collision point, as a general rule you will prefer the collision point to be farthest away from your ship, so a high speed is desirable, but consider in case you are retreating from torps the high-speed acts against you as it will "pull" the shutoff range closer to your ship.

Remember, dodging is a function of the Rate-of-change of your ship bearing, you can improve your rate of change by improving your rudder time. You can gain "extra" distance to dodge by improving your speed and taking a favorable direction relative to the torps (going towards the torps).

Advanced 202: Ping location 

The placement of the ping on your ship plays a significant role in determining the precise location of the collision point thus impacting your chances to successfully dodge:

As a general rule, a ping on the tip of your bow will provide you maximum separation and will be easier to dodge. 

Pings on the extremes of your ship can also generate a significant "pendulum" effect when you turn your ship. When turning, your ship pivots (like a door) from its center, this can actually make your aft section generate a movement vector divergent to your actual direction. If timed properly this can be used to "swing" the torps away from you and help you dodge torps trailing after you.

Advanced 203: The @El2aZeR corollary

This information was previously posted by El2azer, it is relevant so I'm including it here verbatim.

Homing torps actually aim for your side, not the middle of the ship. This means at high angles they can be evaded with minimal effort if the enemy sub has pinged the wider part of your ship.