Rule Germania, Germania tame the waves

[EwaldvonKleist]

Currently writing a German language RtW3 AAR on si-games.com as the German Empire, featuring the 1900 start with ahistorical resources, where I try to cure Germany's "fleet envy" of glorious Britannia.
Of interest may be the 23kn 1900 BC fleet strategy completely without DDs, which proves effective even against superior opponents.

https://www.si-games.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31421

[EvanJones]

Interesting. Thanks.

I have always favored speed (Admiral's mode), but 22k BBs with a horde of DDs usually makes 'em run. And if things go awry, you can pull back to DD cover. What you can overtake can often be bypassed, leaving your horde to finish them off, thus allowing you to (more or less) continue pursuit. Don't want to let those prestige points escape back to port, do we?

[You'll have noticed that in Admiral's mode, your ships not under direct control will tend to avoid torpedoes better than you (i.e., "I") can, with so much on which to concentrate. In fact, you may well win more often and take fewer losses in A-Mode and totally rack your prestige through the roof (No-cheat, AI+, 200+ if you manage your foreign policy well). And it's MUCH easier to play. A matter of correctly assigning the right roles at the right time. And, arguably, more boastworthy.)]

Dropping that speed just 1k gives you a whole troop of destroyers per BX. You'll still outpace the Bs and early BBs.

P.S., Even as a "prestige player" I will ALWAYS take the (large) prestige ding to get rid of the Cautious trait for Germany or Italy. Or else you'll be coming out of winning slugfests with six less prestige than you went in with.

[EvanJones]

On further review, I have come to agree that a 23k B is a good "late-early" build -- if you MUST build cap ships before Torp Prot.

[EwaldvonKleist]

On further review, I have come to agree that a 23k B is a good "late-early" build -- if you MUST build cap ships before Torp Prot.

1900 23kN BC/Bs are not possible anymore in later versions, AFAIK. I simply go with 22kN Bs instead. You can't chase down all starting fleet enemy cruisers anymore but gain some armor for the -1kN. Imho, 1900 torpedo boats are not that effective due to short torpedo range and vulnerability to one/two shots with 6in and 5in. But later I build a lot of DDs.
I don't like to use cruisers because managing so many ships is annoying, so I go with DDs and capital ships only. I rarely play Admiral's mode because I mistrust AI decision making, with captain's mode you can always correct absurd decisions and bugs. But I guess it is more relaxing since it curbs micromanager perfectionism

[EvanJones]

The general problems with Pre-Dreads are their short span of usefulness and limited availability for combat.

OTOH, I find Seriously Heavy Cruisers (14k-20k, as big as possible) to be able to tear ANY enemy ship in the game to shreds in the early-to-midgame. And they get called into battle a whole lot more than Bs. If I get in a scrap with Bs and pass command check, I will tend simply to pluck out the Bs entirely and go with ACs as flag. And when building early LCs, start at 8000 tons/22k and work from there. 30 secondary/tertiary guns will light up the superstructure on just about anything, 14" belt armor be damned. Cruisers also dodge better than Bs.

Maybe you set up a full troop. You draw on it for your early carrier conversions. The rest will tend to attrit in battles in which you won 2 prestige anyway, so limited loss, there. They can even survive to be missile cruisers. Had one that fought ~60 battles. A B has maybe 15 years' life expectancy from 1890. A kickass AC can serve for forty years, and a whole lot more, if you like.

Once I can make a BB with -- at least -- real 12" guns, Torp Prot I, and cross-deck fire ) if necessary), I can build my real battle fleet.

I only play in Admiral's mode, so micromanagement is not a problem . . .