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Revision as of 13:13, 4 February 2019
→ Aircraft Movement‎ Updated to 0.8.0.0
Latest revision as of 18:55, 24 May 2020
Catapult Fighter, Fighter, Patrol Fighters and Spotting Aircraft‎ Reworded to make it clear only T6 and above carriers have access to Patrol Fighters.
 
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 == Aircraft Movement == == Aircraft Movement ==
? +<div class="thumb tright">{{VideoYT|qjyQVM2sGAo|320}}</div>
 === Squadron Control === === Squadron Control ===
 Individual squadrons are controlled using the WASD keys and the mouse. Aircraft will automatically retain a set forward throttle, regardless of player input. Squadrons are steered using a combination of the mouse and the "A" and "D" keys. The "W" and "S" keys are used to apply a limited time boost and air braking, respectively. The amount of remaining boost is indicated by the curved bar on the left side of the HUD when controlling a squadron. Boost will automatically regenerate when not being used, but captains can also use the Engine Cooling squadron consumable to immediately replenish the boost bar. Individual squadrons are controlled using the WASD keys and the mouse. Aircraft will automatically retain a set forward throttle, regardless of player input. Squadrons are steered using a combination of the mouse and the "A" and "D" keys. The "W" and "S" keys are used to apply a limited time boost and air braking, respectively. The amount of remaining boost is indicated by the curved bar on the left side of the HUD when controlling a squadron. Boost will automatically regenerate when not being used, but captains can also use the Engine Cooling squadron consumable to immediately replenish the boost bar.
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 For aircraft carrier captains, the Fighter consumable is automatically activated when the carrier is spotted by aircraft. Each consumable consists of a squadron of four fighters that rotate around the vessel at a distance of 3 km. They will attempt to engage enemy aircraft within their range. For aircraft carrier captains, the Fighter consumable is automatically activated when the carrier is spotted by aircraft. Each consumable consists of a squadron of four fighters that rotate around the vessel at a distance of 3 km. They will attempt to engage enemy aircraft within their range.
  
?Aircraft carrier controlled squadrons have access to the Patrol Fighters consumable. Similar to the Fighter consumable, when activated it will place a squadron of four fighters at the location in which it was activated. The fighters will attempt to engage enemy aircraft within their range. Patrol fighters last for 60 seconds, allowing them to be used as a passive scouting tool by carrier captains.+Aircraft carrier controlled squadrons of Tier VI and above have access to the Patrol Fighters consumable. Similar to the Fighter consumable, when activated it will place a squadron of four fighters at the location in which it was activated. The fighters will attempt to engage enemy aircraft within their range. Patrol fighters last for 60 seconds, allowing them to be used as a passive scouting tool by carrier captains.
  
 == Air-to-Air Combat == == Air-to-Air Combat ==
  
?=== Fighters ===+Air-to-air combat is performed automatically through the usage of the Fighter, {{Catapult Fighter}} and Patrol Fighter consumables. When activated, AI controlled fighters will appear and engage enemy aircraft within their range. The aircraft created from the Catapult Fighter and Fighter consumables will follow their host ship, while Patrol Fighters will remain where they were activated. All three consumables have limited life spans.
  
?When driving an aircraft carrier, you will most likely (with a few exceptions) have fighter aircraft at your disposal. Fighters are represented by an in-game icon consisting of stacked bullets. +== Anti-Surface Combat ==
? +Aircraft Carriers in World of Warships have three types of anti-surface weapons; Attack Aircraft, Torpedo Bombers, and Dive Bombers. Attack Aircraft utilize a large number of small-caliber rockets to light fires and strike fast, maneuverable vessels that are lightly armored. Torpedo Bombers carry air-dropped torpedoes that can cause floods, and are best suited against slower, less maneuverable targets. Finally, Dive Bombers carry either HE or AP bombs that are released directly above an enemy vessel, and can be used effectively against most targets.
?{| class="wikitable" +
?|-+
?! US Fighter Squadron !! Japanese Fighter Squadron+
?|-+
?| [[File: US Fighter icon.jpg|frameless]] || [[File:Japanese fighter squadron.jpg|frameless]]+
?|}+
  
?The bullets will be either solid or outlined, where the solid bullets represent remaining ammunition for that fighter squad. After a fighter squad has spent all of its ammunition, it must return to the carrier to re-arm.+=== Attack Aircraft ===
 +Attack aircraft are aircraft that carry a large number of HE rockets. The rockets have relatively low penetration values, so their damage output against heavily armored ships is negligible. Their primary use is to start fires on enemy vessels, and to harass lightly armored destroyers. The [[Ship:Commander#Inertia_Fuse_for_HE_Shells|Inertia Fuse for HE Shells]] skill can be used to improve their penetration, although taking this skill is not usually recommended for an aircraft carrier. The carriers of the United States Navy have access to two types of rocket; a small, "traditional" rocket, and the much larger "Tiny Tim" rockets that feature higher damage, penetration and fire chance over their counterparts, at the cost of the number of rockets carried per plane.
  
?The number of fighters in a squadron may vary by nationality. US carriers use 6-aircraft squadrons (exception: Premium Carrier "Saipan" which uses fighter squadrons of 3 planes but got up to 3 squadrons active), while Japanese carriers use 4-aircraft squadrons. The number of fighters in a squadron are represented by a set of bars across the top of the squad icon (green for friendly, red for hostile). Solid colour bars (green or red) indicate fighters, whereas shaded transparent bars represent missing fighters which have either been shot down or where there were not enough aircraft reserves on the carrier to form a complete squadron. The Air Supremacy commander skill will increase the fighters per squadron by 1, making 7 (4 for "Saipan") for the US and 5 for the Japanese.+Attack aircraft are arguable the easiest of the three weapon types to aim, as they have the fastest sight stabilization and a fairly small strike dispersion. They have no arming distance and have an easy to use aiming reticle.
? +
?[[File:Incomplete fighter squadron.jpg|frameless|Incomplete US Fighter Squadron]]+
? +
?To engage a fighter squadron, first select the squadron to use for attack by pressing the assigned squadron number. You can select multiple squadrons by holding down CTRL while you select the squadrons. Once the squadron(s) are selected, left-click on the enemy aircraft squadron you wish to attack to plot an intercept course directly to the target and have the fighters automatically engage once in range. You may also optionally plot a series of waypoints with the selected squadrons before clicking on the target enemy squadron. This may be useful to avoid enemy ship-based Anti-Aircraft fire, or perhaps to avoid other enemy aircraft squadrons you do not wish to engage.+
? +
?Any enemy aircraft you shoot down will be recorded, and a ribbon will be displayed for each downed plane. However, if you lose planes you will not be notified unless the entire squadron has been shot down, at least verbally.+
? +
?[[File:Aircraft shot down ribbon.jpg|frameless|4 Aircraft Shot Down]]+
? +
?==== Fighters vs. Fighters ====+
? +
?If you attack enemy fighters, all affected squadrons (one or more of your squadrons plus the targeted enemy squadron(s)) will stay in the same location once engaged. This can be used to your advantage if you are engaged within the Anti-Air screen of a nearby friendly ship, or conversely detrimental if you're engaged over enemy ships. Your squadron will continue the attack until the enemy squadron under attack is destroyed or it disengages from the fight. You can disengage from a fight by giving your squadron(s) a new waypoint or a different target. Note that the enemy fighter squadron will still be attacking your squadron if you disengage, even if you choose to engage a different target, until otherwise directed by the enemy fighter squadron's captain. This can be troubling if your planes have run out of ammo, leaving them about as defenseless as bombers.+
? +
?==== Fighters vs. Bombers ====+
? +
?If you attack enemy bombers, all the affected squadrons will first intercept the target squadron and then cause the squadron under attack to slow down slightly. Bombers cannot target fighters, but they can defend themselves if they have the capability, so it is possible to take losses when fighting enemy bombers. The enemy bombers will continue on their course, or adjust course if directed by their captain, and your fighter squadrons will automatically follow and continue the engagement until the enemy squadron is destroyed, the fighters' ammunition is depleted, or the fighters are given new orders.+
? +
?While being attacked by fighters, an enemy bomber squadron's accuracy is significantly affected. Depending on whether it is a dive bomber or torpedo bomber squadron, the dispersion indicators for the affected squadrons will be roughly twice as large, meaning it will be much harder for the enemy squadron to accurately place ordnance. This accuracy effect only lasts while the enemy squadron is under active attack. It does not apply until a fighter squadron has reached and engaged an enemy squadron, and the effect will end if you disengage the attack. It can be an effective tactic to target bomber squadrons which have not yet dropped their ordnance in order to mitigate the potential damage to ships in your fleet, as opposed to bombers which have already attacked and are returning to their host carrier. Note that strafing runs do not decrease accuracy, only direct engagements do.+
? +
?=== Guarding Squadrons ===+
? +
?Fighters can be set to guard friendly squadrons by selecting a fighter squadron, and then Left-click on a friendly squad you wish to guard. Fighters will automatically fly with the guarded squadron for as long as they are assigned to guard it. If the guarded squadron is attacked, the fighters will automatically engage the squadron attacking the guarded friendly squadron. If the guarded squadron is destroyed, the fighters will discontinue the attack on the enemy squadron that had been attacking the guarded squadron and will await further orders. You can assign your fighters to guard any allied aircraft squadron, even if they belong to another player on your team. You can even guard other fighter squadrons if you wish, though it's not usually beneficial to do so.+
? +
?You can assign other strike planes to follow a squad, but they will not attack the leading squad's target. Instead, you have to manually assign targets.+
? +
?[[File:Guarded squadron.jpg|frameless|Guarded Bombers]]+
? +
?=== Strafing ===+
? +
?Higher tier fighters have a special ability called strafing. It is a form of manually targeted attack which expends a significant portion of the fighter squadrons ammunition in a concentrated area. +
? +
?'''Only aircraft carriers Tier VI and above can engage in strafing runs.'''+
? +
?If successfully applied to areas where enemy aircraft squadrons are located, it can quickly reduce enemy squadron strength. However, if it misses it can be easily punishable by an enemy strafing run or making you lose significant distance on a chased squadron.+
? +
?[[File:Strafe aiming.jpg|frameless|Strafe Aiming]]+
? +
?The strafing ability is applied by holding down the ALT key for a selected squadron(s) and moving the aiming locator to a desired position. Once you have selected a position for a strafing run (as indicated by the green band), you can order the strafing run by left-clicking at the desired location.+
?As with all manually aimed aircraft abilities, you are free to give the squadron different orders until the squadron enters the engagement area of the selected ability identified by the dashed grey circular outline around the strafing zone. Once in the engagement zone, the strafing area will change colour from green to yellow indicating that the squadron is committed to performing the strafing attack. New orders can be given to the squadron while it is performing the strafing run, but the '''affected squadron will not respond to any commands until the strafing run is complete.'''+
? +
?[[File:Strafe attack.jpg|frameless|Strafing Attack]]+
? +
?To use this ability successfully you may need to predict where enemy aircraft will be located by the time your fighter squadrons enter the strafing engagement zone. If the enemy aircraft leave the strafing zone before your fighters begin their strafing run, the enemy aircraft won't be affected by the strafe and your fighters will have wasted their ammunition. Enemy strike planes can gain a significant lead if you poorly place your strafing runs, and enemy fighters can potentially line up a counter-strafe that will probably be devastating on your planes. Please note that the strafing run does not decrease the accuracy of enemy strike planes, and sometimes attacking directly is more beneficial to your teammates. It is important to correctly determine where you start your strafing run. If you begin the strafing run too soon, you might miss the target completely. If the strafing run is started too far away, the enemy squadron will have ample time to leave the engagement area.+
? +
?''' "Strafe-Out Tactic" '''+
? +
?One of your Fighter Squadrons can engage, or be engaged by, an enemy Fighter Squadron via a mouse button left-click which then "locks" your Fighter Squadron into that Fighter engagement. Via the "Strafe-Out Tactic" it is possible to "break the "lock" of a Fighter engagement by giving a "strafe" command in any direction but it will cost the Fighter Squadron ammunition and one of its Fighters in return. When your Fighter Squadron "strafes out" of the Fighter engagement the enemy Fighter Squadron will receive a "stun lock" which prevents them from moving for a few seconds. The "Strafe-Out Tactic" allows a Fighter Squadron to "strafe out" of a Fighter engagement at any time. The tactic is especially useful when a friendly Fighter Squadron is "locked" in a Fighter engagement and is either losing that Fighter engagement, or is in danger of being "strafed" by another enemy Fighter Squadron or in order to prevent the friendly Fighter Squadron from being destroyed when running out of ammunition. The Premium Tier 7 Aircraft Carrier [[Ship:Saipan|Saipan]] is currently the only Carrier that can let a Fighter Squadron "strafe out" of a Fighter engagement without losing a Fighter in the process. There is an additional major tactical advantage that the "Stafe-Out Tactic" offers which presents itself when a friendly Fighter Squadron "strafes out" of a Fighter engagement: the enemy Fighter Squadron that remains "stun locked" and thus stationary for a few seconds can be easily "strafed" by another friendly Fighter Squadron during those few seconds.+
? +
?''' "Counter-Strafe-Out Tactic" '''+
? +
?One of your Fighter Squadrons can engage, or be engaged by, an enemy Fighter Squadron via a mouse button left-click which then "locks" your Fighter Squadron into that Fighter engagement. If the enemy Fighter Squadron then uses the "Strafe-Out Tactic" in order to "strafe out" of that Fighter engagement it is possible to use the so-called "Counter-Strafe-Out Tactic" by selecting your Fighter Squadron and giving ONE movement command (not an attack or "strafing" command) in the direction where the enemy Fighter Squadron is "strafing out", this will allow your Fighter Squadron to get out of the "stun lock" that they normally receive when an enemy Fighter Squadron "strafes out" of a Fighter engagement. Then give your Fighter Squadron a "strafe" command in the same direction so that your Fighter Squadron will start "strafing" the enemy Fighter Squadron either immediately or shortly thereafter. Do not place the "strafe" command too close or your Fighter Squadron will first circle around to get into position. If executed properly the "Counter-Strafe-Out Tactic" will allow your Fighter Squadron to "strafe" the enemy Fighter Squadron as it "strafes out" of the Fighter engagement.+
? +
?[https://youtu.be/NxdkOtxbWsg?list=PLpIStK0V3nVFRCw6WrJgHcOqtkXojB6YN Strafing Tutorial]+
? +
?== Anti-Surface Combat ==+
?All aircraft carriers in World of Warships have at least some planes equipped to attack enemy surface ships (sometimes referred to as "strike planes"), whether they be dive bombers or torpedo bombers or a mix of the two. Strike planes perform similarly to fighters except that they cannot attack enemy planes and their payload is a one-time-use, meaning that once their bombs or torpedoes are launched, they must resupply in order to attack again. Strike planes are almost universally slower than fighters while carrying their strike ordnance, but they gain a speed boost once their payload has dropped. +
  
 === Torpedo Bombers === === Torpedo Bombers ===
?[[File:99 plane torpedo own selected.png|frameless|left|link=]]Torpedo bombers are the preferred strike weapons of aircraft carriers, as they provide consistent damage against almost any enemy ship in a given match. There are two methods for attacking with torpedo bombers:+[[File:99 plane torpedo own selected.png|frameless|left|link=]]Torpedo bombers are the preferred strike weapons of aircraft carriers, as they provide consistent damage against almost any enemy ship in a given match. Aerial torpedoes have universally lower damage and flood chance when compared to their ship-launched counterparts, but otherwise behave similarly.
  
  
?==== Auto-Drop ====+When performing an attack run with torpedo bombers, captains will notice a yellow are in the attack cone; this is the distance in which the torpedoes must travel before they arm. If a torpedo strikes before arming, it will not do damage. The torpedo attack cone also closes quite slowly, so captains should take the time to plan out their attack runs before beginning them.
?Clicking an enemy target with the '''Left Mouse Button''' will order the torpedo bomber to perform an "auto-drop". '''This is the only attack mode available to torpedo bombers launched by Tier IV and Tier V aircraft carriers.''' In this method of attack, the game calculates where to drop the torpedoes for an optimum attack against the enemy target; however, this presumes that the target does not change course and speed. Attentive players will usually note the approach of enemy torpedo bombers and maneuver to avoid the incoming attack, throwing off the automatic aim. Additionally, "auto-drop" drops the torpedoes into the water rather far away from the target, making dodging easier since the torpedoes are spotted almost soon as they go into the water. Very few aircraft carrier captains rely on auto-dropping, since most players can figure out how to react within the long window that the torpedoes give them to dodge.+
  
?==== Manual Drop ====+=== Dive Bombers ===
?By holding down '''Alt''', captains of tier VI and higher CVs can perform a "manual drop" which allows them to command the torpedo squadron to drop the torpedoes in a specific area. Unlike the auto-drop, manual drops require that they be aimed by the player, and dropping too close to a target can cause the torpedoes to fail to arm prior to striking home. Aerial torpedoes take between 3 and 3.5 seconds to arm and be able to detonate on their target, and compensating for that delay is what makes manual dropping difficult for new carrier captains: too close and the torpedoes won't do damage at all, too far away and the target will have a longer window to dodge the torpedoes. Finding the perfect distance to allow aerial torpedoes to arm shortly before hitting requires practice to master, '''but is only available to torpedo bombers on Tier VI aircraft carriers and higher'''.+Dive bombers are the third and final type of aircraft carried by an aircraft carrier. They come in three forms; HE bombs used by the United States Navy carriers and ''[[Kaga]]'', AP bombs carried on Imperial Japanese Navy carriers, ''[[Graf Zeppelin]]'' and ''[[Enterprise]]'', and a high-altitude HE "carpet bomb" found on Royal Navy carriers.
  
?==== Types of Aerial Torpedoes ====+The traditional dive bombers found on all but the Royal Navy carriers are probably the most difficult weapon type to use, as their aiming reticle is fairly hard to understand, and properly "leading" a target before entering the attack run takes quite a bit of practice to get right. The payoff is extremely high fire chance and good damage.
?There are two types of aerial torpedoes available in World of Warships.+
  
?{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; width:815px"+The Royal Navy aircraft have an aiming system similar to that of Attack Aircraft rockets, and are thus far easier to use.
?|-+
?! style="vertical-align:middle; width: 150px" | Icon+
?! style="vertical-align:middle; width: 465px" | Description+
?! style="vertical-align:middle; width: 200px" | Nation+
?|- +
?| style="vertical-align:middle" | [[File:Torpedo Squadron.png]]+
?| style="vertical-align:middle" | '''Regular Torpedo Bombers''' drop torpedoes with a fairly shallow running depth. These torpedoes are capable of inflicting damage against any class of enemy ship: destroyer, cruiser, battleship, or aircraft carrier. +
?| style="vertical-align:middle" | [[File:Wows_flag_Japan.png|50 px|frameless|link=Ship:Ships_of_Japan]] [[File:Wows_flag_USA.png|50 px|frameless|link=Ship:Ships_of_U.S.A.]]+
?|- style="background: #99ffff;"+
?| style="vertical-align:middle" | [[File:DW Torpedo Squadron.png]]+
?| style="vertical-align:middle" | '''Deep Water Torpedo Bombers''' drop torpedoes with a much deeper running depth. These torpedoes are only capable of inflicting damage against enemy battleships and aircraft carriers. +
?| style="vertical-align:middle" | [[File:Wows flag Germany.png|50 px|frameless|link=Ship:Ships_of_Germany]]+
?|}+
  
?{{Ship:Aerial Torpedo Data}}+<div class="thumb center">{{Ship:Aerial_Bomb_Data}}</div>
  
  
?==== Torpedo Drop Patterns ==== 
?The drop patterns of aerial torpedoes vary by nation and are sometimes unique to individual carriers. A table with images showing the available torpedo drop patterns is below.  
? 
?{{Ship:Aerial Torpedo Drop Patterns}} 
? 
? 
?<div class="thumb tright">{{Ship:Aerial Bomb Data}}</div> 
? 
?=== Dive Bombers === 
?Dive bombers are the second type of strike plane, and they are a bit faster than torpedo bombers. Their service time (at least usually) is less than torpedo bombers, and they are a bit faster. There are usually more dive bombers on a carrier than torpedo bombers. On the Japanese side, dive bombers seem like a secondary weapon with their relatively small damage compared to torpedo planes (4500 vs. 8567). However, American dive bombers cause massive damage starting from Tier VI onwards. They use a 500-pound bomb — versus the Japanese 100 kg (250 pounds) — that deals about 3,000 max damage more. Starting from ''[[Lexington]]'' at Tier VIII, that number is even higher, at 10,800 with the 1,000-pound bomb. The large American bombs will be able to deal heavy damage to any ship they hit, provided they hit. That is the trade-off: American planes suffer from increased dispersion while the Japanese have tighter dispersion with less damage. Note that ''[[Enterprise]]'' and ''[[Graf Zeppelin]]'' are unique in that they have access to armor piercing bombs capable of doing tremendous damage to enemy battleships.  
? 
?Dive bombers are similar to torpedo bombers in almost every way. They can be auto-dropped, which is recommended most of the time since leading dive-bomber squads can be a serious waste of time. Alternatively, they can be manual-dropped and have tighter dispersion. Unlike torpedo bombers, dive bomber hits are based on random chance within the target area. Even if you are almost dead-on in your aim, you can sometimes miss. '''Tier IV and Tier V aircraft carriers can only auto-drop dive bombers.''' 
  
 == Anti-Air (AA) Defense == == Anti-Air (AA) Defense ==
  
?Please note that the content of this page is using information which have yet to be verified. Slight inaccuracies can occur and will be corrected once more accurate data is available.+{{Main|Ship:Anti-Aircraft Fire}}
? +
? +
?Unlike the artillery or torpedo armament in World of Warships, anti aircraft guns do not calculate actual trajectories or have limited fields of fire. This is due to the amount of processing which would occur, and would result in an immense stress on the servers.+
? +
?Anti aircraft armament works using auras, with each aura having a minimum and maximum range applied. The ranges are adjusted so that no aura will overlap with each other. The three main auras, short range, medium range and long range, differ in the way they deliver damage against enemy aircraft. All guns up to 25mm are considered short range, all guns up to 85mm are considered medium range and all the weapons with a larger caliber are long range. Below are the characteristics of the German Tier 8 Premium Cruiser ''[[Prinz Eugen]]'' as an example.+
? +
?==== Short Range Aura ====+
?[[File:AA_ShortRange.jpg|thumb|The detailed statistics of ''Prinz Eugen's'' short range defenses]]+
?Prinz Eugen’s short range aura works at a range between 0.1 and 2km. Within that aura 184 damage are being dealt every second. However, this damage is not guaranteed, and a hit percentage is given at 81%. This means that every second there is an 81% chance that this damage is being dealt to the entire squadron. The damage is being applied to the entire squadron, and spread among all planes within its reach.+
? +
?==== Medium Range Aura ====+
?[[File:AA_MediumRange.jpg|thumb|The detailed statistics of ''Prinz Eugen's'' medium range defenses]]+
?The medium range aura is active at ranges between 2.0 and 3.5km. Just like the short range aura, a consistent damage of 173 is being dealt every second with a 85% chance.+
?On top of that, the medium range aura is also capable of generating flak clouds. These clouds are constantly being generated and spawn in front of the enemy aviation, and will deal its damage to all aircraft which fly through them. By default Prinz Eugen is capable of generating up to seven clouds, with each cloud having a cooldown before it can be generated again. This cooldown is estimated to be between one and two seconds. The damage each of these flak clouds can deal is significantly higher than the consistent damage with 1190 per second within the explosion radius, meaning that for example the aircraft from the Japanese T8 Carrier ''[[Shokaku]]'' will not be able to sustain two direct hits. However, since these clouds only deal damage on those planes that fly through them, they can also seem ineffective when the squadron dodges these clouds.+
? +
?==== Long Range Aura ====+
?[[File:AA_LongRange.jpg|thumb|The detailed statistics of ''Prinz Eugen's'' long range defenses]]+
?The furthest reaching aura is capable of delivering damage at ranges between 3.5 and 5.8km. Following the rules of the short and medium range aura, a consistent damage is being applied. However, this value is noticeably lower than for the other auras with 91 dps and a hit percentage of 85%.+
?What makes up for the low consistent damage are the flak clouds which are generated just like for the medium range aura. Up to six clouds with each dealing 2100 dps stock mean that the same planes from [[Shokaku]] would be unable to survive even one direct hit. +
? +
?==== Sector Reinforcement ====+
?Every ship has the ability to focus the AA firepower on one side of the ship, which will result in the other side having a weaker defense. The screen which allows for the sector assignment is by default the "O" key, and after assigning a side for increased defense a timer starts, after which the sector has been successfully reinforced. The increase in firepower and the timer depend on the ship type.+
? +
?{| class="wikitable"+
?|-+
?! Ship !! AA Bonus on assigned sector !! Switch Time+
?|-+
?| Destroyers || +50% || 5 seconds+
?|-+
?| Cruisers || +25% || 10 seconds+
?|-+
?| Battleships || +25% || 12 seconds+
?|-+
?| Aircraft Carriers || +60% || 15 seconds+
?|-+
?| ''[[Sims]]'' || +80% || 4 seconds+
?|}+
?Using Prinz Eugen as an example again, and only looking at the long range aura. When no sector has been assigned, a plane approaching from the starboard side will be facing the continuous dps of 91 and the six generated flak clouds with each dealing 2,100dps. The player now assigns the starboard side as the reinforced sector, and after ten seconds the damage will be increased to 114dps consistently and 2,625 from every flak cloud. The plane now flies over the ship and enters the zone in which the port side long range AA is active. The damage in that sector is reduced to 68dps consistently and 1575dps from each flak cloud.+
? +
?Losing AA mounts will reduce the amount of consistent dps your auras will be able to put out, and reduce the amount of flak clouds that can be generated. The location of the destroyed AA mount does not matter in that regard, as each gun works in all directions. This also means that the sector reinforcement remains unaffected aside from the reduced damage dealing.+
? +
?The usage of Defensive Fire practically takes the damage you would be dealing to the plane and multiplies it with the factor x2. +
  
 +== Notes ==
  
?Other notes:+'''Adrenalin Rush''' (AR) commander skill increases squadron speed with percent damage taken. Currently this skill is '''''not recommended for carriers''''' as each plane lost resets the damage percent. [The skill is currently under review.]
  
?* Manually designating an AA target (Ctrl-click) will immediately activate AA fire without the need to press P.+<references />
?* Activating the Defensive AA Fire consumable will also immediately activate AA fire without the need to press P.+
?* Deactivating AA fire will immediately terminate the Defensive AA Fire consumable if it is active, and begin its cooldown. This can be used to shave a few seconds off until the next charge is ready.+
  
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?{{#gw_breadcrumbs: Ship}} 
?[[Category:World of Warships]] 
 [[Category:Rules pages]] [[Category:Rules pages]]
 +[[Category:WoWS Obsolete]]

Latest revision as of 18:55, 24 May 2020

Aircraft Movement

Squadron Control

Individual squadrons are controlled using the WASD keys and the mouse. Aircraft will automatically retain a set forward throttle, regardless of player input. Squadrons are steered using a combination of the mouse and the "A" and "D" keys. The "W" and "S" keys are used to apply a limited time boost and air braking, respectively. The amount of remaining boost is indicated by the curved bar on the left side of the HUD when controlling a squadron. Boost will automatically regenerate when not being used, but captains can also use the Engine Cooling squadron consumable to immediately replenish the boost bar.

Left-clicking will begin an attack run. While in the attack mode, squadron control remains the same.

Pressing "F" when controlling a squadron will relinquish control of the squadron, returning both the captain and their aircraft to the carrier. Aircraft expended in an attack run will automatically return to their carrier.

Catapult Fighter, Fighter, Patrol Fighters and Spotting Aircraft

Catapult FighterWhile active, a group of fighter planes circles the ship providing protection by attacking incoming enemy aircraft. and Spotting AircraftWhile active, a spotter plane circles the ship enhancing main battery firing range. cannot be controlled by the player, and move around the map automatically. They can go as far as 4.23 km away from the ship for Spotting Aircraft, and 3.24 km for Catapult Fighters.

For aircraft carrier captains, the Fighter consumable is automatically activated when the carrier is spotted by aircraft. Each consumable consists of a squadron of four fighters that rotate around the vessel at a distance of 3 km. They will attempt to engage enemy aircraft within their range.

Aircraft carrier controlled squadrons of Tier VI and above have access to the Patrol Fighters consumable. Similar to the Fighter consumable, when activated it will place a squadron of four fighters at the location in which it was activated. The fighters will attempt to engage enemy aircraft within their range. Patrol fighters last for 60 seconds, allowing them to be used as a passive scouting tool by carrier captains.

Air-to-Air Combat

Air-to-air combat is performed automatically through the usage of the Fighter, Catapult FighterWhile active, a group of fighter planes circles the ship providing protection by attacking incoming enemy aircraft. and Patrol Fighter consumables. When activated, AI controlled fighters will appear and engage enemy aircraft within their range. The aircraft created from the Catapult Fighter and Fighter consumables will follow their host ship, while Patrol Fighters will remain where they were activated. All three consumables have limited life spans.

Anti-Surface Combat

Aircraft Carriers in World of Warships have three types of anti-surface weapons; Attack Aircraft, Torpedo Bombers, and Dive Bombers. Attack Aircraft utilize a large number of small-caliber rockets to light fires and strike fast, maneuverable vessels that are lightly armored. Torpedo Bombers carry air-dropped torpedoes that can cause floods, and are best suited against slower, less maneuverable targets. Finally, Dive Bombers carry either HE or AP bombs that are released directly above an enemy vessel, and can be used effectively against most targets.

Attack Aircraft

Attack aircraft are aircraft that carry a large number of HE rockets. The rockets have relatively low penetration values, so their damage output against heavily armored ships is negligible. Their primary use is to start fires on enemy vessels, and to harass lightly armored destroyers. The Inertia Fuse for HE Shells skill can be used to improve their penetration, although taking this skill is not usually recommended for an aircraft carrier. The carriers of the United States Navy have access to two types of rocket; a small, "traditional" rocket, and the much larger "Tiny Tim" rockets that feature higher damage, penetration and fire chance over their counterparts, at the cost of the number of rockets carried per plane.

Attack aircraft are arguable the easiest of the three weapon types to aim, as they have the fastest sight stabilization and a fairly small strike dispersion. They have no arming distance and have an easy to use aiming reticle.

Torpedo Bombers

99_plane_torpedo_own_selected.png
Torpedo bombers are the preferred strike weapons of aircraft carriers, as they provide consistent damage against almost any enemy ship in a given match. Aerial torpedoes have universally lower damage and flood chance when compared to their ship-launched counterparts, but otherwise behave similarly.


When performing an attack run with torpedo bombers, captains will notice a yellow are in the attack cone; this is the distance in which the torpedoes must travel before they arm. If a torpedo strikes before arming, it will not do damage. The torpedo attack cone also closes quite slowly, so captains should take the time to plan out their attack runs before beginning them.

Dive Bombers

Dive bombers are the third and final type of aircraft carried by an aircraft carrier. They come in three forms; HE bombs used by the United States Navy carriers and Kaga, AP bombs carried on Imperial Japanese Navy carriers, Graf Zeppelin and Enterprise, and a high-altitude HE "carpet bomb" found on Royal Navy carriers.

The traditional dive bombers found on all but the Royal Navy carriers are probably the most difficult weapon type to use, as their aiming reticle is fairly hard to understand, and properly "leading" a target before entering the attack run takes quite a bit of practice to get right. The payoff is extremely high fire chance and good damage.

The Royal Navy aircraft have an aiming system similar to that of Attack Aircraft rockets, and are thus far easier to use.

Aerial Bomb Types
Icon Description
HE_Bomb_Squadron.png High Explosive Bombs are packed with impact-fused high explosive, with the primary intent of inflicting high amounts of module damage and setting fires.
AP_Bomb_Squadron.png Armor-Piercing Bombs have armor-piercing caps and are fused to penetrate the extra layers of horizontal armor found on battleships, as well as some cruisers and aircraft carriers. They tend to over-penetrate when used against light ships.
HE_Skip_Bomb_Squadron.png Skip Bombs are also filled with impact-fused high explosive, but are dropped at water-level height. These bombs can either be released several skips away, far from the reach of most anti-aircraft artillery, or directly on top of their targets.
Bombs Equipped
Nation Bomb Type Damage Armor Penetrated Fire Chance Deployed Aboard
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M64 7,300 42mm 41% Icon_default_aircarrier.png IV Langley, Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Hornet
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M64 7,300 53mm 46% Icon_default_battleship.png VIII Nebraska, Icon_default_battleship.png IX Delaware, Icon_default_battleship.png X Louisiana
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M65 9,200 53mm 52% Icon_default_aircarrier.png VI Ranger, Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Lexington
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M62 5,600 42mm 32% Icon_default_aircarrier.png VI Independence, Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Yorktown
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M62 4,900 244mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Enterprise
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M60 3,600 328mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Hornet
Wows_flag_USA.png Wows_flag_Pan_Asia.png AN-M66 11,200 67mm 64% Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Saipan (B), Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Sanzang,
Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Midway, Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png X Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Icon_default_aircarrier.png XI United States
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M633 5,400 42mm 31% Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Essex
Wows_flag_USA.png AN-M56A1 16,000 85mm 91% Icon_default_aircarrier.png XI United States
Wows_flag_Japan.png Type 99 No. 25 mod. 2 2,500 174mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png IV Hosho
Wows_flag_Japan.png Type 99 No. 25 mod. 1 4,600 174mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png VI Ryujo (stock)
Wows_flag_Japan.png Type 3 No. 25 Mk. 4 5,100 228mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png VI Ryujo, Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Shokaku (stock)
Wows_flag_Japan.png Type 2 No. 50 Mk. 1 6,200 283mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Shokaku
Wows_flag_Japan.png Type 90 No. 50 Mk. 2 8,800 55mm 50% Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Kaga (B)
Wows_flag_Japan.png Type 99 No. 80 Mk. 5 6,800 351mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Hakuryu, Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Taihō,
Icon_default_aircarrier.png XI Sekiryu
Wows_flag_SSSR.png FAB-100 6,100 32mm 35% Icon_default_aircarrier.png IV Komsomolets, Icon_default_aircarrier.png VI Serov
Wows_flag_SSSR.png FAB-250 6,100 32mm 35% Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Pobeda (stock)
Wows_flag_SSSR.png FAB-500 8,700 55mm 49% Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Pobeda, Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Admiral Nakhimov
Wows_flag_SSSR.png FAB-500B 7,500 55mm 43% Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Chkalov
Wows_flag_Germany.png PC 500a 4,000 149mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png IV Rhein
Wows_flag_Germany.png SC 1000 12,200 69mm 69% Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VI Loewenhardt
Wows_flag_Germany.png PC 500c 7,000 227mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png VI Weser, Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Parseval (stock)
Wows_flag_Germany.png PD 500 5,800 344mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Graf Zeppelin (B)
Wows_flag_Germany.png PC 500 7,800 256mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Parseval, Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Richthofen (stock)
Wows_flag_Germany.png PC 1000 8,800 331mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Richthofen
Wows_flag_Germany.png SC 1000 11,100 69mm 63% Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png X Max Immelmann
Wows_flag_UK.png 40 lb. G.P. Bomb 2,300 18mm 8.7% Icon_default_aircarrier.png IV Hermes
Wows_flag_UK.png 40 lb. G.P. Bomb 2,300 19mm 9% Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VI Ark Royal
Wows_flag_UK.png 250 lb. G.P. Bomb 4,700 33mm 27% Icon_default_aircarrier.png VI Furious, Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Indomitable
Wows_flag_UK.png 250 lb G.P. Bomb Mk.I 5,600 33mm 32% Icon_default_aircarrier.png VIII Implacable
Wows_flag_UK.png 250 lb G.P. Bomb Mk.I 4,700 33mm 27% Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VIII Colossus
Wows_flag_UK.png 500 lb. G.P. Bomb 6,400 41mm 36% Icon_default_aircarrier.png X Audacious, Icon_default_aircarrier.png XI Eagle
Wows_flag_UK.png 500 lb. G.P. Bomb 4,300 109mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png X Malta
Wows_flag_UK.png 500 lb G.P. Bomb Mk.I 6,400 52mm 36% Icon_default_aircarrier.png XI Eagle
Wows_flag_France.png 150-kg G.P. Mle 1930 3,600 219mm N/A Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VI Béarn
Wows_flag_France.png 500-kg G.P. Mle 1930 6,100 32mm 35% Icon_default_aircarrier_premium.png VI Béarn


Anti-Air (AA) Defense

Notes

Adrenalin Rush (AR) commander skill increases squadron speed with percent damage taken. Currently this skill is not recommended for carriers as each plane lost resets the damage percent. [The skill is currently under review.]