Fletcher
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|Cons=<!-- write list of negative points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. --> | |Cons=<!-- write list of negative points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. --> | |||
* Still fragile; engaging Russian destroyers beyond 6km range is inadvisable, and ''Fletcher'' remains vulnerable to cruisers of all tiers she will face. | * Still fragile; engaging Russian destroyers beyond 6km range is inadvisable, and ''Fletcher'' remains vulnerable to cruisers of all tiers she will face. | |||
? | * As good as her torpedoes are, ''[[ | + | * As good as her torpedoes are, ''[[Yūgumo]]''’s still pack more punch with greater range. | |
* Slower than ''[[Benson]]''. | * Slower than ''[[Benson]]''. | |||
* Upgraded torpedo range is still 6km shorter than ''[[Gearing]]''’s. | * Upgraded torpedo range is still 6km shorter than ''[[Gearing]]''’s. |
Revision as of 22:44, 6 December 2016
127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs. |
Rate of Fire17.96 shots/min. |
Reload Time3.34 sec. |
Rotation Speed34 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time5.29 sec. |
Firing Range11.77 km. |
Maximum Dispersion103 m. |
HE Shell127 mm HE Mk32 |
Maximum HE Shell Damage1,800 |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 % |
Initial HE Shell Velocity792 m./s. |
HE Shell Weight24.5 kg. |
AP Shell127 mm AP/SC Mk38 |
Maximum AP Shell Damage2,100 |
Initial AP Shell Velocity792 m./s. |
AP Shell Weight25 kg. |
533 mm Mk152 х 5 pcs. |
Rate of Fire0.49 shots/min. |
Reload Time122 sec. |
Rotation Speed25 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec. |
TorpedoMk15 mod. 3 |
Maximum Damage16,633 |
Torpedo Speed55 knot |
Torpedo Range9.15 km. |
127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second53.5 |
. . . Firing Range5.01 km. |
40 mm/56 Bofors on a Mk.1 mount3 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second33.9 |
. . . Firing Range3.51 km. |
20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.4 mount9 х 1 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second32.4 |
. . . Firing Range2.01 km. |
Maximum Speed36.5 knot |
Turning Circle Radius560 m. |
Rudder Shift Time4.5 sec. |
Surface Detectability Range7.16 km. |
Air Detectability Range3.24 km. |
Fletcher — American Tier IX destroyer.
Fletcher was the lead ship of the most numerous series of destroyers ever produced. They proved to be highly successful ships, combining high speed with efficient AA defenses, quick-firing artillery, and powerful torpedo armament.
Four of the class are preserved as military museum ships: USS Cassin Young in Boston, Massachusetts; USS Kidd in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; USS The Sullivans in Buffalo, New York; and HNS Velos (ex-USS Charrette) in Athens, Greece.
Modules
Compatible Upgrades
Slot 1 |
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Slot 2 |
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Slot 3 |
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Slot 4 |
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Slot 5 |
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Slot 6 |
Player Opinion
Performance
Fletcher-class ships were workhorses of the United States Navy during World War II, and their legacy transfers well into World of Warships. Fletcher herself is, without question, the most flexible destroyer in the game. She can be tailored — via Commander Skills and Upgrades — to be a torpedo boat with good guns, or to be a murderous gunboat with above average torpedoes. She is one of a handful of destroyers in the game with decent anti-aircraft armament in her top configuration, and can finally equip the Defensive AA Fire consumable without having to sacrifice any of her five main battery guns.
As with her immediate predecessors, Fletcher’s main battery is punishing to enemy destroyers at close range. The ballistics of her guns make landing shells reliably on targets beyond 7 or 8 km problematic, but in close-quarters combat she has few rivals. Her upgraded torpedoes are the hardest-hitting torpedoes in the American destroyer line, and she retains Benson’s ability to fire them from well beyond her detection range. Her torpedoes also remain more difficult to spot than those of her Japanese or Russian counterparts. Most importantly, Fletcher gains access to Upgrade Slot 3, allowing her captain to tailor her to a torpedo-centric build (via Torpedo Tubes Modification 3 and Torpedo Armament Expertise) or a gun-centric build (with Main Battery Modification 3 and Basic Firing Training) with relative ease.
There are only a handful of categories where Fletcher does not improve upon Benson, and they're relatively minor things (such as air detection radius). Without Defensive AA Fire equipped she's still very vulnerable to enemy planes, and she's noticeably slower than Benson as well. Still, she's a significant upgrade from Tier VIII and a true joy to play... so much so that many players simply stop playing the line at Fletcher and never move on to Gearing.Pros:
- Excellent concealment.
- Punishing main battery reload speed; Fletcher is capable of putting a lot of shells on target in a short amount of time.
- Very fast turret rotation speed.
- Hard hitting torpedoes deal more damage and reload faster than Tier X Gearing.
- Can equip the Defensive AA Fire consumable without giving up any of her main battery guns.
Cons:
- Still fragile; engaging Russian destroyers beyond 6km range is inadvisable, and Fletcher remains vulnerable to cruisers of all tiers she will face.
- As good as her torpedoes are, Yūgumo’s still pack more punch with greater range.
- Slower than Benson.
- Upgraded torpedo range is still 6km shorter than Gearing’s.
- While her anti-aircraft suite is better than most destroyers, it will struggle to shoot down high tier planes.
Research
Optimal Configuration
Fletcher is a highly flexible destroyer capable of being tailored in a variety of different ways. Most captains, however, will choose to focus on improving one of her main armaments to the maximum extent possible.
Upgrades
Most Fletcher captains will equip Main Armaments Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 1, AA Guns Modification 2 or Aiming Systems Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 2, Propulsion Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 4, Propulsion Modification 2 or Steering Gears Modification 2 in Upgrade Slot 5, and Concealment Systems Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 6. The upgrade chosen for Upgrade Slot 3 — and the corresponding commander skills — is where most of the customization lies.
Torpedo Build: Captains wishing to focus their Fletcher as a torpedo boat will opt for Torpedo Tubes Modification 3 in Upgrade Slot 3. This lowers her torpedo reload to only 90 seconds. If her commander invests in the Tier 2 skill Torpedo Armament Expertise, the reload time drops to a scant 81 seconds. Given how hard her torpedoes hit and how fast they travel, this configuration of Fletcher can give even the vaunted Japanese destroyers a run for their money in the torpedo damage category.
Main Battery (Maximum Rate of Fire) Build: Another solid choice for Fletcher in Upgrade Slot 3 is Main Battery Modification 3. When coupled with Tier 1 commander skill Basic Firing Training, her rate of fire increases significantly. In this configuration, the reload time on her main battery guns drops to 2.6 seconds (from a base of 3.3 seconds).
Main Battery (Maximum Range) Build: Some captains prefer to maximize the range of Fletcher’s main battery guns utilizing Gun Fire Control System Modification 2 in the third upgrade slot. While this pushes her main battery range out to 15 km and gives her a large window from which she can safely fire beyond her detection range, landing shells on all but the slowest, largest ships at such range is incredibly difficult.
Commander Skills
Regardless of other choices, Fletcher commanders should always invest in Basic Firing Training at Tier 1 and Concealment Expert at Tier 5. Where points go in between is a matter of choice and risk.
Tier 2 offers the typical default for American destroyers: Last Stand. However, a Torpedo Build Fletcher may wish to take Torpedo Armament Expertise and rely on Damage Control Party to keep their engine operating when under fire. It's a risky choice, but it can pay off in the hands of a heads-up captain.
Tier 3 is, once again, a personal choice: Vigilance is recommended over Superintendent if premium consumables are equipped; Superintendent is recommended before Vigilance otherwise.
Tier 4 offers several strong skills: Survivability Expert is the safe choice, as another 3,600 hit points is nothing to sneeze at and gives her a health pool in excess of 20,000 points. Demolition Expert is attractive for either Main Battery Build Fletcher, as she is capable of setting a lot of fires with her shortened reload time. Captains concerned about enemy aircraft could opt for Advanced Firing Training or Manual Fire Control for AA Armament. The latter is the better option, as Fletcher will run most of the time with her anti-aircraft guns disabled in order to avoid detection.
Recommended Commander Skills | ||||||||
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Cost (points) |
Endurance | Attack | Support | Versatility | ||||
1 |
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★★ |
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2 |
★★ |
★ |
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★★★ |
3 |
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★★★ |
★★ |
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★★★ |
★★★ |
★★ |
★★★ |
4 |
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★ |
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★★★ |
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Meh Χ - Not recommended |
Consumables
Even if her captain doesn't sink any commander skill points or upgrades into improving her anti-aircraft suite, Defensive AA Fire is recommended over Engine Boost due to the extreme threat that enemy aircraft create for a Fletcher. Simply having it equipped and demonstrating to an enemy carrier that it is available is frequently a deterrent to them swarming Fletcher with bombers or assigning a fighter squadron to keep her spotted.
Beyond that, Damage Control Party II is worth the credits (or doubloons) for the shortened cooldown on repairing broken modules.
Camouflage
Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 1 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce detectibility range.
Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Fletcher with Type 19 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.
Signals
Captains who have opted for a Torpedo Build Fletcher will want to equip a Juliet Whiskey Unaone signal flag in order to maximize potential damage from torpedo hits. Throwing on a Sierra Mike flag is an excellent way to help make up for her loss of speed from Benson. November Foxtrot and Juliet Charlie are also highly recommended, if available. Main Battery Build Fletcher captains should also consider Victor Lima and India X-Ray flags to increase the fire chance of her main battery shells.Gallery
Historical Info
Historical Gallery