Auto Divebombing Tactic

Michelle_Zen

I want to open the floor to a discussion on the best way to approach auto divebombing.I want to hear opinions and experiences from the rest of you on what you do during auto dbing to increase your chances of hitting the target.For me the only questions I can ask are these:

Do you just go straight for the target or do you try to fake your movments?
What NSEW do you try to approach from?
Do you try to DB a ship along it's length or from the side or from any other possible orientation?
Specific DBing methods for specific ships?

Of course if there is anything else that can be added outside of what I have put here, please do add on.For myself, because I'm only just leaving blitz, I can only say about ships from FF to CA. I'd love to hear about BB DBing if possible before I really bring my CV line into GB.My tactic typically for CLs and CAs is to bomb along their length. I'll normally fly parallel to the ship in the opposite direction in a path that's about an FF's length from the ship then at about half of the ship's length away from it's rear I spam right click on the ship so that it lines up just right.I do vary this tactic for different ships and situations.(sometimes I'm lazy and just spam right click from the start)Also, I have problems DBing the  Montecuccoli and the Blatimore, so much so that I miss even when they're stationery. Can anyone offer help on this?

CaptBellamy

try coming from the back if possible. The ships swing from their middle so if your bombs are falling in the same general direction as the ship is moving, it should improve your hit chances or that's the theory I learned.Also don't target select until the last minute and then spam the right click button immediately 

whukid

I like to put the crosshairs on a ship and freak em out, so they use their OH and/or smoke right away. Then I sneak behind and drop two flights of bombs on em, but it works just as well with one flight. You have to put yourself in the victim's shoes and remember the tactics YOU use to avoid DB's and come up with solutions. Another one is to fly straight into a cluster of BB's and nuke the AA ship. It pisses them off to no end, especially when there's a crippled BB near to them. I use this for two reasons; 1. because you have a higher (MUCH higher) chance of sinking a CL with AA guns or a PCA than a Battleship. 2. AA ships are smaller, but more malicious. If you knock them out, it clears up the skies for fighter and scout camping, as well as more flights of Bombers. Using the same tactic as above, fly into the cluster and put the reticle on a ship, but send your bombers away at the last moment (or a few before when you first start out) and pick another one. If you're having trouble with fighters, put the red arrows of destruction on a ship on the extreme end of the enemy battle line right after your planes get to cruising altitude. Sometimes (not all the time), the CV driver send his T4/T3 fighters to cover that side, at which point you click your pilots away and can sneak through and either bomb a ship at a different point on the battline or fly behind and nuke a carrier.When at all possible, hit the support ships instead of the battleship, even if they're crippled, especially ASW and AA ships. Knocking out that Emden with HH's or an AA setup can do way more for your team than if you just banged up a BB a little bit. A tactic that I recommend right now is flying Anti-ASW flight packages to clear a way for the subs. Air is generally limited, and it's always appreciated when you can nuke a BB with sub torps instead of wasting a spread on some little Z99 with Depth Charges.The way it is right now, you'll be BWing for a bit before you get Fighter pilots who can successfully tangle with the T4 swarms.  

Tiddles72

Approach a ship from the stern and bomb along its length. If you feel your approach is not right, you can always right click on the sea and then click on your target again (providing your bombers are not in danger of being shot down)Unlike what the above poster has said, bomb crippled BBs that are out of your range of friendly BBs. so they cannot repair and fight again. Don't waste bombers on tiny DDs, CL or CA that are not going to do much for the outcome of the battle.Since you are relatively new to bombing, you will probably miss if they dodge.  AA ships can be avoided if you raise and lower your planes but if you are autobombing, then remember to raise the bombers back to max altitude before clicking on the target. CVs are a difficult traget to bomb because they are usually further away from the battleline and may have planes near them but if you can sink one then that is a great help to your team. If there isn't really much to bomb bomb the ship that all your BBs are shooting at to help kill it faster.

SSN762

I lean more toward whukid in the theory.  As a CV the two things you can do best to help ensure a win a re give vision to the BB's and support them with bombs where applicable.You can combine these things by bombing the AA ships which give your Scouts a better chance of survival.This gives you a chance to maximize your opportunity for XP.Sure, take a BB when you can but clear a path first. Whatever you do, avoid approaching them straight on from your line. Almost every ship in the feild will have his AA trained at the line of battle and your bombers will be rushing head on into a massacre. come around the bottom or, if the line is far enough south that you can get there without border humping come from the north.Do NOT border hump!   It's lame, and agains tthe rules.  

normpearii

Screw auto, I normally try to manual bomb.You don't have to deal with glitches from slight lag. Nor do you have to worry about smoke and you can bomb @ any height you want. You can aim as close to the center of the ship as possible, reducing the chances of them dodging the bombs.Win Win.

Maistral

Argh, I accidentally pressed the recc button again instead of reply e.e The other game I'm playing has the Recommend button first then Reply >.>
 
Anyway, if you're going for auto-divebombing, try to approach from low altitudes to screw up their AA. Variate your altitudes all the time. When you spot your desired target, HOLD L-KEY WHILE RAPIDLY RIGHT CLICKING on the target. This should allow you to bomb from medium altitudes. Don't try this with very low altitudes, the run will fail.
Further, if you intend to bomb from the SIDE of the ship, spam right click faster. It causes the bombs to drop earlier which would increase the chance of you hitting the target from the side.
 
If you intend to go manual, then go for it. Manual DB is way better than Auto DB, unlike TB. Besides, with some techniques, manual DB runs are virtually undodgable.