Submarines as an offensive weapon?

[Ace Rimmer]

You do realize that when a sub surfaces, launches one/multiple nuke/s, and then submerges can still be seen and attacked for 240s from the time you select passive mode or move the sub?

Also, if you tend to sneak subs under an ongoing naval battle you can use your subs to attack enemy ships that you can see and still leave them in passive mode. Thus, while they're moving "through" the battle, you can use them to attack and unless a carrier is in Anti-sub or there's an enemy sub pinging, they'll never know it.

[Chimaera]

This was exactly what what OP was about. I never use Active Sonar mode as I will alway have enough fighters in the air above a naval battle to know where the enemy ships are. I simply place the subs where I know either the enemy fleet will retreat to after they lose too many casualties to continue, or in the area in between their current position and where thy will chase my own (false) retreat. This way you lose the disadvantages of the pings from active sonar mode and the speed of the subs; they don't need to move once they are positoned at all.

[torq]

You do realize that when a sub surfaces, launches one/multiple nuke/s, and then submerges can still be seen and attacked for 240s from the time you select passive mode or move the sub?

I'm aware of that but 240s is usually not enough to scramble a bomber and send it there. You can watch enemy bombers if you can can and pick a moment when they are out to bomb someone (maybe you). That's why I pick launch spots where fire range covers only a couple of cities (usually works with both Americas, Asia, somewhat Europe and (very seldom) Russia. Bombers usually don't make it in time. I noticed, that if you launch from maximum range, bombers appear only when third or even fourth missile had already came out. So, if you'd make only one shot and then go underwater and begin to move immediately - you usually have enough time to go away. Of course there may be accidental carrier or battleship I didn't notice, but this is war, after all, nobody is (un)lucky forever

Also, if you tend to sneak subs under an ongoing naval battle you can use your subs to attack enemy ships that you can see and still leave them in passive mode. Thus, while they're moving "through" the battle, you can use them to attack and unless a carrier is in Anti-sub or there's an enemy sub pinging, they'll never know it.

The point? I'll only lose subs in the process. You always lose subs this way. There are always carriers in anti-sub mode in battle (most players have at least one, for one thing and for the second is the fact that some carrier might had launched/lost all of its aircraft and switched to this mode automatically). A single carrier can sink several subs with one charge and that's a lot of nukes. In the default mode it's kills you interested in, not the naval victory which is just an optional (but not mandatory) victory condition. (Fleet will be useless if I had managed to kill the most of its bombers and subs).

[Ace Rimmer]

Also, if you tend to sneak subs under an ongoing naval battle you can use your subs to attack enemy ships that you can see and still leave them in passive mode. Thus, while they're moving "through" the battle, you can use them to attack and unless a carrier is in Anti-sub or there's an enemy sub pinging, they'll never know it.

The point? I'll only lose subs in the process. You always lose subs this way. There are always carriers in anti-sub mode in battle (most players have at least one, for one thing and for the second is the fact that some carrier might had launched/lost all of its aircraft and switched to this mode automatically). A single carrier can sink several subs with one charge and that's a lot of nukes. In the default mode it's kills you interested in, not the naval victory which is just an optional (but not mandatory) victory condition. (Fleet will be useless if I had managed to kill the most of its bombers and subs).

Well, you did say you try to sneak subs "under-well, around" naval battles sometimes. Thus my point was that most people don't realize a passive mode sub can be used to attack ships that are seen on radar and if you're already in the neighborhood, why not add a bit extra (unseen) firepower to the fight. Obviously, you'd want to go after carriers first if you can see them.

[torq]

...most people don't realize a passive mode sub can be used to attack ships that are seen on radar

I've been among those people until this very moment. I didn't know that. Thanks. I'll try it.

[palehorse864]

I used to be among those people. I then read this thread a week or two ago and tried it, and loved it. Nothing like sinking batttleships when your opponent has no carriers in sight.

[mugabe]

I used to be among those people. I then read this thread a week or two ago and tried it, and loved it. Nothing like sinking batttleships when your opponent has no carriers in sight.

Yu weztun zofteez - i onlee guz intu batell wiv mi lukshry yot and my convutd 747 wiv sum of mi wivs ombort di plan. Wnkuz.

[torq]

I used to be among those people. I then read this thread a week or two ago and tried it, and loved it. Nothing like sinking batttleships when your opponent has no carriers in sight.

Yu weztun zofteez - i onlee guz intu batell wiv mi lukshry yot and my convutd 747 wiv sum of mi wivs ombort di plan. Wnkuz.

Pleez, mi English'z not dat gowd t'begeen wiv ta undastand ur kriptycal camentz. Spare me.

[mugabe]

u dun rit gud bruvva

[Exhortera]

I usually don't use subs for antishipping pre-launch. I focus on getting them on station so those 5 nukes per can be put to nukey goodness.