Vanguards at NATS 2013

Discussion in 'MWC (defunct)' started by SWORRIOR, Jan 17, 2014.

  1. SWORRIOR

    SWORRIOR Member

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    I wasn't able to attend NATS 2013 and will not attend a NATS for the forseable future, but I was able to see the videos posted on the Youtube page. The twin Vanguards on the pond looked like absolute BEASTS but I know I only got a limited sampling. For those who battled as, with, or against these two, how well did they do on the water? I know the buzz topic for those ships is the dual sidemounts, but how effective was it? Did it stop any Axis ships from closing to play sidemounts? Were they maneuverable enough to avoid damage? Also, from what I saw, they definitely worked together to cover each other and not let one get isolated. How effective were they as a team and what can be learned from what they did? Opinions are also welcome from those that just watched the videos, but I'm really looking for people who were there and observed the whole thing.
     
  2. SWORRIOR

    SWORRIOR Member

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    Bueller?......Bueller?......
     
  3. Commodore

    Commodore Well-Known Member

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    The first rule of Vanguard club...
     
  4. mike5334

    mike5334 Well-Known Member

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    With only a few brief encounters with them during the Nats, where is what I can offer.

    Foremost is probably the power the ships had. For a 40+ pound ship, they accelerated incredibly well in reverse due to well matched drive systems and props.

    Turning seemed little better than average for such a large ship. I don't remember how well they turned when compared to my Sharnhorst BC.

    The dual sidemounts had the POTENTIAL of lethal damage. The captain still had to get them on target just like everyone else. Rate of fire was average.

    The dual pumps allowed the ships to absorb a LOT of damage. The Axis took advantage of that to rack up points during a few battles. I don't think a Vanguard sank the entire week.

    Finally, I personally was not intimidated by the ships. In fact, I actively planned on seeking them out the entire week. After all, if they wanted to do damage they would have to take damage from the Sharnhorst. heh.

    As an afterthought, I don't think anyone has ever seen a Vanguard perform as well as those two ships did. The builders/Captains designed well thought out power systems, pumps, cannons, and rudders to get the most potential out of the ship. I expect the Vanguards may still have room for improvement as they are battled more.
     
  5. SWORRIOR

    SWORRIOR Member

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    Wow, thanks Mike. It's good to get the perspective of someone who battled against the two ships. How was the teamwork aspect?
     
  6. Lou

    Lou It's just toy boats -->> C T D <<-- Admiral (Supporter)

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    Subjective, depends on the captains and quality of the ships. If you are thinking of building one, be ready to be the "popular" date at prom. Everyone will want to dance with you. If you just want the story on these two, they performed well and surprised many. In the past this type of ship was only a target. I see you are in SCRAP, talk to TY, he was there.
     
  7. SWORRIOR

    SWORRIOR Member

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    Thanks VV. I'll shoot Ty an email as I'm out of the SOCAL area for a while. While I'm not specifically planning on building a Vanguard, I'm not dismissing the idea either. I'm a fan of the very large battleships/battlecruisers so I always like to see them do well.