Magnetic vs Impact Pistols

[Blacklight]

I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this or if this is just something that's happening to me.

I've noticed that my torpedoes that I arm with impact pistols tend to do a LOT more damage and sink ships a lot faster than torpedoes set with magnetic pistols. It seems you get a LOT more flooding going on in there when you hit with a torpedo set with an impact pistol.

The only reasoning I can fathom is that usually, you set the torpedoes with impact pistols to explode RIGHT IN CONTACT with the ship whereas a magnetic pistol detonates when it detects enough metal nearby to trigger it, therefore, it could be detonating a couple feet away from the ship instead of being actually in contact with the ship and therefore it does less damage.. IE.. less leaking.

I've tested this theory on a large merchant and Impact torpedoes always sent the thing down in one shot within 15 minutes or so.. maybe 20 depending.
With the magnetic pistols, It took several torpedoes to sink it period (and I waited quite a bit of time for that sucker to go down).

I've now made a practice of using impact pistols at shallow depth as much as humanly possible and will rarely set a magnetic pistol unless an emergency situation demands it.

[von hally]

lo mate
i always use impact torpedoes simply because of the early problems with magnetic....i dont trust them...i know i should get over it but im a stubborn old soul!!!
thing is ( im probably wrong) but in theory i thought magnetic torpedoes were actualy meant to be more damaging than impact as the torpedo detonated under keel rupturing the ship im many places
maybe getting my wires crossed but im sure thats roughly the science!!

im sure one of the dev team will know the damage capabilities of both.


DOWN WITH MAGNETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Abd_von_Mumit]

We are taught from our very first minutes in SH3 that the best AOB is 90 degrees. But it's not quite true when using magnetic pistols. When target is a small ship, the torpedo will travel too much under her keel before it arms and detonates, thus dealing less or even no damage. So when you use magnetic, the more acute AOB could be a better choice.

Impact is not always an option, especially with battleships (because of their belt armour under the water line) or with ships of shallow keel. So my advice would be to train using magnetic triggers, as it would be a real shame to have a BB in the scope and not to sink it. :)

[von hally]

We are taught from our very first minutes in SH3 that the best AOB is 90 degrees. But it's not quite true when using magnetic pistols. When target is a small ship, the torpedo will travel too much under her keel before it arms and detonates, thus dealing less or even no damage. So when you use magnetic, the more acute AOB could be a better choice.

Impact is not always an option, especially with battleships (because of their belt armour under the water line) or with ships of shallow keel. So my advice would be to train using magnetic triggers, as it would be a real shame to have a BB in the scope and not to sink it. :)


ok youve convinced me mate

will tentativeley give magnetic more attention...i do use them for battleships...but i set a more shallow running depth with impact pistol when encountering shallow keel ships;)

[BulSoldier]

I use almost everytime impact.As a matter of fact i never used magnetic pistol in my carreer (few times when forgot to turn to impact but they blew up prematurely).Used magnetic in single missions with a devastating results :D

[Blacklight]

I only use magnetics when the ship is coming almost directly toward or away from me. I've never had one break the ship's back though. They just keep minor damaging the ship for me. I know I'm not setting them to run too low either.:hmm:

I'll keep practicing. *shrug*

[Brag]

I 've had good results with magnetics, but you need (like Von Mumit says) an accute angle. A lot will depend on where the torpedo explodes.

If you have, let's say, an aob of 20 degrees, aim near the bridge, the torpedo will explode under the stern, near the engine room. With this shot, usually the ship will sink quite rapidly.

I use a depth of 1.5 meters under the keel in rough weather.

[Jimbuna]

Impacts.....every time http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

[Heibges]

In heavier seas, you don't know exactly at what depth the toropedo will pass under the keel.

If the ship has a keep of 10m, and you set depth for 11m you should sink the target. But if due to heavy seas it passes say 3m under the keel, it may do precious little damage to the target.

I believe in real life by the time the Germans got their magnetic pistols figured out, the allies were already degaussing their ships.

[undercovergeek]

ive only just started - and because im not that accurate yet i go magnetic and 1.5m under keel - havent missed yet, and broke a tanker in 2 once! :yep:

[KeptinCranky]

Hmmm, it all depends on the situation

If I have any of the following: bad angle, tanker, serious capital ship, very shallow draft or badly shaped hull (e.g. small tankers almost not vertical sides on those) I use magnetics

If the following applies: BEFORE 1941, good angle, rough water, shallow water, passenger/cargo, cruiser target or if I know the sweet spot (I'm nah tellin' nuh-uh) use impacts

suffice to say that experience counts, I wouldn't even know have many eels I've fired since I started playing this game, but some of the best ones stick in your memory and become something of a signature shot

for example, medium tankers, shot at AOB 50 or 60, magnetic depth 11,5 meters, fast steamer, range 2,5 km, aimed for the far side of the bridge, sinks them with one eel within minutes after hitting 3 times out of 4 :up: useful info if it's your last eel

[TomcatMVD]

I've had extremely good results using magnetics against tankers.
However, it always depends on the situation you're facing.
A bad AoB (eg. far from 90) start thinking seriously about using a mag. rather than an impact pistol.
Like always, is up to the Kaleun's to judge at the end.
Mags. were meant to do a lot more damage than impact eels, since they would allegedly break the ship in two, but, a lot of factors need to come into play for it to happen.

[snwcrsh]

This may sound stupid, but why should I ever use Impact Pistol anyway? I mean, if it's rough weather and I need to aim for impact I would still use the magnetic trigger. Should the torpedo miss below the keel for some reason the magnetic trigger would still bring the torpedo to explode while an impact trigger would just miss?

[Jimbuna]

There is a tendency for the magnetic to detonate prematurely in bad weather. http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

[TomcatMVD]

This may sound stupid, but why should I ever use Impact Pistol anyway? I mean, if it's rough weather and I need to aim for impact I would still use the magnetic trigger. Should the torpedo miss below the keel for some reason the magnetic trigger would still bring the torpedo to explode while an impact trigger would just miss?
But if the torp does hit, that will not set a magnetic detonator off!

[snwcrsh]

Ah, I see. Must have been luck so far. But then I was not often in real bad weather yet....

[Jimbuna]

This may sound stupid, but why should I ever use Impact Pistol anyway? I mean, if it's rough weather and I need to aim for impact I would still use the magnetic trigger. Should the torpedo miss below the keel for some reason the magnetic trigger would still bring the torpedo to explode while an impact trigger would just miss?
But if the torp does hit, that will not set a magnetic detonator off!

It does in my game :hmm:

[TomcatMVD]

This may sound stupid, but why should I ever use Impact Pistol anyway? I mean, if it's rough weather and I need to aim for impact I would still use the magnetic trigger. Should the torpedo miss below the keel for some reason the magnetic trigger would still bring the torpedo to explode while an impact trigger would just miss?
But if the torp does hit, that will not set a magnetic detonator off!

It does in my game :hmm:
Really?:o

[snwcrsh]

Magnetic torpedos do impact in my game as well. I am pretty sure that I read in some manual that magnetic torpedos will trigger on impact as well.

[Jimbuna]

This may sound stupid, but why should I ever use Impact Pistol anyway? I mean, if it's rough weather and I need to aim for impact I would still use the magnetic trigger. Should the torpedo miss below the keel for some reason the magnetic trigger would still bring the torpedo to explode while an impact trigger would just miss?
But if the torp does hit, that will not set a magnetic detonator off!

It does in my game :hmm:
Really?:o

Really :lol:

Try training or a single mission or better still, create a single mission and set the eel to magnetic and say....2 metres depth :up:

[TomcatMVD]

This may sound stupid, but why should I ever use Impact Pistol anyway? I mean, if it's rough weather and I need to aim for impact I would still use the magnetic trigger. Should the torpedo miss below the keel for some reason the magnetic trigger would still bring the torpedo to explode while an impact trigger would just miss?
But if the torp does hit, that will not set a magnetic detonator off!

It does in my game :hmm:
Really?:o

Really :lol:

Try training or a single mission or better still, create a single mission and set the eel to magnetic and say....2 metres depth :up:
No need for me to try it, I can believe you:up:
I was convinced that was not so.
Sorry!

[Jimbuna]

This may sound stupid, but why should I ever use Impact Pistol anyway? I mean, if it's rough weather and I need to aim for impact I would still use the magnetic trigger. Should the torpedo miss below the keel for some reason the magnetic trigger would still bring the torpedo to explode while an impact trigger would just miss?
But if the torp does hit, that will not set a magnetic detonator off!

It does in my game :hmm:
Really?:o

Really :lol:

Try training or a single mission or better still, create a single mission and set the eel to magnetic and say....2 metres depth :up:
No need for me to try it, I can believe you:up:
I was convinced that was not so.
Sorry!

No need to aplogise mate....you just needed a little convincing, that's all :lol: :up:

[harzfeld]

For homing torpedos such as G7es or above, I found they work best using magnetic. If using impact pistols for homing, they hit ships but no explosion cuz they move like snake in result of improper detonation from improper angle. For impact pistols, I only use it if the sides of ships are at least 90 degree faced toward me and only use torpedos that aren't homing, preferly electric torpedos that doesn't create wakes.

[Tobus]

What I do:

Calm weather: magnetic, 1m under keel. Larger ships will break their back when hit dead-center.

Rough weather: impact, since passing 1m under the keel is not guaranteed because of the waves. I also tend to use 2 or 3, depending on target, when using impact.

When I do a sternshot on a straight on 180 approaching escort: always magnetic, to avoid glancing shots on the bow.

[TomcatMVD]

Anyways... BdU says we should shoot a magnetic and an impact at every ship right? After they've fixed that little issue with magnetics sensitivity:roll: .

[danurve]

There are zero garuntees when using electircs and magnetic pistols.
Much like watching your favorite NFL team play. Sometimes the plays are spot on, other times they tank right the frick out.

The use of alcohol has helped in these situations. :shifty:

[Jimbuna]

There are zero garuntees when using electircs and magnetic pistols.
Much like watching your favorite NFL team play. Sometimes the plays are spot on, other times they tank right the frick out.

The use of alcohol has helped in these situations. :shifty:

The same applies in the English Premiership :lol:



http://www.abfnet.com/forum/images/smilies/pirate_with_bottle_of_rum_lg_blk.gif

[undercovergeek]

when i said i hadnt missed yet, what i should have said was, all my magnetic torps have hit so far because ive done the tutorials and one third of my first patrol in seas like a pond...... ive now done most of my first patrol and in a storm all my magnetic torps missed - used 5 to sink a single freighter, 2 went under because the boat was high in the water, 3 went off early!! hurrumph

[deepboat]

I'm not having much success with the torps set to mag. Some detonate prematurely and some pass harmlessly under no matter what depth setting. This is especially true for the type 2 torps

[snwcrsh]

Hmm so far I seem to be lucky with the magnetic triggers. What's the weather when you are using them?

And regarding T1/T2 torpedos, I always wondered: Should you go by the description in the game? I.e. T2 are very faulty and shouldnt be used early in the war?

[deepboat]

Doesn't really seem to matter what the weather is but it really gets annoying when they prematurely explode in the calm seas and give away my position.

[snwcrsh]

It could really be that the T2 are especially flawed -- but I don't know if and how this was implemented into the game play. Also, I don't know whether realism setting "dud torpedos" will affect this?

I haven't used many T2 lately though because I am usually in rough waters.

[deepboat]

I think that in game they say that the flaws were mostly fixed after the Norway campaign. I tend to load out at the start of a new patrol with T1's only. Donitz said it himself that the problems with the magnetics left them with a most useless weapon ever created.

[snwcrsh]

I like to take a couple T2's on my first patrols pre Norway though. In case I need to get a longer shot off during daylight and in calm waters -- a trail of bubbles is not what you want here. You can still set them to impact and fire a salvo with 0 angle spread.

But after my 3rd patrol I notice there barely IS any calm waters where my patrols usually are, so they are kinda useless to me too. (The slower speed makes them more vulnerable to small errors in the torpedo solution, too, especially over longer distances)

[deepboat]

I'm usually assigned to some grid in the Atlantik so my bubble wake doesn't matter too much because of the weather. When T3's become available I'll take some on.