What U-boat do you prefer and why?

[gord96]

Hello,

New to the game and just wondering what everyone's favorite sub is and why. Not so much the "super" subs at the end of the war but the ones they used through most of the game. Trying to decided whether to stick with the VII or try the longer range boats. Thanks

[Ducimus]

My question to you is, how long do you like to stay at sea?

Personnaly im drawn to Long range boats, for many reasons. I think one of the most noteworthy reasons is simply the passage of time in the game vs how much time i spend playing the game sitting in my chair.

For instance, in the VII boats if find myself doing ALOT of down by day, up at night. Now i do this in an IX boat, but only after i get near or at my patrol area where i think the enemy presence might be greater. So in the process of getting to my patrol area, more time has gone by in game, with less time sitting in my chair. This in action gives me a sense of having accomplished something, because personnaly one of my underlaying motives is to survive the war. Pasage of time as an accomplishment in other words.

The passage of time in an VII boat, while the distance traveling isnt as far, the clock ingame seems to progresses slower because theres less travelling. Hence it takes me much longer to pass the same amount of time that i do in an IX boat.

On top of that, theres alot of distant areas seems to have chockpoints or generally areas where predicting shipping routes feels a bit easier to figure out. Although granted you could probably to the same thing sitting in a grid like (i think) AM54.

[Hueywolf123]

I like my little type VIIB, got speed, good diving times etc. I get bored on long range patrols and a smaller boat is harder to spot from above. My crew and I will be heartbroken if we get transfered away from it

[mookiemookie]

I love the Type VIIB/Cs. Plenty of internal torpedos, faster dive speed to avoid those pesky planes, lower profile than the type IX, and it doesn't handle as sloppy. I like being in the heat of the action instead of a million miles away. Personal preferences, of course.

[Steeltrap]

I suspect answer to this will depend, also, on how you play. Do you use a mod? Which? I'd hate to be in a IX using NYGM late '42 on due to effectiveness of escorts and, especially, the savagery of planes. That extra dive time etc would be a killer!

Using a VIIC myself.

[stabiz]

VIIC. Its the best boat, IMO. Its agile and fast, two key requirements for survival.

(I am currently in an IXB, and I quite like that one too, despite the sluggishness)

Originally Posted by Steeltrap

I suspect answer to this will depend, also, on how you play. Do you use a mod? Which? I'd hate to be in a IX using NYGM late '42 on due to effectiveness of escorts and, especially, the savagery of planes. That extra dive time etc would be a killer!

Using a VIIC myself.

It doesn't help much if you get caught with your knickers down, but when I do approaches to convoys or other contacts, or if there is an escort about, I go to deck awash ( 7 meters). My dive time then is less than 15 seconds, and that's not a 'crash' dive, just a simple submergence to periscope depth. And yes, that's with an IXC boat.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

I like being in the heat of the action instead of a million miles away.

The action is all over the ocean, not just near the A and B grids


Honestly this topic has been beat to death in the past.

Heres some more info, id get into a long speil and basically say the same thing:

http://www.communitymanuals.com/shii..._IX_Comparison
edit: Ill have to add the info is old and had the stock game in mind at the time of its writing. As said, alot depends on the mod your running.

On a side note, ive taken IX boats to the end of the war with some 600 odd days at sea, and it wasn't easy. Most of my career games ended prematurely.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

The action is all over the ocean, not just near the A and B grids

Hee hee....reason I said that is that I'm in the middle of a boooooring patrol down in grid EJ93 (that's Cape Verde...they sent me there in my type VIIB! ). I haven't seen or heard anything for a couple weeks now. I'm about to milk cow it back to Lorient and give Onkel Karl a piece of my mind.

[flakmonkey]

Type IIa all the way...
I love the feeling of vulnerability you get + with a IIa every torpedo is a precious thing and not to be wasted, ive spent ages tracking courses of ships just for that perfect shot, when you only have 5 fish you have to make every one count!

[danlisa]

I certainly prefer the larger IX boats, mainly the IXD2. My main hunting ground is the US East coast down to the Gulf of Mexico.

The IXD2 is a very large boat but It moves along the surface so gracefully in stomy conditions and is much more steady at periscope depth during storms.

The downside, if there is one, is that it is a very large target for aircraft and convoy attacks, can be lengthy with mulitple approaches to avoid detection.

I did recently try a VIIC again (this was my first/only choice of boat before IX's) and I just can't go back to them.

[Respenus]

Can't go over my dear XXI!

[gord96]

thanks for the responses guys. good stuff and has given me lots to think about. I am on my first career patrol right now and am still using the VII-B in may of 41. When approximatly does the first type IX become available?

[mookiemookie]

Its June 1941 in my career, and I'm based out of the 2nd flotilla in Lorient. The Type IXs have been available for me for quite a while now (can't give up my Type VIIB though....unrelated question. Does the 2nd flot. ever get the VIIC? When?) Maybe you're just in the wrong flotilla?

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by gord96

thanks for the responses guys. good stuff and has given me lots to think about. I am on my first career patrol right now and am still using the VII-B in may of 41. When approximatly does the first type IX become available?

IXB is already available. IXC will become avialable i think 7/41 or thereabouts. Personnaly if i were in your shoes and wanted to try an IX boat, id wait a couple months and get the IXC over the IXB. Although the IXB will probably be cheaper in renown costs.