CSS Merrimac - Anybody successful?

[SmoCro]

I solved the USS Monitor mission no problem but I am unable to do the Merrimac. The ship is simply unable to do damage. Does not really matter whether it is fire or direct shell damage the damage output of the Merrimac, even with the heaviest guns you can fit in (10' for the spinal positions, 8' for the sides) is completely insufficient.

I could maybe sink one if inundated it with fast-firing HE and getting lucky, but two?

No chance.

[Shaftoe]

I haven't been able to beat that mission, too. Confederate approach to ironclad building is vastly inferior in terms of firepower and survivability. 

[ston5883]

I honestly found this one easier than the monitor mission. I placed my main guns outside the hull and used the biggest available. I think they are 10 inch. This gave them almost a 360 degree of firing angle. I did kinda cheat the system by placing my rudder hard over and left it there. My ship basically became a floating fort. Between the main guns and the secondary guns I was able to sink one with fire and flooded out the other. I can only guess the flood was from waterline hits. I left the ammo choice on auto and from the color of the tracers I can guess it was AP that was hitting. The AP even caused fires. I was able to finish with 20 minutes left on the clock.

[SmoCro]

With the "cheat" it works.

[kadm]

I managed to do it without the cheat, but with only a few minutes to spare. Basically 1799 style go close and exchange broadsides, hope for fires (HE). Small fire will be put out. But if you manage to start two in one volley, the enemy gets massive damage. (I built 2 ICs for that RoF) 

[GUTB]

The AI's brutal cheating with flooding makes these missions a huge PITA.

[Marshall99]

So how to defeat the two Monitors:

Firepower way:

Displacement: 4900t; 6,5kn; Bh.: Many

Shells: Super heavy; Reduced ammo; Ballistite; Enchanced reload

Armor: 175mm belt; 175mm extended belt; deck and extended deck: 22,5mm; conning tower: 175mm; turret: 175mm; turret top: 27,5mm; secondaries:172,5mm

Armament: 2*1 254mm; 12*1 203mm

I won at first try.

 

More money way:

Displacement: 3850t; 7kn; Bh.: Standard

Shells: Heavy; reduced ammo; Enchanced reloading

Armor: Belt and ext. belt: 160mm; both deck 20mm; conning tower and turret: 185mm; turret top: 20mm; secondaries: 160mm

Armament: 2*1 229mm; 10*1 203 mm

Note: You will build 2 casemate ironclads. 2vs2-->easy win

Good Luck Admirals! 🙂

[Shaftoe]

This mission ends too quickly. Damn confederate junk just can't do enough damage to sink 2 union ironclads in so little time (especially with OP AI flooding/fire control). And lucky should just don't happen often enough.

That f-ing monitor Seattle returned from the brink too many times! It should have been on the botton of the ocean three times by now, but every single time GLORIOUS AI damage control team manages to stop the seemingly fatal flooding at the last second. WTF, devs? 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Shaftoe

[Wowzery]

Each time I play it ends in a tie, both ships still afloat as time runs out.

[puxflacet]

CSS Merrimac 👌

[Latur Husky]

Done it. 

I went for firepower.

• Displacement at minimum
• Designed speed 5 kts
• Many bulkheads
• 9" main and 8" casemate guns (fill what you can)
• Ballistite 
• Super Heavy Shells
• Armor:

Belt - 6.9" Extended - 4"

Deck - 2.2" Extended - 1.1"

CT - 0" Turret - 10"

Top - 1.5" Sec. - 10"

At the start of the mission: 

• Order "All Stop"
• Set time compression to x3
• Go make my self a cup of coffee
• Victory 😎

In general enemy will come at you one by one for some reason, sooner or later you'll set enough fires or cause enough floodings to sink first enemy. Second one will then proceed to circle around you and all you have to do is wait. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Latur Husky

[Zak MacKay]

I put my guns ontop of my ironclad. You expect you to not be able to put guns their but you can and they preform a lot better their. Yes a casemate ironclad with no casemates.

2 ironclads with 3 guns each. Maybe the enemy monitors just had too weak belt extended as they where penetrated and sank their.

[Radium_Bullet]

Went for >150mm armor, minimum amount of frontal or rear guns, maximum shell weight for broadside guns, lydite/incendiary rounds and HE spam. Took forever, but their armor piercing cannonballs weren't enough to scratch my armor while I continuously set them ablaze until they both died.

[Tycondero]

You can have a look at my video to see how I completed this academy mission.

 

[Strait Raider]

I'll post up since it seems I did this a different way to everyone else.

Liddite. All the Liddite. Maximize firepower as much as possible (obviously). Build only one ship to keep the AI from maneuvering too much or too far away.

Engage the enemy and then stop your ship. Lock one target and then as Husky says, set max time speed and walk away. The AI will either sit in one place or circle around you and they will die an absolutely horrific death boiling alive in a burning tin can.

It worked on my first try after trying several other options, but of course YMMV.

 

[Norbert Sattler]

I finished the mission (on second try) with the Armour setup and didn't even know you could have anything other than Black Powder on Monitors. ^^

[Latur Husky]