I love my Thunderer, but when I load HE I have the worst luck of any of my ships.
Yep, same. I keep seeing people claim how OP Thunderer is and yes, she sets a fire from time to time. Two if your extreme lucky.
But how many times in my BB's i get hit by a 100mm DD or Cruiser shell, just one shell and burn baby burn!. Thunderer sets way less fires then any of the DD or Cruisers with rapid firing guns.
Thunderer her main power is AP, people forget that. Angled BB's? AP to your supper structure, does the same damage as HE. Those fires are just no worth it.
I simply think people get zoned in. Fire? I see Thunderer. I hate Thunderer! Thunderer like: but i did not even look at you!
That supposed 62% fire change is bull. If your lucky you get one fire on the superstructure ( what just about any BB, Cruiser or DD can do within 30 seconds ). But getting those front or rear decks to cache fire? Hell no! Part of the problem is the accuracy results in accurate hits that mostly catch the super structure.
I personally think she is a overhyped ship. People can indeed potato her with HE but her damage at the end of the match is underwhelming. AP on the other hand ... That is also how most people talked about her when she got introduced.
Hell, most people did not even like her because conquerer was way better in their opinion ( and for HE fires conq is indeed better ). Conc is less accurate but with 12 shells spread out more, you tend to hit more of the general structure of a ship. Aka fires! Where as Thunderer her 8 get focused too much.
I said it before, part of the illusion of the power of Thunderer is Youtubers who play 6 to 8 hours per day, showing off some great 150 a 200K game in Thunderer and people think that is normal. But they do not see the 50 other games with less then 100K damage.
Its not the first time that a ship gets popular from Youtubers doing very good in them for one or two games but when the masses play them its underwhelming. But that means admitting that a professional youtuber that player 6-8 hours, 5 to 7 days per week, is a better player.
I can take out a Kita and set way more fires then my Thunderer ( and get torps too boot! ). Or Atlanta or Austin or those brits with HE or half the DD gunboats. And if i need to do 200 fire objectives, no way i tried them in Thunderer. Too slow, way better ships to do that in.