World of Tanks

[Jub]

Had a frustrating match in my RenaultFT AC. I managed to get top gun with 8 kills, but 4 light tanks were sitting right next to me flailing away wildly not realizing that none of them had an accurate gun, with me and refused to move. The clock ticks down and we're up 12 to 11 and they're all still sitting next to me as if they expect a tank that can't break 20kph to lead them across the map. So the match ends in a draw and I get way less exp than I deserved.

[CaptHawkeye]

I used the PanzerJager I and can't say I liked it a lot, seemed to be just a speed bump on the way to the Marder II. The FT AC is probably the best early game TD though. Set it up somewhere with good overwatch and even Tier 3s need to be careful around you. It is slow though, redeploying to different areas usually means you arrive too late to do anything. Course' if the TDs and SPGs need to pick up the slack after every other tank has died late game that would imply they weren't doing their jobs when it mattered.

[Jub]

That 47mm cannon it gets is death. You might be slow, unarmored, and turn like a barge, but when somebody gets in your sights they go down quickly.

[Darth Wong]

Yes, but even with it being crappy and even with me driving it, a 25% win rate in 30 matches is a sign of some pretty hardcore bad luck...

And anyway, I only bought it because I wanted a Tier 8 premium bad enough to finally pay for a cheap one, and I specifically wanted one to train my American medium crew.

It seems to me that the premiums are mostly underwhelming, unless you pay top dollar for one of the really good ones. They're not bad compared to lower-tier tanks, but when compared to same-tier tanks, they tend to under-perform. I suspect that the reason a lot of people get a tier-8 premium is just because it will take so long to get a real tier-8 tank.

If you just want to train American medium crews, you could use a Sherman.

[Simon_Jester]

Hm. Wong, I don't know if you know this trick, but...

A premium tank can accept ANY crewman of the right vehicle type without penalty. So a Matilda (T5 Soviet premium medium) can take the crew from a T-28, a T-34, a T-34-85... and so on up to the T-62. Without penalty, so the crewmen will fight at full skill and efficiency, and gain full XP from any battles fought in the tank.

So if you're getting doubles, you can train a crew considerably faster by, say, having them in a T-34 and a Matilda, and switching them between the two tanks to double both tanks.

I'm using the Super Pershing to do the same thing with my existing Pershing tank crew- who are trained for the Pershing but fight with 100% efficiency in the Super Pershing.

The only problem is that I'm losing way more battles than I would by normal randomness- even if a single tank sits still and does nothing, the average win rate would almost have to be 40% or higher in the long run.

[Zinegata]

In the case of 59's the upper glacis, over the splashboard is actually a weakspot. It's just the one that nobody thinks of. Whether the Pershing's long 90 can get through it, I don't know though. 180 pen seems low compared to the german guns I know and like.

It should be more than able to, I've done it with my kv2's 167 mm pen ZiS-6.

Could you describe that location in a bit more detail? I for one have noticed that since they put the Type back up for sale again recently, I've found myself fighting the entire damn People's Liberation Army all at once in some matches. Any advice on frontal Type 59 weaknesses is always welcome.

The key to beating the 59s is to never face them alone. They have way too little HP for a Tier 8, and having a couple of guys nipping away at their HP really speeds up their dying. Heck, not being alone is always one of the best ways to contribute more to the match.

That being said, it's at least a decent Tier 8 along with the Lowe and maybe the T34 Heavy. Everything else is kinda meh.

[xthetenth]

Who cares if you have a very tough frontplate and spaced turret armor? You're armed like a Tier 6, and slower than a heavy. There's nothing it does that a T32 couldn't do better. Literally. The Tier 8 T32 is better across the board. Faster, better armed, more armored, better soft stats.

The T32 is pointedly not more armored. The Super Pershing's frontal weaknesses to 200+ pen guns are a good bit under a foot tall and a foot tall and totally hidden (the turret top and the top bit of the upper glacis respectively. The T32's frontal weakness to 180+ pen guns is the entire goddamn hull. The bits of the Super Pershing that aren't weak to 200+ pen guns aren't weak to 300 pen guns as far as I can tell. I've seen more than one 300 pen TD shell bounce off a Super Pershing, and 300 pen is where the T32 turret starts looking vulnerable. The T32 doesn't get many steel walls, the Super Pershing gets tons. The gun's more accurately tier seven, it's got equal DPM to the Pershing and pretty decent alpha. The gun soft stats on the Super Pershing are better, it's only the acceleration and speed that's worse, but only going forwards (important when your frontal armor can bounce T10s) and the Super Persh has much better hull traverse. Also, the Super Pershing deals with tier nines better in a rather large number of scenarios because it has much better armor. Walking up on and killing a well-driven E-50 with more hp than you just doesn't happen in the T32. The Super Pershing is one of the best tanks in the game for holding off large groups of enemies.

I got my top gun and kamikaze in the Super Pershing defending Erlenberg, holding a flank nearly on my own. I started out by permatracking a T30 in the open till it died of it (a T32 doesn't have the rate of fire for this), holding four tanks back and killing a KV-4 because they couldn't even get a chance for a shot on me without getting slammed because I was keeping my front armor on them (the T32's hull armor means if they get close they can score shots so would be more likely to rush me), until an IS-8 rushed me. I shot him in the face and penetrated, he shot me in the face and bounced (try doing that in a T32) until he straight up rushed me and I was able to keep in front of him and he wound up dying by crashing into me. I then got sandwiched between a 13 75 and Type in front and a Loewe that snuck up behind me, but because I wasn't taking damage from the Type, I was able to last till arty blasted the Loewe and I could finish it off, which then let me shoot the 75 till it ran and then kill the Type at my leisure because he wasn't penning and I was. I then went to attack their base, shot the 75 once more when he popped out from cover to shoot at me (and an arty stole the kill. thanks.) and then rolled back into their arty and got one. The only support I had all game was one or two arty shots into the Loewe and a killsteal after the matter was decided, and the support of a Type 59 that melted embarassingly early. Other than that I held the entire flank for my team and allowed us to massively overmatch their other side and roll them. I couldn't have done any of that stuff in a T32.

[AniThyng]

The thing about the premium tanks at least, even though I only have a 44% winrate with my super pershing, every single match win or lose nets me a profit, anywhere from 20000 to over 80000 credits per match, on top of being able to train my US medium crew as Simon mentioned. OTOH my T7 and above non-premium tanks only rake in so healthy a profit if they can win decisively. I could use my T6's, but I'd have to play much more and accept a much lower profit. So from that POV the SP has been a sound investment.

Thanks for the Type59 tips, I'll try shooting that glacis plate thing.

Now that it'll take the approximate equivalent of forever to go to T9, I'll dial back and go get the VK3002 so i'm ready to get the Indien-Panzer when it's released

[Zinegata]

All the premium talk is reminding me to use my E4 (or whatever it's called) Sherman again.

[Broken]

Premium tanks for crew training is very useful; for example I have a lowe and a king tiger. Since I was grinding for the E-75 anyway I simply played the KT until I had the E-75 researched then finished off the credits needed in the lowe while also training the crew I immediately transferred into the E-75 when I could afford it. I was planning on doing the same thing with the T110 if I decided to keep the M103 since I got a free T32 premium a couple patches ago.

On a side note, I received an email from WoT basically going "We noticed you've not been playing, we had a big patch, come back please" which is ironic since I actually have bothered to load up the game a few times since the last patch. Of course, every time I do roll out in one of my tier 8 or 9's I seem to see 4 or more arty per side most matches, so screw that. A tightened MM is a grand idea until you end up with 2 tier 6 arty, a tier 7 and a tier 8 per side every battle.

[Jub]

Now 150 battles in and my win rate is still above 50%. I also decided to splurge and drop some cash on premium because I'm enjoying the game. I bought myself a T34 because I could see myself going down the US heavy tree. I've only played two matches in it so far, but I've done some reading and have been playing it like a big TD and trying to hide my hull from the enemy.

[Nephtys]

Be careful with jumping from low tier to high. The playstyle's very different. You'll need to learn how to make shots, lead shots, and where to place them, as well as where to be in a battle.

But basically the T34 is a big TD. But don't be afraid to drive semi-aggressively. Camping way far in the back while others are fighting is not a good way to help. To hull down proper, keep yourself JUUUST barely over a hill in sniper mode. And watch out for arty, which wrecks you.

[Jub]

I've played 3 battles in it now, I've sort of got an idea of how to play it. The gun has a bit more aim time than I'm used to and isn't accurate enough to snipe overly well, but the damage and penetration seem nice enough. It seems like a real midfield tank, you shouldn't lead the charge, but you also shouldn't be back with the TD's. As for arty, that's what ended me in my third battle, though with two kills already in the books I wasn't too broken up about it.

[weemadando]

I platooned with friends today and we had a LOLtractor party. Putting gun laying drives etc on those things made them killing machines.

[Zinegata]

First thing to do after buying a T34 heavy is to upgrade the crew using silver or gold. Most high-tier tanks have top-level crews.

Secondly, T34 is much more of a second-row support tank. Find a good spot to hull down while contributing 120mm fire.

If you can fire at least five AP shots every match that does full damage you're pullng your weight.

[Jub]

First thing to do after buying a T34 heavy is to upgrade the crew using silver or gold. Most high-tier tanks have top-level crews.

Secondly, T34 is much more of a second-row support tank. Find a good spot to hull down while contributing 120mm fire.

If you can fire at least five AP shots every match that does full damage you're pullng your weight.

Premium tanks come with 100% crews already, so that was a bit of a savings. As for how to use it I must be doing something right; 5 games in I have 8 kills in itmy damage is a little below 1:1, but that's due to one bad match. I've been lucky too, I've won every single game I've played in it. Actually my overall win rate hasn't been below 50% and I'm around 165 games played now, so either I have a horseshoe up my ass or I'm actually decent.

[PeZook]

Some people just seems to be natural at the style of play WoT requires ; My wife doesn't even like the game, but she really rocked in the few matches she did participate in. I, on the other hand, just keep fucking up

[Jub]

Who cares about stats if you're having fun. I'm happy that I'm doing well, but it wouldn't matter if I was doing terrible if the game was still cool.

[rapidsquirrel]

While running my ELC, got into a jousting match last night with another ELC. My friends who were watching thought it was pretty funny due to the fact that we both keep missing and I keep ramming him while waiting the agonizing 12 seconds to reload. Apparently I was knocking 1-2 hp off both of our lives while doing it. Then he decide to just face hug me, which was strange because I was slightly ahead of him in the fire-reload sequence. Didn't end well for him.

Of course after winning, I topped the next hill and was instantly taken out by a kv-4.

Though it's gotten me thinking, I wonder if using the lighter 75mm Long 44 might change the play style. Might make the tank just that bit faster (less weight) while making the reload and aim time that much faster. Losing the 170mm pen in tier 9/10 fights would be less then ideal though. I'll have to experiment with this some time.

[Zinegata]

First thing to do after buying a T34 heavy is to upgrade the crew using silver or gold. Most high-tier tanks have top-level crews.

Secondly, T34 is much more of a second-row support tank. Find a good spot to hull down while contributing 120mm fire.

If you can fire at least five AP shots every match that does full damage you're pullng your weight.

Premium tanks come with 100% crews already, so that was a bit of a savings. As for how to use it I must be doing something right; 5 games in I have 8 kills in itmy damage is a little below 1:1, but that's due to one bad match. I've been lucky too, I've won every single game I've played in it. Actually my overall win rate hasn't been below 50% and I'm around 165 games played now, so either I have a horseshoe up my ass or I'm actually decent.

As long as you don't die quickly and get a decent number of shots off, you will win more than the average number of matches (which is 48%).

[Simon_Jester]

Although at 165 total games, the difference between (say) 50% and 48% win rate is still only about three victories, which is within the bounds of plausible luck.

Jub's still kicking ass though- personally I think that the ratio of (kills+survivals)/(games played) is more significant. Not that mine is particularly high, mind.

[Skywalker_T-65]

My win rate is at 48 percent after 852 battles. My survival still sucks (13%) but I don't really care about that.

[Jub]

I just try to do something useful each battle. If it's parking somewhere and spotting for TDs and Arty and maybe getting nailed before killing anything I'll take that job, if it's being top tank and rolling up a flank, hopefully with allies, I'll do that. I got 8 kills in my TD in a draw because I picked a good spot and didn't sweat missing a few shots here and there.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Which is a good way to look at the game. Sadly, too few people actually play like that, and most charge blindly into the enemy lines and get blown up without helping anything.

I'll admit I haven't been playing a whole lot of WoT lately though...I'm now very addicted to Star Trek Online.

[Jub]

Rounds like this are why my win rate is so high.