World of Tanks

[LaCroix]

Quick question: If someone creates a clan, but runs out of premium, does the clan stay active?

It should, there's no reason for it not to. Why?

For it would be more profitable if they force the clan owner to stay in premium?

[xthetenth]

Quick question: If someone creates a clan, but runs out of premium, does the clan stay active?

It should, there's no reason for it not to. Why?

For it would be more profitable if they force the clan owner to stay in premium?

Clan wars hands gold out, at that point they're looking to make money off the smaller clans trying to provide enough gold ammo and premiums to properly fight, and encourage people to play the very expensive tier tens which need some money support. That'd be the sort of needless charge that'd be annoying and cost them in the long run. Plus, they've got something much better coming. They're going to make destroyed tanks in CW invalid for a while, so guys with one or two high tier tanks might need to grind more up.

[LaCroix]

What a clever trick...

[Broken]

Well, I haven't had much time to play the last week or so, but here's some first impressions from 6.6 and the new German tech-tree.

E-50: Since I had an elite Panther II at patch time I got a nearly elite E-50 right off the bat lacking only the 88/L100 gun. Overall, the tank runs pretty nice. It feels somewhat less agile then the old Panther II, but it can go fast and still carries an excellent cannon in the 10.5 cm. The front armor now has some thickness and slope. In my first game I bounced a T-30 at around 100 meters with my front armor and some careful angle work. It is big as hell, roughly the size of the Tiger II and it shows. They are visible from a long way off. I would say this will be an excellent tank for random matches so long as the match-maker doesn't screw you too bad. The gun, armor, and speed means you can sit in a bush to get a round off or two then speed to another location or reinforce a flank that needs it. For clan wars, the German T9 medium will remain the least useful. A CW medium is there to scout and possibly rush to kill artillery depending on the map and how things play out. For these purposes the E-50 is too big and not agile enough, leaving T-54 and pattons as the default T9 medium choices.

E-75: Unlike the E-50, I merely bought one of these tanks as soon as the patch was out. The good news is that even with the default suspension, this tank can mount the long 10.5 from the Tiger II and the 1200hp engine from the E-50. Which is a god-send as the "basic" loadout of this T9 tank is the 88/L71. At first I did not realize that I had the 1200hp engine unlocked from the E-50, so I played a few matches with the 2nd best engine, an 870hp iirc. This with the default suspension made an extremely sluggish machine that chugged along far slower then the other heavies. The top engine is certainly not optional for this tank. With the 1200hp engine and upgrade tracks, the E-75 feels remarkably like a heavy Tiger II. We'll see how that changes when I finish researching the upgraded turret and 12.8cm cannon. As a heavy, I've not been impressed by the E-75's armor so far. I get bounces and such, but they are not consistent. The main reason for that so far is the mudguard bug. Yup, Wargaming was repeatedly informed during the testing phase that the mudguards, like the Maus before it, seemed invisible allowing full damage from tanks that shouldn't even scratch the frontal armor of this tank. I played peep-a-boo with a Jagdtiger, Lowe and Ferdinand on the winter map taking maybe 15% damage while they all died, true I was not alone but I was getting shot at the most. Later in the same game I ran solo into a Object 704 that fired straight through my angled mudguard frontally to take me down to around 30% health in one shot. So a smart player will bounce a lot frontally with the E-75 until you run into someone who knows about this massive bug and gets to ignore your armor.


That pretty much sums up the changes for me so far. One odd thing I found was that despite having a fully elite Panther I and Panther II, after the patch I have to research the new tracks and upgraded turret on the Panther I. Possibly because I had them both in my garage at the time of the patch. Not a big deal, but an annoyance.

[xthetenth]

What a clever trick...

There's a valid reason too. It's so a clan can't take over a wildly disproportionate swath of territory without a lot of people. It just so happens to likely be massively profitable.

[Zinegata]

Tehee. Killed two T-29s on my third match on the M6.

[Broken]

One very annoying update to the E-75. The tracks take FOREVER to repair, to the point where 2 heavy arty, even with their slow reload time, often have no problem keeping me perma-tracked and killing me if they ever land one round near me. It is very, very annoying and I really hope its a bug or getting fixed soon.

[xthetenth]

Okay, I'm just really happy with the anniversary celebration stuff. I picked up a vertical stabilizer for the one true medium layout of rammer, vertstab and vents on my pershing (although grousers might be good on a German tank the vents just make everything better, a vent for my T34 (same reason, same layout, plus, it gets me more shells faster) and a vertical stabilizer on my IS-3 for the please lord make my gun not suck layout of a rammer, laying drive and vert stab. Cut rate russian scrap... Oh well, I just want my IS-4, it'll be all groovy and stuff. And hideously obnoxiously powerful, but who's counting? That and a T30 will make me a happy boy. I need a Patton too, those just look fun, but fitting it out might be interesting given I think it uses a lot of higher tier modules. Oh well, things need shot, anyway.

[Vanas]

Meanwhile, in lower tiers, I've finally managed to get my hands on the Panther via an amusingly convoluted path that means I've got 3 T7 tanks.

Pleasantly suprised to find that out of the box it's actually a stock Panther, unlike the Tiger, and it's managed to make a good impression even with it's default 75/L50 unlike the 3002DB. Looks like it'll be good for playing peekaboo and running and gunning (at range). Later, I'm definitely going to look into the 75/L100 (though getting the 88/L51 with the turret upgrade). We'll see how it goes, it's the first high-ish tier medium I intend to drive seriously. The 3601 does not and never will count here.

[xthetenth]

World of Battleships is announced. I need new pants. Also, the number of WWI battleships makes me very hopeful I'll get to see my beloved Kaiserliche Marine battleships in action. I hope the next patch comes soon and has the M103, I need it.

[Block]

I despise the Lee. It's like playing a TD and I didn't want to do that. If I wanted one I'dve gone up that tree.

[Zinegata]

I'm hoping to be a Destroyer skipper in World of Battleships .

Also, I now have the M6 with the 90mm and the Mk IV (very soon with the 75mm L70). Am very pleased with the M6 despite a recent losing streak, which was made up for in an epic match wherein I held off a Tiger II and a Ferdinand with only artillery for support, killing both monster tanks and then back-stabbing a Lowe to death.

[Highlord Laan]

I am really, really digging the VK3001(P). Now that it's fully upgraded, sans the never-used 105, my only complaint is the shitty gun depression. Being used to my trusty and true M4, not being able to peek over hills and draw a level bead on a target has got me killed more than once. The VK3001(H) is also fun. It lacks the rammer I've got on the (P) so the reload is almost painful, but it's still a nice little shoot and GTFO sniper. Same depression problems as the (P) and thinner armor make me play extremely cagey, but it's doable. Probably won't be picking up a 3601. It's just a slower carriage for the same 88mm, and I'm finding that front up brawling is losing it's flavor. I imagine that will change once I get the Tiger (P), but until then I'll stick to trolling heavies from behind.

M4 Sherman is still my favorite tank though. Mines elited using the M1A1, 105% crew, and their first skills at around 80%.

[White Haven]

Predicting this right now. Aircraft carriers are going to be just as hated in WoB as artillery is in WoT.

[PhilosopherOfSorts]

Picked up a KV, so far I have one (count it, one) kill with it, a PZ38nA, hit with a snap shot as he went by at full speed. I don't know how the KV really performs yet, every time I've used it I've been up against tier 9's, and fuck, its bad enough being one shotted while driving a light tank or an artillary piece, but when it happens in a heavy? Man, that shit just ain't right. Le sigh, about seven thousand xp and half a million credits till I get the M-41.

[xthetenth]

122 howitzer first, then the other stuff. You need the HE damage. It'll be a hard slog though, tier 5 is very popular for credit grinding, so it gets a lot of play, while 1-4 gets none in comparison to 5+. The end result is very few matches for you to top in.

[Zinegata]

The KV gets a pair of OP guns in the end - the 152mm and the 107mm. Both allow you to fight and sometimes even win against higher-tier opponents, but you need to be opportunistic and engage only when the enemy is distracted by your better-armored teammates. The KV's armor and HP is very poor against such opponents.

Some would argue however that the short 122mm is the best gun for the KV, as it can operate with the smaller and more maneuverable turret. It's not a bad argument, but to make full use of it you need to get the best engine first.

I would say that if you do really well with the 122mm, get the engine and stay a quasi-medium brawler. But if you're still having damage issues, then skip the engines and go for the turret and the monster guns first.

[xthetenth]

I personally ran the KV-2 with 107, it's a really solid tank. However, until you get away from those craptastic 76s you aren't going to do diddly, and the 122 is the only decent way to do that.

Once you get the 107 you're golden though, it packs a great punch for its tier and you don't turn too stupidly slow with the hull and turret together. It does good damage too, and you can reuse it in the KV-3.

I'm drawing really close to the IS-4, I'm looking forward to getting to tell you guys just how stupid it is. Armor'll be a nice change of pace after my T34. I think the other tank I'll get in the next batch is the T25, it looks good enough to make up for the Slugger's flaws. Then again I tore through an E-50 that was stupid enough to show its flank in my M36 recently, and it does move nicely.

[PhilosopherOfSorts]

Damn you, Tenth, I reseached the 122 before anything else, like you said, bought it, and then found out that I need the suspension upgrade to mount it.

I've gotten into a few decent matches now, and I'm not going to argue about the gun, it definitely needs a better one than it starts with. Other than that, it doesn't seem to bad, just a little on the slow side.

[Tritio]

I just got the IS4 a few days ago, and guess what? It isn't the overpowered beast everyone said it was. It has its strengths and weaknesses just like any other tank. The last gun is good, the armour is good and bouncy but has a really big and obvious weak point right in the front centre of the hull (the driver's viewport). Speed is not good (max 34kmph), mobility is not good. It's better than average, but not to the level of OMGWTFPWNBBQ so often attributed to it.

[Highlord Laan]

People scream "OP" about the IS4 because of the way it gets tiered, which feeds it handfulls of tier 5 and 6 mediums and T1's/KV's to much on with near impunity. REally, all the balancing problems in WoT could be fixed by tweaking the bedammed matchmaker, but the devs are slavishly devoted to the idea that being put against opponents you don't have a snowball's chance in hell against is somehow fun. It must be a Russian thing.

[Broken]

The KV is really a pretty big turd until you get either the 107mm or 152mm derp gun and the engines upgraded. In basically every sense, the 107mm is the superior choice except for sheer laughs. With the 152mm I have one shot a T1 Heavy across the map in Malinovka, a shot of almost 600 meters. It was hilarious and I have single-handedly stalled an advance of multiple T8 and T7 heavies because they knew the first one around the corner was going to get hit with a 152mm HE round. Just don't go charging with it even if you are top seed in a match since the second turret is so slow that any decent medium will eat you alive. You are also an arty magnet par excellence, but that's the way things roll if you dare to drive a heavy.

I, personally, have never driven an IS-4 although I am slowly working my way that direction with a IS I got with the cheap tank slot via the 1 year celebration. And the IS-4 is going to tier 10 for a reason. It is, far and away, the best T9 heavy although the E-75 is no slouch either. The driver's viewport is no more or less of a weakpoint then the entire huge lower glacis on basically every German tank, especially intentionally weakened one on the E-75. The most frustrating thing I have always found when fighting the IS-4 is the side armor is just absurd. If its at even a tiny angle, it will bounce rounds that show green pen as if I was shooting the front armor which makes flanking one of these beasts a bit useless.

[Zinegata]

Damn you, Tenth, I reseached the 122 before anything else, like you said, bought it, and then found out that I need the suspension upgrade to mount it.

I've gotten into a few decent matches now, and I'm not going to argue about the gun, it definitely needs a better one than it starts with. Other than that, it doesn't seem to bad, just a little on the slow side.

Whoops. Sorry, I think we kind of assumed you'd get suspension first as that's SOP for any tank.

Also, am seriously pondering my first gold purchase to convert 80K XP on my Sherman and buy the 105mm on the T-29 outright when I get it.

[xthetenth]

Damn you, Tenth, I reseached the 122 before anything else, like you said, bought it, and then found out that I need the suspension upgrade to mount it.

I've gotten into a few decent matches now, and I'm not going to argue about the gun, it definitely needs a better one than it starts with. Other than that, it doesn't seem to bad, just a little on the slow side.

Whoops. Sorry, I think we kind of assumed you'd get suspension first as that's SOP for any tank.

Also, am seriously pondering my first gold purchase to convert 80K XP on my Sherman and buy the 105mm on the T-29 outright when I get it.

Yesh, I was. Sorry there. Also, the 90 is perfectly viable on the T29 for grinding purposes. I'd save it for the tracks on the T32 or if you're going for it, the 120 on the T34. Or just get premium to make all those tanks way less punitive to play.

My general finding on the IS-4 is that the sides are the real killer, they're so bouncy it has a much easier time against lower tier foes and there just aren't that many tier 9 and 10 tanks floating around, so they're really hard to take down. The other tier 9 tanks are a lot easier to take down with a lower tier tank, and that means the IS-4 is more likely to be in good shape if it runs into the enemy tier 9s.

Also, woo! Second Wittman's on my Pershing. That tank is just straight up brutal with the one true medium module loadout. Rammer, Vert stab, Vents. Accept no substitutes (especially since till tier 9 it's pretty cheap).

[Tritio]

Yeah, the matchmaker can be odd that way. Once I saw a Tier 4 Stuart in one of my matches playing as an IS4. What a cute little thing. But the match after that, I got thrown into a battle with 2 Tier 10 heavies, 4 Tier 9 heavies, 3 Tier 9 mediums, 3 high tier arty, and a few poor condemned lower tier tanks. *shrugs* You do what you can in those matches, but it's tough to make a big difference. I seldom get thrown into a match where I can just dominate everything. More often than not, there is a JdgTiger or ISU152/Object or T95 which I will meet and will happy ruin my day. I once got hit by a JdgTiger from the side (90 degree angle) and it took off 2/3s of my health in one shot with no criticals. That's scary.

About the side armour, according to official statistics, it's as thick as the front armour (160mm) and bouncy. So usually I'll angle my tank about 30-45 degrees from the enemy and try to bounce shots. But either way, if you have a tier 9 gun, you'd have 200+mm penetration and a good chance of getting through my front. I love the turret armour though. It has awesome curves and 200+mm thickness. I had a match where I faced off against an enemy IS4; both of us were hull down, and moved around a fair bit, but we never bothered trying to shoot each other's turrets in the front. It was understood that it'd be a waste of time.

I hate being an arty magnet, even with a spall liner. After a match where I got targeted by all 5 of the enemy arty, I have a healthy respect for staying in good cover.