World of Tanks Mark 2

[Vendetta]

That doesn't invalidate my other advice. If you're feeling compelled to cower in a corner lest your IS-3 get scratched, play something cheaper to repair until you're better at heavies.

[Jub]

Which is true but still means playing like a medium which I'm entirely inexperienced with, and being a brawler means at most surviving one brawl but at 50% or lower health when my goal is to survive and cut down on my repair costs; this is from my personal experience. I had to entirely stop playing my IS3 in order to grind up the money for the KV Sport. Its just easier to wait it out a bit so that its less likely for me to be sniped when trying to maneuver into the fight.

You're doing it wrong. Soviet heavies need to be leading the charge - or at least be in the same group as those leading the charge - as they are more effective up close and can take hits/spot so other tanks can do their jobs. If you're hiding in the back because you're afraid to get your paint scratched then your team has every right to bitch at you.

[Skywalker_T-65]

My best advice would be playing tanks that are similar to how an IS-3 (or other high-tier Russkie heavies) play. The closest I have is my VK 3601 with the 88, since it can't snipe well with that gun it has to brawl. And it (for a medium) has the armor to brawl and live. So I think its giving me the practice I need for when I eventually go back to the Soviet heavy line.

[Lictuel]

My best advice would be playing tanks that are similar to how an IS-3 (or other high-tier Russkie heavies) play. The closest I have is my VK 3601 with the 88, since it can't snipe well with that gun it has to brawl. And it (for a medium) has the armor to brawl and live. So I think its giving me the practice I need for when I eventually go back to the Soviet heavy line.

That is funny, I used the 3601 with the short 88 as well, and I did play it like i use the tiger, which is not brawling . I guess you are right in that the 3601 can brawl quite well but I still think playing as a sniper is favorable given that it teaches you how to play the later german heavies in that line.

As for basecamping soviet heavies: I can see why people bitch about it, since there are much better uses for them.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Oh I agree, when I'm using the L/70. The 88 just isn't good for sniping in my mind. Or rather...its better at brawling than sniping. At least IMO anyway.

[FSTargetDrone]

Has anyone noticed that sometimes recordings are not actually recorded? I have it set to on but the last 2 missions I played today (first of the day) have not been recorded. I also bought some gold to buy some garage slots but after 45 minutes it still hasn't show up, nor have I received a receipt (though my bank account was promptly billed). I sent in a support ticket for the gold issue already.

[Zinegata]

This is how I like to describe the 3601H: The great thing about the 3601H is that it is good at everything. The bad thing about the 3601H is that it is great at nothing.

What this means is that the 3601H is an extremely situational tank. It cannot fall back on a super-strength like the ISU-152's massive gun or the T29's invincible mantlet. It has to try and exploit the weakness of enemy tanks, using its general "goodness" to carry the day.

So sometimes, you have to brawl with the 3601H because you're fighting mainly Tier 5 mediums who can't penetrate your front. Sometimes, you have to avoid brawling because you're fighting a Tier 7 heavy and whose main gun will smash you to bits.

=====

Also, somebody in the WoT forums is now apparently stalking me for pointing out some of the most ridiculous SS Tiger II claims (39 shots, 39 kills, all IS-2s!). How cute.

[Imperial528]

As of tonight, the Artillery Conference of Malinovka has reached a decision:

Being killed by a TD is more honorable than being killed by other arty.

In attendance were M7 Priest and SU-5. Enemy artillery decided to boycott the conference on account of them trying to shoot us.

In other news, M7 Priest finally got its new gun. I am so hyped. Better reload, better range, better everything.

[AniThyng]

My best advice would be playing tanks that are similar to how an IS-3 (or other high-tier Russkie heavies) play. The closest I have is my VK 3601 with the 88, since it can't snipe well with that gun it has to brawl. And it (for a medium) has the armor to brawl and live. So I think its giving me the practice I need for when I eventually go back to the Soviet heavy line.

That is funny, I used the 3601 with the short 88 as well, and I did play it like i use the tiger, which is not brawling . I guess you are right in that the 3601 can brawl quite well but I still think playing as a sniper is favorable given that it teaches you how to play the later german heavies in that line.

As for basecamping soviet heavies: I can see why people bitch about it, since there are much better uses for them.

I guess it plays back into how the 3601 basically is forgiving since you can use it in almost any way and it'll perform decently.

I'll be getting an E-75 soon (at least once i've made the credits and my Tiger II crew earn their 3rd perk/skill.). Is the low ROF of the 128mm worth it or will the 88 be able to keep it competitive?

[Simon_Jester]

In my copious experience of getting shot full of holes by Tier 9 heavy tanks, I find that anything which doesn't do 400 points of damage a shot just can't be taken as seriously...

[AniThyng]

True, but I already find the 88's reload time to be excruciatingly slow. A whole 11 seconds, the horror! It's kind of dissapointing that the E-75 doesn't improve the ROF of the 88 as an alternative to a slow BOOM from the 128.

In any case, I've had that crew since the VK3601. Or perhaps even the Pz III/IV, I forget. They've earned the right to use an E-75 methinks.

It's fun going with the Tiger II though. Maybe it's the normalization changes. But it just feels like I can actually charge lower tier (or even equal) tanks without taking more then a few % damage and that's really helped me in more than one assault map.

[PeZook]

I gotta say I love the nice, flat sides German tanks have over their ammo racks...

[The Infidel]

I think I'm finally learning how to play my Russian heavies. Interesting how much difference there is in play styles for the IS-8 and the IS-4. I think I mostly enjoy my IS-3 (when on top): Good gun, quite agile and nice. I've had the KV-5 for ages. It's nice as long as I can hide R2-D2. Sometimes I play front line with it, other times it's the perfect decoy while most of my team go another direction due to it's huge profile and massive armor. That KV-5 can really take a pounding.

I gotta say I love the nice, flat sides German tanks have over their ammo racks...

Hehe... I have binocs on my high tier Germans and often get a lot of xp for spotting enemies other shoot at. Just had a nice game in my Tiger II playing Mines. I was on my way to help with the hill when I saw many enemies going over the islands. Mmmm. Nice food for my 105. Gotta love German precision. It's nice to snipe from a long distance, detrack the enemy and continue to shot him while he's looking around trying to spot the one hurting him. The only bad thing about this way of playing, is that some players don't realize that I can shoot half across the map and call me a camper even when my damage score is among the best half of the team. I didn't get any kills this time, though.

[Zinegata]

Always the big gun for the Tier 9s. You'll be mincemeat for the other Tier 9s otherwise.

[Zinegata]

Okay, I have to share this.

Playing a low-tier match. Everyone is dead except our SU-26 (9 kills!) and an enemy Frenchy Leh arty.

The Su-26 is out of ammo.

He goes to the cap. Leh runs after him

SU-26 spends the next 6 minutes dodging shells at point blank range.

He finally dies 7 seconds before the match ends. By accidentally ramming the Leh.

Best. Lost. EVER.

STOMR9THRU, I salute you!

[The Infidel]

Okay, I have to share this.
Playing a low-tier match. Everyone is dead except our SU-26 (9 kills!) and an enemy Frenchy Leh arty.
The Su-26 is out of ammo.
He goes to the cap. Leh runs after him
SU-26 spends the next 6 minutes dodging shells at point blank range.
He finally dies 7 seconds before the match ends. By accidentally ramming the Leh.
Best. Lost. EVER.

STOMR9THRU, I salute you!

Oh, please tell me you have a replay of that!

[Zinegata]

Okay, I have to share this.
Playing a low-tier match. Everyone is dead except our SU-26 (9 kills!) and an enemy Frenchy Leh arty.
The Su-26 is out of ammo.
He goes to the cap. Leh runs after him
SU-26 spends the next 6 minutes dodging shells at point blank range.
He finally dies 7 seconds before the match ends. By accidentally ramming the Leh.
Best. Lost. EVER.

STOMR9THRU, I salute you!

Oh, please tell me you have a replay of that!

Sadly no

[White Haven]

Reminds me of a match on Malinovka once with Hotfoot. He and I were in artillery, I believe both M41s. The enemy had...a TD. And we were all that was left. And I was out of ammo. And Hotfoot had one shell left.

Y'know, 41s can really book in a mostly-straight line. ARTILLERY SCOUT CHAAARGE! TD shots juuust missing me as I cross the field. Get a spot, keep dodging, suddenly, WHAM, last round of his magazine, TD down, we win with two empty artillery pieces.

[The Infidel]

Reminds me of a match on Malinovka once with Hotfoot. He and I were in artillery, I believe both M41s. The enemy had...a TD. And we were all that was left. And I was out of ammo. And Hotfoot had one shell left.

Y'know, 41s can really book in a mostly-straight line. ARTILLERY SCOUT CHAAARGE! TD shots juuust missing me as I cross the field. Get a spot, keep dodging, suddenly, WHAM, last round of his magazine, TD down, we win with two empty artillery pieces.

He got his Fadin's medal. I have only one myself. It's a nice thing to have.

[Skywalker_T-65]

You see, the closest I've gotten to that is a match where I was the last tank in my III/IV, and had to charge the remaining enemies (two tanks...don't remember the type)...with only two shells left. I got one of them with said two shells, only to get shot in the butt by the other guy. Sucked, but at least I could say I ALMOST won the match on my own.

[Darth Wong]

Which is true but still means playing like a medium which I'm entirely inexperienced with, and being a brawler means at most surviving one brawl but at 50% or lower health when my goal is to survive and cut down on my repair costs; this is from my personal experience. I had to entirely stop playing my IS3 in order to grind up the money for the KV Sport. Its just easier to wait it out a bit so that its less likely for me to be sniped when trying to maneuver into the fight.

You're doing it wrong. Soviet heavies need to be leading the charge - or at least be in the same group as those leading the charge - as they are more effective up close and can take hits/spot so other tanks can do their jobs. If you're hiding in the back because you're afraid to get your paint scratched then your team has every right to bitch at you.

Especially in an IS-3 which has low accuracy and is not very good at sniping.

[Darth Wong]

Hehe... I have binocs on my high tier Germans and often get a lot of xp for spotting enemies other shoot at. Just had a nice game in my Tiger II playing Mines. I was on my way to help with the hill when I saw many enemies going over the islands. Mmmm. Nice food for my 105. Gotta love German precision. It's nice to snipe from a long distance, detrack the enemy and continue to shot him while he's looking around trying to spot the one hurting him. The only bad thing about this way of playing, is that some players don't realize that I can shoot half across the map and call me a camper even when my damage score is among the best half of the team. I didn't get any kills this time, though.

Yeah, it's a problem when people are over-aggressive and think you're being a "pussy" for not being as aggressive as they are.

I had one game in my IS when I saw an enemy heavy and medium waiting around a corner and was waiting to see if they'd try poking their heads around. It doesn't take Einstein to figure out that the guy who pokes his nose out first will come off worse for it, so you have to make a judgement call. A medium behind me obviously thought that this was wimpy, so he charged around the corner without waiting even 1 second, and lost half his health immediately. I followed as soon as I saw him charging because I knew he would get himself killed pointlessly otherwise.

After the resulting melee, I killed both enemy tanks and our charging medium died, and then he spent the rest of the game bitching and ranting that I was a coward because I didn't "man up" earlier. Worse yet, other members of the team seemed to be swayed by his arguments (which I couldn't really answer because I was, you know, still busy playing the game), until the point that one guy was sufficiently convinced of my guilt that he started shooting me in the ass while I was fighting enemy tanks, presumably as some form of just retribution. The asshole cost me 30% of my health.

We ended up losing the game because the other flank folded like a cheap tent, but I still got the most kills on the team despite this stupid asshole calling me a "pussy" and his friend shooting me in the back.

Otherwise, it was a good night for my beloved IS. One loss, one win, and 100k credits in two games. That thing can make a ton of money on a good day. I don't know why no one ever lists it as one of the better money makers.

[Nephtys]

IS-3s are the perfect breakthrough tank. Decently armored on multiple angles, and a very punishing close range gun. Blayne, I highly suggest you master the KV-1S if you want to learn how to effectively use the IS-3 and IS-7. You need to be fighting aggressively, like a heavier Medium.

Also, most of the time people need to be MORE aggressive. But intelligently. Pop in and out of cover, but not in a way that actually opens you for enemy fire if you're pinned. Generally, this means you can show your turret for a second or two, but only at medium to long range. And never charge around a corner without a 2:1 advantage.

[Skywalker_T-65]

I make it a point to not charge in blindly. I won't camp by the base (unless I'm the only one willing to be posted on 'arty guard duty'), but I won't just charge like an idiot either. I use cover, and I stay with groups. My survival rating just sucks because I am horribly unlucky.

[xthetenth]

So I just had a friend link some very silly but funny russian short cartoons about this game.

https://www.youtube.com/user/plagasRZ?feature=watch

Enjoy.