World of Tanks (Vol 2)

[All that jazz]

I'm not a fan of the Marder 2 either fwiw. My mate who is a 7k experience player thinks it's great and does really well with it but I just can't get on with the relatively slow reload and even slower aim time on it, even with the -10% aim time perk. The gun is not that accurate either. Statistically the SU85B at tier 4 isn't that special on paper but nothing can touch me in that whereas I get insta-shredded in the Marder or FCM. I think the statistics are a load of bks for some tanks. There's a lot of tanks that on paper should be awesome in game but they're just not, and vv. The T40 is a tank that on paper should be slightly better than the SU85B as it has a much wider gun arc and better gun depression/elevation, but apart from that it plays much the same as the SU yet I just can't seem to get to grips with it.

[Alan O'Hagan]

Fane said:

I don't actually have a Russian Heavy at the moment, so stuck my old KV-85 crew in it. I'll wait for a sale which includes T6/7 in it and make my mind up then. Sooooo, KV1S, T-150, KV2 or IS? I have them all researched.

That's quite a choice there and they all bring something different to the table so it depends what you want really.

The KV1S at tier 5 I have found to be a lot of fun although not everyone agrees. For me I roll with the 122mm derp for the lols. In fact only yesterday I hit a full health Sherman Jumbo in the side for 400 damage and set him on fire. Poor scrub didn't have a fire extinguisher and burned to death. The 122mm has a 10ish second reload and I have found the regular HE ammo to be much more reliable than the HEAT.
The tank is fairly mobile but isn't especially well armoured so don't rely on your armour to get you out of trouble.
The tank can also mount a more traditional (and reliable) 85mm gun, but why bother? If I am going to do that I would rather be in my KV1. Mount the 122mm and herpa derp. I do recommend this tank but mostly for the lols.

The T150 at tier 6 is a much more serious proposition. If you are looking for a proper Russian heavy tank then this is a solid choice in every sense. It is slow but not painfully so and it has armour that actually works against same tier or lower tanks. If you side scrape properly you can even bounce some Tier 8 shots.
Get the 107mm ZIS 6 mounted on this beast asap and you will dominate Tier 6 games. 167mm of Pen at tier 6 will slice through any same tier tanks and will threaten higher tier tanks as well, and 300 alpha damage with a reload under 10 seconds means no enemy tank can afford to ignore you. You are a genuine threat to any tank you are likely to face.

The accuracy of course is lacking as usual with Russian Heavies, and in this instance you can't even rely on the hand of Stalin to guide your shot. You must aim your shot all the way in or it is very likely to waft.
Get up close and personal with your foes in this tank and dominate. Definitely my pick from this list.

The legendary KV2 is a very niche tank and I play it purely for sts and giggles. That 152mm is hilarious and if you mount any other gun you are doing it wrong.
I load nothing but HE ammo and trollo lolo lol.

However outside of trolling I can't recommend this as a serious heavy tank choice. Its too big, too boxy, too slow, the aim time is almost as glacial and the reload time. When I drive this thing I get the impression I am playing the game in slow motion. I also recommend you play it in platoons because on your own, as soon as you fire you will be mobbed by the enemy who know you won't be firing again at anytime this side of the next ice age.

Finally the IS at tier 7. Its a decent tier 7 close range brawling heavy with a brutal if inaccurate 122mm gun which can smack you for 390 alpha damage. Its pretty nippy for a heavy but both the gun and its armour are unreliable and it was never my favourite tier 7 heavy tank. However it is definitely not the worst and of course it eventually leads to the IS7 which is still a beast and my current flavour of the month Tier 10 tank.

So, my recommendation out of that bunch? For overall fun, the T150 gets my vote.

[Beati Dogu]

That's a great summary, although I personally prefer the 85mm gun on the KV-1S for its reliability in inflicting damage. When the derp gun works it is fun though. "When" being the operative word here.

I'd also add the KV-3 at tier 7, which leads on from the T150 of course. It's a much better tank than the IS in my opinion, even though it has the same gun. It has nice gun depression and can take a real battering if you angle it.

As I've mentioned before though: Don't play the T150 or KV-3 stock as they're really really slow and useless. Just take your time and free XP as much as you can before you ever play them.

All that jazz said:

I'm not a fan of the Marder 2 either fwiw. My mate who is a 7k experience player thinks it's great and does really well with it but I just can't get on with the relatively slow reload and even slower aim time on it, even with the -10% aim time perk. The gun is not that accurate either. Statistically the SU85B at tier 4 isn't that special on paper but nothing can touch me in that whereas I get insta-shredded in the Marder or FCM. I think the statistics are a load of bks for some tanks. There's a lot of tanks that on paper should be awesome in game but they're just not, and vv. The T40 is a tank that on paper should be slightly better than the SU85B as it has a much wider gun arc and better gun depression/elevation, but apart from that it plays much the same as the SU yet I just can't seem to get to grips with it.

The Marder II is not great and no fun to play either. It used to be the tier 3 seal clubbers TD of choice years ago, but the top gun is unusable these days. The SU-76 is much better, even with its crappy gun depression. I've just finished playing it actually and bought the SU85B.

The SU85B is pretty dangerous, especially once you get the 85mm guns. 160 average damage at tier 4 makes it a real threat & it's stealthy too. I got my Ace Tanker with it a couple of days ago thanks to 1,800 damage in a tier 6 game. Missed out on a Top Gun by a fraction of a second too.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1388942#self

The T40 is definitely similar, but perhaps easier to play thanks to the wide gun arc & great gun depression.

I think the most fun tier 4 TD is the M8A1 though, due to its mobility and nasty little needle gun.

[PanzerCommander]

Beati Dogu said:

My first game with the Churchill III was on the North West map. The enemy team had a 3 man platoon of Churchill IIIs and I was the only real heavy tank on our side. Yeah, no thanks. I figured they'd go the low route (which they did), so I took the high route instead. We managed to batter our way through along the railway line and I started capping with a B1 frenchie. The main enemy force arrived at our base just after & started capping too. We were in no danger though & had it in the bag. Then, said B1 46% moron, drove out of the cap and starts to (presumably) look for arty. It's a British arty, so it would be nowhere near the cap anyway. Despite all pleas to get back, the retard carries on aimlessly and we lose.

Can't stand that, tbh I'd have risked the fine and tracked him its likely you would have capped out before he'd fixed it if his crew wasn't that good and no repair kit was fitted.

The only time I ignore pleas around capping is when somebody starts spouting "no cap kill all".

[Beati Dogu]

It was too late by then; He was already out of the circle.



By the way, each day this month there's a special offer on a different tank.

Today it's the Lowe, which you can get for £35.00 and includes a garage slot, gun rammer, gun laying drive and vents.

http://worldoftanks.eu/en/content/wintercalendar/

[Dr Banjo]

Wonder if there will be a Type59 on Christmas Eve... just to boost cash flow?

BTW I dont want one.

[bstb3]

Beati Dogu said:

It was too late by then; He was already out of the circle.



By the way, each day this month there's a special offer on a different tank.

Today it's the Lowe, which you can get for £35.00 and includes a garage slot, gun rammer, gun laying drive and vents.

http://worldoftanks.eu/en/content/wintercalendar/

Lol WG, they are sneaky. The same tank is on sale later in the month at 15% discount in the published specials, which would be around £30 if my maths are correct and the exchange rate doesn't go flippy. Ok so you don't get a rammer, GLD or vents, but they together are what, 1.6m credits? Not sure that's worth £5, especially as its a premium tank and supposed to earn you credits instead of buying them. Plus there will be some sale on equipment too most likely, so £5 for 800k credits? WG economics

The sale yesterday saved about £6 and you got a free BTSV tier 3 tank, which is very rare. Except it cost €99 for which you got 27000(!) gold and a 30 day sub. Its really wound up the people who bought a BTSV for some ludicrous price previously when it was a collecters only tank though .

[JustinF]

Dr Banjo said:

Wonder if there will be a Type59 on Christmas Eve... just to boost cash flow?

BTW I dont want one.

That was my guess too.

[bstb3]

It would be quite a loss of face if they were to put the Type 59 back on sale, they have previously been quite specific about it never being available again. That said I wouldn't rule it out, it would be a big earner for them.

It would be quite tempting too - depending on the price. I know it's not all its cracked up to be, especially with the nerf's its had over the years and the power creep etc, but it is one of those tanks that just appeals to me - and not being able to get one makes it all the more wantable.

[All that jazz]

bstb3 said:

Lol WG, they are sneaky. The same tank is on sale later in the month at 15% discount in the published specials, which would be around £30 if my maths are correct and the exchange rate doesn't go flippy. Ok so you don't get a rammer, GLD or vents, but they together are what, 1.6m credits? Not sure that's worth £5, especially as its a premium tank and supposed to earn you credits instead of buying them. Plus there will be some sale on equipment too most likely, so £5 for 800k credits? WG economics

The sale yesterday saved about £6 and you got a free BTSV tier 3 tank, which is very rare. Except it cost €99 for which you got 27000(!) gold and a 30 day sub. Its really wound up the people who bought a BTSV for some ludicrous price previously when it was a collecters only tank though .

The BTSV was never that expensive even when it was on Ebay. I was lucky to get one for peanuts as I have Russian friends but even on Ebay it's only about £65-70 (or was last time I looked) and that got you 3 months premium, 10k gold and the tank itself. Work out the cost of the premium and the gold and the tank price is only a bit above what you'd normally expect to pay for premium tank anyway. It is a fairly bouncy tank at tier 3 if you angle it a bit but the armour is pitiful at tier 4. It also has terrible traverse and terrible view range. The peashooter gun is quite punchy at tier 3 but no pen at tier 4. It's a fairly good tank on paper but the reality is quite different when you're playing it. The only thing it really has going for it is its speed.

[Mastodon2]

Urgh, lost 4 in a row trying to get my double on the Jagdtiger, I forget that failteams don't stop at higher tiers.

[JustinF]

bstb3 said:

It would be quite a loss of face if they were to put the Type 59 back on sale, they have previously been quite specific about it never being available again. That said I wouldn't rule it out, it would be a big earner for them.

It would be quite tempting too - depending on the price. I know it's not all its cracked up to be, especially with the nerf's its had over the years and the power creep etc, but it is one of those tanks that just appeals to me - and not being able to get one makes it all the more wantable.

They said they'd never sell it again, then they did, which is when I bought mine. I'd be entirely unsurprised by a 24 hr money grab.

[Beati Dogu]

If it's anything like the T-34-2 (same top gun), it's not very good anyway.

[Fane]

I'm hoping they do the IeFh french premium arty in the advent calender. My son's got one on his account and I really enjoyed the fast firing gun, plus playing TD as a last resort. I know it's not all that amazing, but I just seem to get on with it.

The Type 59 would also do me very nicely, as I'm progressing up the Chinese meds atm, but I do have a problem paying serious wedge for Premium tanks. I'm fine with the odd fiver here and there, but, if they were to offer it for, say 99 euros, like a dour scottish git, "i'm ooot".

[Dr Banjo]

If the Type59 does come then I would assume they would package it with loads of gold / premuium account and lots of equipment..

yours for £149.99

[Mastodon2]

Must. Grind. Jagdtiger.

I used to enjoy this tank, but at the moment it just feels like a lumbering stbox. I'm doing better than the dreadful showing I had yesterday, but it's still not that amazing. For every game where the gun feels like it can vaporise anything it looks at, it has 2 where it feels like a lumbering stbox. The casemate feels so unreliable too, some days it's made of cheese and anything can have a shot at it, other times, like the game I've just had, it can bounce premium rounds from a T95 using the 155mm cannon. I did just pick up my Ace Tanker in it, I feel like I've got a decent handle on how it works, it's just not for me. About 112,000xp left to grind then it's goodbye.

Playing my Super Pershing feels like a real treat after that slog. I'd love to play some more mediums in the future. The Leopard 1 has always intrigued me, it's the most modern tank in WOT in terms of technology I think, but I'm not brave enough for that, I don't think I'm good enough to play a tank that has effectively no armour in a tier X game. I think that might have to remain a pipedream, but you never know.

As the year has progressed and I get more battles under my belt, my tastes have diversified immensely. When I started, I wanted bigger guns and more armour, so TDs and heavies were my thing. Now, I find I enjoy mediums a lot more whereas previously they were just stepping stones. Don't get me wrong, I still love a good heavy or TD (just not the Jagdtiger), but the mobility of the mediums and the style of playing a match influencing the whole field, rather than just being able to muscle through individual engagements, is something that I incorporate more and more into my playing. Though by some standards, I'm still a 52% scrub.

[jimmyjimjim]

Mastodon2 said:

Must. Grind. Jagdtiger.

I used to enjoy this tank,

I remember when they added it (in beta?). Saw it first in Ensk, on the opposing side. Ran straight towards him, blocked him sideways and just pounded him to scrap. In a 36.01(H).

I've been reluctant to progress that far down that tree ever since.

(I've had it unlocked for some time now, not felt the urge to buy it yet).

[Alan O'Hagan]

Mastodon2 said:

Must. Grind. Jagdtiger.

I used to enjoy this tank, but at the moment it just feels like a lumbering stbox. I'm doing better than the dreadful showing I had yesterday, but it's still not that amazing.

I'm not a bad player but for some reason I just don't seem to get on with casemate TDs. I enjoy playing them but I just seem to fail abysmally with them.

Take a look at this litany of fail:

Jagdtiger: 115 games...46% WR
AT15 : 88 games ...45% WR
AT2 : 68 games ...44% WR
Ferdinand: 63 games ...48% WR
ISU 152 : 63 games ...48% WR
88mm JTiger: 63 games .48% WR

It is easy to blame the teams, RNG or whatever. However I do consistently well in other classes of vehicle and generally run my Medium and Heavy tanks, and even with my turreted TDs with win rates between 55% and 65%. If teams and RNG were truely to blame then my win rates in those classes would be similar. Basically I just suck in these things and I don'r really know why. I do ok in some of the other casemates like Ob704 and AT7, but those listed above are truely woeful.

How can I have a win rate in the AT2 worse than a bot?

Mastodon2 said:

Playing my Super Pershing feels like a real treat after that slog. I'd love to play some more mediums in the future. The Leopard 1 has always intrigued me, it's the most modern tank in WOT in terms of technology I think, but I'm not brave enough for that, I don't think I'm good enough to play a tank that has effectively no armour in a tier X game. I think that might have to remain a pipedream, but you never know.

Don't let the lack of armour put you off high tier medium tanks. So many people are spamming premium ammo at these tiers that armour doesn't count for much most of the time anyway. Mobility is your armour and when you learn how to exploit that mobility medium tanks become a lot of fun.

Edited by Alan O'Hagan on Thursday 4th December 11:15

[Mastodon2]

I enjoy casemate TDs in moderation, the SU-122-44 is always fun, and I like the look of that SU-122-54 thing too. I'm not feeling any real compulsion to grind past my Tiger P at the moment either, as the tier 8s and 9s beyond the Tiger P on the way to the Maus don't look fun at all.

Bring on French arty, otherwise I might have to start on the Leopard 1 line once I've got my JPE-100.

[All that jazz]

Alan O'Hagan said:

Mastodon2 said:

Must. Grind. Jagdtiger.

I used to enjoy this tank, but at the moment it just feels like a lumbering stbox. I'm doing better than the dreadful showing I had yesterday, but it's still not that amazing.

I'm not a bad player but for some reason I just don't seem to get on with casemate TDs. I enjoy playing them but I just seem to fail abysmally with them.

Take a look at this litany of fail:

Jagdtiger: 115 games...46% WR
AT15 : 88 games ...45% WR
AT2 : 68 games ...44% WR
Ferdinand: 63 games ...48% WR
ISU 152 : 63 games ...48% WR
88mm JTiger: 63 games .48% WR

It is easy to blame the teams, RNG or whatever. However I do consistently well in other classes of vehicle and generally run my Medium and Heavy tanks, and even with my turreted TDs with win rates between 55% and 65%. If teams and RNG were truely to blame then my win rates in those classes would be similar. Basically I just suck in these things and I don'r really know why. I do ok in some of the other casemates like Ob704 and AT7, but those listed above are truely woeful.

How can I have a win rate in the AT2 worse than a bot?

I think you have to find tanks to suit your play style (duh). You could have the biggest and fastest firing gun in the game but if it's mounted on a tank that doesn't suit your play style then you're always going to struggle. My niche seems to be medium speed/manoeuvreability TDs with high alpha but no armour to speak of, such as the tier 4 SU-85B or tier 6 SU-100Y boxtank. I have good WRs in both these (the 100Y is a very hard tank to play well due to its huge size). But slow tanks do my nut in (Matty, FCM, AT2 I'm looking at you) and my reactions just aren't quick enough to use very fast tanks like the ELC and E25 to their full potential without crashing into houses etc. I do alright with the E25 but I'm no tanking God in it. Heavies and mediums I generally suck as I don't enjoy the peek-a-boo play style of them nor being on the frontlines. Light tanks are great at top tier but I'm hopeless with them in bottom tier games.