Soo… What about the Object 140?

Object 140 Blues

By:

IrmaBecx

So you guys know I like the Object 140. It used to be my most hated tank in the game, but since it is now a mere shadow of its former self, the 140 now has that underdog appeal I always seem to go for.

So yeah. I am never going to admit the T-62A, or any other tier X Russian Medium tank is outright better than the Object 140, because the way I mean it, I don’t think any one of them ever will be.

But with the latest round of T-62A buffs dropping early this morning, the 140 is certainly at its lowest point ever in terms of being an attractive proposition. It’s like Wargaming simply don’t want people to drive it.

It’s not going to work. Sadly, you might say, because other than the secret plan to make people demand the Object 140 be buffed so it can once again be the best tank in the game; this time with no one complaining about it because they all wanted it to be buffed, clearly what Wargaming is trying to do is make the T-62A more attractive to me.

That is “me” as in the target demographic. I don’t own either of the tier X Russian Mediums, but I like Medium tanks a lot, and I am working towards getting one some day.

Looking cool in the “Terror” warpaint

So with all this candy being waved at me, why isn’t it working? Why won’t I even consider the T-62A? Because the fact is, even if the thing had 600 mm of turret armour, 0.5 seconds of aimtime, 275 pen and 0.01 dispersion, I still wouldn’t drive it.

It was the same with the Centurion 7/1 and the FV 4202. When they had APCR with the highest pen in the game, HEAT rounds and 220 pen HESH rounds, they were like the most OP Mediums in the game. Three types of Premium ammunition meant solid players could put out hilarious amounts of damage, because they would always have the optimal round for any situation.

Me, I wasn’t into it. “Overpowered” is not the same as “interesting” in my opinion. Far from it, in fact. And aside from the fact that winning because your tank and not your gameplay is superior is super boring, overpoweredness never lasts.

Sooner or later the meta will change, or your tank will get nerfed, or other tanks will get buffed around it. The game is in constant change, and not just statistical change, but changes in player behaviour and commonly used strategies. All of a sudden no one is “going bridge” anymore.

So when I write about tanks, or approach a new vehicle, I try to focus on what they are all about; what the idea behind them is, and how you should think about them when you drive them, because even if stuff like penetration and armour values gets changed, a small tank with a big gun is still going to be a small tank with a big gun. It’s going to drive pretty much the same with less firepower or a wider turning circle; you will still want to put yourself in the same kinds of situations to be successful.

Fallen Star part II

I drove my press account Obj 140 with the “Terror” camo this morning, and it still seems to work fine. I rolled up on the hill on mines and pumped out 3200 damage, two kills and a big hunk of spotting damage for an entertaining win.

Lobbing AP rounds at a Tortoise from maybe 200 meters hit and penned the Commander’s hatch every time, I tried to judge if the shells actually move slower now but couldn’t tell.

But yeah. It does feel a little pedestrian now. Regular AP rounds may actually turn out to work better in some situations; retain penetration better at range and not deflect as easily, but it certainly doesn’t feel as… well, glamorous I suppose as having APCR standard. Out of all the other Mediums, only the new Chinese 121 doesn’t have APCR standard at tier X.

And you still have the same, boring old HEAT rounds you used to have, only now they are slightly worse than on the T-62A. I mean if they really wanted to make the two guns different, why not give the 140 APCR for premium rounds?

In any case, with the Object 140 now as lacklustre as I think it can possibly be, it’s getting increasingly difficult for me to keep on claiming it is in fact the best Medium tank in the game, but I do actually still think it is.

On paper, the T-62A is going to look a lot more attractive, and listen very carefully now:

For most players the T-62A is going to be the better choice. I’ve said it before, and nothing has changed as far as that.

But no matter how much you buff the firepower and gun handling on the T-62A, it’s still going to be somewhat limited by its strengths. It now has some standout strengths, but that also means you will want to always put yourself in the kind of situations where those particular strengths will make a real difference.

I will not go as far as trying to say mediocrity sets you free, but the Object 140 is one of the most exquisitely balanced vehicles in the game. It’s still a fire breathing Russian brawler Medium tank, and for Medium tank work, it’s still the best.

There are exactly three things the 140 does better. The gun is more stable on the move. It depresses further. And the tank is faster. Except for a tiny bit of specific power, 5-10 mm of hull armour and 26 mm on the turret side, that is it. End of story.

Well, there are one or two more things. The Object 140, famously, has among the best camo values in the game. And the front plate may be two millimetres thinner, but it’s at a steeper angle by two degrees, so it works a lot better.

So yeah. Not a lot of difference. Two degrees here. Five millimetres there.

In the end, the reason I like the Object 140 better is I just like the way it drives better. It’s geared towards balance, and as I said it may be one of the best balanced vehicles in the game.

But the latest round of, well, lets call it “nerfs” has certainly taken some of the polish off the old 140, and the 62A sure looks brighter and brighter with every new round of buffs.

Like I said, that doesn’t matter to me. I still say you will have your best games in the 140, and not in the 62A, because the 140 is just more versatile. It will keep up with your hare-brained schemes a little better, and help you over the finish line where the 62A will fall short. It’s that kind of tank.

If you are a normie, and prefer reliable and predictable performance, then by all means get the T-62A. Everyone wants you to. I’ll even bet you it’s going to get bufffed again next patch.

I don’t think there is anything I can say that’s going to convince anyone else to get an Object 140, but I at least am still going to. The only thing I can really say about it at this point is that it still works, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

That’s not a huge selling point, I know, and at present, it’s hard to see where the new generations of Object 140 players are going to come from.

Other than being the best Medium tank in the game, there really isn’t a whole lot to recommend it.

I got a comment regarding the above, it’s from Superschnitzelkoenig on the official forum, and I though I’d include it here, because it’s very well argued, and I don’t have anything to add except the M48 Patton may be the best all rounder in the game, but it’s not the best Medium tank:

“As usual a very interesting article. However, while I enjoyed it and I think your general thesis is absolutely correct there is one part that I thoroughly disagree on – and actually I think your own article does, too:

You say: “For most players the T-62A is going to be the better choice. I’ve said it before, and nothing has changed as far as that“.

I think this sentence is the very basis of the misunderstanding of all the outcry about the 62A buffs and you yourself give all the arguments why. You say correctly that – regardless of buffs and nerfs – a tank will retain its basic characteristics. And the basic characteristic of the Obj.140 is that by its very nature it is much more accessible than the 62A for less experienced and mediocre players. It takes a lot of skill to take advantage of the qualities the 62A has over the 140 by its basic design: which is basically the great turret armour.

On the other hand the Obj has many advantages (or lack of disadvantages) that are easy to exploit by “most players” – you tell it in your text: better gun depression, better hull armour (I would add: smaller profile), slightly better mobility and on-the-move gun handling. Or to say it in your words: Balance and versatility.

So, once you realise the Obj.140 by it’s very basic design is the better choice for most players you realise why WG keeps buffing the 62A to an extent it seems so much stronger by stats alone. But it is only stronger if a highly skilled player is driving it, because the highly skilled player will be able to both exploit the inherent characteristics of the 62A and the strong stats it has been given by recent buffs.

For everyone else – or “most players” – the 140 is easily as good a choice as the 62A. Or – as you say it – the best Medium tank in the game.

(Little side note by myself: of course they could also buy a M48 Patton and have the real best Medium tank in the game but I digress.) ”

superschnitzelkoenig

Nearing 20.000 battles!

Sixty-Seven More Games

By:

IrmaBecx

Yeah. Like the title says. Sixty seven more games and I will hit twenty thousand. It’s a staggering number. Unfathomable. Hard to wrap your head around.

And it’s been a long way. I don’t have a lot in common with myself as a five or six thousand game player anymore, but I still remember what it was like being new to the game. I Remember meeting my first Tiger, getting my first Raseiniai, and the T-34-85 being the most dangerous tank I knew.

But I’d like to think I’ve learned a few things along the way, and I don’t think anyone can doubt I am in fact a bona fide tank philosoper by now. I think I even figured out what “tank philosophy” means, finally.

It’s not very complicated. Anyone who thinks about gameplay, wants to learn, and tries to see the bigger picture is a tank philosopher. It’s just thinking about what you are doing.

For me, it means I write about tanks and tank driving. I am moving my content to a separate site for various reasons, but I will always mainain a forum presence. Wargaming were gracious enough to include me in their Community Contributor program and gave me a press account so I can drive any tank in the game I want for free, and it’s been a very positive experience, being “semi professional” like that. As a bonus, I’ve now also been included in some aspects of pre release testing, which has been even more fun than I thought it would be, if you can believe that.

So yeah. Even if my stats aren’t exactly stellar, I feel pretty accomplished already. I get to write what I want about tanks I like or don’t like, people read my stuff and react to it, often positively, and as long as I can keep a secret, I also get to drive new tanks still in development along with the best players in the game.

I mean if that’s not at least semi Pro, then I don’t know what is.

Future Prospects

First things first. Someone asked me which tank I will drive my 20.000:th game in, and after a moment of deliberation, the choice was clear.

The Leopard 1.

The Leo as the second tier X tank I ever bought (or was it the third? did I get the STB-1 first?), the first being the E50M, and that would be the alternative. I love my big, bruisy E50M, and I always will.

But the Leopard 1 was the first tank I ever felt was unattainable for me. Out of my league. I just couldn’t believe I would ever be at the level where I would even consider owning a tier X Medium tank with no armour.

No matter how good you get, the Leopard 1 will always be a challenge. You get nothing for free in a Leo. And I’m sure some camper death star will ruin the game for me, but I will at least give my self the possibility of having a truly epic game to mark this momentous occasion.

And after that?

Life goes on. I still have to git gud. I still have some tanks to grind, some Premiums to collect and some papers to write.

That’s the thing about having played games in the tens of thousands; your outlook on the game becomes different. Your stats become less and less interesting, and things like game balance, consistency, and vehicular oddities become more interesting. I still play the same game, but I play for very different reasons now.

Or maybe not. Because I still want to git gud. That’s like the underlying goal, and the whole point of all this tank philosophising. The idea behind trying to understand the game better is so you can play the game better. And playing better and understanding what goes on around you better means you also have more fun.

Therefore, basically, tank philosophy is a win-win situation.

That is my conclusion, and I’m sticking to it.

So if you see me out there in my beautiful stripy Leopard in the near future, you may be witnessing my twenty thousandth game. If you are on the green team, lend me a hand and lets win it together. If you are on the red team, you are going down.

Either way, I’ll see you all out there.

Never give up!

121 B – The Important Question

Why Do Good Players Like the 121 B?

By:

IrmaBecx

So a curious thing happened; practically all the pro players I hang out with these days really like the 121 B, even though they all also agree the whole gambling angle is pants. It got to where I was so enthralled with the ease of operation and general likeable nature of the tank, I had completely forgotten to consider the impact of the 121 B on the game in the first place.

Still, it is kind of curious we all like it so much. I mean it’s nothing special. As concepts go, it’s not really all that novel. And it’s so familiar to drive; it’s like an old volvo or something.

But I think it’s actually pretty easy to explain. Let me just do some tank philosophising here.

What the 121 B is, is a Russian style Medium tank with a 350 alpha 105 mm gun. The end. You can look all you want, but it’s not going to get any more exciting than that. The stats aren’t even that good, but it has to be said none of them are really bad either.

And so with the familiar front plate and round turret, the experienced player will click right away with the playstyle. The drive will be recognisable, as will the 105 mm LC7; it’s just the two together in the same package is kind of new.

So you can use bits from different Medium driving styles, and end up having some great games, because the thing is going to respond exactly the way you think it will. Here is where being unoriginal becomes a good thing; the 121 B is a tiny little twist on very familiar concepts, enough of a twist to be kind of fun, but not enough to make it at all strange or counter intuitive.

On the contraty; the fact that driving the 121 B is so intuitive, is I think the main reason good players fall so hard for it.

And me. I fell too.

The Important Question

But Bushka reminded me the introduction of the 121 B means people can now, effectively, buy their way into tier X. And if you thought the Löwe got a bad rep for being a tank driven exclusively by hapless wallet warriors who have no business being anywhere near tier VIII, it’s easy to imagine what would happen if the thing was sold outright.

I hadn’t considered that. As a player with several tier X tanks already and closing in on 20.000 games, I am not the problem demographic. Approaching the 121 B as a tank philosopher and Community Contributor with a special interest in tier X Medium tanks, the thing makes total sense. Not only is it easy to drive and very likeable, it’s also very finely balanced and fills a niche among tier X Mediums. It may not be wildly exciting, but it is reliable, effective, and very user friendly.

For me, the only question is how do I get my hands on one. I drove 500 games in my Type 59 already; there’s no reason why I wouldn’t drive thousands in the 121 B. Best idea ever.

As I’ve said I decided I wasn’t going to gamble for it, though. I understand Wargaming has to make money to keep my press account stocked with gold and free spare parts, but as a consumer I don’t want to support the business practices I am not comfortable with.

If the 121 B had been sold, I would have bought it. If it was a grind, and I had to finish it with gold, I would have finished it with gold. I think the 121 B is a very attractive proposition, and as I said I’ve already made the decision I want to get one.

So faced with the fait accompli that the 121 B is already in the game, and that the M60 made the question of tier X “Premium” tanks moot before the 121 B was even in the planning stages, the remaining question becomes: Now that the 121 B is already in the game, what kind of business practices do I want to support in order to actually get one?

Because that’s all we can do. If we don’t like gambling, then we shouldn’t buy boxes. It really is that simple, because if we all stopped buying boxes and kept buying gold, Wargaming would, sooner or later, start selling less boxes and more gold bundles. That’s how capitalism works, and it’s what we have to deal with.

Again trying to separate the important questions from the fact that I, personally, really want to own the 121 B; If it were sold in the store as a bundle, I would buy it. Even if it was super expensive, I would probably justify the purchase; with pure, extravagant elitism if all else failed. But the thing is I don’t really want the 121 B to be sold in the store as a regular bundle, because that’s the whole issue.

You see the underlying question here is simple: In what way should the 121 B be made available to players?

And let me say this: I am not necessarily opposed to “noob” players having access to tanks they really have no business driving. I tend to look at the game from a long term perspective, and against that background owning a good high tier tank is never a bad thing, because you will get there. I have owned my Leopard 1 for years at this point, and I am only now getting around to being able to actually drive it.

So the problem, really, is I don’t think “noobs” make very good decisions when it comes to buying tanks. Their lack of experience mean they can’t predict whether or not they are making a worthwhile investment. Add to this the possibility of overspending because of the gambling mechanic involved, and things start looking pretty bad.

As it is, my honest opinion is however that you could do a hell of a lot worse for yout first tier X tank than the 121 B. It’s got some armour, the mobility is good, and it has a tier-standard weapon. I mean what could go wrong? It has all the tools you need to survive at tier X, and they are also easy to use. The only real problem is going to be the death stars, but everyone has to deal with those.

So the thing works. It’s a good tank. Well balanced. As unimpressed as I am with the gambling boxes, I have to give Wargaming credit for the actual product; I think they did everything right with that. At leas no one will end up with a tank that doesn’t work. They may end up with a tank they don’t know how to work, but that is a different matter and it can be solved with practice.

But there are other ways the 121 B could be made available. Some kind of reward for clearing stages. A long mission grind. A set of tasks to complete. Say it would take you a few months of playing, but in theory anyone could do it. Something like that would be my preference.

I would also support some kind of grind event. The more boxes that were involved the less I would like it, but I would very likely spend some gold to finish a grind like that if I felt it was at least theoretically possible to do it without gold.

So the next time the 121 B comes around; and it will come around, because it can still make Wargaming money, ask yourself this: do I like the way this tank is being presented enough to support it? Because if you don’t, then not participating is the only way you can influence Wargamings business decisions in the future.

We’ve seen tanks once thought unique and exclusive return to the game enough times not to worry a certain tank isn’t going to be sold ever again. What we need to be worried about is how they are being sold.

Because as much as I agree with Bushka tier X is a special place and everyone should earn their right to be there by grinding a tier X tank themselves; and the reason for that is the immense sense of pride and accomplishment it gives you, we do live in a post-M60 world now, and these things will continue to sell.

And when they do, have a think about what is going on and how you feel about it. Don’t like these tanks at all? Don’t buy them. Like the tank but not the price, or the event? Don’t buy it, wait for the next opportunity.

I don’t mind supporting Wargaming when they do something good, and I do. I spent some gold so I could grind out the 121 faster. But I didn’t buy any 121 B boxes. So the next time they flash a shiny new tank in front of us, please make sure you make an informed decision about it, and remember: deciding not to paticipate is also a decision; sometimes it’s the best one.

French Char Magnifique 50t Buyers Guide

FCM 50t – The Sensible Choice?

By:

IrmaBecx

So I bought the FCM 50t when it first dropped. At that point I was deep into Mediums, and of course it was French as well. It was also huge, weakly armoured, and it only had a 90 mm gun, but I didn’t care, I wanted one anyway.

That’s more than a year ago now, and these days the FCM is in the regular tech tree. It’s also been buffed slightly, and I don’t really have an opinion of that because it’s been quite a long while since I actually drove it in earnest.

That happens sometimes with tanks. I may really like them, but it just never seems to be the right moment to drive them. I do always have the intention to get around to doing so, and if there’s one thing that can get you in the mood for driving a huge, weakly armoured French Medium tank, it’s driving a huge, weakly armoured French Tank Destroyer, which is what I’ve been doing lately. At least the Medium tank has a turret.

I have a lot of credit grinder type vehicles, but I don’t tend to drive them a lot; and when I do, I most often run the full-race combat setup so I don’t end up making all that much credits. But running a cheaper setup, you should be able to make 20-30.000 a game without a Premium account. My main credit grinder used to be the Type 59, but that has now been replaced by the FCM because I just like driving it better.

I really like the FCM 50t, and there is of course a lot more to it than just having a turret. And since it has now become my daily driver, I thought I’d put it through its paces and find out what it’s really all about, for all you new owners and prospective buyers out there.

FCM Basics

First off the thing is huge; and I mean really, really big. It’s bigger than an E75; almost the size of a Maus, I kid you not. But it also has massive power, almost twice that of other tier VIII Medium except for the AMX CDC. It was originally a Heavy tank, and it still has pretty sturdy armour for a Medium tank, although the angles aren’t exactly optimal. You also get Heavy tank hitpoints, which helps a bit.

80 mm side armour should mean you can sidescrape comfortably, but for some reason the rear drive wheels extend outwards from the hull a little bit, and so it’s actually possible to hit the engine module through the wheel even though the rest of the side armour is at an autobounce angle:

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Also the turret is mounted way forward, which means you most often need to expose the front plate when sidescraping. The shallow angle makes it better suited to peeking around corners; the front plate will be a 50/50 pen for most tier VIII weapons at 60 degrees, and many tier VII guns won’t get through:

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8 degrees of gun depression is bog standard, and many of your peers will have 10 degrees. Gun stats on the 90 mm Canon Schneider are pretty mediocre, but you have good penetration, good shell speed, and good accuracy. “Good” in this case does not mean “German”.

53 tons going at 55 km/h makes for a potent ram, just make sure your opponent isn’t sturdier than you are.

But the greatest strength of the FCM 50t is mobility. That’s what makes the tank work in spite of its glaring deficiencies; you can dance around your opponents in a manner that is simply unbelievable for such a big and heavy tank. Both speed and mobility will often catch your enemies off guard; the element of surprise is one of your most potent weapons.

So basically, you have solid weaponry, really good mobility, and you can bounce a shot or two, especially from same and lower tier opponents. That’s not a bad trade off for having to work around the size of the thing and some pretty average soft stats.

FCM Setup

I used to drive my own FCM with stage I equipment, but it is a good candidate for upgrades and I ended up putting stage II equipment plus Vstabs on it. It’s a useful vehicle in many ways; it makes credits, it supports an active playstyle, and it can play Supremacy. You could certainly do a lot worse for a daily driver or mission grinder.

Also the FCM can actually use all of the equipment upgrades. It’s already fast and maneouverable, so turbo charging it makes sense. It has exactly the kind of armour that benefits the most from the armour upgrade; it will often be red tinted rather than completely red, so those 5 % more bounces will really count for something. And if you don’t believe in soft stats, you already have a good amount of hitpoints so adding 5 % to that would also make sense.

The gun handling on the 90 mm DCA 45 is a common complaint; like I said it’s mediocre compared to other tier VIII Mediums. GLD and Vstabs or a rifled barrell will bring you up to German standard.

Being a big target, you will want to carry dual repair kits, and maybe a small medkit as well. If you run consumables, go either double fuel or double rations depending on whether you feel the traverse or the crew skills are holding you back the most.

I usually run my regular combat setup: Adrenaline and dual repairs, super fuel and double rations, but lately I’ve switched to a cheaper setup: no provisions at all, and then medkit and dual repairs, because I need to grind some credits. Blowing adrenaline and both repair kits every game like I usually do will cost you over 10.000 credits, as does running expensive provisions, so there are savings to be made.

Penetrations numbers are already pretty good, especially for a flanker, so I run 13 rounds of APCR for those hard targets. You’re not likely to penetrate a heavily armoured tier IX tank frontally except through the lower plate. 90 mm HE is pretty useless; I often do less than 100 damage to Light tanks, but it can save you in a tight spot so I run 7 of those. With 91 rounds capacity, you can safely stock up if you think you might need more of either.

Driving the FCM 50t

So when you are done waiting on the timers, it’s time to roll out into battle. What I like to do is take a short drive in a training room first, just to get uset to how the tank moves, check the gun depression, and shoot at some windows to get a feel for the accuracy.

You can feel the thing used to be a Heavy tank. If I had said that when it first came out, it would have sounded preposterous, because we didn’t really have any lightly armoured Heavy tanks in the game back then, but it kind of moves like one. The size helps give that impression, but with that massiveengine, you won’t have any trouble dancing around all over the place.

And you need to be moving around. The FCM has been in the game for a while now, and people will be gunning for you because they know you’re a big target with mediocre armour. In such a big tank, there aren’t as many places for you to go hull down and hide, and getting caught in crossfire means quick and certain destruction. Standard Medium flanking tactics is your best bet; fighting Light tanks and other Mediums, creating crossfire, and then helping to mop up the big guns towards the end.

Sounds simple? Too easy, maybe? Well, yes. Driving a Medium tank at all these days is kind of a chore between the hordes of Heavys, lurking doom cannon TDs, and high alpha Light tanks. Finding yourself up against four or five tier IX Heavy tanks will tend to give you that sinking feeling. And taking a 1000 hitpoint hit from some remote bush will certainly minimise your combat effectiveness.

But you are sometimes going to have to trade some hitpoints to get your shots in. At close range, pretty much everyone will be firing straight at your front plate and going right through it; the only bounces you are likely to get are off the sides, and sometimes the turret front. Fighting lower tier enemies you can be more of a bully, but against pretty much any other tier VIII Medium you will be on an equal footing stat wise, so you will need to use cover and mobility to negate their damage output and try to outplay them.

Considering the Alternatives

Buying the FCM for me had a lot to do with “new tank syndrome” and the fact it was the first French tank in the game. But I would still buy it today; and cheaper too, because these days it is of course a regular tech tree Premium tank.

If you don’t want to wait for the next Premium bundle, your only other option for a tier VIII Premium Medium tank today would be the SuperPershing; a fine vehicle also, but not really a true Medium. It’s much slower and less powerful, but in return it has that HEAT-proof turret that lets you go hull down effectively. If you are looking for an armoured Medium, the SuperPershing is the better choice.

Likewise the T-54 Mod 1 or First Prototype is all about the armour, and somewhat reminiscent of a Heavy tank playstyle. The Hype 59 is legendary for being super expensive; way overpriced I would say for what is basically a knockoff Russian T-54 at tier VIII, but also a fine tank. The Panther 8.8 doesn’t have any kind of useable armour, but it has had its gun handling buffed to now be among the best in the game.

Then there is the AMX CDC. I would have bought that one too if it had been possible; sadly I didn’t have much luck in the CDC event. But as far as tier VIII Mediums go, it’s the ultimate “high risk/high reward” machine. Compared to the CDC, the FCM is definitely the sensible choice.

But none of those tanks are readily available. The FCM may not be “Mr. Right” for you, but it can be “Mr. right now”, or at least “Mr. right after the timers have run down on the equipment slots”.

Stop Stalling, Irma!

I got the question recently whether or not I would recommend the French Char Magnifique, and as usual it kind of put me on the spot. What keeps me from doing so has little to do with the tank itself, and more with the current game environment.

The thing is, I can’t recommend anyone driving a Medium tank out there these days. The fact we have a few more weeks of missile tanks notwithstanding, lower calibre weapons are becoming less and less viable, and yes, 90 mm at tier VIII is a “low calibre” weapon. The sensible thing to do is to just give up and start grinding for a campy doom cannon TD or a Heavy tank with balanced armour and dependable alpha damage just like everyone else.

It’s the same with tier X Mediums. I can’t really get behind recommending any of them either, although they are all great tanks in their own right; what I can’t recommend is driving a tier X Medium in the first place.

Also the FCM doesn’t really have any standout features; no trick it can do that always works, nothing it does especially well or anything like that. It’s one of those tanks that becomes greater than the sum of its parts once you get comfortable driving it. Having power and mobility is a great asset; perhaps the greatest you can have, because it allows you to put thought into action and go where you are most needed. If you can’t do that, then the FCM is just a big, stationary target, and of course that’s no fun.

The truth is, all tier VIII Mediums are kind of weak, because they are Mediums, and they are at tier VIII. There is no really good choice, because a tier VIII Medium is kind of a bad choice to begin with. Driving a Medium is something you have to want to do.

But personally? Yes. I love my FCM 50t, I love the way it drives, and I think it looks great, although perhaps not exactly beautiful. Spending the spare parts on it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in game recently (…and if you’ve ever seen me play that may not be saying all that much, but still… ). It may look quirky, but there’s really nothing strange about it; it’s a Medium tank the size of a Heavy tank with two Heavy tank engines stuffed in it. It’s not that hard to drive; you just have to work on your positional play, it’s not expensive to run if that’s a concern for you, and it’s… well, French.

The Bottom Line

So with the caveat that you do actually want to drive a Medium, you understand the armour isn’t all that great, the weapon is mediocre for the tier, and the thing is big as a house, then yes: I do recommend the FCM 50t, because in some inexplicable way, those things all add up to a great tank. And no matter what happens, Medium tanks will always be relevant on account of their versatility. The less people tend to drive them, the more important the ones that are left will become on the battlefield.

If you are a halfway decent driver, you are curious about French tanks, or you are shopping for a credit grinder or daily driver with a Medium playstyle, IrmaBecx says the French Char Magnifique 50t could be just what you are looking for.

I was going to end on a “Vive la France ” here, but it sounds a bit cheesy so I won’t. I’ll get my coat…

(2017)

121 Tier X Medium – The Guide

Connoisseurs Guide to the 121

By:

IrmaBecx

So what is it about Chinese Mediums? It seems people either like them, or they go out of their way to make the point they are nothing but boring Russian knockoffs and not worth anyones time.

Let us all agree that as an idea, Chinese Medium tanks aren’t very original. Not a lot of thinking goes into putting a bigger gun on a Medium tank. And, as I’ve pointed out numerous times; if you look at them and see nothing but second rate copies of the best Russian tanks in the game, then steer clear of them, because you will invariably be disappointed.

But not quite as good as the best still means pretty good, and for the discerning tanker, there is a lot to like about the Chinese Medium tanks. That is not to say you have to be very Pro to drive them, but I think the things that set them apart are the type of things that experienced tankers tend to appreciate more.

Unless, you know, you just happen to think they look really cool. That will work, no matter your skill level.

I do think Chinese tanks look really cool, and to me that’s a big selling point, but it’s not the main reason I like the Chinese Mediums, and the 121 in particular, so much. I thought I’d try and explain the real reason, as well as give you a few pointers on gameplay along the way.

121 Philosophy

Basically the reason I like the 121 is I’ve driven a lot of Medium tanks, and this one is kind of different. Even if 400 alpha isn’t a lot more than 350, it still makes a difference when you trade shots, and it makes you more dangerous in the endgame.

But there is more to it than that. I would almost certainly drive a new tier X tank just for being different, but I practically no-lifed the 121 grind so I could be an “early adopter” of this particular one. I can drive the maxed out showroom model on the press account all I want, but I drive my own 121 instead even though it only has the rammer and coated optics on it so far, because I want to get used to the way it drives, and see how much of a difference the upgrades actually make.

The way it drives, yeah. Other than aesthetics and design ideology, the first thing I liked about the 121 was the ride. It’s actually not a lot bigger than the Obj 140 or the T-62A, but it is bigger. Mainly the engine deck is taller, and the hull is a little bit longer. It’s also wider; the crew compartment extends out over the tracks a little.

So when I got out in the field, my impression was it was quite mobile for such a big tank. Like one of those SUV:s that’s really a little bigger than anyone would conceivably require for city traffic. And I think that’s the way to approach the 121; it’s a heavy Medium tank, a little more armament and a little more armouring than you, strictly speaking, need.

And that may be some old field howitzer they jammed in the turret, but the workmanship leaves nothing to be desired. It’s fully aimed less than a second after you stop moving, and the Chinese made AP rounds may not be terribly exciting, but they are less prone to bounces and penetration loss than APCR, and they get the job done.

So what we have here is kind of a luxury all terrain vehicle. A glorified gun tractor. A tank marketed at the Barbour-wearing Sloane Ranger, or any bobo hipster with pretences of intellectual tankery. A life style tank.

I think when you try to drive something like a heavy Medium tank, it’s important you are clear about that you are doing it because you want to. You want to try and work with a 122 mm instead of a smaller caliber. You are driving something a little different for the sake of being a little different. Or, you know; because it’s new. That works just as well.

121 Gameplay

It so happens that the 121 is my second best performing tier X tank at the moment, surpassed only by the mighty, mighty “Yolo Wagon” 263. I’m not sure things will stay that way, and anyway the samples are way too small to be taken seriously, but it is an interesting trend.

I chose the 263 and the 121 for my collection for the same reason: because I like Medium tanks. And with the core Medium playstyle as a starting point, the idea is that both of them, in their own different ways, will help me expand and improve on my Medium gameplay.

There is also, behind all this rationale, the thought of sometimes getting to bring a gun to a knife fight so to speak; because all things being equal, you know you can outtrade other Medium tanks with that big gun. The visceral component, one might say, and it should not be forgotten about. We play this game for enjoyment, people.

And although I don’t hold with camping for tens of thousands of games in a death star waiting for the magical maximum HESH-roll ammorack, it is of course more satisfying hitting a tier X Heavy tank with a 122 mm highroll than a regular old 105. Or blasting a US tank through the engine deck for over 600 HE damage. Or trading evenly with a Medium tank even though your round was a HEAT round to ensure penetration. The 122 mm armament is a lot of fun.

But it’s also a workhorse. That is the same gun off the 113 Heavy tank, and with the combination of armour and the quickest aimtime in the game, you can trade from cover against pretty much anyone. The armour isn’t always going to hold up, but it’s super easy to work, and can most often be relied on to keep you safe.

My friend suggested running calibrated shells is key to success, but I gave it a try, and I don’t really get a lot of mileage out of them. The argument is you can pen more Heavy tanks frontally, and the reload is so slow anyway you don’t notice the difference. For me though, being able to shoot faster allows me to put out more damage and gets me out of more brawls. I tend to shoot at either sides and rears or lightly armoured tanks. Your preferred playstyle should guide you here.

And speaking of equipment, I am running with only rammer and optics as I said, and it’s really not too bad. Normally I wouldn’t drive a tier X tank without Vstabs, but I’ve been so excited to drive the 121 I don’t have time to wait for the garage crew to install all the upgrades yet. I figured the tank could still execute the core playstyle, and it would be interesting to see how much of a difference the different upgrades actually make. As it is, I think it’s more important to learn how the thing moves and positions itself, and the limitations of the traverse, engine power, and gun depression.

Three things, basically, are going to happen. First I’ll get the improved controls. Those will improve the traverse and make the tank a little faster; I will be able to relocate more effectively and brawl a little better. Then I’ll get three more boxes installed, and I’ll have Vstabs. This means having the lowest possible aimtime in the game, which will improve trading, snap shots and firing on the move, which latter the tank sucks at anyway so I don’t do it a lot. Third and lastly, I’ll put the improved tracks on it which means it will take two hits to break the track every time.

All these upgrades will help give me an edge and get me out of a few more sticky situations, but on the whole the tank is pretty strong already. With eight equipment boxes unlocked, it’s going to be better, sure, but not radically different.

Sooo… How to Drive it?

Well, drive it like a Medium. With a Heavy tank gun on it. Or like a mobile Tank Destroyer with a lower alpha gun. Seriously, it’s not rocket science.

You want to think about doing three things. One, hang back or gang up so you can save your hitpoints, because your high alpha makes you super dangerous in the endgame. Two, think about where the red team would least like to have to deal with an extra Heavy tank gun, if even just for a short while. You have the mobility to make that happen. And three, think about what favourable situations you can put yourself in, because there are a lot of things you can do.

You can fight Medium tanks from cover and hold them off or take them out with your higher alpha. You can trade against Heavy tanks and big TDs as long as you are hull down. You can circle slower opponents if they are isolated. You can help take chunks of damage out of unsuspecting, dug in enemies.

But here’s a caveat. You can trade with Heavy tanks because you will often have the same alpha they do, and in either case you can put in effective shots against them. But that doesn’t mean you should concentrate on fighting Heavy tanks, because if you play your Medium as a Heavy, you are just playing a worse Heavy, even if you are playing a heavy Medium.

It does however mean you shouldn’t be afraid to go with the Heavys if the matchup favours that decision, because in good conditions you can be really effective against Heavy tanks. And as you are a Medium tank, you have all that mobility to help you orchestrate those conditions. And yes, that’s just a roundabout way of saying you need to work on your positioning in the 121.

Still, the thing can brawl. If you get close to a Heavy tank you will easily have the mobility to keep behind its gun, even without the improved controls. And you can put out 1200 damage in around 20 seconds, so you can clear out damaged opponents pretty quick, even though your DPM isn’t fantastic. The 120 mm front plate and sturdy turret will also allow you to bully Light and Medium tanks, especially if they don’t carry a tier X weapon.

So in the best of all worlds, where you have a matchup you can work with, and move between hulldown spots, and land all your shots, you can have some great games in the 121. In some ways, it’s actually easier to drive than other Mediums; the higher alpha and user friendly armour lends itself to a lot of in game situations. As long as you can dictate the terms of the engagement, the 121 is a really strong tank.

Ways the 121 is not better than the Russians

I know people will continue to make this argument, so I thought I’d just get the key ways in which the 121 is not better than the best Medium tanks in the game; the T-62A and Object 140, out of the way.

From the top down, the 121 has slightly larger cupolas than the Russians. The gun lacks more than 1000 DPM, and isn’t as accurate or as stable on the move. Terrain resistances aren’t quite as good, and you have 100 hitpoints less.

So yeah. The 121 is worse than Russian Mediums. But it was never intended to be a Russian Medium in the first place, and as heavy Medium tanks go, it may well be the best.

The Short Version

So I guess if I had to simplify, three things make the 121 tick. High alpha, lightning quick aimtime, Russian style armour. Add good mobility to this, and that’s basically what you have to work with. If you’ve driven a Medium tank before, the peculiarities of the 121 aren’t difficult to identify and adapt to.

Against the background of other Medium tanks, the 121 is new and different. It offers a new style of gameplay for the discerning Medium tank driver. Or, a bigger gun for the frustrated Medium driver.

In the context of the game as a whole, the Chinese Mediums aren’t really that special. They follow a simple yet effective concept, and if you’re down with that, they are super fun. If you think they sound lame, they are going to be lame, because other than the slight novelty of design, there isn’t a lot more to see.

But if you fancy yourself a bit of a gun stat nerd and Medium tank elitist, the 121 is a bit more tank than you need for everyday driving, but you can still daily-drive it. It’s a family sized sedan with like huge offroad tires, a winch, and a rollcage. A Sports Utility Tank.

IrmaBecx says if you’re not worried about things like parallel parking and your carbon footprint, drive one as fast as you can.

The 121 B – First Impressions

Chinese Wonder? The 121 B

By:

IrmaBecx

So I wasn’t aware we would be getting another new tier X Medium tank until it actually dropped; Wargaming have been keeping this one under wraps.

But there were rumors, of course, and so I had a look at the PC version, and thought it looked kind of promising. It’s basically a Russian-style Medium with a Chinese knock-off 10,5 mm weapon, and although that may not seem super exciting, I was still kind of interested to drive it.

I was lucky enough to get the M60, but wasn’t pro or gambling addicted enough to get the Kpz 70, so I figured if it was to be some kind of clan wars reward tank, I would be shXt out of luck, as the kids like to say in America.

It’s not.

Which is kind of a good news/bad news situation.

It turns out anyone can get their hands on one, but it also turns out there is no guarantee you’ll actually get one no matter how much cash you throw at it; you have to roll the dice, and there’s a 95% chance you’ll lose every time you do.

But before we get down to the business of driving the 121 B in anger, let’s do a bit of “bench racing”, and see what the stats can tell us about it.

The Chinese Knockoff Up Close

Since the old T-62A is the one Wargaming inexplicably (to some) have been buffing lately, I will use that as my benchmark. This also makes sense because it has the same gun depression as both 121 models; the familiar five degrees, and because the 121 is partially based on a captured Soviet T-62 tank.

First off, the 121 has a thicker front plate by almost 20 mm, although the angle is the same. It’s also faster than the T-62 by 6 km/h Ground resistance numbers are better except on soft ground or when wading through water, and the engine power is the same on all three tanks.

Other than that, the armaments go from low alpha/high DPM to high alpha/low DPM, with the 105 mm LC7 in the middle. The aimtimes, interestingly get worse with decreasing calibre; not the other way around as you might have expected.

So yeah, I’ve been driving the 121 a lot lately, and the 121 B feels very similar. It is a bit lighter not having to haul around that 122 mm, but the turret back is strengthened, so it still manages to traverse slower.

If you haven’t driven a lot of Chinese Mediums, they are generally pretty fast, and they maintain speed well, but as soon as you hit water or mud they will bog down, and they don’t climb very fast but they will climb most anything, especially with a bit of run-up.

The drive is part of why I call them “heavy Mediums”. If you think of them as being a bit heavier than a regular Medium, I find you get into the right mobility groove.

The Drive

So in the interest of expediency, I spent an hour or so driving and comparing the three tanks. Or, to be honest, I skipped the T-62 A and just drove the Obj 140 for a baseline tank instead because I like it better.

I will say after a session of playing, there is no doubt the Obj 140 is the best tank. I had zero problem putting out the damage in that; had a few really nice games. I’t just better; there’s no point arguing. And that’s also missing the point.

Chinese tanks aren’t supposed to be better than Russian tanks; they are supposed to be different from them. And whether or not you find that interesting or not aside, they are at least not so similar you can’t tell them apart.

So: In the context of Medium tanks, coming from the 121, the 121 B feels familiar. It moves familiar, angles familiar, and the gun depression is the same. What differs is the weaponry. The 121 B 105 mm gun is easier to work with. It has APCR/HEAT/HE like most of the others; it’s pretty much tier standard.

You will immediately note the aimtime is slower on the 105, but that doesn’t mean slow. Overall, both with regards to mobility and firepower, the 121 B reminds me a lot of the Type 59. It’s not a fire breathing Russian brawler with a 100 mm sewing machine; it’s more laid back and comfortable to drive. A bit more used friendly, if you will.

Putting it straight, the 105 mm makes the 121 B easier to drive than the 121, but not as good as the Object 140. If you expected it to be, I don’t know what to tell you.

And it’s a lovely drive. I drove hundreds of games in my comfortable Hype 59; so I can totally get into the 121 B. It’s genius. Not very original, but right on the mark. A Russian turret and hull with a knockoff capitalist 10,5.

Yeah. It pretty much looks like exactly what it is.

The Verdict

So: do I like it? Yes; very much. Do I want it? Yes. Even though I have the regular 121? Yes, without a doubt. Am I going to get one?

No.

If the tank was really expensive, I would buy it and just eat ramen for a few weeks or something. Beg in the streets; I don’t know. Because as a Medium driver, I really like the 121 B, and although it’s a pretty basic vehicle, it’s still a great drive. I*ma ll over it.

Except I can’t afford to gamble for it. It’s that simple. The fact I am not guaranteed a purchase means I have to pass on the chance to own it this time around. I hope there will be others.

If you want to throw money at a 121 B, I’m not going to stop you. I wish you good luck. Just make sure you are aware there is no guarantee at all you will actually get it no matter how much money you spend, and that’s just how gambling works.

I will say unless you expect the 121 to be better than the Russian Mediums, it’s not going to disappoint you. It’s not really that special, but it’s a sound concept, and there is no reason at all why you should struggle driving it.

IrmaBecx says I want it. Your mileage will vary.

Mastery gameplay action:

Chinese Medium Grind: the Verdict!

Chinese Grind Takeaway

By:

IrmaBecx

So I just finished grinding the 121, which as they say marks the end of the Chinese Medium line.

And it’s been great. It really has.

I did throw a few thousand gold at the grind, mainly to skip through the lower tiers, unlock a few modules, and train the crews on the two top tier tanks. Looking back I will say that made the grind more comfortable, but it’s not at all necessary. A bit frivolous, even.

Still, I wanted to be an “early adopter”, and now I am one.

I ended up keeping six out of ten tanks; the tier II Vickers type B, and then tiers six through ten. I’m not sure I actually need both the T-34-85 and the Type 58, but the Chinese Heavy tank line will most likely start from tier VI, and besides I don’t have the Ace yet. I thought I’d go through my impressions of the ones I’ve decided to keep, and why I decided to both keep the around and spend resources on them.

The Type 58 is the exception; Like I said I’m not sure I’ll keep it in the long run, and besides I don’t think it actually needs equipment past stage I.

Vickers Type B

This one I liked right away. Three shot autoloader at tier II? I was sold on that immediately. Kind of saving it for a rainy day; it’s part of my slowly growing collection of tier II “happy tanks”; fun little tanks that make me happy when I drive them. This one makes me so happy I put improved controls on it.

T-34-1

The “Chinese Whisper” is everything I imagined it would be; amazing fun do drive and really strong in its tier. Has Vstabs already, and I’m working on a more in depth guide to it. I think if you make it this far up the line, you will know whether or not you want to continue through to tier X, and I also think you will lose nothing by trying. The tier VII is worth it.

T-34-2

Tier VIII I thought was going to be a total struggle, but it turns out the tank is a lot stronger and a lot easier to drive than I imagined it would be. Both mobility and aimtime are amazing, and the 122 mm top gun is really satisfying to work with. My T-34-2 just got Vstabs, so looking to revisit this one also.

WZ-120

Amother pleasant surprise. Going up against tier X tanks with a stock or intermediate 100 mm gun isn’t a whole lot of fun, but it can be done. The WZ was more competitive than I thought it was going to be (except in terms of winrate), and my impression is the top 100 mm weapon is a viable option; you can play it like a knockoff T-54 if you want. But the 122 mm is what the tank is all about, and here is where you really start learning the “heavy Medium tank” playstyle.

121

I only just bough the 121, and have only driven it around the training rooms thus far. It drives the way I remember, and I still like the ride a lot. More than two weeks of waiting on timers, but I am thinking about just driving it anyway and seeing how it goes. I may wait for stage I equipment and drive the press account 121 in the mean time, but after that I don’t think I can stay away; I’m so excited to get into playing it, and playing on the press account is just not the same.

Besides, it can’t hurt to lower the stats of the thing a little now that Wargaming are gathering data for a possible balance adjustments of the 121 in two updates.

The Verdict

So should you go Chinese? Is the Medium line grind worth it?

I would say it is, but that doesn’t mean you should.

I’ve already stated numerous times that if you think these tanks are too similar to Russian Medium tanks, then just drive Russian Medium tanks. They will perform better for you. And having ground through the line myself, I stand by that assessment.

If you are bored with Russian Mediums, or with tier VII-X Mediums in general and looking for something a little different with a little bit of a challenge, then I would say you are a much better candidate for Chinese tanks.

Because they can be a lot of fun. They do have a few tricks up their sleeve, and they’re not super hard to figure out how to drive. If you like the thought of lugging a heavy tank gun around on a Medium tank chassis and trying to figure out the best place to haul it to and set up some shots, then that I think is the fairest description I can give of what driving a higher tier Chinese Medium tank is like.

Chinese Medium tanks aren’t that special, but they are special nonetheless. Surprisingly so, in some cases. If you think you understand what they are all about, and you aren’t put off by the fact they aren’t quite as good as the best tanks in the game, then IrmaBecx says don’t hesitate; start the grind today.

See you out there.

TLDR

Yea, Chinese Mediums can be a lot of fun. And you’re not going to risk a lot by giving them a try; you will find out pretty soon if they are for you or not.

New Tank!

Guerilla Tactics Part I.

This paper is dedicated to the Vanguard clan.

75.000 XP: WZ-120 Guerilla Tactics Pt. I

By:

IrmaBecx

So I have seventy five thousand XP left until the 121. It’s not been bad. Yea, I threw a bit of gold and free XP at it, but I have several new tanks to show for it.

The little Chinese Assasin the Vickers type B at tier II. Three shot autoloader Pom-Pom? I signed up for that right away. It’s going to teach me how to drive the AMX 50 B one day.

The Type 58 I’ve kept, because I suspect the Chinese Heavy line will start from there. (You will note the latest spy pics from Wargamings twitter shows the tier VII, VIII and IX, and we’ve seen the 113 already.)

The magnificent Chinese Whisper, my little tier VII noob-bomber. I told you all I was going to love it forever. It’s exactly how I imagined it would be.

The T-34-2 was a huge surprise; I thought it was going to be super weak, but I have a First class Pools with five kills and three thousand plus damage that tells me it’s not. It was a complete no-brainer to spend spare parts on it; it’s already so strong in its role, and it’s just gotten the Vstabs. I still don’t expect to hit stuff on the move unless I’m really close, but man; that aimtime. Less than one second.

Finally, there’s the “project”; the WZ-120. It’s only got the improved controls so far, but it’s not like it is struggling unreasonably. I have a feeling that’s really all you need on the WZ, that gun’t not going to get less derpy. You’ll just fail to pen and bounce faster and more often.

I shouldn’t expect to dominate the battlefield of course, but I should be able to play support pretty well and bully weaker tanks once in a while.

The question is, how do you do that, exactly?

Making a Plan

You know me; I like to figure things out. I can’t hear someone say “play to your strengths” or “mitigate incoming damage”, or even “Heavium” without thinking “okay, but what does that actually mean?”. I mean “play to your strengths” isn’t actually far off from just saying “carry harder”.

So instead of being frustrated because I don’t have the 121 yet, I thought I’d try and make some sort of plan for the grind. You may recall I quoted Mao in my preview of the Chinese Medium tanks, and I still think guerilla warfare is the way to be successful driving them.

Basically that means you will keep to the sidelines, away from the action, where your limited fighting ability can actually be useful. You also cooperate with the “People”, which I guess equates the rest of your team, so you can control more and more territory. You then clean out your enemies one by one until you find yourself in a sufficiently superior position to be able to move in and overrun their last strongholds.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

So let’s look at the weapons I have at my disposal to help make all of that happen.

Strengths to Play to

First of all, with 100% crew, improved controls and the tier X engine, the mobility really leaves nothing to be desired. It won’t improve with more spare parts equipment, but as it is, it’s not at all bad. This means I can spot, brawl and ~~run away~~ relocate a little faster.

I keep going on about the aimtime, but it is actually a potent weapon. My main problem is this is a Heavy tank gun; there’s no doubt about it. Yoy have to give it that extra third of a second before you fire so it will settle, and when you actually remember to, it’s just so nice hitting someone with a 122 mm high roll.

As a noob, I brawled Mediums against Edurace and Xenodium, and I never got over it. This is why my winrate is still in the 50:s; I just can’t resist a good brawl. Me and Edurace used to go the full seven minutes against eachother, on the same team so the autoaim wouldn’t work, and shoot until we were out of shells or the time was up. I fancy myself a bit of a Brawling connaiseur.

And I think the WZ brawls well. It’s one of the things I’ve felt I’ve been successful doing. (Yea, that means attaining a high winrate is not one of said things.)

But the thing with brawling is knowing when to brawl, and I fear my stats would show I’m not choosing my battles very well.

Clearly, then; my main strength will have to be tactics, supported by a sound and solid overall strategy. The old Chairman said one should “despise one’s enemy strategically, but take them seriously tactically”.

I am sure that sounds super obscure, but I think in the context of pixel tank warfare, what Mao means is this: The reds, having the stronger tanks, will likely move in a predictable manner. What you need to do is control the territory around them, and the more map control you have, the easier it will be for you to isolate and take down the red tanks one by one. And towards the end, when you both outnumber the reds and control most of the territory, it’s time to move in and clean them up.

Or, if you are a much weaker force, say a lone tank or a team full of Light tanks, it may be better not to fight, but to establish control of as many bases as you can. Sometimes one is enough.

But when you have to fight; and we all need that damage, you need to not underestimate your opponent, because you can’t afford to lose too many hitpoints. It’s no use trying win the endgame without hitpoints.

Also, you shouldn’t be afraid to fight, because establishing map control is what is going to allow you to be successful in the endgame, and that means clearing out tanks. Again, when you do, make sure what you accomplish is worth the expense.

So yea. The TLDR is “No Yolo”, I guess.

Solid strategy.

Also it’s sunday and I have a warehouse full of free Premium time. No boosters, but who gives a Foch about boosters anyway? I don’t need boosters, I have a plan.

And a Chinese knockoff 122 mm Heavy tank gun.

See you out there.

(Stay tuned for part II)

Tools For Tank Philosophers

Knowledge Is Power

By:

IrmaBecx

So I don’t actually get paid for being a Tank Philosopher, or Community Contributor, or Supertester, but it can still be a fair amount of work.

Still, I wouldn’t call myself the “Hardest Working Man in Blitz-business”, because a lot of the stuff I relate is actually the product of someone else’s zealous diligence.

This, then, is just a short runthrough of where I gather my information, as well as a shoutout to the people who make it all possible.

First of all, I check my own mediocre stats on Blitzstars. There used to be another site where you could do that, but it seems the owner of that site had an attack of acute and terminal Cancrackeritis and took the site down. A crying shame too; I know a lot of people preferred WotbStars as it was called, and it did have some information not found on Blitzstars.

But for me, I always preferred the colourful look of Blitzstars, so I didn’t have to adjust. You can find your own stats, as well as mine and everyone else’s at www.blitzstars.com

All hail Sockrobber for his tireless work. I certainly couldn’t do what I do without it.

But wait, there’s more! Blitzstars also has a subsection called Tank Compare, where you can find stats on every tank in the game, and some that are not even in the game yet. Easy to use, and has everything you need to become an expert on tank statistics.

You can find it at tank-compare.blitzstars.com. Again, all hail Sockrobber for making it happen.

Speaking of statistics, I have to give a shoutout to fellow AFK/IRMA member Jylpah, who has dived deep into pixel tank statistics in order to find out the truth about game balance. I will say I don’t always agree with Jylpah about what exactly you can learn from quantitative analysis, but I do have immense respect for his work.

Jylpahs findings can be found in a thread on the official Blitz forum:

http://forum.wotblitz.eu/index.php?/topic/45464-blitz-stats-analysis-best-tanks-aka-delta-wr-analysis-updated-page-6/

Another tool I use very frequently is the amazing Armour Inspector app. You can study the armour of pretty much every tank in the game, look for weak spots, or figure out your angles.

This is the one tool I use that isn’t completely free, and I am a very proud supporter of originators Andrew Karpushin and Clément Durand. The app also works for WoT PC and WoT Console, and they have a new app called Map Inspector as well. If you don’t like apps, you can use the new web based version instead.

If not for AI, I absolutely couldn’t do what I do, it’s as simple as that. Go have a look for yourself at wotinspector.com.

I’m not big on leaks about upcoming stuff, so I don’t follow any of that stuff. Exception being The Daily Bounce, that sometimes has a few tidbits or spy pics. You can find them here:

https://thedailybounce.net/category/world-of-tanks-blitz/

I much prefer the official “spy” pics, however, because I don’t have to wait as long before new stuff actually appears, and there is never any doubt as to whether the “leaks” are in fact true or not. You can find the latest from Wargaming concerning Blitz on either Facebook or Twitter:

twitter.com/WoTBlitz

facebook.com/wotblitz/

Last but not least, if you need more tank stats and armour models, there is a pretty new site called Blitz Hangar. I haven’t really gotten into the habit yet, but I do use it from time to time to check something specific, like viewrange or traverse numbers with less than fully upgraded tanks. Check it out at blitzhangar.com.

So there you have it, people. All you need to become a Tank Philosopher or content producer.

I’m sure I forgot something, and if you have tips on where to find more blitz related stuff, please just leave a comment.

See you out there!