pershingoholic

[pershingoholic]

[WT] Russian Bias? And the problem with most War Thunder Players (extra screenshots included)

(My UMP-45 Abrams skin)

War Thunder has been known for having its Russian bias moments, and how people believe that Russia has the most powerful tanks in the whole entire game. I completely understand, I mean, I go against Russia in most of my matches, so it's no surprise to me that people would say so. But does that mean that it's true? I say not. At least most of the time. As a proud US player, I'd like to say that the Russians are somewhat NOT overpowered. I might have my questionable moments facing a T-72, but they have many weakpoints that most people don't bother figuring out. That's one of the most vital things you need to know when playing War Thunder. It doesn't have an HP system like World of Tanks. It has a hullbreak, crew knockout system that requires you to have to shoot weak points to knock out tanks, like in reality. As everyone who plays it knows that they can get one-shot kills if they know where to kill. What do people at this point consider a tank to be biased? Usually they will have to be indestructible or they will have to be the one tank that they always get killed by. So, in techicality, I have gotten questionable richochets while shooting against German tanks either. But nobody talks about it. So it's not just the Russians that have their little moments of bias, but it's the Germans. Also, not to mention, people have been calling the Abrams OP when it first came out, because of how survivable it was. So now three nations are technically "biased" by that term. Heck, the German Leopard 2A5 was a tough nut to crack, it even had a 90% winrate in tank RB for a bit. That means it performs really well. But Gaijin recently changed the economy, and now the max repair cost for the 2A5 is 15,000 silver lions. The Abrams was reduced to 8,000 silver lions, making it less expensive to operate. As an American player, I am grateful for that change. The Abrams used to be something I'd risk taking out, because the repair cost was always too high for me to maintain. Now it's a bit more tolerable, and I don't lose lions as often. But that doesn't change the gameplay experience. Russian tanks always seem to have an advantage, and I understand. Once they are paired with Germany, it is more than likely that their team wins. And it's true. I've played multiple battles in one day, and all of the battles against Germany and Russia together were defeats. America has started to suffer since 1.87, and at least the M1A1 has the highest penetrating shell in the game. How about the game before? The Russians have always seemed to be the one country with impenetrable armor. And yeah, it does make sense, but sometimes you have to realize that it's how the game works. These armor values may seem hard to come by, but the most experienced War Thunder player will know how to kill these things. Basic doctrine goes as this: you try hitting the gun FIRST. Disabling the gun first will prevent the enemy from shooting back. If you disable their engine or their tracks, they will most likely be able to shoot at you again, so it's best you avoid doing that. If the target retreats, try not focusing on them again. It's best you go for the objective of the game, which is capping points. Kills are the only way to RESIST the enemy from capping the specified points. Going for kills immediately are not the way to play, and it's a way of greed and selfishness. Teammates do not find you a good player if you only look for kills. It's also better off capping points than going for kills, rather than seeking enemies all the time and getting killed faster. You will lose money faster. These simple tricks are the one way of preventing a huge loss of money, and the best strategy for playing a game like War Thunder. It's not like your average FPS game. You will lose money if you get killed. Repair costs are something you should never ignore. Hence why applying capping strategies with your team is the way to go. War Thunder is a team game. Use that to your advantage. Work together to reach the objective.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] M4 Sherman Jumbo Revisited

After 1.87, some tanks have gotten either a BR increase or a decrease. America got the worst of it, with most of their heavies getting uptiered, including the Jumbos and the T30 series. For the T30 series, they aren't affected much as they can face the higher tier vehicles (except for some, but the 100-120mm guns can offer great penetration still.)

As for the Jumbo, they haven't been getting the best of it. Both variants (the 75mm and the 76mm) have been uptiered to 5.0 and 5.7 respectively, and now they face tanks at a higher BR. The 76mm Jumbo is decent at 5.7, but the 75mm Jumbo suffers even more. In my previous review, I talked about how the gun has so-so penetration at its tier, because it's the same 75mm gun as the regular Sherman, but now chances of getting a good pen are less, primarily because most of the tanks at 5.0 have better armor.

Jumbos in France

Basically the Jumbo is still the same, as it being a regular Sherman with more armor welded on top. It still has around 100mm of front armor protection at an angle of 47 degrees, so it's not your average Sherman. In my previous review, I talked about how the Jumbo was already underpowered at 4.7, so it's not any new to it that it's not gonna pen most of the tanks it faces. The Jumbo hasn't gotten any different with it's engine and transmission, and it still has the same mobility as it did before.

Here's some general info on the Jumbo, if you haven't seen already.

Armor Upper front hull - 101.6mm of armor at 47 degrees Lower front hull - 114.3mm of armor at 7-66 degrees Sides - 76mm at 90 degrees

Turret front - 152mm of armor at 0-52 degrees Turret sides - 152mm of armor at 4-42 degrees Gun mantlet - 177.8mm of armor at 4-60 degrees

Mobility Weight - 37.8 tons Max speed (km/h) - 35-38 km/h Horsepower - (AB) 646 stock, 796 upgraded Horsepower - (RB) 442 stock, 500 upgraded

Ammunition M72 shot - AP shell - 109mm of penetration at 100m M61 shot - APCBC shell - 88mm of penetration at 100m - 64.7 grams of TNT equivalent T45 shot - APCR shell - 137mm of penetration at 100m

In total, the Sherman Jumbo has just gotten a BR increase. Although that might not seem like much, it affects the way it should be played. Before, it can usually take hits from lower-velocity shells, but now chances of going against Tiger Is and T-34-85s are increased. Some of these guns can punch through your front armor if they get close enough, so it's best you try not staying exposed. Another thing to note is the trap-shot between the gun mantlet and the roof of the upper hull, but the chances of that happening are low (although it has happened to me in the past.) Other than that, it's best that you flank the enemy instead, and if you angle your side just a little bit, it can ricochet shells really well.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] M4 Sherman Review

The M4 Sherman. It's one of those really controversial tanks that everybody either talks crap about, or they talk positive about it. I understand it. On paper, it might seem like a really bad tank, but so many people forget why the Sherman was designed and built in the first place.

https://youtu.be/Z2vL9ObWw8c

I made this history video about the Sherman a few weeks ago, and its purpose of existence is straightfoward. It was made to be built in huge numbers to outnumber the German army. Since I already have a video about the Sherman that you can watch, I'll just provide you an outline of its history over here.

Basically after the German blitzkrieg in 1939, the British forces were in desperate need for a better tank. The US Army Ordnance Committee was given the task to design something better than the aging M2 design, and in the end they came up with the M4 Sherman. (The M3 was created as a stopgap prior to M4 Sherman production because of planning delays). The Shermans were equipped with a 75mm gun, and they were sent over to Africa first to fight the German forces there.

Shermans in Europe

Soon, it was proven that the Sherman could pack a punch. It was designed to support the infantry, and it would later fight off until the end of the war. In War Thunder, you can play the M4 Sherman at the 3.7 BR. It is a researchable tank, right after the M4A1, which is the cast hull brother of the welded Sherman. They're both similar, but I will just talk about the M4 Sherman today. So don't get confused.

M4 Jumbo that I reviewed a few months ago

The main 75mm gun on the M4 Sherman can penetrate most of the tanks at its tier. The Panzer IIIs and the Panzer IVs are an easy target, and the T-34s can be one-shotted at its turret ring. The KV-1, SMK, and even the Shermans itself can be hard targets, as they have thicker armor that the 75mm gun may have trouble penetrating. 

The shells that are provided include AP, APCBC, and HE. HE is nearly useless, so don't ever bring it out. I would recommend using APCBC most of the time, because it offers a great deal of destruction. It has 88mm of penetration, which is decent, but the HE filler inside the shell has 63.7 TNT equivalent, which is a very high value for a low tier tank. This shell will do most of the work, so I'd recommend bringing the APCBC out very often. AP can offer 109mm of penetration, but it's not as destructive as the APCBC. 

The armor is pretty great at 3.7, which may surprise some players. The upper hull is angled at 56 degrees, offering 50mm of protection. The turret also has 76mm of protection, which is pretty good. Your sides are the biggest weak point, although. It's 90 degrees flat at 38.1mm, not to mention there are ammo racks on the side, so its not smart to have them exposed to the enemy at any time.

I love playing the Sherman. It can go around 25mph, making it a pretty mobile tank. The only weakness to its mobility is the reverse speed, so that is one thing to take note. The Sherman is better off as a hull-down tank, with its 10 degrees of gun depression. This is where it can be seen as a flanking tank, using its mobility as a way to take down enemies from their side. The shells it has can do some massive destruction, and the armor may surprise some people.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] T25 Medium Tank Review

Hello, and welcome back to another War Thunder tank review. Today I'll be reviewing the American T25, which is the predecessor to the M26 Pershing on the medium tank line.

The T25 is a 6.0 medium tank that is researched immediately after the M4A3E8 Sherman. It is the first non-Sherman tank in the medium line, as it progresses towards the lower-profile late-WWII, Cold War tanks. After the T25, you can research the M26 Pershing, and onwards towards the Pattons.

Now, at first glance, the T25 looks similar to the Pershing. That was because the T25 was one of the Pershing's prototypes. As WWII progressed, there was development of a tank that would replace the Sherman. This development began as the T20 program, featuring a low profile chassis, and a 76mm gun. 

Original T20 prototype

Above, T23 prototype

Above, T26E1 prototype, featuring the large road wheels

The T25 came in around late 1943, when there was massive debate over whether the new tank should keep the 76mm or get a better 90mm anti-tank gun. The T25 came with the 90mm gun that we all know and love, and it shifted over to the final production Pershing that would serve in the last months of the war.

There's only one big visual difference between the T25 and the Pershing. The Pershing has large road wheels with torsion bar suspension, while the T25 has the Sherman's HVSS suspension with the small bogies.

In War Thunder, there are also some small differences between the two. The biggest being the hull armor. It only has 76mm of frontal armor, which at it's BR, doesn't perform well. The sides are worse, at around 50mm, so a shot to the side can knock out some crew or even kill you in an instant.

Now with the small amounts of armor, it does give some great mobility. It weighs around 38 tons, and the 400hp engine can put out around 30mph. It also has neutral steer, something that the Shermans, and even the Pershing, suffer to have. It isn't as mobile as the T-34, although, but you DO get a better gun and some good shells.

The M3 90mm gun is the killer feature of this tank. It is a forgivable feature that Sherman players would want. At its tier, it can perform well, and it competes with the German 88mm guns and the Soviet 85mm guns. 

Starting off with a stock T25, you get the T33 AP shot default, which offers 188mm of penetration at 100mm. This is really good, better than the Sherman's 76mm, which only goes 125mm. The only problem with AP is that it doesn't have post-penetration effects. That's where you can research the APHE shell, the M82 shot. The shell is really destructive. It offers 164mm of penetration, which is worse than AP. The thing is, it has 137g of TNT explosive equivalent, meaning that the blast can knock out multiple crew members at once. You do get APCR as well, offering the best penetration out of all the shells, but it's unreliable, with great chances of ricochet.

The best way to play this tank is to flank. The mobility, compared to the Shermans, can surprise even American players. So it's best to take advantage of your mobility, trying to find spots that the enemy doesn't expect. As a frontline tank, it doesn't do very well as the armor isn't 100% made for its tier, meaning that T25 players should find themselves taking cover often. The low profile does make a difference, meaning that it's easier to hide behind hills, and the amazing reverse speed will let you take cover quickly. Not to mention, the transmission is located in the rear, so it will be harder for enemies to disable movement.

M26 Pershing

M46 Patton, an upgraded version of the Pershing

In the end, I believe the T25 is an amazing tank. It is very different to the Shermans, and a great step towards learning how the later American tanks had changed over time. The T25 is a good learning curve for the Pershing, as they play very similar. I've already done a review for the Pershing as well, and as I've said, these are great advancements on the American part, as it leans towards a time where greater firepower is not that bad.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] BT-5 Review

So I've realized that I haven't done a review on the Soviet tanks yet. I have been focusing on the US and German trees that I haven't even thought about doing the classic Russian bias tree. 

For today's review, I'll be talking about the infamous Bystrokhodny tank 5, or BT-5. 

The BT has very open origins, where it all began with an automotive engineer's dream of creating military vehicles. Walter Christie had developed a suspension system in the early 1920s that could allow a tracked vehicle to drive without tracks. The first design was the M1919, submitted in early 1921. Later improvements included larger suspension and more road wheels, leading to the Christie Suspension put on the M1928 design. The suspension wheels on Christie suspension were supported by large springs in the hull to provide a smoother ride. 

M1919 Tank

During this time, interest for this tank had sparked in the Soviet Union.  The Soviet Union eventually bought out the design and production rights, and had developed into the BT series we all know and love.

BT-2 design

The BT-5 had first seen combat in the Spanish Civil War, and had later been used in the Khalkin Gol border conflicts. It had also been used in the Soviet invasion of Poland, until later the new German Panzer III and Panzer IV designs proved it outdated. They were reduced greatly in numbers as they were later replaced by the larger T-34s.

A-20 design, which later developed into the T-34

The BT-5 remains a legacy in Soviet tank design, as without it, it wouldn't have influenced the later T-34 that helped the Soviets in the war. In War Thunder, the BT-5 is a reserve Soviet tank that you can play when starting off the tree. It is known for being a speedy tank equipped with a great gun at its tier. This gives it the great role of flanking the enemy without being spotted.

The armor is nonexistent, although. It only has a maximum 30mm of armor. Many tanks at the low tiers can pen your front as it only has 13mm of armor. The turret has around 20mm of armor towards the front, and the whole tank all together has around 15mm of armor.

The low armor values provide great mobility. It weighs 11.6 tons, and provides a max speed of around 55km/h with its 365 hp engine. 

The main gun is a 20-K 45mm gun, offering 8 degrees of depression, and 25 degrees of elevation. The turret has a rotation speed of 9.50 degrees per second, which is fairly decent, but better than the BT-7s speed. The shells provided perform well, providing around 59mm of penetration at 100m with its APHEBC shell, and 68mm of penetration at 100mm with its regular AP shell. The APHE shell is pretty destructive, though, providing 32g of TNT equivalent.

Abandoned BT-5 being inspected by German soldiers

The best tactic would be to take the flanks, in small groups.  Playing this tank with a squad is recommended, as when the best positions are taken, a confident ambush can take place. It isn't smart to charge immediately at the enemy, but to take it slowly and to always find new places to fire at. Anti-aircraft vehicles can find it easy to kill you due to their rapid fire, so try avoiding those vehicles. The Panzer II also has a high rate of fire, so it is also advisable to avoid them as well. The BT-5's front is also the biggest weak point, as any shot through the front will instantly kill the crew.

Overall, here are my final thoughts on the BT-5. I think it's a great reserve vehicle, and it really lives up to what it was made for. It is a great flanker, and it plays like a Hellcat at the low tiers, where they both have no armor, but great firepower. It's also a very trolly vehicle as many people like taking this to the high tiers and messing around with the MBTs, making it one of the memed custom battle tanks that everybody loves.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] Has the Leopard 2A5 been living up to its name?

So my last two posts have been concerning War Thunder's latest update, 1.87 "Locked On." I was describing about what was gonna be added and how it changed the game. I was wrong. Very wrong. 

I mentioned how the Leopard 2A5 wasn't much of a game-changer, how it was just another Leopard with actual armor. Well, it actually is a Leopard with actual armor. A stupid amount of actual armor.

Leopard 2A5 from the Dutch Army

The Leopard 2A5, introduced in 1995, is an upgraded version of the previous Leopard 2A4, that was introduced in 1990. It featured improvements in armor protection and survivability, including upgrades in technology and improved FPE systems. The Rheinmetall 120mm gun barrel was upgraded with a longer version of the barrel.

The tank features up to 1380mm of KE protection, which is undoubtedly impenetrable by any tank in the game. Even the M1A1 Abrams' APFSDS shell will not reliably penetrate anything on its front, making the Leopard 2A5 the toughest tank to kill in the game. Now that's the Leopard's strength. Its gun is good (it's the same as the Abrams 120mm), but the shells aren't as good as the ones America makes. 

As you can see, the turret cheeks have up to 1000mm of KE protection. No shell in the game can penetrate that from any distance, making it harder to disable the vehicle. Your best bet is to hit the right side (left side from this view), but the chances of a successful penetration are low.

This is why the Germans dominate top tier. The 2A5 has a winrate of 90%, which is the first MBT at top tier to ever receive a high number. This really proves that it's worth researching. But the question is, is it worth researching later? Sooner or later, Gaijin might be working on balancing these new vehicles. 

On the other hand, Gaijin might not nerf the 2A5, because the German tree players tend to get mad over the fact that the Abrams and the T-80s dominate the top tier. I can agree to a certain point, primarily because the Abrams has a huge weak point on its front, and even the armor doesn't offer that much KE protection. I find the Abrams to be very under-powered compared to its real life counterpart.

So, currently, the Leopard 2A5 is living up to its name, but I believe it’s not gonna be long before something better comes up, or a new update comes in to balance and nerf some aspects of it.

I hope the German tree players are enjoying their hour of glory. It won't be long until another nation comes and takes the crown, because the throne for the best MBT been jumping around a lot.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] 1.87 Follow-up

So recently, I did an overview of the recent War Thunder update 1.87 "Locked On," and I explained about what will be released in the new update. I didn't really explain how these new vehicles and maps changed the game, and this is why I'm here to talk about my personal opinion about 1.87.

1.87 released 7 new tanks, 11 new aircraft, 6 new helicopters, and 2 new maps. Some of the most notable vehicles are ground vehicles. This is primarily because Gaijin has hyped up the advancement of more modern tanks. These new tanks include the:

M1A1 Abrams (US)

courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment

T-80U (USSR)

courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment   

Leopard 2A5 (Germany)

courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment     

Challenger 2 (Britain)

courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment       

One vehicle to note is the 2S6 Tunguska from the Soviet Union. It is widely known that this vehicle can shoot down aircraft very reliably, as it has a fast fire rate (one of the fastest in the game), 8 ATGMs, and a radar that can lock onto targets very easily.

courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment    

We have also got new aircraft, such as the:

Mitsubishi T-2 (japan)

courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment    

Super Mystere B2 (France)

courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment    

As I mentioned in the previous post, I don't have a strong interest in aviation so I cannot tell you about how I think about air gameplay.

The trees have changed, respectively, and a new tier was added. 

Gameplay-wise, I would like to say that the game hasn't changed greatly. I still face the same tanks at top tier (that's because most people are still on the grind), but these new vehicles aren't as big of a game-changer as they seem. The Leopard 2A5 is just a tougher 2A4. It's the same thing for the Challenger. They are just up-armored versions of their previous predecessor. 

The Americans have a better-gunned 120mm gun on the M1A1 Abrams, but the armor is still easy to penetrate (I don't find it amusing that Gaijin hasn't implemented depleted uranium armor yet). 

Economics are yet to change, as Gaijin plans to reduce RP and SL costs for vehicles. The community has been complaining about the high costs and fact that Gaijin has been ignorant recently, but hopefully that will change in the future.

I don't believe that 1.87 is a big game-changer, but it is interesting to see Gaijin introduce some new top tier vehicles. Top tier has been gaining popularity recently, and I find it nice that Gaijin has been keeping up to their standards there. I don't find it great, although, that Gaijin keeps ignoring the lower tier vehicles. A greater majority of players play WWII vehicles, and it's still sorta broken.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] UPDATE 1.87 IS AROUND THE CORNER!

Watch this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSukkCcYnBA

Pretty epic, no? It’s a preview of Gaijin’s new War Thunder 1.87 update.

So there’s been a lot of talk about the new update recently, and by a lot, I mean a lot. People have been asking many questions since rumors were first spread out, and there’s a lot of buzz about how the game will turn out to be once it becomes released.

Here is a highlight of what’ll be added to the update (note that this isn’t the complete list, it’s just what I think will be some really key changes):

M1A1 Abrams

(source: www.militarymachine.com)

The M1A1 Abrams is highly anticipated, as many people are asking for the higher-caliber 120mm smoothbore cannon, which will offer great, if not, the best penetration out of all the other tanks in the game. 

Challenger II

(source: Wikipedia)

The Challenger II is another highly anticipated tank, as many British ground players believe that the British tank tree doesn’t get that much recognition, especially compared to the US and Russian forces.

Leopard 2A5

(source: www.military-today.com)

The Leopard 2A5 is an up-armored version of the 2A4, with added angles and armor to the turret, giving it an incredible amount of protection (which will hopefully be nerfed as it’s subject to having 1000mm-2000mm of kinetic protection). It is actually not confirmed as most of the info came from the dev server, which isn’t the official client that we all know.

Along with these new vehicles, we are also getting a new map, called Alaska, which is a combination of a forest-type environment, with a really city-like urban area. Basically it’s the American Desert map, but without all the sand.

(courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment)

The addition to new vehicles will also introduce Tier VII, which will further stretch out certain battle ratings, like the new M1A1 Abrams and Challenger 2 having a BR of 11.0 or so.

Personally, I’m happy that Gaijin was able to go this far into time, considering that it first started off as a WWII-only game. Now since the latest updates, such as 1.83 and 1.81, we’ve been getting jets, and modern MBTs. I believe, although, that Gaijin should focus on the lower tiers as well, primarily because that the game is sorta broken. Many tanks are either too overpowered or underpowered. 

Air battles are no worse. I have been seeing complaints about air being cancerous, and it’s all due to Gaijin’s ignorance recently with the latest patches and updates. Now, sure, they might be working on a new big update, but is it not harder to slow down and focus more on what the game was originally like?

[pershingoholic]

[WT] MUH ABRUMS REVIEW

This review isn't gonna get any more American than it already is. Today's review is special. It's marking a step, the final step, on the current American tech tree. I'm reviewing muh new tank, the Abruhms.

Like I said, you just can't go more American with the Abrams. It's such a big and powerful vehicle that you feel that you're the king on the battlefield. That's the good thing about the Abrams. You can drive the thing around knowing that you're delivering freedom and liberty to the enemy, with every round that comes out of that 105mm cannon.

The Abrams has been a War Thunder meme since it came out. Some people like to refer to the "Free Abrams" after Gaijin's twitter post about how "if we gave everyone free parts and FPE, we might as well give everyone a free Abrams." Youtubers find the Abrams to be a really fun vehicle to play as well, for example Phlydaily doing numerous videos with the Abrams, praising its mobility and survivability.

One of Phlydaily’s Abrams video thumbnails

To clear things up, it is proven that the Abrams is a well-deserved vehicle after the long American grind. But why though? The M1 Abrams is an American MBT developed in the late 70s as a replacement for the costly MBT-70 and XM-803 projects. The design was based off Chrysler's XM-1, which had won a competition against GM for a replacement for the previous, aging Cold War tanks. The M1 Abrams would start production in 1979, where the first M1 would leave the production line in early 1980. The Abrams would see action in the Gulf War, and was well known for being successful in other campaigns in the Middle East. This makes the Abrams one of the most widely fielded modern-day MBTs in the world, and one of the most iconic American tanks.

M1 Abrams in action

One key feature of the Abrams is the composite armor layers, which help protect the crew and the tank's components. This feature is simulated very well in War Thunder, which I'll explain.

The Abrams has composite armor called Burlington, which was developed in Britain. It consists of different material, including ceramic and uranium, but most info about it is classified and cannot be described. Whatever the armor is made of, though, it is really effective against HEATFS. HEATFS shells will usually just detonate on impact. The only weakness is that it isn't very effective against APFSDS shells. 

Cross-section of Abrams composite armor

On paper, the Abrams has around 31mm of armor, average, which might not look good, but as I was just talking about, it's got loads of composite armor under the cover. The hull has around 380mm of kinetic protection, and 600mm of chemical protection, while the turret has about 400mm of kinetic protection and 650mm of chemical protection. This armor is all in the front and the sides of the turret.

There is an ammo rack placed directly on the rear of the turret, but there is a blow-out cover separating the ammo rack and the crew, meaning that if the tank were to get ammo-racked, you would have a second chance at living since the explosion is contained only in the ammo rack. This truly proves how well engineering has improved over time.

Red spots locating the ammo racks of the Abrams.

Speaking of ammo, the Abrams offers a great selection of different shells, ranging from HESH to APFSDS. The game gives you APFSDS (M735) and HEATFS (M456) for free, and they perform fairly well, but you have the option to research a better APFSDS (M774) shell and a HESH shell.

Quick reference:

APFSDS stands for Armor-Piercing Fin Stablized Discarding Sabot HESH stands for High-Explosive Squash Head HEATFS stands for High-Explosive Anti-Tank Warhead

The free APFSDS (M735) offers 355mm of penetration at 100mm, the HESH (M393) offers 127mm of penetration at 100mm, the HEATFS (M456) offers 400mm of penetration at 100mm, and the researchable APFSDS (M774) offers 355mm of penetration (which is questionable because it actually should perform better than M735).

Another strength is the excellent mobility that the Abrams can offer. The Abrams has a Honeywell AGT-1500 gas-turbine engine, and it can pump out 1500 horses. It's also a very quiet engine, hence why the Abrams was dubbed "Whispering Death," due to its quiet purr compared to a regular diesel engine.

Just because the Abrams has so many good features doesn't mean that it has some bad features either. First off, it IS a big tank, so the best you can do is hope that nobody can see you in the spite of nowhere. I also did find some issues with aiming, as the gunner's sight will throw you off. I ended up shooting rocks that I used for cover on accident, because the gun is stupid far from the sights. I could be doing something wrong, but I found myself missing some shots because of that.0)

Abrams in-game (courtesy of Gaijin)

In terms of play style, I play the Abrams very conservatively. This means that I try not to do anything too risky, and I play the matches slowly. The Russian T-64s and T-80s can find no issue trying to pen your front armor, so if you expose yourself too much, they'll one-shot you, guaranteed. Either way, I can play this as a frontline tank, meaning that I can push, but I would only do so if I had allies on my side. This is because flanks are always seen to be taken, and without careful planning and timing, you might find yourself being encircled by the enemy.

Abrams rending (courtesy of Gaijin)

I can't get enough of the Abrams, although. I've been playing only this tank since I first bought it a day ago, and it's just truly one of the best tanks I've played in War Thunder.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] M4A3E8 “Easy Eight” Review

Good evening everybody, and welcome back to another War Thunder tank review. So if you haven't noticed, I've been bouncing around BRs in the American tech tree, and I've been focusing more on the higher tiers, such as the 7.0s to even the 9.0s. But today I'll be going down a notch.

For today's review, I will be reviewing the M4A3E8 (76) W Sherman. First things first, the M4A3 is an American medium tank given a battle rating of 5.3. It was released a pretty long time ago, around 5 years. This Sherman, although, is different from previous Shermans on the tech tree. For one, it does feature the 76mm gun, the same one from the M4A1 (76) and the M4A2 (76), but the killer feature is the improved mobility. It has wider tracks, and smoother suspension, so firing on the move accurately should be easier.

M4A3E8 in the War Thunder Hangar (courtesy of Reddit)

The M4A3E8 was the final generation of Shermans designed during WWII. It was designed under the E8 program, where new suspension components, such as HVSS, were tried and tested, and larger tracks providing more ground area for better mobility on rough terrain. In the end, the E8 was approved for production in early 1944, and the first M4A3E8s fought around December. The M4A3E8, on paper, was considered to be the best Sherman out of all those that fought in the war.

M4A3E8 in Germany, 1945

In War Thunder, it takes its name very well. Despite the vehicles it faces, it still performs really well. The improved mobility and the upgraded gun can be exploited if the player is smart enough. The M4A3E8 is one of those vehicles where you have to know how to play if you want to perform well in it, primarily because it does have a lot of cons that can trouble the player if they don't know how to use it correctly.

M4A3E8 moving next to a line of refugees in Germany.

The 76mm cannon does really well at its tier, and the shells that are provided can pack a punch. The stock shell, which is APCBC, should do most of the work for you. It comes with HE filler, meaning that it will do post-penetration damage. I'd prefer using that shell, but have some APCR, just in case. APCR has the most penetration out of all the shells, but it doesn't do well against slopes, making penetration less reliable.

M4A3E8 in-game (courtesy of War Thunder Live)

The ammo racks are stored on the bottom of the tank, unlike the 3.3 Shermans, making it less likely for an ammo rack. They carry 71 shells, respectively, and the reload time for the gun is around 7.6 seconds, which isn't too bad, but you should have a decently upgraded crew at this tier.

One of the biggest weak points of the Shermans are their paper-thin armor. And yes, make sure you take this seriously. Many of the guns at 5.3 can penetrate your front with no issue, so it isn't smart to be exposed for long periods of time. The front glacis has around 63.5mm of armor, sloped at 47 degrees, and the turret is the same, but at 62 degrees, making it pretty flat. Your sides are an easy one-shot for enemies, so don't even try risking it.

M4A2E8 (only difference is the engine) featured in the movie Fury

The best way to play the M4A3E8 is to play it with others on your side. It's better off as a support tank, and can be used to assist an offense or even an defense against your enemies. This makes the main rule of playing this tank to never play it alone. Of course, if you're confident enough, you can take risks in it. I usually like to exploit its gun, and the mobility helps provide enough time to find a good flank.

For my final thoughts, I think that the E8 is perfect where it is, despite many people complaining about how badly tiered it is. It's not, it's just that you're playing it incorrectly. Sure you might be going against better armored tanks, but you need to remember that you have a sufficient gun at where you sit, and you won't have to worry about going against Tiger IIs. The E8 is my favorite Sherman out of all of them, and I've had my fair share of good moments with it.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] XM-1 (GM) Review

It’s a 60 dollar tank. Freaking sixty dollars! The question is, is this worth the money?

Happy Sunday, everybody, and it's time for another tank review. So if you have been reading my recent reviews, I have been going over WWII tanks. But today, if you haven't figured yet, this is my first modern tank review. 

The XM-1 was designed back in 1970, after General Motors and Chrysler were given contracts to design a new tank that would go on to replace the expensive XM-803 project. General Motors provided a tank with a 1000-hp diesel engine, and Chrysler provided a gas turbine, which was the base for today's Abrams. It was fast and quiet, and the US Army chose the Chrysler model to continue development towards the Abrams.

General Motors’ XM-1 Prototype

Chrysler’s XM-1 Prototype

To prevent confusion, I'll be reviewing the General Motors variant of the XM-1, because War Thunder only provides the Chrysler model exclusively on Xbox. The XM-1 basically an Abrams at a 9.0 BR. The difference between the production Abrams and the XM-1, though, is the armor. The Abrams features composite armor, which is basically different soft & strong material sandwiched together to reduce damage of the vehicle and crew. It's really effective, and is the reason why the Abrams is still here today.

The M1A1 Abrams (featuring a 120mm smoothbore cannon from Germany).

One thing that'll make you think is the price of the XM-1. It's a premium vehicle that can only be purchased via the Gaijin store, and its price tag reads out $59.99. Yes, indeed, it is a 60-dollar vehicle. But what benefits will it give you? First off, the XM-1 is a premium. All modifications are already pre-researched and bought, so you don't have to spend time grinding for them. A talisman comes with it, meaning that you will gain 100% RP boost when using it. The XM-1 pack also comes with 15 days of a premium account status, and 2000 golden eagles, meaning that you're getting a lot of bang for your buck. I personally think that this is a really good deal, considering that the American tree does take time and effort to grind at a higher tier, so buying this isn't a rip-off. 

But how does the XM-1 perform on the battlefield?

It performs well. It's a beast in-game, and despite the little armor it has, it's fast and really mobile. It's a good trade-off, you get less armor for more mobility, there's nothing wrong with that.

The XM-1 comes with a 105mm gun, capable of one-shotting many tanks at its tier. It also comes with a variety of different shell types, ranging from APFSDS to HEAT. The drawback is that these shells cost lions to use (except the default shell, but nobody uses that). The best option is to go with the APFSDS shell, primarily because it's only 260 lions, and it still performs well. That's the shell you should bring out with you on the battlefield. I carry 5 HEAT shells to only use in extreme emergencies, but it costs 1000 lions to use, making it a really expensive shell unless you have lions to throw away.

Defending yourself will be a challenge, as you already know that the XM-1 has very little armor. It does have spaced armor, but many shells can still rip through it, so don't rely on it completely. It is also good to note that even though your turret is well angled, HEAT shells don't have a problem penetrating it. In a situation where you do find yourself being shot at, it is smarter to show your front, but it would be stupid to have yourself exposed most of the time, assuming that you can absorb shots. You can't, and that's what you should remember.

War Thunder’s XM-1 Render (courtesy of Gaijin Entertainment)

This is where the XM-1's amazing speed comes into play. It can go up to 50 mph on road, and 40 mph off-road, and the acceleration time is phenomenal. This means that you can take advantage of it, getting out of trouble faster than you got into it. Turret rotation speed is also impressive, 40 degrees per second, making it one of the fastest turrets in the game. The gun comes with a stablilizer, so taking shots on the move will be less of a pain. I wouldn't recommend doing so, but it does increase accuracy. The XM-1 also comes with a laser rangefinder, so rangefinding is really fast, especially with an experienced crew.

Reload time is good, where it sits at 6.8 seconds, or around that time, meaning that you might have chances of getting a second shot before an enemy tank can repair or rotate their crew.

XM-1 on top, M1 Abrams on bottom (courtesy of Gaijin)

I'm very addicted to this vehicle. It helps ease the US tree grind, and to also note, the repair cost is only 2k lions, meaning that even if you find yourself dying in it all the time, you don't lose as much as you would grinding in a regular tech tree vehicle. Premium vehicles tend to be cheaper and more economic, so don't be surprised about this one.

I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy playing the XM-1 if you had the money to (remember, it's 60 bucks), as it's a really fun vehicle in AB and RB alike, and its negatives tend to even out with the positives. So does it mean that it's worth buying?

In my opinion, yes. But I'd prefer being more experienced at the game first.

[pershingoholic]

[WT] Panzer IV F2/G/H Review (Pz. IV Review Part Two)

Welcome back to another War Thunder tank review, and today we're gonna go review something off the German line. I'm gonna be continuing my review on the Panzer IV series, as last year I did a review of the Pz. IV C/E/F1, which are all Tier I-II vehicles, but this time I will be talking about the later F2/G/H models.

As I was talking about before, the Panzer IV was one of Germany's early-war tanks, as they were utilized in the blitzkriegs over Europe. They were really good at doing their jobs, which was to support the Panzer III tanks as they did more of the fighting. But as the war progessed, tanks got better really quickly. The Americans had come up with their M4 Sherman, the British with their Churchills, and even the French, which I can't think of right now. 

This made the Germans take action. They came out with new vehicles, such as the Tiger and the Panther, but most importantly, an upgraded gun for the Panzer IVs. Instead of the short and stubby gun that the early variants had, it was given a longer-barrelled 75mm gun that could pack some damage. This upgrade was also the reason why I had to split the Panzer IV's review in two parts. The C/E/F1 play differently in comparison to the later F2/G/H, which feature the longer 75mm gun.

Panzer IV C with the shorter barrel

Panzer IV F2 with the longer barrel

The only differences between the F2/G/H are the added armor (the H includes schurzen, which is made to stop HEAT from doing major damage to the vehicle). The F2 has 50mm of frontal armor, the G has 80mm, and it's the same for the H. This armor profile isn't very ideal for many tanks at its tier, as you'll be facing vehicles such as the Russian KV-1, which can easily penetrate your front. Even a simple angle won't completely help as your sides are only 30mm (all variants). This means that you will have to play it very conservatively, as your survivability is low if you play too aggressive.

Don't let the armor fool you, though. The Panzer IV is really mobile, and it still lives up to its fast speed even at the later variants. The Panzer IV can be utilized as a sniper and a brawler, at best though a medium-range sniper. There are some tanks that you should watch out for, such as the KV-1 and the M6, but with careful aim, you can kill them easily. In urban maps, the Panzer IV performs well, as its mobility is the key to getting kills.

Panzer IV H with the sideskirt Schurzen, made to reduce HEAT damage

I mentioned that you shouldn't ever have your side faced towards the enemy, and here's why. There are ammo racks on each side of the vehicle, so it's easy for someone to get a one-shot kill on you if you aren't careful enough. The crew is layed out very well, with the driver and the radio operator towards the front, respectively, the gunner to the left of the gun and the loader to the right. The commander is right behind the gun. Crew rotation is adequate, but many tanks at this tier may have a faster reload time to get a second shot before your crew completely rotates.

The Panzer IV F2/G/H also get a great selection of shells, ranging from the PzGr 39, which is an APHE shell, to the HI.Gr.38B, a HEAT shell. I'd recommend using the default APHE shell (PzGr39), as that shell is great on its own, which is why the Panzer IV's gun is infamous for its destruction. It's the workhorse for the tank, meaning it can carry one-shot kills.

Panzer IVs in service

The repair costs are great, ranging from 1,800 to 2,000 silver lions, which isn't bad, but that means that you should watch out how many times you get killed in it. It's a very economical vehicle for if you are in need of SL, and I wouldn't find issues getting poor if you play this vehicle well.

This completes my Panzer IV review for War Thunder, and I really love the tank as it lives up to its name. It's a really effective tank on the battlefield, as its got really good mobility, a great gun with a one-shot shell, overall making this one of my favorite War Thunder tanks.

[pershingoholic]

[2/3] M46 Patton Review

Welcome back to another War Thunder tank review, and for this week I'll be reviewing the M46 Patton. The M46 Patton is an American 7.0 battle rating medium tank, which can be researched after the M26 Pershing.

At first sight, the M46 may seem very similar in looks to the Pershing, and you'd be right. There would be some differences in looks, such as the gun barrel, and bigger optics, but other than that, the big differences would be seen on paper. The engine is much stronger, offering more mobility on rough terrain, and to also mention, there are more ammo types that you can use in comparison to the Pershing.

The Patton came into service during the Korean War. There was a dire need for a better tank than the Pershing, because the pershing was given a medium tank designation after WWII, and the less powerful engine and unreliable transmission it had proved that it was unsatisfactory for that role. During the new vehicle's development, a better power plant was installed, and some more upgrades were given to it. In fact, it was even felt that the modifications were a completely new design that they decided to give it a new name. This is where it was called the M46 "Patton," named after General George S. Patton.

M46s only saw service during the Korean War. By 1951, all Pershings and Shermans were replaced by the Pattons, and when the armistice was signed, the Pattons were withdrawn. The M46 would soon be replaced by the M47 Patton, and the M46s in storage were sent to European countries as training vehicles.

M46 Patton in Korea. 

M46 “Tiger,” which can be bought as a premium vehicle.

The M46 Patton is great where it sits. It doesn't need to be increased in BR, primarily because most of the tanks it faces are already advanced enough for it. The reason why it was given the 7.0 battle rating was because of the shells it can handle. Compared to the Pershing, the M46 gets two more shells, and one of them being the game changer. It gets HEATFS, or HEAT fin stabilized. Many tanks at this tier can get one-shot killed with this shell, as it can pen reliably and offer great post-penetration damage.

The tank has the same armor profile as the Pershing, although, as the front hull plate is the same (101mm of armor). The sides are the same as well. This is something that you will need to bear in mind, that there's a great risk of penetration at any angle due to the fact that it faces more advanced tanks at its tier.  

The M46 “Tiger” in game.

It also plays the same way as the Pershing, as it's very mobile and fast. This means that you should play as a support tank, not a tank that can you should push with (unless the enemy is bogged down enough). The reloading rate for the Patton is rather decent, at around 9 seconds with a maxed crew, meaning that you may have a chance to take a second shot if your tank is disabled. Other than that, you can be a really destructive tank, as the gun is slightly improved and now you are given the chance to use HEATFS. But don't make it a habit to be going around and assuming that you are indestructible. Most of the vehicles appearing at this tier should be the IS-3, Tiger II, T30 & T32, and the Maus. This means that you should cooperate with your team and work with them to take out these heavy vehicles, as the M46 is not great taking damage itself. 

Either way, I love the Patton for what it is designed to do. I play it like my Pershing, which means that I play it carefully. It's also good to note that repair costs are expensive at the high tiers, so it's good to use your tank conservatively. 

So, does this mean that the Patton is worth grinding?

Yes. If you've played the Pershing enough, you'll find this vehicle to be about the same, but upgraded for its tier. And that's what the Patton was made for. It was made to be a better Pershing.

[pershingoholic]

T26E1-1 “Super Pershing” Review

The T26E1-1, otherwise known as the Super Pershing, is one hell of a tank. It’s a good medium-tier vehicle that offers great firepower at a cost.

Welcome back to another War Thunder tank review, where I talk about specific War Thunder vehicles and explain the best way to play them. I only review tanks I have bought, tested and tried, so I am a very good source as to knowing how gameplay works.

A few months ago, I reviewed the T26E3 (M26) Pershing, which is a 6.3 Tier IV American medium tank. It featured a 90mm gun that is sure to give a lot of damage, with decent armor and great mobility. But as you can already see from the title, this is a review for its much stronger brother, the Super Pershing.

Let me get you guys up to speed about this tank. The Super Pershing was sent to Europe and arrived in early 1945. It was given to the 3rd Armored Division, and was given extra armor to try to counter the heavy German tanks.

Super Pershing without the extra “ears” (T26E4)

The T15E1 gun was a given promise to its only crew (there was only one made) as it could penetrate the front of a Panther, which was rare for a US vehicle. About three tanks were destroyed with the Super Pershing, and another captured. Unfortunately, the Super Pershing had never seen a Tiger II during its time, primarily because of the Tiger II’s low numbers in production.

In War Thunder, you can play the the Super Pershing as a 6.3 vehicle. At first sight, you can see that its gun differs from the regular Pershing. The barrel is ridiculously long. It’s one of the longest guns in the game. It’s a longer variant of the regular 90mm gun, the M3. This gun downright has very good penetration, with an AP shell it can penetrate around 260mm of armor.

Holy crap.

At 6.3, this gun should be able to penetrate most tanks at its tier. There are some certain exceptions, although, obviously firing at the the Tiger IIs and the Jagdtiger frontally isn’t the best choice, but many tanks that you’ll face shouldn’t be hard for the Super Pershing to kill. Its APHE shell is also a good one-hit shell, so it’s recommended that you use it most of the time. You should also carry APCR, just in case, but for most of the time you’ll find that APHE does the job.

You might also notice that the Super Pershing has a ton of armor stacked on the front and on the turret. The Super Pershing was basically the first (and only) Pershing with given modifications historically, which was to give it more armor and a better gun. Don’t get fooled by the extra armor plates, though. They are not reinforced steel armor plates, like the actual hull armor, but instead, structural steel. Most tanks at this tier can penetrate through that armor, so don’t think that you’re indestructible.

Super Pershing’s long T15E1 cannon

But don’t be afraid to go out and fight, the Super Pershing is very destructive and if played well, can even change the game.

The Super Pershing is basically the same as the Pershing in terms of the chassis and body, meaning that the side armor is an easy shot, but even worse, the engine and transmission stay the same. The regular Pershing already suffers going up slopes, but with a heavier gun and stacked-up armor, the Super Pershing is even worse. You’re not gonna be as mobile, so that’s why it’s better to play it as a heavy. It’s also important to notice that your reloading rate is very slow, so you must always find cover after taking a shot to prevent you from getting killed fast. This is why it’s better to play this tank as a sniper, rather than a brawling tank. The reload is just too bad to have it being used in serious situations.

I’d recommend that you try staying very cautious and to always be aware of your flanks, as your mobility is a drag. Always be conservative with this vehicle as well, as the repair costs are pretty expensive as well (up to 8,000 SL). Grinding with the vehicle requires patience and skill, as many players don’t find this vehicle specifically to be very economical nor good. Personally, I believe that the Super Pershing has great potential, and with a better gun it does even out with its very bad mobility.

Thanks for reading my review of the T26E1-1 Super Pershing, and I hope to see you again in next week’s War Thunder tank review!

[pershingoholic]

T34 Heavy Review

Welcome back everybody to Girls und Thunder, and I'm gonna start off 2019 with another tank review! As usual, I've been working on the American tree, and I've been progressing very, very far. I just reached the V tier, and now my highest BR is 7.0. 

I'd like to say that the 7.0 BR is filled with more advanced tanks, and sometimes you'll be even going against HEAT-FS, which is a fin-stabilized HEAT shell (high-explosive anti-tank warhead). Most tanks in the V tier will struggle against HEAT-FS, but luckily Gaijin has tried to work around this by adding a high cost per round (I'd say around -1k silver lions, which is a lot).

For today's review, although, I'm not gonna be reviewing a 7.0 tank, but a 6.7 tank. They're fairly at the same BR, but sometimes the 7.0s will be going against 8.0s if you're unlucky (in which it did once as I went against a Maus.)

If you haven't seen the title already, it's plain obvious that I'm reviewing the T34 Heavy. This is the American T34, not the Soviet T34. 

First off, the first thing that you'll probably already know from seeing this vehicle is its heavy armor profile. The turret is very well protected at its BR, providing around 250mm of armor (I believe). The upper hull, although, is a bit thinner, but its angled very decently, providing around around 140mm of effective armour. The lower hull, although, is a very weak point from the front, meaning that anyone with APHE can rip through it at a close distance and hit your bottom ammo racks. It is not worth showing your side armor, as it is as weak as a Sherman's side armour. Many players will try their best flanking you and using your mediocre speed as an advantage to let them get a good side shot on you. The engine performs very well for a heavy tank, producing around 1046 hp at 2800 rpm, and the reverse speed is also decent, allowing you to retreat when reloading. This is one thing that you will have to take into key when playing American heavies, is that your reload speed is gonna drag you down a bit. You have at least 15 seconds before you can take your next shot. This means that you will most likely play the T34 very conservatively, and you will have to pick and choose targets.

The high-power 120mm gun is really destructive although, but many players will find themselves disappointed as it is only supplied with APCBC. Now usually AP-only vehicles will make you upset, but this AP shell is a whole new story. Gaijin has buffed the AP, giving it way more fragmentation, similar to what an APHE would do. This is saying a lot, considering that many heavy tanks would have some sort of HE filler. Most tanks you go against, therefore, can be one-shot kills, and if you don't get them from the first shot, then it's most likely that you will get them the second shot.

Playing the T34, its something to know that you are a big target. People will try to do everything in their power to kill you, so you must be very aware and be very watchful for your flanks, because playing the T34 can change the tide on battles. Also, please note that bombers will most likely go for you, especially when you are at the front lines, so bear that in mind. 

In total, the T34 is really a well-deserved tank, one of the first true American heavies in its tech tree (primarily because it is actually not a Sherman or a Pershing stocked up with extra armor). It's also comparable to its brother, the T29, which is a premium stocked with APHE, but I don't have that vehicle, so it's gonna be a while before I get any golden eagles.

[pershingoholic]

[12/16] Panzer Kpfw. IV (C/E/F1) Review

Alright, so I said that last week's post was gonna be my last War Thunder tank review...so basically I was wrong.

Today's gonna be my last War Thunder tank review for 2018, so hopefully I get the chance to do it in the next year. To finish off the year, I'll be reviewing a tank that I totally forgot to review, and it's the Panzer IV. 

Pz. IV H featured in the anime Girls und Panzer (heh guess where we got the name of our blog from...)

Now there are many variants of the Pz. IV in War Thunder, so I'm gonna be overviewing the lower-tiered variants, so this includes the Pz. IV C/E/F1 (unfortunately they don't have the D, which upsets me.) These three all play very similar, so that's why I'm gonna stick to the lower tier variants. The higher-tier variants (F2, G, H, J) play differently, so I will refrain from using those variants in today's review.

Panzer IV A, note the stubby 75mm gun...

...compared to the Panzer IV H, with a longer 75mm and the added schurzen

The Pz. IV C/E/F1 are Rank I-II German medium tanks that have battle ratings from 1.3 to 2.3. This means that it will face enemies such as the M3 Stuart, Valentine, and BT-7 (varies from arcade and realistic.) The Pz. IV idea began by Heinz Guderian, who wanted a support tank that could handle anti-tank guns at the time. Note that the Pz. IV was an early war tank, so it was advanced for its timeframe. Three companies were given the task of designing it, and Krupp's model was selected. It was designed as a support tank, equipped with a 75 mm howitzer gun. 

Panzer IV D in spring of 1940

The Panzers had been given crews of five to maximize the crew efficiency, unlike many French tanks, which were given only two crew members. The driver only had one job, and it was to drive. The commander, on the other hand, had to communicate, tell the driver where to go, and to shoot the gun. At its tier, the Panzer IV does great in War Thunder. Its 75mm KwK 37 can one-shot many tanks it faces, and its mobility is a great plus as well. For a medium tank, it fares well in what it does, but it's not the most invincible tank on the road. 

The armor is decent, and it can stop some guns, but its flat 30mm frontal armor can be a one-shot target for some vehicles. The side armor isn't much of an improvement either, so players should avoid showing their sides much. The ammo racks are right smack on the side, so HEAT shells can find an easy spot to aim if they are smart.

Panzer IV ammo racks (note how close it is to the side)                                            courtesy of the War Thunder Wiki

The gun has low penetration, although, but that should not bring you down. Remember that you are playing at a BR of 1.3-2.3, so you can pen most tanks with the normal AP shells. The reload rate is also very fast, so situations where you need to fire fast are not much of an issue. 

This all means that the Pz. IV is better off flanking, primarily because of its mobility, but also because the armor does not do well against frontal fire. Players using this vehicle will still find fun in it anyways, as researching further will give you better variants of the tank, such as the F2 (longer barrelled 75mm), and even the H (the variant with schurzen, the extra side armor.)  

[pershingoholic]

[12/9] M10 GMC Review

Happy Sunday everyone, and I hope you're having a good day. Today's gonna be one of my last reviews, at least for now. I'm currently busy on a grind for some more tier IV US tanks, and it gets more and more expensive as I advance. I just researched the Super Pershing, and it alone costs 260,000 SL, which is pretty hard to gain at my tier, considering you're facing Tiger IIs 90% of the time.

Realistic is okay, it's just that you have to be more aware of your surroundings, because it's either YOU have the first shot advantage, or you're dead. Arcade is a nightmare, although being able to have the game spot enemies for you is sorta helpful.

Anyways, my intentions for today was a tank review, and I'm gonna be doing a review on the M10 GMC. The M10 GMC is a really great tank for its tier, if you play it correctly, meaning that it can deal a great amount of damage if the player manages to hide himself.

The M10 GMC was an American tank destroyer, which was based off the M4 chassis, but a custom hull was made for it, giving it more sloped armor than the M4 itself. The drivetrain is very similar, featuring the frontal transmission and rear engine.

M10 GMC Tank Destroyer

M4 Sherman to compare chassis (look at the wheels and tracks, they’re the same)

It also features a 3-inch (76mm) cannon that can be found on the 76 Shermans in the later tiers. At 3.7, although, it can be really destructive. Anything it sees can be destroyed (except for the KV-1, but that's just Russian Bias.) APCBC ammo (which I believe has to be researched) can penetrate any tank on the field, even from long range.

M10 has very decent armor, but it is angled, giving you a higher chance of survival when you angle your vehicle correctly. One of it's strongest weaknesses is right in the turret, although. The turret traverse is one of the slowest in the game (4.0s per degree), giving you a lesser advantage when in the heat of battle. However, learning how to turn the whole vehicle instead will help, as the M10 is actually pretty mobile and will help when in trouble.

The tank is better off sniping, although, as you can tell from the very low traverse speed. It is not made for front-line battles, unless you are very skilled at hiding and maneuvering your vehicle. Also, it is very important to note that the M10 shares the same chassis as the M4 Sherman, meaning that you will reverse very, very slow.

The Ersatz M10 Panther, the German M10 decoy

The M10 was one of my favorite vehicles, primarily because it really is a great tank at its tier, and helped me with the grind for the Shermans a little while back. As I mentioned before, it can be a pretty destructive tank if played correctly.