STB-1 THE JAPANESE SAMURAI

 

The STB-1 is the Japanese medium tier X tank. It’s released in patch 8.10, the only top tier on the Japanese line (until I make this review, at least). This review will bring you information about this Samurai warrior.

 

History

In the early 1960s, Mitsubishi started development of a new tank that complied with government requirements for armament and defense. The first two prototypes of the STB-1 were manufactured in September 1969 for trials. In 1970 the prototypes were shown to journalists and participated in a military parade.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• -          Great firepower (high DPM and good alpha)
• -          Good gun depression (tied with fv4202)
• -          Very high shell velocity – excellent at long range shots
• -          Semi-sturdy turret that pulls off some amazing bounces (and receives some amazing penetrations...)
• -          Enough speed and mobility
• -          View range among the best in game
• -          Fashionable design
• -          Low chance of fire

Cons

• -          Shitty soft stats
• -          Ammo rack in the front of the hull
• -          Crap accuracy for an L7 gun

 

Play style

• -          The STB-1 is very damn flexible in its role.
• -          Its view range (combined with optics if you can stand the aim time) and camo give it some scouting capabilities, but its top speed and kind of long size prevent it from being too good at it. Its gun depression and rate of fire lets it do a great job hull down, but its unreliable turret and lacking accuracy keep it in check from being indestructible when behind a hill.
• -          Overall, it's a beefed-up STA-1. You snipe at around 300-380m, go hull down to abuse your gun depression and small profile, and relocate when your position becomes jinxed.
• -          The gun depression, enjoyable camouflage and speed, with lovable rate of fire combine all into a good package of a tank that's good, fun to play, and won't usually be caught in a bad situation because it almost always has an option, be it to scout, go hull down, flank, or just support.
• -          Overall I'd rate the tank 8/10. Very fun to play, very good at its role, few drawbacks with very good strengths that are easy to abuse.

 

Equipment & Consumables (Recommend)

• ·         Medium-Caliber Tank Gun Rammer
• ·         Vertical Stabilizer Mk 1
• ·         Improved Ventilation

 

The STB has some major strengths.  Its firepower is above and beyond what any medium has put out since the days of the pre nerf Patton.  Its ability to hit hard, provide good DPM at any range or under any conditions is quite good.  The fact that its a good spotter and can bounce shots makes it even better – the best medium support fire tank in the game at any tier.  That said, its not perfect – its poor speed make it a middling scout and hurt its flexibility.  And as support fire is a very crowded niche (filled with monstrous apex predators like the waffle), the STB looks less great than it could be.
Its a very good tank, among the best mediums in the game.  It should be a high performer among damage whores and a solid pubstar tank.  But I believe its more specialized brothers like the batchat or T-62A are superior in their role, and thus, are superior tanks despite the debatably higher individual performance of the STB.