[WoT Awesome Replays] T-62A with 12k damage

RNG: No Comments Ep. 26

New Ranzar Video

[WoT Awesome Replays] Against all odds (Tiger II with 5k dmg)

US Server Invite Code

Source: For The Record

Game portal MMORPG.com is giving out invite codes for US server only. This invite code contains:

- T2 Light Tank
- 3 days of premium
- 500 gold

You can get your here:

http://www.mmorpg.com/giveaways.cfm/offer/519/World-of-Tanks-Gift-Key-Giveaway.html

New Ranzar “SerB” Video

[Strippers Series] Object 263

Source: http://wotguru.com/weak-spot-guide-object-263/

The tier 10 Russian tank destroyer Object 263 has an impressive armor scheme but the “all or nothing” system it incorporates can make facing one either very frustrating or a breeze(same with driving one).  The reason I refer to the Object 263′s armor scheme as “all or nothing” is because it has a massive amount of armor covering a lot of the frontal armor where it matters but on other parts of the tank it ditches any resemblance of armor.  This helps to keep the armor where it matters most and although it makes the Object 263 vulnerable to damage elsewhere it allows it to have the great mobility it has.  Below are a few views of the Object 263 that break it down into specific areas with effective armor values.  Effective armor values are the numbers that apply to HEAT and HE shells(before normalization).  To find AP/APCR values you can use the post below to plug in the numbers into the equation.

Frontal View

Frontally the Object 263 has very intimidating armor in the grand scheme of things.  The upper frontal glacis(UFG) and most of the superstructure(Areas #1-#4) are primarily immune to most shells that are coming towards the Object 263.  However, the lower frontal glacis(LFG) is very weak as well as the small strips surrounding the gun mantlet.  The flat piece below the gun is also 250mm thick but due to it not being angled can be penetrated by most tier 10 tanks if you are caught in a pinch.

Side View

Here is where the “all or nothing” armor scheme turns into being a negative for an Object 263 driver as you can see with all of the green areas.  The strips of red are the thick frontal armor plates being taken into account for on the side armor which isn’t done on all tanks.  There is also a thin strip of angled armor(LSH #4) that is small but tough so make sure to aim higher on the side to avoid hitting that or simply hitting tracks.

Rear View

Nothing special to see here on the rear of the Object 263 since it’s armor is weak all over.  If you are firing down into the Object 263 into the open compartment make sure not to hit the gun and/or thick frontal armor since it can sometimes give some very weird penetration numbers/zero damage hits.

PROScout Tutorials: Anti-Scouting

Source: http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/361565-proscout-tutorials-anti-scouting/

Anti-Scouting is exactly what it sounds like; your job is to find enemy Scouts and destroy them.    The team that eliminates enemy Scouts while keeping theirs alive has a huge advantage for the remainder of the battle. Because of this, if the enemy has any Scouts alive, you should ALWAYS be Anti-Scouting as either a primary or secondary role. While your main purpose in Anti-Scouting is to take away the enemy’s eyes, you sometimes also Anti-Scout simply as a means of vision control or to deprive the enemy a path to your back lines.

If you see an enemy Scout breaking for your rear lines, GO GET HIM!  Do not rely on your teammates to react - they can prove amazingly obtuse to what is transpiring on the battlefield.  So don't hesitate to respond.  Even if the Scout is on the opposite side of the map, start to intercept him.  If you see your team react, then you can break off your pursuit.  But until you see an adequate reaction from your team, assume you are the only person who will go get the guy. 

As with Spotting, you can approach Anti-Scouting either passively or actively. No matter whether you set up passively or actively, the 3 steps of Anti-Scouting are the same: Locate, Intercept, and Eliminate.

LOCATE:

The means of locating him vary depending on how you decide to Anti-Scout but until you figure out where the sumbitch is, you can’t take him out.   Many times you will spot the Scout yourself but, just as often, your first glimpse of him will come via the mini-map.

INTERCEPT:

Once you spot the Scout, your goal becomes to position yourself in a place which lets you inflict damage on him.  If you have Arty, you may need to position yourself where you can ram him to stop his forward progress before he lights your Arty up.  If you don’t have Arty, simply getting to a position from which you can Snipe may be adequate.  Just remember, if he is moving and you go to where he is now, he won’t be there when you arrive. Plot a course that will intercept him along the route he is taking.

ELIMINATE: (destroy)

Ahh…the fun part.   Hiding and getting free damage is always a great idea.  However, if you are protecting Arty, you may need to move in and ram him to keep him from infiltrating so far he lights them up.  Ram him to arrest his forward progress then take him out.  If no Arty is involved, only ram him if you need the emergency damage to save your own life or the life a of an ally.  Ramming costs you Hit Points; Hit Points which may be critical later in the game- spend them with care.

PASSIVE ANTI-SCOUTING

In Passive Anti-Scouting you set up in a bush which provides overwatch along a known Scout infiltration route then you wait for an enemy Scout to come barreling down the route.  Unless the spot doubles as a good Passive Spotting bush don’t do this unless you have Arty to protect.   If the enemy Scouts are spotted in places where it is obvious they will not use the route you are watching and you aren’t getting any other spots, go do something else.

PROS:

You frequently get the first shot and good position on the enemy Scout, a huge advantage in a 1 on 1 fight.

Almost always guarantees you will fight their Scout with help nearby for you and none nearby for him.  Those are the kinds of odds you want!

Many times your team will kill the Scout before you have to fire, allowing you to eliminate the enemy’s eye without ever being seen.  

CONS:

 If the enemy Scout never invades and you aren’t in a good passive spotting bush, you end up wasting lots of time.

Less perceptive team mates may shoot or TK you for “not scouting”.

If you guess wrong, the enemy Scout may go down a different route and still get to your Arty.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS:

Turn your scout around so it is facing the direction you will most likely pull out in to begin your interception or pursuit.

Tell your team what you plan to do during the countdown timer.    Don’t wait until some goofball on your team shoots you to attempt to explain why you are where you are.

The moment you see the enemy Scouts in other areas of the map doing other things, switch roles.   Don’t waste time waiting on an enemy which isn’t headed for your trap.

ROLE COMBOS: 

On many maps, Passive Anti-Scouting can combine with Passive Spotting.

ACTIVE ANTI-SCOUTING

Active Anti-Scouting is much more fluid and dynamic.  You are constantly moving around your half of the map until an enemy Scout is spotted then you zoom in and kill him.  

While your goal is to eliminate enemy Scouts, it is also to deny them spots on your team.  Frequently shadowing or mirroring a Scout will do this.  Shadowing is simply copying their movements on your side of the map.  If you move laterally with them, you prevent them from popping too far over mid-field and getting good spots because the moment they attempt to spot, they are seen and open to fire.  You can also time their movements to give you chances to fire at them.

PROS:

Staying at full speed allows you to quickly react to any situation on the battlefield.

Allows you to Anti-Scout and spot at the same time.

Allows you to bait enemy Scouts and pull them into a field of fire.

CONS:

Your location is frequently known to the enemy.

Much more risky than Passive Anti-Scouting if you do not have Sixth Sense.

Initial shots are low percentage on-the-move shots.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS:

If the enemy Scout is shadowing you, he probably knows what he is doing - treat him with respect.

Be wary of chasing Scouts onto their side of the map.  They are probably trying to bait you just as you are trying to bait them.  “Welcome to my web said the spider to the fly.”  Be the spider – not the fly.

ROLE COMBOS:

Active Anti-Scouting combines perfectly with Half Court Spotting

GENERAL RULES FOR ANTI-SCOUTING

Unless you have Arty, and usually even just 1 Arty isn't enough, you should not set up in an Anti-Scout passive bush that doesn't double as a Passive Spotting location.   You will help your team spotting enemy tanks.

Remember, as long as the enemy has Scouts alive, if you are doing something else, your secondary role should be Anti-Scouting.  Not many or none of your team mates will have the speed needed to intercept an enemy Scout if he makes a break through your lines.

Be alert to your team taking damage from invisible tanks.  This means their Scout is getting spots.  Use your knowledge of the maps to determine where he is and try to expose him and/or call for fire into his hiding spot before your team gets too far behind.  It is sometimes worth dying to expose a Scout who is lighting up your team.

HAPPY HUNTING!

Soviet premium “light T-54″

Source: 
VK Wotleaks community
For The Record

This is the upcoming tier 8 Soviet premium medium tank, the “light T-54″. Right now it’s being supertested on the test. Compared to regular T-54, it has lighter armor. Currently, its ETA is unknown (possibly 9.3). The description says:

“A project of the lighter variant of the T-54 medium tank. The work on this vehicle began in May 1949. It was proposed that this vehicle, thanks to its increased terrain passability, could be used for tasks, in which the use of the regular serial T-54 tanks was not practical. While the project was being developed, the T-54 Model 1949 was finished and mass-produced and there was no more need for the lighter medium tank.”

Statistics:

Gun: D-10T
Penetration: 175
Damage: 250
Reloadtime: 8,24s (this is most likely with 100 percent crew and such)
Aim time: 2,7s
Accuracy: 0,4
Gun depression: -5 deg

Weight: 30,79 tons
Engine power: 520hp
Power-to-weight: 16,89
Hull traverse rate: 44 deg/s
Ground resistance: 0,959/1,151/1,918

Viewrange: 385m
Radio range: 800m
Battletiers: 8,9,10 (regular tier 8 medium MM)
Hitpoints: 1300

New Ranzar Video

9.1 TD Shooting Camo Nerf in Numbers

Source: For The Record

Soviets




Germans



Everyone else

[WoT Awesome Replays] Last Line of Defense (T110E3 with 9,6k dmg)

9.1 Update Review

"Girls und Panzer" Voice Pack No. 3 - Saori Takebe

Source: SEA Forum

"World of Tanks" Meets "Girls und Panzer" Voice Pack Part 3 is released!

The third Voice Pack will feature Anglerfish Team's Radio Operator and love specialist, Saori Takebe!

By installing this Voice Pack, the crew voices during your World of Tanks battles will be changed to Saori's voice.

The new character voice for this Voice Pack are all newly recorded and exclusive to this Voice Pack. Also, the Voice Pack is free for everyone to use, so everyone can enjoy Sensha-do with Saori.

Attached Files

Download 

First Football Mode Footage

PROScout Tutorials: Peek-a-View and Proxy Spotting

Source: http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/359677-proscout-tutorials-peek-a-view-and-proxy-spotting/

PEEK-A-VIEW

Many of you are familiar with the Peek-a-Boo /Peek-a-Boom style of fighting.   Peek-a-View spotting is the same concept, but with spots as the goal instead of damage.  The Scout hides behind a building, rock, terrain change, etc then pops out just far enough to get spots before quickly retreating back behind his cover.

Obviously, this is highly risky.  You are essentially playing a game of Whack-a-Mole with only 1 hole - and YOU are the mole.  Despite the risk, Peek-a-View is an outstanding tool to have in your bag of tricks.

Think Malinovka and the passage by the water’s edge along the north edge of the central pond/swamp.  The ramp at either end of that path is perfect for Peek-a-View spotting.  You pop up, get spots and immediately retreat a bit back down the ramp, becoming immune to enemy fire.   As soon as the spots disappear, you do it again. 

The same technique is useful on maps and in battles across the spectrum of WOT.  All you need is a terrain feature to provide cover, tanks to spot, and the skill and willingness to take a risk for your team.

PROS:

Provides spots in areas where Passive and Active spotting may not work.

Usable anywhere you have something to provide cover.

Creates a huge distraction for the enemy team.

CONS:

Vulnerable to enemy fire when you pop up; they know where you are after the first time you do it.

Often results in you getting “stuck” behind you cover until enemy spots are killed. 

Frequently vulnerable to enemy flanking movements.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS:

Use this style of spotting only when Passive or Active won’t work.

If possible, pop out of cover at different spots.  Peek around the left side of the rock, then the right but don’t be predictable!  Vary your timing, as well.

Only pull out far enough to get spots unless you are certain the enemy tanks are not aimed in at you.   Most of the time, you are more valuable as a spotter than as a sniper.

Before you pop out the first time, it helps to tell your team, especially if you have Arty, to aim in on the location you are about to see tanks.

ROLE COMBOS:

Can sometimes be combined with Sniping.

PROXY

When tanks move to a distance 49m or less apart from each other, they automatically light each other up.  This is called Proximity spotting., or Proxy spotting, for short.    It doesn’t matter if rocks, buildings, whatever is in between them.  Line of Sight is not required.

Scouts can take great advantage of this. 

On maps such as Karelia Assault, the defending team often sends a tank to the base of the balcony on top the donut to light up snipers.   Teams in Sand River Assault often do the same thing.  Sometimes the most effective way to expose tanks in the Murovanka’s Magic Forest is to simply run down the medial outside of the Forest, proxy spotting hidden tanks as you go.

If you think about it, Proxy spotting can be used literally anywhere there are enemy tanks.  As battles progress, an alert Scout can frequently find times where he can sneak up to a rock or building and expose an enemy tank he knows is hiding on the opposite side.

PROS:

Can expose enemy tanks in situations where Line of Sight spotting is unattainable.

Can completely neutralize an enemy tank.

Usable on every map.

CONS: 

By default, you are always lit up when you Proxy.

Susceptible to Arty, flankers, and snipers since they know where you are.

Vulnerabilities limit its use.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS:

Because you are exposed when you Proxy, you must have a great handle on where enemy tanks are before you attempt it.

Pay close attention to the mini-map so you can egress before enemy flankers and/or snipers move into position to attack you.

If needed and possible, playing ring-around-the-rosie with the enemy vehicle can keep you alive long enough for your team to eliminate the tank you are spotting.

If your team has no one able to shoot your spot, you may end up accomplishing nothing but trapping yourself in an untenable position.  Don’t proxy unless you have support available!

ROLE COMBOS:

Because Proxy spotting puts you in a vulnerable position dependent on your team’s support, it is difficult to combine with other Scout roles.

So there you have it – the 4 basic methods of spotting:  Passive, Active, Peek-a-View and Proxy.  Learn them all; you could very well employ every one of them during the course of a single battle! 

Now, I know some of you are thinking, “Taz, you left out what equipment and skills are good for each type of spotting – wut’s up with that?”  (changed my mind)  I don't include them here because what equipment and skills to use involve consideration of much more than spotting style you will use.  The SCOUT series will take an in depth look at equipment and skills later on in the series.

Next up:  Anti-Scouting

HAPPY HUNTING!

European Tree part IX – FAQ

Source: For The Record

Part I – Introduction
Part II – Italy, Czechoslovakia
Part III – Hungary
Part IV – Sweden
Part V – Yugoslavia
Part VI – Poland
Part VII – Spain
Part VIII – Switzerland and others
 

In our last part of the European tree series, we will talk about the common questions, that arise in connection with the possible European tree, we will be debunking some of the most common myths as well. So, without further ado, once more unto the breach, dear friends!
Myth 1: EU tree would be infested with Soviet (on in rarer cases, American) copies
Possibly the most common myth about the potential EU tree. Obviously, if you have followed the series, you know that it is not true. Granted, some nations are problematic on high tiers (Italy, Hungary, Poland), but – Czechoslovaks do have hightier vehicles (TVP series), Yugoslavia does too, Switzerland does too, Sweden has TONS of original stuff. There would be no shortage of hightier options for the entire EU tree. Granted, that would happen provided that all these nations are a part of the EU tree and not introduced as separate minitrees.
The best case scenario is that additional research would reveal more interesting candidates for the hightier nations, that are currently lacking in this respect. It is not unheard of. Worst case scenario is that some of the important, yet problematic nations would “merge” into one big branch (for example, imagine a single line of Czechoslovak light/medium tanks, with Polish and Hungarian tanks attached to it, merging into the Czechoslovak branch on their respective tiers. Or – in another case, Hungarian into Swedish (after all, they did have common designs). That would work.
But yes, there are many options for high tiers, with even the heavy branch present in form of the Swedish Kranvagn tanks.


Myth 2: EU tree is very difficult to implement
Not really, however you look at it. You need exactly one new thing, that is not yet in the game. A mechanism, where you select the nationality of the crews. That’s like one window, where you pick, which set of names and faces you want to use. Universal “European” crews are neither historical nor good ideas (“why is there a Polish gunner in my Hungarian tank”), but the selection would allow the players to pick their preferences.
Then you need of course a set of names and faces for the crews. Sets of names, that’s pretty easy – one day work, just ask the respective national communities, I am pretty sure for example the Czechs and Slovaks would come up with names and surnames very quickly. Faces – well, that’s a bit worse, but how hard can that be? Again, we Czechoslovaks, do look a bit like Germans, some of the German faces might well be re-used (modified) to look like us. Historical tanker uniforms – info can be easily provided, as well as the ranks. And of course you need historical tank markings, colors, inscriptions and such things. Suffice to say, me and a couple of other guys have already done some research in this department for the EU tree and passed it on to Wargaming. Easy.

Myth 3: Noone really wants the EU tree
Again, not true of course. Pretty much every European language section has its own thread of “add our tanks into the game” – Czechoslovak community does. Polish community does (that’s two out of three largest EU national communities, IIRC). The Hungarians do. There is an ultra-extensive Italian armor thread on US forums by Vollketten. Italian tanks are being researched by WG employees, with interesting finds passed onto Yuri Pasholok. The interest is clearly there. How much exactly of it – that is another matter. I plan to ask the players, then we’ll see. Some of the potential EU communities are very large, as I wrote before – it’s an opportunity to make money for Wargaming. I don’t know about you, but I would buy a hightier Czechoslovak premium tank. I am sure that the Polish would too buy many of theirs – not without the EU tree though, after all, what point is an EU premium tank without training a crew on it?

Myth 4: EU tree vehicles are paper projects, that never fired a shot in anger
Obviously not true. Czechoslovak armor fought – LT Vz.35 and 38 (despite serving with the German army mostly) saw actually action AGAINST the Germans on several occasions (in Bulgarian and Romanian service, during the Slovak National Uprising). Hungarian armor fought practically until the end of the war. Despite their undeservingly bad reputation, Polish armor wrecked the German invaders on several occasions, with the 7TP being superior to the most numerous German tanks, Panzer I and Panzer II. Swedish armor did not fight, but a lot of these vehicles were actually built, ready for war and served with the Swedish army. Swiss army – same thing. Or Yugoslavia – potential lowtier candidates fought the Germans, hightier vehicles were built and tested. Certainly, post-war development, when Europe was split into two hostile blocs, did influence the tank design a lot – and yes, Czechoslovakia and other Eastern Bloc nations used Soviet vehicles after the war, but that does not mean these vehicles have to appear in their trees. Or – if they do – as little as possible. Plus – tell me, how exactly do you want to have really historical battles without Hungarian and Italian tanks?

Myth 5: EU tree would bloat the client size too much
Nonsense. For one, currently, there are roughly 350 tanks in the game I think (with cca 25 more in plans). Realistically, without multiple branches per nation, we are looking at like 50 tanks for the EU tree in its most basic version (that wouldn’t come at once anyway). 50 tanks – that’s like a 15 percent increase in model size compared to the current status. If you consider releasing three branches in the first batch, that’s just 30 tanks for example (cca 9 percent increase). Hardly a terrible size increase!
Plus, there are ways of mitigating the size issue (the size in fact is not that big an issue, the traffic is), for example by optional SD/HD selection (coming in 9.2), or by allowing players to select, which HD models they want (what is the point of downloading a HD model of a T-26 for example, when you are never going to touch that tank ever again, or you don’t play lowtiers). Furthermore, remember what Storm wrote about the quality of playerbase computers – somewhat less than 50 percent of RU players play on “calculators” – very poor computers, often below minimal WoT requirements. These will not use HD textures for sure (I wonder how many actually will, because if I remember correctly, only 20-30 percent of WoT players have modern high-end computers).

Myth 6: EU tanks would break the game balance, unbalancing the battles once again
Hardly. Apart from some isolated Swedish proposals, there are no completely outrageous gamebreaking designs in the tree, no shit like WT E-100.
So, the real question is:

Why should you support the EU tree tanks, when you don’t really care about the EU tree?
In 2013, the developers announced that the year 2014 will be a year of changes for the World of Tanks. So far, that is proving to be exactly true, but not always for the better. If you follow FTR, you might have noticed the concern of Russian developers to implement the EU tree. An extreme form of this opinion is that after the Firefly line, there should be no more regular tanks implemented at all, everything new should be either an event tank or a premium tank. This is not just a mere speculation, these are opinions of some of the World of Tanks producers and developers – for example Storm himself is reluctant to talk about the EU tree or other tanks, considering them unnecessary – from what he published anyway. Same goes for “Big Boss” Viktor Kislyi – remember how he squirmed, when, recently, a Polish moderator asked him about Polish tanks during the WGL finals in Warsaw?
This is why you should support the EU tree – allow me to paraphrase the famous quote of Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the EU tree and I did not speak out – because I didn’t want it.
Then they came for the British and I did not speak out – because I wasn’t playing them.
Then they came for the French and I did not speak out – because I wasn’t playing the French either.
Then they came for all the rest – and there was no one left to speak for what I wanted.
Perhaps the above sounds a bit melodramatic (indulge that vice of mine, please), but I think we can agree that a vast majority of players does not want new regular tanks to stop coming, even if some reduction of pace is quite okay. What such a stop would mean – simple: the transfer of World of Tanks from a “developing project” to “milk cow” status, with all the consequences of such decision.
Of course, if you think that someone will suddenly come out publicly and say “we are not going to add any more regular tanks, prems/event tanks only from now on” – you would be wrong. That would be a PR disaster, tons of ragequits, forum shitstorms etc.. It would start… well, exactly like this:
“EU tanks? Sometimes in the future. Maybe. If we decide we need them. And other tanks? Maybe in the future as well. Stay tuned – here are a few premiums you might like to buy.”
Repeat every half a year. Sounds familiar? It should, those, who like the French tanks, know this tune very well. And so, if you are wondering, why am I talking about EU tanks all the time and rallying support for them: it’s not just for them, it’s indirectly for the status of World of Tanks as a developing project. Because whatever you might think of WoT development – as soon as they stop adding more regular tanks, it’s all over. Maintenance/cowmilking mode is what will drive WoT into oblivion.

How can you support EU tree then?
Now, THAT is a good question. One I will get to in due time. You’ll see.

[Strippers Series] Jagdpanzer E-100

Source: http://wotguru.com/weak-spot-guide-jagdpanzer-e-100/

 

 

The tier 10 German tank destroyer Jagdpanzer E-100 is a behemoth with a massive amount of armor overall and especially on the frontal armor.  Like other massive German tanks the armor on the Jagdpanzer E-100 is very thick in spots and also since it is based on the E-100 chassis has decent angles on the frontal armor.  Frontally the only true weak spots are the lower glacis that is still very tough for lower tiers facing the Japgdpanzer E-100 and also a very small cupola located on the back roof area.  For tanks close to the Jagdpanzer E-100 and/or shorter than it this cupola is unable to be hit making it an unreliable weak spot.
The sides of the Jagdpanzer still retain quite a bit of toughness and especially since the entire hull(aside from the top superstructure) is covered in some sort of spaced armor.  The top side of the hull armor has a 60mm layer of spaced armor while the lower section has 40mm of track armor with 120mm of armor behind both sections.  This makes shooting the side of the Jagdpanzer E-100 with HEAT rounds a very bad idea unless you aim higher and hit the superstructure.  The superstructure is 150mm thick but only has one layer of armor.  The rear is pretty straight forward and is 150mm thick with the central “hatch” area being 120mm thick.

Frontal Views

Frontally the Jagdpanzer E-100 has a ton of armor unless you hit it in it’s very limited amount of weak spots.  The upper glacis and most of the area around the gun is off limits since it is immune to almost anything thrown it’s way.  Area #1 on the superstructure is “weak” against tier 10 tank destroyers and also high penetrating premium rounds.  The main weak spots however are the lower glacis and the small cupola found on the second view for the frontal armor.

Side/Angled/Rear Views

The side/rear/angled views are still being worked on and will be added at a later point.  For now the small overview of the armor found above will help you deal with the Jagdpanzer E-100′s other armor sections.

RNG: No Comments Ep. 25

Football Battles in World of Tanks!

Source: SEA Portal

Greetings Tank Commanders,

We are sure that there are lots of football fans among World of Tanks players. And this is why a new mode is going to appear in the game, which is timed to coincide with the football championship in Brazil.
Yes, yes, we're not kidding - starting from June 13 [UPDATED], everyone will be able to try out our new football mode. Where and how can you play, you ask? Here's a gist of how the football mode will be like:

• Especially for this mode, players will get a T62-a SPORT tank with altered parameters.
• Central area on the map Himmelsdorf is going to be used as a football field. Of course, some significant adjustments have been applied.

 
 

Getting pumped up about the new mode already? Well, we are too!
You will be able to get more info about the new mode on June 11. Do not miss the opportunity. It is going to be exciting!

[WoT Awesome Replays] BatChat 25t with 5,7k damage

Straight Outta Supertest: Turrets

Source:
VK Wotleaks community
For The Record
 

As you probably know, the new Stronkhold mode is coming. A part of it are NPC defensive buildings – turrets, controlled by bots, that protect your base from enemy assault. The turrets will allegedly be constructed as buildings in Stronkhold mode. They are allegedly going to appear as team members, so in the end, a team can have 16 or 17 players in the team like that. This is an E-100 turret, with 10k hitpoints, allegedly it’s possible there will be other tank turrets used this way as well.

A Couple of Upcoming Premiums

Source:
http://world-of-ru.livejournal.com/3327127.html
For The Record

You might probably remember that some time ago, a game World of Tanks: Generals was announced. Basically a web browser card game, it’s being tested now. There was a leak from WoT Generals though, about some of the new tanks, that will appear in it. Since I was curious, I asked around, whether these tanks will be introduced or not in World of Tanks. This is the original leak:


Now:
- T-21 fate is not yet decided (thanks god, it might still appear in the EU tree)
- T-24 is theoretically reserved for a regular branch
- Grosstraktor is already in the game
- the rest (T-35, T6, Liberty) is actually planned for WoT
I will make a post later on the brief description of each of the planned tanks.

PROScout Tutorials: Active Spotting

Source: http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/359576-proscout-tutorials-active-spotting/

ACTIVE SPOTTING

As implied, Active spotting involves constant or nearly constant movement.   When Active spotting, the Scout relies on his speed, agility, and camo rating to keep him alive.   Due to changes in the game, Suicide spotting has greatly decreased in popularity with experienced Scouts; however, Half Court spotting remains popular. Open and Suicide spotting is generally reserved for the most agile of Scouts. Any Scout is capable of Half Court spotting.

SUICIDE SPOTTING

Back in the old days when we all had to walk five miles in the snow with no shoes on just to get to our tanks before a battle - even on the Summer maps - Suicide spotting was common.   But times have  changed, tanks have changed and more importantly,  gun accuracy has changed, making Suicide runs much more difficult to pull off successfully. 

Unfortunately, The Myths of Scouting have not changed.  The lower tiers are full of new players who are told that Suicide Rushes are THE way to Scout. So as players graduate upwards to the Tier IV Scouts, it is no wonder many of them think proper spotting = Suicide Rush.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.   If you are new to Scouts, do yourself a HUGE favor and repeat after me,

“Suicide Rushes are rarely the best way to spot.”

Now repeat it again,

“Suicide Rushes are rarely the best way to spot.”

The reason is this:   the countdown timer hits :00 and off you go, racing towards the enemy side of the map.   Before too long you are close enough to enemy tanks to light them up and, if you are lucky, blaze by a few of them and get close enough to light up most of their team.  

“AWESOME! I am doing GREAT!”

Well… not really.  Look behind you when you get blown up.   Notice you can’t even see any of your team mates?   Guess what?    They can’t see any of the tanks you lit up…   Which means, they can’t shoot any of the tanks you lit up...   Which means, you just died for nothing. 

OOPS!

Meanwhile, the enemy Scout, who was smart enough NOT to Suicide, has begun to run a Half Court Spotting route which it lighting up your team’s tanks AFTER his team pulled forward into locations from which they can fire on his spots.

You end up with 13 short-lived and totally unproductive spots but the other team ends up with the win.

OK, so Suicide spotting sucks and I should never do it then, right?

Wrong,

There are 4 times when Suiciding may make sense:   

1:  Lots of Arty:

Let’s say you’re on Murovanka and there just happen to be 5 Arty per team.  Tell your Arty you will Suicide once they are set up and ask them to tell you when they are ready to fire.   Then say,

“Here is where I will go.”  And outline your route in 2-3 clicks on the minimap.

Now, when you Suicide, you have Arty already aimed in at the spots you will likely see tanks.  If you die after lighting up enemy tanks and Arty, you will probably have not done so in vain.   A situation like this is perfect for Suiciding.  If you can assist in taking out 2- 3+ enemy Artillery early in the game, you have given your team a big advantage.

5 Arties or not,  if you decide to suicide at the same time 2 enemy T95s are lit up on the other side of map, you probably won’t get much support.   Your Arty will be focused on those big exposed TDs, not on you. If you are getting ready to do a Suicide Run, you will get more support and be more successful if you wait until there is a lull in the action before you go for broke.

2: To expose dug in tanks:

Or perhaps later in the game on Highway, you know the enemy has 3 TDs sitting up by the North base, waiting to demolish your team as they approach.  You have multiple tanks with good View Ranges sitting beside you in the Northwest corner.   You bush hop towards the river but can’t uncover any of the TDs. So, you tell your team you will run in and make sure they are all loaded and ready to fire.  Then you gun your engine and go for broke.  Chances are you may not see any of them before they fire.  But when they do fire, you are now close enough to see them as you die, exposing them to your team’s return fire.  Even if they don’t die, your team now knows where they are and how to approach them in the most safe manner.

3:  To take the hit so a team mate can get a kill:

It is late in a game and 2 heavys are in a Peek-a-Boom standoff around the edge of a hill.  Your heavy is hurt - he can't afford to take a hit.  You don't have a viable way to come in from behind the enemy tank, so let your teammate know what you will do and pull out and try to flank the enemy.  If he shoots and kills you, your team mate can now safely pull out and score a free kill shot while the enemy reloads.  If the enemy misses or fails to kill you, you now have his flank.

4: To reset cap:

Sometimes the only way to reset cap and prevent a loss is to suicide either to provide spots or create the ability for you to reset on your own.

Note that the key to success in the first 3 of these scenarios is that you had support in place and ready to fire before you Suicided – AND they were aware on your intentions and committed to helping you.

PROS:

Can deal a fast, fatal blow to the enemy.

Can break down an enemy killing field.

Can cause the enemy to focus on you instead of deploying properly.

CONS:

Usually results in death, thus preventing you from helping your team later in the game.

Can produce little or no damage to the enemy team.

If performed as the game begins, provides intel of very little value.  Knowing the enemy team is, in fact, leaving spawn isn’t exactly earthshaking news.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS

Make certain you have support in place before you begin your Suicide Rush.

DO NOT drive straight.  Don’t make it easy for the enemy to kill you – and remember, it is quite likely they will see you before you see them.

Be unpredictable in your zigs and zags.   If you always turn left, turn right, turn left, turn right, you won’t last much longer than if you simply drive straight.

Use terrain, environmental  objects, and foliage as much as possible to shield your approach until you are close enough to make your big move.

ROLE COMBOS:

Suicide Spotting can often be combined with Arty Hunting

SUICIDE SPOTTING YOU TUBE

OPEN ACTIVE

Open Active spotting is a bit safer than Suiciding, but not much.  In Open Active, you circle around in the open close enough to the enemy to spot them.   The biggest difference between Open and Suicide is you don’t plunge headfirst into the enemy formations; rather you stay farther away and bet that your agility will provide the “armor” you need to avoid incoming shots long enough for your team to smash the tanks you see.

While not as common as in the old days, when T-50-2s and pre-nerf T-50s scurried about mocking both enemy and the Laws of Physics alike, some Scouts still successfully pull off this technique.

PROS:

Allows exposure of tanks, especially Snipers,  Half Court and Passive Scouts may never see.

May cause enemy to focus on you instead of deploying or shooting bigger targets.

Can quickly transition into a Delayed Rush if a hole in the enemy line is found.

CONS:

Frequently results in death.

Limited to the most agile and smaller Scouts.

Constant movement reduces your ability to effectively deal damage.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS

Agility is imperative for success.  Don’t try this in a Pz38nA. 

Size is also important.  The smaller your tank’s profile, the better.  Luchs, ELC AMX , T71?  Go for it! But your Auf P probably isn’t a great choice unless you are testing the enemy’s ability to hit the side of a barn.

Once again, it is a good idea to get your team’s support before heading out.  Success hinges on your team’s ability to take out tanks you expose so it is a great idea to tell them you are about to go maniac.

ROLE COMBOS:

Open Active can often be combined with Delayed Rushes and Sniping (on the fly).

HALF COURT

Half Court spotting is a much more conservative and much safer form of Open Active spotting.   You use superior View Range, speed, and terrain to provide your team spots while sticking close to cover at the most vulnerable portions of your route.

Think Prokhorovka.  That Scout who rushes up to the crest of the ridge running parallel across the middle of the map, perhaps barely crossing the crest , gaining spots, then darting back to the safety of his side of the map.  THAT is Half Court spotting. 

You move towards the middle of the map and as soon as you light up a tank you turn around and begin a large circle; one which will allow you to come back and light him up again over and over until he is dead.  Then you go back, find another enemy and repeat the process, slowly moving up the field as you eliminate tanks.

It is an extremely effective method of spotting, especially if your team has Arty capable of hitting the far side of the map. 

PROS:

Allows spots across a much larger area of the map than Passive spotting.

Great at spotting holes in the enemy defense.

Can force your team to focus fire by only exposing 1-2 tanks at a time.

CONS:

Frequently requires you to expose yourself to enemy fire, no matter how brief that exposure may be.

Usually will not expose locations of enemy Arty.

Effective on less than half our available maps.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS

DO NOT get stuck in a pattern.  Pop up in different locations; don’t be predictable.  I frequently deliberately appear to turn left or right after reaching cover then, after certain I am totally invisible again, change direction and pop up on the opposite side of the field from where the enemy saw me going.  Surprise keeps you alive!

If you are spotted, drive erratically, even after reaching cover.  Enemy Arty will continue to have a shot at you after the other enemy tanks will not.

Use terrain features such as rocks and buildings as shields if you are spotted.

Only light up 1-2 tanks at a time.  Unlike Suicide and Open Active, you can often control how many tanks you see before circling around for another run.  Instead of lighting up 5-6 tanks, turn around as soon as 1-2 are lit up.  this forces your team to focus fire and helps eliminate your spots quickly. 

ROLE COMBOS:

Half Court spotting can often combine with Anti-Scouting and on a limited basis, Sniping.

GENERAL RULES FOR ACTIVE SPOTTING

Get the support of your team before you make your run.  It sucks to get great spots and die before your team even fires.

Use terrain features as much as possible to help keep you out of enemy Line of Sight and Line of Fire.

Be aware of opportunities to exploit seams in the enemy line.

Except for Half Court, small, agile Scouts work best.

In the next segment of the series, we will look at Peek-a-View and Proxy spotting.

HAPPY HUNTING!

More “Soccer Mode” Pics

Source:
wot-news
For The Record

[Strippers Series] Tank Destroyer T110E4

Source: http://wotguru.com/weak-spot-guide-t110e4/

The tier 10 American tank destroyer T110E4 might not share the same overwhelming armor that it’s counterpart T110E3 has, but it does have quite a bit of armor that can prove to be difficult to penetrate from the front.  While the T110E3, T110E4, and T110E5 all share the same “egg shell” shaped hull the angles on the hull differ slightly from tank to tank making their armor schemes differ slightly.

 

The index at the bottom of each picture describes a few abbreviations used and also the format in which the armor details are described in. Effective Armor (EA) refers to the overall effectiveness of the armor without normalization.  I apologize for the small font size for some areas but due to the nature of taking screenshots and not being able to zoom in on some areas(without having a ton of individual pictures) I did my best to fit them into one frontal view.  The UFG(Upper Frontal Glacis) sections are below the turret, LFG(Lower Frontal Glacis) is below the UFG, and the numbered areas are found on the turret/cupola areas of the T110E4.

Frontal View

 

Frontally the T110E4 has a considerable amount of armor if you do not aim well and hit the stronger portions of it’s armor.  Like other T110 series tanks it’s lower glacis is a prime weak spot that for the most part is very weak for most tanks that are facing the T110E4.  Unlike the T110E4 the armor actually gets a touch stronger the closer to the tracks you go and instead you should shoot at the part towards the center of the lower glacis.  The upper glacis should be avoided at all costs unless you are firing down into it to negate that high angle.
Just below the turret is a turret ring that is weak since it is only 152mm and shells can get “trapped” and hit it since the turret and hull leave a decent gap between the two.  The turret itself is dominated by a very large mantlet that makes it look very difficult to penetrate, however if you know where to aim you can go through it with most tier 10 tanks.  Avoid hitting the gun but in the area #1 on the mantlet it is simply a flat piece of 254mm armor but do not stray close to the edges where it is immune to anything thrown at it in areas #2/#3.  The actual frontal turret area is weakest near the mantlet and gets stronger towards the edges due to the increased angled.
The top of the turret has a weaker cupola than the T110E3 by a significant margin.  Avoid hitting the small red areas that are highly angled between the sections listed on the cupola and you should be fine damaging this area of the T110E4.  Finally comes the roof armor in area #8 which is 76mm thick making it unable to be over matched by pretty much all guns in the game and due to the high angle it is very strong.

Side/Rear/Angled Views

For now there are no views of the side/rear/angled since I wanted to get the finished frontal view out quickly.  However, you can use the views available for the T110E3 since they are very similar aside from the turret on the T110E4 is different than the superstructure of the T110E3.  The T110E4′s turret sides are not very strong since they are not angled well and shouldn’t pose an issue unless you are in a tier 8 tank at times.

[WoT Awesome Replays] Careful JagdPz E-100

Vietnam - Timeless Charm

Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long Bay in Apple's video. Wow, it's such a beautiful country !

[Asia Pacific] Vietnam expects Japan coastguard ships next year: Vice Defense Minister

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/01/us-asia-security-vietnam-idUSKBN0EC13R20140601


(Reuters) - Vietnam expects to take delivery of coastguard ships from Japan early next year, the country's vice defense minister said on Sunday, as Hanoi looks to boost its defenses amid a territorial row with China in the South China Sea.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday that Tokyo would provide Southeast Asian nations its "utmost support" in their territorial disputes over the South China Sea, in a speech that received a hostile response from China.

In the South China Sea, scores of Vietnamese and Chinese ships, including coastguard vessels, have continued to square off around a Chinese oil rig in contested waters.

Tensions heightened last week when Hanoi said a Chinese boat rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel not far from the oil rig. China's official Xinhua news agency reported the vessel capsized after "harassing and colliding with" a Chinese fishing boat.

Vietnam Vice Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh told Reuters on Sunday Japan, itself locked in a bitter territorial spat with China, was helping it to train its coastguard and share information with its teams, as well as sending some vessels.

"The process is developing very well and we are planning to receive the ships by early next year," Vinh said in an interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's biggest security forum.

Abe had told parliament on Wednesday that Japan was unable to immediately provide decommissioned patrol ships to Vietnam as its own coastguard was stretched by surveillance activities. [ID:nL3N0OE2L9]

Patrol ships from China and Japan have been playing cat and mouse in waters near disputed East China Sea islets, raising fears of an accidental clash between the world's second- and third-largest economies.

VIETNAM URGES OTHERS TO SPEAK UP

Vinh said that while he welcomed the support of Japan and the United States he believed other nations could be more vocal about China's actions in the South China Sea.

"I have the feeling that every country, whether they publicly state it or not, realize the wrongdoing of China and do not agree with what they are doing," he said.

"I feel that other countries must raise their voice stronger, in a more public way."
Some Southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia have remained wary of speaking out against China for fear of damaging deep-rooted economic ties.

The United States and China squared off at the security forum in Singapore on Saturday, with the U.S. defense secretary accusing Beijing of destabilizing the region and a top Chinese general retorting that his comments were a "threat and intimidation".

Vinh said he met with Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the People's Liberation Army, who stuck to China's "previously stated perspective".

"I told their deputy chief of general staff that Vietnam never wants to have tension with China," he said.

"We do not want to fight to get a winner or loser with them, what we want is peace and territorial sovereignty and integrity."

[Review] T-44 The Powerful Soviet Medium

Source: WoT Wiki

History

The T-44 Medium Tank wasn't in large-scale production like the T-26, or in widespread use like the T-34, nor was it the main battle tank for the post-war period like the T-54 and T-55, but it took a worthy place in the history of Soviet tank development. 

In the autumn of 1943, the design bureau of the Stalin Ural Tank Factory No. 183, located in Nizhny Tagil, started working on a vehicle that would have improvement opportunities in the future, under a direct order from Stalin. Main requirements for the project: retain the high mobility of the T-34 and provide it with heavier armor protection against modern tank guns. In November of 1943, the chief designer, A. A. Morozov, presented the overall design and a model of the tank which received the designation Object 136. The first prototype was completed by January 1944, and two more were completed in February. The first two prototypes received the designation T-44-85 (as they were armed with 85 mm D-5T guns). The third prototype was armed with the 122mm D-25-44T tank gun and received the designation T-44-122. The D-25-44T tank gun was an analog to the basic D-25 field gun, but there were differences in some minor details; fixed single-piece ammunition to increase the rate of fire, and a double-baffle muzzle brake. The construction of the hull with an innovative placement of the engine allowed fitting such powerful armament in a medium tank weighing 30 tons. The engine of the T-44 was placed perpendicular to the axis of the tank. Armor plating: 75 mm on the front of the hull and 90 mm on the front of the turret. The side armor was 45 mm thick and could be reinforced by additional 30 mm thick armor plates. All three prototypes were powered by the V-2IS diesel engine which developed 500 hp (373 kW). 

The T-44 was a tank with a typical layout: the driving compartment at the front, the fighting compartment in the middle, and the engine compartment in the rear. The intention was to retain the high mobility and speed of a T-34 and to provide the T-44 with heavier armor protection against large-caliber tank guns as well. This goal was accomplished by adding thicker armor, but reducing the internal volume of the hull. The T-44 also had a lower profile than the T-34, and was potentially simpler to manufacture. Although the T-44 used many components of the T-34, it had a new hull, modified V-2 engine, suspension, and transmission.

Pros and Cons

Pros:
• Excellent mobility
• Fast
• Variety of guns to cater for different play styles
• Arguably the best tier 8 medium for wolf packing
• Small Profile
• Good Camo Rating

Cons:

• Very vulnerable Ammo Rack
• Armour ineffective against its own tier
• Fairly low Penetration on both guns
• Low HP pool

Play Style 

To summarize, the T-44 is a thinking mans medium. It's not the easiest tank to play, mainly due to the mediocre penetration, poor gun depression and unreliable armour against its own tier. However, it also has some notable strengths, (such as the excellent mobility and camo rating) that when exploited, turn this humble medium into a deadly, killer.

The T-44 is all about positioning, both in relation to the enemy and to your own team. It lacks the grit to tackle most enemies head on, and so should instead aim to get around to their flanks. Thanks to the tanks outstanding mobility, this is easy enough to do, proving you get the timing right. A great deal of situational awareness is required, because if you misjudge your run, and get caught out in the open, it won't take long for you to end up a smoldering wreck. This is why its always important to stick with team mates, preferably those that you are in communication with. Two of the most common battle scenarios completely rely on working closely with your team mates to overcome the enemy.

Often in games with large numbers of Heavies and TDs, "battle lines" will develop as a game draws on. As opposing heavy tanks hold their ground and slug away at each other, a slow paced game will often result and requires patience from the T-44 driver. If you try and form up with your heavies, the enemy will sense an easy kill and target you instantly. Instead wait until your line of heavies firmly hold the enemies attention, and then try to slip by unnoticed to the enemies flank. If you see the enemies focus on you, don't be afraid to retreat to safety and try again later. Once off to the side, either continue on to the enemies base and try and flush out artillery, or turn around and pummel the enemy lines from your now favorable position. Often enemies will be too worried about the "bigger" threats in front of them that they won't focus on the lone medium off to the side. And if you do start attracting a lot of attention, then it should create a great opportunity for your heavies to attack.

Games with greater numbers of lights and mediums tend to be more dynamic and so may at first appear favorable for a tank such as the T-44. Often however, this may not be the case as the greatest strength of the T-44: its agility, is negated by the agility of the other mediums. It may be the most agile of the tier 8 mediums, but that doesn't mean that it can circle Pershings and Type-59's as if they were lumbering heavies. And whilst the Pershing has its gun depression, and the Type-59 has its armour, the T-44 is a bit of a one trick pony. It's gun is nothing special, neither is its armour, and it sorely lacks gun depression. The way to overcome this, is to make it impossible for the enemy to counter your agility. How? By teaming up with other mediums and forming a wolfpack. Overcome the enemy by weight of numbers in the local area. Swarm them and they can't keep up with all of you. Have the pack hunt down isolated enemies and dispatch them as quickly as possible, and then move on to the next target. Sweep across the map overpowering enemies one at a time.

Of course, in random matches, its not always possible to coordinate with your team mates and so you may end up facing enemy tanks alone.
As a general rule, unless they are all light tanks, always retreat when out numbered. Only engage alone, when the enemy tank is also alone.

Crew Skills (Recommend)

Commander: Sixth sense, Repairs, Eagle Eye
Gunner: Repairs, Snap Shot, Camo
Driver: Repairs, Off road Driving, Clutch Braking
Loader: Safe Stowage, Repairs, Camo

Equipment (Recommend)

 

Vertical Stabilizer

Gun Rammer
Wet Ammo Rack