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

Straight Outta Supertest: The Pit

Source:
WoTLeaks VK community
For The Record

Apparently (although this info is NOT confirmed), Wargaming is working on a new (yet unnamed) map, code name “the pit” (or “the hole”).



This new map is very small (400 x 400 meters) and is allegedly being made especially for low tiers (1,2,3). The reason behind it allegedly is that Wargaming wants the new players to “feel the action” straight from the start, because the fighting starts very soon after the battle commences and the fighting distance is very short. The respawn points are allegedly at the south and north of the map, the bases are in upper right and lower left corner.

PROScout Tutorials: Passive Spotting

Source: http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/359366-proscout-tutorials-passive-spotting/

As we have seen, Scouts assume different primary and secondary roles as battles progress.  This tutorial sub-series will discuss the role most commonly associated to Scout play:  spotting.

Spotting is the act of exposing enemy tanks; an act known in World of Tanks (WOT) as “lighting tanks up”.  There are 4 types of spotting; the 2 most common are called Passive and Active spotting.  The 3^rd is Peek-a-View spotting and the 4^th is Proxy spotting. The goal of all 4 types of spotting is the same: light up enemy tanks.

Before we look at the different types of spotting further, let’s look at why Scouts spot.  Understanding why Scouts spot may help some of you non-Scouts or new Scouts overcome some of the Myths of Scouting.

Scouts spot for 2 basic reasons:

1: Gain intel for the team.

2:  Allow allied tanks to fire on the tanks which are lit up

Note the order I list those in.  I didn’t list them in order of importance to wins; rather, I listed them in the order which they are frequently employed during battle.

Especially with Active Spotting early in the battle, the Scout seeks to light up enemy tanks for intel reasons.  Based on what he discovers about the enemy team’s deployment, his team can then adjust and adapt their own deployment.  A Scout seeking to gain such intel CAN NOT wait for friendly Arty or TDs to set up before making the spotting run.   It is normally imperative for the Scout to get to a prime spotting location as fast as possible so he can monitor the enemy deployment.  Once Arty and other tanks are in position and ready to fire, he can usually make additional runs with the goal of lighting up tanks so allies can shoot them.  Understand the differences in his goals and don’t whine at him for spotting before anyone was ready.  His goal was not to set you up to shoot – it as to get information his team could use.

No matter which goal he has, he uses the same types of spotting techniques to achieve positive results:  Passive, Active,  Peek-a-View or Proxy spotting.

PASSIVE SPOTTING

Passive Spotting is the style most commonly used in the game today.   Shot accuracy has been buffed to the point Suicide runs are no longer successful often enough to make them worthwhile.  Most maps do not favor Half Court spotting.  As a result, the benefits of covert spotting using passive techniques are favored on most maps by most Scouts.

Passive Spotting is a bit of a misnomer as Covert Spotting is more accurate (I prefer to call it “Ninja” Spotting).  Passive means not actively taking a part in or not reacting to an action.  Covert means secret, hidden, unseen.    As we will see, Passive Spotting does require action on the Scout’s part, but the Scout desires to remain unseen  throughout.  Despite Covert or Ninja being the better term, Passive is so ingrained in the psyche of WOT tankers, we stick with that term.  But, whenever you hear the term “Passive Spotting”, think “hidden”; it will keep your mind open to how to most effectively Passive Spot.

There are two main types of Passive Spotting:  Bush and Open.  Let’s look at each individually, then talk about some general rules for Passive spotting

BUSH PASSIVE

In Bush Passive, the Scout uses bushes or trees to hide his tank from the enemy while he keeps them lit up for his team.   The addition of environmental camo bonuses allows the Scout to set up in what may become extremely close proximity to enemy tanks and remain undetected.

Ideally, one’s entire tank is concealed however that is rarely possible.  Trees won’t provide 360 degrees of protection and most bushes won’t either.  Thus, one should set up in way which provides concealment from the angles most vulnerable to discovery.  Monitor what is transpiring on the map and adjust your position as needed to remain concealed.  Furthermore, in locations such as Murovanka’s Magic forest, Passive spotting frequently involves bush hopping; that is moving from 1 bush to the next, staying hidden while slowly reconnoitering the entire area. 

As I said, Passive spotting is NOT really passive; even if one never fires one’s gun.  Your goal is to remain HIDDEN, not to remain still.

Notice also, I said "bushes or trees".   There are two ways to use trees.   At times, the leaves of a tree will already provide concealment for you, usually because you are on terrain higher than the tree, but remember, you can also knock a tree down to create concealment on the ground right in front of you.  Or maybe knock it down to the side of the bush you are in to provide lateral concealment.

There is a potential downside to knocking trees over for concealment.  If you do it in a common Scout set up spot, an alert enemy may notice the knocked down tree, understand its implication, and blind fire into the tree or bush 

PROS:

Much safer than Active spotting; the enemy can’t shoot what it can’t see.

Allows your team to damage and destroy enemy tanks with little chance of them receiving return fire.

Environmental concealment allows spotting of enemy tanks at fairly close ranges.

CONS:

Frequently takes your gun out of the game.

If no hard cover is quickly available, discovery often equals death.

If you guess wrong and no enemy shows up, you just wasted a few minutes of game time.

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS:

If they provide the same view, a bush right next to a building or rock is better than a bush standing out in the open by itself.   The ability to quickly get behind cover if spotted is life-saving.

Immediately after setting up in a bush, rotate your camera around and see if you are well hidden, especially from the direction you expect to see enemy tanks.  Not being truly hidden is one of the most common mistakes Scouts make.

Remember that an enemy tank exposes you the instant he is 49m away, no matter whether he has Line of Sight or not.

ROLE COMBOS:

Bush Passive can frequently be combined with Anti-Scouting and Sniping.

OPEN PASSIVE

Open Passive spotting does not use environmental camo; rather it relies on distance and superior View Range to provide concealment.  It is especially effective against Heavys, Arty and moving TDs.  

Once again, Passive is not really passive.  Frequently one must move in order to maintain the separation required to remain concealed.   Remember, when speaking about Spotting, “passive” really means “hidden”.

Because distance is required, this technique is much more common on Open and Mixed maps, but if one remains aware of opportunity it can still be pulled off successfully at times on maps such as Himmelsdorf and Ensk.  (I use it a lot at the start of games in Ensk).

PROS:

Usable anywhere one has Line of Sight at the distance required.

Allows your team to damage and destroy enemy tanks with little chance of them receiving return fire.

Under the proper circumstances, usable on every map in the game.

CONS:

Scout is normally extremely vulnerable if exposed.

Only usable in specific situations

Requires intimate knowledge of View Ranges to maximize effectiveness

PRIME CONSIDERATIONS

If a spotted tank has Binoculars and stops, its View Range can increase dramatically.

Because you are exposed, you must remain acutely aware of enemy tank locations on the map and adjust your position or abandon spotting before you are exposed.

KNOW the distance between you and spotted  tanks.  That means keep your reticle on them often enough to always have a current range to target displayed.  This is NOT the time to guesstimate range.

ROLE COMBOS:

Open Passive can often be combined with Sniping.

GENERAL RULES FOR PASSIVE SPOTTING

During the countdown timer, tell your team you will light up tanks, then click on the map to show them where.  This will alert them to where you will work; hopefully some will set up to take advantage of your spots.

Ex:   “Spots coming here:”   Then click on 2-3 of the sectors where you will see the most tanks.

If possible, do not duplicate spots with another Passive Scout.  It is much better to go elsewhere and light up a different area of the map than to park 2 bushes away from a Passive team mate and spot the same places he is.

Positioning your tank to so it points towards your escape route saves you precious seconds if you are exposed.

Eventually, the spots at your location will run out.  Move on.  It does your team no good if you sit in a location which has no tanks left to spot.

When multiple targets are it up, encourage focus fire by requesting fire on a specific tank.

Spend your “down time” doing Quick Counts, analyzing the positions of both teams on the battlefield, updating in your mind what you will do if exposed, and what you will when you stop Passive spotting.

Be aware of opportunities to Passive spot as the game progresses; it isn't just a thing you do when the game starts!  Other tanks may get the glory, but it is almost always a better idea to get hidden, spot and let a distant ally get the damage and kill while you conserve hit points than it is to go Rambo and get beat up needlessly.  The Hit Points you waste may prove critical later on.

In the next tutorial, we will look at Active spotting.

HAPPY HUNTING!