Tank Combat Tutorials?

[Crashbangwallop]

We have numerous air combat tutorials and analysis, and there is a lot of valuable forum advice about how to go about flying, surviving, and even succeeding in your chosen particular aircraft or type of aircraft. All very helpful, and I certainly feel as though I've improved my 'air' game by putting some of this shared 'air' instruction to use.

 

However, I'm pretty rubbish at this tank stuff and would like to be an awful lot better, but I find that difficult as I really haven't much of a clue what I'm meant to be doing.

 

So, are there any similar posts or videos dealing with even the basics of what you do in a tank?

 

Things like: What should you get sorted out on starting? Your priorities and decisions taken when you make contact an enemy? Maybe the best ways to approach an enemy - is it better to rush onto them, slowly advance, or let them approach a defensive position? What even constitutes the best defensive position? How and when should you best use visors/binoculars/vision devices? Best pros and cons of each vehicle or most useful command menu options and how best to exploit those?

 

Any personal tips, hints, or formal tutorials - on on-line and/or single player, and at even a pretty basic level - would be most welcome.

[JV44HeinzBar]

S!,

Well, that's a lot of questions to answer   I'll try to do my best, which I'm sure I'll leave out key points or other options. The best way is probably is to take each of your questions and break them down accordingly, but not necessarily in order.

 

"What should you get sorted out on starting?" I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this question. I guess it depends on what you're planning on doing in the tank. Is it tank hunting, destroying front line targets, etc. If you're hunting tanks, it might be best to take a ammo load out that maximizes your AP shells, unless you're in a SU-xxx. HE rounds serve those tanks best. If you're mission is to work in destroying front line objects, then it probably would be best to take "HE" heavy, meaning more HE shells to destroy bunkers, light tanks/trucks, buildings, etc. You'll find these options in your setup screen prior to jumping into your tank.

 

"Your priorities and decisions taken when you make contact an enemy? This depends on your tank's position, distance to target, etc. Tanking is similar to flying in that it depends on the scenario if you've got a tactical advantage or not. Additionally, know your enemy.

What type of tank is being encountered? Armor thickness and slope differs depending on location on a tank. Remember, every tank is weak to the sides and rear compared to the front. How far away is the tank? Account for distance and set your gun's range accordingly. The closer the distance, the easier it is to hit and more likely to do damage.

What direction is the tank facing? Side and rear shots are your best bet to do damage. Firing at the well armored front may result w/no damage or richocet.

 

Maybe the best ways to approach an enemy - is it better to rush onto them, slowly advance, or let them approach a defensive position?  This depends on a variety of things. If you're in a weaker tank and have a good defensive position, let the enemy come to you. If you're not in a good defensive position, it might be wise to back away and reposition for a better shot, e.g. rear profile shot targeting the engine. If facing a superior tank in terms of frontal armor and have other tanks around, you may want to spread out and flank the superior tank to take shots at the enemy's side armor. If you suspect an enemy tank, especially in a town scenario, it might be worth it, to shut down your engine and listen for 5 minutes or more. The most crafty tankers take up good ambush positions and listen for other vehicles. If you don't hear anything, move forward slowly, stop, and listen again. Continue this until you're satisfied there are no enemy tanks nearby.

 

What even constitutes the best defensive position? The best position will always be one from cover. TC doesn't do small vegetation well, so you're best bet is use buildings or defilade for cover when engaging the enemy. This is especially true when facing a more powerful vehicle.

 

How and when should you best use visors/binoculars/vision devices? Binoculars can be your best friend. Use them from a secure defensive & stationary position w/ your engine off. You'll be able to spot distant movement easily with binocs. Spotting a stationary enemy will always be more difficult even with binocs. As for visors, I generally close all mine when I encounter a suspicious tank. I don't know how effective closing the visors is in this sim, but I like to think that by closing visors it gives the crew a little more protection vs MG & HE rounds.

 

Any personal tips, hints, or formal tutorials - on on-line and/or single player, and at even a pretty basic level - would be most welcome. Each tank has pros & cons. You're best bet is to pick a tank, stick with it until you feel absolutely comfortable using it. Single player will always be easier. The AI isn't all that smart, but it can be very dangerous once they've spotted you. AT guns, enemy tanks, and planes can take you out if you're not careful. More often than not, you should be able to deal w/ SP elements. Online play is completely different. In addition to dealing with the game's AI AT & enemy tanks, you'll have to deal with unpredictable human players. Most experienced players do not head directly to objectives, but take unexpected vectors to their selected target area. In addition, experienced players, after destroying other player tanks, don't hang around the same area for long. After destroying a player tank, you can expect that player to jump in a plane to attack you or come from a different position in a tank to attack you. Reposition yourself or move away from the area if survival is your main goal.

 

I'm sure there are better tankers out there that can add to what I've written, but this should be a starting point for you.

 

Good luck,

HB

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by JV44HeinzBar
added text

[ShampooX]

Always play with the old adage in mind: "90% of armor engagements are won by the tank that shoots first."  So just play to that strategy.

 

1.) Study the map - look for choke points, area's of likely enemy travel, - roads, rivers, etc.  Conversely, plan your travel and mission infil/exfil with those thoughts in mind.

2.) Successful tanking on PVP servers like Finnish is a slow affair.  Take time to wait for ambushes - as we used to say "ambush our way to the objective".  Wait for counterattacks after a CP is taken and choose the terrain you want to fight on vs. the other way around.  If you hold the CP, make them fight your battle.

3.) Know the game mechanics and how to use messages to your advantage: map ping thresholds/distances around tank and temp af spawns are critical to staying alive - what is a safe distance to shoot from?  Do you have enough gun for it?  Are you using the right ammo and who can see your shot?  Use enemy radio always (confirm hits). Know enemy AI attack waring messages are happening when you are hitting the AI lines.  If you play Panzers and you hit a bunker, or better yet a bigger Objective, expect enemy ground attackers to show up soon.  Have a plan for that: "I'm gonna kill these guys over here, then go over there are wait and watch, under concealment, then X then Y."  

4.) Know how to hide from airplanes (especially if you play Panzers)  - in particular know how some of them use render zones against the Panzer's yellow paint schemes (game limitations) - and plan your tactical movements accordingly.  Know the sound of a plane engine diving on you vs. coming close but going somewhere else.  Also get to know your German plane sounds as they are rare at lower, "tanker" altitudes.  The thinking here is it's easier to learn the engine sound of a plane you rarely hear, but if you are German will be friendly, and then all others are hostile.....take cover.

5.) Get good at range estimation, second shots are even, third shots and you're probably dead if the other guy is good

 

Work patiently for the first shot.  Don't be afraid to sit on a position for an hour or more if you have to , if you know -based on you map assessment-  it will be productive.

 

My playstyle is slower than others here, but I pretend I have family to go home to.  I like staying alive. But I still get a lot of "live player" kills

Edited September 21, 2022 by ShampooActual

[Crashbangwallop]

Many thanks for those replies – very helpful and full of good advice. I'll take my time to digest and absorb it.

 

I should have said in the original post that I find myself zoning in on the T-34 and PzIV as opposed to the fancy-dan heaviers, and have a yen for normal – not Elefant! - SPG hunters (if-and-when). Would like to employ the current SUs, but struggle with their crew vision issues and slow reload.

 

A couple of points offered immediately stand out

On 9/19/2022 at 6:38 PM, JV44HeinzBar said:

If you suspect an enemy tank, especially in a town scenario, it might be worth it, to shut down your engine and listen for 5 minutes or more. The most crafty tankers take up good ambush positions and listen for other vehicles. If you don't hear anything, move forward slowly, stop, and listen again. Continue this until you're satisfied there are no enemy tanks nearby.

 

I simply hadn't thought of turning the engine off and listening – which goes hand-in-hand with ambushing of course. Also moving at a slower crawl to advance in an uncertain situation – I shall try that out, and it occurs to me that it might actually be quieter and create less visible 'dust'. Will experiment. Cheers Heinz

 

And...

 

17 hours ago, ShampooActual said:

  Use enemy radio always (confirm hits). Know enemy AI attack waring messages are happening when you are hitting the AI lines.  If you play Panzers and you hit a bunker, or better yet a bigger Objective, expect enemy ground attackers to show up soon.  Have a plan for that: "I'm gonna kill these guys over here, then go over there are wait and watch, under concealment, then X then Y."  

 

 

It hadn't occurred to me to listen to enemy radio – will find out how to do that. And listening for aircraft type – for which, of course, my engine should be off. Thanks Shampoo

 

What's coming across is that tanking – certainly in multiplayer, and using the game mechanics – seems to be more like chess than draughts/checkers. Which is very much contrary to my 'drive along for fifteen minutes then get knocked out by unseen enemy' practice. I will take all this and anything else written below, and practice, practice etc offline, and generally try to get a bit more cerebral about it

 

Another question, though. My normal 'start-up' rigmarole just now is - Driver: start engine > Gunner: get turret, gun, sight etc unlocked and ready to aim, range set to 800m, AP > Commander: open hatch, have a look where I am, them move to where I imagine I should be. Is this reasonable or should I be doing more, differently? Or less, differently?

 

I should add that some of this helpful advice had been available to me from a very early age, from my Dad. He had been a sergeant (British Army) with a group of 6-pounder anti-tank guns (then later as infantry) slogging through France/Belgium/Netherlands 1944/45, and he helped me build my very first Airfix kits - 1/72 tanks. When we were building the Panther, he explained how important it was for a tank to go 'hull down' and to expose only the strongest armour to the front. He also pointed out – shockingly, to me – that if facing a Panther the AT crew should try and bounce their shell off the lower mantle edge and through the thin roof armour above the driver. I was probably five or six (it would have been 1959/60) and this struck me as unfair! Many years have passed since then, though, and looking back from now, he will have been going through some sort of rationalising/distancing process whereby he could come to terms with the (rarely directly described) terrors and horrors that he had experienced a mere fifteen or so years before.

 

Anyway, thanks (in advance?) to anyone else willing to post more of their thoughts and ideas on 'How To Do Tanking' ?

[ShampooX]

Glad to help  yeah if War Thunder is checkers - this is definitely chess!!  And thats my normal start up routine too.

 

Your dad and his buddies got so good at bouncing those Panther shots that they (the Germans) had to come up with the Panther G variant - it featured a squared off mantlet that was much thicker and stopped those downward deflections.

 

Hope to see you out there on FVP soon!!

[Hapo54]

...is there an auto pilot...???...

[ShampooX]

Hapo what I do is press hte up arrow key to get going then press <Enter> this will take you to the vehicle healt hscreen, then <Enter> again to turn the screen off, but your tank engine will continue  run in gear.  It's not true autopilot because you still have to steer.  But at least you don't have to hold Up Arrow the whole time.

[Dusty_Steppes]

I always carry some HE, there is no tracer that gives away your position and it can be used for a number of things besides taking out soft targets. It's good for taking out exposed tank commanders, damages vision ports and gun sights. It can also be used for ranging in different locations of an area that you are setting up for an ambush. Learn to read the terrain and use low lying areas to maneuver closer to your target. Travel on roads as little as possible. Do not travel along crest lines but use them to establish a hull down position whenever possible. Make observations from deep within a forested area and not from the forest edge when possible and always try to shoot and scoot when the kill is made. 

[moustache]

in a small squad is, I think, also a very useful help: you cover a wider observation area, you can cover each other, it increases your firepower and some enemies will even hesitate to attack you

 

it is also necessary to know your tank well: at what distance I can engage the target, the speed of this one, its armor... and therefore also the enemy in front

 

ah, and playing as a team will allow you to benefit from the experience of other players (some here are really very nice and would be, I think, happy to help you...)

[JV44HeinzBar]

11 hours ago, Dusty_Steppes said:

Make observations from deep within a forested area and not from the forest edge when possible and always try to shoot and scoot when the kill is made. 

@Dusty_Steppes Watch out for this one Crash....he's a talented & sneaky tanker. He'll damage, if not kill you, when you least expect it When Dusty, Chaintong, & Leady Brickov are online playing allied tanks, you're in for some good fights if you're in a panzer.

 

HB

[Pict]

On 9/22/2022 at 4:54 AM, ShampooActual said:

Hapo what I do is press hte up arrow key to get going then press <Enter> this will take you to the vehicle healt hscreen, then <Enter> again to turn the screen off, but your tank engine will continue  run in gear.  It's not true autopilot because you still have to steer.  But at least you don't have to hold Up Arrow the whole time.

 

I use JoyToKey and set up a button on my joystick for te forward or W key and then set it to toggle. This means that when I press that button on the joystick, it "holds" the W key for me and only releses it when I press the joystick button again. Very handy.

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Pict