win How to maximize your impact in tank battles and improve your win rate?

[No_Camping 1,804]

Ce tutoriel est aussi disponible en français : "Améliorer votre jeu en bataille de chars" (cliquez sur le lien)    (Updated 27 November 2022)

 

Hello fellow tankers!

 

For those who already read this post, you know my view on the goal to achieve in a battle (apart from having fun): WIN. Not the number of kills, not the final ranking in your team (ARPT), not avoiding dying to preserve your damn KDR... Winning the battle should be your only goal. If you do not agree, fine. Your loss, literally. With this is mind, a good player is above all characterized by his/her positive impact on the outcome of a battle .

 

If you are still with me, here are a few thoughts about ensuring that you are doing your best to help your team win a ground battle (see also my tutorial "Strategic tips for difficult ground battle maps" pinned in the same Army Academy section of the forum and featuring many videos). Of course, if you are already a beast, you will be amused by these advice. But if you are currently simply an average or good (or even bad) player, why not checking them out to improve your game and your tactical skills, and in passing, your win rate. Most of these simple tips are valid in all modes (AB, RB, SB ground battles). They are listed in a tentative logical order and are illustrated in one short video and some full game videos below.

 

Learn about the tanks: the ones you like and play and the ones you don’t (but, try them all!). Check out their weak and strong spots, their reload time, whether they should be angled (Tiger I...) or essentially not (M4 Jumbo, Panthers…), their reverse speed (with a Panther, if necessary, try to hide after a shot by going forward), the position of the crew (gunner, loader...)… Watch a tutorial about the different types of ammunition and learn about their use, damage, speed, weaknesses, and strengths… Learn to use the graduations in gunner view to elevate your gun depending on the distance of the target (use range finding (if you like it) and binoculars aiming), especially in RB/SB. Finally, learn to use smoke shells to protect the access to a spot you or your teammates want to reach, or to blind enemy tanks. Exploit smoke grenades to hide your retreat or hide your advance, or simply to confuse the enemy!
By the way, you can have very good results playing most tanks of any nation. There are a very few exceptions (French and Japanese Tier I; and yet, good players do also reasonably well there), but a "tank or nation bias" cannot be an excuse for an overall low win rate. Some players only develop one nation ground tech tree. That's their entire right but they will miss many great and fun tanks to play, with the risk of soon getting bored with the game. Most importantly, they will never properly learn the strengths and weaknesses of the many tanks they ignore, and will hence never fully learn how to properly fight them: you only properly learn to kill a tank after having died enough times playing it! As an unfortunate consequence, many one-nation players also quickly develop the frustrative misconception that all other nations tanks are OP compared to the ones they use, and then adopt a very defensive, overly prudent, and ultimately, very ineffective play style... adding to their frustration.

 

Arcade, realistic, and simulator modes: do not listen to snobs (who consider that their favorite mode is the "only true game") or nostalgic WoT players: the three game modes are as interesting and difficult as each other, but not necessarily for the same reasons. The three modes require for example a very good awareness of the environment: in AB, because all the enemies can see you, which affects strongly your placement and displacements; in RB/SB, because you do not see them, which will require concentration and anticipation skills. In RB/SB, aiming and shooting is more difficult than in AB, but nothing better to know your guns (depending on the ammunition used) and the "weak spots" of the different tanks than to practice in AB, which will give you very useful automatisms for RB/SB. AB will also teach you to take the best paths to move on a map (without being seen in AB, hence in RB/SB) and you will learn better than in RB/SB how to optimize the placement of your tank and the best way to angle it (or not) in close combat (the "green cross" of enemies is ruthless in AB – try to make it red !).

That's why I advise starting with AB, also to understand the impact that a single player can have being active (the players who play only in RB/SB with too few AB games are usually too cautious, and/or sometimes lack a "battle plan"; see hereafter). Conversely, AB is tactically richer in the sense that the knowledge of the position of the opponents will give you and your teammates a better-informed vision to establish individual and collective plans/strategies at the scale of the whole map, that the faster tanks than in RB/SB will help you to implement. In any case, a complete player will benefit from his/her knowledge acquired in the three modes that will conversely help him/her to improve in each of them.
Here is a video commenting in more details the AB/RB/SN ground modes.

 

Before going to battle, prepare a coherent line-up: your BR is set by your top tank, so put at least 3 tanks of comparable power and BR in your line-up (arcade). The temptation is sometimes so great to try one’s new BR 8.7-9.7 toy, even if it is only supported by two BR 5.0 "weak" tanks. Don’t. Oh, and people taking their new (often premium) toy and leaving the battle once it’s destroyed are a shameful disgrace to this game (unfortunately, too common at BR>7.0). Note that in RB, a coherent line-up adapted to this mode necessitates at least 6 crew slots (medium/light tanks, heavy tanks, one SPG, at least one AA, and planes, if you also fly). Putting several tanks in your line-up will also allow you to adapt the tanks you play to the maps you will encounter (AB/RB/SB) or to the evolution of the battle (AB/RB).

 

Learn about the maps: a very good knowledge of the maps is mandatory to become an accomplished tanker. You should try to discover the fastest and safest routes between critical positions on a given map, and in particular, between the cap areas. It is also important to know the good shooting (and even camping...) spots on a map, and definitely to be able to avoid the bad ones... But most importantly, your advanced knowledge of the maps and of what the teams usually do on them will allow you to develop your strategic skills, to define your plan at the start of the battle, and to update it during the battle. Ultimately, this tactical knowledge will give you a decisive advantage on the battlefield and will also make the game even more interesting for you! After reading the present tutorial, you can consult my other tutorial also pinned in this forum section which is devoted to "Strategic tips for difficult ground battle maps" which strongly focuses on the notion of connected zones in Domination battles. This tutorial features many videos from my YouTube channel dedicated to map guides, other tutorials, and gameplays.

 

Spawn intelligently: when you have played enough battles, you should be able to realize why and how a battle is usually lost on such or such map. For instance, on the Korea map with 3 zones (see the first video below), most of the players of both sides usually spawn east to go camping above C. Simply don’t! Spawn in the west with direct access to the connected zones A and B, where this battle is simply always won. Good players first spawn west. Period. More generally, first spawn where you will have the most options (A and B in Korea, Tunisia, or Kuban…). In particular, when there are 3 (horizontal) zones (Korea, Sinai, Berlin, Tunisia...), try to privilege going toward a zone with easy access to another zone. In addition, if you see that the area covered by your first spawn point is heavily controlled by your team, respawn to go to an area where your team needs help. Just never let the game decide the spawn for you!

 

Mind the caps: there is no doubt that most battles are lost by the team who cared the less about the caps/zones (some players would be surprised that it is even truer in RB, and even more in SB battles). Taking, holding, retaking zones is the best way to ensure victory. Period. Do not worry, by doing this, you’ll have plenty of kill opportunities (see the full gameplay video below). Note that in RB, good pilots can also cap ground zones like in this great video by my friend @Spectra21! Of course, this does not mean that one should just go banzai rushing a cap or just stay there when it is captured... In particular, in RB, leave the captured zone, and wait for the enemy on their side of the zone. Also, learn to abandon a cap too well defended by the opponent if your team firmly holds the two other caps. Instead, be ready to fight at the junction between the enemy cap and the territory controlled by your team. Be smart, develop your tactical skills, lay your traps, but mind the caps!

A quick note about the Battle mode in AB/RB/SB (see also this video), where each team owns an already captured cap, usually near their spawn. Each cap takes several minutes to uncap and then cap, and for this reason, one must rather see this mode as a "death match" and therefore be more patient/cautious/defensive than in the Domination and Conquest modes, where being aggressive near the caps is the best path to victory. Indeed, in Battle mode, the bulk of the allied team should first intercept the most aggressive enemies attacking the allied cap. To go too early to the enemy cap is, in my opinion, a suicidal error. But if you still decide to go there, you have to learn to take pauses and be patient, as the enemy will certainly have a numerical advantage near their cap. And of course in RB, never uncap the enemy zone if you are not sure to control it then (otherwise, the enemy will recapture it quickly and earn spawns points). However, there are a few maps (Finland, Berlin, or American Desert, where the 2 caps are very close to each other and in the center of the map) where it is essential to put a strong pressure on the enemy cap from the beginning of the battle.

 

Don’t necessarily go first to the cap were everybody goes: a battle is won by exhausting enemy tickets by taking and holding zones/caps (something which should be reminded to many players…). Very often, one cap is completely ignored at the beginning of the game (B in Berlin, Tunisia, Korea…). In many maps where the three zones align vertically (Mozdok B, Eastern Europe B, Kuban B, Ardennes B…), the battle is won in the central zone, while one zone naturally belongs to the enemy and the last one belongs to our side. Go at once where the real fight will take place. To achieve that… Spawn intelligently (see above)!

 

Watch your f...ing map: most players are not watching their map enough (or at all) and that, surprisingly enough, even at high tiers. Of course, watching your mini-map (typically every 8-10 seconds) will help you to spot sneaky enemies or your next target. But most importantly, it allows you to assess the situation: which zone is in danger to be taken soon by the enemy, where your allies and enemies are (and hits on enemy targets in RB), which enemy or spot your allies are marking on the mini-map, where you should go next, where to respawn intelligently (see above)… Note that you can also access to a larger and more precise version of the mini-map by pressing "M" (default setting).

 

Move and be (re)active: if you are the best sniper/camper in the world, fine. But let’s be honest, most campers we cross and kill on the battlefield are mediocre players and lack the tactical skills of active players (alright, my in-game nickname might reveal a certain prejudice against campers; oh sorry, they call themselves “snipers”; sure...). Always remember the objective: caps/zones. Once you have taken or helped take one zone, hold it if the enemy is still present or counterattacks (which does not mean that you should stay right on the zone, especially in RB/SB where you should lay your traps as an enemy uncapping a zone reveals its presence), and move to the next one if the zone you already helped take is well secured, which leads me to…

 

Learn the critical spots of a map (and how to get there fast): learn to drive your tanks (stop wiggling and bumping into others; straight lines are faster!), and also learn the fastest way from one to another critical spot or cap of the map and the dangerous passages to be avoided. Try several options before discovering your favorite approaches, learn to be smart and to lay traps… This nice rock above C on Sinai, attacking B from the west in Sinai (contrary to what most players do), blocking the enemy entrance to B in Mozdok when spawning from the west side, going to the church in B in Poland by the little street to the west and not from the main street (from both camps)… Remember the spots where you have been killed so many times without being able to shoot at anything and those where you (or an enemy) had a surprisingly good run. Learn where the enemy usually go (to C in Korea, to the city A in Tunisia…) or what they often do on such or such map. Prepare your cunning plan (and read my tutorial "Strategic tips for difficult ground battle maps")!

 

Prioritize your targets: you often have the choice between several targets, whether in an urgent situation (the enemies saw you and you do not have time to retreat) or in a more serene situation, especially when ambushing a few enemy tanks. Choose (in an urgent situation, do it quickly!) your first target according to the following factors: the targets who saw you and those who did not (tunnel vision), the dangerousness of the targets, their reloading time, their placement... In an urgent situation, start with the most powerful target (at least to destroy its gun) hoping that the other tank will do you only limited damage or will miss you (angle your tank properly with respect to the latter). On the other hand, if the most powerful target has just fired and has a long reload time, start with the other target. In an ambush situation behind several tanks, start with the tanks in the rear, so that those in front do not realize too soon (or at all!) that their allies disappear one by one! In other serene situations, you will first choose the most dangerous target, especially if you have a good chance of being able to seriously damage or even destroy it.
Finally, if you encounter an opponent really too tough for your gun (T28/T95 against your Char 25t), be realistic and know when to retreat to eventually flank it and attack it later from a more favorable angle, or just hope that an ally with a more powerful tank will take care of it.

 

Do not get distracted by campers and far flanking enemies: Most campers are mediocre players without a plan (that's why most of them simply camp all games) and usually shoot at other campers, resulting in an absurd mutual annihilation. As a rule of thumb, never camp the campers, especially when they can be easily avoided (like campers over A in Tunisia, or campers from C in Mozdok), making them irrelevant. Why taking the risk of dying just to destroy an irrelevant player with no impact on the battle? Even when campers are blocking your only possible route (but most of the time, you can find an alternative safer route), you can try to outsmart them by exploiting the terrain and the mobility of your tank (see the two videos below) or first shoot smoke shells (if available) at their general direction to blind them. Yet, if a competent camper becomes a real trouble, he should become the priority target of allied airstrikes after being marked on the map. Moreover, especially in AB conquest maps, there will always be a few enemies to go for a wide route (like going to the east castle in the Fulda map, despite the cap being on A in the west). This kind of wide flanking is generally totally useless, these players never meeting any enemy (they often ultimately go to the enemy spawn where they quickly die after their long boring route). A common error is for a group of allied tanks to go meet them, hence not participating to the real fight in the area near the only cap. It is so frustrating to see 5 allies go chasing an isolated and irrelevant wide flanker, and falling for what I call "unintended psychological warfare"... Don't fall for it, and try to convince your teammates in the chat to simply ignore these far flanking trolls.

 

Lead by example: do not be afraid, you do not really die when your tank is destroyed… And forget your damn KDR (a useless measure of your talent in ground AB)! Take (reasonable) risks, especially if there is a good chance that this will help to win the battle, and make the best of your 3 available spawns in AB. You will be surprised that your acts of bravery will encourage some of your teammates to follow in your steps (hum, unfortunately, not always…). Fight up to the end and never give up: I have seen so many battles won with a few tickets left (remember that one kill is worth 100 tickets), or lost because some players actually gave up too soon or just left the game like the cowards and traitors they are. In fact, I find that the most interesting and memorable battles, the ones which actually show the kind of tanker you are, are those which seem (and are sometimes) desperate!

 

Cooperate with your teammates: even when not playing in a squad, be active in helping your teammates. An enemy at the corner? The friendly in front of you goes for it? Tag along, but again, do not bump on your ally while he tries to shoot! Also, never stand behind an ally shooting as you will block his retreat. Did the enemy fire? Go! Don’t let your buddy die! An enemy hiding behind a rock, and an ally attacking him from the right? Attack from the left, and let your ally take the kill if it is safer for him to do it; otherwise, go for it! An ally close to you crying for help in the chat? Look if you can help! Finally, in RB, when the caps are "vertical", meaning one belongs to each side, wait for your allies before capping the first zone so that the maximum number of teammates get spawn points (people rushing alone to this first cap with their fast but useless M22 or BT-5 are effectively working for the enemy).

 

Spread: as you advance toward the enemy, we just saw that it can be very effective to tag along with a squadmate or a simple unknown but active teammate (use the message "follow me" to encourage him to do so). Yet, do not join big groups of friendly tanks cluttered behind a house or a rock, or on a cap: they are perfect targets for artillery and planes... and you will be too if you go there. Hence, be aware of artillery (especially if you are in a paper tank), of enemies starting an air session in AB, and more generally, of the enemy planes in the air in all game modes (if you are in an AA, please focus on them)... which leads me to...

Use planes: in RB/SB, and preferably if you are a good pilot, do not hesitate to take planes (if possible fighters/attackers with some bombs and/or rockets). Yet, never forget that a plane cannot take a cap... and hence do not spawn in a plane just because you feel like it, if your team has too little presence on the ground or if capturing zones is becoming an urgent matter... If allied tanks become too isolated, they will also become weaker targets for the enemy ground forces. In AB, learn to use bombs/rockets going for the most dangerously located or the most powerful enemy tanks (or even for the best enemy players! Watch the battle stats and the kill list), or to unblock a situation, or aiming at big groups of enemy tanks (see above). If you take a fighter, imperatively protect your allied bomber and/or attacker. If not, just stay in your tank and leave the fighter to a less useless teammate. Depending on the month of the year (it seems that Gaijin is continuously changing opinion on the matter), light ground targets can be rammed by planes or not. If ramming is on, do not hesitate to do it (play by the rules, even if you do not agree with them), but only after having accomplished your primary task (bombing ground targets or defending your allied planes).

Use artillery: as light and medium tanks can launch artillery strikes, again preferably target big groups of enemy tanks (artillery will have a better chance to hit something), or use it on tanks located at a critical spot. Avoid using artillery on heavy or well armored tanks and rather focus it on light/medium tanks and SPAAs. Be altruistic: aiming an artillery strike at the single enemy facing you instead of targeting a big group of enemies elsewhere will have a lower potential impact on the battle and may cause your own death later... In fact, do not launch artillery on a cap which is about to be captured by your team, even if one enemy is still there. In RB/SB, launch your artillery at the beginning of the battle on the first cap near the enemy spawn (only in maps with 3 "vertical" caps) or on spots where you know that the enemy is bound to pass through or to camp. In RB, artillery also serves the purpose of locating enemies, as hits will appear on the mini-map of all allies.

 

Use in-game messages: point on the map to a particularly dangerous or well-positioned enemy that most of your teammates, not watching their f...ing map, may have missed. Of course, this is essential in RB/SB, where you should also systematically point to the location of an enemy who just killed you, after respawning. Do not hesitate to use the automatic messages “cover me” or “follow me” (the latter also to locate yourself on the map in SB), but with moderation and only if you actually know what you are doing… Do not forget to thank an ally who just saved your life… And do apologize if you accidentally kill an ally (especially in SB), or in case you bump into an ally who was trying to kill an enemy and missed because of your clumsiness...The battlefield is large enough so that no one should need to do that…

Finally, especially in RB/SB but also in AB, follow the thread of the "kill list" (on the right of your screen) to identify a particularly effective enemy, trying to locate his position (only in AB/RB) by the allied tanks he has eliminated and which hence disappear from your mini-map.

 

Do not be suicidally euphoric: very often, one of the two teams has a very good start, for instance holding the 3 zones after 2 minutes. Then, the leading team pushes like crazy (people pushing right after taking A in Finland is typical of mass suicide; secure B instead) and ultimately loses. Be patient, the enemy will come soon enough. Yet…

 

Advance with the front line: once the enemy is falling back and your teammates are advancing (not in a suicidal manner), do not stay back. Advance with them! And since you are now getting close to the enemy spawn...

 

Let's talk about spawn-killing: in AB, spawn-killing should only be the final reward of an already won battle, when the caps are already secured, and when the enemy is agonizing with a few tanks left. Note that players complaining about this late kind of spawn-killing are just hypocritical crybabies. What do they expect? That the other team will nicely wait for the few enemy tanks left near the caps? Grow up! After all, Nazi Germany was ultimately spawn-killed by the allies... By the way, no, spawn-killing in War Thunder is not illegal.
Yet, most players going early to the enemy spawn hamper the chances of their team to win, for so many reasons, starting with: 1) they usually take a side way to get to the enemy spawn, hence being totally useless during their long drive; 2) totally alone, and the enemy still having many tanks, they usually die instantly; 3) even if they get 1 or 2 kills, it is not worth the long drive and restarting from spawn after being killed; 4) an early spawn-killer is one less tanker where the fight is actually taking place (near caps); 5) spawn-killers (like most campers/snipers) do not make the important kills which will decide of the outcome of the battle: those tanks holding or nearly capturing a zone are killed by the active players. Period. And hence, not all kills are equal. Need more reasons?
In RB, early spawn-killing (definitely not a fair-play attitude) can be indeed effective when properly done but still suffers from the same drawbacks as in AB if you go too soon to enemy spawn. Also, remember that if your team is losing – partly because you did not help where the fight is actually taking place, the enemy will not be spawning... as they are not dying... Unfortunately, the new (cheap) spawning points system tends to encourage (early) spawn-killing... To combat early spawn-killing in RB, your team must be careful to monitor access to the spawn-killers' favorite spots (especially on some maps like Ardennes or Maginot Line), and you must mark them on the map if you have spotted some... especially if one of them killed you... Do not hesitate to change spawn, if the map has several. As for the late/final collective spawn-killing in a completely one-sided battle with an agonizing losing team stuck in their spawn... who cares (see the AB case above)?

In SB, because of the increased size of several maps, the limited number of tank spawns, and the smaller teams, early spawn-killing is usually totally useless (and, again, definitely not in the spirit of the game) and late spawn-killing may only serve to finish off an agonizing enemy, like in AB (although much less justified/effective than in AB because of the smaller team and fewer respawns).

 

Make friends and squad up: of course, when you play in a squad with in-game (or real!) friends, you are able to better coordinate your efforts and strategy. 4 players of the same level will do better in a squad, but only if they take the opportunity of communicating to apply the simple tips listed above. So "friend" people of comparable skill level as you who did well in a battle, who assisted you, or whom you assisted during the game. Squad up with them if they wish. In a sense, be the recruiter of your own squadron (that's how I started squadron JOB and still recruit new players)! A bit of showing off with these two videos where JOB squads achieved 38 kills (squad of 3) and 40 kills (squad of 4) in tank AB. If you want to know more about playing in squad and about squadrons, feel free to watch my tutorial on this subject!

 

Conclusion: I hear many players complaining that they were in a stupid team and that there was nothing to do to win the battle. Sure, that happens sometimes. Still, there is no doubt that a single good tanker playing any nation can have a big or even huge impact on a battle, and consistently present win rates well above 50% in AB, RB, and SB ground battles. So, if your current monthly win rate is still below 55% in any tank mode you play, it is likely that you are not fully exploiting some of the above tips.

A word about cheaters: cheaters are a plague for all honest players and the game itself, and I personally do not understand where they derive their unhealthy pleasure. Before suspecting any illegal action, one must first be aware of the "hacks" that exist and those that simply do not exist. Let's say it straight away, and as repeated many times by Gaijin, hacks making shells ricochet on your tank, or increasing the penetration of your shells or the speed of your tank, or letting you shoot through impenetrable objects for others, or reducing your repair or reloading time simply do not exist. All these aspects are directly managed by Gaijin's servers and not by your client. The most used hacks are aimbots/wall-hacks that allow seeing enemies that you are not supposed to be able to see and which provide assistance for long-range shooting, although without being able to help to aim at tank weak spots. These hacks are of little interest in AB (except for some "miraculous" long distance shots) but have a huge impact in RB/SB, since enemies, at least those in your environment, will show some kind of markers. See this link and this link for more information from Gaijin on cheating and their fight against it.
What if you suspect a player of cheating? First, never tell someone that he is a cheater: if you're right, report him instead (see below) and do not warn him that he is on your watch list, the surprise of his ban will be even bigger; if you are wrong and just displayed your frustration at having met a skilled opponent, you are ridiculous and behaving like a complete n00b. If you suspect a player of cheating, watch the replay in question (by switching on player markers) on Gaijin's server only by selecting the player's view (button "2"; you may also try low graphical settings as some players use ULQ, because, of course, they have a computer from 1995...), because your replay on your client is not reliable at all (let alone the in-game kill-cam which just shows a very crude depiction of the kill; simply never trust the latter). If your suspicions are confirmed, look at some other replays of the player to be sure. In RB/SB, where these cheaters are the most numerous (and the easiest to identify), see if the player anticipates the motion of opponents without having been able to spot or hear them at all before (too timely rotation of his turret and/or switch to gunner view), and if he can spot distant opponents very quickly without a convincing search (using gunner view and/or binoculars). If you are now sure, report the player (preferably, for all replays that you have identified as suspicious) by indicating the time of the first cheating. You have to fill your report with a brief text where you will specify the nature of the cheating and other critical moments in the replay. Happy hunting... but without acting like a n00b! By the way, do not hesitate to read the post about combat etiquette in this section of the forum!

Cheers and thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

No_Camping
“Commander” of squadron =JOB= (see JOB's profile on this forum and on ThunderSkill.com )
My credentials: typically 75% global win rates in ground AB/RB/SB (2 years playing completely alone; 3 years playing ¾ of my battles in squads), with 35000+/4500+/350+ battles there. I play all nations at all BR, even the "bad" tanks – including 18000+ battles in Tier 5-7 – with more than 90% of all the tanks in the game fully spaded.

 

 

A short video illustrating 11 of the above tips: ground AB at BR 8.0 on the Korea/38th Parallel map (not "37th", as I say in the video...). This is not a gameplay video, but rather an "attitude-in-game" video...
 

• Don’t necessarily go first to the cap were everybody goes: at first, our squad went to the connected caps A+B where this battle is simply always won, while most of the other players in both teams initially went to camp/"snipe" above C.
• Spawn intelligently: after my Maus is destroyed near B, and A+B being secured mostly by our squad of 4 (see the mini-map where my squadmates are in light-blue; I died near the bridge in front of B), I decide to go to C.
• Mind the caps: my objective is clearly to capture C, not to camp/snipe...
• Watch your f...ing map: the map shows the location of many enemy campers, and that of a courageous enemy Maus blocking/scaring our players camping above C.
• Learn the critical spots of a map (and how to get there fast): exploiting the terrain (rocks) and the speed of my tank, there are two main ways to go fast from spawn to C without any trouble from enemy campers (which makes this systematic camping stalemate in C quite absurd) . I chose the less safe one as the Maus is blocking my alternative route.
• Move and be (re)active: after dying near B, I go to C, uncap it, kill the Maus (with a bit of initial luck), and finally cap C... all this in 2 minutes!.
• Use in-game messages: as I am approaching the Maus, I invite my teammates camping above C to "follow meeee!", with a mixed result, but...
• Lead by example: as I rush to C and start fighting the Maus, my teammates finally decide to abandon their camping position and to help me with the Maus!
• Learn about the tanks: after the Maus is disabled, the final blow is given by a single shot in the ammo rack (shooting at this spot on its left rear often one-shot kills a Maus) .
• Spawn-killing: as the enemy team is agonizing, I consider that there is no shame in shortening their suffering as we dutifully do later in this battle.
• Make friends and squad up : a good strategy is easier to implement when playing in a squad. Yet, a single player can have a huge impact in a battle, and a squad of 4 players not following the simple tips of this tutorial will simply not. Our squad finally took the 4 top spots of the team (playing German (x2), Russian, and British tanks) with a total of 20 kills and all three caps captured by us (JOB record in a 4-man squad is 41 kills in AB out of the 48 potential targets, with the rest of the team gathering... 2 kills).

 

 

A full game video illustrating the above tips: ground AB at BR 10.0 on the Mozdok map (Conquest)
Our 2-player squad essentially won this battle almost alone: 13+7=20 tanks + 2 helicopters killed; the only cap (re) taken 1+3=4 times; the rest of our team painfully gathered 7 kills and 0 cap, mostly camping and killed in spawn by two active enemy players (but who forgot to "mind the cap")... This video perfectly illustrates the fact that, even in Tier 6 ground games, the few active players in both teams are the ones who actually decide of the outcome of the battle, while most of the other players are just cannon fodders. It belongs to you to chose which type of player you wish to be or become.

 

 

A full game video illustrating the above tips along with more strategic tips: ground AB at BR 6.3 on the Finland domination map

This video is also featured on my other tutorial "Strategic tips for difficult ground battle maps" and also illustrates how you can exploit the mobility of your tank

 

A full game video illustrating the above tips along with more strategic tips: ground AB at BR 10.3 on the Abandoned factory domination map

This video is also featured on my other tutorial "Strategic tips for difficult ground battle maps" and also addresses the issue of spawn-killing (by the enemy team!) and the fact that a good tanker never gives up the fight!

 

 

A full game video illustrating the above tips along with more strategic tips: ground AB at BR 7.0 on the Berlin map (conquest, for a change)

This video is also featured on my other tutorial "Strategic tips for difficult ground battle maps" and addresses the problems with too passive camping and advertises the Lorraine 40t, one of my very favorite tanks (see my review on French tanks pinned on the forum )

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by No_Camping

[otomai 937]

nice write, thanks man.

i had bad rating on thunderskill when i was a newbie until pz 4 (im still average, on the higher en, but still improving). Didnt even think i would get more points than 1000. Now 2000-3000 scores are not even rare. Then i watched yt, read tips (like this) and changed to light tank, which is much more suits my tactic. I can only advise new players to do the same

Edited September 16, 2017 by arongaspar

[No_Camping 1,804]

On 16/09/2017 at 09:33, arongaspar said:

nice write, thanks man.

i had bad rating on thunderskill when i was a newbie until pz 4 (im still average, on the higher en, but still improving). Didnt even think i would get more points than 1000. Now 2000-3000 scores are not even rare. Then i watched yt, read tips (like this) and changed to light tank, which is much more suits my tactic. I can only advise new players to do the same

Good point! Yes, playing tanks that suits your play style certainly helps winning! Yet I think it is also nice to try to develop all tanks and nations even if you primarily play on your favorite ones.

Edited June 4, 2018 by No_Camping

[Ometius93 2,989]

 As a SB player I'd say the biggest point is know the enemy tanks and their capabilities, with that you will know what they will do most of the time (does help that we're always the same guys in SB, I already know what certain playrrs will try to do beforehand :P). 

 

 Also, be patient and keep a cool head. Unless you get killed because your shell decides to disappear, then you can rage. 

 

 I heavily disagree with the camping part. I have won many games in my Chieftain with my squadmate (cousin) because the entire team (mostly leopards or other fast tanks, obviously) decided to rush head on against the russians and got obliterated, yet we could wipe the entire enemy team from a defensive position.

 

 Also, watch the god damn map, read the chat, and use the battle chat to your advantage (who set on fire who, what can that guy spawn in, etc.).

[KB_Martinsen 582]

As a pure AB player I will agree whit just about most your saying above but I do have som coments.

 

About spawn killing. You dont have to shoot peoples in thier spawn, I find that in most cases just letting them see you and letting them know your there will make alot of players bug down in or around thier spawn there by your team will have an easyir time capping points when 1/3 to 1/2 of enemy team not attacking them.

 

About the map. I think often for me many of my kills com from peoples simply not looking at thier map or ignoring the red dot just popped up next to them, it is quith easy to spot somone trying to sneak up on you on map but most peoples seams to ignore it.

 

Don’t go were everybody goes! I find in most cases distancing your self/+squad from your team usealy works better than trying to compete for kills/cap whit 5-10 others.

 

Taking the long routh on the map using cover and blocking los popping up ambusing or assaulting in an unlikly place work wonders.

[No_Camping 1,804]

On 16/09/2017 at 2:36 PM, Ometius93 said:

 As a SB player I'd say the biggest point is know the enemy tanks and their capabilities, with that you will know what they will do most of the time (does help that we're always the same guys in SB, I already know what certain playrrs will try to do beforehand :P).

Yeah SB has its own special dynamics, especially due to the fact that the battles often involve smaller teams so that it is even more important that each player contributes.

 

Quote

 

 Also, be patient and keep a cool head. Unless you get killed because your shell decides to disappear, then you can rage. 

 

 I heavily disagree with the camping part. I have won many games in my Chieftain with my squadmate (cousin) because the entire team (mostly leopards or other fast tanks, obviously) decided to rush head on against the russians and got obliterated, yet we could wipe the entire enemy team from a defensive position.

Yes, that can happen. I also mentioned "don't be suicidal" and never mention to always "rush the cap". You are perfectly right, on some maps rushing caps works on others it does not, especially in tier 5 battles. Yet, if nobody "mind the caps" (my way of putting it) in your team, the team is bound to lose. I see you are really an outstanding SB and RB player so you also know that too passive teams lose most of the time there (I also see that your win rate in AB is 50% despite a good kill rate, so that I am convinced you are missing something there...). In AB, since you loose the element of surprise because of the tags, I am still convinced that camping is a total mistake. In RB/SB, if a player is very good at it, as you definitively are, this is obviously a valid option.
Hey why don't you visit us on of these nights at https://discord.gg/9TrsEhX. We could tag along!

Quote

 Also, watch the god damn map, read the chat, and use the battle chat to your advantage (who set on fire who, what can that guy spawn in, etc.).

Yes! Again, I am amazed how many people, even good players (in the sense, good killers) do not exploit the map and other (chat, you're right) info.

Edited October 14, 2017 by No_Camping

[No_Camping 1,804]

25 minutes ago, KB_Martinsen said:

As a pure AB player I will agree whit just about most your saying above but I do have som coments.

 

About spawn killing. You dont have to shoot peoples in thier spawn, I find that in most cases just letting them see you and letting them know your there will make alot of players bug down in or around thier spawn there by your team will have an easyir time capping points when 1/3 to 1/2 of enemy team not attacking them.

Nice we agree on most of the points. Actually, I also agree on your remark on spawn-killing that just being seen not to far from spawn often make the enemy camp there (which is obviously an error on their part, yet).

[Pr0letari0s 73]

Nice work !

[AtomicPope 3,953]

A small point that comes to mind is also not to sit on the cap while it's decapping, you only have to enter the cap and it decaps on its own yet people keep sitting on the cap waiting to get bombed or attacked.

 

A decapping cap point is actually a good bait, if you decap then hide in the near vicinity you often get the nearest enemies to rush the cap and you can pick them off and later cap in peace.

 

Good work with that guide!

[Rus_boar 323]

All seems doable making friends, on the other hand, seems to be the hardest part. 

[No_Camping 1,804]

27 minutes ago, pr0letari0s said:

Nice work !

Thanks!

 

19 minutes ago, AtomicPope said:

A small point that comes to mind is also not to sit on the cap while it's decapping, you only have to enter the cap and it decaps on its own yet people keep sitting on the cap waiting to get bombed or attacked.

 

A decapping cap point is actually a good bait, if you decap then hide in the near vicinity you often get the nearest enemies to rush the cap and you can pick them off and later cap in peace.

You are perfectly right! This is even truer in RB/SB.

19 minutes ago, AtomicPope said:

 

Good work with that guide!

Thanks

[Jarms 1,558]

I had always thought many of these were commonsense things when I started playing. Then came all the bad teammates. Lol.

 

+1

Edited September 17, 2017 by Jarms

[No_Camping 1,804]

15 hours ago, Jarms said:

I had always thought many of these were commonsense things when I started playing. Then came all the bad teammates. Lol.

 

+1

Yeah, nothing original there... Yet...

[Kicimijazawa 293]

Also - with CAP points alligned (spawn point 1) A->B->C (spawn point 2) I'd go to B ASAP, as there will be plenty of time to secure points that are closest to your spawns.
Sadly, I see teams stopping the advance on first cap point they can reach...

[No_Camping 1,804]

9 hours ago, Kicimijazawa said:

Also - with CAP points alligned (spawn point 1) A->B->C (spawn point 2) I'd go to B ASAP, as there will be plenty of time to secure points that are closest to your spawns.
Sadly, I see teams stopping the advance on first cap point they can reach...

Completely agree; more or less, that is what I meant by "spawn intelligently" where you get the most future options

And when the caps are vertical, meaning one belongs to each side, WAIT for team in RB to cap.

Edited September 18, 2017 by No_Camping

[No_Camping 1,804]

I have slightly edited the original post to include some good points raised by some of you above!
Thanks!

[No_Camping 1,804]

On 17/09/2017 at 5:20 AM, Jarms said:

I had always thought many of these were commonsense things when I started playing. Then came all the bad teammates. Lol.

 

+1

Ask them to read this post!

[Soviet_Man86 12]

Thanks for this guide No_Camping!

 

It is very useful guide.More people need to read it  so we all have less bad players in the game:)))

Edited October 21, 2017 by Soviet_Man86

[crimfobic 270]

I posted this link in our Squad Discord channel. This is a very imformative thread and should be read by every new and experienced player alike.

 

[No_Camping 1,804]

On 21/10/2017 at 5:26 PM, Soviet_Man86 said:

Thanks for this guide No_Camping!

 

It is very useful guide.More people need to read it  so we all have less bad players in the game:)))

Thanks Komrade!

[No_Camping 1,804]

20 hours ago, crimfobic said:

I posted this link in our Squad Discord channel. This is a very imformative thread and should be read by every new and experienced player alike.

 

Thanks crimfobic! I hope your fellow tankers in the Wolf Pack enjoyed it!

 

[No_Camping 1,804]

On 22/10/2017 at 8:36 PM, crimfobic said:

I posted this link in our Squad Discord channel. This is a very imformative thread and should be read by every new and experienced player alike.

 

And I see you are actually applying these "advices" in battle!

Edited November 12, 2017 by No_Camping

[mfree80286 1,158]

Big one: Think for yourself, even if just a little bit.

 

Being ultimately concerned with my own survival having been caught out somewhat in the open in a disabled SU-76M, I managed to kill a couple popouts before someone finally managed to partially flank and land an angled shot that removed my remaining crew.

Back at the hangar I realized to my utter shock that the entire subset of the team that I had initially gotten ahead of to take a defensive fire position while (I thought) they pushed to cap, had piled up into a firing line just behind me when my transmission was first damaged. Nobody had pushed, even though at one point I'd reduced the number of reds in the cap zone to one... not a single vehicle of the 6-8 behind me tried to push. I hadn't noticed because I was shuffling duties between making sure I held off 'peekaboos' that would finish me, trying to get repaired so I could seek cover, putting out fires, etc.

 

Yeah, I got myself in an idiotic spot, but my god... I'm not exactly blocking the road here, I'm very exposed and not getting lit up with shot and neither are you, why aren't you moving! Not a technical map either, it was on the road just past the intersection south of C (western, I think it's C) point in Volokamsk domination GFAB mode. Enemies would be well visible...

[No_Camping 1,804]

5 hours ago, mfree80286 said:

Big one: Think for yourself, even if just a little bit.

 

Being ultimately concerned with my own survival having been caught out somewhat in the open in a disabled SU-76M, I managed to kill a couple popouts before someone finally managed to partially flank and land an angled shot that removed my remaining crew.

Back at the hangar I realized to my utter shock that the entire subset of the team that I had initially gotten ahead of to take a defensive fire position while (I thought) they pushed to cap, had piled up into a firing line just behind me when my transmission was first damaged. Nobody had pushed, even though at one point I'd reduced the number of reds in the cap zone to one... not a single vehicle of the 6-8 behind me tried to push. I hadn't noticed because I was shuffling duties between making sure I held off 'peekaboos' that would finish me, trying to get repaired so I could seek cover, putting out fires, etc.

 

Yeah, I got myself in an idiotic spot, but my god... I'm not exactly blocking the road here, I'm very exposed and not getting lit up with shot and neither are you, why aren't you moving! Not a technical map either, it was on the road just past the intersection south of C (western, I think it's C) point in Volokamsk domination GFAB mode. Enemies would be well visible...

Yeah the "lead by example" I mention does not always work...

[Guest]

Should be stickied.