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"Technical" Heavies in World Of Tanks from Maklarr4000's blog
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In World of Tanks, a class system has been in place since the beginning to keep tanks of various abilities matched up properly in battle with their respective opponents. However, this has a few drawbacks as you go down in tier.
Before tier 5, there are no truly robust heavy tanks- they arrive in tier 5 in the form of the American T1, British Churchill I, and Soviet KV-1. Before that though, the play of battle is very much the same- with some tanks performing various roles far better than others, leading me to the philosophy that some tanks, despite their designation, are "technically" something else. The most numerous of these would be the "Technical Heavies", a set of tanks that can (and often must) fight battles as if they were heavy tanks- front and center, and either dishing out punishment, or absorbing it for others. So, I've composed a list, and some of my reasoning for their classifications.
Tier 1: (Leichtraktor)
At tier 1, all battles devolve into chaos. A spin of a roulette wheel is more predictable than one of these games- skill has almost no bearing on the outcome. All but a few of the vehicles have above 100 hit points, so breaking them down into roles is rather impossible. If I "had" to choose one, I would select the Leichtraktor, as it's got the best armor, and with some skill can deliver more pain to the enemy team, while absorbing more fire than other vehicles.
Tier 2: (Hotchkiss H35, Renault R35, FCM 36, D1)
At tier 2, the variety of vehicles increases, as do the volume and skill levels of foes you will face. Adding more chaos leads to some semblance of order, imagine that. At tier 2, the light tanks still rule in two major flavors- the fast, rapid-fire variety, and the slower cannon vehicles. Both have passable armor. Then, there's the Hotchkiss H35. As fawned over in a previous blog post, the H35 is a tremendous powerhouse in the right hands, blending good firepower, decent mobility, and outstanding armor to make a truly lethal machine. The R35 has somewhat less armor, while the FCM has somewhat more, though at the expense of some mobility. These tanks are all but impervious to the auto-cannons that reign nearly supreme at this tier, and the satisfaction you can get by taking dozens and dozens of shots without a scratch, while racking up kill after kill, is fantastic. The D1 has even more armor, but decreased mobility to the point of making it basically useless in a fast-paced game. As a static defender, it is a pain to unseat though, and should not be underestimated in close quarters.
R35 Tank, note the heavy armor.
Tier 3: (D2, S35 Somua, T-127, Medium III, Pz.S35, AMX 38)
In tier 3, things get a little more exciting in terms of options, as well as tactics. Though still frantic and chaotic, these battles are far more team and skill oriented. If you are a good player, you can pull off some very impressive feats and carrys here. At tier 3, Wargaming has the first "real" heavy tank, the Japanese Type 91. It is a monstrous machine, but it's paper thin armor, inaccurate guns make it basically useless in the heavy role. I view it as a priority target- an "XP Pinata" if you will. Pretty much any tank can (and will) outmaneuver, and outgun the Type 91. So, what tanks can take the heavy-tank level heat in these fights? Why, it's the French again!
First up, my personal favorite of the tier 3 technical heavies, the Somua S35. It's a wall of French steel with a set of very accurate, superbly powerful guns. In tier 3 and some light-tank heavy tier 4 games, you can basically park this tank in the open, and rain death on your opponents with impunity. Barring some artillery and tank destroyers, most guns at and below tier 3 cannot penetrate your frontal armor, and will have a tough time with your side armor if you are angling even a little. Though the Somua is not the fastest tank at tier 3, it can easily keep up with the fight, and lend a hand wherever it may be needed. The German premium tank, the Panzerkampfwagen S35(f) is just the Somua with a more accurate version of the "stock" gun and turret. It excels at it's own tier, but match making has had it out for the Pz. S35 in recent days, and at tier 4 and 5 the Pz. S35 will crumble as it's French equivalent will not.
The D2 is very much like the Somua (sharing all the same weapons) but it's side armor is not as good, nor is it's turret as strong as the Somua's. The AMX 38 has superb armor all around, but is painfully slow, and lacks serious firepower, relegating it to a role akin to the D1, more as a static defense that should be approached with caution when playing against it.
Finally, the T-127 and Medium III. As the Medium III has been covered previously, I'll keep it short here. The Medium III lacks significant armor, but makes up for this in it's firepower and mobility. It's weapons are more than able to tangle with everything on the field, and allows it to push against tanks both above and below it's tier, though caution must be exercised to minimize damage. As for the T-127, this premium Soviet light tank has incredible armor, a very accurate gun, and good mobility. It is able to, very readily, engage an opponent head-on and emerge victorious, as any good heavy tank should. If you're playing a T-127, and you aren't at the front-lines, you're doing it wrong.
Tier 4: (Matilda, Matilda IV, Valentine, Valentine II, AMX 40)
There are a number of heavy tanks introduced at tier 4, from the Japanese Type 95 (basically the Type 91, but with a somewhat better gun), to the enormous B1 and Durchbruchswagen 2, both competent brawlers at their tier. However, this tier has a number of tanks that are as dangerous, if not more dangerous than the "real" heavies. Enter the British technical heavies of tier 4!
The Matilda is defined by one singular word- armor. It's armored well, all the way around. From the top of the turret, to the impenetrable side skirts, to the thick rounded nose on it, it is a monster to contend with. Though it's fast-firing gun can't do too much damage (especially at long range), nor is the tank very fast, if it reaches you, you will be in trouble. Taking the Matilda (or it's premium Soviet copy, the Matilda IV) into battle is a treat. Barring artillery, tank destroyers, and some players with premium rounds, you can rest assured that the Matilda will carry you into the fray safely, and that once you get there, you'll be the scariest machine in it. The Matilda is absolutely lethal at close range with a quick turret traverse speed, and armor that allows it to move and maneuver without as many cover restrictions as most tanks like it. It plays like the Churchill that follows it- a big wall of armor rolling relentlessly forward. Once it gets to you, it's curtains. Though it's classified as a medium tank (and I generally agree with this when it's thrown into the mix with tier 5 and 6 tanks, the Matilda is still usually the last tank standing, and brawling at the frontlines alongside the Churchills and KV-1's. It is, "technically" a heavy tank.
The Valentine is another British tank (alongside it's premium Soviet clone, the Valentine II), which is also very well armored, though perilously slow. The great benefit of the Valentine over the Matilda is gun selection. You can have a fast-firing gun, or a hard-hitting cannon- allowing the Valentine to fight both at close range, and trade blows from a distance. Like the Matilda, regardless of the engagement the Valentine and it's superior armor are usually among the last tanks standing.
Finally, the tank that everyone loves to hate, the French AMX 40! It is slow. Terribly slow. It's guns, the few that is is able to use, are not very good. It's armor though, is unbelievably good. Able to tangle with tanks well above it's tier, and even high-penetration tank destroyers without issue makes the AMX 40 an easy nominee for a heavy tank stand-in, granted it can reach the front before the battle is over. When played right, the AMX 40 (a light tank) can be played very much like the Matilda (a medium tank) all while fighting with true heavy tanks. Like the others, the AMX 40 should be approached with caution, as it will not go down without a fight.
So, that was my great big huge exhaustive list of tanks that I believe are "technically" heavy tanks in tiers 1-4. I may do more of these on other types, though this was the one I've thought about most. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
Before tier 5, there are no truly robust heavy tanks- they arrive in tier 5 in the form of the American T1, British Churchill I, and Soviet KV-1. Before that though, the play of battle is very much the same- with some tanks performing various roles far better than others, leading me to the philosophy that some tanks, despite their designation, are "technically" something else. The most numerous of these would be the "Technical Heavies", a set of tanks that can (and often must) fight battles as if they were heavy tanks- front and center, and either dishing out punishment, or absorbing it for others. So, I've composed a list, and some of my reasoning for their classifications.
Tier 1: (Leichtraktor)
At tier 1, all battles devolve into chaos. A spin of a roulette wheel is more predictable than one of these games- skill has almost no bearing on the outcome. All but a few of the vehicles have above 100 hit points, so breaking them down into roles is rather impossible. If I "had" to choose one, I would select the Leichtraktor, as it's got the best armor, and with some skill can deliver more pain to the enemy team, while absorbing more fire than other vehicles.
Tier 2: (Hotchkiss H35, Renault R35, FCM 36, D1)
At tier 2, the variety of vehicles increases, as do the volume and skill levels of foes you will face. Adding more chaos leads to some semblance of order, imagine that. At tier 2, the light tanks still rule in two major flavors- the fast, rapid-fire variety, and the slower cannon vehicles. Both have passable armor. Then, there's the Hotchkiss H35. As fawned over in a previous blog post, the H35 is a tremendous powerhouse in the right hands, blending good firepower, decent mobility, and outstanding armor to make a truly lethal machine. The R35 has somewhat less armor, while the FCM has somewhat more, though at the expense of some mobility. These tanks are all but impervious to the auto-cannons that reign nearly supreme at this tier, and the satisfaction you can get by taking dozens and dozens of shots without a scratch, while racking up kill after kill, is fantastic. The D1 has even more armor, but decreased mobility to the point of making it basically useless in a fast-paced game. As a static defender, it is a pain to unseat though, and should not be underestimated in close quarters.
R35 Tank, note the heavy armor.
Tier 3: (D2, S35 Somua, T-127, Medium III, Pz.S35, AMX 38)
In tier 3, things get a little more exciting in terms of options, as well as tactics. Though still frantic and chaotic, these battles are far more team and skill oriented. If you are a good player, you can pull off some very impressive feats and carrys here. At tier 3, Wargaming has the first "real" heavy tank, the Japanese Type 91. It is a monstrous machine, but it's paper thin armor, inaccurate guns make it basically useless in the heavy role. I view it as a priority target- an "XP Pinata" if you will. Pretty much any tank can (and will) outmaneuver, and outgun the Type 91. So, what tanks can take the heavy-tank level heat in these fights? Why, it's the French again!
First up, my personal favorite of the tier 3 technical heavies, the Somua S35. It's a wall of French steel with a set of very accurate, superbly powerful guns. In tier 3 and some light-tank heavy tier 4 games, you can basically park this tank in the open, and rain death on your opponents with impunity. Barring some artillery and tank destroyers, most guns at and below tier 3 cannot penetrate your frontal armor, and will have a tough time with your side armor if you are angling even a little. Though the Somua is not the fastest tank at tier 3, it can easily keep up with the fight, and lend a hand wherever it may be needed. The German premium tank, the Panzerkampfwagen S35(f) is just the Somua with a more accurate version of the "stock" gun and turret. It excels at it's own tier, but match making has had it out for the Pz. S35 in recent days, and at tier 4 and 5 the Pz. S35 will crumble as it's French equivalent will not.
The D2 is very much like the Somua (sharing all the same weapons) but it's side armor is not as good, nor is it's turret as strong as the Somua's. The AMX 38 has superb armor all around, but is painfully slow, and lacks serious firepower, relegating it to a role akin to the D1, more as a static defense that should be approached with caution when playing against it.
Finally, the T-127 and Medium III. As the Medium III has been covered previously, I'll keep it short here. The Medium III lacks significant armor, but makes up for this in it's firepower and mobility. It's weapons are more than able to tangle with everything on the field, and allows it to push against tanks both above and below it's tier, though caution must be exercised to minimize damage. As for the T-127, this premium Soviet light tank has incredible armor, a very accurate gun, and good mobility. It is able to, very readily, engage an opponent head-on and emerge victorious, as any good heavy tank should. If you're playing a T-127, and you aren't at the front-lines, you're doing it wrong.
Tier 4: (Matilda, Matilda IV, Valentine, Valentine II, AMX 40)
There are a number of heavy tanks introduced at tier 4, from the Japanese Type 95 (basically the Type 91, but with a somewhat better gun), to the enormous B1 and Durchbruchswagen 2, both competent brawlers at their tier. However, this tier has a number of tanks that are as dangerous, if not more dangerous than the "real" heavies. Enter the British technical heavies of tier 4!
The Matilda is defined by one singular word- armor. It's armored well, all the way around. From the top of the turret, to the impenetrable side skirts, to the thick rounded nose on it, it is a monster to contend with. Though it's fast-firing gun can't do too much damage (especially at long range), nor is the tank very fast, if it reaches you, you will be in trouble. Taking the Matilda (or it's premium Soviet copy, the Matilda IV) into battle is a treat. Barring artillery, tank destroyers, and some players with premium rounds, you can rest assured that the Matilda will carry you into the fray safely, and that once you get there, you'll be the scariest machine in it. The Matilda is absolutely lethal at close range with a quick turret traverse speed, and armor that allows it to move and maneuver without as many cover restrictions as most tanks like it. It plays like the Churchill that follows it- a big wall of armor rolling relentlessly forward. Once it gets to you, it's curtains. Though it's classified as a medium tank (and I generally agree with this when it's thrown into the mix with tier 5 and 6 tanks, the Matilda is still usually the last tank standing, and brawling at the frontlines alongside the Churchills and KV-1's. It is, "technically" a heavy tank.
The Valentine is another British tank (alongside it's premium Soviet clone, the Valentine II), which is also very well armored, though perilously slow. The great benefit of the Valentine over the Matilda is gun selection. You can have a fast-firing gun, or a hard-hitting cannon- allowing the Valentine to fight both at close range, and trade blows from a distance. Like the Matilda, regardless of the engagement the Valentine and it's superior armor are usually among the last tanks standing.
Finally, the tank that everyone loves to hate, the French AMX 40! It is slow. Terribly slow. It's guns, the few that is is able to use, are not very good. It's armor though, is unbelievably good. Able to tangle with tanks well above it's tier, and even high-penetration tank destroyers without issue makes the AMX 40 an easy nominee for a heavy tank stand-in, granted it can reach the front before the battle is over. When played right, the AMX 40 (a light tank) can be played very much like the Matilda (a medium tank) all while fighting with true heavy tanks. Like the others, the AMX 40 should be approached with caution, as it will not go down without a fight.
So, that was my great big huge exhaustive list of tanks that I believe are "technically" heavy tanks in tiers 1-4. I may do more of these on other types, though this was the one I've thought about most. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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