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So, it's been a while now, and the Czech tanks are no longer news of any sort now- totally eclipsed by Sweden and the Mauschen mini-maus that was just released in 1.19.1. So, being the weirdo I am, I'm going to take a quick look at the ST vz. 39/V-8-H tank, the tier 4 Czech medium tank, and what you can do with it.
Historically speaking, the ST vz 39, also known as the V-8-H tank, was little more than a footnote in World War Two. Commissioned by the Czech government in 1937, the tank was designed and built by ČKD, who created two prototypes that were tested a few times, managed to survive the war and were then scrapped as most cool things were back then after they ceased to be useful.
But, enough history, what can the tank do in World of Tanks? Well, at tier 4, the ST vz 39 is lightly armored, and packs a gun with moderate penetration and damage- comparable in many regards to the Panzer III ausf. J tank, though not quite as speedy. In terms of matchmaking, the ST vz 39 is a mixed bag, varying from good matchups where it can use it's good penetration and passable frontal armor to bash in the heads of tier 3 opponents, and bad matchups where it has to stare down KV-1s at tier 5.
For me, the St vz 39 was a grind of a tank to get through. It is not a brawler tank, nor does it have the penetration and accuracy to snipe- so it's best just offset the firing line, taking safe shots as it's able. It's armor is not great, so it has to rely on significant cover to survive a battle. However, this means you don't get too many experience points, and so you have to play it over and over again.
To maximize my XP earnings, I loaded a healthy dose of APCR rounds, and pushed towards the top gun as fast as I could. This is not a profitable tank, so I was fine losing the credits on premium ammo. It also makes it much more satisfying to play, as you can (finally) knock holes into more heavily armored targets.
Though it's not terribly fast, I equipped mine with binoculars and a camo net all the same, and did manage to find myself in good spotting positions in some games. When possible, this is another great way to get a bunch of spotting damage XP, which will almost always outweigh the amount of damage you can do in this tank before getting shot to bits.
I know I said previously that the ST vz 39 was one of the worst tanks in the game several times before, and though I've backed it out of the "worst" position (there are some nice Swedish tanks in there now), I do not have fond memories of this tank for the most part. It isn't fast, it's gun isn't great, and the matchmaker hates this tank- placing you in tier 5 and occasionally even tier 6 games, in which case you are cannon fodder and little more. It's more frustrating than bad, much like the LT 38 before it. Thankfully, it does lead to some much more rewarding tanks further down the tech tree, so the painful grind is ultimately worth it.
Historically speaking, the ST vz 39, also known as the V-8-H tank, was little more than a footnote in World War Two. Commissioned by the Czech government in 1937, the tank was designed and built by ČKD, who created two prototypes that were tested a few times, managed to survive the war and were then scrapped as most cool things were back then after they ceased to be useful.
But, enough history, what can the tank do in World of Tanks? Well, at tier 4, the ST vz 39 is lightly armored, and packs a gun with moderate penetration and damage- comparable in many regards to the Panzer III ausf. J tank, though not quite as speedy. In terms of matchmaking, the ST vz 39 is a mixed bag, varying from good matchups where it can use it's good penetration and passable frontal armor to bash in the heads of tier 3 opponents, and bad matchups where it has to stare down KV-1s at tier 5.
For me, the St vz 39 was a grind of a tank to get through. It is not a brawler tank, nor does it have the penetration and accuracy to snipe- so it's best just offset the firing line, taking safe shots as it's able. It's armor is not great, so it has to rely on significant cover to survive a battle. However, this means you don't get too many experience points, and so you have to play it over and over again.
To maximize my XP earnings, I loaded a healthy dose of APCR rounds, and pushed towards the top gun as fast as I could. This is not a profitable tank, so I was fine losing the credits on premium ammo. It also makes it much more satisfying to play, as you can (finally) knock holes into more heavily armored targets.
Though it's not terribly fast, I equipped mine with binoculars and a camo net all the same, and did manage to find myself in good spotting positions in some games. When possible, this is another great way to get a bunch of spotting damage XP, which will almost always outweigh the amount of damage you can do in this tank before getting shot to bits.
I know I said previously that the ST vz 39 was one of the worst tanks in the game several times before, and though I've backed it out of the "worst" position (there are some nice Swedish tanks in there now), I do not have fond memories of this tank for the most part. It isn't fast, it's gun isn't great, and the matchmaker hates this tank- placing you in tier 5 and occasionally even tier 6 games, in which case you are cannon fodder and little more. It's more frustrating than bad, much like the LT 38 before it. Thankfully, it does lead to some much more rewarding tanks further down the tech tree, so the painful grind is ultimately worth it.
World of Tanks is, by no means, a drab game. Despite being set in a war-torn hell of endless armored conflict, the vehicles and the environments are actually quite vibrant. One thing that has eluded gamers was a splash of color for their vehicles. Though WOT allows players to select camouflage schemes and apply various emblems, the emblems are small and limited, and the camouflage schemes are all historically accurate to the time period. Though there's nothing inherently wrong with this, it meant that there were only about 7 ways you can customize your tank, and by the numbers alone, it meant that your customization was shared by many, many more players. For many years now, WOT has held a hard-line stance on making things as historically accurate as possible... well, that seems to be changing... <!--more-->
I believe the change of heart began in August of 2015 when WOT reversed a change they had made to British desert "dazzle" camouflage. The camo scheme in game had a brilliant blue color to it's blue stripes, and WOT had toned it down to be more historically accurate. Players complained, and they reversed course, keeping the brighter, more vibrant blue schemes instead. This was the beginning.
After that, there was the lovely machine you see above, the "Ripper Patton", now called the "Patton Korea" or "Patton KR". It is historically accurate. In the Korean war, many tank units were permitted to decorate their tanks in ferocious ways, like the in-game Patton KR is- and the people loved it. Though the Patton KR is a fine combatant, the notion that it was this gonzo color scheme in a sea of feldgrau gray and olive drab green meant that it stuck out a lot. Thanks to the game's spotting engine, the camo did not affect performance at all. The notion of "unique" camo schemes seems to have led WOT onto a moneymaker, and they were quick to capitalize on this newfound gain.
Their next attempt came in the form of the more conservative Panzer 58 Mutz, a Swiss vehicle with good stats in game, and a peaceful historical background. The guys at WOT gave it a "unique bear camo" which while not outrageous by any means, was not historically accurate- the first major deviation on the PC version of the game.
So, naturally, a follow-up was needed, this time in the form of the Rheinmetall Skorpion G, a premium tank destroyer. The original "blank" version is below, but they ultimately went with the "scorpion" scheme for all of them across the game, pictured under that. This was an even greater deviation from form than the Mutz, as the base color was no longer historically accurate. Wargaming had finally broken away from just making paper panzers, they were now decorating them in awesome ways too.
So, things were finally looking up, and people began looking forward to more and more outlandish color schemes. Wow, they sure did deliver!
Their latest deviations from historical norms came in the form of the Patriot and Liberte tanks, both very patriotic tanks, one from the USA, the other from France.
This has rekindled hopes that not only will Wargaming continue to make wild and outlandish things, but also take some community input on how to make camouflage even better for everyone. One of the most requested, black, is now available (for a price, of course) but immense progress has been made. Many of these tanks would have been unthinkable less than a year ago. It is good that a game already so vibrant in other ways is getting a much-needed splash of color!
I believe the change of heart began in August of 2015 when WOT reversed a change they had made to British desert "dazzle" camouflage. The camo scheme in game had a brilliant blue color to it's blue stripes, and WOT had toned it down to be more historically accurate. Players complained, and they reversed course, keeping the brighter, more vibrant blue schemes instead. This was the beginning.
After that, there was the lovely machine you see above, the "Ripper Patton", now called the "Patton Korea" or "Patton KR". It is historically accurate. In the Korean war, many tank units were permitted to decorate their tanks in ferocious ways, like the in-game Patton KR is- and the people loved it. Though the Patton KR is a fine combatant, the notion that it was this gonzo color scheme in a sea of feldgrau gray and olive drab green meant that it stuck out a lot. Thanks to the game's spotting engine, the camo did not affect performance at all. The notion of "unique" camo schemes seems to have led WOT onto a moneymaker, and they were quick to capitalize on this newfound gain.
Their next attempt came in the form of the more conservative Panzer 58 Mutz, a Swiss vehicle with good stats in game, and a peaceful historical background. The guys at WOT gave it a "unique bear camo" which while not outrageous by any means, was not historically accurate- the first major deviation on the PC version of the game.
So, naturally, a follow-up was needed, this time in the form of the Rheinmetall Skorpion G, a premium tank destroyer. The original "blank" version is below, but they ultimately went with the "scorpion" scheme for all of them across the game, pictured under that. This was an even greater deviation from form than the Mutz, as the base color was no longer historically accurate. Wargaming had finally broken away from just making paper panzers, they were now decorating them in awesome ways too.
So, things were finally looking up, and people began looking forward to more and more outlandish color schemes. Wow, they sure did deliver!
Their latest deviations from historical norms came in the form of the Patriot and Liberte tanks, both very patriotic tanks, one from the USA, the other from France.
This has rekindled hopes that not only will Wargaming continue to make wild and outlandish things, but also take some community input on how to make camouflage even better for everyone. One of the most requested, black, is now available (for a price, of course) but immense progress has been made. Many of these tanks would have been unthinkable less than a year ago. It is good that a game already so vibrant in other ways is getting a much-needed splash of color!
The Czech people built some truly revolutionary vehicles prior to World War Two- and it is a shame that they all essentially were passed into the hands of the Nazis without so much as a shot fired. In the World of Tanks universe, one of the First Czech tanks to encounter (after the Tier 1 Kolohousenka) is the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t), or LT vz. 35. The vehicle is available in both the Czech tech tree, and in the "Czech" section of the German tech tree.
The Panzer 35(t) is... more
The Panzer 35(t) is... more
When I first started playing World of Tanks, I really liked the fast, nimble tanks that I could dart around in. It wasn't until sometime later that I learned the real value of tough armor over speed in the lower-tier matches, though I still wanted smaller vehicles (like the French Fortress trio) over larger targets. It just made sense to me. Then I saw this thing.
This thing is the Vickers Medium III, and holy smokes, it is... more
This thing is the Vickers Medium III, and holy smokes, it is... more
So, while my ire is turned onto the low tier tanks, I thought I'd talk about some of my favorites- the French Fortress trio. These are, the Renault R35, FCM 36, and Hotchkiss H35. These tanks are all very similar in terms of play. They are slower light tanks, with great armor, and acceptable guns with good accuracy and fire-rate.
Today, I'd like to look at the Hotchkiss H35, and the "kiss of death" it imparts on it's foes!
The H35 is ... more
Today, I'd like to look at the Hotchkiss H35, and the "kiss of death" it imparts on it's foes!
The H35 is ... more
So, at the conclusion of the last one, I said I had to talk about something I didn't like. So, I looked over the tanks I didn't like. Now, there are lots of tanks I don't like, from the under-powered, under-performing, and even the ones that Matchmaking HATES (I'm looking at you Toldi III!) but none of them really made me... mad. Even my least favorite tank, the M3 Lee I'm more "disappointed" with than anything. The M3 could (and should) be an amazing tank, but the way World of Tanks is built, the vehicle suffers- it's strengths all become weaknesses. No, I had to pick something I legitimately hate. So...
The LTP! Oh man, the LTP...
... more
The LTP! Oh man, the LTP...
... more
So, I've decided that, on top of my other fascinations, I'd write a little about my experiences with World of Tanks, and moreover, the tanks therein. The game itself is great, but there are a lot of things I wish I'd known back when I started that I know now. So, in an effort to both collect my thoughts, and provide insight to others, here goes my new blog set on TANK REVIEWS!
Today's subject is the first tank I ever played, the Tier-1 "Leichtractor" from Germany. What is the Leichtraktor? Well, here's a photo:
The Rheinmetall VK31 "Leichtraktor" was a ... more
Today's subject is the first tank I ever played, the Tier-1 "Leichtractor" from Germany. What is the Leichtraktor? Well, here's a photo:
The Rheinmetall VK31 "Leichtraktor" was a ... more
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