- Aggressive Push & Rotation
- Turtle Strategy
- Delayed Push Strategy
This tactic involves using at least half of your team to aggressively push through one half of the map, and relying on defensive tanks to defend the base or scouts to provide vision on the other side of the map.
An example of this is on Cliff.
- You can commit the majority of your team to the 1-2 line, pushing up onto the higher ground on the 3-line while utilizing a few heavy tanks and snipers to support the 5-6 line.
- Alternatively, you could commit the majority to the 5-6 line (potentially racing for the hill to gain vision) and have either scouts, heavy tank destroyers or heavy tanks covering the 1-2 line.
These are only basic ideas that should be used to form your own tactics!
The idea of this strategy is to gain early map control on one half of the map, and slowly attempt to take full control of the map by ‘rotating’ (moving a large chunk of tanks from one side of the map to the other). For example, the 9-line is generally unused for the majority of the battle as the 5-6 is considered a stronger position, but it can be used to rotate fast heavy tanks to flank and swarm enemy forces in the middle!
This strategy can easily overwhelm tactics where enemy forces have split evenly, as you will have superior numbers on a flank. It also works well when the enemy has one or many artillery on the battlefield, as it reduces their opportunity to draw out the battle and get more damage!
Commanders should be aware though that heavily fortified enemy positions can stall or even shut down a push, especially if the enemy has similar positions. Over-committing to a position can often leave you with nowhere to run, so ensure that you always count your tanks before over-extending!
A turtle tactic (or camping tactic) is a method you might use on defensive maps, where the goal is to set up a strong defence in 1-3 sections of the map covering your base and wait for the enemy team to come to you.
Using Ensk as an example, where the northern base is the defense side, you could use either the left or right side of the cap – with armoured tank destroyers and super heavy tanks, and a few spotting the 5-7 line – as a chance to put out early damage when the enemy drives through the open.
- The 9-0 line is used to lock down the field and support the logging yard; 7-8 is the same, but to support the field.
- 5-7 is to spot the train tracks, as this is the gate between left and right side of the map. Keeping this crossing spotted is always worth doing – just remember that the same applies for the enemy team!
- 1-3 is where you will find teams pushing for a brawl. Keeping vision here might save you from being caught off guard! It is also common to have heavy tanks in defensive positions here, to deal damage as the enemy pushes into you!
The idea of this strategy is to stay safe and take as little damage as possible while waiting for the enemy team to make a mistake or for the battle timer to get as low as possible, which will force the enemy team' to make a play. But be warned: The battle can end in a draw, which counts as a loss for both teams!
Be sure to place your tanks correctly, as you might not be able to save them if they get singled out. And cover the corridors – vision is your friend!
One method to counter a turtle is to use artillery or HE guns to dig tanks out of static positions. Another is to anticipate where the enemy has set up, and rush isolated targets. Be sure to have all sides covered if you’re planning to bunker in!
A delayed push is where you position the majority of your team in a position to make an aggressive push down a flank, except that before making any kind of push, you utilize a few tanks (often fast heavy or medium tanks) to spot or to trick the enemy into thinking that you’re setting up on another side of the map. Hopefully you can catch the enemy off guard and use the element of surprise to overwhelm their tanks, or catch a couple out of position.
For an example of this, we will look at a strategy on Prokhorovka.
- After sending a scout to the hill on the 9-0, have fast medium tanks on the 9-0 ready to shoot anything that comes through the 7-line.
- Meanwhile, have fast heavies on the 1-2 line, ready to push when given the order.
- If you've spotted the majority of the enemy team and know where they are positioned, then wait 1 extra minute before making that push down the 1 line. If you do not spot many tanks, wait an extra 2-3 minutes. This delay can often bait the enemy into thinking that large tank forces are moving from one side of the map to the other.
- When you make that delayed push, ensure you relocate the medium tanks to support the heavy tank push. The scout should be used to keep an eye on flanks that are no longer covered, and create cross-fire.
- While pushing, heavies need to stay low as best as they can. The longer they remain unspotted, the better the element of surprise will be. When you catch the enemy off guard, that’s the time to strike!
The idea behind this strategy is to limit the number of your own tanks that get spotted, as the campaign utilises a mechanic called Fog of War. This means that tanks are not revealed in the lineup until they are spotted!
Don't let your heavies get spotted; mediums, not so much; for light tanks, it doesn't really matter. You want to trick the enemy into thinking there are more tanks than there actually are, which will force them to hesitate before pushing in, or allow you to ambush them when they make a full push on what they think is a poorly-defended side of the map. Stay unspotted, catch the enemy off guard and punish any tanks out of position! The timing doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be delayed.
Useful Tips & Tricks
Flying Elite:
- Try to keep an eye on the minimap; it’s easy to get overwhelmed and ignore it!
- Keep communicating with your team, but try to use relevant information!
- Also ensure that communication is not overloaded – it’s hard to understand when everyone is talking. (Raging doesn’t help the situation!)
- Critique and advise, not abuse clan members, if they’re not performing to expectations (if any).
- Ask for help – there is nothing wrong with asking for a second opinion on a strat etc.
- Clan Wars is not a Random match; be sure to use appropriate ammo for the tank you’re firing at!
- Ensure your players have Player, Tank names and Tank HP enabled in settings for when you focus fire. (It makes it easier to call out Low HP or Priority Targets when everyone knows who to shoot!)
- Always have a backup plan for your strat. Remember that not every clan reacts the same way and what works once might not work again!
Raavi:
- Respect – the key to getting that end result is respect. There's no point raging at your teammates for not doing what they are told. Get the point across, but still hold respect for the players. Having respect helps build team morale and productivity.
- Communication is key to winning games. The calls need to be clear and concise, otherwise you will have players receive miscommunication on what you want them to do.
- Teamwork: Play as a team, for the team, and the result will come.
- Adaptability – having a starting position in your strategy is good, but you need to be able to flex and adapt to what the enemy team brings. Not all strategies go as you planned; the majority of battles turn out slightly different from how you expected them to.
- Controlling engagements: This comes down to your team's focus fire. If you are 1 or 2 tanks down in a fight, a good team with excellent focus fire can win the engagement. Call the tank, make sure your team focuses that tank, then move onto the next one.
- And lastly, have fun. As much as Clan Wars is competitive gameplay, you should still have fun in that environment. Constantly playing serious can result in burning out, or losing interest in playing Clan Wars in the future. Look after yourself when it comes to calling multiple battles in a night.
Napalmer:
- Communicate how many artillery are on the enemy team, and their location.
- Focus fire! Call targets that are low HP! (Press T to mark them for your team)
- Use light and medium tanks to keep vision on the map. The last thing you want is to be surprised by a lot of enemy forces!
- Count the number of tanks that have been spotted. You might have the numbers to push straight into them!
- Don’t assume that a strategy is good just because it works against one clan. Different clans will use different tactics!
- Play fair! Nobody likes a bad sport, and rule violations may lead to penalties!
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