The Update 1.19.1: Common Test Is Now Available!

The holiday season is approaching fast, and the first Common Test of Update 1.19.1 is coming your way, Commanders!

Take this chance to test-drive Chinese brawlers from the upcoming heavy branch—featuring the new jet booster mechanic!

Let’s take a look!

Chinese Heavy Tank Line With Jet Boosters

Chinese heavy tanks are ready to storm the battlefield! This new branch consists of four researchable tanks from Tier VII through Tier X.

 

All the new tanks feature strong hulls, well-sloped turret armor, and powerful guns with convenient depression angles. These advantages are counterbalanced, however, by their mediocre accuracy and long reload times. But the main gameplay hallmark of these new Chinese heavies is the jet booster mechanic, which is available for Tier VII–X vehicles. Let’s see how it works.

Jet Booster Mechanic

At the start of battle, the jet booster will take five seconds to prepare for use. You’ll be notified of this in a corresponding indicator bar. After that, you can activate the booster using the X key. Once activated, your tank will receive a brief boost to its engine power, top forward speed, and initial momentum, allowing the heavy combat vehicle to accelerate faster.

When used correctly, this mechanic will allow you to quickly cross dangerous areas at critical moments in battle, ram lightly armored targets more efficiently, or occupy key positions faster.

You won’t be able to cancel the jet boost effect until it is fully depleted. After that, you will need to wait four seconds until the booster is reloaded. Depending on the vehicle’s tier, you can activate it up to six times per battle.

 Branch Composition

The new line kicks off with the BZ-58 at Tier VII. Its gameplay is comparable to that of the Chinese IS-2. This is a menacing assault tank with a tough turret, good damage per shot, and great penetration values. You will have a choice between two guns—85 mm and 100 mm—which offer different gameplay, so it all depends on your individual playstyle.

The next newcomer at Tier VIII is the BZ-166, which embodies all the finest qualities of Chinese heavies. It features a strong hull, well-sloped turret armor, and convenient gun depression angles. The BZ-166’s mobility is relatively low due to its decent armor, but you can always improve your top forward speed by activating the jet booster.

Now for the top-tier tanks, starting with the menacing Tier IX BZ-68. This tank is always ready to shock enemies in frontal attacks with its powerful gun. On the other hand, its long reload time and poor accuracy are valid arguments against engaging in close combat with fast-firing opponents. Luckily, it can make the most of the terrain thanks to tough turret armor and excellent gun depression angles.

As the top vehicle of the new line, the Tier X BZ-75's key battle parameters are similar to those of the other Chinese heavy tanks. Like its brothers-in-arms, this vehicle has solid armor, respectable alpha damage, and great gun depression angles. You can rely on its jet booster when you need to make a tactical retreat or cross a dangerous area on the battlefield.

We'll share more details about the Chinese heavies and their gameplay in an upcoming dedicated article. In the meantime, join the Common Test and take these unusual brawlers for a spin!

 

  • HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMON TEST
  • NEW TO TESTING?
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMON TEST

To take part, you'll need the Wargaming.net Game Center (WGC), the latest Common Test game client, and a Wargaming.net account created prior to the cut-off date (see below).

Eligibility

All Wargaming.net accounts created before December 6, 05:59 (UTC+8) can participate in the test.

Download and Install the Test Client

TEST CLIENT INSTALLER

  • Run the test client installer.
  • Choose a different installation folder from where your regular World of Tanks game files are.
  • Select the freshly installed test client from the dropdown menu at the top of the WGC.
  • Roll out—and remember to pass on your feedback!

You can find more details about the WGC in the dedicated Wargaming.net Game Center guide.

NEW TO TESTING?

Check out our handy public test guide with all the details about Common Tests, Sandbox Tests, and Supertests.

TEST GUIDE

Join the Common Test and share your feedback about these changes, Commanders!

Patchnotes

Expand

Main Changes

New branch of Chinese tanks with jet booster mechanics

Four new heavy tanks (from Tier VII to Tier X) have been added:

  • Tier VII—BZ-58
  • Tier VIII—BZ-166
  • Tier IX—BZ-68
  • Tier Х—BZ-75

Changes to the Technical Characteristics of the Following Vehicles

Germany

The following vehicle has been added for testing by Supertest players: Kampfpanzer 3 Prj. 07 HK.

China

The following vehicle has been added for testing by Supertest players: BZ-58-2.

Japan

The following vehicle has been added for testing by Supertest players: Type 5 Ho-To.

Known Issues

  • The vehicle role for the BZ-58, BZ-166, and BZ-68 in the game is displayed as Breakthrough Heavy Tank instead of Assault Heavy Tank.
  • When activating the jet boosters, the visual effect of the mechanics is not displayed on the following vehicles: 
    • Tier VII—BZ-58
    • Tier VIII—BZ-166
    • Tier IX—BZ-68
    • Tier Х—BZ-75
  • Some clan-related functionalities (clan chat, clan page, and clan search) may not work properly.
  • The Voice Chat in Platoons is unavailable.
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