Taming the Stallion: Progetto M35 mod 46 is Ready to Fight

We've been talking about the upcoming Tech Tree additions for quite a while now, and had several reasons to be excited about it. To begin with, this is the first time we’re introducing a new nation since December, 2016, when the Swedes showed up with their trademark Siege mode. Second, the Italians have a unique feature to offer, too. Most importantly, anyone can get the Progetto M35 mod 46 Tier VIII tank for free just by completing a set of 10 battle missions.

While the Progetto may look like just another tank, there’s more than meets the eye. Yes, it’s the autoreloader feature, which can make your gun work as both a traditional barrel and as an autoloader.

You’ve already seen the beast, now let’s go for an in-depth review.

So, How Does the New Mechanic Work?

The Progetto’s drum can hold up to three rounds, which you can spit out at an impressive speed of one shell every two seconds. However, combat conditions in World of Tanks change drastically, and if you’re playing an autoloader tank, sometimes you wish you’d rather have a classic loading mechanism instead of going for a cooldown at the most inappropriate moment. In this tank, you do have both.

As opposed to autoloaders, the loading time in the autoreloader differs for each of the three shells. The first one will be good to go in 12 seconds, the next 9 seconds will be spent on charging the second shell, which, in its turn, will start a 8-second countdown for the third one. Those are base figures and can be improved with Crew training, a gun rammer, or improved ventilation.

Switching between the two modes may seem tricky, so we’ve prepared a special visual guide to explain how this unique autoreloader works.

Firepower

With 240 HP of damage per shot, the Progetto’s three-shell drum can potentially rob your opponent of 720 HP. This value stands close to 212mm of standard shell penetration, making an average duo for Tier VIII. The 0.33 dispersion leans you toward mid-range fights, keeping the high level of effectiveness up to 350 meters.

The aiming time of 2.1s is comfortable for both the classic and automatic shooting mode, as the latter boasts 2 seconds of reloading time. Wait till you’re at a medium distance from an opponent, then take an aim and wreak havoc.

Dynamics

Capable of making 55 km/h, the Progetto can outrun a few MTs, but should leverage its other strengths when dueling enemy LTs as the speed won’t take you far here. Once you’ve cut the distance to comfortable 300 meters, try to find a decent position, and act according to battle conditions. Don’t get closer than that, unless you’re ready to play risky: the Progetto is pretty capable of close-range combat, but its average manoeuvrability will make it a dire fight for you.

Durability

Despite a good HP pool of 1400 points, the Progetto has little to offer in terms of armor, with its 60mm in the turret and 80mm in the hull. The way to compensate for the poor specs on hilly landscapes is utilize the –9-degree gun depression. It lets you use terrain as a cover and keep your hull protected, while reaching and punishing your enemies, hoping the sloped armor of your turret will bounce another shot.

View Range & Visibility

The Progetto’s low silhouette gives it an advantage on open areas, and its view range reaches impressive 390 meters, a real threat on Tier VIII. Spotting enemies from strategic points and helping out your teammates is another option to apply this machine.

How to Play

• Be patient. Each battle is a two-stage process, as the poor armor will make you keep a low profile in the first half of a fight. Support your allies, either with spotting, or by biting off precious 200+ hit points (when you have the chance). Then, in the second half, when rivals are damaged enough to be destroyed with a full drum, load the full pack and start hunting.
• Keep thinking. Once you tame the tank, your game is all about making choices and decisions. Fight the temptation to shoot the whole drum, keep a cool head, and act as the situation requires. Remember a three-shot series will only be effective when you’re confident the enemy is going down after your shots. Otherwise your gun is out of the game for the next 30 seconds.
• Wait for the second (or even third) shell to load. If you only have the first shell in your drum, keep in mind shooting it will cause a cooldown, knocking you out of the game for half a minute. A better solution is to wait the extra 10–15 seconds, arm yourself to the bone, and jump into the fight—ready for any battle scenario.