CONTENTS
Brief Summary
In Steel Hunter, it's every tanker for themselves! The battles involve 20 (when playing in solo mode) or 21 (when playing in a Platoon of three) players. Your main goal is to survive at all costs, while looting spawned items and escaping Danger Zones in a timely fashion. At the end of the battle, there should be only one Commander or one victorious Platoon left on the battlefield.
You can also:
- Upgrade your vehicle during the battle
- Loot destroyed vehicles
- Pick up Airdrops, the most valuable in-game loot
- Use unique combat consumables to change the outcome of the battle
- Spot enemies via a new Vision/Aiming Mechanics system
- Locate adversaries and loot with a brand-new mechanic — Radio Detection
How Can I Start Playing?
1. Enter the Steel Hunter Garage through the drop-down menu to the right of the “Battle” button.
2. Alternatively, you can also click on the Festival diorama in your Garage. Clicking on it will take you to the Steel Hunter Garage, where you can choose a tank and click “Battle!” to proceed.
3. Don't want to face all those enemies alone? Create a special Platoon of 3 players, choose a unique vehicle and roll out!
When the mode becomes available on 26 August, you will find three special vehicles to choose from in the Steel Hunter Garage: one from the USA, one from Germany, and one from the USSR. You cannot mount any additional equipment on or customize these tanks. Select a vehicle and click the “Battle” button to start your exciting combat journey!
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Rattlesnake |
Flammenschwert |
Red Dawn |
Upgrading Your Vehicle in Battle
Each of the three available tanks can be upgraded from Tier I to Tier VIII during battle. To improve your tank, you need to earn Battle XP by looting and damaging/destroying enemies. For each vehicle, a unique tree of modules is available.
Once you have enough Battle XP, you can upgrade your tank. Each level offers one of two modules to choose from. They change the characteristics and appearance of the tank right in the middle of the battle. Despite the Tech Tree being pretty simple, it offers a meaningful choice between vehicles with different play styles each time you upgrade, so check it out.
Select a vehicle and configuration
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Red Dawn (U.S.S.R.)
II. Suspension
III. Radio
IV. Engine
V / VIII. Gun
VI. Hull
VII. Turret 
Your Garage displays a diagram of your tank's weak spots. When an enemy hits these spots, your chance of receiving critical damage is much higher than in Random Battles.
Your Crew
Your Crew is tied to the vehicle and locked, so you cannot send them to the Barracks, dismiss or change the composition of their perks. They do not receive Crew EXP, but they do have a fixed set of the following perks unified across all machines:
Sixth Sense
Eagle Eye
Sixth Sense
Eagle EyeIt’s impossible to injure the crew members of your vehicle — First Aid kits are not used in this mode.
Types of Loot
To upgrade your vehicle, you also need to look for items and special stationary loot points on the map. The loot you collect at these points may contain Battle XP, shells, and consumables.
In total, there are 4 types of loot available:
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- Ammunition. Contains shells and Battle XP; also restores Hit Points.
- Consumables. Contains consumables and Battle XP.
- Spoils of War. Loot from a destroyed vehicle containing its remaining consumables and all equipped shells. Spoils of War that still contain loot will be highlighted with red smoke.
- Airdrops. Delivered by air, this is the most valuable loot available in the mode. Each contains more valuable consumables and a larger amount of Battle XP. Many players will want to get their hands on Airdrops, so you'll have to push yourself to the limits to beat the competition. Also, all players can see where airdrops land on their mini-maps.
Vision/Aiming Mechanics
The system of visibility in the Steel Hunter mode is brand-new in World of Tanks and based on the principle of cones of visibility. Enemy vehicles become visible only when they appear in your visibility sector, as depicted on the mini-map.
- When the enemy is in your sight, its marker and HP bar are displayed
- When aiming at the enemy, its contours are also displayed
But if the enemy is within 50 meters of you, it will automatically become visible, as in all other regular modes of World of Tanks. By improving tank modules, you can enlarge your visibility sector.
By default, all players will have the Sixth Sense perk, but its activation doesn't mean that you will be able to detect the enemy — it needs to be exactly in your visibility sector to become visible.
Map and Danger Zones
Battles will unfold on a huge city map called Dreamland, which shrinks with time, leaving less space to play and to survive. The total battle time is 15 minutes. Before the battle, you can choose which sector of the map you will respawn in.
Also on the map will be the so-called Danger Zones — deadly, dangerous locations. If you are inside one, and the Zone turns orange, it means that it will close soon, and you need to get out of it as soon as possible. Once closed, the Danger Zone turns red, and a countdown timer appears. When the countdown expires, your tank will be continuously damaged until it is destroyed.
In red zones, your vehicle will lose hit points gradually. You will have very little time to leave the red zone.
Your vehicle receives no damage in yellow zones, but remember they can close at any moment. Be ready to retreat!
When you collect an Airdrop, you gain a considerable advantage over enemy vehicles. An Airdrop represents the biggest package with consumables and experience. But remember that all hunters see the location of the Airdrop on their minimaps.
Another hunter is in your Vision Cone! You cannot see enemy vehicles, Spoils of War, or Airdrops that are outside your vehicle's Vision Cone.
You can only detect vehicles that are within the view range of your vehicle's Vision Cone, which extends from the front of your turret.
When you collect an Airdrop, you gain a considerable advantage over enemy vehicles. An Airdrop represents the biggest package with consumables and experience. But remember that all hunters see the location of the Airdrop on their minimaps.
A hunter that you detected using your Radio. Note that when using detection, you are automatically displayed on the minimap and remain visible to all other players inside the detection radius.
This Loot package contains experience, random consumables, and Recovery. It does not contain shells.
By collecting Loot of this kind, you receive experience, shells, and Recovery. The map provides plenty of these Loot packages, and they can be very useful at the beginning of a battle when your vehicle is at the starting tier.
By collecting Loot of this kind, you receive experience, shells, and Recovery. The map provides plenty of these Loot packages, and they can be very useful at the beginning of a battle when your vehicle is at the starting tier.
This Loot package contains experience, random consumables, and Recovery. It does not contain shells.
A hunter that you detected using your Radio. Note that when using detection, you are automatically displayed on the minimap and remain visible to all other players inside the detection radius.
A hunter that you detected using your Radio. Note that when using detection, you are automatically displayed on the minimap and remain visible to all other players inside the detection radius.
Radio Detection Mechanics
Radio Detection is an exclusive tactical mechanic displaying stationary loot points, as well as enemy tanks, on the mini-map. It is activated manually using the "Lock Hull / Switch Mode key ("X" by default). But beware, using Radio Detection will instantly reveal your current position on the mini-map at the time of activation to all players within the detection radius too.
Consumables
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4 unique types of consumables are available:
- Turbocharger. Temporarily increases the maximum speed and acceleration of the tank.
- Recovery. Gradually restores a fixed percentage of HP.
- Target Tracking. Decreases aiming time, gun stabilization, and other combat parameters.
- Repair Kit. Repairs all damaged modules, much like Large Repair Kits in Random Battles.
The ammunition loadout of your tank at the start of the event (for Tier I vehicles) will consist of 8 shells, 1 Repair Kit, 1 Turbocharger, and 1 Recovery consumable.
Abilities
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In addition to consumables, you can activate global Abilities, including:
- Smoke Screen. Creates a cloud of smoke hiding you from enemies.
- Airstrike. Allows you to attack opponents with bombs dropped from an airplane.
- Recovery Zone. Creates a temporary area where your and your teammates can recover HP.
- Trap. Creates a temporary zone in which enemy tanks are slowed down.
Progression System
The event’s progression is based on the system of Ranks. All in all, there are 25 Ranks available. When you reach the 25th and final rank, you will receive special rewards — a medal and unique Badge, Bonds and Credits, a 2D style, and WoT Premium Account time.
- Depending on your effectiveness in battles, you can earn or lose Chevrons that will help you improve your Rank.
- The number of chevrons you earn or lose depends on your position in the top 20 when in solo mode, or the top 7 when in Platoon mode. The number of Chevrons needed to achieve different Ranks varies.
- If you’re ineffective in battle and find yourself at the bottom of the list, you will lose the earned chevrons. Players finishing around the middle of the list will not lose Chevrons, but will not earn new ones either.
- As with Chevrons, you can lose Ranks if you show poor combat effectiveness. At the same time, Ranks 5, 15, and 25 are “permanent” — when you reach them, you will not be able to drop out of them into lower ones if you lose the Chevrons.
Achieving each Rank brings you rewards, including:
- Bonds
- Credits
- Medals
- A decal
- Badges
- WoT Premium Account time
In addition, having reached Ranks 15 and 25, you will be rewarded you with two unique 2D styles:
- I'm Going Hunting! Part 1
- I'm Going Hunting! Part 2
- We're Going Hunting!
- Be among the top 15 players when fighting Solo in Steel Hunter mode
- 4 times per day
Reward:
20,000, 
x1
- Be among the top 15 players when fighting Solo in Steel Hunter mode
- Earn
x4 - Once per day
Reward:
20,000, 
x2