Goals
So now that I've gotten a
X
T95/FV4201 Chieftain
and
X
Object 907
, two benchmarks in what to bring for Clan Wars alongside with all the meta tanks we were talking about earlier, what's the goal for this campaign?
Well, it's to keep sharp and competitive - campaign is a special time, where you get to play with a team for multiple battles and enjoy the camaraderie and banter for a couple of hours a night. So this social aspect is very important to me, especially as the community manager - what better way to know how the players feel about the game mode, by playing said game mode?
Additionally, my focus is on helping others within the game mode, by assisting and teaching through being there in battles and bringing my knowledge (okay, stop laughing you Clan Wars veterans) and experience into a clan, which, in this campaign, will be Flying Squirrels - I'll be taking a journey with them, seeing where it takes me.
This time around during the campaign diary, we'll be looking at three specific things:
- Map strategies and why certain things are done (with live and real examples!)
- How to deal with certain tanks (e.g, you're versing a lot of reward vehicles, how do you deal with them as tank match-ups)
- Situational tanks and why they're used, and what is done to counter them (it's a surprise list!).
My amazing colleague, BananaWeewa, will be going into even more specific strategies:
- Preparation and perspective for brand new Clan Wars players
- How to complete basic strategies, such as wolf packing, focus fire, juggling HP, and more!
So if you're interested in those aspects, make sure you go across and take a look at his diary entries!
But for now, to my topics at hand! Let's start with how to deal with the Chieftain, followed by our first situational tank in our list!
Dealing with the Meta - T95/FV4201 Chieftain
The
X
T95/FV4201 Chieftain
has become the meta vehicle, and the hottest vehicle in demand, for multiple reasons. A platform that has maneuverability, hull-down ability due to fantastic gun depression, and good DPM for a Tier X Heavy, there's a reason why we see this tank so much. However, when going against it, it can frustrate players who are playing tanks like the
X
Object 277
, on how to damage and dig out the Chieftain. So let's take a look at the weak points (yes, there are a few), on the Chieftain!
We are using the Object 277 as a baseline of a vehicle, as it has both AP rounds and HEAT rounds as standard and premium ammunition. This is important information, due to the normalisation of AP/APCR rounds as well as the inability of HEAT rounds to go through spaced armour. So certain spots can work with HEAT rounds, and cannot work with AP. Pay attention to the scenarios below!
As always, the Chieftain has a cupola that can be penned. Worth taking a shot if the Chieftain is showing only the cupola and none of the turret ring.
Outside of the lower plate (the usual weakspot for all tanks), the upper front plate can be trollish at times. Make sure you utilize HEAT as the usual ammunition doesn't have enough cutting power to go through the upper plate consistently and ensure the tank is straight on against you. Firing at the upper plate when the tank is blading at an angle makes it a tough orange shot.
And finally, the strangest (and the source of rage for Chieftain players) is the turret ring - the area directly underneath the turret, where shots can jam the turret of the Chieftain and make them question whether or not they're actually playing a hull-down vehicle.
Don't use HEAT rounds and auto aim/center mass the side around this area of a Chieftain - remember certain tanks have side-skirting (like the Object 277). To penetrate, load the correct ammunition type, or manually aim lower to guarantee a pen, especially during brawls!
Just remember - you miss 100% of the shots you don't take - just go for the RNG chance and take it!
Situational Tank #1 - The AMX 50 B
|
Tank
|
Recommended Equipment
|
Rationale
|
|---|---|---|
|
AMX 50B |
|
|
You may see the potent
X
AMX 50 B
run around in certain maps and/or games, depending on what the team is trying to achieve. But not every team runs it, and there is a reason why.
Consider this tank, when paired up or in a group, the ultimate ability of deleting tanks. With a clip potential of 1600 in under eight seconds, this makes the tank absolutely lethal to isolated vehicles, or tanks which have their flanks exposed.
But despite the power of this vehicle, you may only see it during urban maps, or very rarely in open maps. There's a lot of issues with running with this vehicle, including:
- HP - you don't have the same amount of HP as heavies that will be involved with a brawl, so as a result, your team will be disadvantaged innately since you don't have tanks and/or HP in the main fight.
- Lack of armor - although there are certain auto-ricochet angles that do exist, in reality, the AMX 50 B is a paper mache of a tank and you'll find it being focused and deleted fast if you decide to brawl in this tank. You'll be penned everywhere in the tank (especially the turret)
- No sustained presence in a fight - due to the clip reload, after the AMX 50 B has "dumped" (fired all four shots), it will need to run and re-position for at least 26 seconds, so you won't have HP and/or sustained damage in a fight which may be necessary.
- High skill caliber - understanding when you need to rotate, which target to focus with your group and/or team, as well as when to go in and what to fight - all of this requires an understanding of the overall strategy, how to take the victory, exploiting weak points, trading HP effectively, and so forth.
Countering the AMX 50 B
So now you know the strengths and weaknesses of the AMX 50 B - how do you play around it in Campaign, especially with Fog of War when you're uncertain if the AMX 50 B is or isn't in play?
It'll come from experience (especially on maps like Himmelsdorf and similar urban maps like Ensk, and Ruinberg). You'll need to see what tanks have been lit, what positions are being taken by the enemy team, and whether you'll fall into a trap or not. This is especially important as wing players, where you'll oftentimes need to figure out whether the enemy team is actually relinquishing a position, or if they're baiting you in to be deleted by a couple of AMX 50 B's.
When you're in a brawl, you'll need to be aware of the potential of AMX 50 B's coming in on the flank. If you notice them driving in, try and get safe from a crossfire, and always be aware of your positioning so you're trying to only engage one target at a time versus two targets at a time. Be mindful of which angles exist, and which ones you can get punished from. This all comes from playing more and being aware of what angles AMX 50 B's can utilise, especially with their taller turret!
That's it for this installment of KaRath's Campaign Diaries. Check back for more tales of my adventure in the Iron Age Campaign!