As the holiday season nears, we rejoice in the spirit of gift giving with an early reveal of the final update of 2017. It’s been an eventful year, rich in major improvements to the game’s core, and Update 9.21 continues on that route with balance tweaks to British TDs and the debut of a new alternate line of French heavy tanks.
Read on for a detailed breakdown of everything in store for you in December!
British Tank Destroyers
We heard from many of you that the non-turreted British TD line didn’t feel fun. Though the ATs never failed to get a lot of well-placed shots down-range, their fire rates were totally offset by low damage, and the notoriously huge hatches negated overall armor turning them into easy targets.
To up the worthiness of these sluggish beasts, we boosted their armor and 32-pounder guns. These steps should reinforce their strength as support vehicles that can soak up a few hits in a pinch, and rip into enemies with an immense fire rate.
A re-tuning of the line wouldn’t be complete without a proper Tier X vehicle, something that could be a natural progression from the Tortoise. The FV215b (183) didn’t fit into the "well-protected support fire" concept we formed for the line, so it steps down in "special vehicle" status and frees up a space for the all-new FV217 Badger. If you have the FV215b (183) researched and purchased, you’re keeping it and getting the newcomer when 9.21 drops.
Like its peers further down the line, the Badger equips a fast gun that easily pierces thick-skinned enemies. Its play style resembles the Tortoise in many ways, but the Badger outperforms its damage potential and protection, resulting in a more tangible step up from Tier IX. The FV217 Badger is all-out devastating as an enemy, but also proves to be a great ally when it dishes out tons of damage from afar.
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Alternate French Heavy Tank Branch
The French Tech Tree gets a new line of heavy tanks starting from the AMX M4 mle. 45. If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that this trio will make you reconsider calling French tanks paper-thin autoloaders.
For starters, they have enough frontal and turret armor to take a few hits, and their guns all sport traditional reloads with exceptional accuracy, aim time, and stabilization. You'll just have to make a choice: a gun with higher alpha or with better damage per minute? No right or wrong, though; it all depends on your play style.
New Grand Battles Map: Klondike
In the weeks since Grand Battles rolled out, we've received a tremendous amount of feedback, and one of the louder bits involved wanting more maps. Well, now hear this: warm your engines, because winter is coming to Grand Battles.
Epic 30v30 fights are expanding to “Klondike” this December. This new 1.4x1.4km mixed-terrain map takes you to North America, where icy winds blow across vast expanses of open field and down the cold, empty streets of an industrial area.
We’ve also heard concerns about getting matched in a Grand Battle. We’re working to fix the issue, so thank you for your patience and understanding.
Stay tuned! In the weeks ahead we'll have a lot more info coming as we work to get you up to speed on 9.21.