War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Beginner's guide to tank battles

2024-04-30T17:51:08Z

U108069304: /* Choosing a nation */

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Beginner's Guide to Tank Battles}}

Welcome to the '''Tank Battles''' mode of War Thunder! This guide will help get a player on their feet in trying out War Thunder tank warfare.

[[File:Wallpaper KurskBattle.jpg|x420px|frameless|right]]
__TOC__

= Getting started in War Thunder =

This section's purpose is to get the player adequately ready in jumping into a War Thunder tank battle, starting from choosing a nation towards joining a battle.

== Choosing a nation==
With ten nations in the game as of [[Update "Ground Breaking"|Update "Ground Breaking]], there are lots of starting points to choose from for the War Thunder tank career. These descriptions will cover the first impressions of each country and the trends in tank characteristics as a player progresses in the tech tree.

{{notice|Do note that these are very general descriptions of the tech tree and that individual vehicles present in each nation can have their own characteristics that may differ from the trends.}}

==== [[File:USA flag.png|50px|link=Category:USA ground vehicles]] USA ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The starter American tanks have a good mix of mobility and protection in their overall design, combined with a fast-firing cannon to do good work against the enemy. This mix in characteristics make the tanks very versatile in their battlefield performance when used correctly. The American tanks' good mobility allows them to take on advantageous position against enemy routes, with their firepower allowing them to penetrate foes with ease. Armour is also good with an average amount throughout the body; while not thick enough to resist a full-on hit, they could provide some lucky ricochets from poorly angled incoming shots.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
The American starter tanks epitomize the rest of the American tech tree with a mediocrity that gives each tank a balance of firepower, mobility, and protection. However, this also means that against enemies that are more focused to a specific trait, the American tanks would do poorly in regards. One general advantage in American tanks is the presence of a [[Gun stabilizer|gun stabilizer]], which allows the gun to lay more easily during slow movements or when coming to a halt. While Rank I-III American tanks do generally well against their counterparts, the tanks slowly begin to fall behind in tank traits in Rank IV, as the average medium tank could not easily compete in face-to-face combat against the common foe. However, the more specialized ends such as light and heavy tanks begin shining in prominence however as they bring better mobility and firepower to the matches respectively. At Rank V and beyond, medium tanks catch back up and bring forth the epitome of Cold War main battle tanks to the battlefield.

Tank destroyers in the American tree are quite unique compared to other nations' as they are primarily turreted designs. Most American tank destroyers rely on mobility to benefit their firepower and definitely have armour considerations last, so careful positioning is always important to preserve the tank destroyer's efforts on the battlefield. All these special mentions, however, go out the window with the Rank V [[T28]]/[[T95]] casemate tank destroyer, which is an armoured shell with a gun sticking out that moves at a snail pace, so be aware so that this radical shift in playstyle does not surprise you.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the American tree are quite lacking at first with only barely armoured half-tracks bearing machine guns, though make up with saturation of fire to whittle down aircraft. This progresses slightly in Rank III-IV with a tank chassis with a 40 mm Bofors gun, which can down planes more reliably but still has an exposed tank crew and low amount of ammo for extended firing. Anti-air capabilities exponentially rise by Rank V-VI with the [[M163]] and [[M247]] providing heavy fire onto target.

==== [[File:Germany flag.png|50px|link=Category:Germany ground vehicles]] Germany ====
There are other things to consider about the German tree besides those fancy Tiger tanks in Rank III-IV, hold your horses.

'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Starter tanks for Germany are characterized by high mobility, decent firepower, and dubious armour protection. Most German vehicles at this early stage are quite quick due to their light weight and engine power. Armaments vary from the quite damaging 37 mm guns to the rapid-fire 20 mm autocannons that arm the [[Pz.II C|Panzer II]] tanks. However, the armour in these tanks is often the bare minimum, and sometimes even thinner especially on the sides. Thus, early German tanks must make the most of their mobility to establish an advantageous position and then relying on their guns to defeat the enemy. However, the guns also lack a comfortable amount of long-distance penetration power, so there may be more than a few times the German tanks would have to wait for the enemy to come in closer for a penetrating shot. All this combined with sub-par armour means the German tanks snare the initiative to prevent the enemy from firing back.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Going up the tech tree to Rank II and III, the German tanks begin catching up dramatically in firepower, with armour improving as well. Firepower is enhanced by longer cannons that now provide more than enough power against enemy armour even at range. Armour is enhanced little by little with each version of the Panzer III and IV, but the enemy cannons could also deal with this armour easily as well so they are simply proof against earlier enemies. Mobility takes a short dip as engine power stays the same while tank weight increases. All this is capped off by the introduction of newer tanks like the infamous "Panther" and "Tiger tanks" in Rank III and IV. These two tank designs expand on the potentials of German tanks with better firepower, armour, and mobility; with the Tiger tanks providing much more of the first two. However, these tanks also bring higher battle ratings into the matchmaking, so players should be careful in instantly jumping into the BR 5.7 Tiger I tanks when the rest of the line-up only consists of the BR 3.3 Panzer IIIs (Read the [[Beginner's_guide_to_tank_battles#Matchmaking|Matchmaker section]] for more details).

After Rank IV, the German tanks take a sharp split in the extremes of design. One side is the super-heavy tanks such as the [[Maus]] tank that brings all 188 tons of armour into battle with good gun and poor mobility. The other side puts all their chips into mobility and firepower with the medium tank such as the [[Leopard I|Leopards]], being able to outpace the enemies with a cannon able to obliterate from kilometres away. This trend continues up until the [[Leopard 2A4]] at the (current) end of the tree, with great extremes in firepower, mobility, and protection. There are also a few scout vehicles at this top rank that also bring good firepower to the table with their mobility.

Tank destroyers for Germany also split into two design philosophies. One is the light-weight open-top vehicles with a huge gun, which often brings a gun from the next rank into the current that absolutely devastated the enemies like the [[Sturer Emil]]. The other is the enclosed armoured casemate design that offer decent to impressive frontal armour, though a gun that is contemporary with those in the same rank. As the ranks go up however, the armour becomes much thicker, as seen going from the [[StuG III F|StuG]] series of tank destroyers to the [[Jagdtiger]].

German anti-aircraft vehicles are nothing to slouch at, all bring impressive capabilities of downing the enemy aircraft. However, from Rank I-II, the crew arrangement is very vulnerable and can be quickly knocked out with an airstrike or a nearby artillery shell. From Rank III onward, all German anti-aircraft vehicles keep the crew in a semi to fully-protected position, with the vehicle bristling with rapid-fire cannons able to track and shoot down the enemy aircraft.

==== [[File:USSR flag.png|50px|link=Category:USSR ground vehicles]] USSR ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early USSR tanks are defined by lacklustre armour, but good gun penetration and good rate of fire. These tanks are easy to penetrate and are destroyed quickly. When playing these tanks try to stay in the second rank or on the flanks. Sniping is also an option with them because the guns fire at relatively high velocities. Remember to seek cover when an enemy starts to shoot at you, as you will not survive many hits. These tanks are powerful weapons in the correct hands, capable of selecting targets of importance and dispatching them in quick order – however, one must be mindful of one's surroundings since the only protection early USSR tanks have is natural cover or distance.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Several trends make the Soviet tanks stand out in comparison to their peers: Heavily sloped hull armour and minute amount of gun depression. Past the starter tanks onto BR ~3.0 in Rank II, the access to the famous [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] tanks will show the heavily-angled sloped armour on not just the front armour, but the sides and rear as well. This can be the bane against enemies with poor shot placements and/or weaker guns. However, design trade-offs in Soviet designs that reduce their overall profile on the battlefield also cause gun depression in the turret to be rather poor, with the average depression angle being only 5 degrees. As such, many conventional tank tactics such as the hull-down position and terrain exploitation (such as hills) are complicated by the lacking gun depression.

However, Rank II is characterized with great hull armour with the KV-1 heavy tanks and T-34 medium tanks, with the turret being the primary weak points on these tanks. By Rank III, more powerful armaments such as the 85 mm are available that can make short work of many tanks, but the presence of more powerful enemy tanks, while Soviet tanks are still using the same armour as Rank II, mean that enemies will have an easier time knocking out Soviet tanks. Even in Rank IV, which features improved tank armour as seen in the [[T-44]] and [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]] tanks, the stronger enemy guns could make short work of the hull, and even the weaker ones could penetrate through the turret.

By Rank IV onwards as well, the Soviet tree also has a great diversity in the types of vehicles able to be used, with light, amphibious, scout vehicles such as the [[PT-76B]], [[BMP-1]], and [[Object 906]]; heavily armoured tanks such as the [[IS-3]] and [[T-10M]]; and the medium tanks. Medium tanks begin to dominate the Soviet playstyle by Rank VI as the introduction of main battle tanks such as the [[T-64A (1971)|T-64]] and [[T-80B]] set the score up at the top.

Soviet tank destroyers are characterized early with weakly armoured, but heavily gunned platforms such as the [[ZiS-30]]. This soon peters out in Rank III to armoured casemates with either a respectable gun or a massive-calibre cannon as seen in the SU series of tank destroyers from the mellow [[SU-85]] to the pumpin' [[SU-152]]. While a few more lightly-armoured, open-topped tank destroyers exist by Rank IV, the solid armoured casemate designs remain a prominent figure in the Soviet tech tree.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the Soviet tree are all quite poor in their ability to protect the crew, as every anti-air vehicle up to Rank IV is built from a truck chassis; and even up to Rank V with the [[ZSU-57-2]], the crew compartment is exposed. While Rank I is quite low-powered with rather anemic machine guns and fire rate available, autocannons become present and available by Rank II that could lay down impressive fire to destroy the aircraft, providing the aircraft does not strafe and knock out the crew in an attack run.

==== [[File:Britain flag.png|50px|link=Category:Britain ground vehicles]] Britain ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early British tanks are defined by speed and adequate firepower. The usage of the cruiser tanks enable the British to have some of the fastest introductory tanks available in the game, second to USSR's [[BT-5|BT]] tanks. Armour on the cruiser tanks are at a minimum to keep speed, but will improve as you move down the rank. Unlocking the medium tank Valentine will also help in armour, though at a cost of speed. The British all have a very high damage output with their large, rapid-fire guns.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Past Rank II battle rating 3.0, the British are burdened with only solid-shot rounds for their armaments, meaning there are no explosive fillers available to enhance post-penetration damage on enemy vehicles, requiring you to aim at the enemy critical components. Early British tanks are also burdened by a nonexistent reverse speed, especially in their [[Cromwell V|Cromwell chassis]].

British tanks up the line to Rank II and III split their tank designs to two types, the cruiser and infantry tank which are characterized in War Thunder as light/medium and heavy tanks respectively. So, fast tanks like the Cromwell are working alongside heavily armoured ones such as the [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill]] tanks. By Rank III, while infantry tank armour proves much more substantial than its peers, the cruiser tanks begin expanding their firepower with the famous [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pounder cannon]]. While still firing solid-shot, the cannon can penetrate most, if not all, of its peers' armour. By Rank IV, the infantry tank concept fades away as the more flexible medium tanks in the form of [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurions]] become the predominant British tank up to Rank V, with few heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]] supporting its protection. By Rank VI, the British revolve around the [[Chieftain (Family)|Chieftain]] and [[Challenger (Disambiguation)|Challenger]] tanks for their duties, with the assisting [[Warrior]] for recon tasks.

British tank destroyers take up an odd niche of supplying much needed firepower, but in many different manners, forcing you to change tactics and adapt to constant design swaps, such as the odd [[3 inch Gun Carrier]], the rear-facing [[Archer]], mobile [[Achilles]] and [[Avenger]], Shoot'n'scoot [[Charioteer Mk VII]], heavily armoured [[Tortoise]], the big-bang slinging [[FV4005]] and so on. As such, it is hard to establish any trend they set other than giving a bigger gun to the average British line-up. By Rank VI though, tank destroyers primarily focus on missile launching systems.

Anti-air vehicles in the British tree are often lacklustre in firepower, earlier ones relying on either regular machine guns or the large 0.50 cal ones before switching over to more reliable autocannons. By Rank II however, all of Britain's anti-air crew compartments are decently protected from enemy fire that can allow for closer protection of the fighting groups.

==== [[File:Japan flag.png|50px|link=Category:Japan ground vehicles]] Japan ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early Japanese tanks have generally light frames, but decent manoeuvrability. Their armament has terrible penetration, but the shells have good explosive content. The only exception is the excellent Rank I truck mounted anti-aircraft gun. The tracked artillery gun is also devastating at medium range.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Moving up to Rank II shows almost no changes in the trend from the starter, with light armour and decent manoeuvrability attached to a rather anemic gun. However, at the end of Rank II, the [[Chi-Nu]] vehicle begins to solve the firepower issue with a larger and more powerful 75 mm gun. This is continued in Rank III where armour really takes a setback as an even longer 75 mm becomes the go-to gun for the Japanese tree, while mobility slowly drags down up to the bulky [[Chi-Ri II]]. By Rank III, there are also some American tanks to supplement the line-up.

By Rank IV onwards, armour has taken a backseat while firepower and mobility becomes the prime focus of addition. By the Rank V, a new mechanic called "[[Hydropneumatic suspension|Hydropneumatic suspension]]" allows for more flexibility in the positioning of Japanese tanks to ambush enemies from locations that are unorthodox in tank placements. It is not until the top-rank tank, the [[Type 90]] main battle tank, that an balance to the extremity of firepower, mobility, and protection is achieved. To add to this, the Type 90 also has one of the highest penetrating sabot round in the game, meaning while the journey to the top may be hard, it could be quite rewarding with a potent vehicle and a huge reserve of game skills.

Japanese tank destroyers are emphasized by being lightly armoured and heavily gunned, each of them more than able to destroy the competitors on a battlefield. The one exception are the [[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]] types, which trade in mobility for a larger set of armour encapsulating the crew and modules.

Anti-aircraft vehicles are quite capable, with every single one equipped with autocannons to smack down enemy planes. However, the crew are always exposed in all versions except the top-rank [[Type 87]] SPAA.

==== [[File:Italy flag.png|50px|link=Category:Italy ground vehicles]] Italy ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early Italian tanks have good emphasis on firepower, sub-par armour, but are quite lacking in mobility. The various 47 mm calibre cannons give good penetration and damage, which can give the Italians a good advantage at range. Armour is often averagely thick, but have huge unevenly angled plates, that could be easily penetrated even when tank itself is angled. The low engine power seems to only just be able to drag the tank by to its firing position.

Some of the early Italian tank destroyers rely on stealth to attack opponents instead and have nearly no armour, but are extremely small. This gives them an advantage in Realistic battle mode.

Another important half of Italian tank tree revolves around wheeled armoured cars. While the armoured car option is extremely fast on roads compared to tanks and more viable for mobility, the expense is extremely thin armour that allows even rifle-calibre (7mm) machine gun rounds to penetrate it at the right conditions.

A smart play style will be needed when starting the Italians, and players have to keep attention to which tanks are useful in which situation and in which game mode.

The one thing that stay unique for most early Italian tanks is their upgraded high-normalization APHE shell, which gives them upper hand at longer ranges compared to other factions that use similar APHE shell, although at point-blank range these shells aren't any better than normal ones.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Italy follows a trend of generally below-average armoured vehicles with above-average mobility at medium and high tiers while being average at tier I. The tree has 4 lines. From left to right, they are:

# The light tank line, which consists of armoured cars and light tanks with good mobility and decent guns, which make them able to flank.
# The medium tank line, which consists of medium tanks. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Average at everything.
# The Anti-Aircraft line, oriented to the destruction of aircraft, but that has some fun vehicles like the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS and the OTOMATIC at the end of the tree.
# The SPG line, which has generally mobile tank destroyers usually with little armour, which makes them good for taking positions and firing from afar.

The Italians also do not have heavy tanks, and rarely have tanks which have more armour than deemed average by the time period. Some of these vehicles can be destroyed even by fighters. For that reason, they also possess decent self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which employ absurdly high fire rate or quadruple gun compositions. These SPAA are also usually capable of dealing with tanks of their battle rating, being the most infamous one the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS with a fast-firing 20 mm cannon.

The tree is complemented by US tanks for their low and medium tiers, as early as rank II and until rank V, Mostly on the medium Tank line.

The Semovente tank destroyer branch proves useful when used as ambush tank, slowly getting better armour and ammunition as tree progresses. At Rank IV. it is replaced by the American M36B1 design.

Since Rank III, Italians start to mostly rely on stealth and speed in any of their own designs. At the rank, Italian tree gets its iconic armoured car design in form of [[R3 T20 FA-HS]] SPAA. You will see this car design. It will be carrying a lot of different weapons, from quad machine guns to recoilless rifles, to actual tank turrets. It generally can be annihilated even by 7.62 mm machine guns from the rear, and by 12.7 mm machine guns from the front, but it's extremely fast on roads, very small, and usually can use hull down positions, even in arcade mode.

At Rank V, battle rating 8.0, Italy finally stands back up and starts getting tanks that feel more unique, featuring the infamous wheeled tank [[Centauro]] and the medium main battle tank [[OF-40]]. They also use [[SIDAM 25]] and [[M113A1 (TOW)]] based on an American chassis, to provide support. From this point on, Italy mostly gets "more of the same, but superior gun and ammunition, if possible".

The only exception is at Rank VI, where [[OTOMATIC]], based on OF-40 chassis, is introduced, being SPAA, which is not only capable of defeating an entire squadron of pilots on its own, but is also capable of defeating an actual medium tank squad with APFSDS. Unfortunately it lacks missiles, its quite large and its armour is not impressive.

==== [[File:France flag.png|50px|link=Category:France ground vehicles]] France ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early French tanks are defined by extremely lacklustre firepower but excellent armour. Even the highest penetrating shells on the reserve tanks cannot engage most tanks of their tier from the front. The armour, however, is quite a tough nut to crack. The mobility is generally average or sub-par. The main exception is the [[P.7.T AA]], an anti-aircraft armed tractor, and the [[AMR.35 ZT3]], a light, manoeuvrable tank destroyer.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Rank II trends closer towards an even balance in tank traits, though firepower still requires catching up. Some American vehicles such as the [[M4A1 (France)|M4A1]] and the [[M10 GMC (France)|M10]] are available to supplement the odd French tanks. Once Rank III roll by, firepower has been improved with many high-velocity 75 mm cannons available for all types of tanks. However, emphasis on armour begins to decline in the face of the opponents of the rank.

Rank IV introduces some of the more popular French tanks of the game such as the Lorraines and the AMX tank series. These tanks have armour that are quite thin even among its peers, but boast high mobility and heavy firepower that allows them to exploit enemy weaknesses by getting around them at places they don't expect. This trend is continued all the way to Rank VI, where armour may not be heavily relied upon, but firepower and mobility can be. However, the French are in a general disadvantage in the top-rank battles due to the absence of gun stabilizers, so keep this in mind when fighting in a warfare of movement.

Tank destroyers in the French tree are a mix of casemates and turreted designs, though the general trend is always in firepower and mobility; with only the turreted [[ARL-44]] having decent amount of armour to stand toe-to-toe with the enemy.

Anti-aircraft vehicles for the French are quite lacking, with only a few available vehicles in this role. The first two are typical trucks with guns mounted on them, but the last two AMX designs provide powerful guns for combating aircraft, as well as radars to more easily target and destroy enemy aerial threats.

== Preparing for the first match ==
Before starting up the first tank match, it is recommended for all players to play the tutorial section in-game to be familiarized with the tank controls and damage mechanics of the game.

To enter the tutorial form the menu, go to "Battles" at the top left corner in between a cog icon and "Community." A drop down menu should appear, with "Tutorials" appearing fourth from the top. From there, the tutorials titled "Tank Control Basis" and "Tank Gunnery" should be completed, with a bonus in currency added once completed.

Now, it is time to select the game mode for the match. For any newcomers, Arcade mode is recommended as there will be assist markers available for shell trajectory and penetration indication that helps new players understand where their shots will go at long range, and what tanks they could handle. As experience is earned while playing the game, the player can choose between realistic or simulator battles for their continued gameplay experience.

Once a mode is set, click the large, orange "To Battle!" button to join a queue for game match to be made!

For more details on the game modes for tanks, [[Beginner%27s_guide_to_tank_battles#Game_modes|click here!]]

==Fighting in the first match==
Once a match has been chosen, the map and objective will be laid out for the player.

The first thing encountered upon joining a match is a vehicle and ammo selection screen, with vehicle selection done atop and ammunition done in the center. The next thing to take note of is a map of the battlefield on the right side, where diamond symbols with letters on it will be pinpointed, these are the primary objectives of any War Thunder tank battle.

Most objectives in the game rely on the capture and control of strategic points, with the game mode being called "Conquest" or "Domination" depending on the number of capture points available. These points are captured simply by driving into the bordered circle area with the enemy removed from it.

However, the ease of capturing these points is hampered by the terrain of each map and the enemies shooting. To solve this, start planning a route towards the target point using the mini-map provided, then pick the appropriate ammunition for the task.

{{Notice
|The best penetrating ammunition is not necessarily the most optimal round to fight with in War Thunder, as other factors such as round type (AP, APCBC, etc.), angle of attack effect, and explosive filler are to be considered as well. Though APCR ammunition may have a large amount of penetration potential up close, they are poor at long-range fighting, against non-flat armour plates, and have negligible post-penetration damage. For more details on ammo type, see [[Tank ammunition|this page]].

When selecting ammo type and numbers, a general rule is to not bring all available ammunition into the battle as these increase the presence of [[Ammo_racks|ammo racks]] in the tank which, when hit, could detonate and instantly destroy the tank.
|!
}}

Once these considerations are taken into account, click any of the orange "To Battle!" buttons; the large one on the bottom right or the ones above the vehicle icon (or double-click on a vehicle icon) to spawn into the fight!

Now that the tank is finally track-on-the-ground and ready to rumble, the one thing to keep in mind is to play the objective. Because even if one side manages to knock out more total tanks than the enemy, if the enemy retains the capture points, they will win by draining the ticket counter. Plus, capturing these points result in a nice reward and score boost, so there's something in it for not just for the team, but for the individual!

Manoeuvring on the battlefield takes skill and familiarity around the terrain and tank's characteristics. Bead-lining a straight path towards the objective could run into open, exposed areas where the enemy could fire upon with ease. Use the terrain for cover and concealment under foliage, rubble, hills, buildings, and the such. Knowing the tank's mobility power can allow for more complicated manoeuvres in rough terrain like steep hills and river-bogged areas to get around predictable road routes that may have enemy in sight.

Every encounter with an enemy, like in most player-versus-player games, is a test of wits and initiative. As such, it comes down to whether a penetrating shell could be placed onto their tank before they could open fire and destroy the player. A good mindset to have is to not view exposure as a mere state, but rather as a conscious, active decision. Every second of exposure represents a risk one should be aware of. Try to surprise the enemies by attacking on their flanks, even when sniping. When you must move into an area that an enemy tank is aiming at, remember to pre-angle your armour and aim your weapon to do as much damage as you can with your first shot. This means aiming for driver's view ports and the cheeks of the turret.

The reward at the end of a match is largely determined by whether you have won or lost the match, and the outcome of the match is largely determined by who possesses the capture points. This, coupled with the fact that a point capture carries a higher reward than destroying an enemy, means capturing points is a first priority. Even having more targets destroyed and losing can net a smaller result than less targets destroyed and winning.

Congratulations! You have experienced your first match in War Thunder (or at least one that you have a good awareness on what's actually happening). However, there's more to War Thunder than just blasting away at the enemy.

==After the first match==
Now that you know how to fight and win battles, it is now time to use that experience to advance your placement in the tech tree you have chosen.

As more battles are fought, research points are earned towards upgrading the tank and progressing the tech tree. We'll relay how to do each step here.

===Upgrades===
Upgrading tanks comes down to two factors, unlocking modifications for the modules and training the crew.

====Modules and modifications====
{{main|Modifications}}

In the menu, there is the option to unlock modifications for the vehicle in question. These are divided into three categories: Mobility, Protection, and Firepower. Mobility upgrades the engine, transmission, and suspension characteristics. Protection upgrades survivability potential with repairs, fire extinguishers, and crew replacement. Firepower upgrades turret characteristics, accuracy, and unlocks new ammunition to be used. These are researched and unlocked one by one, and as the criteria is met, the next tier of modifications can be unlocked to further enhance the vehicle.

In any vehicle, it is recommended to always focus on unlocking these two modifications, which happen to both be in the protection column.

* Parts — This is due to otherwise being unable to repair critical modules on the battlefield. By default, only track damage could be repaired anywhere on the battlefield and repairs can be done on captured points. However, repairs to critical modules such as the gun, turret, transmission, and engine would be impossible away from a captured point without the Parts modification.
* FPE — The Fire Protection Equipment is very important for combat survival as these are the most viable way to extinguish vehicle fires (outside of driving and submerging in a body of water. Without this, a simple fire will slowly chip away at module health (and expose the tank for anyone in the vicinity to find) and eventually lead to a fuel or ammo combustion that will knock out the tank from the game.

Past these, the priority of modifications to upgrade can vary from different tanks and should be consulted on individual vehicle pages on whether mobility or firepower is more important to research.

====Crew skills====
{{main|Crew skills}}

Arguably one of the least looked at part of tank upgrades, crew skills can play a big role in the firepower and mobility of a tank. Unlike modifications, the training of a crew are specific to the crew slot in the line-up and can be transferable to any tank the crew is using (except "Expert" and "Ace" status).

Crew information can be reached on the left drop-right menu on the screen with the middle button for the selected crew (under "Vehicle Information" and above the "Favourite Achievements" button). From here, "Crew Training" would direct the player to a screen that would show the following tabs:
[[File:CrewSkills_Tank_reloading_upgradedskill.jpg|x200px|thumb|right|The crew training page, where upgrades in the loader's reload skill shows an appreciable benefit.]]

* Driver
* Gunner
* Tank Commander
* Tank Loader
* Radio Operator Gunner
* Logistical Service
* Qualification

Each have their own unique skills to help enhance the tank in their role, from driving capabilities, gun laying, and communications. Upgrading each trait in a crew tab with the earned Crew XP Points would add a 0.5 point to the overall crew level. Each skill that can be upgraded is detailed more on the [[Crew skills|crew skills]] page.

Once a certain crew level is reached with crew upgrades, they can enter "Qualification" to become enhanced to one specific tank. The first stage would be "Expert" which adds 3 point to every crew skill for the cost of several Silver Lions {{Sl}}. The impact can be quite noticeable once put into a match.

After an "Expert" qualification is gained, the next step past a maxed out "Expert" crew is the "Ace" status, which enhances the reward to an additional 5 point to every crew skill. However, earning this status is much harder and requires either Golden Eagles {{Ge}} or a huge amount of experiences to achieve.

===Progression===
Upon selecting your preferred tech tree, you will then being the gradual process of unlocking, researching, and purchasing vehicles down a column to progress towards the next vehicle type.

Progression is restricted by two factors in the tech tree, vehicle unlock criteria per rank and vehicle branch connection. Each rank past the first has a criteria of the number of vehicles that must be researched and purchased before the next rank's vehicles could be researched. Vehicles are then linked via an arrow branching from one vehicle to the next. These arrows indicate that the prior vehicle must be researched before the next vehicle could be researched, and purchased before the next vehicle could be purchased.

Vehicles restricted from being researched are noted by being under a dark red overlay, with indications that the vehicle is locked.

====Matchmaking====
{{main|Matchmaker|Battle ratings}}

While ranks are important for progression, they are not the deciding factor on what types of battles you enter.

Matchmaking in the game is solely based on [[Battle_ratings|battle ratings]], which are indicated by a numerical value on the lower right corner of a vehicle box (or on top of a stat card). The rank of a vehicle does not play a part in this matchmaking process, and so a rank II vehicle can be evenly matched with a rank III vehicle if both have the same battle rating.

Matchmaking in tank battles is sorted by the highest battle rating in the line-up and then battling against enemies within a battle rating range of ± 1.0. For example, a player enters a battle with a line-up with a maximum battle rating of 2.3, causing the player to join a match potentially between 1.3 to 3.3 in battle ratings. This is further divided into groups separated by a value of 1.0, so matches would consist of vehicles in the 1.3-2.3, 1.7-2.7, 2.0-3.0 and 2.3-3.3 vehicles. This develops into the concepts of "uptier" and "downtier" as coined by the community, where "uptier" would be placing the 2.3 line-up in a 2.3-3.3 match, while a "downtier" would be in a 1.3-2.3 match.

Always consult the stats cards for tanks when creating a line up. Also remember that every vehicle have a different battle ranking and stats card in different game modes. To change which stats card you are looking at, simply click on the mode view option at the bottom right of the research tree.

= Advanced considerations =
Aside from turning that diamond-shape symbol on the capture point into a blue color and destroying enemy tanks, there are more intricate details to cover when detailing how to play the game more deeply than shoot-and-scoot.

==Vehicle usage==
Here we detail the typical usage of each vehicle type in a battle.

{{notice|It should be pointed out that when choosing a vehicle to load into a battle, not every tank in the game is optimal for every situation. For example, it would probably be unwise to take the slow [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill]] infantry tank on the vast, open and manoeuvre-friendly map of Kursk, or to pick a heavy tank during an uptier where enemy tanks would have firepower that makes the armour moot.

These situations are the reason why a diverse line up is usually good, as you cannot predict what map or match you will get, so the tank line up has to be suitable for most/all maps. In addition, later into the game, the second, third, and proceeding vehicles you choose can impact the game. If your team needs to quickly capture the "A" point to avoid a loss, you want a fast-moving vehicle to get there quickly to stop the "ticket bleed".}}

Without further ado, here's a general "doctrine" on how each tank type are to perform on the battlefield.

==== Light tanks ====
Light tanks are lightly armoured and small, yet highly mobile and armed with an adequate gun. At Rank I and the reserves, the light tanks make up the majority of the tanks involved in the playing field. Make good usage of your mobility and small size to move from cover to cover, peeking out occasionally to fire at the enemy. Don't fire from the same place more than twice as it will let the enemy take aim at your position. Peek out the other side of the cover or reposition for a better chance at survival. You can also use your mobility to get to the enemy's sides, thus giving you a good shot on the vulnerable weak side of the tanks. At the later ranks, most of the nations have phased out the light tanks due to their inadequacy against the larger tanks, but the American and Soviet tree still retain them up to the late ranks. These late rank light tanks put more emphasis on the firepower to deal more damage for the light weight, so more confidence can be had fighting the ranks they exist in. However, the strategy remain unchanged in making sure you do not even take a single enemy hit, as a single hit will end you.

==== Medium tanks ====
Medium tanks are the jack-of-all-trade tank in the game. Armed with a adequate armour, mobility, and firepower, they can fit in multiple roles on the battlefield. Their greatest pro is also their greatest weakness, being just as good in everything and also being just as bad in everything. They are not armoured enough to hold positions, fast enough to flank the enemy, or armed enough to take out any tank they see. Flexibility is the key of the medium tanks, giving you free rein in what you will do to dominate the battlefield. By Rank IV, the firepower and armour of the medium tanks start to wane in the presence of the stronger heavy tanks such as the [[IS-2]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. At this point, start playing the medium tanks akin to the light tanks, taking cover and popping out occasionally to fire before repositioning or get on the enemy's flanks.

==== Heavy tanks ====
Heavy tanks are the breakthrough vehicles of the game and in MMORPG terms, would be the "tank" of the team. Their heavy armour allows them to absorb enemy fire, their size makes them bullet magnet to take fire intended for your weaker teammates, and more often than not you have a very powerful gun able to destroy the opposing forces. Though you may want to ominously crawl toward the enemy with a face of intimidation, you are not invulnerable. Going up to the enemy increases the risk of their gun being able to penetrate certain weak points on your frontal armour or even get a tank onto your sides and penetrate your weaker side armour. Use the heavy tanks sparingly, stand back a certain distance from an enemy strong point and blast at the stranglers, with the distance empowering your armour as the enemy's shells may not have enough energy to penetrate your armour after traveling a distance. Remember to slope your armour by angling the hull so the enemy would never get a straight shot onto your armour.

==== Tank destroyers ====
Tank destroyers are a specialized type of vehicle meant to... well, destroy tanks. However, different design aspects on these tanks lead to different doctrines within the same class.

'''Armoured casemate structure'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Jagdpanzer IV]], [[SU-85]], and [[75/46 M43|Semoventes]], are distinguished by a fully enclosed fighting compartment with a gun mounted fixed to the front on a flexible mount. These tank destroyers typically rely on a low-profile to set up unnoticed ambush positions against incoming enemies, and often carry guns equivalent to the tanks in the rank. Exploit the low silhouette by hiding in the distance or in foliage so the enemies cannot detect it. Take position near choke-points to channel the enemy in and open fire in opportune moments at the weak spots or when they expose their sides.

Another school of thought in casemate structures are larger-profiled, but more heavily armoured designs such as the [[Jagdtiger]], [[Tortoise]], and [[T95]] in a role that could be considered assault tank destroyers. While these could still rely on ambush methods to obtain hits on the enemy, their slower speed and higher profile can make concealment at advantageous positions difficult, often causing them to take up a role similar to heavy tanks to absorb fire from the front while using their cannon to decimate the enemies in front trying to penetrate the thick armour.

'''Glass-cannon casemate structures'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Marder III]], [[ZiS-30]], and [[Ho-Ni I]], are distinguished by very little, if any, armour on the design. For this penalty in armour, mobility may or may not be enhanced as well. However, firepower on these tank destroyers are often of a league of the next rank's equivalent, such as the Rank III [[Nashorn]] being equipped with an [[PaK 43 (88 mm)|88 mm cannon]] that does not begin to appear on tanks until the next rank up. As such, while these tank destroyers are lightly armoured, probably slow, and most likely of high-profile construction, they provide firepower nearly unparalleled to the matches they can fight in. These should not go on any offensive and rely on advantageous, defensive terrain to be positioned where minimum return fire can be expected while ambushing the enemy as they appear in the gun sights.

'''Turreted'''
{{Break}}
Mostly exclusive to the United States' and British designs, these turreted designs are typically higher-profile and lighter armoured than the casemate counterparts, but feature greater tactical flexibility and mobility. The epitome of this type of tank destroyer lies in the American [[M18 GMC]], which provides very high speed with a reliable cannon to destroy most tanks upon a penetration; yet has paper-thin armour that even high-explosive shells could cripple it. These tank destroyers rely on moving to areas in a very short amount of time to set up flanking ambushes against the incoming enemy. The additional advantage is that these tank destroyers, with the tank characteristic of a turret, can use the gun depression for hull-down positions and the turret traverse for an enhanced horizontal targeting range.

==== Self-propelled anti-aircraft ====
Self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles are specialized vehicles not meant to destroy ground vehicles, instead they are meant to attack the enemy aircraft. Equipped with rapid-firing autocannons or machine guns, you are to lead the enemy plane right into your firing field to knock them out of the sky. Most SPAA do not have the same armour as a tank, so the SPAA should stay back behind the attacking force to stay safe from enemy fire and yet blast away any plane attempting to strafe your allies. Some SPAA are able to defend themselves against ground targets such as the German [[Ostwind]], the British [[Falcon]] and the Soviet [[ZSU-57-2]], but these are last ditch weapons.

====Aircraft====
Aircraft in tank battles, whether unlocked through the point system in Arcade Battles or player-owned in Realistic Battles, can help give the team an edge with supplementary air power in a combined-arms role. These too are separated into roles of emphasis in tank battles.

* ''Fighters'' should primarily be focused on protecting the air space against enemy aircraft that come in to intercept friendly aircraft or attack ground units. The best strategy to destroy enemy planes is to gain a higher altitude than them, then dive and shoot them down. If no enemy planes are present, strafing the enemy ground units to harass them also fits fighter duty, but the most important role you can be is act as an aerial reconnaissance for your team, relaying where each enemy is on the map. Staying at a high altitude or taking evasive manoeuvres would be necessary if an enemy SPAA is present on the ground.
** Alternatively, fighters can be armed with bombs and rockets in a fighter-bomber role to attack ground units. Note that this sacrifices the plane's ability to fight other aircraft so long as these armaments are on the aircraft, and the aircraft's performance in this role varies as they are not designed for the purpose of attacking ground units.
* Attackers and dive-bombers should both focus on targeting individual ground units and eliminating them with either cannon-armaments on the aircraft or the available bombs and rockets.
** Attackers come in at a low altitude with their relatively armoured airframe to get better accuracy onto target. Due to their low altitude of attack, equipped bombs should be set on delay to avoid the bomb blast and shrapnel on the ground from affecting the aircraft.
** Dive-bombers rely on coming in from a high altitude towards the ground to directly deliver a bomb onto target. Air-brakes are available on most of these aircraft to help slow down the dive to allow for an easier adjustment of aim and also to be easier to pull up from the dive.
* Bombers are more preferred for a carpet-bombing of an area to eliminate the enemy. These should be retained at high altitude to avoid anti-aircraft fire as most bombers lack the manoeuvrability owing to their size from dodging enemy fire.

==Gameplay==
Outside of the written guide here, there are several YouTube tutorials provided by War Thunder to further enhance your experience, as listed here:

{{Youtube-gallery|sWTV4PWs3FM|"Part 3: Tanks '''Arcade'''"|cwApkEkC660|"Part 7: Tanks '''Tactics'''"|ZoP70wYsQdI|"Part 11: Tanks '''Armour'''"|bea0YmP8qWo|"Part 12: '''Tanks Sniper'''"}}

Beyond those videos, here are some details to consider when playing in a match.

===Shoot-and-scoot===
Probably one of the more basic detail to know in a tank fight, it details changing positions after engaging in a firefight. This can be done as simple as retreating back into cover after firing the cannon to reload in safety, or as thorough as repositioning the fire location before exposing the tank again. This is done because after opening an engagement, the enemy downrange will be focused on locating the origin of the attack to eliminate the threat. As such, repositioning by moving out of the line-of-sight and then changing the firing location will buy time in the enemy not realizing where the shot come from. With this, even if they did identify where the first shot originated, the repositioning will ensure their gun sights are not aligned onto the last appeared area, buying extra time as the enemy would then need to readjust the sights towards the new location. This is especially important if artillery is incoming onto the location; as exposure to this attack is detrimental to anyone's health, movement to another firing location will make the incoming rain of explosions miss your vehicle.

=== Protecting a capture point ===
Capture points serve as giant magnets of allies and enemies, and protecting these points from enemies can be a chore. The preferred tank specifications for this job is one with lots of armour and a very powerful gun, though any tank can do this job given the correct skill sets. There are two ways to protect a capture point:

# Stay on the capture point and fight off any incoming invaders.
# Position yourself a distance away from the capture point so you are able to see any enemy that tries to reach the point, then pick them off when they are either on the way or on the capture point.

Both have their pros and cons. Staying on the capture point ensures that you will be there to prevent the zone from being captured, but you risk being swarmed by the enemy or picked off at a distance by a tank hitting one of your critical weak points. Positioning yourself away from the capture point at a vantage point around the zone so you can give supporting fire to any teammates that are at the zone, but if the enemy manage to get to the zone and none of your teammate are on the zone, the zone will be captured by the enemy easily, or neutralized if you are able to knock out the enemy on the zone before they can capture it. Either way, it may require you to move away from your position to take back the point. Protecting the capture point requires a good knowledge of your tank's strengths and the environment to find good vantage areas and cover.

=== Flanking ===
Flanking is one of the main tactic that must be recognized by everyone. Flanking is the movement of units to get around the enemy to their sides, then hitting them. In tank warfare, flanking is absolutely essential to gain an upper hand over the enemy. If coordinated, this would force the enemy to engage in two different directions, the front where the main force would be, and the sides where the flanking force is. This will lower their distribution of firepower to two targets, whereas the flanking force and main force can still concentrate their firepower on just one enemy force. With the addition of lowering the enemy's attention to one target, the flanking force also had the benefit of being able to get to one of the tank's main weaknesses, their side armour. This will allow flankers to be able to not only take the advantage over the enemy, but give them a lethal edge over their forces.

Flanking requires tanks that are very mobile due to the quick nature of the tactic, yet have a gun that can reliable defeat the enemy. Armour should not be prioritized because that would decrease mobility, and hopefully if the tactic is done right, the main force should be receiving the brunt of the enemy's firepower rather than the flanking force. Thus, the best tanks for this job is a light or medium tank.

=== Sniping ===
Like real-life sniping, this tactic requires skill and patience. Skill to accurately range and hit very far away targets, patience to wait for the enemy to drive right into your firing range. If you are able to exploit not only your tank's firepower, but also the environment, the enemy may never be able to accurately pinpoint your location and you will be able to pick them off one-by-one.

Tank destroyers do this job the best due to their low silhouette and high-power guns compared to tanks, but suffer from a limited firing angle (unless you are using American or British tanks, in which case their silhouette is large, but allow a larger degree of fire).

=== Brawling ===
This is where things get aggressive. No fancy long shots or skillful manoeuvres, just getting up close and personal with the enemy, front and center. This tactic requires fast reflexes and intuition, and most importantly, the ability to get the first shot off to your enemy. The first shot is the most important shot as a brawler, because at the close ranges this tactic is in when fighting, the tank armour can be negligible, and also the first shot could impede the enemy's attempt to fire off a shot at all if you are able to incapacitate their gunner, then they can't get any shot off at all.

Any tank can play this tactic really, its just two factors that matters the most now, how many tanks your team has and the penetration value on your gun. So a light tank can play this role if it has a very powerful gun and would not be out-numbered by the enemy. Strike at the enemy's ability to fire back by destroying each enemy tank, or their gunner if you do not believe a single-shot knock-out is possible. Overwhelm them, swarm them, but do not give the enemy the edge because in brawling, anything is exploitable.

==Game modes==
Should you wish for more excitement in your gameplay, there are other modes to try out with their own perks!

{{notice|Simulator Battles features are assumed to also match Realistic Battles unless stated otherwise.}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="3" | Ground Forces - Features by Game Mode
|-
! Arcade (AB) !! Realistic (RB) !! Simulator (SB)
|-
|
* Aim and penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder always enabled
* 3D markers indicate enemy and friendly vehicles and range
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of both teams
* Engine power is enhanced
* No player-owned aircraft - only selected match spawns available
* Limited to three spawns
|
* No aim or penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder only on selected tanks with the modification
* 3D markers indicate only friendly vehicles
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of only player's team
* Engine power matches real life specifications
* Player aircraft can be brought in and used
* Spawn using "Respawn Points" earned through contributing actions in the match
|
* Friendly fire is on
* Only a "first-person" view from commander's position
* Gun sight is moved to the actual position of optics
* Vehicles limited to allowed vehicle in simulator events
* 3D markers are now absent
* Unable to lock onto target due to absence of markers
* Vehicle selection system restricted to one vehicle per air and ground.
* One or two spawn depending on vehicle type
|-
|}

As mentioned earlier, the Arcade Battle mode is the recommended starter mode since it is forgiving to beginners with assists in firepower (aim and penetration indicators) and mobility (enhanced engine power) to help be familiarized around the mechanics of the game. Once comfortable with the game, Realistic and Simulator Battles can be considered for further immersion into the War Thunder battles. Realistic and Simulator battles, owing to their more complicated game style, also offer enhanced rewards after a battle.

=Other tips for beginners=
There is a lot of things to learn about War Thunder, so much so that all other tips are placed here! Here are some tips we can give you if you're still new to War Thunder Ground Battles and want some advice, or for ideas on how to fight certain vehicles.

*[[M4|M4 Sherman]]s are tough American medium tanks to crack, but there are certain weak points at the hull such as the transmission area, and the side armour are very thin, large, and flat for an easy penetration.
*[[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV E|IV]] are the main German medium tanks in the early ranks, here are some tips...
**They are quite easy to take out if you hit their front plate as close to a perpendicular angle as possible, but the front glacis part in front of the front plate is basically invulnerable, so aim a bit higher when aiming at the front plate to avoid a round ricocheting off the glacis.
** Shooting the Panzers in the empty space in the middle of the suspension will most likely cook off the ammunition rack or fuel container under the tank, ensuring their knock-out.
*[[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s are the early bane in the Rank II with their extreme sloped front armour. Until you gain a powerful gun able to penetrate the front armour like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]], here are some tips...
** Aim for the sides of the turret, the areas that look like the "cheek" on a face. These are weak spots and are much weaker than the frontal hull. Shoot the right side because that is where the gunner sits. When that is hit, the T-34 is unable to fire. Once that's done, aim at the left to knock out the loader, so if he is able to fire, the next shot will take a longer time to follow-up. Finish by either waiting for the replacement gunner to come in and take him out as well or flank the T-34 during this opportunity and fire at its weaker side armour at the driver's compartment in front.
** Aim at the hull armour on a hill when it is below you. This way, you can minimize the sloping effectiveness of the tank, as the armour facing towards you is less sloped if you can see it in a near 90 degree angle. The hull armour is only 45 mm thick, and without the sloping advantage, it is easy to penetrate.
** Ambush the T-34 on its sides, it is less sloped than the front armour. If possible, you can also aim at the small clearing above the track, but below the sloped side armour to hit an unsloped 45 mm side plate behind the track.

* Mastering the different camera viewpoints is vital to tank battles:
** Gunner view, named Sniper mode in the controls option, is necessary to make accurate shots at long-distance targets or to hit weak spots.
** Commander view, named Binoculars in the controls option, is necessary to look over hills and obstacles.
** Driver view, is sometime useful to peek below obstacles.
** Turret view, which is the zoomed-in exterior (third-person) view (right-click by default), is necessary for close-quarter combat (especially on urban maps).

* Use your binoculars, it's free. This [[Hints|in-game hint]] points at a major element of Ground Forces: spotting enemies before they spot you. Being able to ambush enemies to land the first hit is the best way to win a tank fight. Binding the Binoculars command in the controls option ("Tank Controls" category) will allow you to watch the landscape with a significant zoom, while keeping your hull behind cover and your turret aimed at its current direction.
** While looking through the Binoculars, the Gunner can be ordered to aim where you are looking, by left-clicking. This function can be used to make accurate shots at long range, when the Gunner view (Sniper mode) is obstructed by bushes, or has a lesser magnification (zoom) than the Binoculars.
** Most importantly, the Binoculars view position is from the Commander point of view, which is nearly always higher than the Gunner view ("Sniper mode" in the controls option), allowing you to scan and spot above obstacles and hills without exposing more than your cupola.

* The controls command "Tank: short stop" (no keybind by default), when pressed and held, will stabilize and progressively slow down the tank to a stop. An absolute life-saver when driving at high-speed and suddenly encountering an enemy: continuing with the full-speed drive will make aiming too difficult, while braking will leave you unable to aim until the tank is properly stopped. The short stop is the best way to survive an unexpected duel.

* The [[Towing|towing hook]] (default keybind: 0) actually works pretty well if you respect these two rules:
** Point of attachment: if you want to roll a tank back on its tracks, attach the hook at the top (aiming with the mouse and pressing the hook key), then drive perpendicular to its tracks. The goal is to pull the top of the tank, not drag the bottom across the ground.
** Momentum: if you want to turn over a large tank, or a tank that has both of its tracks in the air, you need momentum. Pick up some speed from a short distance, make sure to narrowly drive past the tank (don't drive into it!), and just as you sneak past it: look behind you, and HOOK the tank while still speeding away at full speed! Attach the hook to the top or the furthest point from you if possible to really pull it back around. Your tank will suddenly be attached to its target and the momentum will brutally pull it back up. With practice, practically all Light and Medium tanks and many Heavy tanks can be put back on their tracks on the first try.

* Do not leave a battle if you can still respawn. Not only will you be ditching your team, you will also get a [[Crew_lock|Crew Lock]], which prevents you from using whichever vehicles receive the lock.

[[Category:Custom articles]]

Beginner's guide to tank battles

2024-04-30T17:46:34Z

U108069304: /* Choosing a nation */

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Beginner's Guide to Tank Battles}}

Welcome to the '''Tank Battles''' mode of War Thunder! This guide will help get a player on their feet in trying out War Thunder tank warfare.

[[File:Wallpaper KurskBattle.jpg|x420px|frameless|right]]
__TOC__

= Getting started in War Thunder =

This section's purpose is to get the player adequately ready in jumping into a War Thunder tank battle, starting from choosing a nation towards joining a battle.

== Choosing a nation==
With nine nations in the game as of [[Update "Ground Breaking"|Update "Ground Breaking]], there are lots of starting points to choose from for the War Thunder tank career. These descriptions will cover the first impressions of each country and the trends in tank characteristics as a player progresses in the tech tree.

{{notice|Do note that these are very general descriptions of the tech tree and that individual vehicles present in each nation can have their own characteristics that may differ from the trends.}}

==== [[File:USA flag.png|50px|link=Category:USA ground vehicles]] USA ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The starter American tanks have a good mix of mobility and protection in their overall design, combined with a fast-firing cannon to do good work against the enemy. This mix in characteristics make the tanks very versatile in their battlefield performance when used correctly. The American tanks' good mobility allows them to take on advantageous position against enemy routes, with their firepower allowing them to penetrate foes with ease. Armour is also good with an average amount throughout the body; while not thick enough to resist a full-on hit, they could provide some lucky ricochets from poorly angled incoming shots.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
The American starter tanks epitomize the rest of the American tech tree with a mediocrity that gives each tank a balance of firepower, mobility, and protection. However, this also means that against enemies that are more focused to a specific trait, the American tanks would do poorly in regards. One general advantage in American tanks is the presence of a [[Gun stabilizer|gun stabilizer]], which allows the gun to lay more easily during slow movements or when coming to a halt. While Rank I-III American tanks do generally well against their counterparts, the tanks slowly begin to fall behind in tank traits in Rank IV, as the average medium tank could not easily compete in face-to-face combat against the common foe. However, the more specialized ends such as light and heavy tanks begin shining in prominence however as they bring better mobility and firepower to the matches respectively. At Rank V and beyond, medium tanks catch back up and bring forth the epitome of Cold War main battle tanks to the battlefield.

Tank destroyers in the American tree are quite unique compared to other nations' as they are primarily turreted designs. Most American tank destroyers rely on mobility to benefit their firepower and definitely have armour considerations last, so careful positioning is always important to preserve the tank destroyer's efforts on the battlefield. All these special mentions, however, go out the window with the Rank V [[T28]]/[[T95]] casemate tank destroyer, which is an armoured shell with a gun sticking out that moves at a snail pace, so be aware so that this radical shift in playstyle does not surprise you.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the American tree are quite lacking at first with only barely armoured half-tracks bearing machine guns, though make up with saturation of fire to whittle down aircraft. This progresses slightly in Rank III-IV with a tank chassis with a 40 mm Bofors gun, which can down planes more reliably but still has an exposed tank crew and low amount of ammo for extended firing. Anti-air capabilities exponentially rise by Rank V-VI with the [[M163]] and [[M247]] providing heavy fire onto target.

==== [[File:Germany flag.png|50px|link=Category:Germany ground vehicles]] Germany ====
There are other things to consider about the German tree besides those fancy Tiger tanks in Rank III-IV, hold your horses.

'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Starter tanks for Germany are characterized by high mobility, decent firepower, and dubious armour protection. Most German vehicles at this early stage are quite quick due to their light weight and engine power. Armaments vary from the quite damaging 37 mm guns to the rapid-fire 20 mm autocannons that arm the [[Pz.II C|Panzer II]] tanks. However, the armour in these tanks is often the bare minimum, and sometimes even thinner especially on the sides. Thus, early German tanks must make the most of their mobility to establish an advantageous position and then relying on their guns to defeat the enemy. However, the guns also lack a comfortable amount of long-distance penetration power, so there may be more than a few times the German tanks would have to wait for the enemy to come in closer for a penetrating shot. All this combined with sub-par armour means the German tanks snare the initiative to prevent the enemy from firing back.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Going up the tech tree to Rank II and III, the German tanks begin catching up dramatically in firepower, with armour improving as well. Firepower is enhanced by longer cannons that now provide more than enough power against enemy armour even at range. Armour is enhanced little by little with each version of the Panzer III and IV, but the enemy cannons could also deal with this armour easily as well so they are simply proof against earlier enemies. Mobility takes a short dip as engine power stays the same while tank weight increases. All this is capped off by the introduction of newer tanks like the infamous "Panther" and "Tiger tanks" in Rank III and IV. These two tank designs expand on the potentials of German tanks with better firepower, armour, and mobility; with the Tiger tanks providing much more of the first two. However, these tanks also bring higher battle ratings into the matchmaking, so players should be careful in instantly jumping into the BR 5.7 Tiger I tanks when the rest of the line-up only consists of the BR 3.3 Panzer IIIs (Read the [[Beginner's_guide_to_tank_battles#Matchmaking|Matchmaker section]] for more details).

After Rank IV, the German tanks take a sharp split in the extremes of design. One side is the super-heavy tanks such as the [[Maus]] tank that brings all 188 tons of armour into battle with good gun and poor mobility. The other side puts all their chips into mobility and firepower with the medium tank such as the [[Leopard I|Leopards]], being able to outpace the enemies with a cannon able to obliterate from kilometres away. This trend continues up until the [[Leopard 2A4]] at the (current) end of the tree, with great extremes in firepower, mobility, and protection. There are also a few scout vehicles at this top rank that also bring good firepower to the table with their mobility.

Tank destroyers for Germany also split into two design philosophies. One is the light-weight open-top vehicles with a huge gun, which often brings a gun from the next rank into the current that absolutely devastated the enemies like the [[Sturer Emil]]. The other is the enclosed armoured casemate design that offer decent to impressive frontal armour, though a gun that is contemporary with those in the same rank. As the ranks go up however, the armour becomes much thicker, as seen going from the [[StuG III F|StuG]] series of tank destroyers to the [[Jagdtiger]].

German anti-aircraft vehicles are nothing to slouch at, all bring impressive capabilities of downing the enemy aircraft. However, from Rank I-II, the crew arrangement is very vulnerable and can be quickly knocked out with an airstrike or a nearby artillery shell. From Rank III onward, all German anti-aircraft vehicles keep the crew in a semi to fully-protected position, with the vehicle bristling with rapid-fire cannons able to track and shoot down the enemy aircraft.

==== [[File:USSR flag.png|50px|link=Category:USSR ground vehicles]] USSR ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early USSR tanks are defined by lacklustre armour, but good gun penetration and good rate of fire. These tanks are easy to penetrate and are destroyed quickly. When playing these tanks try to stay in the second rank or on the flanks. Sniping is also an option with them because the guns fire at relatively high velocities. Remember to seek cover when an enemy starts to shoot at you, as you will not survive many hits. These tanks are powerful weapons in the correct hands, capable of selecting targets of importance and dispatching them in quick order – however, one must be mindful of one's surroundings since the only protection early USSR tanks have is natural cover or distance.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Several trends make the Soviet tanks stand out in comparison to their peers: Heavily sloped hull armour and minute amount of gun depression. Past the starter tanks onto BR ~3.0 in Rank II, the access to the famous [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] tanks will show the heavily-angled sloped armour on not just the front armour, but the sides and rear as well. This can be the bane against enemies with poor shot placements and/or weaker guns. However, design trade-offs in Soviet designs that reduce their overall profile on the battlefield also cause gun depression in the turret to be rather poor, with the average depression angle being only 5 degrees. As such, many conventional tank tactics such as the hull-down position and terrain exploitation (such as hills) are complicated by the lacking gun depression.

However, Rank II is characterized with great hull armour with the KV-1 heavy tanks and T-34 medium tanks, with the turret being the primary weak points on these tanks. By Rank III, more powerful armaments such as the 85 mm are available that can make short work of many tanks, but the presence of more powerful enemy tanks, while Soviet tanks are still using the same armour as Rank II, mean that enemies will have an easier time knocking out Soviet tanks. Even in Rank IV, which features improved tank armour as seen in the [[T-44]] and [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]] tanks, the stronger enemy guns could make short work of the hull, and even the weaker ones could penetrate through the turret.

By Rank IV onwards as well, the Soviet tree also has a great diversity in the types of vehicles able to be used, with light, amphibious, scout vehicles such as the [[PT-76B]], [[BMP-1]], and [[Object 906]]; heavily armoured tanks such as the [[IS-3]] and [[T-10M]]; and the medium tanks. Medium tanks begin to dominate the Soviet playstyle by Rank VI as the introduction of main battle tanks such as the [[T-64A (1971)|T-64]] and [[T-80B]] set the score up at the top.

Soviet tank destroyers are characterized early with weakly armoured, but heavily gunned platforms such as the [[ZiS-30]]. This soon peters out in Rank III to armoured casemates with either a respectable gun or a massive-calibre cannon as seen in the SU series of tank destroyers from the mellow [[SU-85]] to the pumpin' [[SU-152]]. While a few more lightly-armoured, open-topped tank destroyers exist by Rank IV, the solid armoured casemate designs remain a prominent figure in the Soviet tech tree.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the Soviet tree are all quite poor in their ability to protect the crew, as every anti-air vehicle up to Rank IV is built from a truck chassis; and even up to Rank V with the [[ZSU-57-2]], the crew compartment is exposed. While Rank I is quite low-powered with rather anemic machine guns and fire rate available, autocannons become present and available by Rank II that could lay down impressive fire to destroy the aircraft, providing the aircraft does not strafe and knock out the crew in an attack run.

==== [[File:Britain flag.png|50px|link=Category:Britain ground vehicles]] Britain ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early British tanks are defined by speed and adequate firepower. The usage of the cruiser tanks enable the British to have some of the fastest introductory tanks available in the game, second to USSR's [[BT-5|BT]] tanks. Armour on the cruiser tanks are at a minimum to keep speed, but will improve as you move down the rank. Unlocking the medium tank Valentine will also help in armour, though at a cost of speed. The British all have a very high damage output with their large, rapid-fire guns.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Past Rank II battle rating 3.0, the British are burdened with only solid-shot rounds for their armaments, meaning there are no explosive fillers available to enhance post-penetration damage on enemy vehicles, requiring you to aim at the enemy critical components. Early British tanks are also burdened by a nonexistent reverse speed, especially in their [[Cromwell V|Cromwell chassis]].

British tanks up the line to Rank II and III split their tank designs to two types, the cruiser and infantry tank which are characterized in War Thunder as light/medium and heavy tanks respectively. So, fast tanks like the Cromwell are working alongside heavily armoured ones such as the [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill]] tanks. By Rank III, while infantry tank armour proves much more substantial than its peers, the cruiser tanks begin expanding their firepower with the famous [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pounder cannon]]. While still firing solid-shot, the cannon can penetrate most, if not all, of its peers' armour. By Rank IV, the infantry tank concept fades away as the more flexible medium tanks in the form of [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurions]] become the predominant British tank up to Rank V, with few heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]] supporting its protection. By Rank VI, the British revolve around the [[Chieftain (Family)|Chieftain]] and [[Challenger (Disambiguation)|Challenger]] tanks for their duties, with the assisting [[Warrior]] for recon tasks.

British tank destroyers take up an odd niche of supplying much needed firepower, but in many different manners, forcing you to change tactics and adapt to constant design swaps, such as the odd [[3 inch Gun Carrier]], the rear-facing [[Archer]], mobile [[Achilles]] and [[Avenger]], Shoot'n'scoot [[Charioteer Mk VII]], heavily armoured [[Tortoise]], the big-bang slinging [[FV4005]] and so on. As such, it is hard to establish any trend they set other than giving a bigger gun to the average British line-up. By Rank VI though, tank destroyers primarily focus on missile launching systems.

Anti-air vehicles in the British tree are often lacklustre in firepower, earlier ones relying on either regular machine guns or the large 0.50 cal ones before switching over to more reliable autocannons. By Rank II however, all of Britain's anti-air crew compartments are decently protected from enemy fire that can allow for closer protection of the fighting groups.

==== [[File:Japan flag.png|50px|link=Category:Japan ground vehicles]] Japan ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early Japanese tanks have generally light frames, but decent manoeuvrability. Their armament has terrible penetration, but the shells have good explosive content. The only exception is the excellent Rank I truck mounted anti-aircraft gun. The tracked artillery gun is also devastating at medium range.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Moving up to Rank II shows almost no changes in the trend from the starter, with light armour and decent manoeuvrability attached to a rather anemic gun. However, at the end of Rank II, the [[Chi-Nu]] vehicle begins to solve the firepower issue with a larger and more powerful 75 mm gun. This is continued in Rank III where armour really takes a setback as an even longer 75 mm becomes the go-to gun for the Japanese tree, while mobility slowly drags down up to the bulky [[Chi-Ri II]]. By Rank III, there are also some American tanks to supplement the line-up.

By Rank IV onwards, armour has taken a backseat while firepower and mobility becomes the prime focus of addition. By the Rank V, a new mechanic called "[[Hydropneumatic suspension|Hydropneumatic suspension]]" allows for more flexibility in the positioning of Japanese tanks to ambush enemies from locations that are unorthodox in tank placements. It is not until the top-rank tank, the [[Type 90]] main battle tank, that an balance to the extremity of firepower, mobility, and protection is achieved. To add to this, the Type 90 also has one of the highest penetrating sabot round in the game, meaning while the journey to the top may be hard, it could be quite rewarding with a potent vehicle and a huge reserve of game skills.

Japanese tank destroyers are emphasized by being lightly armoured and heavily gunned, each of them more than able to destroy the competitors on a battlefield. The one exception are the [[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]] types, which trade in mobility for a larger set of armour encapsulating the crew and modules.

Anti-aircraft vehicles are quite capable, with every single one equipped with autocannons to smack down enemy planes. However, the crew are always exposed in all versions except the top-rank [[Type 87]] SPAA.

==== [[File:Italy flag.png|50px|link=Category:Italy ground vehicles]] Italy ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early Italian tanks have good emphasis on firepower, sub-par armour, but are quite lacking in mobility. The various 47 mm calibre cannons give good penetration and damage, which can give the Italians a good advantage at range. Armour is often averagely thick, but have huge unevenly angled plates, that could be easily penetrated even when tank itself is angled. The low engine power seems to only just be able to drag the tank by to its firing position.

Some of the early Italian tank destroyers rely on stealth to attack opponents instead and have nearly no armour, but are extremely small. This gives them an advantage in Realistic battle mode.

Another important half of Italian tank tree revolves around wheeled armoured cars. While the armoured car option is extremely fast on roads compared to tanks and more viable for mobility, the expense is extremely thin armour that allows even rifle-calibre (7mm) machine gun rounds to penetrate it at the right conditions.

A smart play style will be needed when starting the Italians, and players have to keep attention to which tanks are useful in which situation and in which game mode.

The one thing that stay unique for most early Italian tanks is their upgraded high-normalization APHE shell, which gives them upper hand at longer ranges compared to other factions that use similar APHE shell, although at point-blank range these shells aren't any better than normal ones.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Italy follows a trend of generally below-average armoured vehicles with above-average mobility at medium and high tiers while being average at tier I. The tree has 4 lines. From left to right, they are:

# The light tank line, which consists of armoured cars and light tanks with good mobility and decent guns, which make them able to flank.
# The medium tank line, which consists of medium tanks. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Average at everything.
# The Anti-Aircraft line, oriented to the destruction of aircraft, but that has some fun vehicles like the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS and the OTOMATIC at the end of the tree.
# The SPG line, which has generally mobile tank destroyers usually with little armour, which makes them good for taking positions and firing from afar.

The Italians also do not have heavy tanks, and rarely have tanks which have more armour than deemed average by the time period. Some of these vehicles can be destroyed even by fighters. For that reason, they also possess decent self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which employ absurdly high fire rate or quadruple gun compositions. These SPAA are also usually capable of dealing with tanks of their battle rating, being the most infamous one the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS with a fast-firing 20 mm cannon.

The tree is complemented by US tanks for their low and medium tiers, as early as rank II and until rank V, Mostly on the medium Tank line.

The Semovente tank destroyer branch proves useful when used as ambush tank, slowly getting better armour and ammunition as tree progresses. At Rank IV. it is replaced by the American M36B1 design.

Since Rank III, Italians start to mostly rely on stealth and speed in any of their own designs. At the rank, Italian tree gets its iconic armoured car design in form of [[R3 T20 FA-HS]] SPAA. You will see this car design. It will be carrying a lot of different weapons, from quad machine guns to recoilless rifles, to actual tank turrets. It generally can be annihilated even by 7.62 mm machine guns from the rear, and by 12.7 mm machine guns from the front, but it's extremely fast on roads, very small, and usually can use hull down positions, even in arcade mode.

At Rank V, battle rating 8.0, Italy finally stands back up and starts getting tanks that feel more unique, featuring the infamous wheeled tank [[Centauro]] and the medium main battle tank [[OF-40]]. They also use [[SIDAM 25]] and [[M113A1 (TOW)]] based on an American chassis, to provide support. From this point on, Italy mostly gets "more of the same, but superior gun and ammunition, if possible".

The only exception is at Rank VI, where [[OTOMATIC]], based on OF-40 chassis, is introduced, being SPAA, which is not only capable of defeating an entire squadron of pilots on its own, but is also capable of defeating an actual medium tank squad with APFSDS. Unfortunately it lacks missiles, its quite large and its armour is not impressive.

==== [[File:France flag.png|50px|link=Category:France ground vehicles]] France ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early French tanks are defined by extremely lacklustre firepower but excellent armour. Even the highest penetrating shells on the reserve tanks cannot engage most tanks of their tier from the front. The armour, however, is quite a tough nut to crack. The mobility is generally average or sub-par. The main exception is the [[P.7.T AA]], an anti-aircraft armed tractor, and the [[AMR.35 ZT3]], a light, manoeuvrable tank destroyer.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Rank II trends closer towards an even balance in tank traits, though firepower still requires catching up. Some American vehicles such as the [[M4A1 (France)|M4A1]] and the [[M10 GMC (France)|M10]] are available to supplement the odd French tanks. Once Rank III roll by, firepower has been improved with many high-velocity 75 mm cannons available for all types of tanks. However, emphasis on armour begins to decline in the face of the opponents of the rank.

Rank IV introduces some of the more popular French tanks of the game such as the Lorraines and the AMX tank series. These tanks have armour that are quite thin even among its peers, but boast high mobility and heavy firepower that allows them to exploit enemy weaknesses by getting around them at places they don't expect. This trend is continued all the way to Rank VI, where armour may not be heavily relied upon, but firepower and mobility can be. However, the French are in a general disadvantage in the top-rank battles due to the absence of gun stabilizers, so keep this in mind when fighting in a warfare of movement.

Tank destroyers in the French tree are a mix of casemates and turreted designs, though the general trend is always in firepower and mobility; with only the turreted [[ARL-44]] having decent amount of armour to stand toe-to-toe with the enemy.

Anti-aircraft vehicles for the French are quite lacking, with only a few available vehicles in this role. The first two are typical trucks with guns mounted on them, but the last two AMX designs provide powerful guns for combating aircraft, as well as radars to more easily target and destroy enemy aerial threats.

== Preparing for the first match ==
Before starting up the first tank match, it is recommended for all players to play the tutorial section in-game to be familiarized with the tank controls and damage mechanics of the game.

To enter the tutorial form the menu, go to "Battles" at the top left corner in between a cog icon and "Community." A drop down menu should appear, with "Tutorials" appearing fourth from the top. From there, the tutorials titled "Tank Control Basis" and "Tank Gunnery" should be completed, with a bonus in currency added once completed.

Now, it is time to select the game mode for the match. For any newcomers, Arcade mode is recommended as there will be assist markers available for shell trajectory and penetration indication that helps new players understand where their shots will go at long range, and what tanks they could handle. As experience is earned while playing the game, the player can choose between realistic or simulator battles for their continued gameplay experience.

Once a mode is set, click the large, orange "To Battle!" button to join a queue for game match to be made!

For more details on the game modes for tanks, [[Beginner%27s_guide_to_tank_battles#Game_modes|click here!]]

==Fighting in the first match==
Once a match has been chosen, the map and objective will be laid out for the player.

The first thing encountered upon joining a match is a vehicle and ammo selection screen, with vehicle selection done atop and ammunition done in the center. The next thing to take note of is a map of the battlefield on the right side, where diamond symbols with letters on it will be pinpointed, these are the primary objectives of any War Thunder tank battle.

Most objectives in the game rely on the capture and control of strategic points, with the game mode being called "Conquest" or "Domination" depending on the number of capture points available. These points are captured simply by driving into the bordered circle area with the enemy removed from it.

However, the ease of capturing these points is hampered by the terrain of each map and the enemies shooting. To solve this, start planning a route towards the target point using the mini-map provided, then pick the appropriate ammunition for the task.

{{Notice
|The best penetrating ammunition is not necessarily the most optimal round to fight with in War Thunder, as other factors such as round type (AP, APCBC, etc.), angle of attack effect, and explosive filler are to be considered as well. Though APCR ammunition may have a large amount of penetration potential up close, they are poor at long-range fighting, against non-flat armour plates, and have negligible post-penetration damage. For more details on ammo type, see [[Tank ammunition|this page]].

When selecting ammo type and numbers, a general rule is to not bring all available ammunition into the battle as these increase the presence of [[Ammo_racks|ammo racks]] in the tank which, when hit, could detonate and instantly destroy the tank.
|!
}}

Once these considerations are taken into account, click any of the orange "To Battle!" buttons; the large one on the bottom right or the ones above the vehicle icon (or double-click on a vehicle icon) to spawn into the fight!

Now that the tank is finally track-on-the-ground and ready to rumble, the one thing to keep in mind is to play the objective. Because even if one side manages to knock out more total tanks than the enemy, if the enemy retains the capture points, they will win by draining the ticket counter. Plus, capturing these points result in a nice reward and score boost, so there's something in it for not just for the team, but for the individual!

Manoeuvring on the battlefield takes skill and familiarity around the terrain and tank's characteristics. Bead-lining a straight path towards the objective could run into open, exposed areas where the enemy could fire upon with ease. Use the terrain for cover and concealment under foliage, rubble, hills, buildings, and the such. Knowing the tank's mobility power can allow for more complicated manoeuvres in rough terrain like steep hills and river-bogged areas to get around predictable road routes that may have enemy in sight.

Every encounter with an enemy, like in most player-versus-player games, is a test of wits and initiative. As such, it comes down to whether a penetrating shell could be placed onto their tank before they could open fire and destroy the player. A good mindset to have is to not view exposure as a mere state, but rather as a conscious, active decision. Every second of exposure represents a risk one should be aware of. Try to surprise the enemies by attacking on their flanks, even when sniping. When you must move into an area that an enemy tank is aiming at, remember to pre-angle your armour and aim your weapon to do as much damage as you can with your first shot. This means aiming for driver's view ports and the cheeks of the turret.

The reward at the end of a match is largely determined by whether you have won or lost the match, and the outcome of the match is largely determined by who possesses the capture points. This, coupled with the fact that a point capture carries a higher reward than destroying an enemy, means capturing points is a first priority. Even having more targets destroyed and losing can net a smaller result than less targets destroyed and winning.

Congratulations! You have experienced your first match in War Thunder (or at least one that you have a good awareness on what's actually happening). However, there's more to War Thunder than just blasting away at the enemy.

==After the first match==
Now that you know how to fight and win battles, it is now time to use that experience to advance your placement in the tech tree you have chosen.

As more battles are fought, research points are earned towards upgrading the tank and progressing the tech tree. We'll relay how to do each step here.

===Upgrades===
Upgrading tanks comes down to two factors, unlocking modifications for the modules and training the crew.

====Modules and modifications====
{{main|Modifications}}

In the menu, there is the option to unlock modifications for the vehicle in question. These are divided into three categories: Mobility, Protection, and Firepower. Mobility upgrades the engine, transmission, and suspension characteristics. Protection upgrades survivability potential with repairs, fire extinguishers, and crew replacement. Firepower upgrades turret characteristics, accuracy, and unlocks new ammunition to be used. These are researched and unlocked one by one, and as the criteria is met, the next tier of modifications can be unlocked to further enhance the vehicle.

In any vehicle, it is recommended to always focus on unlocking these two modifications, which happen to both be in the protection column.

* Parts — This is due to otherwise being unable to repair critical modules on the battlefield. By default, only track damage could be repaired anywhere on the battlefield and repairs can be done on captured points. However, repairs to critical modules such as the gun, turret, transmission, and engine would be impossible away from a captured point without the Parts modification.
* FPE — The Fire Protection Equipment is very important for combat survival as these are the most viable way to extinguish vehicle fires (outside of driving and submerging in a body of water. Without this, a simple fire will slowly chip away at module health (and expose the tank for anyone in the vicinity to find) and eventually lead to a fuel or ammo combustion that will knock out the tank from the game.

Past these, the priority of modifications to upgrade can vary from different tanks and should be consulted on individual vehicle pages on whether mobility or firepower is more important to research.

====Crew skills====
{{main|Crew skills}}

Arguably one of the least looked at part of tank upgrades, crew skills can play a big role in the firepower and mobility of a tank. Unlike modifications, the training of a crew are specific to the crew slot in the line-up and can be transferable to any tank the crew is using (except "Expert" and "Ace" status).

Crew information can be reached on the left drop-right menu on the screen with the middle button for the selected crew (under "Vehicle Information" and above the "Favourite Achievements" button). From here, "Crew Training" would direct the player to a screen that would show the following tabs:
[[File:CrewSkills_Tank_reloading_upgradedskill.jpg|x200px|thumb|right|The crew training page, where upgrades in the loader's reload skill shows an appreciable benefit.]]

* Driver
* Gunner
* Tank Commander
* Tank Loader
* Radio Operator Gunner
* Logistical Service
* Qualification

Each have their own unique skills to help enhance the tank in their role, from driving capabilities, gun laying, and communications. Upgrading each trait in a crew tab with the earned Crew XP Points would add a 0.5 point to the overall crew level. Each skill that can be upgraded is detailed more on the [[Crew skills|crew skills]] page.

Once a certain crew level is reached with crew upgrades, they can enter "Qualification" to become enhanced to one specific tank. The first stage would be "Expert" which adds 3 point to every crew skill for the cost of several Silver Lions {{Sl}}. The impact can be quite noticeable once put into a match.

After an "Expert" qualification is gained, the next step past a maxed out "Expert" crew is the "Ace" status, which enhances the reward to an additional 5 point to every crew skill. However, earning this status is much harder and requires either Golden Eagles {{Ge}} or a huge amount of experiences to achieve.

===Progression===
Upon selecting your preferred tech tree, you will then being the gradual process of unlocking, researching, and purchasing vehicles down a column to progress towards the next vehicle type.

Progression is restricted by two factors in the tech tree, vehicle unlock criteria per rank and vehicle branch connection. Each rank past the first has a criteria of the number of vehicles that must be researched and purchased before the next rank's vehicles could be researched. Vehicles are then linked via an arrow branching from one vehicle to the next. These arrows indicate that the prior vehicle must be researched before the next vehicle could be researched, and purchased before the next vehicle could be purchased.

Vehicles restricted from being researched are noted by being under a dark red overlay, with indications that the vehicle is locked.

====Matchmaking====
{{main|Matchmaker|Battle ratings}}

While ranks are important for progression, they are not the deciding factor on what types of battles you enter.

Matchmaking in the game is solely based on [[Battle_ratings|battle ratings]], which are indicated by a numerical value on the lower right corner of a vehicle box (or on top of a stat card). The rank of a vehicle does not play a part in this matchmaking process, and so a rank II vehicle can be evenly matched with a rank III vehicle if both have the same battle rating.

Matchmaking in tank battles is sorted by the highest battle rating in the line-up and then battling against enemies within a battle rating range of ± 1.0. For example, a player enters a battle with a line-up with a maximum battle rating of 2.3, causing the player to join a match potentially between 1.3 to 3.3 in battle ratings. This is further divided into groups separated by a value of 1.0, so matches would consist of vehicles in the 1.3-2.3, 1.7-2.7, 2.0-3.0 and 2.3-3.3 vehicles. This develops into the concepts of "uptier" and "downtier" as coined by the community, where "uptier" would be placing the 2.3 line-up in a 2.3-3.3 match, while a "downtier" would be in a 1.3-2.3 match.

Always consult the stats cards for tanks when creating a line up. Also remember that every vehicle have a different battle ranking and stats card in different game modes. To change which stats card you are looking at, simply click on the mode view option at the bottom right of the research tree.

= Advanced considerations =
Aside from turning that diamond-shape symbol on the capture point into a blue color and destroying enemy tanks, there are more intricate details to cover when detailing how to play the game more deeply than shoot-and-scoot.

==Vehicle usage==
Here we detail the typical usage of each vehicle type in a battle.

{{notice|It should be pointed out that when choosing a vehicle to load into a battle, not every tank in the game is optimal for every situation. For example, it would probably be unwise to take the slow [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill]] infantry tank on the vast, open and manoeuvre-friendly map of Kursk, or to pick a heavy tank during an uptier where enemy tanks would have firepower that makes the armour moot.

These situations are the reason why a diverse line up is usually good, as you cannot predict what map or match you will get, so the tank line up has to be suitable for most/all maps. In addition, later into the game, the second, third, and proceeding vehicles you choose can impact the game. If your team needs to quickly capture the "A" point to avoid a loss, you want a fast-moving vehicle to get there quickly to stop the "ticket bleed".}}

Without further ado, here's a general "doctrine" on how each tank type are to perform on the battlefield.

==== Light tanks ====
Light tanks are lightly armoured and small, yet highly mobile and armed with an adequate gun. At Rank I and the reserves, the light tanks make up the majority of the tanks involved in the playing field. Make good usage of your mobility and small size to move from cover to cover, peeking out occasionally to fire at the enemy. Don't fire from the same place more than twice as it will let the enemy take aim at your position. Peek out the other side of the cover or reposition for a better chance at survival. You can also use your mobility to get to the enemy's sides, thus giving you a good shot on the vulnerable weak side of the tanks. At the later ranks, most of the nations have phased out the light tanks due to their inadequacy against the larger tanks, but the American and Soviet tree still retain them up to the late ranks. These late rank light tanks put more emphasis on the firepower to deal more damage for the light weight, so more confidence can be had fighting the ranks they exist in. However, the strategy remain unchanged in making sure you do not even take a single enemy hit, as a single hit will end you.

==== Medium tanks ====
Medium tanks are the jack-of-all-trade tank in the game. Armed with a adequate armour, mobility, and firepower, they can fit in multiple roles on the battlefield. Their greatest pro is also their greatest weakness, being just as good in everything and also being just as bad in everything. They are not armoured enough to hold positions, fast enough to flank the enemy, or armed enough to take out any tank they see. Flexibility is the key of the medium tanks, giving you free rein in what you will do to dominate the battlefield. By Rank IV, the firepower and armour of the medium tanks start to wane in the presence of the stronger heavy tanks such as the [[IS-2]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. At this point, start playing the medium tanks akin to the light tanks, taking cover and popping out occasionally to fire before repositioning or get on the enemy's flanks.

==== Heavy tanks ====
Heavy tanks are the breakthrough vehicles of the game and in MMORPG terms, would be the "tank" of the team. Their heavy armour allows them to absorb enemy fire, their size makes them bullet magnet to take fire intended for your weaker teammates, and more often than not you have a very powerful gun able to destroy the opposing forces. Though you may want to ominously crawl toward the enemy with a face of intimidation, you are not invulnerable. Going up to the enemy increases the risk of their gun being able to penetrate certain weak points on your frontal armour or even get a tank onto your sides and penetrate your weaker side armour. Use the heavy tanks sparingly, stand back a certain distance from an enemy strong point and blast at the stranglers, with the distance empowering your armour as the enemy's shells may not have enough energy to penetrate your armour after traveling a distance. Remember to slope your armour by angling the hull so the enemy would never get a straight shot onto your armour.

==== Tank destroyers ====
Tank destroyers are a specialized type of vehicle meant to... well, destroy tanks. However, different design aspects on these tanks lead to different doctrines within the same class.

'''Armoured casemate structure'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Jagdpanzer IV]], [[SU-85]], and [[75/46 M43|Semoventes]], are distinguished by a fully enclosed fighting compartment with a gun mounted fixed to the front on a flexible mount. These tank destroyers typically rely on a low-profile to set up unnoticed ambush positions against incoming enemies, and often carry guns equivalent to the tanks in the rank. Exploit the low silhouette by hiding in the distance or in foliage so the enemies cannot detect it. Take position near choke-points to channel the enemy in and open fire in opportune moments at the weak spots or when they expose their sides.

Another school of thought in casemate structures are larger-profiled, but more heavily armoured designs such as the [[Jagdtiger]], [[Tortoise]], and [[T95]] in a role that could be considered assault tank destroyers. While these could still rely on ambush methods to obtain hits on the enemy, their slower speed and higher profile can make concealment at advantageous positions difficult, often causing them to take up a role similar to heavy tanks to absorb fire from the front while using their cannon to decimate the enemies in front trying to penetrate the thick armour.

'''Glass-cannon casemate structures'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Marder III]], [[ZiS-30]], and [[Ho-Ni I]], are distinguished by very little, if any, armour on the design. For this penalty in armour, mobility may or may not be enhanced as well. However, firepower on these tank destroyers are often of a league of the next rank's equivalent, such as the Rank III [[Nashorn]] being equipped with an [[PaK 43 (88 mm)|88 mm cannon]] that does not begin to appear on tanks until the next rank up. As such, while these tank destroyers are lightly armoured, probably slow, and most likely of high-profile construction, they provide firepower nearly unparalleled to the matches they can fight in. These should not go on any offensive and rely on advantageous, defensive terrain to be positioned where minimum return fire can be expected while ambushing the enemy as they appear in the gun sights.

'''Turreted'''
{{Break}}
Mostly exclusive to the United States' and British designs, these turreted designs are typically higher-profile and lighter armoured than the casemate counterparts, but feature greater tactical flexibility and mobility. The epitome of this type of tank destroyer lies in the American [[M18 GMC]], which provides very high speed with a reliable cannon to destroy most tanks upon a penetration; yet has paper-thin armour that even high-explosive shells could cripple it. These tank destroyers rely on moving to areas in a very short amount of time to set up flanking ambushes against the incoming enemy. The additional advantage is that these tank destroyers, with the tank characteristic of a turret, can use the gun depression for hull-down positions and the turret traverse for an enhanced horizontal targeting range.

==== Self-propelled anti-aircraft ====
Self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles are specialized vehicles not meant to destroy ground vehicles, instead they are meant to attack the enemy aircraft. Equipped with rapid-firing autocannons or machine guns, you are to lead the enemy plane right into your firing field to knock them out of the sky. Most SPAA do not have the same armour as a tank, so the SPAA should stay back behind the attacking force to stay safe from enemy fire and yet blast away any plane attempting to strafe your allies. Some SPAA are able to defend themselves against ground targets such as the German [[Ostwind]], the British [[Falcon]] and the Soviet [[ZSU-57-2]], but these are last ditch weapons.

====Aircraft====
Aircraft in tank battles, whether unlocked through the point system in Arcade Battles or player-owned in Realistic Battles, can help give the team an edge with supplementary air power in a combined-arms role. These too are separated into roles of emphasis in tank battles.

* ''Fighters'' should primarily be focused on protecting the air space against enemy aircraft that come in to intercept friendly aircraft or attack ground units. The best strategy to destroy enemy planes is to gain a higher altitude than them, then dive and shoot them down. If no enemy planes are present, strafing the enemy ground units to harass them also fits fighter duty, but the most important role you can be is act as an aerial reconnaissance for your team, relaying where each enemy is on the map. Staying at a high altitude or taking evasive manoeuvres would be necessary if an enemy SPAA is present on the ground.
** Alternatively, fighters can be armed with bombs and rockets in a fighter-bomber role to attack ground units. Note that this sacrifices the plane's ability to fight other aircraft so long as these armaments are on the aircraft, and the aircraft's performance in this role varies as they are not designed for the purpose of attacking ground units.
* Attackers and dive-bombers should both focus on targeting individual ground units and eliminating them with either cannon-armaments on the aircraft or the available bombs and rockets.
** Attackers come in at a low altitude with their relatively armoured airframe to get better accuracy onto target. Due to their low altitude of attack, equipped bombs should be set on delay to avoid the bomb blast and shrapnel on the ground from affecting the aircraft.
** Dive-bombers rely on coming in from a high altitude towards the ground to directly deliver a bomb onto target. Air-brakes are available on most of these aircraft to help slow down the dive to allow for an easier adjustment of aim and also to be easier to pull up from the dive.
* Bombers are more preferred for a carpet-bombing of an area to eliminate the enemy. These should be retained at high altitude to avoid anti-aircraft fire as most bombers lack the manoeuvrability owing to their size from dodging enemy fire.

==Gameplay==
Outside of the written guide here, there are several YouTube tutorials provided by War Thunder to further enhance your experience, as listed here:

{{Youtube-gallery|sWTV4PWs3FM|"Part 3: Tanks '''Arcade'''"|cwApkEkC660|"Part 7: Tanks '''Tactics'''"|ZoP70wYsQdI|"Part 11: Tanks '''Armour'''"|bea0YmP8qWo|"Part 12: '''Tanks Sniper'''"}}

Beyond those videos, here are some details to consider when playing in a match.

===Shoot-and-scoot===
Probably one of the more basic detail to know in a tank fight, it details changing positions after engaging in a firefight. This can be done as simple as retreating back into cover after firing the cannon to reload in safety, or as thorough as repositioning the fire location before exposing the tank again. This is done because after opening an engagement, the enemy downrange will be focused on locating the origin of the attack to eliminate the threat. As such, repositioning by moving out of the line-of-sight and then changing the firing location will buy time in the enemy not realizing where the shot come from. With this, even if they did identify where the first shot originated, the repositioning will ensure their gun sights are not aligned onto the last appeared area, buying extra time as the enemy would then need to readjust the sights towards the new location. This is especially important if artillery is incoming onto the location; as exposure to this attack is detrimental to anyone's health, movement to another firing location will make the incoming rain of explosions miss your vehicle.

=== Protecting a capture point ===
Capture points serve as giant magnets of allies and enemies, and protecting these points from enemies can be a chore. The preferred tank specifications for this job is one with lots of armour and a very powerful gun, though any tank can do this job given the correct skill sets. There are two ways to protect a capture point:

# Stay on the capture point and fight off any incoming invaders.
# Position yourself a distance away from the capture point so you are able to see any enemy that tries to reach the point, then pick them off when they are either on the way or on the capture point.

Both have their pros and cons. Staying on the capture point ensures that you will be there to prevent the zone from being captured, but you risk being swarmed by the enemy or picked off at a distance by a tank hitting one of your critical weak points. Positioning yourself away from the capture point at a vantage point around the zone so you can give supporting fire to any teammates that are at the zone, but if the enemy manage to get to the zone and none of your teammate are on the zone, the zone will be captured by the enemy easily, or neutralized if you are able to knock out the enemy on the zone before they can capture it. Either way, it may require you to move away from your position to take back the point. Protecting the capture point requires a good knowledge of your tank's strengths and the environment to find good vantage areas and cover.

=== Flanking ===
Flanking is one of the main tactic that must be recognized by everyone. Flanking is the movement of units to get around the enemy to their sides, then hitting them. In tank warfare, flanking is absolutely essential to gain an upper hand over the enemy. If coordinated, this would force the enemy to engage in two different directions, the front where the main force would be, and the sides where the flanking force is. This will lower their distribution of firepower to two targets, whereas the flanking force and main force can still concentrate their firepower on just one enemy force. With the addition of lowering the enemy's attention to one target, the flanking force also had the benefit of being able to get to one of the tank's main weaknesses, their side armour. This will allow flankers to be able to not only take the advantage over the enemy, but give them a lethal edge over their forces.

Flanking requires tanks that are very mobile due to the quick nature of the tactic, yet have a gun that can reliable defeat the enemy. Armour should not be prioritized because that would decrease mobility, and hopefully if the tactic is done right, the main force should be receiving the brunt of the enemy's firepower rather than the flanking force. Thus, the best tanks for this job is a light or medium tank.

=== Sniping ===
Like real-life sniping, this tactic requires skill and patience. Skill to accurately range and hit very far away targets, patience to wait for the enemy to drive right into your firing range. If you are able to exploit not only your tank's firepower, but also the environment, the enemy may never be able to accurately pinpoint your location and you will be able to pick them off one-by-one.

Tank destroyers do this job the best due to their low silhouette and high-power guns compared to tanks, but suffer from a limited firing angle (unless you are using American or British tanks, in which case their silhouette is large, but allow a larger degree of fire).

=== Brawling ===
This is where things get aggressive. No fancy long shots or skillful manoeuvres, just getting up close and personal with the enemy, front and center. This tactic requires fast reflexes and intuition, and most importantly, the ability to get the first shot off to your enemy. The first shot is the most important shot as a brawler, because at the close ranges this tactic is in when fighting, the tank armour can be negligible, and also the first shot could impede the enemy's attempt to fire off a shot at all if you are able to incapacitate their gunner, then they can't get any shot off at all.

Any tank can play this tactic really, its just two factors that matters the most now, how many tanks your team has and the penetration value on your gun. So a light tank can play this role if it has a very powerful gun and would not be out-numbered by the enemy. Strike at the enemy's ability to fire back by destroying each enemy tank, or their gunner if you do not believe a single-shot knock-out is possible. Overwhelm them, swarm them, but do not give the enemy the edge because in brawling, anything is exploitable.

==Game modes==
Should you wish for more excitement in your gameplay, there are other modes to try out with their own perks!

{{notice|Simulator Battles features are assumed to also match Realistic Battles unless stated otherwise.}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="3" | Ground Forces - Features by Game Mode
|-
! Arcade (AB) !! Realistic (RB) !! Simulator (SB)
|-
|
* Aim and penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder always enabled
* 3D markers indicate enemy and friendly vehicles and range
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of both teams
* Engine power is enhanced
* No player-owned aircraft - only selected match spawns available
* Limited to three spawns
|
* No aim or penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder only on selected tanks with the modification
* 3D markers indicate only friendly vehicles
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of only player's team
* Engine power matches real life specifications
* Player aircraft can be brought in and used
* Spawn using "Respawn Points" earned through contributing actions in the match
|
* Friendly fire is on
* Only a "first-person" view from commander's position
* Gun sight is moved to the actual position of optics
* Vehicles limited to allowed vehicle in simulator events
* 3D markers are now absent
* Unable to lock onto target due to absence of markers
* Vehicle selection system restricted to one vehicle per air and ground.
* One or two spawn depending on vehicle type
|-
|}

As mentioned earlier, the Arcade Battle mode is the recommended starter mode since it is forgiving to beginners with assists in firepower (aim and penetration indicators) and mobility (enhanced engine power) to help be familiarized around the mechanics of the game. Once comfortable with the game, Realistic and Simulator Battles can be considered for further immersion into the War Thunder battles. Realistic and Simulator battles, owing to their more complicated game style, also offer enhanced rewards after a battle.

=Other tips for beginners=
There is a lot of things to learn about War Thunder, so much so that all other tips are placed here! Here are some tips we can give you if you're still new to War Thunder Ground Battles and want some advice, or for ideas on how to fight certain vehicles.

*[[M4|M4 Sherman]]s are tough American medium tanks to crack, but there are certain weak points at the hull such as the transmission area, and the side armour are very thin, large, and flat for an easy penetration.
*[[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV E|IV]] are the main German medium tanks in the early ranks, here are some tips...
**They are quite easy to take out if you hit their front plate as close to a perpendicular angle as possible, but the front glacis part in front of the front plate is basically invulnerable, so aim a bit higher when aiming at the front plate to avoid a round ricocheting off the glacis.
** Shooting the Panzers in the empty space in the middle of the suspension will most likely cook off the ammunition rack or fuel container under the tank, ensuring their knock-out.
*[[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s are the early bane in the Rank II with their extreme sloped front armour. Until you gain a powerful gun able to penetrate the front armour like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]], here are some tips...
** Aim for the sides of the turret, the areas that look like the "cheek" on a face. These are weak spots and are much weaker than the frontal hull. Shoot the right side because that is where the gunner sits. When that is hit, the T-34 is unable to fire. Once that's done, aim at the left to knock out the loader, so if he is able to fire, the next shot will take a longer time to follow-up. Finish by either waiting for the replacement gunner to come in and take him out as well or flank the T-34 during this opportunity and fire at its weaker side armour at the driver's compartment in front.
** Aim at the hull armour on a hill when it is below you. This way, you can minimize the sloping effectiveness of the tank, as the armour facing towards you is less sloped if you can see it in a near 90 degree angle. The hull armour is only 45 mm thick, and without the sloping advantage, it is easy to penetrate.
** Ambush the T-34 on its sides, it is less sloped than the front armour. If possible, you can also aim at the small clearing above the track, but below the sloped side armour to hit an unsloped 45 mm side plate behind the track.

* Mastering the different camera viewpoints is vital to tank battles:
** Gunner view, named Sniper mode in the controls option, is necessary to make accurate shots at long-distance targets or to hit weak spots.
** Commander view, named Binoculars in the controls option, is necessary to look over hills and obstacles.
** Driver view, is sometime useful to peek below obstacles.
** Turret view, which is the zoomed-in exterior (third-person) view (right-click by default), is necessary for close-quarter combat (especially on urban maps).

* Use your binoculars, it's free. This [[Hints|in-game hint]] points at a major element of Ground Forces: spotting enemies before they spot you. Being able to ambush enemies to land the first hit is the best way to win a tank fight. Binding the Binoculars command in the controls option ("Tank Controls" category) will allow you to watch the landscape with a significant zoom, while keeping your hull behind cover and your turret aimed at its current direction.
** While looking through the Binoculars, the Gunner can be ordered to aim where you are looking, by left-clicking. This function can be used to make accurate shots at long range, when the Gunner view (Sniper mode) is obstructed by bushes, or has a lesser magnification (zoom) than the Binoculars.
** Most importantly, the Binoculars view position is from the Commander point of view, which is nearly always higher than the Gunner view ("Sniper mode" in the controls option), allowing you to scan and spot above obstacles and hills without exposing more than your cupola.

* The controls command "Tank: short stop" (no keybind by default), when pressed and held, will stabilize and progressively slow down the tank to a stop. An absolute life-saver when driving at high-speed and suddenly encountering an enemy: continuing with the full-speed drive will make aiming too difficult, while braking will leave you unable to aim until the tank is properly stopped. The short stop is the best way to survive an unexpected duel.

* The [[Towing|towing hook]] (default keybind: 0) actually works pretty well if you respect these two rules:
** Point of attachment: if you want to roll a tank back on its tracks, attach the hook at the top (aiming with the mouse and pressing the hook key), then drive perpendicular to its tracks. The goal is to pull the top of the tank, not drag the bottom across the ground.
** Momentum: if you want to turn over a large tank, or a tank that has both of its tracks in the air, you need momentum. Pick up some speed from a short distance, make sure to narrowly drive past the tank (don't drive into it!), and just as you sneak past it: look behind you, and HOOK the tank while still speeding away at full speed! Attach the hook to the top or the furthest point from you if possible to really pull it back around. Your tank will suddenly be attached to its target and the momentum will brutally pull it back up. With practice, practically all Light and Medium tanks and many Heavy tanks can be put back on their tracks on the first try.

* Do not leave a battle if you can still respawn. Not only will you be ditching your team, you will also get a [[Crew_lock|Crew Lock]], which prevents you from using whichever vehicles receive the lock.

[[Category:Custom articles]]

Gepard track

2024-04-24T19:20:03Z

U108069304: /* History */

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Gepard Tracking Radar}}
==Description==

[[File:Radar_Albis.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Gepard tracking radar mounted on the front of the [[Gepard]]'s turret.]]

The '''Gepard Tracking Radar''' is a German [[SPAA radars|ground based target tracking radar]]. It was designed as the tracking / fire control radar for the [[Gepard]].

===Vehicles equipped with this radar===


* {{Specs-Link|jp_type_87}}

==General info / usage==


This only a tracking radar, this means it can lock onto targets and provide a firing lead indicator, but cannot by itself detect targets and place them on the radar display. However all vehicles the radar is fitted on in-game are also equipped with various search radars; this allows them to use their search radar to detect targets, while this radar is tracking a target. The Gepard tracking radar can track targets in a 200 degree arc from the front of the turret, out to a maximum range of 15 km.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" | Tracking Characteristics
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum target speed|The minimum speed a target can must be moving in order to be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Maximum target speed|The maximum speed a target can be moving in and still be tracked by the radar}}
|-
| 15,000 m || 75 m || ±100° || -20°/+85° || 15 m/s (54 km/h) || 1,000 m/s (3,600 km/h)
|-
|}

===Comparison with analogues===


Compared to other tracking radars, the Gepard's has an average maximum range and a good minimum range. The minimum relative speed is about average. The azimuth tracking angles are slightly wider than some other radars at ±100° (instead of ±90°). The negative elevation tracking angle is best in class, however the positive elevation angle is very slightly (2°) worse than other radars.

===Pros and cons===


'''Pros:'''

* Decent maximum range
* Good minimum range
* Good minimum relative speed
* Better azimuth tracking angles than [[1RL144]] and [[SMA VPG-A06]] radars

'''Cons:'''

* Radar cannot track targets through a full 360 degrees
* Slightly worse positive elevation angle than other radars

== History ==
The Gepard delivered to the German Bundewehr and Belgium where fitted with the Siemens MPDR 12 S-band search radar. It was mounted on the rear of the turret, and it had a swing arm for transport. This provided a 15km hemispherical range. the Ku band tracking radar also made by Siemens-Albis, was mounted on the front of the turret and also had a 15km range of detection in a 180 degree arc.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flakpanzer_Gepard</ref>

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[SPAA radars]]
* [[MPDR 12]]
* [[Gepard]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on weapon;''
* ''other literature.''

[[Category:Radars]]
[[Category:Ground_vehicle_radars]]

Air-to-ground missiles

2024-04-24T19:07:39Z

U108069304: fixed the AS-30L range

== Overview ==
Air-to-ground missiles (AGMs) were added to the game in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]] with the [[AGM-12B Bullpup]]. The first of this type of weapon were used in the Vietnam War. In-game, they are a potent weapon to have at your disposal, allowing you to destroy enemy ground or naval targets from several kilometres away. They allow the ability to steer the projectile to engage even moving targets.

Several different types of AGMs exist: ''Manual Command to Line of Sight'' (MCLOS) also known as ''command guided'', ''Semi Automatic Command to Line of Sight'' (SACLOS), ''Television guided'' (TV), ''Infrared guided'' (IR), ''Laser guided'', and ''Beam riding''. Note that in-game these guidance systems might work differently than their respective real counterparts or the missiles might use a different guidance system than in reality.

=== Helicopter guidance ===
[[File:Helicopter laser rangefinder.jpg|thumb|350px|The gunner view of a helicopter, displaying sight stabilization (the diagonal lines around the crosshair) and the range to the point around which it is stabilized.]]
With the exception of self-guiding missiles, all helicopter-launched air-to-ground missiles are guided by the cursor (much like aircraft SACLOS missiles). Most helicopters also feature a gunner view, in which the missile can be directed separately to the helicopter. This can also often be set to centre automatically on a designated point on the ground (the "sight stabilization" keybind), which accounts for the relative motion of the helicopter and maintains the image in the gunner view, thus allowing for smooth guidance of the missile even when the helicopter is performing extreme manoeuvres. Enabling sight stabilization will also display the range to the target in the gunner view. Some more advanced helicopters have the additional option of locking the stabilized sight to a moving target, thus allowing semi-autonomous guidance of the missile.

Attack drones feature a similar view. The maximum range of the missile can be seen in the lower part of the view, in the example it is 3,500 m, and the bigger bar below it shows the range of the currently aimed point.

== Manual Command to Line of Sight (MCLOS) ==
MCLOS guided missiles are typically guided either by physical connection to the launch platform by a wire, or by radio waves. In the case of wire-guided missiles, the wire is unspun from the missile as it flies towards the target. After a missile of this type is launched, the gunner or pilot watches the motor or tracer components of the missile and sends correcting guidance commands to keep the projectile on target.

=== MCLOS controls ===
{{main|Air-to-air missiles#Command guided missile controls}}
Without steering input from the player, the missile will behave like a simple unguided rocket. It is recommended to check your surroundings and ensure that there are no enemies in the vicinity, as it can be significantly more difficult to attempt to control both missile and aircraft at the same time. The default keybinds for manual missile guidance will prevent you from manoeuvring your aircraft with the keyboard at the same time.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Command guided missile controls
|-
! Control name
! Default Keybind (PC keyboard & mouse)
! Description
|-
| Yaw axis for aim weapons || Shift + A / Shift + D || Keys to control the yaw (side to side) movement of the missile
|-
| Pitch axis for aim weapons || Shift + W / Shift + S ||Keys to control the pitch (up and down) movement of the missile
|-
| Fire air-to-ground missile || Space || Fire the command guided missile
|-
|}

=== List of MCLOS AGMs ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Command guided missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[AGM-12B Bullpup]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8 km
|-
| [[AGM-12C Bullpup]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 16 km
|-
| [[AS-20 Nord]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8 km
|-
| [[AS-30 Nord]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
| [[Kh-23M]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
| [[Ki-148 I-Go Model 1B]] || [[File:Japan_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 12 km
|-
| [[Rb05A]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8 km
|-
|}

== Semi Automatic Command to Line of Sight (SACLOS) ==
The SACLOS guidance system improves on MCLOS by having a device that calculates correction commands such that the gunner only has to point the sight of the targeting device at the target, and the appropriate correction commands will be performed by the device. Connection to the missile can be by wire or radio waves. The targeting device often features a significantly zoomed-in view which makes target acquisition easier. All this makes targeting and guidance much easier and even allows for moderate changes of aircraft movement at the same time.

=== SACLOS controls ===
When launched from an aircraft, the SACLOS guided missile will fly towards the direction in which the aircraft's nose is pointing. This can allow for much easier and more accurate targeting than MCLOS missiles with fine adjustments using the mouse, but means that ample time should be given to allow the aircraft to pull up after the missile has struck.

=== List of SACLOS AGMs ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | SACLOS guided missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[9M14-2 Malyutka-2]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3 km
|-
| [[9M14M Malyutka]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3 km
|-
| [[9M17M Falanga]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 4 km
|-
| [[9M114 Shturm]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 5 km
|-
| [[9M120 Ataka]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 6 km
|-
| [[AGM-12B Bullpup]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 11 km
|-
| [[AGM-22]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3.5 km
|-
| [[AS.11]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3.5 km
|-
| [[AS.12]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 7 km
|-
| [[BGM-71C Improved TOW]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3.75 km
|-
| [[BGM-71D TOW-2]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3.75 km
|-
| [[HJ-8A]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3 km
|-
| [[HJ-8C]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3 km
|-
| [[HJ-8E]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 4 km
|-
| [[HJ-8H]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 4 km
|-
| [[HOT-1]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] [[File:Germany_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 4 km
|-
| [[HOT-2 TOW]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] [[File:Germany_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 4 km
|-
| [[HOT-3]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] [[File:Germany_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 4 km
|-
| [[Kh-66]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
| [[RB 52 A]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3.5 km
|-
| [[RB 53 Bantam]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 2 km
|-
| [[RB 55B Heli TOW]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3.75 km
|-
| [[RB 55C Heli TOW]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 3.75 km
|-
|}

== Television ==
In War Thunder, television-guided missiles refer to a class of missile guided by "optical contrast seekers". These missiles have a camera in the nose that transmits a greyscale image to the pilot, allowing them to select and lock onto a high contrast static or moving target. The missile will guide itself towards the target, leaving the pilot free to manoeuvre the aircraft and evade any anti-air defences. As the camera does not provide any infrared information, it may sometimes be accidentally locked onto high contrast objects in the vicinity of the intended target instead, which can cause a miss if the target subsequently moves away from the area. Television guided missiles are also unable to be used at night and in other low visibility conditions such as adverse weather. Some planes and AGMs however have IR or thermal imaging and can be used at night and have better targeting quality. Often an additional targeting pod is needed for this, which will take up one pylon.


=== List of TV guided missiles ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | TV guided missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[AGM-65A]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 23 km
|-
| [[AGM-65B]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 23 km
|-
| [[Flz Lwf LB 82]] || [[File:Switzerland_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 23 km
|-
| [[Kh-29T]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 13 km
|-
| [[Kh-29TD]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 km
|-
| [[RB 75]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 23 km
|-
|}

==IR==
Infrared homing missiles are similar in use to TV guided missiles, but feature an infrared imaging system instead of the optical camera, allowing heat sources (such as tanks) to be more easily differentiated and locked onto in cluttered environments and under low optical visibility conditions such as night-time.


=== List of IR guided AGMs ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | IR guided missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[AGM-65D]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 23 km
|-
| [[PARS 3 LR]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] [[File:Germany_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 7 km
|-
| [[Spike ER]] || [[File:Israel_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8 km
|-
|}

== Laser ==
The aircraft points a target-illuminating laser onto the desired target and when the missiles is fired it will fly automatically towards the laser point on the target. Advanced laser guided missiles can operate even when the laser illumination is stopped and will continue its flight path on inertial guidance. If the laser illumination lights up again they will proceed to follow the laser light.


=== List of laser guided AGMs ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Laser guided missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[AGM-114B Hellfire]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8 km
|-
| [[AGM-114K Hellfire II]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8 km
|-
| [[AKD-9]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 6 km
|-
| [[AKD-10]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
| [[APKWS II (M151)]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 11 km
|-
| [[APKWS II (M282)]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 11 km
|-
| [[AS-30L Nord]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 11 km
|-
| [[Blue Arrow 9]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 6 km
|-
| [[CIRIT]] || [[File:Turkey_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
| [[Kh-25]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 7 km
|-
| [[Kh-25ML]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
| [[Kh-29L]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 13 km
|-
| [[L-UMTAS]] || [[File:Turkey_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8 km
|-
| [[S-25L]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 7 km
|-
| [[ZT-6 Mokopa]] || [[File:South_Africa_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
|}

== Beam riding ==
Beam riding missiles are operated using a radar or laser beam to guide them to the target. Once launched, the missile will attempt to keep itself in the centre of the beam that is projected out from the launch platform.

This differs from other laser-guided missiles, in that the missile is guided by the laser beam itself rather than guiding towards the reflection of the laser on the target.

=== List of beam riding AGMs ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Beam riding missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[9K127 Vikhr]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 km
|-
| [[9M120-1 Ataka]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 6 km
|-
| [[9M123 Khrizantema]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 6 km
|-
| [[Starstreak]] || [[File:Britain_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 7 km
|-
|}

==Active Radar Homing ==
Active radar homing (ARH) missiles have a radar emitter built in so that they don't have to rely on target illumination by the aircraft that fired it, making them fire-and-forget weapons. Unfortunately, this is only true to an extent: ARH mode is only available when the missile is coming close to the target, as the range of the built-in radar is limited by its size, which needs to fit inside the compact missile. During the first stage of the flight, the missile has to either rely on inertial guidance, act like a SARH missile, or be course-corrected by Datalink from the aircraft.

=== List of active radar homing AGMs ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | ARH missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[AS.34 Kormoran]] || [[File:Germany_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 32 km
|-
|}

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|iaDMyKEW5Vc|'''Air To Ground Weapons: The Complete Guide''' - ''Tims Variety'' (AGM section starts at 13:49).|y1jSd1RLCnI|'''The Shooting Range #323''' - ''Tactics & Strategy'' section at 06:42 discusses air-to-surface guided munitions.|gSun_ErSSJA|'''The Shooting Range #304''' - ''Triathlon'' section at 07:37 compares early guided air-to-ground missiles.}}

== See also ==


* [[Template:Missiles|Missiles]]
* [[Anti-tank guided missiles]]
* [[Air-to-air missiles]]

== External links ==


;Devblogs

* [[wt:en/news/8311-development-missile-duels-fair-play-en|[Devblog] Missile duels: fair play]]
* [[wt:en/news/7084-development-new-features-upcoming-with-the-ixwa-strike-update-en|[Devblog] New features upcoming with the "Ixwa Strike" update - Tactical air-to-surface missiles]]
* [[wt:en/news/5722-development-agm-12b-bullpup-they-can-t-dodge-en|[Devblog] AGM-12B Bullpup: They can't dodge]]

;Wikipedia

* [[wikipedia:Command_guidance|[Wikipedia] Command guidance]]
* [[wikipedia:Beam_riding|[Wikipedia] Beam riding]]
* [[wikipedia:Infrared_homing|[Wikipedia] Infrared homing]]
* [[wikipedia:Television_guidance|[Wikipedia] Television guidance]]
* [[wikipedia:Laser_guidance|[Wikipedia] Laser guidance]]

[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Armaments]]

Marder A1-

2024-02-28T20:11:05Z

U108069304: /* Main armament */

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = Marder 1A3
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_marder_1a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]].

Being the first true German IFV in the tech tree, the Marder A1- offers some unique options to its operator with regards to dispatching its opponents, no matter if they come on the ground or in the air.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Overall, armour on Marder A1- is to be expected from an IFV; thin armour that relies heavily on slopes for protection. However, the turret is unmanned and coupled with a great gun depression of -17°, allowing for a hull-down really well.

From the frontal arc, the armour can shrug off most heavy machine guns and autocannons up to 23 mm calibre, like those found on [[ZSU-23-4|Shilkas]]. Be wary though as lucky shots can get through the turret ring or shatter on the driver's optics, sending shrapnel inside the fighting compartment.

From sides and rear, even .50 cal will do some serious damage to the vehicle and crew, so keeping the front of the armour towards the enemy is the key for survival from MG fire.

With only three crew members available, the Marder can't afford to take any hits. When looking at Marder from the front, the driver on the right side is protected only by an 11 mm thin armour plate angled at 73°, so expect the driver to die first a lot to enemy fire. Meanwhile, both commander and gunner sit side by side below the unmanned turret, protected by transmission and engine (similar to [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava tanks]]). While that won't protect them from rounds with explosive filler or modern kinetic penetrators, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds. Commanders and gunner survivability are thus significantly higher than that of a driver, allowing to fire back at the opponent in most cases.

The last thing to note about the armour is that the roof armour is only 11 mm, making the Marder heavily vulnerable to air attacks if the gun isn't trained on the attacker.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 11 mm (76°) top
32mm (21°) bottom
| 15 mm (32°) top 15 mm (0°) bottom || 11 mm (22°) || 11 mm
|-
| Turret || 15 - 25 mm turret front 11 mm gun mantlet || 11- 15 mm || 11 - 15 mm || 11 mm
|-
| Cupola || 11 mm || 11 mm || 11 mm || 11 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

The mobility of Marder is really, really good, allowing it to rush favourable positions at the start of the battle or flank effectively. With a reverse gearbox, it can move backwards as fast as going forward, making disengaging from an enemy or retreating from unfavourable situations an easy task.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

Since the Marder A1- is already powerful in the firepower department thanks to its MILAN ATGMs, even in its stock configuration, it should have no problems dispatching your enemies. After Parts and FPE, one can either start upgrading its mobility or go for a fuller APIT belt to have better chances when fighting light vehicles.

Since it can't engage enemies at longer ranges with the autocannon and MILANs are SACLOS-guided, getting a laser rangefinder is not a priority when playing solo. Instead, going for optics upgrades and smoke grenades might be preferable. Night vision devices could be also considered, but night battles on this BR are uncommon.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)}}

The Marder A1- is armed with a dual-feed Rh202 20 mm autocannon. This gun can also be found as a secondary weapon on the [[KPz-70]] and [[Leopard 2K]]; the difference being it gets dedicated belts on Marder instead of being limited only to multipurpose stock belts.

Rh202 has fantastic gun handling. Even though it is not equipped with a stabiliser, it's barely noticeable even when firing on the move, allowing to successfully engage enemies without stopping at close range.

With a great rate of fire (noticeably faster than 30 mm found on [[BMP-2]]s), it can shred light vehicles, low flying planes and helicopters to pieces in a matter of seconds. Even heavier tanks are not safe since it is able to disable their critical components with a well-aimed burst, crippling their main and secondary armaments and tracks, making them easy kills for its MILANs or more-heavily armed teammates.

With 65° degrees of gun elevation, it can even work ad hoc as makeshift SPAAG. This is especially useful against helicopter rushes, which are common at the start of the round when chances of friendly SPAA being active are low. Even planes are not safe when the Marder is around, since it is able to successfully engage low flying aircraft with enough practice.

Rh202 operates on 200 round belts, Marder can take 6 of them in total and you can switch between different belts with ~1-second delay. An empty belt is reloaded after 8 seconds when Aced.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 1,200 (200) || rowspan="2" | 800 || rowspan="2" | -17°/+65° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 57.1 || 79.1 || 96.0 || 106.2 || 112.9 || rowspan="2" | 10.40 || rowspan="2" | 9.20 || rowspan="2" | 8.48 || rowspan="2" | 8.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}} - The stock belt consists of HVAP-T and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 1:1. It works but can have problems penetrating lighter vehicles due to the occasional chance that it won't hit a critical component with an HVAP-T round.
* '''DM51A1:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}} - Stock belt that consists of HEFI-T and HVAP-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1, this belt would be of great use against infantry but have no use in vehicular combat. Although the round can be effective, while taking down helicopters, or low flying planes.
* '''DM43:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}} - Tier I modification, this belt consists of HVAP-T and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1. This belt should be the primary type of ammo for Rh202, since it has the best available penetration.

{{:Rh202 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HVAP-T, HEFI-T}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''6''' || 4 ''(+2)'' || 2 ''(+4)'' || 0 ''(+6)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is modeled as 6 belts of 200 rounds.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all belts in the rack.
* Due to the Marder's belt feed design, the third ammo rack is connected directly to the gun. For the third ammo rack to be emptied, the tank must run out of ammunition.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|MILAN}}

The Marder A1- is armed with a MILAN ATGM launcher with SACLOS guidance. It's an older missile, lacking a tandem warhead, but since composite and reactive armour are a rare sight at the battle rating, it works wonders. The ATGM is the main weapon of choice when engaging targets beyond 200 m and when engaging anything heavier than a light tank or SPAAG. The Marder only gets 4 of those, so firing them recklessly can leave it unable to dispatch heavier opponents. Frequent visits to capture points are a must in order to keep fighting.

To fire them, the Marder A1- needs to be going slower than 5 km/h, which can be disadvantageous against enemy tanks with stabilisers - be sure to distract the enemy first with the autocannon fire or make sure the enemy doesn't know at all from where the Marder will be striking.

Also, be aware that the launcher can't depress as much as the autocannon: this is important to note when fighting in hilly terrain. While it is possible to fire and hit an enemy, the missile needs a few seconds and distance to correct itself, making close-range shots impossible without considerable skill and practise (for some theory on this, see the [[Striker]] page).

MILANs are guided in a SACLOS manner, meaning they follow the crosshair, making them much easier to use than older missiles such as [[SS.11]] or [[9M14|Malyutkas]]. The Marder is also one of the earliest vehicles to get SACLOS missiles, together with [[Ratel 20]] and [[BMP-1 (Family)|BMP-1]], and unlike BMP-1, the Marder is equipped with it stock.

The last thing to note about these is their limited range of just 2 km. Most of its engagements do happen inside this range, but on larger maps such as Maginot Line, it won't hurt checking enemy distance with the laser rangefinder before firing.

As SACLOS missiles, they can be used with some success against ATGM helicopters hovering on the battlefield, but again, checking their range is necessary in order not to waste the few missiles it has.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[MILAN]] missile || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 4 || ±5° || N/A || N/A || _.__ || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:MILAN/Ammunition|MILAN}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
* It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The Marder is armed with two MG3 machine guns. One is coaxial to the Rh202, second is in a small independent turret above the troop compartment.

The MG3 is the standard machine gun for current day Germany. While having a nice rate of fire, they are rifle-calibre and thus have very low penetration, useful only as a deterrent against low flying aircraft and helicopters and to clear obstacles in front of the vehicle. They are almost useless against enemy tanks, and only pose a threat to few open-topped vehicles.

One thing of note is that the second MG3 in its independent turret can only turn in a 90° degree arc on the back of the Marder, thus making it way less practical than the coaxial. It can be used to paint enemies that manage to sneak up on to you from behind, or, if you turn your back against incoming aircraft or helicopters, to increase your firepower against them. Other than that, it only blocks your Rh202 from depressing on the back of your vehicle.

By using the "Select machine gun" key, it is possible to scout enemies with sniper mode from this turret in realistic battles. This allows only the empty rear of the vehicle to be exposed, which, even if shot at, can keep the crew quite safe.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Rear turret || 1,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -15°/+55° ||±90°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Marder A1- is a pretty decent IFV for its rank, but it is not designed to fight enemy tanks head on.

Best strategy is to either rush favourable positions near capture points in order to spot and counter enemy light vehicles rushing them while occasionally firing your ATGM at high-value targets.

Another good strategy is to go for flanks - most of the time, you will meet enemy light vehicles flanking, and your autocannon shreds them like cheese, denying enemy flanking routes and funnelling them towards your allied tanks. Keep spotting, and save your ATGMs for self-defence, since you will be away from capture points in this scenario and thus unable to rearm. That doesn't mean you can't take out high value targets such as top tier tanks which happen to drive into your sight line.

If forced to CQC or brawl, try to stick to your allies and support them. As soon as you see enemy tank fire, rush him and disable his gun and tracks, making him an easy target for your team mates.

If there are no allies in close proximity, then your speed and ability to fire on the move can be exploited in aggressive pushes, but narrow corridors and streets often present major disadvantages for your lightly armoured IFV; so sticking to ambush tactics might be preferable.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 20 mm cannon is very effective at quickly destroying aircraft, SPAA, and lightly armoured vehicles
** High rate of fire
** Plenty of ammo
** Very fast turret rotation
** 17 degrees of gun depression, 69 degrees of gun elevation, with very fast vertical traverse speed
* Effective MILAN missile
* Very manoeuvrable, high top speed and high power-to-weight ratio

'''Cons:'''

* 20 mm gun is largely ineffective against a large majority of ground vehicles you will face
* Only 4 MILAN missiles
* Thin armour
* Rather tall profile
* MILAN missiles have a rather slow velocity
* Shots to the turret often lead to ammo rack detonation as it is connected to the turret

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_marder_1a1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|wGrhRQ3yrFs|'''The Shooting Range #262''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7164-development-marder-a1-the-first-ifv-of-the-west-en|[Devblog] Marder A1-: the First IFV of the West]]
* [[wikipedia:Marder_(IFV)|[Wikipedia] Marder (IFV)]]

{{TankManufacturer Thyssen-Henschel}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

Turm III

2024-02-28T20:07:39Z

U108069304: Changed some wording

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_erprobungstrager_3_achs_turm
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_002.jpg}}
|store=10928
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (51°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm (26°) ''Top'' 10 mm (26°) ''Engine vents'' 20 mm ''Bottom'' || 20 mm ''Upper plate'' 20 mm (10°) ''Lower plate'' 20 mm (47°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm (30°) ''Front glacis'' 10 mm ''Engine compartment''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (45°) ''Turret front'' 20 mm (spherical) ''Turret ball'' || 20 mm (spherical) ''Turret ball'' || 20 mm (spherical) ''Turret ball'' || 10 mm
|-
| MG cupola || 10 mm || 10 mm || 10 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,327|rbMinHp=757}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 47 || rowspan="2" | ±12° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 5.00 || rowspan="2" | 5.00 || rowspan="2" | 5.00 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''DM13; APDS''' (Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot) will comfortably penetrate the armour of most foes; be aware however that some vehicles such as the IS-4 or M103 are only vulnerable in specific weak spots. APDS rounds do require some finesse with their placement due to their lack of explosive filler. Unless you're confident you can destroy the enemy before they can respond, you should attempt to disable their weaponry first to ensure your own safety. Against targets with known ammunition storage, it's possible to try to detonate it with a well-placed shot. Keep in mind, however, that ammo detonations always occur with a random chance, so taking out crew members is a more reliable method to destroy your enemies. This, of course, requires knowledge about the vehicles you may face - so be sure to use the game's X-Ray view in the hangar and analyse your potential foes for their weak spots! Also, keep in mind that with increased armour thickness, the amount of shrapnel shrinks.
* '''DM512; HESH''' (High-Explosive Squash-Head) works very differently than other shell types. It ignores any angle, except for ricochet and deals damage by metal-flakes which are blown off inside the armour by the exterior explosion. To create this deadly shrapnel inside the tank, make sure to only hit armour plates which are directly adjacent to the interior crew compartment of the tank. Hitting exterior parts of a tank like spaced armour, the suspension, tracks etc. will not harm crew members/modules at all. Unfortunately, HESH is particularly ineffective against particularly high true armour values (as opposed to high 'effective' armour values sourced from highly angled but thin armour - HESH loves angles!). Like all high-explosive shells, the fuse is very sensitive and can be set-off by most objects e.g. fences, trees, shrubbery. The low muzzle velocity of this shell can make it quite hard to hit targets at larger distances, although an experienced tanker may be able to use this to their advantage by lobbing a round over a small defilade or hill. It's also worth noting that HESH can be rather unreliable at times; it's best used as a fall-back ammo, or saved for particularly lightly armoured targets.
* '''DM12; HEATFS''' (High-Explosive Anti Tank Fin-Stabilised): Knowledge of potential opponents vehicle layouts can be very handy - as you now have a round at your disposal that can penetrate essentially any vehicle's armour frontally. Like the APDS shot, increased armour thickness results in a reduced amount of shrapnel after penetration. You are able to take out enemies on any distance since the HEAT round does not lose penetration effectiveness with distance - very handy on big scaled maps like Kursk. There is, however, a significant downside to HEATFS. Given that it is a chemical energy round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. As a result, virtually anything, such as trees or even a fence, will set it off prematurely, so you cannot fire through obstructions with this kind of round. It's often a good idea to clear bushes and fences with your machine guns quickly before taking a shot. Finally, the HEATFS round is relatively expensive in terms of SL, so keep that in mind when loading up.

{{:L7A3 (105 mm)/Ammunition|DM13, DM512, DM12}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''47''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually, and disappear when fired.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|HSS 831L (30 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[HSS 831L (30 mm)|30 mm HSS 831L]] || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 300 (50) || 600 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 15.00 || 15.00 || 15.00 || 15.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|SAP-I|Semi-armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T*|High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}

{{:HSS 831L (30 mm)/Ammunition|SAP-I, HEI-T*}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''6''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (200) || 1,200 || -8°/+25° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* First stage ammo rack houses all of the ammo
* Has a fast autoloader for the main armament
* Has an autocannon for coaxial weapon that can defeat even some MBTs through the side armour
* Extremely good mobility, can easily get up to 66 kilometres per hour in RB
* Two-axis stabilizer, unlike its equivalent counterpart, the [[Leopard I]]
* Weak armour can cause some shells to over-penetrate and do almost nothing
* Familiar Leopard 1 chassis

'''Cons:'''

* Nearly nonexistent armour
* Ammunition practically fills up the turret ball, making almost any shell that penetrates end up detonating it
* Machine gun cannot aim directly level to the main gun, making it disorienting when you are reloading the 30 mm autocannon and want to spray a lightly armoured target
* Poor gun elevation, making it difficult to use the 30 mm against aircraft

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_erprobungstrager_3_achs_turm Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[Leopard 1 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7567-development-turm-iii-and-pre-order-bonuses-en|[Devblog] Turm III and pre-order bonuses]]

{{Germany medium tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Gepard

2024-02-28T20:02:02Z

U108069304: Changed some wording

{{About
| about = German SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = Gepard 1A2
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_flakpz_I_Gepard
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer (Flakpanzer) Gepard''' is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun designed to operate in all weather conditions. It was created in the 1960s, deployed in the 1970s, and has since been updated several times with cutting-edge technologies to keep up with modern warfare. It is equipped with twin 35 mm Oerlikon KDA autocannons mounted on the chassis of a Leopard 1 main battle tank and has served as a cornerstone of air defence for the German Army and several other NATO countries. The turret has a full traverse, providing complete coverage for the system. The search and tracking radars are also mounted on the chassis, behind and in front of the turret, respectively.

Introduced in [[Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters"]], the Flakpanzer Gepard is a capable weapon platform that can provide reliable cover from enemy air attacks for friendly ground units. This vehicle, outfitted with search and tracking radars, can actively scan the skies for hostile air units and provide a lead indicator once locked onto the target. It also has some minor anti-ground capabilities, but it is not recommended that it be used extensively in anti-ground roles. It is recommended to wait for enemy aircraft to approach before unleashing a barrage of shells to make it difficult to dodge and avoid. To conserve ammunition, always shoot in bursts, to prevent overheating of the cannons.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Common among almost all SPAAs, the Gepard's armour can only withstand heavy machine guns and aircraft cannons and such, even other SPAAs and light tanks will pose a threat. Having 30mm of armour at its thickest point, in the game, the Gepard can be hull broken by shells of a calibre of 75mm and higher.

[[File:X-RayImage TopView Gepard.jpg|thumb]]

The Gepard has a crew of 3, consisting of a gunner, a commander and a driver with the first 2 residing in the turret and the third in the hull. The ammunition is stored in its entirety in the turret basket, below the crew; in practice, the Gepard is rarely ammo racked, and most often it is your crew that will be knocked out or the tank being burned down by chemical munitions fired from enemy aircraft that it faces, such as helicopters and jet attack aircraft which are both a threat and a tricky target.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 (59°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (48°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm (40-41°) ''Top'' 20 mm ''Lower'' || 20 mm (6°) ''Top'' 20 mm (49°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm ''Driver/Co-driver port area'' 15 mm ''Everywhere else''
|-
| Turret || 25 mm (1-30°) || 20 mm ''Turret side'' 10 mm ''Cannon mounts'' || 20 mm (3°) || 15 mm
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,179|rbMinHp=734}}

Having the chassis of the Leopard 1, the {{PAGENAME}} is almost identical in mobility to the MBT, possessing the same engine power, making it useful at capturing zones and getting out of harm's way.

Its top speed is 57 km/h forward and -22 km/h backwards, with acceleration time and neutral steering speed depending on the installed modules.
The engine is the same as in the Leopard 1, the MTU (Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH) MB 838 CaM-500 610 kW outputting 830 hp at 2200 rpm.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Oerlikon KDA (35 mm)}}

The armament consists of 2 x 35 mm Oerlikon KDA cannons with 340 RPG with a quick, fixed fire rate and can make use of 3 types of munitions:

* High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying, note that the self-destruction range coincides with the radar's lead indicator maximum distance, making the shell inadequate at longer ranges)
* Armour-piercing incendiary tracer, which can be used against lightly armoured vehicles and enemy SPAAs, though the damage to enemy aircraft is reduced, the shell can be used outside radar range since it does not self destruct
* High-velocity armour-piercing tracer (APDS), which can be used against targets mentioned above and additionally, can be used to attack the side profile of enemy MBTs with reasonable effectiveness. Use against air targets is possible but the damage output is highly reduced.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Oerlikon KDA (35 mm)|35 mm Oerlikon KDA]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 680 (320) || rowspan="2" | 550 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+85° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 79.3 || 109.7 || 133.2 || 147.3 || 156.7 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 53.5 || 63.0 || 76.5 || 84.6 || 90.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T*|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T*|High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''DM11A1:''' {{Annotation|HEI-T*|High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T*|High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T*|High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T*|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''DM13:''' {{Annotation|API-T*|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T*|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T*|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T*|High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''DM23:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}

{{:Oerlikon KDA (35 mm)/Ammunition|HEI-T*, API-T*, APDS}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo type
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4 680''' || ''Belts'' ''Rounds'' || 0 ''(+4)'' 0 ''(+680)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* The rack empties when all rounds are spent.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of belts: 4 belts can be fired but only 2 are modeled.

===Radars===
{{main|MPDR 12|Albis}}
The Gepard is equipped with a [[MPDR 12]] search radar and an [[Albis]] tracking radar. Both radars are located on the turret, the MPDR 12 is mounted at the rear of the turret and folds back when not in use, the Albis is mounted on the front of the turret. The radar system is capable of tracking a target while scanning, but can only track targets within a 200° arc from the front of the turret.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="5" | [[MPDR 12]] - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Detection Range|The range, below which, a target cannot be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum relative speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be detectable by the radar}}
|-
| 15,000 m || 500 m || 360° || ??? || 10 m/s (36 km/h)
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Albis]] - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum target speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be tracked by the radar}}
|-
| 15,000 m || 75 m || ±100° || -20°/+85° || 15 m/s (54 km/h)
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Gepard performs best when stalking enemy aircraft, scanning the sky for a target and waiting until it gets in range of the radar, and only attacking when the radar can provide a lead estimation, thus preserving ammunition which is critical since the cannons will expend it quickly in combat situations. Helicopters will more than often chose to keep a reasonable distance, usually outside your radar's range but this can be countered by using the API-T rounds in short burst until the range of the enemy has been deduced, it only takes a few rounds to destroy an enemy aircraft.

Engaging ground vehicles comes with the risk of being destroyed without doing any significant damage so weigh your options carefully, unsuspecting light tanks are fair game but most tanks will pose a threat even when attacking their side without the appropriate ammunition belts.

Capturing points is also an option thanks to the good mobility of the vehicle, although you will have to make sure the capture point is clear and there is no risk of being attacked by an enemy tank.

Against enemy threats:

* Arcade: Keep your head on a swivel, and when enemies start air battles be prepared to react very soon; jets can reach the battle in seconds. Try to fire as soon as the enemy reaches within 2 kilometres, any closer and you risk the aircraft being able to open fire on you or even ram you and induce Hull Break. Helicopters should be treated with a similar deal of respect, so try to limit the amount of time they have within firing range by coating them in a blank of anti-air fire as soon as the lead indicator appears.

* Realistic/Simulator: If using the Gepard in higher rank games, be mindful of aircraft such as the [[AH-1Z]] and [[FJ-4B VMF-232]]. Their long-range guided missiles allow them to attack you outside of the range of your lead indicator or even out of the range of your guns themselves. Stay hidden until they draw closer, and then attempt to "ambush" them as they are pre-occupied attacking other allies. Stay away from common traffic areas if your only goal is to take out these aircraft, and try to sneak as close as possible to them so that you can re-acquire the lead indicator. Thanks to the fact the Gepard is vulnerable to being hull-broken, it only takes a missile landing near to completely disable the anti-aircraft vehicle.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has the mobility of the Leopard tank, though the increased weight is noticeable
* Very fast turret rotation
* Good stock grind thanks to its already good gun handling
* Can penetrate many tanks from the side even with its default belt
* High penetration with DM23 belt that is also cheaper to restock than other belts
* Twin 35 mm cannons are very deadly against both aircraft and tanks with a high rate of fire and accuracy
* Has stabilizer - can shoot targets while on the move, air and ground ones alike
* Good amount of ammo in reserve
* Search and tracking radars, the search radar finds targets while the tracking radar gives a very accurate lead indicator
* Search radar dish can be folded when not in use to reduce vehicle height and visibility

'''Cons:'''

* Relatively high profile, and a spinning radar dish atop the vehicle
* Very thin armour that can be easily destroyed by overpressure
* Cannons are mounted on the sides of the turret that can make shooting weak spots at close range almost impossible
* Relatively low rate-of-fire compared to the [[M163]] and [[ZSU-23-4]]
* Incredibly long reload time when all ammo is expended
* Can only take 40 x DM23s to battle, must be fired very carefully
* Expensive unlockable ammo belts (except the DM23 belt)

== History ==


===Development===
Development began on a dedicated self-propelled anti-aircraft gun for the German Bundeswehr in the 1960s. The first pilot models were produced in 1969 testing 30 and 35 mm autocannons for the armament. The decision to use a 35 mm autocannon as the basis of the anti-aircraft armament came on 25 June 1970. In 1971 the second phase of pilot models was tested, the Dutch Army expressed interest in the project and ordered a few models once completed. It was around this phase that the [[Leopard I|Leopard 1]] was chosen as the chassis of the vehicle, and a modified variant was produced. In September 1973, the order was made to Krauss-Maffei manufacturer to produce 432 turret and 430 hulls. The Bundeswehr accepted the vehicle as to the '''Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard''' (''Anti-aircraft cannon tank "Cheetah"''), or better known as the '''Flakpanzer Gepard'''. At least 430 Flakpanzer Gepard units were produced in total from 1973 onwards.

===Design===
The Flakpanzer Gepard uses the 35 mm Oerlikon KDA autocannon, which was a dual-mounted cannon that each can fire around 550 rounds per minute. The Gepard has a search radar on the back, a tracking radar in front, and a laser range finder in the front to track air targets. The Flakpanzer Gepard uses a modified Leopard chassis, modified by different wheel spacing and battery placement. The vehicle was powered by a multi-fuel engine capable of pumping around 819 horsepower. There was also an auxiliary engine that powers the turret functions so the main engine can run the vehicle unhindered by additional energy requirement. The Gepard as a whole actually cost three times more than a standard Leopard 1 tank, possibly due to all the guidance system and radars needed to make the Gepard an effective anti-aircraft gun.

===Usage===
The Gepard entered service in the German Bundeswehr in 1973 and made up a core of West Germany's anti-aircraft power. The Gepard was constantly upgraded with better guidance systems and other electronic hardware. From the 1980s onward, the Gepard units were attached to Stinger surface-to-air missile systems to exploit the Gepard's extended tracking system to locate targets for the Stingers. A proposal was made to combine these two units into one vehicle with a dual Stinger launcher mounted onto a Gepard, but budget restrictions prevented this. The Flakpanzer Gepard still sees use today in the storage of the Bundeswehr, although in reduced numbers from 377 originally to just 94. They are expected to be replaced by the SysFla project, which is a stationary and mobile platform armed with the MANTIS gun system and the new LFK NG missiles.

The Gepards were successful in the export market. The first to order were Belgium and the Dutch, 55 and 95 units respectively. When the Bundeswehr started the downsize their forces, their Gepards were sold to various countries such as Brazil, Romania, and Chile; though Chile returned their Gepards due to the high costs maintaining them. The Dutch also sold 60 of their surplus stock to Jordan. Belgium and the Dutch have recently withdrawn the Gepards from military service.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_flakpz_I_Gepard Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:GarageImage Gepard (2).jpg
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1R9OL0Hf-yw|'''The Shooting Range #33''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:30 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|naeDoEwZ5Pg|'''German SPAAs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:30 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|8YLI7vBI88U|'''Gepard: Review & How To AAA''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


* [[Leopard I]]

'''Similar SPAAs:'''

* [[ZSU-23-4]]
* [[Chieftain Marksman]]
* [[Type 87]]
* [[M163]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4241-development-flakpz-i-gepard-the-second-and-last-of-its-name-en|[Devblog] Flakpanzer I Gepard - The second and last of its name]]
* [[wikipedia:Flakpanzer_Gepard|[Wikipedia] Flakpanzer Gepard]]
* [https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf MTU Defense Brochure]

{{TankManufacturer KMW}}
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

G.91 R/4 (Germany)

2024-01-30T15:59:38Z

U108069304: Changed some wording

{{Specs-Card
|code=fiat_g91_r4_german
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_G.91_R4_(Germany).jpg|StoreImage G.91 R-4 (Germany) 001.jpg|StoreImage G.91 R-4 (Germany) 003.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]] as a premium purchasable in-game for Golden Eagles {{ge}}. It was later added to the store as a [[wt:en/news/7087-shop-new-packs-and-a-unique-bundle-en|premium pack]] in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]] until it was removed after the [[wt:en/news/7417-shop-war-thunder-birthday-sale-in-gaijin-net-store-en|9th Anniversary Sale]], but was later re-introduced as a regular in-game premium for {{GE}}.

The R/4 is a variant of the G.91 jet fighter that has been modified for ground attack, allowing it access to a competitive selection of air-to-ground ordnance such as bombs, rockets, and high-explosive air-to-ground missiles. The R/4 also has the option to equip two different types of air-to-air missiles; the IR-tracking [[AIM-9B Sidewinder]] missile, or the command-guided [[AA-20 Nord]] missile.

The G.91 R/4 is a very nimble fighter with relatively average top speed and fairly good acceleration. Best played as a support fighter, the G.91 R/4 can use its incredible roll and turn rates to quickly get guns on target, as well as to dodge the typically less manoeuvrable fighters that it shares its battle ratings with.

The main difference between the [[G.91 R/3|R/3]] and the [[G.91 R/4|R/4]] is the armament choice. While the former has more powerful cannons, it lacks the capability to mount air-to-air missiles while the later is the opposite, weaker machine guns but it is able to use air-to-air missiles.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The G.91 was intended to replace the [[F-86A-5|F-86A Sabre]] in German, Portuguese and Italian service and it shows. With an empty weight of only 3,100 kg (6,800 lbs) and a takeoff weight of 5,500 kg (12,100 lbs) the Gina is in the weight class as the [[P-51D-5|P-51D]] and [[MiG-9]], yet severely lighter than most other jets and losing about one and a half tonnes compared to the Sabre A.

Although only outputting a meagre 22 kN of thrust, this first look disadvantage is literally outweighed by the high thrust to weight ratio of 0.73 empty (0.41 full). This makes the Gina an excellent dogfighter as jet fighters maintain both their top speed, climb and sustained turn-rate by their engine power rather than other flight characteristics. It can easily reach its own terminal speed (1,011 km/h, 921 ft/s) and self-destruct in level flight.

Lacking in straight wings and leading wing slats, the stall speed for the G.91 is higher than the low weight leads one to assume. One should hence be wary of many older jet types with said features, as after bleeding too much speed they can easily out-manoeuvre the Gina.

Starting with 20 min of fuel, gaining the climb speed of 800 km/h IAS (sustainable @ 7-8°; 730 ft/s) takes a mere ~80 seconds with 20 predicated for taking off at 230 km/h or 210 ft/s IAS. An Immelmann at 800 km/h will gain 1000 m and lose 300 km/h. A hard 180° turn at the same speed takes >100 km/h and may lose up to 60 m.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,066 || 1,042 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.4 || 28.0 || 30.4 || 29.5 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,097 || 1,084 || 24.7 || 26.0 || 48.8 || 39.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 589 || 550 || 345 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 800 || < 650 || < 660 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Bristol Orpheus MK.803 || 1
| colspan="2" | 3,477 kg || colspan="3" | 289 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 9m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 32m fuel
|-
| 380 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 3,837 kg || 4,269 kg || 4,662 kg || 4,740 kg || 5,800 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (101%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || 101%
! 9m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 32m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 2,212 kgf || 2,234 kgf
| 0.58 || 0.52 || 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.39
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 2,212 kgf (0 km/h) || 2,234 kgf (0 km/h)
| 0.58 || 0.52 || 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.39
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 40 mm Bulletproof glass in front of the pilot
* 6.5 mm Steel plate, starts in the pilot's seat, goes below the pilot, ends in front of the pilot
* 6.5 mm Steel plate below a fuel tank in the centre-front of the fuselage
* 6.5 mm Steel plate below a fuel tank in the centre-rear of the fuselage

Though the G.91 R/4 does have a decent amount of armour spaced out between the centre and front of the fuselage, the steel plates will only be sufficient to protect the pilot and aircraft from lower calibre fire (7.92 mm to 7.62 mm machine guns will only penetrate at '''very''' close ranges). And, thanks to the sacrifices made to lighten the aircraft, the airframe is not particularly reinforced. The wings are very thin, and susceptible to being out-right broken off by most-all primary armaments the G.91 will face at its tier, and the fuselage is full of juicy fuel tanks as well as the single engine of the R/4. Even more so than most planes, the G.91 R/4 is not capable of taking any hits. Even low calibre fire, such as that from .50 calibre machine guns, can cripple an R/4 nigh-immediately, and necessitate an immediate return-to-base.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="6%" | 1 !! width="6%" | 2 !! width="6%" | 3 !! width="6%" | 4 !! width="6%" | 5 !! width="6%" | 6
| rowspan="10" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_G.91_R-4.png]]</div>
|-
! [[M3 Browning (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M3 Browning]] machine guns (300 rpg)
| || || 2 || 2* || ||
|-
! [[AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|500 lb AN-M64A1]] bombs
| || 1 || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| || 1 || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[Aerea 559G1 incendiary]] bombs
| || 1 || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[FFAR Mighty Mouse]] rockets
| || 19 || || || 19 ||
|-
! [[AA-20 Nord]] missiles
| 1* || 1* || || || 1* || 1*
|-
! [[AIM-9B Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || || || 1 || 1
|-
! [[AS-20 Nord]] missiles
| 1* || 1* || || || 1* || 1*
|-
| colspan="7" | Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 390 kg
|-
| colspan="8" | * MCLOS missiles cannot be carried in conjunction with machine guns on hardpoint 4
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns (300 rpg = 1,200 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine gun + 4 x AA-20 Nord missiles
* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns + 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns + 38 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 2 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine gun + 4 x AS-20 Nord missiles
* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns + 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns + 2 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns + 2 x Aerea 559G1 incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

Featuring a wide range of ordnance, the G.91 R/4 can be equipped for any role from ground to air combat, though it prefers air superiority.

The M3 Browning is a new weapon in the German arsenal at rank V and compared to the previous experiences a let down. The rate of fire is phenomenal, but the small calibre and ammo size put a serious damper to the mood, that is in comparison of course. In practise and with good aim, it can easily shred fighters. The high bullet velocity and fire rate is quite the advantage in the fast pace world of jet combat, ensuring hits in deflection shots were the lower rate of fire found in the [[:Category:Fifth_rank_aircraft|Soviet jet fighters]] might have failed the pilot.

Yet one will always look onto greener pastures, especially as the Gina only has four guns unlike all other Browning armed jets. No matter how you turn it, the armament is only manageable with skill and outright bad for a beginner.

For air-to-ground purposes, the G.91 R/4 is similar to the [[G.91 R/3]] in loadout options, sharing the same FFAR Mighty Mouse rocket option as well as the choice of a pair of 500 lb bombs. However, the G.91 R/4 must sacrifice half of its machine guns to carry 4 x AS-20 Nord air-to-ground missiles.

Air-to-air ordnance selection is where the G.91 R/4 stands out from its brethren; the G.91 R/4 is able to load the unique AA-20 Nord air-to-air missiles; keyboard guided missiles with a 15 metre proximity fuse. Unlike infrared-guided missiles in War Thunder, the AA-20 Nords do not warn targets of a missile launch giving R/4 pilots the element of surprise, and the Nord's proximity fuse increases the chance of long-range launches striking a target as well as successful head-ons, though these perks come at the demand of a much higher skill floor for usage.

== Usage in battles ==

Due to the G.91 R/4's notably lower speed and high-end acceleration as compared to its contemporaries, the R/4 should be played as a support fighter; meaning the pilot should seek to stick near teammates rather than hunting targets solo, and opt to pick off hostile aircraft that are engaged and distracted with/by allied fighters. The G.91 airframe is exceptionally agile, and the R/4 is no exception; even heavily manoeuvring targets are easy for this plane to keep the nose on. The plane's exceptional roll and turn rates are its biggest strengths, and the pilot should seek to use that to their advantage rather than attempting to fight speed or energy battles.

Make use of the G.91 R/4's varied suspended armaments to dispatch a variety of targets. The AIM-9B is very easy to use missile and can force faster targets to manoeuvre, slowing them down, and can sometimes even net target destructions. Be careful when using this missile around friendlies though, as a misguided Sidewinder '''will''' destroy allied aircraft. The AA-20 Nord is a much more difficult missile to use, but it has a far longer effective range and can often surprise enemies who expect a warning from enemy missile launches. Use the massive range and proximity fuse to take down faster targets flying away from you, and consider using them to destroy bombers such as the often-seen [[S.O.4050 Vautour IIB|Vautour IIB]], [[S.O.4050 Vautour IIA|Vautour IIA]], and [[Vautour_IIA IDF/AF (France)|Israeli Vautour IIA]], who not only are far less able to dodge missiles but also have larger airframes that trigger the proximity fuse from longer distances.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Exceptional manoeuvrability, with very high roll and turn rates
* Varied and effective suspended armament choices
* Access to air-to-air missiles, including the [[AA-20 Nord]]
* Access to 4 x [[AS-20 Nord]] like its [[G.91_R/3|predecessor]]

'''Cons:'''

* Relatively low calibre primary armament (four .50 cal Brownings)
* Slower than most of its contemporaries
* Very fragile airframe
* Poor energy retention

== History ==

The G.91 R/3 was the primary West German variant of the Fiat-made light fighter, with 50 built in Italy and another 294 under license in West Germany. It had more powerful armament, added two wing hardpoints, and improved avionics compared to the Italian G.91 R-1s. The 50 R/4 that followed were identical to the R/3 other than in terms of armament. The R/4 supposed to have been sold to Greece and Turkey, but after that sale fell through they entered West German service instead.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fiat_g91_r4_german Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|aMOb7dfH6ZI|'''"G.91 R/4 "Portuguese Devil" - Update 1.87 Premium"''' - ''BaconGaming''|4wIDFwbBb74|'''"G.91 R/4 - Like A Cold Pizza"''' - ''NapalmRatte''}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Fiat}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}
{{Germany premium aircraft}}

User:U108069304

2024-01-23T15:38:52Z

U108069304: Added my youtube link

[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyMngwTPLlH_wAfkjLw2Pmg Youtube]

M109A1

2024-01-23T15:33:58Z

U108069304: /* General info */

{{About
|about = American tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M109 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m109a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced into American service in 1973 as an improved version of the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The main improvement was the installation of a new 155 mm M185 cannon, which had a longer barrel and a higher muzzle velocity than the previous M126. This increased the effective range of the M109A1 from 14.6 km to 18 km, giving it an advantage over foreign artillery. It was known for its role in supporting the US Army's operations in Europe and the Middle East, where it could provide fire support for ground forces and counter-battery fire against enemy artillery. The existing M109A1's were later converted to the M109A2 standard, which incorporated 27 RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) improvements.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "Kings of Battle"]]. It has similar characteristics to the Soviet [[2S3M]] and can deliver powerful 155 mm shells over long distances and relocate swiftly to evade enemy fire. The M109A1 has an average rate of fire and large ammo capacity, and its mobility is complemented by a good top speed and acceleration. However, its armour is not very thick, so it's recommended to use the M109A1's speed to avoid direct confrontations when possible. Moreover, it is essential to keep in mind that the M109A1 has low gun depression and cannot depend on firing from elevated positions.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The armour on the M109 is nearly non-existent, being surrounded by 32 mm thick aluminium alloy 5083, which effectively comes down to 13-20 mm RHA. This leaves the vehicle vulnerable to even light machine gun fire from any angle. The weakness of the armour turns into a strong-suit against AP shells that will pass straight through, unable to fuse or create enough spall to inflict major damage. Direct hits from HE and other chemical shells such as HEAT, will most likely leave the M109 a burning wreck. The 6 crew members are pretty spaced apart in the turret, giving a plus to crew survivability.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 32mm || 32mm ''Top'' 32mm ''Bottom'' || 32mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || 32mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 32mm || 32mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=575|rbMinHp=358}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M185 (155 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M185 (155 mm)|155 mm M185]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || 9.7 || 13.4 || 16.3 || 18.0 || 19.1 || rowspan="2" | 17.29 || rowspan="2" | 15.30 || rowspan="2" | 14.10 || rowspan="2" | 13.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 6.5 || 7.7 || 9.4 || 10.3 || 11.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M185 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), M110}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''28''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 575 || -10°/+50° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Access to HE and HE-VT shells with more than 9 kg of TNT
* Top speed of 56 km/h that it can easily reach
* Can be surprisingly survivable, usually not taken out in a single shot
* Impressive 75° elevation limit
* Top mounted .50 cal for taking out softer targets

'''Cons:'''

* Hindered by a limited gun depression of -3 degrees
* The gunner optics have a low zoom level (4X)
* Thin armour, will only stop small arms fire
* Long reload

== History ==


=== [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|Devblog]] ===
Development of the M109 began in the early 1950s under a U.S. program to develop a common chassis for a number of different SPH designs. Upon entering service, the M109 was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. However, its operational service during the conflict was cut short due to serious mechanical malfunctions which rendered the fleet inoperable. Nonetheless, after being addressed and receiving its first upgrade to the A1 standard, the M109 would continue service with U.S. forces for decades to come, taking part in virtually all military conflicts where U.S. forces were deployed in. Once its design eventually matured, the M109 successfully resisted replacement on multiple occasions and continuously received upgrades until the present day.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|QjkKhVqNmfY|'''The Shooting Range #381''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


* [[M109 (Family)]]
** [[M109A1 (Great Britain)]]
** [[M109G]]
** [[M109G (Italy)]]
** [[M109 (Israel)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|[Devblog] M109: The King of Battle]]

{{USA tank destroyers}}

M109A1

2023-11-29T20:23:28Z

U108069304: /* Survivability and armour */

{{About
|about = American tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M109 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m109a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced into American service in 1973 as an improved version of the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The main improvement was the installation of a new 155 mm M185 cannon, which had a longer barrel and a higher muzzle velocity than the previous M126. This increased the effective range of the M109A1 from 14.6 km to 18 km, giving it an advantage over foreign artillery. The M109A1 also had a new loading assist system that automated some of the loading procedures and reduced the workload of the crew. It was known for its role in supporting the US Army's operations in Europe and the Middle East, where it could provide fire support for ground forces and counter-battery fire against enemy artillery. The existing M109A1's were later converted to the M109A2 standard, which incorporated 27 RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintability) improvements.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update "Kings of Battle"]]. It has similar characteristics to the Soviet [[2S3M]] and can deliver powerful 155 mm shells over long distances and relocate swiftly to evade enemy fire. The M109A1 has a fast rate of fire, thanks to its semi-automatic loader and large ammo capacity, and its mobility is complemented by a good top speed and acceleration. However, its armor is not very thick, so it's recommended to use the M109A1's speed to avoid direct confrontations when possible. Moreover, it is essential to keep in mind that the M109A1 has low gun depression and cannot depend on firing from elevated positions.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The armour on the M109A1 is almost like paper. the front plate is at most 30mm thick. 12.7mm guns, can easily pen the side, back, top, and sometimes the front. The 6 crew members are pretty spaced apart in the turret. APHE and AP shells will almost never one-shot you. if you are hit by a high mass HE or HESH shell, it will obliterate the M109A1. Aircraft of the M109A1's tier can also easily pen the top of the tank.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=575|rbMinHp=358}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M185 (155 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M185 (155 mm)|155 mm M185]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M185 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), M110}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''28''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Access to HE and HE-VT shells with more than 9 kg of TNT
* Top speed of 56 km/h that it can easily reach
* Good reloading rate of 13.3 seconds, which easily surpasses its counterparts
* Can be surprisingly survivable, usually not taken out in a single shot
* Automatic loading mechanism for the main cannon
* Impressive 75° elevation limit

'''Cons:'''

* Hindered by a limited gun depression of -3 degrees
* The gunner optics have a low zoom level (4X)
* Thin armor, will only stop small arms fire

== History ==
=== Devblog History===
Development of the M109 began in the early 1950s under a U.S. program to develop a common chassis for a number of different SPH designs. Upon entering service, the M109 was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. However, its operational service during the conflict was cut short due to serious mechanical malfunctions which rendered the fleet inoperable. Nonetheless, after being addressed and receiving its first upgrade to the A1 standard, the M109 would continue service with U.S. forces for decades to come, taking part in virtually all military conflicts where U.S. forces were deployed in. Once its design eventually matured, the M109 successfully resisted replacement on multiple occasions and continuously received upgrades until the present day.
== Media ==

''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* [[M109G (Italy)]]

* [[M109 (Israel)]]
* [[M109A1 (Great Britain)]]
* [[M109G]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8537-development-m109-the-king-of-battle-en|[Devblog] M109: The King of Battle]]
{{USA tank destroyers}}

Marder A1-

2023-11-29T17:52:33Z

U108069304: /* Ammunition */

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = Marder 1A3
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_marder_1a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]].

Being the first true German IFV in the tech tree, the Marder A1- offers some unique options to its operator with regards to dispatching its opponents, no matter if they come on the ground or in the air.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Overall, armour on Marder A1- is to be expected from an IFV; thin armour that relies heavily on slopes for protection. However, the turret is unmanned and coupled with a great gun depression of -17°, allowing for a hull-down really well.

From the frontal arc, the armour can shrug off most heavy machine guns and autocannons up to 23 mm calibre, like those found on [[ZSU-23-4|Shilkas]]. Be wary though as lucky shots can get through the turret ring or shatter on the driver's optics, sending shrapnel inside the fighting compartment.

From sides and rear, even .50 cal will do some serious damage to the vehicle and crew, so keeping the front of the armour towards the enemy is the key for survival from MG fire.

With only three crew members available, the Marder can't afford to take any hits. When looking at Marder from the front, the driver on the right side is protected only by an 11 mm thin armour plate angled at 73°, so expect the driver to die first a lot to enemy fire. Meanwhile, both commander and gunner sit side by side below the unmanned turret, protected by transmission and engine (similar to [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava tanks]]). While that won't protect them from rounds with explosive filler or modern kinetic penetrators, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds. Commanders and gunner survivability are thus significantly higher than that of a driver, allowing to fire back at the opponent in most cases.

The last thing to note about the armour is that the roof armour is only 11 mm, making the Marder heavily vulnerable to air attacks if the gun isn't trained on the attacker.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 11 mm (76°) top
32mm (21°) bottom
| 15 mm (32°) top 15 mm (0°) bottom || 11 mm (22°) || 11 mm
|-
| Turret || 15 - 25 mm turret front 11 mm gun mantlet || 11- 15 mm || 11 - 15 mm || 11 mm
|-
| Cupola || 11 mm || 11 mm || 11 mm || 11 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

The mobility of Marder is really, really good, allowing it to rush favourable positions at the start of the battle or flank effectively. With a reverse gearbox, it can move backwards as fast as going forward, making disengaging from an enemy or retreating from unfavourable situations an easy task.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

Since the Marder A1- is already powerful in the firepower department thanks to its MILAN ATGMs, even in its stock configuration, it should have no problems dispatching your enemies. After Parts and FPE, one can either start upgrading its mobility or go for a fuller APIT belt to have better chances when fighting light vehicles.

Since it can't engage enemies at longer ranges with the autocannon and MILANs are SACLOS-guided, getting a laser rangefinder is not a priority when playing solo. Instead, going for optics upgrades and smoke grenades might be preferable. Night vision devices could be also considered, but night battles on this BR are uncommon.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)}}

The Marder A1- is armed with a dual-feed Rh202 20 mm autocannon. This gun can also be found as a secondary weapon on the [[KPz-70]] and [[Leopard 2K]]; the difference being it gets dedicated belts on Marder instead of being limited only to multipurpose stock belts.

Rh202 has fantastic gun handling. Even though it is not equipped with a stabiliser, it's barely noticeable even when firing on the move, allowing to successfully engage enemies without stopping at close range.

With a great rate of fire (noticeably faster than 30 mm found on [[BMP-2]]s), it can shred light vehicles, low flying planes and helicopters to pieces in a matter of seconds. Even heavier tanks are not safe since it is able to disable their critical components with a well-aimed burst, crippling their main and secondary armaments and tracks, making them easy kills for its MILANs or more-heavily armed teammates.

With 65° degrees of gun elevation, it can even work ad hoc as makeshift SPAAG. This is especially useful against helicopter rushes, which are common at the start of the round when chances of friendly SPAA being active are low. Even planes are not safe when the Marder is around, since it is able to successfully engage low flying aircraft with enough practice.

Rh202 operates on 200 round belts, Marder can take 6 of them in total and you can switch between different belts with ~1-second delay. An empty belt is reloaded after 8 seconds when Aced.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 1,200 (200) || rowspan="2" | 800 || rowspan="2" | -17°/+65° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 57.1 || 79.1 || 96.0 || 106.2 || 112.9 || rowspan="2" | 10.40 || rowspan="2" | 9.20 || rowspan="2" | 8.48 || rowspan="2" | 8.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}} - The stock belt consists of HVAP-T and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 1:1. It works but can have problems penetrating lighter vehicles due to the occasional chance that it won't hit a critical component with an HVAP-T round.
* '''DM51A1:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}} - Stock belt that consists of HEFI-T and HVAP-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1, this belt would be of great use against infantry but have no use in vehicular combat. Although the round can be effective, while taking down helicopters.
* '''DM43:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}} - Tier I modification, this belt consists of HVAP-T and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1. This belt should be the primary type of ammo for Rh202, since it has the best available penetration.

{{:Rh202 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HVAP-T, HEFI-T}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''6''' || 4 ''(+2)'' || 2 ''(+4)'' || 0 ''(+6)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is modeled as 6 belts of 200 rounds.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all belts in the rack.
* Due to the Marder's belt feed design, the third ammo rack is connected directly to the gun. For the third ammo rack to be emptied, the tank must run out of ammunition.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|MILAN}}

The Marder A1- is armed with a MILAN ATGM launcher with SACLOS guidance. It's an older missile, lacking a tandem warhead, but since composite and reactive armour are a rare sight at the battle rating, it works wonders. The ATGM is the main weapon of choice when engaging targets beyond 200 m and when engaging anything heavier than a light tank or SPAAG. The Marder only gets 4 of those, so firing them recklessly can leave it unable to dispatch heavier opponents. Frequent visits to capture points are a must in order to keep fighting.

To fire them, the Marder A1- needs to be going slower than 5 km/h, which can be disadvantageous against enemy tanks with stabilisers - be sure to distract the enemy first with the autocannon fire or make sure the enemy doesn't know at all from where the Marder will be striking.

Also, be aware that the launcher can't depress as much as the autocannon: this is important to note when fighting in hilly terrain. While it is possible to fire and hit an enemy, the missile needs a few seconds and distance to correct itself, making close-range shots impossible without considerable skill and practise (for some theory on this, see the [[Striker]] page).

MILANs are guided in a SACLOS manner, meaning they follow the crosshair, making them much easier to use than older missiles such as [[SS.11]] or [[9M14|Malyutkas]]. The Marder is also one of the earliest vehicles to get SACLOS missiles, together with [[Ratel 20]] and [[BMP-1 (Family)|BMP-1]], and unlike BMP-1, the Marder is equipped with it stock.

The last thing to note about these is their limited range of just 2 km. Most of its engagements do happen inside this range, but on larger maps such as Maginot Line, it won't hurt checking enemy distance with the laser rangefinder before firing.

As SACLOS missiles, they can be used with some success against ATGM helicopters hovering on the battlefield, but again, checking their range is necessary in order not to waste the few missiles it has.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[MILAN]] missile || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 4 || ±5° || N/A || N/A || _.__ || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:MILAN/Ammunition|MILAN}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
* It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The Marder is armed with two MG3 machine guns. One is coaxial to the Rh202, second is in a small independent turret above the troop compartment.

The MG3 is the standard machine gun for current day Germany. While having a nice rate of fire, they are rifle-calibre and thus have very low penetration, useful only as a deterrent against low flying aircraft and helicopters and to clear obstacles in front of the vehicle. They are almost useless against enemy tanks, and only pose a threat to few open-topped vehicles.

One thing of note is that the second MG3 in its independent turret can only turn in a 90° degree arc on the back of the Marder, thus making it way less practical than the coaxial. It can be used to paint enemies that manage to sneak up on to you from behind, or, if you turn your back against incoming aircraft or helicopters, to increase your firepower against them. Other than that, it only blocks your Rh202 from depressing on the back of your vehicle.

By using the "Select machine gun" key, it is possible to scout enemies with sniper mode from this turret in realistic battles. This allows only the empty rear of the vehicle to be exposed, which, even if shot at, can keep the crew quite safe.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Rear turret || 1,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -15°/+55° ||±90°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Marder A1- is a pretty decent IFV for its rank, but it is not designed to fight enemy tanks head on.

Best strategy is to either rush favourable positions near capture points in order to spot and counter enemy light vehicles rushing them while occasionally firing your ATGM at high-value targets.

Another good strategy is to go for flanks - most of the time, you will meet enemy light vehicles flanking, and your autocannon shreds them like cheese, denying enemy flanking routes and funnelling them towards your allied tanks. Keep spotting, and save your ATGMs for self-defence, since you will be away from capture points in this scenario and thus unable to rearm. That doesn't mean you can't take out high value targets such as top tier tanks which happen to drive into your sight line.

If forced to CQC or brawl, try to stick to your allies and support them. As soon as you see enemy tank fire, rush him and disable his gun and tracks, making him an easy target for your team mates.

If there are no allies in close proximity, then your speed and ability to fire on the move can be exploited in aggressive pushes, but narrow corridors and streets often present major disadvantages for your lightly armoured IFV; so sticking to ambush tactics might be preferable.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 20 mm cannon is very effective at quickly destroying aircraft, SPAA, and lightly armoured vehicles
** High rate of fire
** Plenty of ammo
** Very fast turret rotation
** 17 degrees of gun depression, 69 degrees of gun elevation, with very fast vertical traverse speed
* Effective MILAN missile
* Very manoeuvrable, high top speed and high power-to-weight ratio

'''Cons:'''

* 20 mm gun is largely ineffective against a large majority of ground vehicles you will face
* Only 4 MILAN missiles
* Thin armour
* Rather tall profile
* MILAN missiles have a rather slow velocity
* Shots to the turret often lead to ammo rack detonation as it is connected to the turret

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_marder_1a1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|wGrhRQ3yrFs|'''The Shooting Range #262''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7164-development-marder-a1-the-first-ifv-of-the-west-en|[Devblog] Marder A1-: the First IFV of the West]]
* [[wikipedia:Marder_(IFV)|[Wikipedia] Marder (IFV)]]

{{TankManufacturer Thyssen-Henschel}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]