War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Jungle

2019-04-02T06:21:14Z

U84025866: /* Historical Background */ Corrected typos

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Jungle}}
[[File:MapIcon Ground Jungle.jpg|center|408px]]

{| class="catlist" align="center"
|-
!
!
! Game Modes
!
!
|-
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Battle''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Domination''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Conquest''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Break''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]] '''Skirmish'''</div>
|}

__TOC__

==Overview==
[[File:MapLayout Ground Jungle.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|right|The Jungle map]]
'''Jungle''' is a ground forces map available in all modes. It is one of the oldest tank maps, being present in the ground forces Closed Beta Test (CBT), and being released with the ground forces Open Beta Test (OBT) in Update 1.41.

The map takes place on the coast of a tropical island, with palm trees and other tropical vegetation. The north of the map is a beach area, with natural dips, sand dunes, and small rocky hills to provide cover from enemy tanks. Water flows into the centre of the map, creating an island in the middle, through a break in the beach. The east and west areas of the have reasonably thick vegetation and are quite uneven, providing plenty of opportunities to hide from enemy tanks, and set up ambushes.

The Island in the middle of the map is separated from the rest of the map by shallow water, not deep enough to down most tanks. Again it has plenty of vegetation and uneven terrain, providing cover in the middle area of the island. There are hills at the north and south tips of the island. The northern hill allows players to shoot down on players in, and approaching, the south of the island. It also allows the player too shot onto the beaches and other areas in the north of the map. Rocks provide cover from the east and west, but the player is still exposed to fire from the north and south. A road passes along the south edge of the island, with two bridges linking the island to the east and west of the map. If not careful players can fall off these bridges, often leading to them falling upside down into the water and drowning, unless a team mate is in the area and acts very quickly to right the tank. The south hill can be a useful strategic position, allowing you to engage enemy tanks in the south of the map, but can leave players exposed to fire. Hills in the east and west of the map are often used by players to shoot enemy tanks in the vicinity of the southern hill.

The south of the map has a couple of big hills on the east and west players can climb to get a commanding view of the south and middle of the map. The area between the hills is flatter and more open, but still has plenty of vegetation. Players use this area to shoot at enemies on the south of the island, and try to advance towards the other teams spawn.

The ground forces area is 1.6km x 1.6km and the air forces map is 65km x 65km.

===Game Description===

===Historical Background===
The map is called Guadalcanal in the game files, and in air battles the Guadalcanal mini-map is used, showing the tank battles area to be located on the northeast coast of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. Although the tank battles area is clearly inspired by the terrain of the area it is in in real life (in the vicinity of 9°16'44.3"S 159°44'26.0"E), the layout appears to be fictional.

The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal, under the codename Operation Watchtower was fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II. It was the first major offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan. Allied forces, made up predominantly of United States Marines, landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands, on the 7 August 1942. Their aim was to capture the islands, preventing Japanese forces from using them to disrupt Allied supply and communication routes between the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies also wanted to use the islands of Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases to support a campaign to take over the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The Allied forces overwhelmed the outnumbered Japanese defenders (60,000 - 36,000), who had occupied the islands since May 1942. They captured the islands of Tulagi and Florida, as well as an airfield (later named Henderson Field) that was under construction on Guadalcanal.

Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made several attempts to recapture Henderson Field between August and November 1942. There were three major land battles, seven large naval battles, and continual (almost daily) aerial battles. This culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November, in which the last Japanese attempt to bombard Henderson Field from the sea and land with enough troops to retake it was defeated. In December, the Japanese abandoned their efforts to retake Guadalcanal and on the 14 January 1943 launched Operation Ke, their withdrawal from the Island. It lasted until 7 February 1943, ending the Guadalcanal Campaign.

===Notable Landmarks===

==Map configuration==
'''Domination'''<br/>
There are three Capture Points. Point A is on the southern hill of the centre island, B is on the west of the beach, and C is on a small hill on the east of the beach.
[[File:MapLayout Domination Jungle.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Domination configuration.]]

'''Conquest'''<br>
There is are three configurations of the conquest mode, each with one Capture Point. The point will either be on the northern beach, on the hill next to the split where water flows in; or it will be on the northern or southern hill, on the centre island.
[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 Jungle.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #1 configuration.]]
[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 Jungle.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #2 configuration.]]
[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 Jungle.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #3 configuration.]]

'''Battle'''<br/>
There are two capture points, each owned by one of the teams. Point A is in the jungle area in the west of the map and B is in the jungle area in the east of the map. [[File:MapLayout Battle Jungle.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Battle configuration.]]

'''Break'''<br/>
One capture point will be in the northwest of the map on (the bank opposite the northern hill of the island), and another will be in the jungle in the east of the map (opposite the southern hill on the island). When captured they will unlock a capture point in the middle of the southern and northern halves of the town respectively. When captured these points unlock the final capture zones, located in the north and south of the island, respectively. [[File:MapLayout Break Jungle.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Break configuration.]]<br/>

==Strategy==

== Media ==


==References==
<references />

== Read also ==


== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

[[Category:Maps_and_missions]]
[[Category:Ground forces maps]]

Campania

2019-04-02T06:14:28Z

U84025866: /* Historical Background */ Added space to punctuation where necessary. Otherwise left punctuation unchanged, should be revised in places.

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Italy (Ground Forces Map)}}

[[File:MapIcon Ground Italy.jpg|center|408px]]

{| class="catlist" align="center"
|-
!
!
! Game Modes
!
!
|-
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Battle''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Domination''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Conquest''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]] '''Break''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]] '''Skirmish'''</div>
|}

__TOC__

==Overview==
[[File:MapLayout Ground Italy.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|right|The Full Italy Map]]
'''Italy''' is a ground forces map available in all modes. It was added in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]]. The map is set in the mountains of southern Italy. The map has four distinct areas, the areas to the east west of the town, the main town itself, and the area to the north of the town. Outside of the main town, most buildings are destructible.

The predominant feature of the map is the large rectangular town. It stretches from near the map's southern border, up the centre of the map, until just over halfway from the bottom of the map. The town itself is made up of several different areas, and consists of traditional Italian styled buildings. The roads are fairly wide and the area between buildings often forms courtyard like areas, with tables and stall set up within them; players can use these areas to work their way around the town, while avoiding the roads. Houses and building flank both sides if the town, while there are often open areas and other buildings in the middle of the two sides.

In the south of the town there is an island with a shrine like structure, surrounded by statues, on it. The island is at a significantly lower elevation than the surrounding town, and is accessed by three roads, curving down towards the island, one from the east, one from the west, and one from the north. The south of the town forms an arc around the island. To the north of the island is an open area, with a few small parks, and a fairly large church. North of that area there is a large fort, sat atop a rocky hill, overlooking the entire town, players cannot climb this hill, or access the fort. There is a noticeable drop in the elevation of the terrain, between the south and north faces of the fort. North of the fort, there is an ornate garden area, with a large villa to the north of it, the terrain in the garden is lower than that in the surrounding town. North of the villa there is another garden area and then a small castle. North of the castle there is statue, atop a tall column; a wide avenue leads from the statue north, into a market area. In the north of the town the buildings are denser; they are laid out in a circle around a market area, with a fountain at its centre.

The area to the west of the town is fairly barren, with sparsely placed houses. The terrain is uneven with gentle hills and dips in the terrain. Coupled with patches of rock, these help stop people in the town from dominating the spawn areas. The area to the east of the town is similarly sparse, with uneven terrain. There are however a couple of small towns in east, way from the main town.

A river runs across the map, north of the main town. There is a single bridge, and another of crossing points which can be used to cross the river. Terrain north of the river drops away sharply; this area is lacking detail compared to the rest of the map, and there are many visual glitches. Despite this area being included in the full minimap it is not playable in normal battles. This suggests it is ever not finished, or was never intended to be played on.

The full tank battles map (including the unplayable north) is 4km x 4km, see the table below for the restricted size available in each game mode. The air battles map is 65km x 65km.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Battle area Size
! Game Mode
! AB
! RB
! SB
|-
| Domination
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
| 2.4 km x 2.4 km
| 2.4 km x 2.4 km
|-
| Conquest #1
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
|-
| Conquest #2
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
| 2.4 km x 2.4 km
| 2.4 km x 2.4 km
|-
| Conquest #3
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
|-
| Battle
| 1.9 km x 1.9 km
| 2.4 km x 2.4 km
| 2.4 km x 2.4 km
|}

===Historical Background===
The map location for Ground Battles is inspired by the city of Lazzaro, that is located near Reggio Calabria, but the map itself is located in another place. Not in the Calabria region, but in Campania region. At the moment, the Ground Forces map is located on Cava de'Tirreni, a city very near to Salerno, that is 70 km away more or less from Naples, where the Operation Avalanche took place.

After Operation Husky and Operation Baytown, General Dwight D. Eisenhower decided, at Québec, with Mark Clark, the chief of the Fifth Army, the approval of the landing at Salerno, on September 9th, 1943.
The plan was to estabilish a bridgehead at Salerno, with the main purpose of conquering the very important port of Naples, a city near the Mount Vesuvius (which erupted in 1944).
On the other side, the Germans were under heavy pressure. Albert Kesselring thought that the landing could take place at Salerno, where German troops were well place. However, Kesselring was in need of reinforcements, but they were denied by Jodl's 10th Army and by the Heeresgruppe B. Even if there weren't reinforcements, Kesselring was well placed at Salerno, and with the help of Vietinghoff, he organized an improvement of the defenses of Salerno and surroundings.

On September 9th, 1943, the landing began, 170.000 troops (British and American troops divided in 7 divisions) conquered Montecorvino Airfield, Salerno and Cava de'Tirreni (in this last case with the help of the Rangers) in less than 3 days. The heavy German reaction arrived on September 12nd 1943, when Vietinghoff got the opportunity to attack Allied Forces. 5th Army suffered heavy losses, and Mark Clark considered the re-embark. But on September 14th 1943 Harold Alexander, the chief of the British 15th Army Group ordered to Montgomery (that was in Calabria), to advance immediately towards Salerno. On September 15th reinforcements arrived and on September 16th there was the last German attack with the "Hermann Göring" Division, but it failed and Kesselring ordered the general retreat, direction Gustav Line. On September 18th 1943, the fighting ended.

Salerno was conquered, but not Naples. On September 21th, Harold Alexander, decided with Mark Clark the plane to advance towards the Volturno river. 5th Army had to conquer Naples and its port, but the advancing was very difficult: rain and mud slowed the operation, and Kesselring used his delaying strategies to slow down the Allied. But at the end, on October 1st 1943, 5th Army entered in Naples, a city devastated by air raids, but with no German soldiers. In fact, between September 27th→30th 1943, Neapolitan rebelled to the German in the famous "Four Days of Naples". Naples was the first European city to rebel against German occupations, and for this the city and the population was rewarded with the Gold Medal for Military Valor(similar to the American Medal of Honor).

==Map configuration==
'''Domination'''<br/>
There are three capture points. The battle area is restricted to the area of the map south of the river. Point A is in the market area in the north of the town, B is in the centre of the town, and C is just south of the church in the south of the main town.
[[File:MapLayout Domination Italy.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Domination configuration in RB & SB.]]

'''Conquest'''<br/>
There are three configurations of the conquest mode, each with one capture point. The Conquest #1 battle area is in the south of the map, with the capture point in the market area, in the north of the town. In Conquest #2 the battle area is in the south of the map, with the capture zone, in the centre of the town. Finally in the Conquest #3 configuration, the battle area is in the south of the map, with the capture point just south of the church in the south of the main town.
[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 Italy.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #1 configuration in RB & SB.]]
[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 Italy.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #2 configuration in RB & SB.]]
[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 Italy.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #3 configuration in RB & SB.]]

'''Battle'''<br/>
There are two capture points, each owned by one of the teams. The battle area is in the south of the map. The capture points are located just south of the church in the south of the main town, and in the open market area in the north of the main town.
[[File:MapLayout Battle Italy.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Battle configuration in RB & SB.]]

==Strategy==

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

==References==
<references />

== Read also ==

[https://warthunder.com/en/news/5521-development-new-location-italy-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Italy]<br/>

== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

[[Category:Maps_and_missions]]
[[Category:Ground forces maps]]

Ardennes (Ground Forces)

2019-04-01T07:22:03Z

U84025866: Corrected expression

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Ardennes}}

[[File:MapIcon Ground Ardennes.jpg|center|408px]]

{| class="catlist" align="center"
|-
!
!
! Game Modes
!
!
|-
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Battle''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Domination''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Conquest''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]] '''Break''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]] '''Skirmish'''</div>
|}

__TOC__

==Overview==
[[File:MapLayout Ground Ardennes.jpg|300px|thumbnail|right|The full Ardennes map]]
'''Ardennes''' is a ground forces map available in all modes. It depicts a town and countryside in the Ardennes region of Belgium, where the famous "Battle of the Bulge" took place. It was added in [[Update_1.67_"Assault"|Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. The full Ardennes map (seen to the right) contains two main town areas in the east and west, as well as a few smaller clusters of buildings in the south. However the play area is usually restricted to only one of the towns.

The tank battles map is 4km x 4km, however in games the battle area is restricted to much less than that. Dependent on the map configuration and the game mode (AB, RB or SB) the tank battle area changes. The air battle area is 65km x 65km in all modes. The battle areas are:

'''Domination:''' 1.4km x 1.4km or 2.2km x 2.2km (dependent on game mode)<br />
'''Battle:''' 1.7km x 1.7km<br />
'''Conquest #1:''' 1.2km x 1.2km or 1.8km x 1.8km (dependent on game mode)<br />
'''Conquest #2:''' 1.3km x 1.3km or 2km x 2km (dependent on game mode)<br />
'''Conquest #3:''' 1.2km x 1.2km or 1.6km x 1.6km (dependent on game mode)<br />

===Game Description===

===Historical Background===

This map depicts the Ardennes region of Belgium, site of the famous "Battle of the Bulge". Notably there is no snow on the map, meaning it is set before 22nd of December 1944, when heavy snow fell over the region. The Battle of the Bulge started on the 16th of December 1944, and ended on the 25 January 1945; it was the last major German offensive on the Western Front before the end of the war. The Germans planned to launch a surprise attack through the thinly defended Ardennes forest of Belgium. They intended to launch an armored spearhead through the Allied forces, capturing the bridge crossings over the River Meuse and then attacking the port of Antwerp; splitting the Allied forces, denying them use of the port, and allowing them to be encircled and destroyed.

The German offensive's total strength was around 450,000 troops, 1,500 tanks /assault guns and 4,200 artillery pieces. The initial attack came as a complete surprise to the Allied forces and bad weather conditions prevented Allied air support from assisting in the defense. Fierce resistance in the north of the offensive, around Elsenborn Ridge, and in the south, around Bastogne, blocked German access to key roads to the northwest and west and put the German offensive behind schedule, allowing Allied forces to reinforce their defense. As the battle continued improving weather conditions allowed Allied air attacks on German forces and supply lines, which sealed the failure of the offensive. Allied forces are believed to have suffered between 89,500 – 107,00 casualties; and lost over 800 tanks and 1000 aircraft, setting their offensive plans back by up to six weeks. The Germans are believed to have lost over 800 tanks, over 800 aircraft, and suffered between 67,500 and 125,000 casualties. The failed offensive exhausted German resources on the western front, and eventually allowed the Allies to break through the Siegfried Line into Germany.

===Notable Landmarks===

==Map configuration==
'''Domination'''<br />
There are three capture points placed in the main town, in the north west of the map. The teams spawn on the two main roads running north-east and south-west into the town. Points A and B are at the start of the town area, and point C is in the middle of the town.
[[File:MapLayout Domination Ardennes.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Domination configuration.]]<br />

'''Conquest'''<br />
The are 3 configurations of the conquest mode, each with one capture point. In Conquest #1 the capture point is the church in the main town. In Conquest #2 the capture point is in the center of the east town. Finally in Conquest #3 the capture point is a small town, at a set of cross roads, south-east of the main town.
[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 Ardennes.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #1 configuration.]]
[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 Ardennes.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #2 configuration.]]
[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 Ardennes.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #3 configuration.]]<br />

'''Battle'''<br />
There are two capture points, each belonging to a team. Point A is located in almost the same place as in domination, and point B is slightly further into the town.[[File:MapLayout Battle Ardennes.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Battle configuration.]]

==Strategy==

== Media ==


==References==
<references />

== Read also ==

[https://warthunder.com/en/news/4546-development-the-ardennes-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Ardennes]<br />

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

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

[[Category:Maps_and_missions]]
[[Category:Ground forces maps]]

American Desert

2019-04-01T07:06:27Z

U84025866: Corrected expression

{{DISPLAYTITLE:American Desert}}
<div class="object-info clearfix" align="justify">
<div class="right-area">
[[File:MapIcon Ground AmericanDesert.jpg|center|408px|link=]]

{| class="catlist" align="center"
|-
!
!
! Game Modes
!
!
|-
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Battle''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Domination''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]] '''Conquest''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]] '''Break''' </div>
|<div style="width:110px; border-style:double">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]] '''Skirmish'''</div>
|}

__TOC__

==Overview==
[[File:MapLayout Ground AmericanDesert.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|American Desert Map]]
'''American Desert''' is a ground forces map available in all modes. It was added in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]]. The map is set in 1950s America, specifically the deserts of Arizona. The map consists of a small town (approximately 1km x 1km), and the surrounding desert. To the west of the town there is a large lake with a small neighbourhood on its southern bank and to the east of the town there is a smaller lake. To the south of the town there are some small mesas, while the area to the north of the town consists of more open desert. Currently all layouts of the map, available in normal matches, limit the battle area to just the town and a small amount of the surrounding area. A unique feature of the map is an animated train which makes its way from the south of the map along a railway line, running past the west of the town. Players can destroy the train and the train can collide with players, with both situations often leading to the train derailing.

The town itself is made up mostly of one and two story residential and commercial buildings, with a few three story buildings; it is made up of a few distinct areas. The south of the town is fairly open with some rocks helping to break up the area; it consists mostly of low density residential buildings, with a dilapidated fuel station in the south eastern corner of the town. The middle and northwest of the town is made up mostly of larger commercial buildings, with the west being taken up by a train station, one train is static and stopped at the platform, the moving train will pass through the station a few minutes into the battle. In the centre of the town there is a roundabout with a large statue in the middle of it. The eastern flank of the town, much like the south; consists mostly of low density, single story, residential buildings some of which have grass lawns while others have sand. There is also a large carpark on the eastern edge of the town. The northeast of the town consists of a mix of residential and commercial buildings, more densely packed than in the south and east.

Across the railway track, west of the town, there is a large lake with a small neighbourhood built up along its southeast bank, the banks of the lake a significantly lower than the surrounding terrain. To the south of the lake there is a tall hill; terrain to the south of the hill consists of uneven open desert. To the north of the lake the railway banks round to the west, leaving the map in the northwest, north of the railway the terrain becomes extremely uneven with many tall sand dunes.

South / southeast of the town there are three tall mesas; the terrain between them is very uneven, being somewhat of a valley with numerous small hills and dips in the terrain; a number of dirt tracks cut through this area. To the east of the town there is a smaller lake with another small community built up on its eastern bank. Further east from the town the terrain turns into open desert, meanwhile to the north there is a tall hill with a radio tower and derelict hut at its peak. The area north of the lake is again largely open desert, but the terrain is much flatter than in other areas of the map, the terrain elevation is also notably lower than that of the main town. In the far northeast of the map there is a small rural settlement.

The full tank battles map is 4km x 4km, see the table below for the restricted size available in each game mode. The air battles map is 65km x 65km.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Battle area Size
! Game Mode
! AB
! RB
! SB
|-
| Domination
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
|-
| Conquest #1
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
|-
| Conquest #2
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
|-
| Conquest #3
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
|-
| Battle
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
| 1.35 km x 1.35 km
|}

===Historical Background===
The map is a fictional location set in the deserts in the southwest of the United States, the buildings and visual style of the map were inspired by the city of Page, Arizona, however the layout of the map bears little resemblance to the real location.

==Map configuration==
'''Domination'''<br />
There are three capture points. Point A is at the train station in the west of the town, B is at the roundabout in the centre of the town, and C is at a church among the residential buildings in the northeast of the town.
[[File:MapLayout_Domination_AmericanDesert.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Domination configuration.]]

'''Conquest'''<br />
There are three configurations of the conquest mode, each with one capture point. The point will be in one of the locations that appear in domination mode.
[[File:MapLayout_Conquest1_AmericanDesert.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #1 configuration.]]
[[File:MapLayout_Conquest2_AmericanDesert.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #2 configuration.]]
[[File:MapLayout_Conquest3_AmericanDesert.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Conquest #3 configuration.]]

'''Battle'''<br />
There are two capture points, each owned by one of the teams. The capture points are located behind some commercial buildings east of the train station, and at a small park in the north of the town (near the roundabout).
[[File:MapLayout_Battle_AmericanDesert.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The Battle configuration.]]<br />

==Strategy==

== Media ==


==References==
<references />

== Read also ==

[https://warthunder.com/en/news/5727-development-american-desert-location-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> American Desert]<br />

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

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

[[Category:Maps_and_missions]]
[[Category:Ground forces maps]]

Alaska

2019-04-01T06:57:14Z

U84025866: Corrected expression

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Alaska}}

<div class="ttx">
<div class="ttx-image">[[File:MapIcon Ground Alaska.jpg]]
<div class="ttx-cockpit" data-id="364436/1240742"><span>Preview</span></div></div>
<div class="ttx-table">
<div class="ttx-table-line ttx-table-head">Possible Layouts</div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Domination</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Conquest</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon GreenCheckmark.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Battle</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Break</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">[[File:Icon RedXCross.png|link=]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Skirmish</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line ttx-table-head">Other Information</div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">4 km x 4 km</span><span class="ttx-name">Full tank area size</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line"><span class="ttx-value">Alaska, USA [[File:CountryIcon USA.png]]</span><span class="ttx-name">Real World Location</span></div>
<div class="ttx-table-line ttx-table-head">Full Map</div>
<div class="ttx-image">[[File:MapLayout_Ground_Alaska.jpg]]</div>
</div>
</div>

__TOC__

==Overview==

'''Alaska''' is a ground forces map available in all modes. It was added in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]]. The map is set in a fictional area of Alaska. The battle area is a large town located in the middle of the map, although the town in some ways bears resemblance to the one found in the [[American Desert]] map, it differs in that most of the buildings are much taller, with many sky scrapers. Like [[American Desert]] most of the buildings on this map are destructible. Small buildings can be completely flattened allowing new paths through the town to be made, while larger buildings will collapse into piles of rubble and sky scrapers will exhibit cosmetic damage (blown out windows, etc.).

The south of the town consists mainly of low-rise residential and commercial buildings, bearing resemblance to the town on [[American Desert]]. A lot of the buildings in this area can be completely flattened, or at the very least heavily damaged. In the southeast corner there is an open park, with a wide road leading from the park's eastern edge, straight into the town centre. Outside of the town's built-up area the terrain in the south becomes uneven, with various small hills and large rocks. The area is lightly forested and provides a place from which tanks can go hull down and shoot into parts of the town.

The centre of the town consists mostly of taller (8+ story) buildings and sky scrapers. There is less destructibility in this area, however there area reasonably large gaps between buildings. The roads are wide and open, providing little cover apart from piles of rubble dotted throughout the town.

The east of the town is much more open with construction work going on and few completed buildings. While the area lacks many buildings players can find cover behind the abundance of rubble and abandoned building supples. In the far east of the map there is a park which is set slightly lower than the surrounding terrain. Like in the south, the terrain in the northeast / southeast, outside of the town's built on area, is lightly forested and uneven with scattered rocks. Players can use the areas of low ground in the east to try and advance without coming under fire from those in the town.

The north of the town is similar to the south consisting of mostly low-rise buildings, slightly less densely placed than in the south however. Just outside of the town's northern border there is fuel station. Two the northeast and northwest of the town a logging operation is taking place with areas of forest having been cut down, and wood logs being piled up.

The west of the town is the most open area with few buildings apart from a single story fuel station and car park. The main road into the town enters from the west passing over a (now collapsed) over-pass. Like most of the terrain outside of the town the area in the west is uneven, although there are far fewer rocks. A logging operation has been underway with most of the trees having been cut down.

There is an extensive area outside of the town (visible in the full map in the side bar), however this is not currently playable outside of user missions. To the southwest of the main town there is another smaller town with a mix of low and tall buildings, and some more under construction. To the southeast of the main town there is a large island, accessed by two bridges. The island is largely an empty forest with a single road around its perimeter and a small industrial site in the north. Some way north of the main town, set atop a hill, there is a small built up area, with some low-rise buildings and large office building. Finally in the northeast of the map there is an industrial site with three tall chimneys and some silos and industrial buildings. The rest of the map consists largely of forested hills, with a fairly sparse road network. There is a large lake in the southwest and a river in the north. The lower detail in some of these areas suggest they were not intended to be played on.

The tank battles map is 4km x 4km, but this area is heavily restricted to just the main city area; see the table below for the exact battle area sizes. The air battles area is 64km x 64km.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Battle area Size
! Game Mode
! AB
! RB
! SB
|-
| Domination
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
|-
| Conquest #1
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
|-
| Conquest #2
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
|-
| Conquest #3
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
| 1.5 km x 1.5 km
|-
| Battle
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
| 1.6 km x 1.6 km
|}


===Historical Background===

This map is set in a fictional area inspired by "the stunning mountainous landscape of Alaska". Due to Alaska's close proximity to Russia it would be a likely candidate for the starting point of a Soviet land invasion of America / Canada during the cold war. Indeed, the United States took the threat of an invasion of Alaska seriously with "Operation Washtub" being started in 1950. Under the top secret program secret agents and supply caches were deployed throughout Alaska in order to collect intelligence and help American force escape / evade capture in the event of a Russian occupation.

==Map configuration==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:314; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
! colspan="3" | Change Maps by Game Modes
|-
! <div class="ttx-switch-mode"><div class="ttx-switch-mode-button" id="ttx-ab-button">AB</div><div class="ttx-switch-mode-button" id="ttx-rb-button">RB</div><div class="ttx-switch-mode-button" id="ttx-sb-button">SB</div></div>
|}

At present this map has the same layouts in AB, RB and SB.
===Domination===


{| class="wikitable" style="width: 300px;"
! Domination Mode - Map Layouts
|- align="center"
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Domination Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Domination Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Domination Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|- align="center"
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
|-
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB point A is in the park in the east, B is in the town centre, and C is near the fuel station / collapse overpass in the west.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB point A is in the park in the east, B is in the town centre, and C is near the fuel station / collapse overpass in the west.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB point A is in the park in the east, B is in the town centre, and C is near the fuel station / collapse overpass in the west.</span>
|}

===Conquest===


{| class="wikitable" style="width: 900px;"
! colspan="3" | Conquest Mode - Map Layouts
|-
! Conquest #1
! Conquest #2
! Conquest #3
|- align="center"
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest1 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest2 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Conquest3 Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|- align="center"
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.6 km x 1.6 km</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.6 km x 1.6 km</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">1.6 km x 1.6 km</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">1.5 km x 1.5 km</span>
|-
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the capture point is in the eastern park.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the capture point is in the eastern park.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the capture point is in the eastern park.</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the capture point is in the town centre.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the capture point is in the town centre.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the capture point is in the town centre.</span>
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the capture point is near the collapsed overpass / fuel station in the west.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the capture point is near the collapsed overpass / fuel station in the west.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the capture point is near the collapsed overpass / fuel station in the west.</span>
|}

===Battle===


Note: In this layout the northern team get two spawn points, while the southern team only get one.

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 300px;"
! Battle Mode - Map Layouts
|- align="center"
|
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-ab">[[File:MapLayout Battle Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-rb">[[File:MapLayout Battle Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
<div style="float: none;" class="ttx-sb">[[File:MapLayout Battle Alaska ABRBSB.jpg|300px]]</div>
|- align="center"
|
<span class="ttx-ab">1.6 km x 1.6 km</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">1.6 km x 1.6 km</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">1.6 km x 1.6 km</span>
|-
|
<span class="ttx-ab">In AB the capture points are located in the southeast and northwest of the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-rb">In RB the capture points are located in the southeast and northwest of the town.</span>
<span class="ttx-sb">In SB the capture points are located in the southeast and northwest of the town.</span>
|}

==Strategy==
''Describe what focus a team should have when spawning into the map (Seems dependent on spawn zones and map sizes - recommend delete section and instead focus this description on game mode map designs?)''

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

==References==
<references />

== See also ==


* [[American Desert]]

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/6043/current [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> New Location: Alaska]

[[Category:Maps_and_missions]]
[[Category:Ground forces maps]]

Beginner's guide to tank battles

2019-03-29T23:15:02Z

U84025866: Expression/typos

{{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 seven nations in the game as of [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]], 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 medium tank's averageness 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 play style 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 kilometers 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 lackluster 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 Russian tanks are still using the same armour as Rank II, mean that enemies will have an easier time knocking out Russian 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 play style 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, auto cannons 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}}
Outside of a single exception in the researchable tech tree, the British are burdened with only solid-shot rounds for its armaments, meaning there are no explosive fillers available to enhance post-penetration damage on enemy vehicles. Early British tanks are also burdened by a poor 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 and 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 with deigns such as the odd [[3 inch Gun Carrier]], the rear-facing [[Archer]], heavily armoured [[Tortoise]], and the big-bang slinging [[FV4005]] that are present throughout the entire tree. 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 lackluster in firepower, earlier ones relying on either regular machine guns or the large 0.50 caliber 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 are often just averagely thick, but have huge unangled plates that could be easily penetrated. The low engine power seems to only just be able to drag the tank by to its firing position. While the armoured car options are more viable for mobility, the expense is extremely thin armour that can allow even machine gun rounds to penetrate at the right conditions. A smart play style will be needed when starting the Italians.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
''To be written''

==== [[File:France flag.png|50px|link=Category:France ground vehicles]] France ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early French tanks are defined by extremely lackluster firepower but excellent armor. Even the highest penetrating shells on the reserve tanks cannot engage most tanks of their tier from the front. The armor, 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, maneuverable 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 four available vehicles in this role as of Update 1.85. 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 upclose, 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!

Maneuvering 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 maneuvre-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 prevent from losing, 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|M18 ''Hellcat'']], 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 air frame 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 maneuverability 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 maneuvers, 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 one-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 game play, there are other modes to try out with their own perks!

{{notice|Simulator Battles features are assumed to also match Realistic Battle's 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|ingame 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

2019-03-29T22:59:54Z

U84025866: Typos corrected

{{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 seven nations in the game as of [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]], 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 medium tank's averageness 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 play style 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 kilometers 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 lackluster 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 Russian tanks are still using the same armour as Rank II, mean that enemies will have an easier time knocking out Russian 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 play style 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, auto cannons 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}}
Outside of a single exception in the researchable tech tree, the British are burdened with only solid-shot rounds for its armaments, meaning there are no explosive fillers available to enhance post-penetration damage on enemy vehicles. Early British tanks are also burdened by a poor 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 and 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 with deigns such as the odd [[3 inch Gun Carrier]], the rear-facing [[Archer]], heavily armoured [[Tortoise]], and the big-bang slinging [[FV4005]] that are present throughout the entire tree. 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 lackluster in firepower, earlier ones relying on either regular machine guns or the large 0.50 caliber 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 are often just averagely thick, but have huge unangled plates that could be easily penetrated. The low engine power seems to only just be able to drag the tank by to its firing position. While the armoured car options are more viable for mobility, the expense is extremely thin armour that can allow even machine gun rounds to penetrate at the right conditions. A smart play style will be needed when starting the Italians.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
''To be written''

==== [[File:France flag.png|50px|link=Category:France ground vehicles]] France ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early French tanks are defined by extremely lackluster firepower but excellent armor. Even the highest penetrating shells on the reserve tanks cannot engage most tanks of their tier from the front. The armor, 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, maneuverable 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 four available vehicles in this role as of Update 1.85. 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 upclose, 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!

Maneuvering 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 maneuvre-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 prevent from losing, 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, it 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 reign 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 to 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 armour 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 of 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 should 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 lightly armoured than the casemate counterparts, but consist of greater tactical flexibility and mobility. The epitome of this type of tank destroyer lie in the American [[M18 GMC|M18 ''Hellcat'']], 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 a 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 air frame 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 maneuverability 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 maneuvers, 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 one-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 game play, there are other modes to try out with their own perks!

{{notice|Simulator Battles features are assumed to also match Realistic Battle's 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|ingame 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]]