1429 replies to this topic

[_Storm]

Greetings, I'm Storm, and I'm here to try to help people get better at internet tonks. In summary, in this thread I'm going to post random helpful stuff, do a Q&A, and review replays.

 

To start with, I too, was once an average player, these are my stats from the 31/12/2013, compared to the same date exactly a year ago (or 10 days ago, at the time of writing this):

Spoiler

 

 

As you can see, I improved by a huge amount, this is because I put a lot of effort into improving, and not just spamming battles mindlessly. I did a lot of reading, mainly on Wotlabs, which I recommend you go to, if you don't already, for the very informative stuff by players who are much better than me. Your mindset is very important, always keep an open mind about how to improve. After battles you should not make excuses as to why you did badly, but have an honest look at what you did well, and what resulted in potato. Getting better is hard work, but definitely worth it once you get there.

 

As it would be near impossible to write a comprehensive guide on how to get better I won't, but instead, I'm making this thread instead where you guys can ask me questions about stuff that will help you get better and I will do my best to answer them. Subjects include but are not limited to medium tank gameplay, positioning, angling, important areas on maps, tactics, crew and equipment options for specific tanks and how to play various vehicles, though I am limited in how much I can answer the latter. Basically just ask questions about stuff you would like help with and I'll do my best to give good answers.

 

Questions can range from "where do I pen <insert tank here>?" to "What's the best location to go to in my top tier T-54 on this map?" or whatever else is on your mind and would like to be answered, there are also a number of other people who are giving advice in this thread, so even if I'm not entirely sure one of them probably will, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

I'll upload replays of my own, where I will extrapolate my thoughts as to what I was trying to do, what worked and what resulted in a less than optimal outcome. If people post replays of their own in this thread I will review them and give constructive criticism about it (not too many replays at a time though, because it is time consuming). Replays are a powerful tool to learning, both from your own mistakes and from other people's hard carries. New replays can be found under "Current replays" while old replays are located under "old replays" (imaginative names, eh?).

 

Throughout this thread (and a couple of other topics I started elsewhere in this forum) I have written (miniature) guides on a range of different things, in order to make them easier to find I have included them in the "Guides and random musings" section which is directly beneath this paragraph, along with those I have added a collection of links to guides written by other players who are very good at the game, some of which I would consider essential reading (such as the camo mechanics on the wiki), these can be found in the subsection titled "Helpful links".

 

Guides and random musings:

These are where I include links to stuff I've written that may prove to be helpful, if somebody would like me to write a few paragraphs on something in a similar way to the topics beneath they're more than welcome to request it.

Spoiler

Core skills

Overmatching

Tank specific guides/tips

My thoughts on the T-34-3

IS-2 review

M4 Surrender review

T-34-85M review

Viability of Food

A summary of crew skills

Replay write-up - T-62A, Erlenberg

Replay write-up, 13 90, Steppes

Replay write-up, T-54 Mod 1, Arctic Region

Replay write-up, AMX CDC, Sacred Valley

Replay write-up, AMX 13 90, Lakeville

Tactics & strategies

Taking important positions (and holding them)

Aggressiveness win games

Capping

Micropositioning

Getting early damage

Aggressiveness win games

How to tactically drive off a cliff

 

Helpful links:

Spoiler

The wiki

http://wiki.wargaming.net/en/Battle_Mechanics#Visibility <Very important

http://forum.worldoftanks.asia/index.php?/topic/32535-fruitys-fantastically-fabulous-guide-to-equipping-your-tank/

http://forum.worldoftanks.asia/index.php?/topic/37291-wot-guru-weak-spots-tank-guides-and-more/

http://forum.wotlabs.net/index.php?/topic/2760-okeano-rexxies-guide-on-where-not-go-to-on-maps-updated-62314/

http://wotlabs.net/articles/team-games-dont-require-teamwork/

http://wotlabs.net/articles/getting-better-internet-tanks-cuddly-complex-enduring-way/

http://wotlabs.net/articles/getting-better-world-tanks-brutal-simple-timely-way/

http://forum.wotlabs.net/index.php?/topic/17318-random-1na-tips/

http://wotlabs.net/articles/understanding-game-flow/

http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/236939-a-unicorn%E2%80%99s-comprehensive-guide-to-the-survival-side/

 

Current replays: 

Hard carries and interesting games from myself and others, if you have an exceptionally good replay you'd like me to edit in just post it in this thread.

Spoiler

http://wotreplays.com/site/3212214#prokhorovka-storm-m4a1_revaloris - I shot at things, they died, very detailed description, I know.

http://wotreplays.com/site/3525066#lakeville-storm-amx_13_90 - Made some mistakes and some good decisions, ultimately a respectable carry in a tier 8 light.

 

Old replays:

This is where replays will go once WG breaks replay functionality (again) with a new patch, for now this spoiler is empty. If you feel so inclined you can download old versions of the game from here to watch old replays.

Spoiler

http://wotreplays.com/site/1894465#arctic_region-stormtroop3r-t-54_first_prototype - Hilarious game in the T-54 Prototype

http://wotreplays.com/site/1894163#sacred_valley-stormtroop3r-amx_chasseur_de_chars - prosniping in the CDC, 5k damage too :^)

http://wotreplays.com/site/1887794#redshire-stormtroop3r-t-54 - I drove around and did T-54 things

http://wotreplays.com/site/1887819#cliff-stormtroop3r-is-2 - I contested mid, and then rekt the east flank with 122mm of Soviet bias

http://wotreplays.com/site/1887795#pearl_river-stormtroop3r-t-34-3 - This game was decent, I sort of derped around a bit and things ended up ok

http://wotreplays.com/site/1887832#erlenberg-stormtroop3r-is-2 - RNG giveth, and RNG taketh, bottom tier carry in the IS-2, also lolammorack

http://wotreplays.com/site/1887842#el_halluf-stormtroop3r-is-6 - Derped a bit at the start, trolled a T28P at the end, and then tk'd by arty, because camping?

http://wotreplays.com/site/1887854#hidden_village-stormtroop3r-is-6 - Totally "balanced", facestomping pubbies in a tank that I'm convinced is OP, armour is irrelevant guise...?

http://wotreplays.com/site/1529470#redshire-stormtroop3r-lorraine_40_t - Using a strong position to get early damage.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1548385#fisherman_s_bay-stormtroop3r-object_140 - Using aggressive play to win games and avoid draws.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1571969#lakeville-stormtroop3r-object_140 - 7.6k damage, permatracking is totally OP.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1576932#malinovka-stormtroop3r-object_140 - Utilising an important part of the map to win the game (6.7k damage too!).

http://wotreplays.com/site/1586533#abbey-stormtroop3r-is-6 - Overmatch in action.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1598675#south_coast-politx_killer-m46_patton - Politx demonstrating how to play an M46.

http://replays.quickybaby.com/result.php?id=89838 - Hyper carry by Fork in the Object 907.

http://www.vbaddict.net/battlereport/spawnster-sea-soviet-union-object-907 - Another 907 carry, this time with DPS hax from Spawnster.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1616725#winterberg-stormtroop3r-is-6 - IS-6 is overpowered.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1640496#highway-stormtroop3r-object_140 - Know when to cap.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1653627#ruinberg-stormtroop3r-churchill_iii - Added for variety, and maybe because 1800 base exp.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1665011#siegfried_line-stormtroop3r-is-6 - Hilarity ensues when pubbies don't know how to pen an IS-6.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1678326#mines-stormtroop3r-m46_patton - Stronk tenk indeed. 

http://wotreplays.com/site/1762811#erlenberg-stormtroop3r-t-62a - Basically how Russian mediums should be played.

http://wotreplays.com/site/1776101#steppes-stormtroop3r-amx_13_90 - A good example of how to be an assassin in the 13 90

http://wotreplays.com/site/3212214#prokhorovka-storm-m4a1_revaloris - A fantastic example of how to snipe from the middle when the enemy sucks at taking the hill.

 

As I probably should have gone to bed a few hours ago this may be a little incoherent at the moment, and I will probably think of a things to add to this post later. I will be the first to admit I am not the best, or even that I am the best I could be, indeed, there are many on this forum far better than me, but I hope that I can at least help others get better, the way that I was helped when I was but a 50%er who barely knew how to play his Pz.Kpfw. IV.

 

Edit reason:

Removed link to garbad's thread cause he threw a tantrum and deleted everything, added new replay analysis link. Added a new review link.

Spoiler

 

As this is the Internet, I felt a Cat (or two) was appropriate.

 

Edited by _Storm, 23 May 2017 - 09:18 PM.

[NobleOne]

My question- tell me everything about e4. All aspects from top to bottom if its not much  of a burden. Thank you.

[ThePowerOfLove]

Remember that time when you got exploded in your shiny new Bat by a T49? :^)

 

That aside, do you find that you can maintain your stats well across all or most tanks you play, taking WN8 expected values into account? I'm pretty awful in my tier 10s as well as tanks I hate ([b]T28[/b], A-44, VK 30.02D...), but I can pull okay-ish numbers in my keeper tanks. It boggles my mind how people can maintain purpley DPG figures in a T28.

[_Draco_]

hao2notsak@tonks

also I purged my replay folder a couple days ago, guess it's about time to fill them up again

[kemp_bush_unfair_plane]

Purple T28 stats are so 2012

[Alaska22]

My question relates to Tier 8 game play (Non Premium MM limited) I have had real trouble being able to just get my own HP at that level little own carry.  I have ground my way up to tier 8 on a number of lines but fail miserably when I get there so that tank just rusts in the Garage.  I only play that level or higher when the clan needs it.  The one exception is my KV-4 which still is using the original turret and Zis 6 107mm as I have found this a better gun for me than any Russian 122mm.

I will have another 2 Tier 8’s at the end of the specials and fear the Centurion will end up with the others rusting in the Garage.

I can be hit or miss with other tanks at lower tiers and that is probably another question for another day.

I really did not have a problem being bottom tier in MM for the other tiers but Tier 8 is hard work. 

How can I approach games to be more successful at Tier 8?

[anonym_YjmjLeoW3i0I]

Nice one Storm, I'll be going through your Links for sure.

[_Storm]

NobleOne, on 09 January 2015 - 03:12 AM, said:

My question- tell me everything about e4. All aspects from top to bottom if its not much  of a burden. Thank you.

It's a wannabe heavy, mediocre gun handling, mediocre speed, armour is solid at range but the turret cheeks and cupola aren't reliable. Side armour is trash so don't angle past autobounce. It does have an absurd APCR round though so it's not completely outclassed by the E-100 though.

 

ThePowerOfLove, on 09 January 2015 - 03:17 AM, said:

Remember that time when you got exploded in your shiny new Bat by a T49? :^)

 

That aside, do you find that you can maintain your stats well across all or most tanks you play, taking WN8 expected values into account? I'm pretty awful in my tier 10s as well as tanks I hate ([b]T28[/b], A-44, VK 30.02D...), but I can pull okay-ish numbers in my keeper tanks. It boggles my mind how people can maintain purpley DPG figures in a T28.

Pls no bulli. Q__Q

Among my recently played mediums the stats are fairly similar, with a few outliers depending on how balanced it is (E-50 OP), though I generally get lower wn8 in my heavies and TDs than my mediums, this is mostly because I haven't played those two classes nearly as much as I have mediums, so I'm not as good at them yet, however, my win rate is usually fairly similar. As to tanks I dislike, I tend to potato my through them, my Panther II stats are a good example of this, some tanks like the T28 are just terrible, how to get purple stats in the T28 is a mystery to me. For most people, keeper tanks are the ones you enjoy the most, which usually is related to how well you do in them, so it makes sense that you'd be pretty good at those.

 

IJN_Shimakaze, on 09 January 2015 - 03:28 AM, said:

hao2notsak@tonks

The general idea is to go to important parts of the map, shoot the other team 2 or three times (at least) for every time they shoot you and then either push to cap, a different flank or return to base, of course you already know all of that, moar specific pl0x.

 

Alaska22, on 09 January 2015 - 09:50 AM, said:

My question relates to Tier 8 game play (Non Premium MM limited) I have had real trouble being able to just get my own HP at that level little own carry.  I have ground my way up to tier 8 on a number of lines but fail miserably when I get there so that tank just rusts in the Garage.  I only play that level or higher when the clan needs it.  The one exception is my KV-4 which still is using the original turret and Zis 6 107mm as I have found this a better gun for me than any Russian 122mm.

I will have another 2 Tier 8’s at the end of the specials and fear the Centurion will end up with the others rusting in the Garage.

I can be hit or miss with other tanks at lower tiers and that is probably another question for another day.

I really did not have a problem being bottom tier in MM for the other tiers but Tier 8 is hard work. 

How can I approach games to be more successful at Tier 8?

For a start, it'll be very hard to be useful in tier 8 games if your tank is stock, so make sure you get it completely upgraded before you start judging your own performance. The next step is to make sure you know the strengths and weaknesses of your tank, and find locations that allow you to contribute while using those attributes of your tank. For example the KV-4 is an excellent sidescraper but has terrible mobility, on Himmelsdorf it would be a good idea to go to tank alley (the road beneath the Castle) because it is both close to cap (thereby limiting how much the bad mobility will affect you) and it provides excellent sidescraping opportunities. Because you are so slow it's imperative that you watch the minimap so you know what's happening outside of your immediate area, mainly so you can head back to cap in time or to check if somebody is trying to flank you.

 

Read both Garbad and Kewei's guides on improving, while I wouldn't recommend going full hardcore when trying Kewei's method it will be very hard to improve at that tier if you only play it very rarely, some of the things that will help such as increasing your knowledge on the tanks you will see will only happen if you see them often enough to remember them.

[Saffe]

nice one storm you forgot to add that you can teach how to be good@forums as well!

[FunkMan]

NobleOne, on 09 January 2015 - 03:12 AM, said:

My question- tell me everything about e4. All aspects from top to bottom if its not much  of a burden. Thank you.

 

But you already kick [edited] in your E4, and its almost all you play!

[Fer_de_Lance]

If you like playing heavies in the current game climate, best ideas to deal with the sudden tsunami of mediums and speedy lights with annoying powerful guns that seem to have appeared everywhere?

 

Probably a fair few that would like to have some ideas and I'd be interested to hear the answer too.

[_Storm]

Fer_de_Lance, on 09 January 2015 - 01:40 PM, said:

If you like playing heavies in the current game climate, best ideas to deal with the sudden tsunami of mediums and speedy lights with annoying powerful guns that seem to have appeared everywhere?

Don't play vision games with them, and don't pretend to be Rambo, don't get isolated against multiple targets, don't spend too much time aiming unless it's something like an E-50, their guns seem powerful but they still have to aim to pen you and unless you're driving a British heavy or something like that you will almost always hit them a lot harder than they can hit you, aiming is overrated too, the less time you spend aiming while reloaded the higher your effective DPM is, plus a large number of shots go dead centre, just as some will always miss, which is why accuracy as a stat isn't very useful.

[Ezz]

Stormtroop3r, on 09 January 2015 - 01:54 PM, said:

 aiming is overrated too, the less time you spend aiming while reloaded the higher your effective DPM 

I find the key to getting in a groove with a tank with >8s reload is being able to harmonise your reload and aim in concert with your cloaking. I suspect it's why the RU 10MTs are a bit out of synch for me. Rhythm and melody.

[ikitteh2k13]

If you dont mind a question from a scrub can you describe how you play the T-34-3 ?

[Fer_de_Lance]

Hey Storm, I'll ask another general question useful to many I should think.....

 

What do you do in pub games when soloing if a lemming train developes?

 

- Do you go with it and help them push and maybe get to cap faster?

- Do you go the wide open flank, hold up their push or any of their tanks that have gone down that side, feast on XP/damage as long as you can whilst hoping the team lemming train will make it? Sometimes is so easy to read if there will be tanks incoming......like on Live Oaks map when you start at south spawn and everyone goes to town and no-one goes south west. The emeny from north ALWAYS goes down the east flank.

- Leave the lemming train to their fate and just defend cap and try pick off their tanks that make it that far (obviously depend what tank you are in).

 

Cheers

[Skyguy7567]

ikitteh2k13, on 09 January 2015 - 10:23 PM, said:

If you dont mind a question from a scrub can you describe how you play the T-34-3 ?

 

He plays it by shooting the wall and missing my 13 75 at point blank 

Edited by Skyguy7567, 09 January 2015 - 11:36 PM.

[_Storm]

ikitteh2k13, on 10 January 2015 - 12:23 AM, said:

If you dont mind a question from a scrub can you describe how you play the T-34-3 ?

The thread is for anyone who asks for help to receive it to the best of my ability/knowledge.

 

I generally go to usual med locations, do my best to mitigate the gun depression (once learned it's surprisingly easy), and then try to use the turret armour/camo/alpha to my advantage, despite the strangeness of the 122 on a T-54 clone it still plays like a medium, just not one that can utilise terrain or DPM as effectively as others. I also try to overmatch a lot, which compensates for the low pen quite a bit. 

 

Fer_de_Lance, on 10 January 2015 - 12:37 AM, said:

What do you do in pub games when soloing if a lemming train developes?

I always lead the lemming train, it's not possible to hold an entire flank by yourself, and with 14 pubbies all derping along your chance of victory depends entirely on whether they do something and don't fail miserably, by going with the lemming train I am giving them the best chance of success they have because I can scout, initiate a push and so on. if I don't go with them it's likely they will get held up and/or shoot themselves in the feet while achieving nothing as even pubbies think yoloing an isolated tank is worth the risk.

 

Skyguy7567, on 10 January 2015 - 01:36 AM, said:

 

He plays it by shooting the wall and missing my 13 75 at point blank 

Corner lag, happens all the time and it's [edited] frustrating.

[Skyguy7567]

Stormtroop3r, on 09 January 2015 - 11:51 PM, said:

Corner lag, happens all the time and it's [edited] frustrating.

No. It's called the power of TROLL.

 

[mttspiii]

How much of the JT88 do you have to hide to be able to bounce shots reliably, and how do you hide it? I'm having difficulty using it, and after a few games I realized that I can't assault with it like I do with UK's Nuffield TD's.

[mttspiii]

HoPeFuLLL, on 10 January 2015 - 01:49 AM, said:

PBKAC.... so many attempt at serious threads...

 

Must be compensation for having so many troll posts...