How to Servive

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All vehicles have armor, which protects them from enemy fire. Some vehicles are heavily armored and others are less shellproof, yet the armor on most vehicles follows a common principle: the front armor is usually thicker, while the sides and rear are more vulnerable. Hull armor thickness is measured in millimeters. In vehicle characteristics, these values are displayed as front/side/rear armor. If a vehicle has 75/45/45 mm hull armor, a shell with a 60 mm standard penetration will pierce its sides and rear (assuming a direct hit), but will not penetrate the front.

Apart from side and rear armor, most vehicles have common weak spots: the lower glacis plate, the commander’s cupola, and the top surface of the turret.

Armor Penetration

A crucial factor in determining penetration is the angle at which the shell hits the target’s armor. The ideal angle is perpendicular to the armor plate—in this case the shell has to pass through the least possible amount of armor plate in order to penetrate it. The perpendicular shell trajectory—the shell striking the armor plate exactly “square on”—is referred to as the normal.

The deviation from the normal is the so-called impact angle which determines the effective armor thickness. It is the actual armor thickness the shell must plow through in order to penetrate and deal damage. The greater the impact angle, the greater the effective thickness of the armor.

Keep in mind though, shells do not always penetrate vehicle armor. They can also bounce off the surface—this is called a ricochet. A ricochet can occur with Armor-Piercing (AP) and Armor-Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR) shells if the angle at the point of impact is greater than 70 degrees. High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) shells can ricochet at angles greater than 85 degrees (see Ammunition). Only High-Explosive (HE) shells never ricochet: if they don’t penetrate the armor, they explode on its surface.

There is another important rule of ricochet mechanics: if the AP or APCR shell caliber is more than three times the nominal thickness of the armor, no ricochet will happen at any impact angle. HEAT shells ricochet at angles greater than 85 degrees, regardless of the caliber.

Remember these core rules of penetration and ricochet when firing at enemy vehicles. Always try to reduce your shells’ angle of impact to maximize their chance of penetration. Moreover, you can make the most of your own armor and increase your chance of survival. Don’t face the incoming fire directly: keeping your armor offset slightly will increase the impact angle of incoming shots, as well as your effective armor thickness.

Effective Shooting

Here are some useful techniques that you can use in combat to deal more damage.

Leading Targets

To hit a moving target, aim and shoot at the front or ahead of the enemy vehicle. The greater the distance and the greater the speed of the enemy vehicle, the farther ahead you should aim.

Auto Aim

Auto-aim is a very useful function when you’re firing on the move in close combat. Right-click while aiming at the enemy to fix your gun on the target. You can fully concentrate on your driving while still maintaining fire at the enemy vehicle.

Auto-aim does not take into account the armor of the target, the range, or the target’s motion. With auto-aim you will fire approximately at the center of the enemy vehicle, and you won’t lead a moving target.

Destroying Modules

Your enemy is so tough that your shells do little or no damage? Switch to destroying modules—tracks, in particular. This tactic is especially effective against heavily armored vehicles of higher tier. Knocking out tracks can keep the opponent immobilized so that your more powerful allies can focus and destroy the enemy. At the end of battle, you will be rewarded for the damage caused with your assistance.

Terrain and Cover

Safe Positions

Always take advantage of terrain on the battlefield! Hide behind boulders, hills, and buildings to protect yourself from enemy fire or while you wait for your gun to reload. To stay safe from SPG fire, take cover behind large rocks, buildings, and other tall, massive objects.

In addition to staying safe, you can use terrain to gain a position from which you can fire effectively without taking damage yourself. The tank in the picture is positioned behind a rise, so that opponents can see only its heavily armored turret. Meanwhile, the more vulnerable hull is hidden and safe.

Dangers on the Maps

Be cautious in your maneuvers: terrain can be dangerous! Don’t plunge off steep cliffs! If you’re lucky, you’ll just take damage to your vehicle, modules, and crew, but most likely, your vehicle will be destroyed.

Lakes, bays, deep rivers and canals—any deep water can be hazardous. Be careful while driving across bridges or finding shallow places to cross deep water. If your vehicle—specifically, the engine compartment—goes under water, you have only 10 seconds to save it from drowning

Upon performing extreme maneuvers, your vehicle may fall onto its side or even overturn – light and fast vehicles have this issue more often. A vehicle laying on its side is not only immobilized, but also almost defenseless: its view range, accuracy, and firing speed are significantly impaired. An overturned vehicle cannot fire at all and self-destructs after 30 seconds.
Your teammates can push your vehicle carefully to bring it back onto its tracks, but this does not always work.

Spotting and Concealment

Vehicle’s View Range

It’s hard to fight an enemy you can’t see. The earlier you spot enemy vehicles, the more advantage you have in battle. That’s why spotting is one of the core elements of the World of Tanks game mechanics.

View Range is the maximum distance at which your vehicle can spot opponents. This parameter is defined by turret characteristics, modified by crew perks and skills.

There are three circular indicators around your vehicle icon on the minimap. These are your View Range Circle, maximum Spotting Range, and Draw Range.

1. View Range Circle. Shows the View Range value of your vehicle, adjusted in accordance with the skills and perks of your crew and equipment mounted on your vehicle.
2. Maximum Spotting Range. The maximum spotting range of all vehicles cannot exceed 445 meters. Even if your View Range exceeds this value, you won’t be able to spot an enemy on your own beyond this distance; however, it will be easier for you to detect concealed vehicles within this range.
3. Draw Circle. Shows the maximum draw range within which other players’ vehicles can be seen on your battle screen. This value is always 565 meters.

Another essential component in spotting and keeping track of the enemy is Signal Range. Your vehicle’s Signal Range is the maximum distance at which you can exchange information with your allies about other vehicles’ position. Signal Range values are defined by radio characteristics, modified by crew perks and skills.

If your ally spots an enemy and is within range to share this information with you, the icon of the spotted vehicle will appear on your minimap, even if the vehicle is beyond your Draw Range and cannot be seen directly. So you’d be wise to get the best radio available!

Concealment

Staying out of the enemy’s sight will help you survive the battle and deal more damage. Learn to conceal your vehicle!

Thick bushes and fallen trees can conceal your vehicle. Remember, your entire vehicle must be blocked by the foliage, otherwise you will not be hidden. The exception to this rule is your gun: if your gun extends beyond the bush, it will not ruin your concealment.

If you are within 15 meters of the bush, you will be able to see other vehicles through it. You’ll be not only out of sight, but also in position for an ambush.

Vehicles are hardest to spot when they are not moving. Moving your hull makes you more visible, while gun and turret traverse don’t affect concealment. Shooting makes you much more visible, and also temporarily negates any concealment provided by foliage.

You can make your vehicle even less visible by using Camouflage, equipment and teaching your crew special perks and skills.

Improving View Range and Concealment

View Range

Binocular Telescope
Provides a +25% bonus to View Range for a stationary vehicle.



Coated Optics
Provides a +10% bonus to vehicle View Range, both stationary and on the move.




Commander Skill Recon
Increases Maximum View Range. The skill is even more effective if observation devices are damaged.



Radio Operator skill Situational Awareness
Extends View Range.

Concealment

Camouflage Net
Removable equipment that reduces visibility of a stationary vehicle.



Crew Skill Concealment
Reduces vehicle visibility. Comes into effect after training starts. Significantly reduces visibility if all crew members have this skill trained to 100%.



Camouflage
A vehicle exterior customization that reduces visibility in battle.



Commander’s perk Sixth Sense
Does not reduce visibility but alerts you when your vehicle has been spotted, so that you can change position and take cover.

View Range and Concealment

Crew perk Brothers in Arms
Improves major qualifications and skills of the entire crew.



Improved Ventilation
Provides a +5% bonus to all crew skills



Premium Consumables
Provide a +10% bonus to all crew skills during one battle.

Tanks and Tactics

World of Tanks features five vehicle types, and each of them requires certain tactics on the battlefield.

Light Tanks
Light tanks are the eyes and ears of the team. They are the fastest tanks and have great View Range, but usually thin armor and fairly poor firepower.



Medium Tanks
Multi-purpose combat vehicles. They combine mobility, firepower, and relatively good armor, so they are useful both in frontline combat and in a support role from mid-range. However, Medium tanks should not fight alone: a solo Medium tank is typically easy prey, while several in a pack can quickly dismantle opponents.



Heavy Tanks
Heavily armored vehicles with powerful guns. Their main role is to push a flank or meet an enemy push, dealing massive damage and blocking enemy fire with their thick armor. This type of vehicle is relatively slow and usually has a low fire rate. Also note that heavy tanks are usually the favorite targets of enemy SPGs.



Tank Destroyers
These are snipers with accurate and powerful guns. Generally compact and easy to hide, they seek to fire at long distances while staying completely unseen. Tank destroyers are often turretless, poorly armored, and slow, so they are vulnerable in close combat.



Self Propelled Guns
SPGs, also known as artillery, provide long-range firepower for the team. They are able to hit targets almost anywhere on the map, and their HE shells deal splash damage, sometimes to several vehicles at a time. Shells of 150 mm caliber and greater also have a stun effect, which temporarily weakens all vehicle characteristics of the target. SPGs are slow, and their armor is extremely weak.

Are you ready to move on to the next training session? If yes, then it’s time to learn about the In-Game Economy!