Tag Archives: scout

Vital tips for playing light tanks in lower tiers – UPDATED

Too often, I see new players playing light tanks complaining about being bottom tier. Light tanks are meant to be bottom tier, due to the characteristics of their tanks: Being sneaky/having good camo rating, being fast, and having a long view range. Light tanks now got normal matchmaking, and they see tanks of the same tier as themselves and as all other types of tanks (+/- 2 tiers).

Light tanks keep their camo rating while on the move, unlike any other type of vehicle in the game. And if you compare view range, it is very obvious: M24 Chaffee has 390 meters view range, while the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H has 350. 40 meters might not seem like a lot, but in the game, it is enough.

So, how should you play light tanks? Let’s first have a look at how you should NOT play them. Continue reading

Best and worst tanks by tier and type – best tier III light tank

There are fourteen tier III light tanks  (by patch 9.14):

  • BT-7
  • T-46
  • T-70
  • Pz. Kpfw. 38 (t)
  • Pz. Kpfw. I Ausf. C
  • Pz. Kpfw. II Ausf. G
  • M3 Stuart
  • AMX 38
  • Cruiser Mk. II
  • Cruiser Mk. IV
  • Stuart I-IV
  • (Cz10) LT vz38
  • Type 2597 Chi-Ha
  • Type 98 Ke-Ni

None of these get matchmaking as scout tanks. When I started to write this post, I noticed it would be difficult to argue for my choice. There are a lot of good tanks here, actually. As I have mentioned, I’m doing a reroll to experience these tanks without having decent crews. I noticed very fast that many of these are fun to play.

Continue reading

Best and worst tanks by tier and type – worst tier IV light tank – UPDATED

There are ten tier IV light tanks  (by patch 9.13):

  • A-20
  • T-80
  • Pz. Kpfw. 38 (t) n.A.
  • Pz. Kpfw. II Luchs
  • M5 Stuart
  • Covenanter
  • Valentine
  • M5A1 Stuart
  • Type 5 Ke-Ho
  • AMX 40

All light tanks now get regular matchmaking. Those marked with * are scout tanks. The others get regular matchmaking: Tier IV scout tanks will meet enemies from tier IV to tier VII. Here, I will focus on tier IV light tanks that are not scout tanks.

Continue reading

Best and worst tanks by tier and type – best tier IV light tank (scout) – UPDATED

There are ten tier IV light tanks  (by patch 9.19):

  • A-20
  • T-80
  • Pz. Kpfw. 38 (t) n.A.
  • Pz. Kpfw. II Luchs
  • M5 Stuart
  • Covenanter
  • Valentine
  • M5A1 Stuart
  • Type 5 Ke-Ho
  • AMX 40

All light tanks now get regular matchmaking.

Only those marked with * are scout tanks. The others get regular matchmaking: Tier IV scout tanks will meet enemies from tier IV to tier VII.

Continue reading

What is a platoon, and how do I do it?

A platoon is a way of playing World of tanks with one or two friends. You form a platoon by inviting your friends into a platoon that you form, or by accepting their invitation. A platoon consistes of two or three players. Here’s how to:

How to form a platoon

How to form a platoon

If you want to get full advantage of playing in a platoon, you should be able to talk to each other, either using Skype or Teamspeak or any other voice communication you prefer. This post is going to concentrate on a few basic principles regarding what tanks you should use.

As a general rule, you should always use tanks from the same tier. You can choose to let one player use a tank one tier higher or lower, but it is not recommended. This is because a platoon doesn’t dictate the matchmaking, or what tanks the rest of the team and the enemy team are using. It is perfectly okay if one member of the team is playing a medium, and the other a heavy tank, or a tank destroyer.

But be aware if you want to play light tanks. Some tanks are designated the role of a scout tank, and scout tanks are usually the lowest tier tanks on a team. So if one of the platoon members choose a tier 5 light tank, and the other(s) choose a tier 5 heavy tank, it is possible that the other tanks are tier 8. (This matchmaking is subject to adjustment by Wargaming.) As a thumb rule, a scout tank on a specific tier will meet tanks that are from one to three tiers higher. A tier 6 scout can meet tier 7, 8, 9 or 10. A tier 4 will occasionally meet other tier 4s.

These are the current scout tanks from tier 4 to tier 8. Some of them get “normal” matchmaking from time to time.

Tier 4
Pz. Kpfw. 38nA
Pz. Kpfw. II Luchs
M5A1 Stuart
T-50

Tier 5
VK-16.02 Leopard
ELC AMX
M24 Chaffee

Tier 6
VK-28.01
AMX 12t
59-16
T21
MT-25

Tier 7
Aufklärungspanzer Panther
T71
AMX 13 75
WZ-131
M41 Walker Bulldog
LTTB

Tier 8
AMX 13 90
WZ-132
T49
RU 251
Light T-54 (or Light T-54)

If one of the platton members are playing any of these, it is recommended that the other members in the platoon choose a tank at least one tier higher, or maybe two tiers higher.

Just recently a played in a team where there obviously were some newbies in the same platoon. One platoon member played a T1 (tier 1), while the other played his KV-1 (tier 5). The rest of the teams played tanks from tier 5 and 6. A T1 has nothing to do in such a battle. (It cannot even play the role as a scout, because it is to slow and has a short view range.)

Therefore: You should use tanks from the same tier. I will write about some basic platoon tactics in a later post.