World of Tanks is the most popular multiplayer game today, which has enveloped almost the entire world. This game implements battles using military equipment of the Second World War, and today we will touch on the self-propelled gun class, which is the most specific combat class and the most difficult to master. But despite this. Players actively (albeit not very much at the moment) play this technique and enjoy the gameplay.

The best self-propelled gun in WoT

Self-propelled guns are artillery that is capable of shooting through the entire game map, reaching enemies almost everywhere where there is no cover, but is very weak in close combat. In fact, self-propelled guns are a class of support for allies and the most powerful combat class of vehicles in terms of dealing damage. Today, 51 varieties of these combat vehicles are available for study and play in World of Tanks, although they have the same application, but given the different characteristics, specificity of designs and the general use of self-propelled guns in battle, each vehicle is unique and interesting in its own way. It is after this that many players are faced with a problem that does not allow them to accurately determine what is the best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks?

It is impossible to answer this question right away; the game is too technological, which has a huge number of different nuances that do not allow any technology to be the real “god” of randomness. But, if you look in detail at the characteristics of these vehicles and listen to the opinions of the players, you can absolutely accurately determine the best self-propelled gun for yourself personally.

The best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks

So, let's start with the fact that the game has a self-propelled gun unit for the nations: USSR, USA, Germany, France and Great Britain. Each nation has its own amount of this equipment and its own interesting moments.

The USSR's artillery is nimble, accurate and dynamic, it allows you to quickly react to the situation in battle, quickly change positions, but at the same time it causes little damage and fires rather inaccurately. What’s most interesting is that this nation has very little splash from projectiles, so enemies behind cover are practically out of reach.

In the US, it’s the other way around: artillery is slow, reloads slowly, and has accuracy errors, but American guns have the highest splash from shells, which allows them to inflict colossal damage on enemies, even those standing behind cover.

Regarding Germany, everything is much more interesting. This nation has the largest number of preferred combat models (Hummel, GW Panther, GW Tiger, GWE 100), which are player favorites, but because of pure fun. Regarding their indicators, the Germans do not have increased damage, speed and reload, but have the most precision guns, which allow you to almost always shoot at enemies without missing.

Now let's turn our attention to the French, who are real innovators in tank building. They were able to achieve good success among all classes that can be found in the game, and self-propelled guns are no exception. Their artillery is nimble, reloads quickly, and the top representative generally has a shell loading drum, which allows you to fire up to 3 shells in a short period of time. This is simply a colossal achievement and in the right hands can be a very dangerous weapon. But they also have one very sensitive drawback: due to their small dimensions, the equipment does not allow it to accommodate sufficient ammunition, so sometimes it is very lacking.

Great Britain turned out to be a little more modest and in its ranks of weapons it has artillery that is well armored and can sometimes absorb the wave from a high-explosive explosion of enemy shells. In addition, these self-propelled guns have best indicator vertical aiming of the gun, which allows you to throw shells behind cover where enemies are hiding, this unique feature allows these tanks to stay afloat among other competitors.

Of course, there are also China and Japan in the game, but their self-propelled guns have not yet been implemented, but there is a lot of information. Which allows you to understand that the technique will be very interesting and quite promising for the game.

Thus, we have briefly examined the main interesting points of self-propelled guns by nation, absolutely all combat models of a particular nation are subject to the characteristics described above, and even studying the skills of the crew and modules do not allow us to replace the negative aspects, which sometimes greatly interfere with normal play. But even in such a situation, it is very difficult to answer the question “the best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks.”

But don’t panic and completely give up the idea of ​​leveling up this game class if there is no way to determine the best technology in the game, then there can be only one conclusion - choose for yourself the technique that is perfect for your playing style. We all play differently, so it's very easy to determine what kind of tank we should be able to play on. Yes. This path is the most difficult and long, but it is the one that will allow you to choose equipment for both the fan and the bend, and in general you will be able to determine all your requirements. Once again, it is worth mentioning that, despite the same gameplay on this technique, it is unique and always behaves differently, depending on your gaming skills.

Which self-propelled gun is better to download?

But, despite this, we recommend that you start studying artillery in parallel mode, that is, set a goal for yourself and play each nation in parallel. It is this method that will allow you to go through all levels of technology, find out personal feelings, weigh the effectiveness and personal observations, only after that start discarding tank models that are not suitable for you and do this until there is only one self-propelled gun left, which will be the best for you.

We hope that our information will help you find the answer to the most popular question, “the best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks.” This method is the most effective of all existing ones. Wargaming managed to create a game that has excellent balance and there are no best or worst tanks in this game, there are simply impressions that govern our opinions. Otherwise, each technique has its own weight, power and combat effectiveness, you just need to find your own approach to it. There was a site with you website!

Artillery is a unique class of equipment in the game. If it weren’t for the artillery, our game would have long ago turned into an ordinary counter-strike. It makes the gameplay more varied, makes players move instead of standing still, and think about where it can throw. This complicates the gameplay, makes it more interesting and dependent on the player’s skill.

WoT artillery has a unique parameter that is not found in any other class of equipment - flatness of fire. This parameter determines the trajectory of the projectile. The flatter it is, the worse it is to throw shells over obstacles and uneven terrain.
Unfortunately, the performance characteristics do not contain such a characteristic that would determine the flatness of a projectile's flight. It is very difficult to objectively distribute equipment according to this parameter. Based on combat experience, I will arrange the tanks from the flattest projectile trajectory to the most hinged:

• About. 261;

How better art throws over obstacles, the easier it is to play on it. But the projectile's hinged trajectory has back side medals. The higher the trajectory, the longer the projectile flies. This is very annoying, since you need to take a lead when shooting at moving targets, and tanks that stand still are unlikely to stay there for long.
If you analyze the speed of a projectile, you will also not achieve objective results. In the technical characteristics, although there is a flight speed of different types of projectiles, the distance it will travel is different for each artillery. Therefore, it is impossible to arrange all the equipment according to the speed of the projectile.
For art, accuracy is an important indicator. The most accurate artillery in WoT is the vol. 261, he has the most high speed projectile flight. One of the few objective and important indicators for self-propelled guns is the aiming speed:

• Bat.Chatillon 155 58 – 5.5 s;
• About. 261 – 6.5 s;
• G.W. E 100 – 7 s;
• T92 – 8 s;
• Conqueror GC – 8.5 sec.

The projectile range is only relevant for low-level artillery, as well as for the Conqueror GC. The rest of the self-propelled guns are easily thrown from one corner of the map to the other.
Let's look at all the top WoT artillery separately.

Many consider it the best level 10 art. Among the advantages are high accuracy, the highest projectile speed among artillery, as well as remarkable armor-piercing shells with a penetration of 360 mm. Considering the accuracy, they are quite effective to use. Now a little negative. The object has the smallest horizontal aiming angles among the self-propelled guns10, which means that you will have to move to the desired location in advance and shoot before the target goes beyond them. The disadvantages include the flattest projectile flight path among the self-propelled guns10. The artillery is quite mobile. This allows her to quickly take the necessary positions and begin shelling in order to be useful to the team as early as possible.

A unique device. It stands out from the rest with its 4-shell cassette, which makes the gameplay on it unique. While this is cool, the drum reload time is a whopping 80 seconds, and the cooldown inside the ram is 6 seconds. This will allow you to keep your target on target even with fully drained repairs. The only exception is ST10; repairing their tracks takes 4-5 seconds. Butchata also has the most best dynamics and speed among self-propelled guns10, which will allow you to take unexpected positions and surprise the enemy with shelling that he does not expect.

This is the most balanced artillery in the game. It does not have pronounced pros and cons. High one-time damage, acceptable aiming time, average flight trajectory and projectile speed. This art has good armor. She has a chance of getting a ricochet from a firefly or surviving a splash from enemy art. This is also helped by the highest safety margin. Not very good horizontal aiming angles, but slightly better than the ob. 261. Another disadvantage is the complete lack of mobility.

T92

A bastion of remote American democracy. This artillery has poor aiming and terrible accuracy. But she has one advantage that gives her superiority on the battlefield - a huge spread of fragments. With this artillery you need to shoot gold land mines, which have a splash of as much as 16 m. This is the largest splash in WoT, and the huge one-time damage, which is the largest in the game, will allow you to distribute one-shots through the battle. If you take into account the excellent horizontal aiming angles, you get some pretty good art. But her mobility leaves much to be desired, so you will have to travel a long time to get to the position.

The Briton is now the most popular on the global map because it has a steep projectile trajectory. This allows you to precisely destroy tanks that are behind cover. The whole picture is spoiled by the accuracy and speed of aiming, they are the worst on the level, but the vertical trajectory of the projectile compensates for everything. The Conqueror has one more feature - it is a 150mm thick top armor plate, which can even withstand an anti-tank hit with some luck.
This class of technology is worth downloading only experienced players. They know the main skirmish spots on the maps, where to wait for tanks, as well as standard anti-artillery maneuvers. All this is needed for an effective battle. If you wait the entire game at a point where no one usually drives, you won't be of much use.

Review of self-propelled guns of all nations World of Tanks

Self-propelled guns (self-propelled artillery installation) - bright representative military equipment in the game World of Tanks. But, if we take into account Last update, then this class of equipment has become the rarest and least used in the game, the reason for this was a hard nerf (cutting abilities and potential), which many players seemed quite strong and they simply abandoned this technique. But this update also added something new and unusual: artillery was increased to level 10, which allowed the game balancer to normally distribute military equipment among teams, and eliminated the possibility of frequent dropouts large quantity artillery, which made the game practically unplayable.

In fact, the technique remained the same, it just became very difficult to play. Indeed, some indicators have decreased, but this was a necessary measure. In essence, these representatives of combat vehicles have remained the same, in particular, professional players who play artillery think so.

Review of French sau videos

At the moment, the game features 4 nations that have vehicles of this class in their arsenal; the next update promises players to introduce self-propelled guns for the nation Great Britain. But now it is possible to indicate those models that are the most preferred representatives for the game.

Firstly, it is worth answering the legendary Soviet self-propelled guns of the USSR - this is the SU-26, which is the best artillery of its level. Thanks to excellent aiming angles, excellent reloading and ammo delivery capacity, this combat model has become a favorite of many players. Thanks to her, many players found popularity on the battlefields, and some could simply enjoy the game.

world of tank sau review

Secondly, we can note another low-level artillery, this is the American T57, which also has the status of the best artillery at level 2. Thanks to its excellent technical performance, this artillery has a good reputation and pleasant memories.

So, 2nd and 3rd lvl artillery has been considered, it’s time to find out the best representative of tier 4, it is the Soviet SU-5. But due to the limited ammunition, it is quite specific in application, but compared to other similar models, the Soviet version turned out to be the best in terms of technical indicators.

World of Tanks Review of self-propelled guns of tiers IV and V

As for levels 5 and 6, German representatives of technology became outstanding models here. This is the well-known Grille and Hummel. These representatives of the self-propelled gun class have become the most popular in random games and the most effective in terms of combat use.

Level 7 was captured by French artillery called Lorraine 155 mle. 50. At the moment, there are active debates and discussions about starting to use this artillery in tournaments and replacing the famous German GW Panther with it. But no final decision has been made yet.

video review of self-propelled gun World of Tanks

The most controversial was level 8. Everything here is simple on the one hand, but complicated on the other. All self-propelled guns of this lvl are almost the same in terms of combat effectiveness, so it is very difficult to choose from them. Or you can simply not make a choice and continue the very branch of development that was chosen at first. Whatever nation you start with at level 8, you definitely can’t go wrong with your choice.

Level 9 again belongs to the USSR. Excellent and easy to learn, the 212A demonstrates simply excellent combat effectiveness in battles. Despite its low dynamics indicator, this artillery is quite accurate and has an excellent dynamic turn indicator.

review of level 10 self-propelled guns

But with 10 levels, things are much more complicated than with all representatives of low-level artillery. Here you will have to think carefully about what exactly you want from the level 10 artillery you received. For example, representatives of self-propelled guns from America - the T92 model and from Germany - the G.W model are perfect for random battles. E 100. These two combat units have excellent damage and splash indicators. This allows you to deal devastating damage to enemy forces at random. If, however, you were pumping in order to be taken to land on the global map. The best option would be to upgrade the Soviet object 261 and the French Bat.-Châtillon 155 58. These representatives are distinguished by features that are not characteristic of other similar models. The Object 261 is the most accurate artillery, and the Bat.-Châtillon 155 58 has a 4-shot loading drum. Of course, it is used less frequently on the global map, but this particular combat unit is taken as a backup option.

We reviewed the main models of military equipment for special battles, and also touched upon the main outstanding models among all the types presented. But what if the player just wants to upgrade equipment for collecting? This is a rather sensitive question, since pumping up artillery, firstly, is very difficult, and secondly, it takes a very long time. But here, too, there are already recommendations. In order to comfortably go through this development branch and replenish your hangar with new equipment without much difficulty, you must first take on the USSR branch. All the combat units of this nation are quite balanced and easy to master; they do not provide much difficulty in the game. Then you should take on the German branch; the equipment of this nation is also perfect for your first steps and will give you quite good memories of playing self-propelled guns. But only then is it worth taking on the next representatives, that is, France and America. These representatives are very difficult to play, although they have terrifying power, they are indeed very difficult to play. It is best to start playing for France, and then for America. America has very bad intermediate tanks, which are clearly not intended for beginners and require special skills from players who decide to play with this class of tanks.

Before you start on this class, think carefully. The best option will initially play on other classes of tanks. Since the self-propelled gun currently has the status of a “cut” vehicle and can cause a negative impression of the game. Therefore, it’s better to ride other tanks, get acquainted with the gameplay and then start conquering the heights of this truly hardcore equipment.

The stopwatch fell silent, and three dozen engines, roaring in unison, threw the steel fighters towards each other. Light, weakly armored, but fast and nimble tanks will go first. Steel wedges of heavily armored monsters, accompanied by mobile medium tanks, will move across the terrain they have explored. Thick armor, killer weapons, onslaught, maneuver! Strength and power! But the real “gods of war” look at what is happening from afar, from closed positions in the rear - these are the artillerymen. A battery of two or three self-propelled guns is capable of turning the tide of a battle and turning a seeming defeat into an unconditional victory, immobilizing and destroying particularly dangerous opponents with “fire from heaven,” covering the advance or withdrawal of allied forces.

But self-propelled guns are not an absolute weapon. They have disadvantages that the artilleryman must always know and remember. Their power must be used correctly so that the “superweapon” does not turn into a pile of burning rubble.

Death from on high

My eyes widen: who should I treat with a shell?

Self-propelled guns are not just another machine of war. This is also a completely different style of combat and game thinking. After all, observing the battle from a bird's eye view gives the artillery a serious advantage! If you remember to turn the mouse wheel, you can aim directly at the grille of the engine compartment of a heavy tank or, conversely, move away and look around the entire battlefield.

Due to this, self-propelled guns make excellent fire spotters - it’s just a pity that few people think about this in the battles of random teams. Be that as it may, the gunner must keep one eye on the sight and the other on the mini-map. And if red dots suddenly appear on it where no one expected them, signal this to the rest of the team, maybe someone will respond.

The second advantage of viewing from a height is that, even without seeing the enemy, you see the results of his activities: falling trees, breaking fences, shot tracers. It can be expensive to shoot based on the first two signs, but it is quite possible to roughly understand where to expect a threat from.

It is important: the tree falls in the same direction as the tank that knocked it down.

But it’s worth talking about shooting at tracers in particular. A lot of copies have already been broken about this on the forum and in the game chat. Who proves that this is the direct responsibility of artillery, who calls firing “blindly” a waste of shells... There is some truth in the words of both the first and the second. The question is, can you afford to waste two or three shells? If for long-range and fast-firing self-propelled guns like Wespe or Grille the answer is most likely “yes,” then for slow monsters (SU-14) or those with little ammunition (SU-5) it’s definitely “no.” Also, remember that while you are tracking the location of enemy artillery, firstly, you are not firing, leaving your allies without support, and secondly, the enemies are still firing! After all, every tracer, even if you spotted the enemy using it, is possibly a destroyed tank of your team.

"Grill" crawled behind a bush. "Grill" is ready for battle!

Large and slow HF are my favorite
May be the target of gunners of all levels.

So whether to shoot or not is your choice. Knowing how to “catch tracks” is certainly necessary, and it’s simply interesting, but you shouldn’t get too carried away with it. For example, you can spy on an enemy base at the beginning of a battle if a suicide scout rushed there immediately after the start. light tank. Very often, enemy artillerymen cannot stand it and try to destroy it, without relying on the help of the team. This is where you need to catch them. And when the reconnaissance is over, you can switch to supporting your allies.

And finally: remember that tracers are left not only by artillery shots, but by all shots in general. And the route is more noticeable, the larger the caliber of the gun. “Tank destroyers” and heavy tanks are identified by tracers no worse than self-propelled guns - and the former, moreover, rarely change position after firing.

Merging with environment

Payback for firepower self-propelled guns now have light armor and low mobility. In other MMOs, characters with high damage and low defense are called "glass cannon" - and here this term is more appropriate than anywhere else. In addition, do not forget that self-propelled guns are a priority target for the enemy. Sometimes, when choosing between a self-propelled gun and a heavy tank, it is definitely more profitable to destroy the self-propelled gun, which is potentially more dangerous due to its firing range.

The SU-26 hoped to sit out in the thickets. But we're on top
everything is visible...

So the first skill an artilleryman needs is camouflage. And we’re not talking about the skill of the crew - until it appears, you’ll have to get out on your own.

You can often see a self-propelled gun trying to climb into a small bush sticking out in the middle of an “open field”. If this is done by a colossus like the SU-8, then such a “camouflage” does not cause anything but laughter - it’s better to stand where you are than like this. Because any intelligence officer, if he has not just sat down at the levers light tank, knows - you need to look for self-propelled guns in the bushes. The same can be said about artillerymen tracking down the enemy using a tracer: first of all, attention is concentrated on lonely bushes, where it seems so easy and good to hide!

In addition, remember that if part of the self-propelled gun sticks out outside the bush, you can assume that you are not covered at all on that side.

As a result, if you don’t fit entirely, you need to stand behind a bush rather than try to climb into it. But if you have something small (SU-18, Bison), you can fit it entirely in the bush.

Remember that any rotation of the hull completely destroys the camouflage, and all self-propelled guns, except for the SU-26, are aimed horizontally by turning the hull. So, it’s worth repeating once again, constantly look at the mini-map - and if an enemy is approaching you, and you are sure that you are well camouflaged, do not move around.

You also need to keep an eye on the mini-map because in “howitzer mode”, when viewed from above, you risk finding out that they are shooting at you only when you die. You won’t notice any explosion in the neighborhood, or even a direct hit.

Duel of wills: artilleryman versus tankman face to face.

A rare shot: sometimes artillerymen come together in close combat.

On a note: The camouflage network module will reduce the visibility of your self-propelled gun by 25% while it is not moving. Definitely buy it.

If red dots light up dangerously close to you - the enemy has broken through the defenses - then main advice: do not panic! Many artillerymen paid the price when they tried to escape from a light tank and turned their “back” to it. But that’s all the enemy needs! There will be more chances if you try to remain “facing” the enemy - and hit him with direct fire. After all, many self-propelled guns successfully fire without “satellite guidance,” the German Hummel is especially famous for this. Sometimes a paradoxical maneuver can work: not increase, but, on the contrary, reduce the distance to the enemy. For example, on Grille it is quite possible to “whirl” a KV or Hetzer. Naturally, if they “come to visit” you, you cannot do without a fair amount of luck, but where is it easy without it?

Artillery Park

Artillerymen today are represented by almost a dozen vehicles, which differ from each other in technical characteristics and serve for different purposes. What to choose? Let's take a closer look at each of the cars.

SU-18

The SU-18, developed in 1930, opens the line of Soviet self-propelled artillery. Because of its characteristic silhouette, players call it a “duck.” This duck is a very formidable machine in its “weight category”, and it’s not just because of the 76mm howitzer! The small, birdhouse-like self-propelled gun is well armored - many light tanks of levels 2-3 will be thinner, not to mention self-propelled guns of levels 3-4. Armor allows a novice artilleryman to get comfortable and not be particularly afraid of an enemy suddenly breaking through to a position. There is no particular place to develop it, and there is no need, because the next self-propelled gun in the line is much more interesting.

SU-26

SU-26 is a unique machine. The only self-propelled gun in the game that has a rotating “turret,” even if it’s open. This allows the fire to be moved from place to place with much less loss of accuracy. Acting in harmony, several of these vehicles are capable of literally paralyzing an enemy offensive. Despite the relatively small damage and penetrating power of 76- and 122-mm howitzers, the tracks are perfectly knocked down by high-explosive fragmentation shells. And if there is someone to “illuminate” the target and cover it from enemy light tanks, such a baby will spoil the enemy’s blood considerably, and will steadily bring rewards to the owner for supporting his allies.

The weakness of the SU-26 is its thin armor - 15 millimeters can be penetrated by anything. Therefore, if you leave it for a long time, anti-fragmentation lining will be very useful.

SU-5

When all the tankers in the team die, artillery has to be launched into the attack. And she is capable of this.

If the player's precision strikes are not satisfactory, then the first self-propelled gun capable of causing truly serious damage will be the SU-5 model 1934. Alas, those accustomed to the SU-26 “turret” and fine shooting are initially disappointed by the need to turn the entire body when aiming. At the same time, accuracy and rate of fire drop significantly, and it will no longer be possible to effectively throw shells at the enemy. You have to focus on one target and carefully hit vulnerable spots. The SU-5 is the first self-propelled gun in the Soviet line, with which one begins to learn patience, perseverance and a sense of trajectory. But for the decent penetration power and damage of a 152 mm mortar, this vehicle can be forgiven a lot. The ability of a level 4 self-propelled gun to inflict significant damage on almost any tank is worth a lot. Even if it doesn’t penetrate some Maus, it will tear the caterpillar. Or it will damage the equipment, injure the crew, or simply make them angry, in the end.

All the above-mentioned advantages of the 152-mm mortar are balanced by one, but significant drawback: ammunition. Armed with this weapon, the SU-5 can only carry fourteen shells, and the phrase in combat chat: “I’m empty, I’m going to shine” is the norm. It hardly makes sense to keep this car if the next one has been studied, but since such a whim comes to mind, then anti-fragmentation lining will not be superfluous. If there is light, then shine a little longer.

SU-8

So the SU-5 was left behind. If you have not yet lost interest in artillery, then welcome to the high-power club. If the SU-26 and SU-5 can be called auxiliary artillery, then this self-propelled gun can already lay claim to the role of “lethal force.” And especially when a 152 mm howitzer is installed, the crew is fully trained and purchased additional modules. After all, there is no tank that this self-propelled gun could not penetrate and destroy with a few hits! Unless mastodons like Maus or VK4502(P) are able to stand under its fire for some time, sadly watching how one device after another breaks down.

This is not a tugboat. It’s just that one SU-14 prefers to get to the position as quickly as possible, and the second one backs away in order to open fire at any moment.
new goals.

You have to pay for the severity of the damage caused by a very noticeable path that the projectile draws. An SU-8 that does not change position after being fired is guaranteed to become a victim of another self-propelled gun. So, such qualities as the speed of sighting and gun reloading are vital for this vehicle. And purchasing such expensive modules as a reinforced aiming drive and a howitzer rammer is not at all a luxury. More like a necessity. But you can think about the third cell. Firstly, the SU-8, unlike its younger brothers, is a large lady, and not every bush can camouflage it. A camouflage net will be very useful. Sometimes an extra second of invisibility decides the outcome of a collision with a light or medium tank that has rushed into a position. And don’t forget about enemy artillery.

But this is until the crew, in full or in part, develops additional camouflage skills. Then it will make sense to change the camouflage network to something else. First of all, it is anti-fragmentation lining. Artillerymen really don’t like enemy “colleagues” and if they notice where someone else’s shell came from, they will certainly send their own in response. And there is little joy from a landmine that fell nearby. In addition, undercutting increases the chances of survival if, on a city map like Himmelsdorf, the artilleryman gives up on the instructions and goes into the city pretending to be a tank destroyer and hitting the enemy with direct fire.

The remaining modules do not make such an impression. An artilleryman rarely needs direct visibility, and the speed of repairs... If an artilleryman needs to be repaired, this means that either he will be finished off now, or he will still have time to get repaired while the gun is being reloaded.

SU-14 and S-51

The remaining two models in the Soviet artillery line must be considered together. These are heavyweights that have no analogues among the Germans - the SU-14, nicknamed by tank crews the “refrigerator” for its appearance and driving performance, and the S-51, popularly called “Pinocchio” for its long upturned nose. They are related by the B-4 203 mm caliber gun, which has no equal in power. A high-explosive fragmentation shell from this cannon deals an average of 1850 points of damage - exactly the same as the health of the German VK4502(P) heavy tank. And the strength of the Soviet IS-4 heavy tank is 1590 units. Naturally, with such power, they are respected by their own and hated by their enemies. But with differences it is more difficult.

Heavy artillery has two sore spots: speed of movement and reloading of the gun. The first callus hurts much more on the SU-14. This car is more than 10 tons heavier than its brother and, accordingly, drives, accelerates and turns slower. Surprisingly, the closed SU-14 is also worse armored. All this reduces the refrigerator’s chances of survival if the team cannot protect it from enemy scouts. The discovered SU-14 does not live long: if it is not the reconnaissance officer who happily shoots it, then it will no less joyfully “cover” the enemy artilleryman with a shell.

But with the rate of fire the opposite is true. The bulky SU-14 does not have time to reload much, but is still faster than the S-51.

Both self-propelled guns are in vital need of accelerated training of loaders, as well as the installation of howitzer rammers and enhanced aiming drives. Otherwise, shooting less than twice a minute will not bring any joy. The installation of a camouflage net also remains relevant, which can later, if desired, be replaced with improved third-class ventilation (+5% to the skills of all crew members - no joke) or anti-fragmentation lining. When fully equipped and with a trained crew, the heavy self-propelled gun becomes noticeably faster and turns into a truly terrifying force.

Sturmpanzer I and II

Players who prefer German technology have three ways to get to self-propelled artillery.

First: immediately after the “small tractor”, transfer to the Sturmpanzer I “Bison”. And although this is the simplest path in appearance, the sensations from it may be unexpected. Second-level self-propelled guns are immediately sent into battle alongside “big and scary” tanks. It would seem, what should he do there?

And the answer is simple: both “Sturmpanzers” have the same weapon. And moreover, it won’t be possible to replace it with something more powerful until Grille - but even on it you will have to spend some time with the same 15 cm sIG33 L/11. The main difference between the first and second model Sturmpanzers is the armor and reload time. Naturally, Sturmpanzer II wins in both respects.

High shooting accuracy and damage comparable to that of the Soviet SU-5 (fourth level self-propelled guns) make “storm panzers” a serious threat to any medium tanks.

Wespe

The second path for a German artilleryman is to switch from PzKpfw II to Wespe. The Wasp has a couple of advantages over its peers: power and range. This is the only tier 3 vehicle that can reach from one edge of the map to the other. Her favorite targets are heavy tanks, but it’s a pity that she rarely encounters them. The third level, and poor Wespe has to hunt nimble light tanks... And this is not easy to do on it: the accuracy is worse than that of the Sturmpanzer, and the guidance is slow. Wide horizontal aiming angles brighten up the picture a little, so you can “lead” the enemy for some time, say, trying to shoot with anticipation. But all the same, it is more convenient for the wasp to be a thunderstorm for heavy tanks - the damage allows it - than to shoot down BTs and Leopards on the fly.

Grille

Both paths intersect at one point: Grille. Its initial weapon is the same as that of the Sturmpanzers, but it can (and definitely should) be replaced with an improved 15 cm sFH13 L/17. Damage more than doubles and range (finally!) matches Wespe. And at this level you can already take on the destruction of really serious equipment. With a lot of luck, and this happens more often than it might seem, Grille can destroy an unwary KV with one shot.

After improving the engine and chassis, the Grasshopper gains another advantage over its Soviet counterparts - speed. You can’t escape from a light tank, of course, but you can already “twist” a heavy tank or tank destroyer that has broken through to a self-propelled gun.

Hummel

And finally, the third way. He is (for now) the pinnacle of development of German artillery. The Hummel self-propelled gun is a serious competitor to the Soviet SU-14 and S-51 in the fight for the title of “best artillery” in the game. You can “open” it by gaining enough experience on the Grille or on the PzKpfw IV, and the path “through the tank” is more difficult - you need more experience. In addition, the Hummel is not exactly the vehicle you should start with when learning to become a gunner. Already on the "Grasshopper" there is a danger of remaining at a loss on loans if you do not shoot very effectively. And about the “Bumblebee” with an improved gun they say that it is more profitable to die on it without firing at all than to play effectively and spend money on replenishing ammunition. The solution is simple - do not install the second of the possible weapons, except in special, very important cases. For normal battles, the initial cannon will be enough for you.

With the upgraded cannon, the Hummel does less damage per shot than the SU-14, but fires much more often, and the damage per second is about the same. Naturally, sometimes it is preferable to “treat” the enemy with a more powerful “gift” rather than hitting him little by little but often. But on the other hand, Hummel can afford to finish off an already half-dead enemy or shoot at medium tanks - in such situations, the damage that goes to waste will be much less than that of a “refrigerator” or “Pinocchio”.

And last but not least, Hummel is famous for its speed. This property, unusual for self-propelled guns, baffled many armored vehicle drivers who were counting on easy prey. And the “prey,” instead of slowly crawling away, suddenly took off and drove away at the speed of a good medium tank...

Artillery (also known as self-propelled guns or colloquially "arty") is an often misunderstood class in World of Tanks. Playing as artillery takes patience, practice and basic knowledge of the "hot zones" on maps. Generally speaking, artillery has little to no armor, minimum health, and very low mobility. But where this class shines is through its armament: large-caliber guns that can severely cripple, if not outright destroy, an unsuspecting opponent!

Like other vehicle classes you must play to your strengths and minimize your weakness as best as you can.

What Makes an Artillery?

Large-caliber guns -- the largest in the game, to be exact!

When entering battle, many first-time artillery players think they are playing a variant of the tank destroyer class, given their large guns and lack of a turret. Artillery is not meant to rush into close or medium-range firefights; hidden by the base and picking off targets from afar are the goals here!

Artillery fires rounds at an angle, allowing you to hit even concealed foes

Low tier artillery probably won"t seem much at first. Their guns don"t stand out and they"ll easily be the least-flexible class available; with no turrets and limited traverse speed and mobility. However, once you"re exposed to mid and high tier artillery, that all changes and you"ll get a glimpse at what this class truly has to offer.

Know Your Role and Shut Your Hatch

Always remember to look at the composition of both teams when entering a battle. As artillery, take note of how many potential scouts you"ll have as eyes, and how many enemy light tanks might be looking to hunt you down!

Staying concealed is your best armor

While allied scouts are sprinting to the frontlines for detection opportunities, use this time to relocate nearby to a place that offers both decent and unobstructed firing angles and safety. The corners of maps are common places to hide, but that also depends on the firing range of your specific artillery model.You"ll need to experiment with locations on different maps in order to find the places that work best for you. Look for bushes to hide behind. And remember -- artilleryhave no armor, so staying out of direct lines of sight is vital!

Play to Your Strengths

Say hello to my little friend

Know your strengths:

1. Splash damage
2. Indirect fire
3. Force multipliers

Most artillery come equipped with high-explosive rounds (HE) alongside standard armor-piercing (AP). HE rounds have a lower chance at penetrating a target, but upon impact, they detonate, causing an explosion that can deal damage. Exploding HE rounds create a splash radius around the impact zone, allowing the shell"s explosion to cause damage to nearby tanks. On regular tanks firing HE, this splash radius isn"t much, but with large-caliber guns found on artillery, trying to increase your splash damage is a common tactic. Savvy artillery players will memorize choke points and locations where tanks group together to maximize their splash damage output.

Indirect fire and artillery go hand in hand, and it "s defintely a distinct advantage! Foes hiding behind indestructible objects can only be sussed out by artillery. Some artillery have high firing arcs, allowing their rounds to land directly on top of a target, while others fire at a much flatter trajectory and have a chance to hit the side of a target. the only class that fires indirectly, artillery is your best bet at clearing a well defended position from afar.

When a battle begins, artillery should note where their scouts are setting up to spot, and zero in nearby. But what happens once the battle is in full turmoil? If you had to guess where to fire next, look toward the main offensive push (or defense). When in the middle of combat, most players will focus on what they can see, not taking into account what else might be stealthily aiming their way. There's nothing more back-breaking for the enemy than receiving and bouncing a few hits in a tank only to receive the final exclamation point by a well-placed artillery round. Focusing your fire on the main assault could turn the tide of battle in your favor -- just try not to damage your allies who may be close to your targeted enemy!

For you history buffs out there, think of this tactic like Blitzkrieg, where your team's fire is concentrated on a focal point in hopes of crushing all defenders.

Mastering Artillery

From the start, you"ll notice that aiming with artillery is quite different from the rest of the classes. By pressing and holding the left trigger (default option), you"ll enter arty mode, where you have a top-down view of the battlefield with a large, green (often oval) aiming circle. By default, your controller is set so that you have to hold down the trigger to keep this aiming mode on, but in the Settings menu you can adjust this so that you don"t have to hold it down.

The green dots indicate that there is a clear path to your target, a red line indicates that something is in the way, and a white line means that you are out of range.

Arty mode: this view is only available to artillery. Use it to zero in on unsuspecting prey

Notice the oval of green dots around your target. This oval starts out large and gradually becomes smaller as it focuses on the target. The size of the circle, how fast it zeros in and how small the circle ultimately gets are entirely dependent on your selected artillery, its gun caliber, crews and equipment mounted.

The dots indicate where your shot can land. If you don't see dots, then your shot is obstructed, and you won't be able to hit your target, even if the line is green. The smaller the dots get before you fire, the better your accuracy! Be patient -- it is better to wait a few more seconds to get accuracy better than to waste a shot and wait for the lengthy reload. Stay aware of enemy movement, although you may not be able to see, arty mode allows you to view trees being knocked down, buildings being damaged and muzzle flashes when the enemy fires.

Locking your hull can also help your accuracy by keeping you locked in place. Press Left on the directional pad to lock your hull (and remember to unlock once you relocate).

When firing, remember that it could take a few seconds for your shot to reach its target. If your target is moving, you must factor in how much it will move between the time you fire and the time the shot arrives. This skill takes practice to learn, but there's nothing more satisfying than hitting a moving target!

Artillery is all about patience. Take the time to find a target, wait for your aiming circle to tighten, and let loose a screaming volley of fire!