Words of advice on World of Tanks.

[Cadaver]

Cadaver’s words of advice for World of Tanks.
   
Ok, there is a lot of info out there in the WoT arena.   My suggestion: Read the Wiki.  Though I hate most Wikis for being, well, wrong, and mostly useless (why I fought a former CL over this on making a CG wiki, as he always got stuff wrong) the WoT Wiki is decent, and explains most tanks well.

If you want a fast pace game, where you can shoot and destroy a lot in a little time, well, you should look elsewhere.  WoT is not the fastest game.  You do not get to respawn, you do get to start another battle once you die.  A match can, and several do, take up to the 15 minute time limit.   If you want a game where you have to think, perhaps strategize, and can shoot others in 3rd person or 1st person, then look at WoT.

I will not go into the details of what the game is and how to specifically play.  That is in the Wiki.

This is a simple guide on how to not get angry at the grind aspect of the game, and how to have fun.

There are 3 types of “money” in the game: Gold, Experience, and Credits.  This order is from most important to least.   
Gold is bought with real life money, and has a “value” to it.  It can be used to buy tanks that can only be bought with Gold.  It can be used to buy certain items for the battlefield which may minutely impact game play.  Gold used to buy over powered ammo. Now, credits can also be used for these ammo rounds, leveling game play between those who want to spend $ on the game (or the smaller group, which wants to win by buying their way) and the free to play people. 

Experience is used to research the next tank, or specific parts of the tank, such as a new engine, or gun. It is the second most important “money,” as without experience, the better tanks, and parts cannot be unlocked.

Credits: These are the everyday mundane “money” of the game. It is used to purchase ammo, the tank, or parts.  This can also be used to purchase specific items which impact the game, such as repair kits, and fire extinguishers. 

I will focus on the last two, as I got up to Tier 8 tanks (out of a maximum of 10 Tiers) without spending $.  (I have now been gifted some tanks, and will advise you on purchasing some “premium” or pay to play tanks.)

How to get the most bang out of your time:  You need experience and credits to get better parts and tanks.  How does one get these?  Well, there is the term “farming.”  As in other games, there is a process of farming, or using specific tanks to get the experience and credits needed for the next part or tank.  So, I will not bother discussing farming, as there are those who abuse the concept, and make the game less fun for those actually playing (by joining a match – running to die first, or just going afk – leaving the match to start another, before really playing, or jumping in a body of water to drown., etc.)

No, here is a simple way to grind without getting tired of the game: You have several tanks, so, you play each one, you play the match, focused on fun, when you die, instantly go back to your garage and start the next tank, and repeat the process. Go through a rotation with all your tanks.  Typically, do this after the Daily Bonus is started (x2 to x5 experience, depending on events.) Play the individual tank until it has won its bonus, then remove it from the rotation. Play until all tanks have won the bonus.  Then either focus on the tanks you have fun with, or, to avoid the annoyance of the grind, stop for the day.

Further suggestions: IF you have available spaces in your garage, and are low tier (ie. under Tier 5) for your highest tier tank, keep a few Tier 1 tanks in your garage.   I suggest either the T1 Cunningham, or the Leichttraktor, and the British Vickers Med Mk1. The first 2 better train you how to run light and medium tanks, while the Vickers helps you learn to run a heavy tank. Keep them, cause the cost of repair is low, the ammo is free, and the tanks make credit and experience.

Remember: Tier 5 tanks are the best at getting experience and credits.  Make sure you keep a few Tier 5 tanks to pay for the expensive tiers (expensive tiers start at 7.)  IF you do not buy a “Premium” (pay to play) tank of Tier 5, the non-pay to play tank I suggest for making credits and experience is the BDR G1B.  Many experienced WoT players advise you to keep and use this tank to gather credits, as it is a fun tank to play, and averages 10k+ credits per round played.  Some recommend the T1 Heavy.  I do not, as I suggest you bypass it to get to the American Heavy tanks quicker through the M4 Mediums. 

This was how I got to Tier 8 tanks without spending $. Consider this, I used this process to pay for the AMX M4 (1945), the T29, and the Churchill VII in the last 2 weeks, with 1 million credits left over.

It really increases the fun to play in a platoon with 1 or 2 friends.

Tanks to avoid:  (Note: These are tanks I have experience with.  I primarily play Heavy Tanks, with a few Mediums.)
Most do not like the French Tanks, as they are, well, odd.  Most forget, historically, the French were pioneers of the technology, and at one time supplied the rest of the world, U.S., Russia, China, and Great Britain included, with tanks.  I do not recommend you avoid them.  I enjoyed playing the French tanks.  However, if you want to avoid the lower tier light tanks, this is my suggestion, use the system above to farm enough experience points to bypass the Tier 2-4 tanks (ie. AMX 38, AMX 40.)
 
German Tanks:
Really, I have not found many tanks I dislike in the German branches. 
Players hate the Pz38nA, as it has the wonderful benefit of being placed in higher tier matches, much to its quick destruction.  I had fun with it.
I did not like the VK3001P, and the Tiger P tanks.  They are not good compared to their counterparts, the VK3601H and the Tiger. IF you want the Maus tank, you have to go through them, as there is no other way to get to the tank.

I hate the Tiger II with a passion.  It is expensive to run, fix, and shoot. It is slow, not maneuverable, and weak armor. It supposedly has a great gun, but bounces, a lot, even when using the “target the weak points” play concept.  It, however, does not seem to bounce enemy shots.  It is a tank that can be killed with one shot from a Tier 4 arty (voice of experience) and killed by tanks 3 tiers lower (again with that voice.)  If you want an E-100, you have to go through this tank.  However, from the opinion of many players, the Maus is better than the E-100.

UK tanks: 
Avoid the Vickers Mk II, as it is a mere copy of the Tier 1 tank, with no real benefits.  It is an annoying tank.  You can still get to the Churchill, as the branches merge, for now, on the heavy side of the UK branches.

USSR tanks:
Arguably, and it is the feeling of the majority of WoT players, there is a bias towards Soviet tanks.  Perhaps this is due to the game originating in Belarus. There seems to not be many tanks which you should avoid.  The T-28 dies too quickly, and the T-150 feels like a filler tank, taking up a tier to get to the great KV-3. 

USA tanks:
Do not bother playing the T1 Heavy and M6.  Instead go through the M4 Sherman and the M4A3E2 to get to the American Heavies.  This way you can do both the Heavy and Medium American tank branches, without playing two mediocre, at best, tanks.
The M7 is an awful tank, yet must be endured to get to the new Autoloader branch of American Tanks.

Hope this helps.  I will be adding to it.

Cadaver

[Inject OH 4]

Actually really liked this guide. Read it all, pretty good suggestions that I'll have to try, as the grinding seems to be whats griping me the most lately. I'll try playing more tanks, however that will probably require me to sell a few tanks and get a better more desired garage with tanks I actually like XD

Thanks. Hope to read what you add to it soon.

[Cadaver]

Ok, some other thoughts:  Watch the videos World of Tanks produces on how to play, how the Match Making  (still bad, but better) works,  how to fight each Tank,  how to fight as a team, etc., they put out on You Tube.

The Chieftain's Hatch gives you a simple overview of the real tanks used by WoT to model off of.

Thoughts on Pay to Play or Premium Tanks:

Would I buy one?  Well, I was gifted some.  I got the Matilda Black Prince (Medium) and Churchill III (Heavy) Tier 5. 

What is the benefit? They make more credits and experience than a regular tank.  They are able to train your crew faster (and if the crew is of the same Nationality, and same type ( ie. a tank crew which fights the same class of tank (Light, Medium, Heavy, TD, or SPG.))

They are fun to play.  They have certain specific weaknesses, so as to not make them TOO over powered. (There are exceptions to this rule, as I will discuss later.)  Example, I can 3 shot, or kill it with 3 shots, a Churchill III Tier 5 Heavy with my BDR G1B.  And I have been one shot by an arty in my Churchill III.
Due to this, most Premiums do not throw the battle off. 

I do also have the Tier 2 Premium the T1E6.  It is not much of a tank.  it was a gift to all in WoT.  It is a perfect example as to why buying  a low tier (2-3) Premium Tank is not a great idea.  It is not much fun, and does not gain as much credits as does the tier 4 and 5 Premiums.

As for the Higher Tier Premiums, well, IMHO, they are  too expensive.  This is a Free To Play Game.  Why pay $50+ for a SINGLE TANK?  $50 can get you a whole new pay game.  So, I do not recommend getting them.

This said, if you want an OVER POWERED tank, and cost is not a problem, buy a Type 59, when available. I believe it is to be available, for a limited time, when the Chinese Branch of tanks become available in the next update.  Think within the next few weeks to 2 months.

The Type 59 is the most over powered tank in the game.  Bar none.  A Tiger II will not be able to defeat it, and it is a same tier Heavy tank.  The Type 59 can take direct hits from the Tiger II's best gun, and they bounce off.  The targeting of the Tiger II's best gun makes it hard to use the "shoot at the weak spots" of the Type 59.   The Type 59 will run circles around the Tiger II, can penetrate its armor easily, and can kill the Tiger II faster than the Tiger II can kill most any other tank. And the Tiger II has a chance to 1 shot other tanks.  The Type 59, honestly, acts as if it was a Tier 10 tank, and it is a Tier 8. Good armor, speed, maneuverability, and gun. Their owners love them, and the rest do not want to go against them in battle.

[Sniper no Sniping]

I always hated the Type 59s.  Also they are Medium tanks btw, but their armor, speed, and firepower is annoyingly good for a tier 8 medium tank.

[Cadaver]

So, Cadaver, what do you do if you need the credits and experience to buy a better tank?

Well it depends on your tier level.  If you are under tier 5, and need the credits and experience needed for a specific tank, what you do is this: Since there is little to no chance of losing credits, run all your tanks in sequence.  Play till you get killed, return to the garage, and start a new tank. Play til it gets killed, and repeat. You will gain good credits in little time.
Remember, approximately 10%, of the experience you win is "Free" Experience, which can be used in research of any tank.  If you have a specific tank you want to replace, run this tank more often.  Example: Play it, until it gets killed. Then play other tanks. When it gets back from battle, repair and play it. When it gets killed, play another tank. So, when it pops up again in the garage, run it again.   Typically, with the lower matches,  your  tank you want to get rid of will pop up in about the time you finish a round with another tank, so your process will be target tank you want to get rid of, other tank, target tank, other tank, target tank, other tank.

How do you create credits faster with higher, Tier 5 and above, tanks?  There are a few ways to do it.

Here is where your fun tanks come in.  By the 5th tier, you will have some favorite tanks in your garage, which you have kept due to them being fun to play.   Example for me: BDR G1B, ELC AMX and KV-3.  So, what do I do? I play my fun tanks, and use the credits they make to buy the next tank.  This way it is not much of a grind, because I am enjoying he tanks I am playing.

If you need credits fast: Get certain tier 5 tanks to make them for you.  Again, players recommend the T1 Heavy as a credit making tank. I have found the BDR G1B makes more credits than the T1 Heavy.  Basically, have a few tier 5 tanks to play, to get credits. Focus on how much credits they make.  Why Tier 5?  They seem to be the most bang for buck with playing (get most credits per match) and are less likely to lose credits when you lose a match than higher tiers.

If you want credits faster:  Then have a pay to play tier 5 tank. Or several.  As the Premium tier 5 tank makes lots of credits with little to no chance of losing any.  2 or more Premiums, and cycle through them to gain credits fast.

Faster still? Well, you can buy credits with cash.  But, well. Why?

Faster than this? You could use bots.  Which can violate the WoT policy, and void your account.  Do not do this.

How successful is the fun way/ 2 tier 5 Premium?  Well, I just bought my fourth Tier 6+ tank in less than 3 weeks.  (AMX M4 (1945) T29, T21, and Churchill VII.)