World of Tanks Guru
Tips, Guides,Replays, and Previews for World of Tanks
"Pessimism never won any battle"
WoT Guru Gold Giveaway
Winners Have Been Chosen!!!
1. KV-5 = Lorack
2. KV-5 = ccsrazr
3.(Because I am feeling nice) Military Special #1 = jpuchalsky
Another gold giveaway is here due to the special weekend going on. Like usual NA server only, sorry EU/RU but WG has made it nearly impossible for me to use the Gift Shop on your servers, and only one entry per person. Leave a valid in-game NA WoT username below in the comments on this post(please no doubles or else you will be disqualified). Entries start now and will end this Saturday May 11th at 11:45pm EST.
Prizes
1. KV-5
2. KV-5
Rules
1. North American server only
2. One entry per username, duplicates will be disqualified
3. Must have at least 250 battles
4. Entry must be in by May 11th 11:45pm EST
Map Strategy: Pearl River
I’ll start off by saying that Pearl River is the most interesting map in World of Tanks currently. It has a ton of different elements, elevations, and areas all smashed into one map that provides quite the challenge to any player. At first glance the map is overwhelming and rightfully so since it has dozens of individual paths to take. This map strategy guide will outline some general routes to take and areas to focus on for both side 1 and side 2. The images you see here were drawn up on MapTactic which is an excellent website to use to draw up strategies for clan wars and tournaments as well as other online games.
Overview
I’ve broken Pearl River down into several key areas to make the map somewhat easier to understand. The Northern Passage is the shortest and most protected from artillery route to get to the enemy base. However, taking this route will put you in direct contact with enemies since there is only one route in and out. Both bases have defensive positions at the entrances of the Northern Passage and also located further back behind each base allowing a team to focus less on the highly contested north. This might seem slightly risky but if your team is capable of setting up a layered defense and catch the enemy in the wide open base area they will be easily taken care of.
The Central Town area might seem wide open but the various buildings and small nooks provide great cover from both tanks and artillery. The main counter to the town is if your team has absolutely no presence in the Southern Passage allowing enemy tanks/artillery to flank. The River area is very risky and shouldn’t be used at the start of the match as it’s main role is to be a buffer between the town and the south. The final two areas are the most difficult due to the terrain and elevations. The Southern Passage has few defensible positions and many flanking routes. The Skirmish Area located in the middle of both team’s path provides small mounds/rocks to hide behind but should be pushed through quickly or else artillery will rain hell down upon your team.
Below are some close up shots for each side of specific areas/routes to take. Side 1 is in yellow since green is harder to see on this map and side 2 is red.
Side 1
For side 1 the Northern Passage has a few good defensible positions underneath the bridge and also at the entrance of the passage. If you sit further back near the bridge you can be supported better from your teammates in the overlook spots and artillery. If you choose to push ahead you will want to get C8 rather quickly since you want to pin enemy tanks down before they pass through C9. Side 1 has an easier time taking the north than side 2 does if played aggressive.
There are many locations around the base area for tanks to set up in and be useful. The two base overlook locations provide cover either by foliage or buildings and have great coverage of the flag/town areas. E1/F1 have two elevated hills for mobile tanks to spot ahead but provide limited defensible locations. If you plan on pushing south and/or defending this area it is best to keep moving further south to at least H2 or else the enemy has the advantage. For those looking to move through the town hug the buildings and slowly advance alongside your teammates further south of you.
H2 and J3 provide a choke point with some cover to defend against advancing enemies. The enemy will either have to push directly through you or relocate and take the routes located closer to the river/center of the map leaving them exposed. More mobile tanks can either dart through into the skirmish area if they have support or take the G3 route slightly delayed to flank the enemy tanks in the south. Keep in mind that if you decide to push into the skirmish area that it is open to outside artillery fire and you should play aggressive to get to the other side. Advancing through the south/middle is best if your team can focus on at least two of the routes on this side of the map(Southern Passage, River Area, Central Town) or else you run the risk of being flanked/stuck.
If your team has made it this far you most likely are in a good position to win the match. Keep in mind that the enemy also has a narrow choke point in K7/K8 that is easily defended and sometimes it is best to have tanks go through the central town area/exposed passage to make it through.
Side 2
Like side 1 this side has locations at the entrance of the Northern Passage to defend but unlike side 1 they are more exposed to artillery. If your team commits to the north you must play it fast since you can be easily stuck in D0 with nowhere to go. Making it to the C9 nook and then into C8/B8 to the rocks before the enemy sets up will give you the upper hand. Alternatively your team can set up in F7(central town area) or further south in G0/H8 and catch the enemy in the wide open field around the base. Side 2 has a more difficult time taking the northern passage especially if it is not played aggressively and even then side 1 has a slight advantage.
Side 2 has an easier time defending the southern/central portions of the map due to the added central overlook spot with the small town in J6. Like side 1 this side has a base overlook spot with a lot of foliage in H8 capable of providing long range support. The central town area is slightly better protected than side 1 as well and is easier to advance through up to the western side of F5 since the central overlook in J6 can provide great covering fire.
If your team decides to advance through the southern passage it is important to not get stuck in K5 since you will be bottled in. Side 2 is best when your team can quickly take the skirmish area and most of the central town since it pins the enemy in at J3, G2, and further back. Once this happens side 1 has limited hardcover from artillery aside from the J3 area and will be on their heels. It is best if side 2 plays the south very aggressively and to take as much of the map as possible until the enemy provides resistance. Keep in mind that since the Northern Passage is difficult for side 2 that you have a high possibility of being capped quickly and having a path to return to base is very important.
Looking For A Clan?
For those who are not in a clan and/or looking to join a new clan on the NA server you’ll be happy to know that I now am running my own clan. Our name is Vanaheimr and at our core we date back to the ancient MMORTS Shattered Galaxy in 2001. The clan is centered around having a good time without sacrificing the will of wanting to perform well. World of Tanks is a game after all and having fun should be a priority but it doesn’t mean that you can’t kick ass in the process.
Requirement wise we do not have to many set in stone rules but there are a few which we look for. Using TeamSpeak while in-game is highly recommended and we have our own dedicated server for WoT and/or other games we are playing. Vanaheimr does not have an activity requirement like “be on 5 nights a week” like some other clans do but we do expect you to play World of Tanks and not log on once every millennium. Age wise we are looking for players 18 years or older but exceptions are made on a case to case basis. We won’t reject you if you have “bad” stats or whatever other silly measurement the elitists are using these days. Aside from those requirements having an open mind, wanting to learn/improve, and above all having fun while fitting in with our members also are things we look for.
Since we are a small fledgling clan we mainly focus on platooning and doing tank companies which you might have seen if you watch the videos I post on here. Tournaments and clan wars are off the table for now but if down the road the membership wants to put in the time and effort to do them then we will make that step. Decisions and the direction the clan heads is largely in the hands of the members and everyone has a say in things.
If you are interested head over to our website and fill out an application(please use the stickied application guideline as a reference). Also feel free to hop onto our TeamSpeak server and platoon up with some members.
Website: http://www.ituroncavalry.com/index.php?/forum/44-apply-here/
TeamSpeak Server Address: ts22.gameservers.com:9229
Tank Guide: T34
The tier 8 T34 is very different than the former tier 9 T34 that many long time players had a chance to play. At tier 9 the T34 was agile with very good hull/turret traverse speeds and had a very high RoF with excellent damage per minute(DPM). When the M103 and T110E5 were added into the game the T30 and T34 were both bumped down 1 tier and the T34 became a “free” premium tank for those who had it in their garage. Being moved down from tier 9 to tier 8 saw the T34 changed in many ways to make it balanced at tier 8 and in many ways you can feel the forced changes to make it fit at tier 8. This guide will break the T34 down into firepower, mobility, armor, and other stats while scoring it on a 0-5 basis. Some tactics and general play style tips will also be gone over to help you play the T34 effectively.
Firepower
The main feature of the T34 is it’s 120mm cannon at tier 8 which packs a mean punch. The 400 alpha is the most out of all tier 8 heavy tanks and the penetration is a staggering 248mm for the AP/297 for APCR. The high alpha and high penetration combo means that you will never face a tank(even tier 10s) that you cannot damage in some way from the front. Other premium tanks suffer from low penetration for their standard AP shells and even the premium shells while the T34 has the luxury of escaping that fate. The base rate of fire is 4 RPM which is raised to 4.74 RPM with Brother’s in Arms and a gun rammer. Ventilation does lower the reload a bit more but the combination of a vertical stabilizer and gun laying drive is a must. The damage per minute(DPM) does come out to be 1,896 which is in line with other tier 8′s which much lower alpha which is a nice plus.
The overall accuracy is .35 which is enough to where you can hit the majority of your shots however at longer ranges against tier 9/10 you will find the accuracy does prove to be lacking. Formerly at tier 9 the T34 had a very low aim time and the on the move accuracy was above average. At tier 8 however the aim time is an uncharacteristic 3.4s for an American tank and the on the move accuracy is also atrocious. This makes getting off well aimed shots difficult if you are caught off guard against t9/10 tanks. The plus side is that due to your high penetration you can take shots against t8 and lower tanks without being fully aimed in. As stated earlier due the the aim time and on the move accuracy a gun laying drive/vertical stabilizer combo is needed.
Armor
If you like well armored tanks the T34 does give you a well armored turret, however the hull armor is severely lacking at tier 8 since it shares the T29′s hull. The hull armor is a mere 102mm thick on the frontal glacis with 76mm sides/51mm rear. This is a huge downside since practically any shell that hits your hull will penetrate unless you angle heavily and hope that the shells hits at the heavily angled section. The turret on the other hand is very strong allowing you to hide your weak hull armor and only expose the turret. The frontal turret as that gigantic 279mm thick mantlet which around the edges of it has an additional 178mm behind it. The turret face around the mantlet is only 178mm thick but is decently angled and will bounce most tier 9 and under guns unless they use premium rounds. On top of the turret is a large commander’s cupola but since it is located in the rear of the turret and fitted with 178mm of armor it will bounce most shells thrown at it unless the shell hits it dead on.
The sides of the turret drop down to 127mm which is a bit weaker but still thick enough to where you can angle your turret slightly if you are being flanked to potentially bounce a shot. The rear of the turret is actually thicker than the sides due to a counterweight being needed which makes the rear of the turret come out to be 203mm. This might seem like a huge deal but you’ll find that if you can master hiding you hull that even the rear of your turret can take a beating(although its not recommended to be in that position often).
Mobility
Gone are the days of a T34 capable of relocating around the map with general ease and now the T34 is more of a slug. The top speed is 35 km/h which you will get close to on level ground but the average speed will be around 29-31 km/h. Acceleration isn’t great as well which is due to the 880 hp engine in a 65 ton tank which leads to you struggling to climb any type of hill/steep incline. This leads the T34 to often be left out of critical fights in which it is needed to get to quickly but due to the lack of speed(especially uphill) it gets there after the fight is already lost.
The hull traverse also is somewhat lacking at 22 degrees/second along with the 18 degrees/second turret traverse. Both of these being low will mean that if you face medium/light tanks(and even some heavies) alone that they can circle you without you being able to catch up. In most cases it is best to bail out of where you are to some sort of rock/wall so that you are capable of preventing this from happening.
Miscellaneous
The view range of the T34 has always been somewhat low at 360m which will lead to you being spotted by most tanks well before you can see them. Due the your somewhat low speed/mobility you will most likely not be spotting your own targets however and only when you are caught alone does this downfall come into play. Ammunition wise the T34 carries 34 shells which isn’t an astronomically high number but due the the 400 damage shells/long reload at tier 8 it is plenty and you will rarely run out. To make up for the lack of hull armor is the excellent 10 degrees of gun depression while facing froward or to the sides of the tank. This allows the T34 to exploit terrain that other tanks with only 6-8 degrees of gun depression cannot. Mastering “hull down position” and finding spots on every map to use to do this will greatly enhance not only you surviving more often but also damage/win percentage.
As a tier 8 premium tank the T34 is brought mainly for it’s ability to make credits which not surprisingly it does very well. With a premium account for most games the T34 will net between 35-55k profit(after all costs) which is very good for most of your games. If you shoot a bit higher and aim for 3k+ damage you’ll see your profits soar to 65k-90k per game which is well within reach due to the firepower of the T34. For the somewhat more “rare” games where you do an insane amount of damage+carry your team the sky is the limit and the T34 makes between 100k-120k profit. To maximize your profits only use APCR when you absolutely need to and above all stay alive as long as possible.
For equipment you will want to use a gun rammer, vertical stabilizer, and a gun laying drive. Crew skills shouldn’t be tailored to your T34 but rather your other American heavies such as the T57/T110E5. In which case having BiA/Repair is needed. Later on mixing in safe stowage and jack of all trades helps out with both of those tanks. Unlike some other tier 8 premiums the T34 does not get special matchmaker and sees up to tier 10 tanks.
Tactics
Many tend to struggle at first with the T34 due to the long aim time, terrible on the move accuracy, and somewhat sluggish mobility. Most of these problems are “fixed” by equipping a gun laying drive/vertical stabilizer but the mobility will always be a constant annoyance. Learning how to play a tank that isn’t very mobile and with low hull armor takes time but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The most important asset is to learn your maps well and where to go. If you are the top tank you want to take a route that puts you in the best spot to dish out damage without taking away the option to return to base if the other flank collapses quickly. When you are stuck at the bottom of the pecking order in a match you can play a bit more freely and pick the best places to hull down or to support higher tiers. Above all focus on staying in spots that are more defensive which allow you to control how the enemy approaches you than to pick spots that leave you easily flanked. Whether this means you stick near your team’s “blob” or you pick a good hull down spot behind the front lines you’ll notice the payoff.
The main counters the the T34 are highly mobile tanks that can zip around without you being capable of shooting them and artillery. With the hull armor being very weak artillery shots will do massive damage via splash more than other tanks. Preventing being flanked is easily avoided by picking smart locations and keeping an eye on the map. Being hit by artillery however is part luck and part situation awareness. Generally I will play a bit more “aggressive” until I see artillery focusing in my general area which when I see that I will take my shot and move into cover a bit quicker.
Recap
Pros
High alpha gun(400 Damage)
Great penetration(AP and APCR)
10 degrees of gun depression
Excellent all around turret armor
Credit earning potential
Cons
Weak hull armor
Aim time
On the move accuracy
Vulnerability to artillery
Turret traverse
Hull traverse
Bad mobility
No special matchmaker
Overall the T34 does what it was meant to do very well, which is being capable of packing a mean punch against any tank it is faced against. However, with that capability in a premium tank you have to pay the price in mobility, accuracy, being able to defend yourself against fast tanks/artillery, and the weak hull armor. Negating the downsides of the T34 will be the largest hurdle to overcome and every game you are faced with “what can’t I do” rather than what you can do which does make playing the T34 a bit less enjoyable than other tanks. The complete package however is still pretty good and the T34 is a solid premium tank. Buy it for the credit earnings and to stick your American heavy crew in but not for a tank that you think will be exciting to play. For this the T34 gets a 3/5 since while it can print credits and do damage it’s limitations drag the tank down 2 notches.