Standard B – Overpowered?
By:
IrmaBecx
So it’s been a while since I wrote about the Standard B, and I just managed to claw my way up to 50% winrate in mine.
It’s a little curious. I’ve not spent a whole lot of time grinding it, even though I really like it, and the Progetto 65 too. I have the credits lined up; it’s just I’m in no real hurry to finish the grind.
The Standard B is still the best performing tier IX Medium in the game, a few fractions better than the AMX 1:er prototype with more than twice as many drivers, and remember no one has to grind the AMX proto. You have to call that impressive.
I can’t imagine any other reason for this than it must still be driven mostly by experienced players. That, and the fact it has an auto reloader, which is the most versatile armament you can get your hands on in the game.
So how do you drive it?
One word: carefully. I do get the unexpected bounce once in a while, but even trading shots with low tier tanks, you have to count on every incoming shell going straight through your paper thin armour. It’s not like a BatChat or a Leo that has a few autobounce angles; the Standard B gets overmatched left and right.
I do a fair amour of hitpoint trading in mine. With a full clip, it’s often worth taking a hit if you know you can clip out your opponent; even a big hit from a high caliber gun. The problem is, there may be more than one person shooting at you, and you can’t do it more than a couple of times each game before you run out of hitpoints.
The most valid tactic is of course not being hit.
The standard B is pretty mobile. It turns well. But it’s definitely no faster than other Medium, or even some Heavy tanks in a straight line, so you need to plan your movements in advance. You won’t be able to just drop the hammer and get out of there, and you won’t run circles around a lot of opponents.
Also, if you have heard of autoloaders, and you think the way to play them is drive forward, empty the clip, and then pull back to reload. In the real world, this rarely works out; if you are the first one spotted, and you stay still for six seconds, you are going to get severely perforated.
The way to run an auto reloader is to shoot one, or maybe two shots, and keep the rest of the clip in your back pocket for either emergencies or opportunities. Of course, if no one is looking at you, and you have clear shots, then go right ahead. But make sure you know where all your enemies are so you don’t suddenly take a big hit from an unspotted opponent.
Be aware that after firing two shots, your DPM is at its lowest; it’s not a huge difference, but it does put you at a disadvantage. In a lot of situations, it’s better to wait a second or two for the reload to finish before you fire so you’re not running around with an empty clip.
Getting your head around how an auto reloader really works can be a little tricky, but don’t spend too much time on it in battle. Just keep looking at the reload timers and the magazine indicator; it’s easy to see what the auto reloader is doing. The question you need to ask yourself is either can I hold off firing and get another shell reloaded, or do I have enough rounds in the magazine for whatever engagement I’m about to enter into?
Something I’ve found useful, is if I happen to miss or bounce my first shot, then immediately break off the attack and load another shell before I try again. Let’s say I can clip out an enemy tank with three hits. First one bounces. That means I can get two shells in and then I’m stuck on a longer reload; even if they start pushing while you are loading the first shell back up, it’s often better to deal with the longer reload first.
But yeah; fiddling around with the auto reloader mechanic is one of the things that makes the Standard B so much fun to drive, even when it doesn’t all work out for you.
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There are a few things to like about the Prototipo other than it being the most successful tier IX Medium tank right now.
It’s agile. It has good camo rating. And it has a bona fide tier X 105 mm weapon with standard APCR and high penetration “cheap HESH” rounds.
I’ve heard some of my friends say they don’t mind the stock autoloader at all; personally I got sick of it pretty soon, even though it gets four shells rather than three. I just think 90 mm is a little too weak for tier X targets.
The high penetration HE rounds you get with the 105 mm are a definite advantage, but I find they aren’t always easy to take advantage of. If you are up against another Prototipo in a hull down situation, it makes sense to try them so you can trade shots more efficiently, but you also run the risk of hitting a track or the gun mantlet, and then you’ll be the one who gets outtraded.
You don’t need 116 mm of penetration to deal with Grilles or Waffle tractors; the thing is you can hit the sides, the rear, or the lower plate of some more heavily armoured vehicles and hit them for up to 500 damage. But it’s always going to be a gamble, and you may end up getting a bad hit.
Study your targets, and if you have a second or two to spare while they’re not looking, try switching the ammo type and see if there would be any point trying the cheap HESH. Even if you don’t take the shot, next time you’ll know if it’s worth it to even try.
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For some reason, I was never as scared to drive my Leopard PTA as I am to drive my Leopard 1, and this really is just a PTA with some trade offs. You trade speed, armour, and some gun stats for gun depression, aimtime, and an auto reloader. It’s a beneficial tradeoff both ways to be sure.
At a few fractions over 60% average winrate and 2K average damage, this is the best tier IX Medium in the game right now; there’s no doubt. But that doesn’t mean you are going to reach those numbers, and if you ask me, I don’t feel like the Standard B is overpowered at all. It takes a competent driver to realise all that potential.
I said a while ago that auto reloaders are going to change the high tier game meta forever, and they have. The reason these tanks are all so successful is their unsurpassed versatility; the very nature of auto reloaders makes any tank that carries one amazingly flexible.
It’s a tall order running a tank at 60% for most players. But even if you can’t quite do that, the Prototipo Standard B is still a lot of fun to drive, and in time it will teach you how to make the most of all that versatility.
Me, I’m not quite there yet. I’m doing a lot better, and I have something like 70.000 XP left until I get my coveted Progetto 65.
But the standard B is not a stepping stone, it’s a keeper for sure. It’s sufficiently different from the Progetto to be worthwhile; I would say it’s good enough to be worth the grind all on its own. The tier X tank is a little sharper, a little faster, and it has a little better armour. Not a lot better, but enough to be noticeable. It’s not simply the same tank only a tier higher.
If you are still considering the grind, I still say go for it. I’ve enjoyed driving all the mid to high tier vehicles, and even though it’s taken a bit longer than it could have, I haven’t had a lot of problems with the grind; at least none that a little gold or free XP could solve, both of which can be had for free by simply playing the game, watching some ads, or clearing some missions.
The Standard B is not the only lightly armoured tier IX Medium; in fact I think most of them have fairly weak armour. You may have a PTA or an AMX 1:er prototype already. Is this not just a PTA with an auto reloader?
Yes. That’s exactly what it is. But an auto reloader is worth having all on its own; even if you have all the other Leopard variants, IrmaBecx says this one should still be at the top of your shopping list.
See you out there!
IrmaBecx School of Tank Philosophy 