The Soviet Hunchback
By:
IrmaBecx
So I actually bought three premium tanks last year, and they all have one thing in common. Well, two if you count the fact I’m really, really happy with all three.
They are all tier VII tanks.
Tier VII used to be the tier I aspired to, and we are talking about back in 2015 or so. Once I got to tier VIII and IX I kind of forgot about it, especially after they removed plus/minus 2 matchmaking and there was no real advantage in driving preferential MM tanks like the Panther/M10 anymore. Tier VIII became my new hunting ground.
But there was of course the Hype little Type 62, I still drove that off and on. There was the KV-13 and later on the T-34-1 “Chinese Whisper”, the SU-100M1 “Barracuda”, the T-34-85 “Rudy”, and these days there are even a couple of tier VII Heavys I like. Last year I bought the T-44-85, AMX 13 57, and M41D and got the Kunze Panzer for free, so I have quite a collection of tier VII tanks I really like.
And it’s looking like I’m going to add another tank to the list tomorrow, because the LTG is coming.
Stalin’s magic carpet; Quasimodo.
*
It would be idiotic to think the LTG will even make a dent in the rock solid reputation of the LTTB, and doing a bit of bench racing doesn’t change my mind in the least.
While the LTG has a few interesting features, it’s not a “Light tank with Heavy armour” like the other one, and it doesn’t look like you get a whole lot to make up for that.
The LTG actually has a thicker turret front than the LTTB, but it has a bigger weakspot around the gun mantlet all the same. The face is slanted back, but with five degrees of gun depression, you’re still not going to see a lot more than 140 mm of effective armour; enough to maybe bounce a standard shell from a tier VI Light tank.
So what’s good about it?
Well, it has I think the best camo rating of any tier VII Light tank, that’s something. It’s 5,6 percent better than the runner up, and 7,6 percent better than the LTTB. In principle, that means you’ll always get the first shot off, and since you have a larger than average caliber for the tier and tank class, that means you should be able to make some good trades.
The 85mm is a little sharper than the one on the LTTB, but it doesn’t hit quite as hard. I can’t really see one will be better than the other.
Otherwise, the LTG is the heaviest Light tank at tier VII, meaning it won’t move and turn as quickly as the LTTB. You get a handful of hitpoints more for it, but that’s about all. It doesn’t look good for the LTG as an LTTB contender, does it?
Really, there’s only one reason to drive it.
For my part, I haven’t driven my LTTB since 2017. The Hype 62 was always my weapon of choice in tier VII Lights. I have three more now, but as I said I got them all within the last year, that’s a long time to have a favourite.
So for me the LTG is a welcome addition to the tech tree. As it is, the only tier VII tech tree Light tank I really like is the AMX 13 75. I don’t think it’s going to be better than the others. I don’t think it can do anything the rest of them can’t. I just love the way it looks, and I think it’ll be an all right performer.
So the only reason, then, to drive the LTG would be something like that. You think it looks cool, or marvellously hideous, and you want to try something new. And really, you don’t need a lot of reason to drive a tier VII tank, do you?
*
I had a 50% off voucher, so the LTG only cost me 29.500 XP. Then you need 36.000 more to get the top modules, and since I blew almost all my gold on the Object 907, I’m going to have to grind the crew from 75%. But yea, I’m coming up on 800.000 free XP, so I just throw some of it at the little Quasimodo.
I load up my usual combat loadout, activate the boosters, and roll out. Or try to, I should say; this is I think the only time I’ve seen more Light tanks than Heavys and Mediums combined in the queue. But yea, the servers aren’t even fully updated yet. It’s to be expected.
The LTG is a quick little tank, even with 75% crew. With all the modules it feels fully playable with the top modules, at last until I try to shoot at people. It’s not very stable on the move, the shell speed isn’t all that, and I keep missing crucial shots.
Also, I may not have given the LTG armour enough credit, because it does get bounces left and right.Mainly we re talking about the turret sides, but 40 mm is actually enough to not get overmatched by most same and lower tier guns, and the sides are nice and flat.
Not to mention low to the ground; it’s a proper lowrider this one.
It’s update day, long queues, and lets call it erratic gameplay. So I pack it in and get back to it on the night shift, thinking I’ll grind out the crew.
I think I undersold the LTG in my preview, it’s a positively vicious little tank. I almost have to pinch my arm to remind myself it’s going to get better and better until the crew is fully awake. The tradeoffs compared to the LTTB seem reasonable, and running every kind of booster I have the crew sorted in 22 games.
The thing about the LTG is that it’s so low to the ground. They basically placed the turret directly on the floor and built some tracks around it. The crew sits inside it; don’t ask me how the driver keeps track of where they’re going while the turret is turning. Not only is this the rationale for the superior camo rating, it also makes it a competent side hugger.
The gun could have been better, but this is a Russian tank circa 1944. For what it does it’s perfectly serviceable. It misses and bounces, but it sometimes exhibits an extraordinary tendency to tend the shots towards the centre of the aiming circle while you’re going full speed, no matter the size of the bloom. This will however be the exception, one of the balancing factors of the LTG is that it’s not very stable on the move.
Simply being a fast tank with good camo would make a worthwhile tank, but the LTG is more than that. It’s a good tank, it’s just that it lives in the shadow of the LTTB. I dare say there will be drivers who prefer the LTG nonetheless, if nothing else for the Quasimodo look.
*
Once the new update panic subsides things start going a little better. I did drive a game or two in the higher tier tanks, but I just can’t stop driving the LTG.
It’s got such personality. I agree it’s just about the lest attractive tank in the game, but it’s “so bad it’s good”, you know?
I do think the LTTB is superior, unless you really know how to take advantage of camouflage. The LTG is low to the ground, it’s stealthy and brawly, and it’s just a great drive. I think it would be a mistake to skip it.
I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur of tier VII Light tanks, have several premiums et cetera, and as they go this is one of the better ones. It’s just that it’s up against some really tough comparisons, among them the most worthwhile premium tank in the game.
But yeah, this is a tank you grind out because you want to get in on the Quasimodo magic. You drive it because of the hideous looks and the brawly playstyle, for the pure joy of tier VII Light tank gameplay.
Tier VII Light tanks used to be among the most powerful vehicles in the game, and arguably the LTTB pushed them over the edge. They were all blanket nerfed way back in the mists of time, but I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a bad one in any tech tree. But the fact remains this is a Light tank; it’s not balanced to be able to carry entire teams from the bottom anymore.
And I have to say trying to cooperate with ones team has been challenging lately, the atmosphere is increasingly toxic, and so I’ve been playing short sessions. Is it always like this after the update, have we just forgotten?
In the end though I think the LTG is a success. Well within balance, a few competitive advantages, and it has quirk for days if that’s your thing – and why wouldn’t it be?
The only thing that’s holding the LTG back is hull traverse and five degrees of gun depression. IrmaBecx says don’t let such minor inconveniences hold you back.
IrmaBecx School of Tank Philosophy 