Pro Tools: AMX 30 B

Not A Royal Ordnance L7A1

By:

IrmaBecx

So you know how people say tier IX tanks are sometimes more worth it because they are “stronger in their tier” or “stronger tier for tier”? The AMX 30 1er Prototype and the AMX 30 B are the perfect example of this.

It’s a bit of a bad comparison for the 30 B, because the Prototype is perhaps the most exquisitely balanced tank in the game; the finest Medium tank you could ever get your hands on. For all its strength, the 30 B is not that.

And really, it’s a lot to do with the prominent commander’s hatch on top of the turret; an obvious weakspot. The Proto has a flat turret top. Otherwise, the 30 B is the better tank; it has better DPM, better gun handling, better penetration, better shell speed, better accuracy, much better ground resistance values, and it goes faster. The only thing the 1er Proto does better is actually armour thickness and 11% of credit coefficient.

The gun mantlet of the Proto is thicker than on the 30 B, and so is the armour behind it. But in 99% of situations that’s not going to matter. If you are hull down against a Ho-Ri III running calibrated shells, that will likely go through the 30 B and bounce off the Prototype, but that’s because it’s an AP shell and not HEAT.

But as much as I love my Proto, the 30 B always held a special place in my heart. It was one of the first tanks I supertested, around two and a half years ago now, and back then it was a little more, lets say “exuberant”. I do drive the production version on my press account, and I’ve always really liked it; I’ve been meaning to pick one up one day.

The question is, however: do I really need another 105 mm Medium tank, especially in the current game meta?

And the answer is, no; I need two. I need the 121B because it’s a hybrid; a 105 mm Object 140, and I need the 30 B because except for the E 50 M, it’s the only 105 mm Medium tank at tier X that doesn’t have a Royal Ordnance L7A1 clone for a main armament. The 30 B carries the 105 mm mle. F1, and of course that makes it all worth it.

It’s an interesting story, actually. You may know the Leopard 1, the AMX 30, the STB-1, and the Progetto 65 all come from the same joint project, and the 105 mm mle. F1 was developed for the envisioned “standard tank”, along with the fantastic and oh-so-French Obus G round.

Since HEAT rounds work better without spin stabilisation, the Obus G has an inner and an outer shell connected by ball bearings, and only the outer shell rotates from the rifling. That means you will get spin stabilisation, but the plasma beam won’t dissipate when the shell explodes.

What happened was that Germany adopted the L7 instead of the F1, and each nation ended up developing their own tank based on the prototypes.

For all intents and purposes, the F1 doesn’t differ all that much from any other tier X 105 mm Medium tank gun. Compared to the top of the line L7A3 Bordkanone, the F1 is only fractions worse in every respect except DPM. But it makes me happy knowing every time I fire a HEAT round that’s not a boring old T384E4 or L-38; it’s a spin stabilised Obus à Charge Creuse de 105 mm Modéle F1.

So is the AMX going to be worth fifteen thousand gold?

In a word? Yes. Not because of the Obus G round, but because the AMX 30 B is a fantastic drive. It’s soo agile, it’s almost like driving a Light tank. And if you are tired of getting smacked in the face in your Leopard every time you poke out to take a shot, there is no better remedy than the 30 B except maybe the STB-1.

That’s a good point, actually. All you have to do is slog through the other Japanese Mediums, and you’ll end up with a tank that in many respects is better than the AMX. The STB has much better armour, better DPM, and the turret is flatter. But it doesn’t quite offer the same freedom of movement the AMX does, and besides I’ve had my STB for ages at this point.

Really, if I wanted to diversify my collection, I’d get a collectible Heavy tank and not a Medium. I’ve had my eye on the VK 90 for quite a while. But I do still fashion myself a Medium tank driver, and I have always wanted a 30 B. 15K gold is steep, but it’s not all that steep, especially since I got most of the gold from watching streams and selling off surplus FCMs.

Anyway, the question is moot, because I already bought it.

But for you, there is still time. You could just grind out the STB-1 and do the hull down thing better. You could slog through the stock PTA; famously one of the hardest grinds in the game, and end up with the non plus ultra Leopard 1; you just won’t bounce anything off your gun mantlet. Or, if you are curious about French Medium tanks, you can wait and get a good deal on the 1er Prototype.

Me, I finally made the decision. It’s not a great bundle, but it is within reason; you get all nine equipment slots unlocked which is my main concern, and you also get the “Corporal” attachment which I think looks cool but wouldn’t normally pay for.

So I set all equipment slots to the left except extra hitpoints, extra engine power, and high end consumables, load up on croissants and paté, grab some repair kits, and load 29 APCR, 13 HEAT, and 7 HE rounds. I’m thinking about running the calibrated shells too, but DPM isn’t fantastic, so we’ll see after a few games.

All done. Time to go. And I’m hesitating a little, because it is a sort of momentous occasion. I’ve driven the tank before; in fact I drove it on the press account just the other day, but it’s always different on my main account.

First game out was a bust, but we ended up winning. And after that, it’s been a bit of ups and downs, but mostly up. I’ve won a few games where I only did like 1000 damage and didn’t really accomplish anything, but that’s all right. I’m in it for the long haul.

Actually, part of the reason I’ve been wanting the AMX 30 B is I realised how much mileage I’ve been getting out of my WZ-111 5A. I mean, I had a tier X premium for ages; I just never drove it. But it is nice having a tier X go-to vehicle that doesn’t lose any credits, and I’ve been thinking I might want another one.

After a handful of games, it all comes back to me. I remember why I loved this tank so much in testing, and why it’s been on my want list ever since; other than the Object 140, the AMX 30 B personifies the playstyle I aspire to as a tank driver. It’s just so agile.

Agility is not the same as speed, but this could actually be the fastest tier X Medium tank in the game. It’s either the AMX or the Leopard 1.

And speaking of the Leopard, you might say the AMX is somewhere in between the Leo and the STB-1. It’s not as robust as the STB but it’s faster, and it doesn’t quite have the firepower of the Leo, but it bounces more shots. I know you can get a few bounces off the Leo, but you can’t angle up your armour on a ridgeline and get those expected bounces the way the AMX can. The front plate is 55 mm, and then 40 mm closer to the turret. That means it will autobounce either a 120 or a 155 mm shell depending on where it hits.

But your mobility is the real “armour”, and that takes a little getting used to. When I see a fast tank I immediately think of brawling, and you can certainly brawl in the AMX 30 B. But that’s not really its forte; what it does really well is simply go where it needs to be, and positioning should be among your first considerations.

Continuing the Leopard comparison, I feel a different level of confidence rolling out in my new AMX than in my old Leo, and it’s actually a little strange. What little armour you have is about equivalent to being able to put your hand in the way when someone tries to slap you in the face, but even that little bit makes an enormous difference.

To finish off, it’s important to note we are in fact comparing the AMX to the best Medium tank in the game except for the armour. The Leopard has everything, except the one thing the AMX has over the Leo – a gun mantlet.

So yeah, I feel I made the right decision. But more than that, I feel the AMX 30 B is a tank I’m going to get some real mileage out of, and not just because it’s new to me.

Three things make me think that. It’s fast and agile, which is what I like. It should comfortably pay for its own upkeep. And perhaps most importantly: I’m not scared to drive it the way I am my Leopard 1. I’ve put thirty games on it since I bought it, and things aren’t going bad at all. Stats are up, damage output in healthy, and I’m having fun driving it.

What more could you ask for?

But this is still a fragile Medium tank, the preferred target for campy doom cannons and hysterical Light tank drivers crying over losing their missiles to the impending Sheridan buff. The AMX is the kind of tank people will push on when your hitpoints are down because they think it’s a pushover.

Here is a quick game I had today. Not spectacular, but it shows off the freedom of movement; the go-where-you-are-needed capability, and hopefully a bit of the vim and verve that makes me like this tank so much:

So should you get one? That’s a big “maybe”.

First of all it’s an expensive tank, and you could actually get something quite similar in the tech tree, although not quite this exact combination of abilities, and for me, the way the 30 B is balanced is a big selling point. It’s a reasonable tank; not too strong, not too weak, and with some definite strengths to take advantage of.

It’s also an extravagance of the highest order, perhaps more so than other collectible or premium tanks at tier X. You don’t buy the 30 B just because you want a tier X Medium, you buy it because you want the particular things it has to offer. If you did just want a Medium tank, there are plenty of options in the tech tree.

But if you like fast and agile tanks, and you don’t need a lot of armour, then the AMX is a wonderful drive; I really am very happy with it. And having played the game going on seven years now, I’m glad I waited to get it; there aren’t a lot of tanks I want that I don’t have already. I have to say this one was worth waiting for.

There are a few issues that should inform your decision. The AMX 30 B has the lowest DPM of any non autoloading tier X Medium tank. Much of the armour is thin enough to get overmatched. And overall, the stats aren’t very impressive. There really are only two things to make up for all the mediocrity; it has the joint highest top speed, and almost the same specific power as the Leopard 1. While lacking around 100 horsepower, the AMX is five tons lighter, making effective horsepower per ton almost exactly the same. 130% credit coefficient isn’t stellar, but it will pay for the upkeep.

This is not what you call a noob friendly vehicle. Mobility is a powerful advantage, but it will only get you so far. It can also quickly land you in more trouble that you can handle.

It’s hard to put your finger on wha’s so great about the AMX 30 B, and if you have trouble seeing what could possibly be so great about it, then I think you should think twice about making the investment. It looks great, it drives great, but none of those things is what makes it great. It’s a hull down tank, but likewise that isn’t really the sum of what it is.

I think what makes me like the AMX so much is the fact it puts my driving and decision making in focus. It’s all about the gameplay and how you take advantage of the fantastic mobility; what situations you can manufacture, and how you deal with ones that develop beyond your control.

As a side note, I can tell you if you are worried about the weak hatch on top, I take very few hits to that in my AMX. And really; why would people shoot at the hatch when your side armour is 35 mm and your upper front plate is 40 mm?

I win more games than I lose in the AMX 30 B, and that’s really all I care about, because this tank isn’t about stats; it’s about driving. It’s about putting yourself out there in a fast and flimsy tank and showing what you are made of. They say Light tanks is the hardest class to play, but this isn’t very far off. Except for the patchy armour and comparatively low DPM, there isn’t a lot to hold you back.

So yeah, it’s thumbs up from me. I love the AMX. But that doesn’t mean you should get one. If you are looking for something fast and extravagant you don’t really need but you want anyway, then that’s a pretty fair description of the AMX 30 B.

I will leave you with one more game; this one is an unexpected Mastery. I was really just holding the ridgeline on Normandy, but when the red team started pushing towards the A cap, I figured I had to do something about it:

You can see the shots don’t always penetrate, but I’m still not running the calibrated shells. You do notice the comparatively low DPM when brawling other Mediums, and it’s hard to get calculated bounces off the gun mantlet, because they’ll just shoot at your hull.

That is not to say I think the tank is struggling, because it simply isn’t. I don’t win all my games in it, but I do find that when I win, and sometimes when I don’t, I often have those “good games” that are my sole reason for playing at all these days. Bottom line, I’m very happy with my new AMX 30 B.

See you out there. I’ll be in the French sports tank with the spare parts camo.

Obj 252u, T26E5, Lorraine 40 t

Black Friday Deals

By:

IrmaBecx

So if you have 5000 gold lying around, you can get yourself a new tier VIII premium tank from today, your choice of the T26E5, the Lorraine 40 t, or the Object 252u – King of IS Spam.

I thought I’d give you a quick rundown of what you can expect from these tanks, because 5K gold with all nine equipment slots is I think a deal worth considering.

And I can tell you up front that for my money, the 252u is the best deal of the bunch.

The Object 252u is the most powerful IS spam tank in the game, there’s just no doubt about it. The only reason I say you should consider the IS-5 first is that its so much cheaper, even at this low price you’d get almost four of them for the price of one 252u.

But that’s not what this is going to be about. Every time I drive the 252u on the press account, I become more convinced it is in fact the most powerful of the Soviet style Heavy tanks, and if a picture is worth a thousand words, a moving picture should be even better:

That’s my first game out today, pumping out almost 3K damage in a tier IX game without too much effort.

The Spam King has three things going for it other than a liberal amount of Russian bias. It’s mobile, it has solid armour, and it has the most powerful 122 mm of any tank of this style. The BL-13 is basically a BL-9 with double cheese and extra hot sauce; you get the same 225 mm of standard penetration, but you’ll have 420 alpha on your AP, 360 on your APCR, and it points the gun down one more degree than the IS-3.

That doesn’t sound like huge increase, and it’s not. But it does make the weapon slightly more consistent, and with the benefit of thicker, more angled armour plating, you should be able to take on the tech tree tank any day of the week and come out on top.

The Object 252u is not automatically going to win you games, but is sure will make things easier for you. It doesn’t really have any significant drawbacks, which is a bit of Bias in and of itself, and if you make out all right in your current IS Spam beater, chances are you’ll do a little better in this one.

So is it worth it?

Yes. If you like this style of tank, without a doubt. This is as close to overpowered you can get driving a Russian Heavy tank at tier VIII. I’ll even say I quite like it, but I’m not getting one, because I am quite happy with my slightly less biased WZ-111.

If you don’t want to drive a pike nose, or you think the most powerful 122 mm Heavy tank makes things too easy, you might consider the T26E5; that’s the one they call the “Sheriff” when decked out in the special camo, and please note that camo is not included in the bundle.

The T26E5 is more of an acquired taste, I’d say.

You get 500 DPM more than tier standard, but you need to use a 90 mm gun to put out the shells. That means you have a Medium tank reload; you’ll easily trade two shots for one against other Heavy tanks with 120 or 122 mm weapons, and with ten degrees of gun depression and a sturdy gun mantlet, you can really chew people up in the right position.

The T26E5 is a tank you either like or you don’t; I know people who swear by it, but there’s not a lot of them. I kind of like it but not enough to buy it, and I would say there’s an easy test to see if you will. If you think driving a Löwe, AMX M4 49, or any other 105 mm Heavy tank is too complicated because of the low alpha damage, then this tank is definitely not for you.

It’s one of the most typical Medium/Heavy hybrids in the game. I drove a quick game in it just so you can see the thing move and shoot:

Is it worth it?

For the right driver, yes; and it all about that 90 mm gun. It’s a good one, but it does mean you’ll have to work a little more to do damage, and if you’re not into that, then stay away.

This brings us to the Lorraine 40 t. Again, this is sort of a niche vehicle; a four shot 90 mm autoloader with no armour that does 60, and again I know people who swear by it.

I’ve had the Lorraine on my press account for a while, but I haven’t driven it all that much, and so I don’t really have an opinion for you, except to say this is a tank with very flimsy armour, but you do have two important strengths to make up for that.

The Lorraine has a burst potential of 900 damage over 7.5 seconds. that in itself is a strength. But then you also have great mobility; this is nothing like your AMX 50 100, you have 15 km/h top speed and five horsepower per ton more, it really is fantastically mobile. And that means you can deploy that awesome burst potential where it needs to be, and then hopefully make a quick getaway.

The playstyle isn’t super hard to learn. If you already drive autoloaders, you’ll like this one, it’s a real hit and run burst assassin.

The tradeoff however, is that every part of the tank except the turret front will be overmatched by a 122 mm or larger caliber weapon. I found that out trying to clip out a T49, taking almost 1000 damage right off the bat and then being stuck on a 21 second reload while my team rushed to help.

Sadly, they got there too late, so I’m not going to show you that game. We lost, too.

But yeah, if the T26E5 is an acquired taste,t eh Lorraine is even more so. I’d rather have the M4 Rev or the CDC I think, but again, for the right player this will be a gem.

Three interesting tanks on offer, I’d say. Again, for my money the Object 252u is the most obvious deal, and If I were out shopping, that’s the one I’d go for.

It looks like you’ll have to spend an enormous amount of gold to get a hold of the coveted Scorpion G camper special, but that never interested me.

You probably know I like the T-34-3; basically a Hype 59 with a 122 mm on it, I’d say avoid the VK 168.01 (P). The FV201 (A45) is also a low alpha, high DPM type deal; almost 3000 DPM at tier VII, and the ISU-122S from the “Berlin” collection just got buffed, so they may be worth a look.

I was never super into the E25, but you certainly get a lot of stuff with it. That’s not a gold bundle, however.

All in all, I do think there are some good deals to be had; again for the right customer.

Except the Object 252u. That’s an actual bargain, and you can quote me on that.

Help! I Have An FCM 50t!

Magnifique

By:

IrmaBecx

This paper is dedicated to LeBigTed and Minitelrose, my favourite Frenchmen in the game. Check out Teds channel here!

So I don’t know if it’s just my luck, but the FCM 50t seems to be the easiest tank to get from the autumn season lockboxes. I’ve been watching the finals to get my hands on some keys, and I only need a couple more to get a free tank.

I have the FCM already, of course. I’ve had it for years, so I’ll get a free garage slot and some compensation instead.

But if you don’t, and you happen to find yourself the owner of a brand new but old in the game French premium Medium tank no one really talks about anymore, then I’m here to give you a quick rundown of what you can expect.

First of all, spending resources on a tier VIII premium is well worth it. I have all nine equipment slots on mine and run my standard combat loadout on it to get the best performance.

If you are short on resources, you can let the tank pay for it’s own equipment, and if so I would recommend the following order. First row: wiewrange, then rammer, and then the one in the middle. Second row, go for engine upgrade first since you already have such massive power. Then gun laying drive, and finally the improved armour or extra hitpoints. On the third row, I always get the Vstab first, then the track upgrade, and lastly I go for the improved consumables so I get a 19 second speed boost, or shot of adrenaline if you prefer.

I get a 6,06 second reload, and with adrenaline that drops to 4.76 seconds, meaning you’ll comfortably get four shots instead of three for the duration.

As I said I prefer the speed boost. The FCM is already highly mobile, and the extra speed will make you more effective. I also run extra hitpoints; the FCM does present around 170 mm of effective armour in a lot of situations, so the armour upgrade will likely come into effect. But this was originally a Heavy tank, and it still has a healthy slug of hitpoints, so getting a few more makes sense too.

You get 90 rounds capacity, but this is one of those French long guns, meaning standard penetration is good, so I don’t carry a lot of APCR.

And with that, I run my first game in a little while. Here’s how it went:

As you can see, I kind of used most of my hitpoints right away, but it meant I got rid of the Emil I; one of the strongest tanks at tier VIII, in the most powerful position on the map, thereby giving the rest of my team free rein, and then I basically just stayed in the middle to help clean up.

I actually got the tank today. I’ve been watching three live streams and that’s gotten me enough certificates to put together an FCM 50t. Since I had it already, I got 3750 gold instead, which was nice.

Having a closer look at the actual tank, the first thing you’ll notice is it’s the size of a Maus. You do get some armour to hide behind, but although it’s thicker than it used to be, it’s really not all that sturdy.

The sides are thick enough to sidescrape, but your turret sits way forward, and you also have the transmission sticking out at the back, so do be careful. The front plate is 120 mm, but it isn’t very well angled; even using full gun depression you’ll only get around 170 mm effective. It’s better to frontscrape where both the forward mounted turret and good reverse speed will come in handy.

So it’s a gun depression Medium, only bigger. Eight degrees is about tier average, but it does get the job done. But what’s fun about it is that it’s so fast in spite of its size, and against slower or weaker opponents, you can be a real bully.

The armour does work in hull down situations and when angled properly, but this is not a Heavy tank. The weapon is really nice to work with, putting out solid damage, and I don’t find myself using a lot pf premium rounds.

Driving eight more games I only lose two; it’s great being back in the fabulous FCM, it’s not very hard to do around 2000 damage, and the thing rakes in the credits. You would think it would be harder to hide the massive hull, but since it has such good mobility, it’s really not that hard. It does run circles round slow moving Heavy tanks, and plowing into more fragile vehicles is sure to get their attention.

You really just need to make sure you don’t get caught out in the open, or sideways against a big gun. Hold on to hour hitpoints, but don’t be afraid to tank some damage if it will help your team.

So it’s fun, it’s effective, easy to drive, and it makes good credits.

What’s not to like?

Well, not a lot of things. It is kind of big, especially for a Medium, and a 90 mm gun isn’t all that impressive at tier VIII. If people get sideshots or get at your front plate, they’ll likely punch straight through, but you do have the mobility to try and angle up quickly or make a run for it.

It’s also an old tank in the game, and most players will know how to deal with it.

The FCM responds well to standard Medium tank tactics, and against Light and Medium tanks the turret armour will work pretty well.

A great prize tank, then. If you have the slightest interest in either Medium tanks or grinding credits, you’ll be glad to have one, and personally I’m happy to see more of them in the game.

The FCM 50t is not overpowered, but it’s also not hard to drive. It may not be very original, but it’s reliable, it’s effective, and it gets the job done.

If you are reading this because you just got one, or you are about to, then IrmaBecx says Congratulations.

You’ll soon find out we don’t call it the “French Char Magnifique” for nothing.

Do enjoy some more gameplay to get in the mood:

Today and tomorrow you’ll have more chances to get keys for your lockboxes. Head on over to wotblitz.eu , log in top right with your game account, and watch the stream from there.

Best of luck!

Lockbox tanks: Progetto 46, M41 “Black Dog”, FCM 50t

Lockbox Tank Breakdown

By:

IrmaBecx

So there are good crates, and there are bad crates. You may already have gotten a lockbox or two from just playing the game, and the best part is you can also get keys to open them for free; all you have to do is watch some tournament streams through the official Blitz portal.

That makes these crates pretty good in my book. Free stuff is always welcome. I happen to have all three tanks already, but maybe I can pick up some camos or a commemorative avatar?

The grand prize, which you are 99% sure of not getting every time you open a box, is the coveted Progetto M45 mod. 46, and if you get that for free, you should consider yourself very lucky. It’s a great tank, and its reputation is well deserved.

The tanks you assemble from parts are also good, especially the M41 “Black Dog”, which is one of my favourite tanks in the game. It’s a real pro tool; a tank that will challenge you no matter how good you get, and it’s a gem for anyone interested in Light tank gameplay or making the most out of game mechanics.

Then there is the French Char Magnifique; the FCM 50t, which has been in the game for ages and ages, but that no one really talks about. I think I bought mine the second it dropped, and then spent years waiting for the actual French tech tree to come along.

So some good tanks to be had, and potentially for free with very little effort.

I just thought I’d do a quick rundown of what you can expect if you get lucky.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to compare the tech tree P.44 Pantera to the Progetto 46, and in the end my conclusion was they are about equally powerful, but they do things in different ways. The Pantera is faster and has a little bit of armour. The Progetto has higher alpha and a faster interclip, but reloads the actual shells slower. It also has virtually no armour at all, standard penetration is much lower, and it doesn’t nearly have the engine power of the Pantera.

You might say that where the tech tree tank is an assault Medium, the premium tank is more of a support vehicle. That’s not because the Pantera is more well armoured; it’s because it’s faster. You’re only going to get troll bounces off it, but it will actually bounce.

So the Progetto is a little fragile. But it can certainly bite back when cornered; the combination of an auto reloader and 240 alpha damage means it can outtrade other 90 mm tanks of the same tier.

But it’s not a very easy drive, and it won’t forgive you any mistakes. You’ll want to play it very careful, making sure you have cover so you can reset camo, trade distance for damage, and have your escape routes planned out.

The whole point of the Progetto is it has an auto reloader. Otherwise you may as well drive something like the STA-1 or the Pz 58 “Mutz”; both have higher DPM and better penetration values. And in some situations, the auto reloader is immensely powerful, able to clip out isolated opponents, or finish of multiple low health targets in a row.

Yes, it does happen.

But if you don’t have a lot of experience, you should expect to struggle with the Progetto. The auto reloader mechanic takes a little while to get used to, you’re not able to rely on your armour, and although it looks good on paper, the mod. 46 really isn’t a lot faster than other Mediums at the same tier.

But is it worth getting? Most definitely. If you love your Pantera of your M4 FL10, you are a definite candidate. If you are looking for a bit of a challenge, and a higher level of risk/reward, then likewise. The auto reloader just doesn’t get old, just like the Black Dog, it will keep you coming back for more no matter how skilled you are, and the better you get at driving it, the more fun it will be.

A definite thumbs up.

Speaking of the Black Dog, lets have a look at it next. It’s really just a tier VIII M41 Bulldog with a bored out 76 mm that fires powerful 90 mm rounds.

Also, this unassuming tank is actually a candidate for the fastest tank in the game. Yes, the Ru 251 still has the highest top speed, but since the M41 is lighter and has better ground resistance numbers, it gets up to speed quicker, and in all but a straight line race on flat ground, it moves around faster than the Ru does.

You also get that lovely 240 alpha on your standard rounds, and unlike the Progetto, you also get higher HE damage. That’s a real bonus since those are actually what we call “cheap HESH” with about twice the penetration of a standard 90 mm HE shell. With calibrated shells, you get 112 mm HE, and 275 mm HEAT penetration.

So that’s what I meant when I mentioned game mechanics. The Lekpz M41 90 is all about maximising your potential by always choosing the right round for the right situation, getting at people’s sides and rears to land those high penetration HE shells, learning what targets have thin enough armour, and avoiding frontal engagements with those that don’t.

For my money, the Black Dog is one of the absolute best and most worthwhile premium tanks in the game.

But again it has no armour at all, and so it will take a bit of competence to make it work. Driving a tier VIII Light tank isn’t that difficult, but it is definitely a step up from trundling along in your IS spam or hiding behind a gun mantlet to get bounces. If the Progetto doesn’t give you a lot for free, then the Black Dog gives you nothing.

And that is the charm. Or the challenge, if you will. You drive it because you are tired of grinding credits in the same old beaters, and you want to step things up a notch. Because of that, it has its place in anyones garage, either as an investment for the future, or a daily driver once you git gud.

If you love driving your Ru 253 but think it’s a little too expensive to run, then you are the perfect Lekpz candidate.

That brings us to the French offering, which is I suppose the least interesting of the three. That’s not surprising, about 90% of tier VIII premiums would find themselves in the same position; remember the comparison here is two of the best premium tanks in the game.

The FCM 50t is actually a Heavy tank, but it’s designated as a Medium. This is because it has two engines; or was supposed to, anyway, in order to reach the stated 1000 horsepower goal.

And it’s huge. It’s the size of a German SuperHeavy. That’s not so good when you have flat plates everywhere, but the armour has seen various upgrades over the years, and is actually quite good, especially for a Medium.

The main armament is the same 90 mm DCA 45 you get on the AMX M4 45, with a few minor differences; a lovely French long gun that places the shots where you want and goes through more often than not.

A lot has happened in tier VIII since it was introduced, and you have to say both the armour and the weaponry are about average these days. But the FCM is big, burly, and robust, and the fact it moves around so quickly in spite of its size is what makes it fun to drive. The fact it isn’t quite as wildly fascinating as the auto reloader or the cheap HESH toting Light tank doesn’t mean it’s bad; it just means it isn’t the best in tier like they are.

So should you cry if you get one?

No, I don’t think so. If you didn’t have one before, this is a chance to get acquainted with an old classic not many people drive these days, and grind some credits in a huge, brawly, hull down Medium tank at speeds that belie its grand stature.

It’s a fun tank. Just not quite as fun as the absolute best in the game, and you can’t really blame it for that, can you?

Someone has to come in third place.

So this has been a quick rundown of the three lockbox tanks. I think all three are great prizes, and I hope you all get to drive at least one of them for the first time, for free.

Remember to watch the tournaments on the game portal and not on youtube, and make sure you log in with your game account! You will get one lockbox key for every 30 minutes of watching.

Here is the link:

https://eu.wotblitz.com/en/tournaments/

You can also reach it from the Lockbox news item in the in game news.

I wasn’t always super interested in tournaments, but they have grown on me the last couple of years, and of course I want to support my friends who help stream them. You can just log in and leave it running, but I would urge you to at least give it a chance.

Who knows; you might even learn something?

Best of luck to everyone. I hope you get a free tank!

Pro Tools: AMX 30 Proto

AMX 30 1er Prototype

By:

IrmaBecx

Right now, you can get a deal on what I like to call the finest tank in the game, and I thought I’d spend some time trying to explain what I mean by that.

Really, any deal you can get on the AMX Proto is a good one, because sooner or later you are going to want it, if you have even the slightest interest in driving Medium tanks, and perhaps even if you don’t.

Yes, it really is that good.

But it’s not good because it’s overpowered, even though you may have noticed it is the best performing of all tier IX Medium tanks; no one else even comes close.

Sounds preposterous? Well, I will try my best to try and justify my statement.

The AMX Proto is basically a Leopard PTA with one important tradeoff. Instead of a full power 105 mm L7A1 clone, you get a French SA47 100 mm; same as you would off a tier VIII Heavy like the 50 100 or the M4 49. But you also get a gun mantlet that allows you to bounce shells off the turret face, and you don’t have to deal with the tall cupola of the big sister AMX 30 B at tier X.

Otherwise, there’s really nothing impressive about the Prototype, except one thing. It’s fantastically agile, even though it’s not quite as fast as the PTA flat out.

Good players will be able to take advantage of these two advantages to great effect. The AMX can go wherever it needs to, and with ten degrees of gun depression, there’s no reason to show anything but the turret if there is something to hide behind.

It’s one of the most exquisitely balanced vehicles you can find. You don’t get a lot of armour, but you have it where it counts for trading shots. The gun is more of a workhorse than a surgical instrument, but using your gun mantlet and excellent mobility, it works really well all the same.

So not a very complicated vehicle at all. Just very well executed.

But why is it so successful? I have two explanations.

The first is, the AMX doesn’t really have any weaknesses to speak of except thin armour. If you can avoid taking big hits; and you can if you only let them shoot at your turret face, that’s not such an issue. Except for the camo on the move, it’s almost like driving a Light tank, and I’ll be super interested to see how it compares to the upcoming tier IX Brit.

The second is the demographic. If you are just starting out, you may not be in the market for a higher tier vehicle with such flimsy armour, and no really apparent strong point. But if you’ve been around a while, you’ll look at the stats and realise this thing is going to be really effective, and probably lots of fun.

So yes; this is the favourite plaything of a lot of experienced players. The hull down Medium playstyle isn’t very difficult once you’ve learned where the hull down spots are on the various maps, and since it’s so mobile, you can relocate across the map and run away from bad situations quickly.

That, plus a decent main armament is really all you need. The rest is down to your gameplay and decision making.

You may feel slightly intimidated at the thought of driving such a flimsy tank with “I’m a Pro” written all over it, and rightly so. I know I am; I bought it the first time it came in a regular bundle, and I haven’t put much more than a hundred games on mine.

I guess I just don’t feel confident enough in my abilities to have the AMX be my daily driver.

But it’s still one of my absolute favourite tanks, and it’s because it’s so perfectly balanced and so much fun to drive. It has one simple trick, and the rest is just good, solid tank design. I should mention the AMX 1er was tested internally by Wargaming, and I really think they did an excellent job with it.

So it’s a classic. A solid performer if you are a solid driver, has an excellent reputation, and I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t like it.

Should you get one?

I would say yes; sooner or later, unless you are exclusively into slow, massively armoured Heavy tanks, or sitting at the back with a huge doom cannon. Like I said, even so, it’s not impossible the AMX will win you over like it has practically everyone else. If nothing else, it will make you a much better player, in time.

10.000 gold for the “plain jane” version I would call a decent price; I paid more for mine and am still happy about it. Add five thousand, and you’ll also get the AMX M4 49, which is basically a French Löwe; both kitted out with nine equipment slots and camouflage.

I’d say the only bad thing about the bundle is I’m not a huge fan of the avatar you’re getting.

If you’ve been wanting the Tricolore M4 45, this is a good opportunity. If you just want the Prototype, it’s still a good price, but you’ll need two and a half million credits for the equipment. No reason not to run nine slots on this one.

IrmaBecx says at least two thumbs up!

My beloved Proto with the “Jade Shards” paintjob

Tier X And The Leopard 1

Fear Of Flying

By:

IrmaBecx

The Leopard 1 was one of my three first tier X tanks. My first was the E50 M, and then I got either the STB-1 or the Leo; I don’t actually remember which came first.

The point is, this was a long, long time ago, and after all this time, I still haven’t put a lot of games on my Leopard.

The reason is simple. I’m still scared to drive it.

Even on the press account, where I can drive any tank I want as much as I want for free, and no one can see my stats, I’m a little scared to.

On the face of it, that’s not so strange. The Leopard is famously fragile, and it definitely doesn’t give you anything for free. But after five years and hundreds and hundreds of top tier games, what is it I am still afraid of, really?

The thing is, driving tanks at tier X used to scare me, period; no matter which actual tank I was in.

I didn’t think I had the skills to make a significant contribution, and I was afraid I would drag my team down with me. Four years ago, that was probably often true.

Conventional wisdom dictates you shouldn’t rush up the tiers, and if you feel out of your depth, you should drop back down the tiers and work on your gameplay before you give it another go. Certainly others will be quick to let you know they think you are doing something wrong and you don’t belong in tier X at all.

I agree with these sentiments to a point. But I also think there are specifics to be learned in actual top tier gameplay that playing lower tiers just aren’t going to teach you, and in the end driving tier X tanks is the only thing that’s really going to teach you how to play tier X.

I remember the initial shock. Tier IX doesn’t prepare you for it. Playing against top tier tanks in one thing, but shouldering the responsibility of driving a tier X tank yourself is something quite different. You don’t get to bully tier VIII vehicles, and you don’t have bigger and stronger teammates to support you; you are the bigger and stronger teammate.

Of course, being in a souped up tin can like the Leopard 1 makes the job that much harder.

But it’s not that much harder. Driving a Leo successfully basically means not taking any hits. You have to find other ways to negate incoming damage than bouncing shots off your armour, although that does actually happen once in a blue moon.

And it’s not like I haven’t tried. I’ve done a few hundred Leopard games, and my stats aren’t really any worse than in other tier X tanks.

I got over the fear of tier X driving in general thanks to my friends. Platooning with people who play better than I do always made me feel like I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Of course, I also had to deal with their pro matchmaking, and we were always up against another platoon, meaning there would be at least two people on the enemy team working together. In some ways, going out on your own is actually easier.

The first thing I leared was that really good players have bad games too, and it wasn’t always my fault. I also learned that even if things look hopeless initially, sometimes it all works out in the end.

Another important lesson was that I was by no means the worst player up there, and this adresses something I think is at the core of my fear of driving the Leopard; the feeling that I somehow don’t deserve to be a tier X player in the first place. That I haven’t paid my dues, haven’t passed the test, and that I am simply more suited to playing lower tiers.

The reality is, there is no test. All you have to do is drive a few hundred games at tier IX, and pay the six million or so for a tier X tank. It is now yours; even if you cheated a little and threw gold or free XP at the grind, having a tier X vehicle is really the only requirement. No one can stop you from pressing the “Battle” button except you, yourself.

The Leopard 1 is arguably the best Medium tank in tier X, except it has no armour. That’s really all there is to it. Even if it’s susceptible to taking big hits, it has both speed and firepower to make up for it. That is what I found once I started driving it in earnest.

I learned the surgical precision isn’t just for hitting weakspots or hatches at range, it also lets you land the most improbable snap shots. And it lets you get your shot off faster in a peekaboo fight, even if they have your aimtime beat.

I also learned to use my hitpoints in lieu of armour, simply driving out to take the hit if it means I can take someone down.

But I didn’t learn to get over my fear of driving my Leopard 1. Perhaps I never will. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing; it being after all so fragile.

Driving a couple of games, I can immediately tell it’s been a while since I dared drive my Leo; I’m driving it like it was a regular Medium tank, and that just doesn’t work. Poke out the same place twice, and you are going to take a hit. Get in a brawl with another Medium tank, and you are going to bleed hitpoints. Play too aggressive, and you’ll end up a burning wreck.

After a few catastrophic battles, I start doing a little better. Keeping my head down, relocating after each shot, trying to maintain distance.

I know there are people who frontline their Leos and manage to do upwards of five or six thousand damage. I am not one of those people; I just don’t have the skill.

But skill is not everything. What you also need is resolve, and without it, your fear becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

A prophecy of fiery doom.

Still, we are nowhere closer to answer my original question: what is it I am afraid of?

More than thirty thousand games. Winning a little over half on average, that’s almost fifteen thousand losses. Am I simply afraid of losing the battle?

No. I am perhaps afraid of being the cause of losing a battle, but not to the point of not even trying. And here we approach one of the reasons why I drive the Leopard 1 in the first place; I know that victory with the odds stacked against me brings much greater satisfaction.

Also, learning to deal with such an easily perforated vehicle forces you to step up your game; be all you can be as a tank driver, and try your hardest. You remember I said the Leo doesn’t give you anything for free, rather you have to do practically everything right in order for it to be successful.

No matter how long I search inside myself, the only explanation I can come up with is the feeling of not being worthy of driving such a magnificent machine as the Leopard 1.

And that’s all wrong.

There is no tank in the game that is above you in that way. There is no secret society you have to join, no hidden fee you have to pay, no forbidden knowledge you must acquire. All you have to do is grind out the tank and you are free to drive it.

The fear of driving my Leopard, then, is the fear of being free. The fear of the unlimited. The fear of imagination.

You may remember Paul Atreides reminding himself that “fear is the mind killer”, and this is precisely why.

The fear of not being worthy is also the fear of being worthy. The fear of having to prove yourself, and of being proven right, and justified, and accepted.

Sometimes, freedom means death. Some people still prefer it. And I know myself to rather go straight for the throat of a death star than cower behind a rock in fear of it; meaning the symbolic death of my pixel tank does not actually scare me.

So the way to deal with all this if you are still choking, is to not think vertically, but laterally. I know the Leopard 1 is the best tier X Medium in the game, not only because I can read the numbers, but also because I drove them all.

Every single one. There is not a tier X Medium, or Heavyum, or turretless Medium in the game I haven’t driven.

I know the Leopard 1 is the best because it showed me it is.

I know because I compared it to all the others, and they fell short.

So if you find you are a little out of your depth driving a warp speed tin can with superb gun handling and serious firepower, then don’t drop down the tiers; grind out something else.

You could buy an AMX 30B and have practically the same tank with a gun mantlet. That’s going to increase your survivability. You could get the STB-1 like I did, which has some serious armour now, allowing it to brawl as well as execute the hull down Medium playstyle.

The Patton or M60 may be eternal paragons of mediocrity, but that still means they do almost everything pretty well.

Or, you could go the heavy Medium route. The E 50M and WZ-121. Robust chassises that are a lot faster moving around than people expect.

If you are desperate, or have exquisite taste, then you can “go Russian”. Accept the existence of Russian bias; the fact the T-62A is the best hull down sniper and the Object 140 is the best overall Medium tank in the game.

You could also do the complete opposite and get a BatChat 25t.

Either way, don’t give up on tier X. Just do something different. Worst case, get a Heavy tank or Tank Destroyer. Some of them can be pretty dynamic.

I’m not going to give up on my dreams, I’m going to hound myself to drive my Leopard 1 more. And I know every time I drive it, it gets a little bit easier facing my fears.

Never Give Up!

AMX 30B Is Back!

Top Tier Premiums?

By:

IrmaBecx

So I’m watching famed tank philosopher Will Frampton rag on the 121B. He seems disappointed it’s not a regular 121 or an M60; the Patton being his most driven tier X tank. And yes, he plays a different game than I do.

But it got me thinking. I agree with a lot of people top tier premium tanks are problematic, but the M60 was both in the game and mysteriously in my garage before I had time to think about it at all, and so the question is moot since a few years back.

Being a Patton driver, old Quickybaby doesn’t particularly care for the 121B. That doesn’t surprise me. And being a long time fan of the Hype 59 and early adopter of Chinese tech tree tanks, it should likewise not surprise you that I do.

You can’t always get your hands on these special vehicles. Sometimes they’re in bundles, sometimes they’re in crates; in fact, it seems the more attractive and alluring they are, the more certain you can be they’re going to be in stupid gambling boxes.

I’ll not go on about it; you should all know what my position is on crates by now, and if you don’t; it’s simply “don’t buy crates”.

Anyway, let’s say you are a fairly new player. You managed to get all the way to tier X in one or a couple of tech trees, and you are dreaming of future glory; you know, once you “git gud”.

Which one of these tanks might you want to set your sights on?

I like to say there is a kind of limit as to how bad a tier X tank is allowed to be. But just because a tank is powerful, that doesn’t mean it’s the right tank for you.

Today, one of them is on sale; it’s the AMX 30B. It’s a regular bundle, nine slots, “Demon Soul” camo; you even get the “Corporal” attachment and the latest gold noob avatar.

But what you are really getting, is basically a Leopard 1 with a gun mantlet.

I practically never met a Leopard variant I didn’t like, and there are more of them than you might be aware of. Tanks like the STB-1, Standard B and Progetto 65 are all based off, or connected to the Leo in some way or other, and they all expand on the Leopard concept in their own, unique ways.

That means, if you can drive a Leo, you can drive all those other tanks too. And most of them are tech tree tanks; you don’t have to drop a huge bundle of gold to get them.

The conclusion to be drawn from this, is that no one actually needs the AMX 30B. It’s an extravagance of the highest order. I’m not going to explore the ways in which you might justify the expense; they will all be subjective, deeply personal reasons. What I will do instead, is just give you an idea of what the 30B is, how it works, and what you might expect in terms of performance.

I was fortunate enough to drive the AMX 30B in supertest, back when it was definitely a bit enthusiastically balanced, and you can see for yourself what a tier X noob was able to do with it; I don’t actually own the tank, so my stats are all supertest version stats. If you can’t be bothered, I can tell you they’re not super impressive; I did a little better in it than I do in my Leopard, that’s all.

Off to the press account, then. I run my loaner AMX with calibrated shells, all other equipment slots to the left.

So I drive a couple of games; nothing extraordinary. I manage a couple of wins through no fault of my own, and have a 3000 plus damage game after a couple of tries.

It’s not a bad tank.

I try to put myself in the position of just having bought one for myself; would I have been happy with it after a first outing like this? The answer is “yes”; but then I already knew what I was getting, and to be completely honest, one of the main reasons I want one is because it doesn’t have the regular L7A1 all other 105 mm Medium tanks get, but rather the French F1 with the famous and oh-so-French “Obus G” round. It works the same, of course; but it’s just one of those small details that makes it more interesting to me.

I had a short conversation with another 30B driver after my last game, who had just bought the tank, and being a huge STB-1 fan was very happy with it so far. And that makes all the sense in the world; a lot of people say the AMX is like midway between the STB and Leo, and if you enjoy those tanks, you’ll enjoy this one too.

Coming from the Leopard, the AMX has better armour, especially the turret front. From the STB, the AMX has better mobility at the cost of armour; especially after the STB got buffed recently. Your new AMX isn’t going to brawl and bounce shots quite as effectively as your old STB, but it will bounce shots off the turret face where the Leopard will not.

It should be noted that at around 3000, the AMX has the lowest DPM of all tier X Medium tanks except the auto reloader Progetto. I don’t think that’s a huge drawback, but it should inform your gameplay; this tank needs careful positioning, and since the turret has the best armour, you need to keep your head down.

In plain english: if you poke the same spot a few times you are likely to take a big hit from someone out of sight, and yes; I know that because it just happened to me.

Do I miss the old out of balance AMX 30B from testing?

No. I don’t like premium tanks being overpowered, and I don’t like winning because I’m in an overpowered tank rather than because I played really well. When you buy a tier X premium, you aren’t paying for power; you are paying for convenience, and I think that’s fair enough.

You are also paying for exclusivity; although you can get fairly close in the tech tree, there is no other tank quite like this one.

Would I recommend someone getting the AMX 30B for their first tier X tank?

Likewise: no. I think you should have some tier X experience before you start eyeing these extravagant offerings; part of the problem is tier X premiums allow people to drive top tier tanks without having any business playing top tier yet. Having to deal with the harsh realities of tier X is always going to be a sobering experience, no matter what tank you are in. It’s not that you don’t deserve to be there; it’s just you won’t have the necessary skills and experience to make it worthwhile for you. I think you are setting yourself up for a huge disappointment; especially in a fairly flimsy Medium tank like this.

So is the AMX a tank exclusively for unicorns and “Pro” players?

Again, the answer is no. Putting things a little pointedly, the AMX 30B is a little like a Leopard with training wheels; it will forgive some of your mistakes, where the Leopard will not, and it has more than enough mobility to get you out of troublesome situations if you can see them developing. Ten degrees of gun depression and a solid mantlet make the an excellent ridge fighter, but you need to be able to put yourself in hull down situations to take full advantage of that.

Having speed is one of the most important advantages you can have in the game; I’ve said it before. But it’s also a double edged sword, because you need to know just how to make the best of it so you don’t just yolo yourself into trouble and get wrecked early.

If you understand your strengths, then the AMX isn’t terribly hard to drive. But you should be aware that other than mobility and hull down capabilities, it doesn’t really do anything at all other tanks can’t do, and it’s perfectly possible one of them will be a better fit for you.

This is why I think you need to have driven a few tier X tanks before you even start considering the AMX 30B, because if you haven’t, there’s nothing for you to compare it to. You’re not going to understand what’s special about it, or how to make the most of it.

It could of course be you just like the look of it, and you find yourself wanting one for no other reason than that. I’m not going to argue against that, and if that’s how you feel, I don’t think any review is going to influence you a lot. I’ll just say “best of luck”.

But if you want to make an informed decision, then here’s the low down:

If you feel the STB has too may training wheels, and the Leopard not enough of them, then the AMX 30B might be just the tank you are looking for.

I drive a couple more games in the 30B and some other tanks for comparison. The STB of course, the 121B, the Leopard.

And as much as I like the AMX, the STB suits me better, the 121B feels more comfortable, and the Leopard is more exciting to drive. I still want one. But it’s so clear it would be an extravagance, and other than the aforementioned convenience and exclusivity, the tank doesn’t really bring anything to the table I couldn’t get somewhere else.

In my mind, that’s a good thing. There is no special feature hiding behind that paywall, just a really nice Medium tank with a hull down playstyle that does Medium tank things.

Will I get one?

Yes. In time. When I feel I can afford it. But for me there are two main problems: one, I already have the AMX Premier Proto; arguably the finest Medium tank in the game, and two, I think I’d rather have the 121B.

Should you get one?

Maybe. If you know what you are getting yourself into, you understand the thing is really no better than a tech tree tank, and you are pretty much paying to bypass a tier X grind and driving something you don’t see a lot in game, then sure; go ahead if you can spare the gold.

In such case, best of luck, and see you out there!

Considering the FCM 50t

First French Tank – FCM 50t

By:

IrmaBecx

So the FCM is back in the store today, and I though I’d dust mine off and give you all the low down.

Me, I bought mine years ago, and I’ve always liked it. A lot of that was it was new, it was French, and it didn’t really resemble any other tank in the game. It’s been one of my periodic credit grinders, but it’s also seen long periods of disuse.

So what’s the deal? And how does the FCM fare in the current meta?

Bringing out the old French iron for a Spring run.

You all know the FCM is a Heavy tank originally, but our version is supposedly a Medium tank. I say “supposedly”, because it’s not all Medium; it still has Heavy tank camo values, which are around a third of what you get from an actual tier VIII Medium.

I had to check camo guru Frodo Nifingers research, and yes: it shows the FCM is in between the Löwe and Tiger II in terms of camouflage.

That’s not great. Especially since the tank itself is not exactly small to begin with.

What you get in return is two engines, meaning 1100 horsepower, and a solid 20 horsepower per ton. The FCM simply flies across the ground. If you’ve driven French Heavy tanks, there’s simply no comparison.

You also get an excellent French 90 mm DCA 45 long gun with high penetration, and eight degrees of gun depression, which isn’t great but it is standard for the tier.

In terms of armour, it’s also not fantastic, but it does have some. The forward mounted, German inspired turret deflects some shells when pointed straight at the enemy, and you will get some bounces off the front plate and 80 mm sides. Just mind your rear drive wheels stick out at the back and can be penetrated in a sidescrape situation.

So there’s nothing really standout about the FCM 50t, and still the tank ends up being so much more than the sum of it’s parts when you actually drive it.

The reason the FCM has such massive power is the French didn’t want to use a German engine. Instead, they jammed two French V-12 engines in there, and that’s why the tank is so big. It’s really a strange combination of pre-war and wartime technology, and the FCM actually lost out to the ARL 44 because it didn’t use as many existing components.

And the excellent power and mobility is really the raison d’etre of the FCM 50t. If it were slower, it would need either more armour or more firepower to compensate.

As it is, you want to go hull down or otherwise work from cover, especially against higher tier opponents.

And that’s really no problem since the FCM is so agile, despite it’s enormous size. The FCM thrives out on the flanks.

The bad news is, the armour isn’t really going to stand up to higher tier opponents, and with bad camo on such a big tank, it’s going to be a preferred target for high alpha guns. It doesn’t really have any of the qualities that define the current game meta: strong armour and high caliber.

Your main problem, I would say, is not the tank itself, but driving a tier VIII Medium in the first place.

Let’s say however you do want to drive a tier VIII Medium. I think you could certainly do a lot worse than this.

It’s sort of strange relying on mobility and gun handling in such a big tank; it feels counter intuitive. And the best plays I make in mine relies on doing things the enemy team doesn’t expect.

Looking over the competition, you can get a tier VIII Medium that does certain things better. You can get more firepower, more armour, or more speed if you like. But it’s always going to come at a cost, and the FCM is really in the middle of all categories.

If you think the tectonic plate camo looks cool, then you can get a good deal on it this week. And it’s a fun drive, it really is; the tank seems to succeed almost in spite of itself. All it needs to be successful is keeping within it’s limitations and a bit of an imaginative driver.

The question is: are you that driver?

And the straight answer is: not necessarily.

First of all, you hay have a tier VIII premium Medium already, and if you do, it’s not certain the FCM 50t is going to really add anything of value beyond the novelty. It certaily doesn’t really do anything other premium Mediums can’t do, and it has a few weaknesses that aren’t really compensated for.

The tank does struggle in the current meta.

The only reason I think to get the FCM, is if you’ve wanted it for a long time for your collection, or if you think it looks cool, and you are curious about the playstyle. There is no actual selling point that I can think of.

That’s not a great conclusion for what is one of my favourite tanks, but the reason I like the FCM has more to do with what it was than what it is. It used to be the only French tank in the game, one of few premium Mediums. And it’s not really a typical Medium, although it does support a Medium playstyle.

Would I buy one today?

I’m not sure I would. I would miss having it, but there are four French premium Mediums now; you can get a 105 mm gun, you can get tier leading speed and mobility; you can even get an autoloader. Other than being cheap, there’s really nothing to recommend you get the somewhat bland option.

And in a wider sense, as I said tier VIII premium Mediums aren’t exactly scarce either. It’s very possible one of the other ones will be a better fit for you.

IrmaBecx says unless you’ve been wanting the FCM 50t, or you enjoy a bit of a challenge, you can do better in terms of a tier VIII credit grinder.

AMX 30 Prototype!

AMX 30 Prototype – A Love Letter

By:

IrmaBecx

So if you read my previous post on the tier IX AMX Prototype Medium tank, you may have guessed I am now a proverbial “happy camper”.

And yes. 14.000 Gold is a lot of real world money; it’s an extravagance for sure to be driving a tier IX Premium. I will clearly state it’s not going to be worth it for everyone; perhaps not even for most.

But if you are in the game for the long haul; like I am, then tanks like the AMX 30 Premier Prototype will be worth it for you in the long run; because they have such freedom of movement, and limited protection.

For someone who has driven the Leopard 1 or PTA, the 30 Proto is a revelation, because it has the *one* thing you always wished the Leo had: a gun mantlet.

Add to this the thing is pretty low to the ground and has a pretty small, flat turret, and you can see where I am heading with this.

Yes; it’s one of those irritating, face-bouncing gun depression Mediums, in line with the 7/1, the Indien, or the STB-1.

But that’s not why you drive it.

You drive it because it has the most *superb* speed and mobility in that lightweight French chassis. I keep saying it’s more like driving a Light tank than anything else; the thing will out-turn a Leo no problem.

And with the superb 100 mm SA 47 on it and some fancy French cold war Vstabs, it has the same surgical instrument playstyle Light tanks do.

Only, as I said, it has a gun mantlet.

A good player will be able to work wonders with that one single piece of protection, and keep snap shotting all day, building massive damage.

And you do get there. If you stay with it.

Not saying I have “arrived” as a tank driver quite yet, but I do have quite a bit of experience, and I understand the gun depression playstyle.

This is the gun depression playstyle with a turbocharger.

So I’ve not driven more than a few games yet, but the AMX is exactly like I remember it from the press account; it’s a wonderful drive, the gun is razor sharp, and if you keep your cool, you can have some amazing games.

For the connaisseur, there is also the argument the Premier Prototype is something quite rare. It’s a fast 100 mm Medium with gun depression. If you don’t like the T-54 (like me), then you don’t have a lot of choices, unless you specifically like Chinese tanks (like me), and both T-54 variants have half the gun depression the AMX has.

The ammo loadout mat not look spectacular, but it is actually quite good. You get regular AP with high penetration, and then regular APCR that trades normalisation for penetration. The gun handling is easily good enough to put the rounds exactly where you want them, even if you go for a super speculative shot.

It’s like I used to say about my old Mauser I used to have. “The rifle shoots a lot better than I do, anyway…”

And there is no question the AMX 30 Premier Prototype drives a lot better than I do. In my particular case, I think I’ve made a good investment for the future. I’m certainly enjoying driving it immensely.

Will you feel the same?

Maybe. I knew exactly what I was getting into; I tried the tank out when it dropped, and I’ve driven a lot of weakly armoured tanks at tier IX.

You will get HESHed by skill stars, overmatched by tier VIII Heavys, break your tracks, get caught in crossfire, and ram yourself to death falling off ledges and bridges.

Driving a high tier MEdium with basically no armour can be a real chore.

But it has to be said: to me, the AMX 30 Premier Prototype is one of the absolute finest tier IX Medium tanks in the game, and although it was really expensive, I’m super happy I bought it.

IrmaBecx says make sure *you* know what you are getting yourself into, and you may just end up feeling the same.

Further Thoughts on the AMX 30 Prototype

Thinking LIke A Leopard

By:

IrmaBecx

So I got into a few tier X games since my initial “first look” evaluation of the new AMX 30 Proto, and like I said it’s basically a PTA in a lot of respects, chief among which the armour; by which I mean “lack of armour”, of course. It doesn’t deal well with HESH unless it hits the gun mantlet, which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly huge.

Even the official news text brings up the Leopard as a facsimile, and admonishes us to play as if every hit would be our last.

Sound advice, to be sure. The thrill of having excellent mobility is being able to outturn your enemies in a brawl, but the point of having excellent mobility is not being where people can shoot at you in the first place.

Yes. That means running away, people.

Well, no; not running away, per se. But playing the sidelines, keeping your distance, and following the Medium tank doctrine very closely.

As your ideological forebearer, you will certainly benefit from Chinese guerilla warfare tactics: victory through gradual expansion of map control, destroying isolated tanks, and gaining a numerical and territorial advantage for the final stage; the eradication of your remaining enemies.

The AMX 30 Proto is a true Medium tank. Driving it means staying close to the core Medium tank playstyle, and to execute that playstyle, you could hardly ask for more than the new French option offers. You even get some training wheels in the form of a gun mantlet.

Saying that, I am presupposing the Leopard PTA is the best tier IX Medium tank in the game, and one can certainly make that argument. The Leo carries a proper tier X 105 mm gun and puts out tier leading DPM numbers, plus it’s the fastest. Other than not having any armour at all, the PTA delivers in all categories.

So if you are doing well in your Porsche Leo, you are going to perform much better in the 1er Prototype, because the gun mantlet makes it slightly more forgiving to drive. Sure, you have a lower alpha weapon, but you are also going to take less damage and so get to fire more rounds. The trade off between armour and firepower in comparison to the Leopard PTA seems completely logical.

Either way, returning to the question of Medium tank ideology, your guiding principle should be pragmatism, and for me, there is no greater Medium tank pragmatist than Bushka. He taught a lot of us how to drive Medium tanks, in fact he’s still out there doing it; working away to try to hammer his oft-repeated lessons into our brains.

Bushka taught me to drive Mediums as well, and the weapon I fielded back then isn’t terribly different from the one before me today. Excellent mobility. Superb gun stats. A selection of useful rounds. All you need for Medium work.

Because Medium work is all about moving the weapon around so it can remain effective throughout the battle. That’s all you do. You do this in order to either hold enemies back from your cap points, or wipe them out, both of which lands you the victory. As a concept, the playstyle isn’t complicated.

Now we come to the “how” of all this. How do you execute the Medium tank playstyle? Bushkas first rule of becoming a blue player is “No Yolo”, so first off: don’t drive yourself into trouble and decimation.

You want to stay alive as long as possible, and to do this, Bushka says the best way of not getting hit is not being seen. This rhymes well with Leopard thinking: be extremely wary of taking hits; in fact, play as if the next hit could be your last.

So you move from cover to cover. Hide behind hills and trees and houses and mounds, and small dips in the terrain. Focus on not getting spotted until you are ready to, which is with your gun pre aimed at a target, ready to poke out and take a shot. That’s when you are ready to get spotted, not before.

After you shoot you pull back of course. That’s instinct. But when you do, you want to immediately drop bach into “not being seen” mode, and reset your camo. This is probably the most repeated of all Bushkas lessons. Don’t try to look back out when people can still see you, because you are going to take a hit.

Even without a rammer or provisions, the reload on the AMX Proto is well under 8 seconds, and that’s not enough for your camo to reset. The loss in DPM brought about by not firing on the reload is many times outweighed by not taking damage and staying in the game much longer, but it feels counter intuitive. That is why not being seen needs to be your number one priority.

But yeah. People aren’t always stupid, and they do figure out where you are. When they start moving in, trying to wear you down so they can rush you, Bushka has another strategy for you: trade distance for damage.

This one is a lot easier to get your head around, because when people drive tanks at you, you will want to shoot at them anyway. But the strategic consideration behind why you shoot at them is something else. First of all you want to get them to stop so they don’t get too close. You also want to catch them out so your teammates can hit them easier. Also, you want to take off as much of their hitpoints as possible before one of three things happen: a brawl, them retreating, or them backing off, and if you are still there after any of that happens, any of the three is a good outcome.

I asked Bushka if he had anything to add to this basic description of Medium tank strategy, and he said if you have gun depression, remember to get some angles on your turret. This is especially valid for the AMX 30 Proto; the “forehead” area above the gun mantlet is 100 mm thick, but the roof behind it is only 40 mm.

From straight ahead, that gives you maybe 220 mm of effective armour, but before you even reach half your gun depression it’s going to be an autobounce zone, and using ten degrees they will hardly see top of the turret at all.

The more you depress the gun, the less of your tank you need to be showing to get a shot off. Again, we return to the first consideration: not being hit by not being seen.

This may seem like a lot to think about just to be driving a tank, but it’s not like that. A lot of these things, like using gun depression and resetting camo will become second nature; something you do automatically while you are looking around and following what’s going on.

Even if you are thinking about doing these these different things, you have time. The whole point of going through these motions is to put yourself int he endgame. Granted, you will want to have been effective enough up until then to have put your enemies in a bad position, but more importantly you will want to be ready for when you get there, meaning not being heavily damaged.

Look, it’s like this. We are talking about a tier IX Medium tank here. We are comparing it to the PTA, which is easily the most difficult tank to play out of all the tier IX Mediums. Understand, you’re not going to pay your way into tier IX and get away with it.

The AMX Proto is slightly easier and more forgiving to play than the Leopard PTA, but in some ways, the PTA is decidedly better. The tier X L7A1 is a magnificent weapon that spews APCR death from the sidelines. The SA47 may have been given a new lease on life with the tier IX Medium platform, but novel as it may be, it’s still just a 100 mm.

But with the ten degrees of gun depression and superior penetration values, it’s a wonderful 100 mm. Given that the AMX Proto is going to be a tricky drive to begin with, the SA47 is not just a reasonable armament, it’s practically inspiring. There certainly isn’t anything else quite like it in the game.

And yea, that kills me a bit. I really, really like the AMX Proto. But I guess there is some consolation in the fact that if you are in the game for the long haul, sooner or later you’ll get a chance to own whatever tank you covet, and after tens of thousands of games, it’s nice to still have something to aspire to.

As it is, I do at least get the chance to drive all the tanks I covet, which is fantastic, and I am very grateful for it, but it’s not the same. You never really care about your performance in a tank until you drive it on your main account. And one day, I am going to have purple stats in my very own AMX Proto.

Until then, if you got one and didn’t overspend, I am happy for you and super jealous.

I guess I’ll go drive my communist tanks some more.