World of Tanks is a World War II-era tank battle themed shooter game. In it the player controls an armored vehicle typically in a 15 vs. 15 match. All games are against live opponents. Players can drive any one of five classes of vehicle: light tanks, medium tanks, heavy tanks, tank destroyers (TDs) or self-propelled guns (SPGs). This last classification of vehicle plays very differently than the other vehicle types. It’s an invaluable addition to any team but is difficult to master. These tips can help you play an SPG effectively.
What is an SPG?
An SPG is a long-range bombardment vehicle. It is the World of Tanks term for a mobile artillery piece. Players usually refer to it as arty for short.
Differences between SPGs and other vehicles
SPGs tend to move and turn more slowly than other vehicles. Most do not have a turret, requiring the entire vehicle to turn in place to bring their guns to bear on a target. Pivoting only a few degrees can completely reset the aiming cycle. SPG guns are frequently several tiers higher in rank than the vehicle itself. They are designed to use high explosive (HE) shells as the primary ammunition and cause enormous damage. They have tremendous range. Reload and aiming times are extremely long.
SPGs usually have low hit points and low armor values. Most are considered open-topped vehicles. That means they cannot absorb much punishment and are often extremely vulnerable to high-explosive (HE) shells.
They also target differently. They can use direct-fire with a very small amount of zooming possible. Their alternate fire mode, and the one used most often, is an overhead view of the entire map. On this map artillery players can see terrain damage (such as trees being knocked over or fences being crushed) that are telltale signs of the presence and direction of travel of enemy vehicles. These terrain effects are shown for all locations even if beyond the normal view range of the SPG.
Basic Tactics
An SPG’s function is to be a heavy hitter for its team. As a beginning SPG player there are a few basic rules to keep in mind.
Your game begins before the mission countdown timer reaches zero. Your vehicle is slow, maneuvers poorly, and takes a long time to load shells and aim. Every wasted second between game start and the moment you are in firing position and aimed at your target area is a delay before you can deliver shells on target. You need to learn the details of each map well. Each one has advantageous locations from which to fire. Knowing them all lets you plan which you will use before the game begins and guess which might be used by enemy SPGs.
Learn the typical attack routes for each map. This lets you anticipate the appearance of targets. A particularly good way to learn them is to play light tanks. They can rush around the map, letting you get a feel for where tanks will choose to move and where they will attempt to hide from you.
Use only HE rounds. SPGs are notoriously inaccurate. HE rounds do not have to directly strike a target to cause damage, mitigating this weakness. HE rounds also cause splash damage (damage that affects an area). This allows you to cause damage to several closely-packed vehicles with a single shot. Another benefit to that ammo type is that it does not need to penetrate enemy armor to cause damage and is superior at causing critical hits (which affect crew members or take vital systems out of action.) Using HE means you can attack the heaviest of targets and ruin their day even with a near miss.
Your best protection is not being detected. To avoid detection you should fight at the longest possible range, firing from behind a solid obstacle that prevents direct attacks on your vehicle. If possible add the concealment of being inside a bush or behind trees. If you cannot locate an advantageous firing position with a solid obstacle between you and the enemy it is imperative to find concealing vegetation.
Patience is a weapon for you. It takes your gun a very long time to load and a long time to zero in on a target. Your shells have a flight time to reach the target that varies from inconvenient to seemingly eternal depending on your gun’s muzzle velocity and the range to target. Targets can literally move out of the way of incoming shells if they maneuver while your shell is in flight. That means your best chance for a hit is to watch for large, stationary targets and wait till your targeting reticle is fully zoomed in before firing. Resist the urge to fire till you have the right opportunity. Fortunately for you, your best targets are lumbering heavy tanks. They are slow, tend to stop when preparing to fire, and are physically large targets.
Targeting with an SPG is slow and methodical. Shoot from the overhead view when possible. When using that view you will see a line extending from your SPG to your targeting crosshairs. When the line is green it means you are in range and have a shell loaded. If the line is entirely red it means your run is reloading. If the line is partially green and partially red it means your gun is loaded but your crosshairs are aimed at a spot your shell cannot hit, such as a target behind a building. If any portion of the line is white that portion indicates the distance your aiming point is beyond the range of your gun.
Your targeting circle will start out very large. The circle is the area into which a shell might fall. As you wait during the aiming cycle it will shrink till it reaches the smallest possible size for your gun. The point when it reaches smallest size is sometimes called “max aim”. There are two important target points within that ring. The first is your crosshairs. They indicate where the shell should hit in its downward arc. The second is the dot in the middle of the targeting ring. That point is where the shell will penetrate the ground. Ideally both target points will be on the enemy vehicle. If you cannot aim so that both are on the target tank then place the crosshairs on it.
Try to stay on one target till it is either dead or the game situation requires you to switch targets. If you turn far enough that the tank pivots instead of just swiveling the gun your entire targeting cycle resets. That causes delays in firing that can be the difference between affecting the game and sitting there uselessly waiting to each max aim over and over without shooting.
Intermediate Tactics
Learn your gun’s range and how to approximate your shells’ flight time. You can do this by playing practice games with a friend or clan mate. Place your SPG in a location you feel is a good firing position. Have your friend move to several known locations on the map. Count the number of squares on the mini-map between you and that location. Zoom in and fire. Measure the time till the shell lands. This will give you an idea of how much flight time to expect per mini-map square between your SPG and your target.
Getting a feel for shell flight time allows you to practice hitting moving targets. To hit a moving target you must aim for a point ahead of the enemy vehicle it will reach in the same amount of time it will take your shell to fly there. If your aim point is the proper distance ahead of the target the shell will land on it as it passes. It is far easier to estimate the lead distance for slow moving targets than it is for faster ones. That means you will have the most success firing on targets that are slow vehicles, like heavy tanks and other SPGs; and firing on targets that are traveling uphill, which reduces their speed.
Working with other players is a key element of success for an SPG driver. Communicate with likely scouts, such as drivers of the Russian BT-2, BT-7 and A-20; the German Pz III and PZ III/IV; and the American M3 Stuart and M5 Stuart. Let them know you need a scout, and where you need them to go. Tell them you will notify them when you are in position and ready to fire so they will not sacrifice their vehicle before you can make use of their scouting efforts. Make sure to research and buy the best possible radio for your vehicle so you can receive mini-map data from the scout at long range. With the help of a good scout you can find the powerful, slow moving enemy units in their backfield before they can maneuver into effective combat positions.
Defensive spotters are also valuable allies to an SPG driver. Spotters are vehicles that move into a position with a commanding view of a target area, get into concealment, and remain stationary without firing so they remain undetected. The best spotting units are Tank Destroyers (TDs) with concealment enhancers (a Camouflage Blanket and a crew well trained in the Camouflage skill), Binoculars for enhanced vision, and a top end radio. Once positioned and stationary the combination of the blanket, the skill, the concealing shrubs and the natural hiding bonus given to TDs renders the spotting vehicle almost impossible to detect. The enemy will need to nearly driver right over it to discover it. Spotters need self-restraint because firing reveals their position. The spotter must be able to refrain from firing even at tempting targets unless the game outcome is riding on whether or not they attack.
A guardian picket is a critical advantage to seek. Guardian pickets are one or two hidden vehicles tasked with watching for inbound enemy scouts. A good enemy scout will gladly sacrifice his vehicle if it means he can detect SPGs. This is one of your scout’s primary goals and you can be certain enemy scouts think in the same way. If you are in overhead firing mode and zoomed in you may not realize you’ve been detected until enemy SPGs rain shells down on you and take you out of the game. Your guardian picket is there to spot the inbound enemy scouts and immobilize or destroy them before they detect you. In many games you will not have a guardian picket. If you find players willing to perform that service be sure to offer gratitude. They’ve done you a great service.
Advanced Tactics
As you become a more seasoned artillery player you will develop a list of preferred strategies for different maps and situations. One thing you will learn quickly is where to position your vehicle for optimal firing. Keep in mind that other players have probably found the same locations. That means it is often very effective to blind fire at one or two of your favored spots in the enemy deployment area immediately at the beginning of the game. If opposing SPG players have not considered it, and use the same spots you do, you may destroy or cripple with critical hits an enemy SPG with a single hit before it ever has a chance to fire. Remember, SPGs are not designed to soak up much damage, so any direct hit you deliver to an opposing one is almost sure to turn it to slag instantly.
Think outside the box. Many new and intermediate players assume the most effective way to fire is to fire roughly from their deployment area straight across the map. That’s not always the case. In some situations it is worth the extra time to move far off to one side of the play area so your fire will come from the enemy flank instead of head-on. In some extreme cases it can be effective to advance in cover to the enemy half of the map and wait, firing backwards at them as they advance toward your capture point. Players typically shield their vehicles from attacks originating in front of them. They almost never shield their sides and rear areas.
If a large portion of your team is advancing unopposed and you can follow them without being detected you probably should. Unopposed elements in your team have found undefended areas. The reason they are undefended is probably that the enemy is sending the bulk of its forces right at you through a hole in your own defenses. That means if you stay in the backfield you will be overrun. That’s the typical signal that you should maneuver for a better position.
Equipment
The ideal equipment for your vehicle is a Camouflage Blanket to keep you concealed, a Rammer to reduce your reload time, and a Gun Laying Drive to reduce the time to reach Max Aim. Consumables will rarely be needed because if you are actually attacked the outcome is typically a one-shot or two-shot death against which you have little defense.
If you do use consumables use a First Aid Kit in slot 4, a Small Repair Kit in slot 5, and a Manual Fire Extinguisher in slot 6. If you should suffer a non-kill hit consumables can help you recover. A loader or gunner hit makes an SPG almost useless due to increased load time or inaccuracy, which the First Aid Kit can address. Ammo or gun hits cause the same problems loader and gunner hits and the Small Repair Kit can deal with those. Since most near-misses that hurt your SPG come from HE rounds they stand a chance of setting your vehicle ablaze. The Manual Fire Extinguisher deals with that.
Crew Training
Get your crew trained to 100% skill as quickly as possible. This lets your vehicle operate at peak efficiency. The first additional skill to train is Camouflage. Think of the SPG as having the same motto as the ballistic missile submarine service: “We Hide With Pride.” Your best defense is remaining undetected. Placing yourself in concealment, having the Camouflage Blanket, and training your crew on the Camouflage skill is as close to having stealth technology as the game allows. The second skill to choose is Repair. You’ll rarely need it, but it’s more likely your vehicle will suffer a random critical hit than for it to catch fire. That’s why Fire Fighting should be the final crew skill you train.
Optimal Technology
You should upgrade every system on the SPG as far as it can go in order to maximize its effectiveness. The research order to choose may very between vehicles. Generally you will have the most success upgrading the weapon first, radio second, suspension third and engine last. Gun upgrades will help you earn more experience because you will inflict more damage. Radio upgrades let you trade targeting data with other vehicles at longer ranges. The suspension lets you pivot faster to bring your gun to bear, and it gives higher speed so you can reposition more rapidly. Since the engine only really helps with acceleration it is almost a non-issue. There will be situations in which the suspension must be upgraded to allow the vehicle to carry other equipment. In that case get the suspension upgrade and then return to the normal tech path.
Challenges From Other Players
You will find two difficulties presented to your game play by other players. The first is that many people do not play SPGs so they do not understand how you are trying to target enemies and fire. Your allies may engage in combat in ways that either place their vehicles between you and a target, or so close to it that the splash damage will hit a friendly vehicle even if you strike the enemy directly. They may herd enemies behind cover that blocks your shots. They may move to engage the enemy in locations you cannot reach leaving them unsupported while enemy SPGs pummel them. These tactical errors can only be addressed with communication. Use the chat function to ask allies, by name, to move in ways that will help you engage. Be specific. Use the T key to indicate which enemies you are attacking so your allies will know not to park next to them within the blast radius of your shells. Be positive and cooperative in your chat messages to get the best results.
The second problem from other players, usually ones who do not use SPGs themselves, is that they think your capabilities are vastly different than they actually are. Scouts will think you can instantly get set up and support them. Players will think you are flinging smart bombs instead of artillery shells, expecting every shot you fire to be a dead on, one-shot kill. People often think you can fire as rapidly as a Gatling gun or that your blast radius is on the scale of a tactical nuke. These players will voice their recriminations in chat frequently and emphatically. Ignore them and continue to fight for victory.
Gold Purchases
Purchasing gold has two positive effects. The first is that it supports the game we love. The second is that it lets you buy in-game advantages. The most important of these are premium accounts and premium ammunition. Premium accounts double your experience and credits from each game. That allows you to research new technology and vehicles faster, and to afford to buy the upgrades. Premium ammunition lets you hit harder. When buying premium ammunition you should consider your plan. High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) rounds are extremely effective vehicle killers. Premium HE rounds have increased blast radius.
If you play a purely attacking role use HEAT. It will wreck enemy vehicles faster than normal ammo. If you want the option for defending use premium HE. Its huge blast radius lets you drop shells on the cap point with a reasonable chance of hurting at least one, and sometimes several, vehicles inside it. That resets the opposing cap counter. You’ll rarely need more than three premium HE rounds. By the time you can aim and fire three of them the enemy will probably have gotten tired of being shelled and come to find you; or one of the teams will have such an upper hand that the game’s outcome is fairly certain.
Overall
Remember that your vehicle is a heavy hitter. It is always worth preserving your gun by playing cautiously. Conserve ammo by firing on the biggest, slowest enemies first. It is more efficient for you to cripple an enemy vehicle when your allies are nearby to finish it off than to waste an expensive shell and cause delays in further firing by wasting a shot to finish off a vehicle with 1% remaining health. It is worthwhile to finish off weak enemies if doing so carries an immediate tactical advantage, such as damaging an opponent on the capture point.
Played intelligently an SPG can turn the tide of battle. Try it and discover the thrill of throwing real firepower around the battlefield.
More written by Andrew
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