World of Tanks is the Free-To-Play online tank battle simulator from Wargaming.net. In the game players use self-propelled guns (SPGs), tank destroyers (TDs) or light, medium and heavy tanks to battle for control of game maps. If you use a tank destroyer you will have a very different game experience than with any other vehicle type. Here are some tips and tricks for using these unusual yet effective vehicles.
What is a tank destroyer?
A tank destroyer (or TD for short) is an armored combat vehicle that typically mounts a very powerful and accurate forward-facing gun. Most TDs lack a turret and must turn the entire vehicle to aim at a target. While a TD may have lighter armor values than other vehicles of the same tier, it will often have a substantially sloped front armor plate. This drastically increases the chance of incoming shots ricocheting off your vehicle rather than causing damage.
Many TDs are considered open-topped vehicles and are therefore extremely vulnerable to hits from high explosive (HE) shells. Their over speed and turn rate tend to be low. They all receive bonuses to concealment when stationary and hiding.
Why play a tank destroyer?
TDs are intended to be the proverbial class cannon. They cause tremendous damage compared to standard tanks of the same tier. The accuracy of their weapons is usually very high. If you’re the kind of player who enjoys taking out enemy targets at long range, setting ambushes and operating with stealth then a TD fits your play style perfectly.
What are the advantages of a tank destroyer?
TDs have several advantages that lend themselves well to specialized roles. These advantages are stealth and armament.
All vehicles are harder to detect when meeting certain conditions. Stationary vehicles are harder to spot than vehicles in motion. Concealment (such as shrubbery) makes a vehicle harder to detect than it would be when sitting in the open. Camouflage netting and Camouflage crew skills enhance these effects.
Essentially all the bonuses you receive to stealth translate into a penalty against enemy tanks’ effective spotting range against your tank. A stationary vehicle, in concealment, using camouflage netting and crewed by a team that has trained the camouflage skill gets four bonuses to stealth.
TDs get an additional bonus on top of that, making them potentially the hardest vehicles in the game to detect – if played intelligently. It is not uncommon for enemies to drive right by a hidden TD without detecting it even at ranges as short as 50 meters. Their ability to hide makes SPG drivers, who rely on stealth for survival, drool with envy.
How does tank destroyer armament differ from standard tank weaponry?
At first glance tank destroyer guns may look very similar to the weapons available to standard tanks. They frequently share the same armor penetration values and damage values as their tank-mounted equivalents. In many cases, however, the TD versions of these guns have one or more advantages. The most common advantages will be improved accuracy, rate of fire, and availability.
How does accuracy work?
To properly understand this weapon characteristic it is simplest to re-label the value as the inaccuracy rating. The number measures weapon inaccuracy in degrees per hundred meters. If the inaccuracy value is 0.50 that means your shot can deviate from your aim point by one half of one degree per hundred meters. That may not sound like much but it is a very significant amount of inaccuracy.
How does rate of fire work?
Rate of fire is displayed in maximum rounds fired per minute. There will be times when this maximum is impractical to reach. That’s because the time the gun needs to reload and be ready to fire is less than the time needed to return to max aim after firing.
How does availability work?
One of the hallmarks of TDs is that they will sometimes have guns of much higher tiers than the vehicle itself available as equipment. This can allow them to carry firepower far exceeding that of other vehicles of their tier.
What is a good example of this?
Compare the Marder II TD to the PzKpfw IV medium tank in the German line. The TD is tier 3 but can field a gun with comparable damage output to, and superior rate of fire to, the best gun available on the tier 5 medium tank.
What are the basic tank destroyer roles?
There are five specific roles TDs perform in battle more effectively than any other vehicle: Base Defender, Artillery Picket, Trapper, Spotter and Mobile Fire Support.
Base Defender – Most capture points are surrounded on several sides by locations that provide concealment (like shrubs) or line-of-sight blocking features (like hills or buildings). Base defenders conceal themselves out of sight in these locations in anticipation of enemies arriving to attempt a base capture. When that occurs the defender’s job is to fire in sequence at each enemy vehicle within the capture circle to cause any amount of damage. Doing so resets that tank’s contribution to the capture effort. The defender should pop out, fire, and return to cover while reloading.
When fulfilling this role choose either the highest armor piercing (AP) value weapon available, even if its damage is small; or the highest damage value high explosive (HE) weapon available. The capture counter only resets upon successfully damaging an enemy. The amount of damage is irrelevant, it only matters that the enemy took damage.
Remember, as base defender your job is not to destroy enemy tanks, though that is certainly a worthy outcome. Your true goal is to delay enemy capture of your base. This allows teammates to either return and assist you in clearing enemies from the cap point, or make an attempt to capture the enemy base.
Artillery Picket – while your TD is certainly a heavy damage dealer, the biggest guns on your team still belong to the SPGs. Since their damage output is so high, and can reach virtually any location on the battlefield, SPGs are primary threats to the enemy team. They know this and will usually send scouts to locate them. If the scouts are successful they will engage your SPGs while enemy SPGs engage in counter battery fire. Your job is to prevent enemy scouts from locating your SPGs by destroying them as they approach.
Start by examining the map and counting your team’s SPGs. Wait a few seconds when the game starts to see where your team’s SPGs are deploying. Move to a location of concealment where you can provide supporting fire to them down the approach paths scouts are most likely to use.
Bear in mind that the scouts face a tremendous risk in attacking your SPGs. You and the SPGs are sure to be in positions of concealment and very hard to spot. The scouts will be moving, their positions visible at great distance. It is a virtual certainty that you will see them long before they see you. Scouts know this and will approach at high speed while making radical turns to throw off your aim.
Your stealth capabilities give you a tremendous advantage here. While the enemy scout is safely outside detection range (meaning he cannot see you) you have as much time as you require line up your shot. Wait for max aim and target the front-most track wheel on his tank. Hitting it will immobilize him, making him easy prey for any allies, including the very SPGs he was trying to attack.
Remember to only target the front tread wheel. While hitting the rear-most track wheel also immobilizes targets, it is an all-or-nothing attack. If you miss the front tread wheel it’s very likely your shot will still hit the target vehicle. If you are aiming for the rear tread wheel and miss your shot will probably whiz past its rear bumper and miss the target vehicle entirely.
Trapper – When acting as a trapper you advance away from your base to a location of concealment overlooking an important location on the map. This could be an otherwise undefended location, a path enemies might use to approach unseen, or any other location of tactical importance. Once you reach your position of concealment you stop your TD and simply wait for targets of opportunity. Remember to take advantage of your stealth to aim carefully before firing your opening round.
There are two keys to successful trapping. The first is teaming up with a scout when possible so he can sweep the approach route to your hiding place as you move toward it. TDs are most vulnerable when in motion, and enemy TDs may be trying to trap you. If there are concealed enemies on your approach route the scout will reveal them. Blast them while they turn to engage the scout.
The second is to pick hiding places that offer a commanding view of your target area without being too close to it. One of your strengths is high accuracy. Fight at long range. It doesn’t matter how powerful an enemy cannon is if it cannot hit you.
Spotter – As a spotter your task is to move forward and find concealment in a location where you can see enemy vehicles and relay their positions on the mini map to your allies. Performing spotting duties is similar to trapping. While you will be moving forward to a hiding place with a commanding view of an important target area, your job requires you to hold your fire. Firing reveals your location to the enemy.
The best example of the use of spotting is when your team starts on the northwest side of the Malinovka play area. Sprint your TD unseen to the bushes at the west end of the shrub line in section H2 and park there. You will detect virtually any enemy vehicles from the southern team that are camping in or near the buildings. So long as you do not move or fire they will not see you unless they send a vehicle out searching.
Keep in mind that you are not invulnerable. Many experienced players know that tactic and will direct SPGs to shell that location. If you detect incoming fire back off immediately.
Mobile Fire Support – This is the simplest of the TD roles. Move along behind the lead elements, fighting as part of the third rank. Use your long-range accuracy to inflict damage on critical points on enemy tanks and cripple them; to finish off wounded enemies; or to disrupt enemy maneuvers. Avoid moving to the front line.
What are the weaknesses of a tank destroyer?
Tank destroyers rarely have a turret. That makes them particularly vulnerable when suffering track or engine critical hits. If your TD is immobilized you are easily flanked. Your side and rear armor is weaker than your front armor and less likely to be highly sloped. Unlike turreted vehicles, you cannot defend yourself against attackers unless they foolishly stay directly in front of you when you cannot move.
To address this problem avoid fighting around the corners of buildings when enemies will target your leading tread wheel. Keep your back pointed at some kind of impassible terrain so enemies cannot get behind you. Be ready to withdraw rather than press a disadvantageous attack.
TDs also tend to take enormous damage from HE rounds. HE rounds don’t usually ricochet, making your armor slope less helpful. Since they are often considered open vehicles HE rounds will almost always incapacitate a crew member if they strike your TD at any vulnerable point.
TDs are slow and turn poorly. You’ll need to plan advances and maneuvers carefully to avoid being flanked while in motion and in a disadvantageous firing position. Move with or behind teammates whenever possible. Operating as a lone wolf near the front lines almost surely spells disaster.
Defense against scouts
Enemy scouts are your primary threat. Stealth is your greatest defense and they can take it away. Use the same methods to defeat scouts at any point in the battle that you would use when acting as an artillery picket. Hide, wait for them to approach and take a carefully aimed immobilizing shot; then finish them off.
Defense against SPGs
SPGs are your second biggest threat. They will shell you if you are detected and will sometimes blind-fire at locations they suspect you to be hiding and score lucky hits. Your best defense is stealth. If you are detected while in a defensive posture destroy the detecting tank and then move to a new hiding spot immediately.
If you are taking blind fire and are hit the attacking SPG will know you are there. You’ll either be destroyed, in which case they will see the wreck of your TD; or they will not see their shell explode in their overhead view, telling them their shell struck a target even if they cannot see it. If you life through the first hit move immediately.
What equipment should I use?
In all cases use a camouflage net. If you plan to act as a spotter add improved ventilation and binoculars. The crew bonuses from the ventilation will make your commander see further, as will the binoculars, helping you reach maximum sight distance. If you will act in a combat role substitute an enhanced gun laying drive and a tank gun rammer for the ventilation and binoculars so you can load and fire faster.
What consumables should I use?
Load a first aid kit in slot 4, a repair kit in slot 5, and fire extinguishers in slot 6. Use the standard variety if you buy with credits, or the advanced versions if you use gold.
Is it worth using gold?
It is always worth having a premium account. Doubling the experience and credits you receive for each game is always beneficial. Using gold ammunition makes sense if you are mounting a gun that gains a substantial advantage from it that works with your intended role.
Which tank destroyer should I choose?
Each line has its advantages and disadvantages. Broadly speaking the Russian line reaches hard hitting guns faster than other lines and are speedy but lightly armored. The German line reaches decent durability quickly and has excellent weapons with a very durable set of tier 8 and 9 entries. The American line offers the only TDs with turrets and has the most durable top end TD in the game.
Some noteworthy TDs include: Tier 2: AT-1 Russian (hardest hitting) Tier 3: Marder II German (hardest hitting) Tier 4: Hetzer (most durable, effective DERP gun) Tier 5: Wolverine American (turreted TD) Tier 6: Slugger American (turreted TD) Tier 7: SU-152 Russian (damaging, rapid firing gun) Tier 8: ISU-152 Russian (incredible damage) Tier 8: Ferdinand German (high accuracy) Tier 8: T-28 American (most durable) Tier 9: JagdTiger German (high accuracy) Tier 9: T95 American (most durable, high damage)
Note that the tier 9 Russian TD is not dramatically better than its tier 8 counterpart. The German TDs are somewhat stagnant at tiers 5 and 6, only seeing substantial increases in firepower at tier 7.
Enjoy your tank destroyers as you hear the confused question from your opponents: “Where did that shot come from?”
Also written by Andrew
Read the SPG Guide
Read the Scout Tank Guide
Read the Medium Tank Guide