Nothing gives you a tactical advantage in World of Tanks as knowing the battlefield. Each map is unique, offering a different play experience and requiring a different strategy than any other. One of the maps most likely to have games won or lost from poor strategy is Lakeville. With a little understanding of how games on this map evolve you can contribute more effectively to your team’s victory.
Images
For this guide I included images with the article instead of in a separate slide show. The numbers are overlaid on the tank image above the article. Click the numbers 2 through 5 to see accompanying maps. Click the small picture to see it enlarged.
The play area
Lakeville may have the most easily recognizable movement paths of any map in the game. There are three main terrain features. The first is the western valley. It’s separated from the rest of the map by a tall mountain ridge. The second is a central road. It’s bordered on the west by that same ridge and on the east by the lake from which the map gets half its name. The third is the eastern village, bordered on the west by the lake and running to the east edge of the map.
Strategic overview
Games in Lakeville usually have three components. From west to east these are the valley conflict, the battle to control the central road, and a slugfest in the village. Games are usually decided by the village fighting, with the winner being able to approach the enemy capture point from the flank.
The valley battle is usually a Mexican Standoff, occupying the time of several vehicles from each team with little gain.
The road is most frequently used as a scouting approach. It’s narrow and has no real maneuvering room, and is exposed to fire from the village, so it is difficult to establish and hold a position on it.
Deployment in general
Initial moves in Lakeville set the tone of battle. There are basically two strategies. The first is a 6-2-7 deployment in which six vehicles deploy to the valley, two on the central road or its endpoint, and seven in the village. This is a balanced strategy that strives for three accomplishments. First, it closes the central road. Second, it has a large maneuver force in town. Third it has enough vehicles in the valley to use every available advantageous firing point in that corridor. Enough vehicles are on both east and west to make it difficult for an enemy force to overwhelm them, while being strong enough that if an enemy under-deploys to either side they can be overrun.
The second strategy is a 4-2-9 deployment. This concept relies on the four vehicles in the west fighting a defensive battle, attempting to hold the line without attacking. This frees two more vehicles to participate in the town slugfest, giving them a firepower advantage and allowing a breakthrough on the east.
Specific deployments
If there is artillery in the game it is vital that at least one self-propelled gun (called SPGs, artillery, or arty for short) take a firing position where it can cover the central ridge crest in the valley. If there are two the second should take a position that offers coverage of the central road to assist in closing it. This usually means it will also have some target zones in the village as well. It is hard to use SPGs against the village effectively, as the cover there is very dense.
Tank destroyers are best deployed toward the valley or as a defender of the central road. Their natural concealment advantages and heavy firepower make them idea for helping defend the valley from enemies cresting the ridge.
One of the team’s sturdiest vehicles should be a central road defender. The bulk of the team will head east into town.
Common battle areas
The one area over which tanks will battle in every single game is the central ridge crest in the valley. It can be fired upon by SPGs from both sides. Tanks on either side of it can assume viciously effective defensive positions from which they are certain to have the first shot on enemies pushing over the rise.
Another is the main road. Tanks traversing it will combat each other while being exposed to enemy SPG fire and inbound direct fire from the east across the lake. Fighting on the road is a dicey proposition at best.
The eastern edge road is a frequent battleground as well. If offers the best cover from artillery fire and a hard pack road, allowing tanks to move very rapidly – right up till the moment they encounter hostiles. Much of this fighting will involve ducking out from behind buildings, firing, and falling back into cover while reloading.
Valley strategy
The cardinal rule of fighting in the valley is do not cross the ridge line. Both sides of the valley offer defensive positions with perfect line of sight to the ridge crest. The steep angle of ascent from both sides guarantees an opportunity to fire on the tracks or underbelly of any vehicle approaching over the top. In short, being the first tank over the top is likely to expose your vehicle to being riddled with fire against your tracks and weakest armor while you cannot shoot back. It’s common to see the crest of that hill turn into a tank graveyard so densely packed with wreckage that it’s almost impossible to traverse if even when unopposed. Always prepare your defenses and wait for enemies to attack.
The one exception is a dangers move, and that is attempting a spotting maneuver to get a handle on the opposition arrayed against you. There are only two ways this can be done with reduced risk. The first is to conduct a hull-down move, approaching just closely enough that you get a peek over the top without exposing your tank too much. This is best done by tanks with very heavy frontal turret armor like the American T29.
The other is by having such a great speed advantage that you can rush over the top before enemies can establish defenses. This can sometimes be done by fast tanks when the visible enemy roster includes nothing with similar speed. And example would be a Russian A-20 (top speed 72) rushing against an enemy that has no light tanks and no fast mediums. It’s likely to get over the top before defensive fire can be offered against it.
This tactic works best traveling north-to-south. A tank cresting in that direction has a natural embankment to hide behind, shielding it from many defensive firing positions. The south-to-north approach has no such cover.
In any event, always notify your team that you intend to look over the crest. It is important to get as mean valley teammates as possible watching the mini-map when you take the risk. Their goal is to count enemies on the mini map to get a feel for the level of enemy resistance in the valley. A large enemy force indicates maintaining defensive positions. A light enemy force may indicate a rare opportunity to rush through the valley if you have numerical and vehicle superiority.
Many times it is easiest to get a feel for what you will face opposite you in the valley by observing what your teammates encounter on the central road and in the village. If you pay attention and count 12 enemies in those two locations you know they can have no more than three valley defenders, for example. Observation and arithmetic are your allies.
When defending you should assume a position from which you can fire on vehicles cresting the hill slightly from the side. Zoom in as closely as your reticle allows and always attempt to track enemies as they crest, while their tank is angled up and they cannot depress their gun enough to return fire.
If you have a somewhat fast firing gun that can track enemy vehicles you should alternate between them to keep as many tracked and unable to fight as possible. If only one vehicle is in sight track it on both sides and just work on keeping it immobile. Your teammates will pummel it to bits. Focus on victory, not your kill stats. You’ll help the team win, and with enough consecutive hits on enemy tracks you can earn the sniper and sharpshooter awards frequently.
Attacking through the valley should only be attempted when you are sure you have point superiority (more tanks and firepower than the enemy) or as a desperation move.
When you have point superiority the key to a successful attack is the massed wave. Going over the hill single file will get your tanks blasted apart one by one. Assaulting side by side forces the enemy to waste time selecting a target and lets you bring more guns to bear during your attack.
If you have line of sight to them your primary targets are always the enemy SPGs guarding the valley. They hit hard and usually use area-effect weapons, so they can whittle down your assault force quickly. Luckily they are soft targets and can often be destroyed before they fire, or at worst, after only firing once.
Your secondary targets are, contrary to what most might think, enemy TDs. They can often be destroyed easily, taking guns out of the game rapidly. Destroying them removes high firepower from the game quickly.
In any event, you’ll usually save the hard targets for last. While they are tough to destroy and hit hard they usually have very slow reload times and will pour a small number of shots over time at your attacking force. Once you outnumber them and they are isolated you can destroy them by maneuvering to both sides, ensuring attacks against weaker armor.
Road tripping
The central road is the most exposed battle area in Lakeville. There are very few strategies to be used there and all are very straightforward.
If you’re one of the road vehicles and are using a fast tank, you may be able to blitz down the road at high speed and actually zip right by approaching enemies before they can track you. This lets you detect many enemies and provide targets for your SPGs. Only the fastest of tanks will succeed with this maneuver. If you are struck and do not think you will get through, become a roadblock (see below).
If you’re using a TD as a road vehicle your best bet is to set up in a position of concealment that can fire on an oblique angle to the road, or directly down it lengthwise. Do not rush forward unless you have a very durable vehicle like the American T95. There’s just not enough cover and concealment for a TD to use on the road. Hanging back is your best strategy.
When using a medium or heavy tank you can advance as a pair down the road, leapfrogging the rocks that provide cover from shots originating in the village. Use the stone formations for cover and act as a blocking force. If you encounter heavy resistance you and your partner should turn sideways and form a staggered wall with your tanks. When you die you have become roadblocks, effectively closing the road. Enemies would have to push your wreckage a very long way at a snail’s pace to get through.
Heavy vehicles encountering light resistance can sometimes break through on the road. This usually happens at late midgame, or at the endgame, when forces have been whittled down. A heavy tank charging headlong down the road will find itself under concentrated fire from a large segment of the enemy. Even the heaviest of tanks eventually fall apart under a withering barrage.
A critical error some teams make is leaving the road undefended. They deploy badly or want to throw more power against the valley or village. Beware this mistake. If the road is open you are very likely to have a fast moving enemy infiltrate your backfield. They might chase down your SPGs, destroying them or rendering them ineffective while they struggle to combat a nimble scout. They might get behind your valley defenders and force you to turn back to deal with a threat firing on your rear armor. In either case, a small and simple defense force can prevent that from becoming a problem. Always defend the road.
Going to town
The town has three methods of traverse which can be mixed and matched as needed. The first is the eastern edge of the lake. It offers the shortest route through the city area and the ability to fire on the central road. It’s also the most vulnerable to return fire.
The second is going through the cluster of buildings, weaving in and around them to maintain cover. This gives some flexibility because you can either fade west to engage road targets, use buildings for cover, or take one of several ramps up to the easternmost road. It does require skilled driving, as every path through the city center is a twisting route.
The eastern road is the clearest path of all. It allows the highest speeds and good cover. The one place against which it has poor defense is against enemies traversing it from the opposite direction. It is almost guaranteed to be a site of conflict.
When using the lake-border path it’s important to make use of bushes to remain hard to spot. The most common error made here is failing to use building wreckage to shield your tank from enemy SPGs and direct fire from the road. Use cover at every opportunity and you can be a source of harassment fire that may seriously disrupt enemy moves in the center.
Going through the city requires you to multi-task. You’ll need to watch the mini map for blips representing tanks your crew has detected, but which you as a player do not see on screen. You’ll need to pay attention to the main screen to avoid driving directly into buildings and other vehicles. Situational awareness is the key to your survival.
Using the eastern road requires swift maneuvering to the road’s midpoint and skilled use of peek-and-shoot tactics. There is a slight rise in the road that players can use to fight while hull down if they know how to position their vehicles.
Beware American heavy tanks from the T29 upward, Russian heavy tanks from the IS-3 upward and all tier-8 and higher German heavies. They frequently make use of this hull-down advantage. There are medium tanks with very durable turret armor as well, but those are more likely to rely on maneuvering rather than static combat.
When confronted with this situation you must rapidly decide which side will win such a slugfest. If it’s not you withdraw and maneuver for a more advantageous firing position. Falling back is always preferable to dying foolishly.
Using SPGs in Lakeville
On this map there are two very effective tactics for SPGs and one very risky tactic which can work well but puts the SPG in jeopardy.
The first effective tactic is valley support. Position your SPG in a spot where it can fire on the crest of the hill, and hopefully both a bit north and south of the crest, while staying out of direct sight of it. As your teammates spot enemies coming over the rise you can blast them easily. The steep angle of the hill ensures that any tank going over the top will shed a lot of speed in the climb, making them simpler to hit.
Be patient and wait for targets to present themselves. Avoid being directly in the obvious bushes. It’s better to be behind them than in them, as you’re less likely to catch blind-fired attempts at counter-battery shelling from the enemy. If detected move immediately to a position of cover from enemy SPGs. You’re more valuable hiding till your friends deal with the scout and then resuming fire undetected than you are if your vehicle is destroyed.
The second effective tactic is positioning as far back as possible, in concealment, a bit to the east of the central road. This lets you fire on the central road, conduct counter-battery operations, and sometimes land shells on enemies moving laterally across their backfield.
The risky tactic is moving all the way east to a position where you can shell the easternmost road. You’ll be closer to the action. That is a double edged sword. You’ll be firing with very short shell flight times, making it harder for enemies to dodge your fire. You’ll also be more vulnerable to detection and attack. Only attempt this when a strong wedge of allies is advancing in front of you. They’re planning a hard push and you can add the hammer-blows of your firepower to their offensive while not being left exposed.
Putting it together
With a little planning and good communication with your team you can drastically improve your odds of success. Deploy quickly to effective positions. Decide if the valley will be on the offense or purely defensive. Control the central road and send your best drivers east. Your team will eliminate the most common mistakes and be prepared to face whatever the enemy throws at them.
Also written by Drew
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