World of Tanks – How to play effectively

Classes and Subclasses

 
Tanks are divided into 5 classes, most having subclasses 
Light tanks – 
Passive scout 
Active scout 
Lightium 
 
Medium tanks – 
Lightium 
Medium TD 
Heavium 
 
Heavy tanks – 
Heavium 
TDium 
Super Heavy 
Medium 
 
TDs – 
Assault TD 
Sniper TD 
Medium TD 
Light TD 
 
SPGs – 
SPG (also not covering this one, just press Shift and G) 
 
Knowing your class and subclass changes the way you play and influence the game 
Currently the meta is Heaviums and Assault TDs – use this to influence the Tech Trees you wish to go down 
 
 

Tech Trees and their Subclasses

 
Russia – Tech Trees 
Obj 261 – Spg 
Obj 268 v4 – Assault TD 
Obj 268 – Assault TD 
Obj 277 – Heavium 
IS-7 – Heavium (note – on the heavier end of the classification than 277) 
Obj 705a – Super Heavy 
IS-4 – Super Heavy 
ST-II – Heavy 
Obj 430u – Heavium 
Obj 140 – Medium 
K-91 – Medium TD 
T-100 LT – Passive Scout 
 
USA – Tech Trees 
T92 HMC – Spg 
T110e3 – Assault TD 
T110e4 – Assault TD 
T110e5 – Heavium 
T57 Heavy – Heavy TD (Not for camping*) 
M48 Patton – Medium 
Sheridan – Lightium 
 
UK – Tech Trees 
Conqueror GC – Spg 
FV4005 – Camping TD 
Badger – Assault TD 
S. Conqueror – Heavy 
Centurion AX – Medium 
Manticore – Passive Scout 
 
Sweden – Tech Trees 
Strv 103b – Camping TD 
Kranvagn – Heavy (autoloader) 
Udes 15/16 – Medium 
 
Poland – Tech trees 
60TP – Super heavy 
Cs-63 – Lightium 
 
Japan – Tech trees 
Type 5 Heavy – Super heavy 
Stb-1 – Medium 
 
Italy – Tech trees 
Rinoceronte – Heavy TD (not for camping) 
Progetto 65 – Medium 
 
Germany – Tech Trees 
G.W.E 100 – Spg 
Jg.Pz E 100 – Assault TD / Camping TD 
Grille 15 – Camping TD 
Pz.Kpfw. VII – Super heavy 
Maus – Super heavy 
E100 – Super heavy 
E50M – Heavium 
Leopard 1 – Medium TD 
Rhm. Pzw. – Passive scout / Lightium (Hard to classify) 
 
France – Tech trees 
B-C 155 58 – Spg (autoloader!) 
Foch B – Assault TD / Camping TD (autoloader) 
AMX 50b – Heavium / Heavy TD (not for camping) 
AMX M4 54 – Heavy 
B-C 25t – Lightium 
Amx 13 105 – Lightium (mini B-C) / Passive Scout 
EBR 105 – Active Scout 
 
Czech – Tech Trees 
TVP T 50/51 – Lightium 
Vz 55 – Heavy TD (not for camping) [Yet to be released] 
 
China – Tech Trees 
WZ-113G FT – Assault / Camping TD 
WZ-111 5a – Heavium 
12. – Heavium 
WZ-132-1 – Lightium / Passive scout 
 
Bear in mind these are not accurate to the entire Tech Tree and are Gross oversimplifications of actual gameplay style 
 
 

Gameplay – Light tanks

 
After choosing your tank, your play style is dictated by the class is comes under – bear in mind, classes that do not match the job their doing are still capable of doing that job, e.g: a heavy spotting. This is generally not a good idea 
 
Passive Scouting – 
This is done by mobile and well camouflaged light tanks 
They use bushes to achieve higher camo rating. 
Trees and Shrubs can be used as bushes too, Trees need to be knocked over before use however 
Avoid Engagements in these types of tanks. Generally you do not have the staying power to fight others. This is a very team reliant Subclass. Without TDs you will not get assist and will eventually be spotted, then die. 
 
Active Scouting – 
This is done by very mobile tanks, and can be done in anything with view range 
Wheeled vehicles do this somewhat well 
Active scouting does NOT mean suicide scouting, but rather scouting on the move. This means binocs and camo net are not an option. 
Good positions for active scouting are generally slopes, where you can poke your gun or cupola up to spot, and get back very quickly 
 
Lightiums – 
The hardest light tank subclass, these tanks act as support vehicles, finding holes in enemy lines to exploit weak side armour and assisting pushes. Some of these tanks can brawl, having armour that is more reliable than some mediums. This isn’t a subclass that is easy to summarise, and one I personally do not recommend 
 
 

Gameplay – Mediums

 
Standard Mediums – 
You play support, using your mobility to assist different flanks and to abuse openings. It is an all class. You can camp, you can brawl, you can flank 
 
Lightiums – 
Very mobile mediums. Generally lose armour for this, leading to the loss of being able to brawl. Extra Mobility means these mediums can act more like a Light tank and are much more flexible as a result 
 
Heaviums – 
These mediums lose mobility for armour. They are great brawlers. They can outtrade a wide variety of opponents with large calibre guns. They currently are the meta, being able to stomp entire flanks with decent mobility and armour 
 
Medium TDs – These are mediums meant more for camping. K-91 for example. It has very fast shells, very good camo but lacks a full turret. This is a rare and generally poor performing subclass. Not recommended 
 
 

Gameplay – Heavies

 
Heaviums – 
Much the same as with medium Heaviums, they are the perfect mixture of Armour and mobility, the current meta tanks 
 
Standard Heavies – 
Decent armour, below par mobility and large guns. Not the most flexible, but they get the job done 
 
Super Heavies – 
Poor mobility, but extremely thick armour. Can stomp flanks. Out of meta due to Premium Rounds. Not recommended but fun – Avoid artillery in this tank 
 
Heavy TDs – These are usually autoloaders, and are great at picking off targets at the cost for armour and staying power. If you have two of these tanks, you can pick off targets easily one by one, so these are considered somewhat in meta 
 
 

Gameplay – TDs

 
Sniper TDs – 
Boring 3rd line gameplay. You take sightlines and shoot enemies that approach. Very powerful and easy to play but relatively out of meta and poor performers for winning games 
 
Assault TDs – 
This is where the fun begins. You act like a super heavy with a better gun, but without a turret or full turret. Out of meta due to gold spam, but fun and usable regardless 
 
Medium TDs – 
The rarest subclass. Usually have turrets and ability to move as they please around the battlefield – T25/2 as an example 
 
Light TDs – 
Rare just like medium TDs, they are generally only low tier. Kanon jpz 105 is a tier 8 example 
 
 

Equipment

 
Equipment is important to gameplay. It improves your tank and how you play it. You get full equipment list from tier 5, but some special equips are only available at higher tiers 
 
Gun rammer – Essential to almost ALL tanks. Improves your Reload by 10%. A meta Equipment 
 
Vents – Improve everything about your tank threw crew by 5%. Increases Crew skills too (if applicable) 
 
Optics – Improves your View range by 10%. Many light and medium tanks benefit from this 
 
Vstabs – improves stabilisation of gun by 10%. Used on all tanks, except for ones with already good gun stabilisation e.g t110e5 and T-100lt. Not recommended for light tanks as they have better options for scouting instead 
 
Binocs – Improves View range by 25% when stationary for 3 seconds 
 
Camo net – improves camo by 10% when stationary for 3 seconds – not recommended due to Exhaust 
 
Low Noise Exhaust – Improves camo by 6% at all times 
 
Commanders Vision System – Removes enemies concealment while behind bushes and while moving, useful on light tanks 
 
Improved Aiming Unit – Improves your gun dispersion by 5% at ALL times. Extra stabiliser 
 
Improved Rotation Mechanism – Improves your rotation speed, does NOT effect gun handling as that stat is to counterbalance the extra speed 
 
Turbocharger – Increases top speed and Acceleration 
 
Improved Radio Set – Makes your spotted time less, while increasing enemy spotted time 
 
Improved Hardening – Increases track health and vehicle load limit along with HP 
 
Improved Configuration – Less module damage, module saves from fires and ammoracks 
 
Gun laying Drive – 10% faster aiming speed (only while stationary) 
 
Spall Liner – better HE protection, better Ramming protection, less stun duration and protection of crew 
 
Additional Grousers – better maintaining speed and ground resistances 
 
 

Equipments to use

 
For Passive scouts – 
CVS, Binocs, Vents/rammer or CVS, optics, vents/rammer (pick whatever gets you 445m View range) 
For active scouts – 
CVS, Optics, Vents/rammer 
 
For Mediums – 
Optics, Vstab Rammer or Vents Vstab Rammer or Turbo Vstab Rammer 
 
For Heavies (general) – 
Improved hardening, Vstab, Rammer 
 
For Heaviums – 
Turbo, Vstab, Rammer 
 
For Autoloaders – 
Vents, Improved Aiming, Vstab 
 
For TDs – 
Improved Aiming, vents (if applicable), Rammer (if applicable). 
 
These are general builds. Feel free to experiment. To see stats of tanks check out Tanks.gg 
 
 

Armour

 
To check Armour of enemy tanks and where to shoot them, Check here: Tanks.gg 
 
Tanks have 3 weakspots 
 
Cupola (sticks up from turret) 
Lower Glacis plate (bottom of the tank) 
Turret ring (self explanatory) 
 
These weakspots don’t appear on all tanks, so its best to research that yourself 
 
 

Crew

 
Crew is essential to the game. 
Crew skills can make or break a tank 
They come in Basic and Role based skills 
There are too many to document here, but the basic ones all tanks require are: 
Brothers in Arms (all crew MUST have 100% to take effect) 
Sixth Sense (on commander) lets you know when you get spotted 
Repairs 
Concealment (for TDs, LTs and MTs) 
Situational Awareness and Recon for View Range (Sit Aware first, more benefit) 
Safe Stowage to avoid being 1 shot 
 
Train Crews with Premium tanks or Lower tier elite tanks before moving forward on tech trees 
 
 

Exterior

 
Buy Preset Nation exterior style for 75000 on every tank. 750 credits per game for 2% – 4% extra concealment is large and necessary for good gameplay 
 
 

Conclusion

 
This guide does not cover everything and is not very indepth. This does cover quite a lot of important things though, and if you wish to get even better you should check out guides on Youtube to learn more (Stay away from QuickyBaby though, he’s a noob) 
 

Hope you enjoy the Guide about World of Tanks – How to play effectively, if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!