What do you mean by "it’s a premium tank that earns no credits". According to BlitzStars it has a 150% credit coefficient which is about double most tech tree ranks which have about 80% credit coefficients.
Has the camo issue been fixed? I saw multiple YouTube video by Bushka and others from 2018 complaining about the fact that the 13 57 does not have lights tank camo while moving. I'm a bit confused by this because according to the 13 57's specs in the Blitz app, it has 47% concealment while stationary, 43% while moving, and 13% when firing while stationary. These are with camo net mounted.
I checked the same camo specs for all of the other light tanks and are in the similar range. For example the T49, also with a camo net, has concealment of 50% while stationary, 45% while moving,
and 8% when firing while stationary. The AMX 13 75, also a tier 7 French light, with camo net, has 59% concealment while stationary, 54% while moving, and 14% when firing while stationary. Most other lights are similar to the 13 75 with concealment while stationary in the low 50's. So granted the 13 57 has about 10% less concealment while moving than the average light tank, but according to the stats it does have camo while moving.
So when Bushka and others say that "the 13 57 doesn't have light tank camo while moving" what do exactly do they mean? Are they referring to something different than the stat for concealment % while moving and if so, can someone explain the difference? Or has WG already fixed this issue with the 13 57 so that it now has 43% concealment while moving?
As far as the merits of the 13 57, I think it has some things going for it and I really enjoy playing it.
First of all, the 6 shell clip with a total of 540 alpha in just 5 seconds is just great. It has a 9.38 second reload with equipment and provisions, which is almost the exact amount of time that it takes to reset your camo. So you can unleash 540 damage in just 5 seconds, then for your 9 second clip reload get behind hard cover or reposition, then come out and do it again... and again...and again.
540 alpha every 14.38 seconds is better than most, if not all tier 7 heavies.
For example the IS with the top line gun has 400 alpha with a 13.76 second reload. The KV3 with the top gun has 400 alpha with 14.38 second reload. The T29 has 310 alpha with a 9.81 second reload.
Typically when tanks have high alpha guns, they have lower than average DPM. I realize a 6 shot autoloader with 99 alpha per shot isn't the same as a heavy with a single shot 400 alpha gun, but it's similar when you can unleash 540 alpha in just 5 seconds with only 1 second between shots. Even if you miss or bounce 1 of your 6 shots, you still get 450 alpha every 14 seconds which is on par with or better than most tier 7 heavies. And the point I'm trying to make is that you aren't sacrificing DPM to get that 550 alpha. The 13 57 has 2,254 DPM with provisions. And that's if you use calibrated shells to increase pen instead of using improved ventilation. If you used vents your DPM is 2,285, although I wouldn't recommend it. This tank definitely needs the bump in pen that it gets with calibrated shells.
The 13 57 has the 2nd or 3rd best DPM of any tier 7 light tank. The Bulldog, with 2,650 DPM, has the highest DPM of tier 7 lights if you use the single shot gun, however if you the 3 shot autoloader, its DPM drops to 2,206 just behind the 13 57. The only other tier 7 light with better DPM is the Type 62 with 2,325 DPM.
Most tier 7 heavies with 400 alpha guns have DPM around 1,900. Obviously they have much better pen than the 13 57, but the 13 57 a lot of other advantages. The 6 shot autoloader gives you great flexibility. You can unleash all 6 shots in 5 seconds at a single tank and cause a whopping 540 damage or you can take 2 shots at 3 different targets causing 180 damage to each tank
which is on par with 200 damage that the LTTB gets with a single shot.
You also have great speed and mobility with a 61mph top speed, 40 mph average speed, and 24 hp/t power to weight ratio Terrain crossing capacity is outstanding with 156% for road, 136% for soft ground, and 78% for water. It also has great hull and turret traverse speed so 61 and 54 degrees per second. These specs are with all available provisions and equipment.
Gun handling is also very good with 0.312 dispersion and 3.2 second aim time with vertical stabilizer, gun laying drive, and provisions.
The only major weakness of this tank are it's paper thin armor and weak penetration which is pretty much on par with all other tier 7 light tanks. You don't play light tanks for their armor and penetration.