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Some more "Guides for New Players":
Positioning Your Tank
Throughout your WoT career, you will learn many tricks and tips on how to enhance your game play. A key thing to learn is where and how to position your tank to get the most out of it. That's where my guides and myself come in
I hope to help you get your tank in the right position to maximize destruction in all aspects. The most important thing is to know your tank! Know its strengths, weaknesses, and how you should play it. Hope you enjoy the read!
1. Hull Down
Overview
Going "Hull down" is some tanks only, or greatest strength. Yes, I'm talking about most all of the mid tier US heavy tanks. This tactic can be applied o ANY tank, but the USA Heavy line is built solely for this purpose. When a tank is hull down, it simply means that its hull, or base, is covered and or protected. The object covering it is irrelevant, as long as it can bounce and/or absorb shells. This could consist of, but is not limited to: Dead tanks, terrain, walls (In blitz), rocks, trains, wrecked planes (Malkovia) and so on. In real life, armies may dig trenches, or pile sandbags to make a tank "Hull down"
A few main things
- Likely need good gun depression- Gun depression is how far down your gun can aim. Usually in WoT, you will be using hills when you are hull down. If you are on a hill, your gun will be pointing in the air! Your gun needs to be able to point down to aim level to the ground, to some extent. This is what makes the Dicker max, ans some other German TDs not yet added to Blitz so dangerous, their gun depression makes them a tiny target that is impossible to hit from afar.
- Tall tanks > Small tanks- Bigger tanks, like the T34, and the T29 are beasts at hull down positions. this is because they can look over many obstacles. Most mediums will drive up to a rock and cand see over it. The taller the tank, the more hull down options you have. On a hill there is no difference, except shorter tanks usually have less gun depression
- No weak turret- You can not have a weak turret, or turret hatch, because that is the key of hull down. Its pointless to cover 1 weakspot when another just pops up for the enemy to hit. A lot of American and some German tanks have huge turret hatches, which are super easy to nail at close(ish) range. Also tanks with flat and weak turrets, such as the cromwell and many tier 1's can not, for obvious reasons.
- (Usually) No TDs- TDs usually can not go hull down because their armor is generally weaker, and/or they have weak-points. A select few are fantastic at it, such as Jagtiger, JgPzE100 at mid range, and a T28 if bottom tier (otherwise you have enough armor to just assault them). Know your TD well. It is hard to distinguish where you may be vunerable in a td.
Countering hull down Hull down enemies can be tough, but there are several ways to deal with them. Try to keep them busy while an ally flanks them. If you have a friend behind a hull down enemy, they WILL turn around. At that time you rush over the hill and its a 2 vs 1 free for all. If this is not logical or sensible for some reason, say that you are out gunned or out HP'd, then you can both get into positions and fire from cover from different angles. Usually tanks with strong frontal turrets will have weaker sides, as hes turning. If you are alone, and have a high HE load and a lot of time, try shooting high explosive ammunition in the hull downs tanks face. This is ill-logical and should be a last resort. It wastes time and money. HE shells can do SOME damage to armor way above AP penetration values. You may do 10% of full he damage if you are lucky. Please keep in mind to only shoot yellow areas with HE. Some things HE just cant penetrate. 
Any questions about that second part just PM me. Its not real traditional sidescraping.- Cover your hull- Don't forget to protect your hull behind a building or other cover. If you don't do this you look like a utter idiot who has no clue how to control a WoT tank
- Make the angle as little as possible- The less of an angle the enemy has to shoot at, the less you will get penetrated. Don't forsake this angle for hull protection
- Deal with the tracks- Sidescraping is suicide for your tracks. If you try to sidescrape in any form, your tracks will be constantly blasted to oblivion.
Countering the sidescrape
Sidescrapers can be countered in many ways. As normal, a flanker to get behind them will force them to retreat, then you can rush them and again, a 2 vs 1 free for all. A solo tactic is to rush them. Sidescrapers (including myself) think they are safe until somebody rushes them. If you rush a sidescraper, you will get a clear 90º shot at their side, which will usually penetrate.. Then you can engage in a brawl with the sidescraper, and hopefully win! Another thing you can do is use the building/object that they are using for cover. Just get behind it, forcing them to move around if they want a shot. Then you can choose if you want to engage in a brawl, or retreat
BE AWARE; Sidescrapers are usually forumers who have many battles and tons of experience. know you are dealing with a experienced player.
3. Facehugging form A
Overview
To "Facehug" someone is an expression used for basically rubbing your turret in another persons face! This accomplishes not only a hilarious thing to watch, but a viable tactic. Tanks with strong turret armor work the best at facehugging, since all that the enemy can shoot is, your turret! Pretty simple to do, just keep your turret in front of their gun, don't let them look anywhere else. It is a mutual benefit. Basically creates a stand off, since most frontal turrets cant be penetrated by tanks of similar tiers. Pretty simple eh?
Main Ideas
- Don't let them look away- Some tanks have a good enough gun depression that they can shoot you in places other than your strong points, if they get the chance. Keep their gun focused on your turret!
- Remember its mutual- When facehugging, nobody gets hit! Both you and the enemy are "happy". Use that against him. Wiggle around and find small weakspots you can drill to get damage.
- He shoots you shoot- Usually when face hugging, the enemy will try a luck shot at your turret. Whether it works or not, that is your time to slam the gas, break away and shoot him. Then get right back in that facehug.
- Don't let him escape- Don't let your prey get away! Move with him at all times (unless you are taking a shot, but then get right back with him)
Countering-
Like I said, pull away only to shoot them. If you do not want to be facehugged, use a building to scrape him off like mud on your shoes. Or dive off cliff/hill works, Or shoot out a S.O.S. As always, waiting with your newest red friend is not a bad idea also. Flankers will come, and then you can pull out and 2 vs 1 him (again). HE ammo is another viable, but bad option.
Visuals
4. Facehugging form B
overview
My "form" of face hugging is only possible with some tanks, and can be done only to some tanks. This happens when a small-profile tank goes up to a large/tall tank and sits there. The large tank does not have the gun depression to shoot down at you. Take a look at Major Troller's video
See what he does with that maus? That is the basis of this method. Most all USSR mediums can do this, and german heavies, and a few Russians are vulnerable to it. Try to stay up against their side, So you don't get on their front where they can hit you. Get really up close and personal. Remember even a bump from the Maus hurts. Avoid getting rammed. Also make sure they do not have the gun depression to shoot down onto your weak roof or engine deck.
Counter
If this is happening to you, try to reverse against a building. Watch the Maus in the vid after he has less than 1000 HP. He tries to scrape him off. It depends on the tank type and situation. If its an e25, try to reverse. Since e25 is a TD, he doesn't have a turret, and can't rotate with your tank .
5. Angling
Overview
Angling is one of the oldest and simplest method of tank positioning. It you angle your tank, the increased armor is enough to be a lifesaver. Preety simple and easy to understand. Just off set your tank from facing an enemy dead on and your armor is used more effectively. Don't wanna fill this with more useless crap, so look at the visuals if you're still confused
Important basics
- Know your tank- Know a general angle that is best for your tank. You angle too much and you expose your fragile side, Too little and its pointless, you are still exposing your weakspots.
- NEVER angle in a "pike nose"- Some tanks, like is3 and is8 have a "pike nose" If you angle in a piked nose tank, bad things will happen, since you basically just gave the enemy a free shot. There is the "Stalin angle" but that should never be tried.
- Mind the rear- Don't forget rears of tanks can be angled too! Mostly German heavies, and in a rare scenario when the enemy has low penetration
- You cant angle against multiple enemies- Angling only works against one enemy. Don't try it on enemies in different directions.
Countering angled enemies
An angled enemy can be tough, but get to as many different points around him and he will have nothing to angle at. This way SOMEBODY will always be able to penetrate. Also if somebody tries to rush him and facehug or CoD him, then he/she will be forced to turn his/her turret, potentially exposing more weakspots.
Hope you enjoyed!
Got something to add? Leave it in the comments and I can edit it in!
Edited by _1204_, 16 August 2015 - 12:38 AM.
+1
I hate writing stuff everyone here knows, but its worth it for that one noob thats gonna come across these someday.
