Topics of Training: If you want specific training on these topics please contact Spastic or any other available member of the clan who is willing help you.
Focus fire
Counter battery
Driving over cliff
Honing "Dogfight" abilities
Wolf pack
Weak spots
Tank specific weak spots
Firing lines (arty)
Situational awareness
Games:
The following is a brief synopsis of the different Training room games in which we have developed.
Dodge Ball - Siegfried Line
Team 1: composed of arty and one scout. (The number of arty should be 1/3 of the total number of tanks on the other team
Team 2: Composed of only light "scout tanks"
Goal: For team 1 (arty) to kill all scouts. For team 2 (scouts) stay alive.
Rules:
Stay between the dragons teeth.
Arty cannot pass the first two rows on the mini map.
No shooting the arty unless they pass the 2 row rules.
No shooting the scout tank for the arty team.
No ramming the opposing team (i.e. Scout tank)
Skill sets: scouting, arty, shooting on the move.
Ghost Fight - Any Map
Form balanced teams (1v1, 2v2, and 3v3), free for all, etc. Play without sights by pressing the "V" button once in battle.
Skill sets: observation, ability to improvise
David vs. Goliath
Team 1: a single tier 8 Heavy tank
Team 2: all tier 4/5 tanks
Rules:
No team killing
No derp guns
Goliath tank must be 2-3 tiers higher than the David tanks
Skill sets: weak spots, focus fire, suppression fire, teamwork
Round Robin - Any Open Map
1v1, build equal teams of same tier bracket (a specific tier +/- 1 tier). Start at top of each team roster they meet at a designated point on the map and duel it out. The winner of the duel proceeds to fight the next person in the line until there are no other opponents.
Skill sets: dogfight, weak spots, shooting on the move
Gauntlet - Any Open Map
Summary: very similar to Round Robin however the winner picks his next opponent and MUST be the last person standing. for example: if two teams of three were playing and the first player on team one wins twice he MUST challenge and fight those on his team before the last person on the other team fights.
Skill sets: dogfight, weak spots, shooting on the move
V.I.P - Any map
Teams: Balanced with one arty piece for each side.
Goal: team elimination while protecting arty.
Rules:
if arty dies that team looses.
teams must be balanced
Skill sets: scouting, arty, teamwork, meeting objectives
Rabbit - Any map
Team 1: any tanks (no arty)
Team 2: scout tank
Goal: Team 1: seek and destroy - Team 2: stay alive
Rules:
Team 1: no arty
Team 2: Stay alive, Must be a scout tank
Skill sets: scouting, teamwork, focus fire, evasive maneuvers
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Lert's easy tips for beginners.
Rule the first: Shoot the red tanks. The green ones aren't ripe yet. Under no circumstances is it ok to shoot a green tank. It doesn't matter how often he shot you, what he said about your mother, what crap day you had at work or how many entitlement issues you have: do NOT shoot green tanks. There are plenty of red ones (and a few blue ones every now and then) to go around.
Rule the second: Never block someone from backing up. This means giving people space. It doesn't matter what tank you're in and what tank he's in, he got to that spot first and as such you don't have a claim on it. He might need to back up to save his bacon, give him the room to do so.
Rule the third: Don't all commit to the same side of the map. You have a minimap for a reason. If you're in a group of 12 tanks heading to the east side of the map, it might be a good idea to stop, turn around and go west instead.
Rule the fourth: Be polite. Someone saves your sorry ass? Tell him thank you. You accidentally hit a friendly tank without meaning to? Tell him sorry. You see someone almost dead while you still have full health? Take a shot for him, allow him to get to safety. Two guns at 40% will do twice as much damage as one gun at 100%. Don't call people noob, or whatever your favorite insult is.
Rule the fifth: Kill or Cap is all the same. There is no super secret mega special bonus for killing all tanks or winning by cap. Only a tiny one for wiping out all tanks, but this one is too small to worry about and not worth the extra risk and time. There is only individual XP for killing or capping, but it all evens out in the end. The swift win is always, Always, ALWAYS preferable to the risky, drawn out hunt.
Rule the sixth: Know your job. If you're the small fish in a big pond, your job is not to charge the enemy's big fish. Your job is either find the enemy's big fish without him seeing you, annoying the enemy's big fish by taking pot shots at his tracks while your big fish is drawing his attention, or keeping the enemy's small fish off of your team's big fish's back. All these jobs award XP and credits, and all these jobs help your team win.
Rule the seventh: Driving straight into the enemy base at match start isn't scouting. This is known as suicide scouting, and in most cases is completely useless. All you'll do is tell your team where the enemy tanks are at match start, but we already know where they are: at their spawn. What we need to know is where they're at, 2 minutes after match start. The quick-and-dirty 'rule' for scouting is, creep forward through bushes until you light something up, then back off. People whine about invisible tanks? BE the invisible tank.
Rule the eight: It's a game. This should be rule the first. Way too many people forget about this simple but oh-so-important rule. World of Tanks is a GAME. It's not serious business. It's internet tanks. The price of gas won't go up when you have a bad match. Your girlfriend won't leave you if you die early on with 0 kills. Children in Africa won't go less hungry if you have a good round. It's a game, nothing more.
Rule the ninth: Use the camouflage / spotting system to your advantage. Sit behind bushes, not inside them. Sit near bushes, not too far away from them. The more bushes between you and the enemy, the more difficulty he will have to spot you.
Rule the tenth: Remember that it's a team game. Not a single player game. There's nothing wrong with dying if it helps your team closer to the win. There is nothing wrong with sacrificing yourself to block that enemy heavy from defending his cap. There is nothing wrong with taking a few shots to protect your teammates. If it helps achieve a better strategic position for your team, if it helps your team win, do it.
Rule the eleventh: Just because someone has 0 kills doesn't mean that he's useless. Someone who knocks 99% health off of 15 tanks will have 0 kills, but be far, far from useless. Kills matter, but damage done matters just as much.
Rule the twelfth: There is no such thing as kill stealing. To 'steal' something implies ownership in the first place. Ok, so, you did 99% damage to that tank when someone else finished him off. This is a GOOD thing. It means one less enemy tank, it means you get 99% of the XP for that tank's demise, and it means you don't have to wait yet another reload cycle before engaging the next enemy tank. It's a win-win for all. If I've knocked 99% off of that big mean enemy king tiger and you have a shot at him? Take the shot. By all means, kill that tank. I want you to.
Rule the thirteenth: Focus your fire. Don't spread your fire out. Five tanks at 20% will do five times the damage that one tank at 100% will do. If four tanks are fighting four tanks, the team that focuses their fire on the same target before moving to the next will always, Always win.
Rule the fourteenth: Know your tank. Don't try to hold a flank in a paper armored vehicle. Don't try to rush in a slow vehicle. Don't try to scout in a big-ass vehicle without camo. Don't sit and snipe with an inaccurate gun. Know where your tank sits in the 'holy triumvirate' of mobility, armor and firepower. Play according to your tank's strengths, while guarding for it's weaknesses. You've got a lot of armor? Spearhead the assault. You're tiny but fast? Run interference and scout. You're highly accurate with good pen, but low armor? Sit back and support. Know what guns your armor can deflect, and what armor your gun can defeat. (Thanks to anna_tankgirl and KFAJ)
Rule the fifteenth: Don't be the easy target. If you sit in the open, you die. If you drive in a straight line at a constant speed, you die. If the enemy has two tanks to shoot at: your teammate playing peek-a-boo behind cover and you next to him in the open, you die. Don't be the easy target. Make yourself as hard to hit as possible, at the very least harder than the guy near you. There is no shame in using cover, there is no shame in sitting back and sniping, there is no shame in backing up after taking your shot. Real men fight in the open, but smart men live long enough to destroy the tank that killed the 'real' man and win the match.
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Dogs Advice for beginners
First, and foremost, go read "Lert's easy tips for beginners"....................
Second, go and study all the Training articles, posts, and videos available to you so you learn the game.
Third, after reading Lert's fine post come back here and read this. Sorry Lert I think you should have added this to your fine post.
After 16,000+ battles, and after training new players for my Clan over the last year (And still doing it) there are a few things I stress to new players over and over. (Which is why I have so many battles in my low tier tanks. I am not stat padding I am training new players) I have found that when our new players take this advice they end up having more fun playing the game, their stats improve dramatically, and they actually learn the game.
Do NOT be in a hurry to get to the higher tier tanks...................
This game has a very steep learning curve, but the game itself 'eases' you through that curve in baby steps called tank tiers. If you drive right through the lower tiers and up into the mid tiers you are failing yourself and will only encounter frustration. In the end you will be on these forums complaining that the either the game is broken, this [insert tank name here] is broken, or both are broken.
Instead, drive those low tier tanks to death (In this case I am talking about tiers 1-3), my recommendation is minimum of 100 battles each for the country/tech line you want to follow. DO NOT skip any of them no matter how painful driving them may seem. If you are enjoying the tank then you are learning and having fun, but players ask why drive the ones I find painful/difficult to drive? Because this game is all about adapting to the enemy tanks out there on the battlefield, if you cannot adapt your play style to a tank you find difficult to drive you will never be able to adapt to the enemy tanks you find difficult to damage/destroy.
This is the single most obvious reason you hear new players complaining about the MM or certain enemy tanks in the game. Comments like "How do I damage a tank two tiers higher then me!?" or "The MM stinks." They never spent the time needed to learn the tanks, the game, and how to use 'difficult tanks' so they are clueless when they leave the realm of tiers 1-3.
Some have asked why not hold the line at tiers 1-2 when tier 3s do get matched against tiers 4-5? Basically I like to call this 'A taste of what's over the horizon.' Again I hold the new players in tiers 1-2 for a good number of platoons, even when they want to jump to tier 3. Once I see they have learned the basics I gave them in the training room for shooting I then let them go into tier 3 platoons with me. There they get a taste of what it is like to face tanks much better then theirs in almost every way. But, and this is important, they ask how in the world do I engage those tanks with this tier 3? By getting better with your tier 1s and tier 2s. Learn them in and out, then learn your tier 3 in and out and you will be able to effectively engage and contribute in those tier 4-5 battles with your tier 3. However, skip this learning curve and you will never get better, only worse.
To sum up this category: Do not rush through the tech trees. Instead drive all the tanks to death in the lower tiers, and even when grinding up to bigger better things, don't skip them drive them to death before moving on to the next tank.
Self Evaluation and Ignoring Your Stats.............
All the new players are given this marker to drive their tanks by. They are also told that this is so they can evaluate their own performance in battle, not so we can evaluate them in the Clan. While doing this they are told to ignore their stats and concentrate on what they accomplish in each battle.
After each battle you want to accomplish the following;
(1) Did you finish in the top 6 players, on your team, for Exp earned in the battle.
(2) Did you score at least a 60% hit ratio, not penetrating hits just plain old hits, during the battle?
If you accomplished both goals then you are doing good. If you failed to achieve either, or both, goals then look back on the battle just played and try to decide what you could have done better.
Basically these two goals force a player to think before shooting, and taking their time when engaging the enemy, instead of just blazing away at anything they see. By learning how to just effectively hit targets, in the lower tiers, they are increasing their chances of causing damage and destroying enemy tanks. It is also very helpful later as they can then learn how to aim at weak spots from longer ranges and actually hit them a good percentage of the time.
It also forces the player to pay attention to what is going on around them via the little map in the corner, basically because they now understand how exp is earned and that map is how you get it. It also makes them think how they can accomplish that goal and stay alive longer, because dead tanks don't earn exp, and you are not going to finish anywhere near the top six if you died in the first two minutes of the match.
Be polite at all times.............................
I cannot add to what Lert said on this, I just added it here to reinforce what he said.
Good Luck and Good Hunting, and most of all HAVE FUN
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Focus Fire
Focus Fire - To have all shots from friendly's shoot at one enemy target. The point of Focus fire is to Quickly eliminate an enemy before they have a chance to reload or retreat. it requires Discipline and Coordination to do this as a team. This tactic applies to Tank Companies, Clan Wars, and even platoons.
Step 1: review the basics of focus fire. Remember that a tank at 2% health deals out the same damage as a tank at 100% health..... No health = no threat. Go To a training room and split up into two balanced teams. Make sure the map has a wide open area and line up evenly spaced at approx 250/300 Meters. Each team will be designated a team captain. The team captain will call out a tank either by driver name/hit point/vehicle name/or any other way of identifying the target. after the captain calls out the person to target the rest of the team will "Target that tank using the "T" button. All Field commanders will take turns as team captains. This will continue until the FC's are conformable with calling and everyone is comfortable in Marking their targets.
Once everyone has mastered the above steps. Now it's time to apply. Again the team captain will call out targets and just like before the rest of the team will use the "t" button to mark their targets. However this time you do not move on until the target is destroyed. repeat until there is no other enemy target to shoot. Repeat as many times as needed until everyone is comfortable.
STEP 2:
Review what was discussed the day before. Remember to not fire on another enemy until the threat is eliminated or there is a more pressing threat. This round the targets will be on the move and the Team captain will be the only one marking the targets with "t" repeat as many times as needed until everyone is comfortable with this.
STEP 3:
Target Priority. It is important that the team knows which target is a priority in case the captain of the team is unable to mark the shot. The priority is based on many factors.1)Time to kill target (Hp left on target, how many tank you have, etc.) 2) Danger potential (damage potential, spotting ability, etc.) target those enemies who have the highest combination of the to. I.E. Low kill time highest threat. If the enemy doesn't have a pressing advantage target the biggest threat or best target.
STEP 4:
Using what you have learned. Have clan mates break off into platoons. One person in the platoon act as a team lead and apply these tactics to Random battles. Using these tactics will halp gain more income in platoons.
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Keeping your tanks alive
a famous WoT Guru once said. " the only reason not to destroy an enemy tank is if there is an ally that will definitely destroy him and you have a shell to use on a more powerful enemy. in all other cases destroy an enemy ASAP to reduce the amount of enemy cannons. 2 damaged enemy tanks are a much higher threat than one destroyed and one at full health."
Today we will be learning how to keep your tanks alive longer in platoons, tc, and CW.
Remember "a living tank is a dangerous tank and a dead tank cannot win battle."
Remember "the outcome of the battle is determined by the surviving tanks"
STEP 1:
paired exercise.
Goto a training room and split up into pairs.
Line everyone up one in front of the other. and take turns swapping positions. One moves to the front the other to the back. try to make it it a speedy transition.
RULE 1: the time it takes to make the transition needs to be less than the fastest reloading tier ten tank (t110e5 @ ~7.5 sec) Let the front tank determine which way he/she is going and the rear tank responds accordingly. the idea is to swap positions with a friendly units which has sustained critical damage.
RULE 2: the silhouette of the rear tank needs to be fully covered by the front tank.don't expose your side. Slightly angle your tank to get the most cover.
RULE 3: if you are the covered tank do not pull back. the optimal distance should be about 1/2 the length of your hull. the farther back you are the more expose you are.
REPEAT until all members are comfortable. Switch partners. and repeat again until it is second nature.
Common mistakes:
not angling your tank when taking the front position
reversing to far
Suggestion Use a hotkey command to initiate this procedure (EX: Cover Me) this will save time and confusion.
STEP 2:
Group training.
Court yard on himesdorf
Pair off again like before but be closer to other pairs. this will simulate the closeness of quarters you experience in actual fights. Again have players swap positions. this time there will be others to the sides of you trying to do the same thing. This will cause some issues and we must work as a group to be efficient.
once comfortable break off and form waves of 3. have the first wave advance for a few second. while the second wave aims and targets on the enemy tanks but do not shoot. have the second wave swap positions with the front wave offering the front wave cover. for best results limit waves to 3 members to allow efficient room to maneuver.
STEP 3:
Group Training with live fire.
Once everyone is comfortable with the maneuvers. Repeat step 2 but with live fire and repeat the swapping of positions until one side is victorious. It will be a mess the first few times. until everyone is comfortable with these maneuvers.
STEP 4:
unbalanced fight.
Create a training room with one team stronger than the other (6v7, 8v9, etc). the weaker team will be assaulting the stronger team. this will help emphasis the effectiveness and importance of focus fire. have the weaker team use the tactics we have discussed (focused fire, protecting the damaged allies) while the stronger team is to be stationary and not applying these tactics. the weaker team should easily overthrow the stronger team. Switch places and have everyone get the opportunity to be on each team.
The purpose of this is to share the damage and keeping allies alive.
Break off into platoons and apply these tactics.
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Maintaining a line
tactic dates back to roman legions.
tactics includes not only keeping a line in front of your enemy, but also, being prepared to change formations, maintain firing lines. moving to protect damaged friendlies, and isolating enemy tanks even while on the move.
recommendations:
take a look at the position of your teammates at the beginning of the battle. try to guess which way they will be going and try to figure out where you will be going before the battle starts. try to anticipate where you will have to move. be curtious and allow more important tanks to go first.
make a mental priority list of those tanks who should have right of way.
try to make way for the speedier light tanks or arty.
tread the most optimal path. try not to damage or be damaged by friendly tanks
don't clutter near friendly tanks. you will be easy targets for arty with that much armor in one place.
never cross firing lines of friendly tanks.
if you are faster take the outside path as not to cut off your allies
if collision occurs allow ally to dictate their direction
STEP 1:
How to advance from initial setup into battle formation.
the weakest formation is a single column. or loser's column. this presents a single target to the enemy one at a time.
start with 4 tanks on a city map. line them up one one side. The rear tanks advances first until he overtakes the next tank. then the next until all for are in motion. this will maintain a solid line.
One of the causes of the "loser's column" is an improperly balanced or matched team. to prevent this players will need to be matched up in groups based on speed and need of position. for ex. all t100e% then is-7's then is-4. another thing that will cause the loser's column is terrain. pay attention to things like trees fences, and other obstacles that will slow you down.
useful things to remember: if you follow in the track marks of the one in front you will not be slowed down. further more and eagle eyed arty player looking for damaged buildings, downed trees ect. will not see you markings just that of the lead tank
pull yourself together before any and all engagements.
STEP 2:
maneuvering, turning, and regrouping
you must always be ready to focus fire on an enemy. and be ready to cover you allies with the lowest HP. general rules. the first tank should drive at the outer arch of the turn. another word this tank will travel further in the turn. ideally the tanks want to move a half hull faster than allies on the inside of the turn.
Create a training room in a city map. break off into platoons within the TR. and make a circuit. around the map. preforming this maneuver at each turn. be careful of buildings, rubble, or anything that could slow you down.switch partners and repeat. add difficulty to this by closing the distance between each platoon. until the entire team moves in one group.
Apply a random force to the opposing side to fight. use these tactics to overcome your enemies.
Be arty safe and make sure you don't get your formation into an easy damage area for enemy arty. you are an easier target in large groups.
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Surrounding your enemy
surround your enemy is an important tactic to learn. surrounding your enemy allows you to destroy your enemy forces with a high degree of efficiently and with minimal loss of your hit points. learning how to preform this maneuver will automatically give you an understanding of how to avoid being surrounded your self however you will also be training on however to escape the maneuver as well. the point of the maneuver is to bring local superiority in firepower and position. surrounding and overwhelming your enemy is one of the most effective strategies for winning matches. even the most entrenched enemy can be surrounded it's simple a matter of timing. what you are looking for is any opportunity to engage enemy tanks with two or more ally tanks. the enemy is forced to choose which side to return fire allowing the others to swing in and flank. as usual coordination is key. you will need more tanks in the area than the enemy to preform a true surround.
STEP 1:
first exercise
divide into platoons of three and spread out on a map not to interfere with anyone else.
each plt gets 1 tank in defense and 2 tanks in assault defense tank will take cover while the assault tanks attack. The first assaulter should clinch clinch enemy while second tries to flank getting to the rear and the sides. obvious the tank in defense needs to try and stay alive. a good way to tell if the surround was successful is if the assaulting tanks HP are above 2/3's health then it was preformed admirably.
Hint: when flanking try to put rounds into the ammo rack or engine. this with either explode the enemy or catch them on fire. doing this will destroy your enemy is a shorter period of time.
Exercise 2:
3v2
the task remains the same. the larger team tries to attack and surround the weaker team.
Hint: use previously discussed and developed training topics to achieve this.
Break off into platoons and practice.
STEP 2:
first exercise
split into two groups. one side will have 2-3 extra tanks these should be mediums.
the smaller groups should try to defend a positions.
the larger attacking force will be split into two groups. one with the heavy tanks and the other with the faster medium assaulting tanks. heavy's will lead the advance engaging the enemy while the mediums flank and attempt the surround.
repeat until everyone is comfortable in these maneuvers.
the task of the weaker team is to break off the surround. to do this they must effectively focus fire on the weakest attacking tank and continually be seeking cover as they retreat.
Second Exercise
Held on Mines or himelsdorf
the smaller team's to be placed in an area which is covered from arty fire. the task is to extract them self from a surround. all while the enemy arty is firing on you.
switch sides and repeat until each player has had an opportunity to be both attacking and defending.
tankers should be aware of three factors:
1) synchronization of movement
2) get out of cover correctly avoiding the first tank's destruction by focus fire.
3) focus fire of weaker tanks
break off into platoons and apply to battles.
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Scout tanks
Rule 1:
A player does not scout for themselves but for the whole team. They are to gather Intel for other players to exploit. a effective and timely detection of enemy units and directly influence decisions on the battlefield. This will allow your team to use arty to hit tank when they are vaurnable. this helps teams to gain superiority over a given area. Remember a scout supported by arty is one of the most deadly components in WoT. every player needs to know how to scout. depending on the situation there will be a time when you will need to scout. regardless of the tank you are driving.
exercise 1:
Map: Sand River
select a route and speed limit around the south side of the map.
start: let drive through the dunes at the highest possible speeds and see where novices get stuck. now repeat but in a group of three and pick the best route. repeat until all players can make the route without any stops and with the set time.
tip 1. use equipment. Torsion bars or Cristie suspension. can prevent many of the suspension issues caused by trectous terrain. study all maps know your terrain.
Step 2: gain and keep your speed going. use consumables (speed gov. premium gas.) to do so. pick the best route make sure you avoid steep inclines, or soft ground. avoid running over obstacles.
exercise 2:
Map: Prohvorka
2 teams - 8 people (4 each team)
team 1: Light scout tanks
Team 2: medium and heavy tanks with accurate guns and HE.
Team 2: will set up between the base and the slope leading to the hallow. with one placed forward to detect.
Object: kill all scouts without moving from you designated spot.
team 1: will go one by one to light up the enemy units the next scout does not move until all markers for the previous scout are gone.
Object: detect all enemy units and survive.
Tip 1: on open terrain maps. move along mountain ridges and revel only your turrent.
Tip 2: when scouting on a hill do not wait for enemy units to appear as they do so with a slight delay. you should crest the hill and immediately find cover from enemy fire.
Exercise 3:
Map: Sigfried line
two teams - heavy's vs scouts
team 1 - 3 heavy tanks will take position near a bunker in E2. their task is to attack a detected enemy with HE.
team 2 - scouts will move one by one along the top of a low hill until they are detected. after detection their task will be to keep their speed while retreating using the terrain to avoid enemy fire.
Tip 1: do not jar back and forth quickly. take slight turns that don't effect your speed mixed with quicker turns. remember it takes an average player 3 seconds to aim a gun. take this into account and make sharp turn every 3 seconds.to effect the enemies ability to hit you. use the rest of the time to build speed.
Tip 2: when moving within an enemy's LOS try to move across the direction they are aiming and change direction only after they have fires.
Exercise 4:
Map: Steppes
two teams
Team 1) heavy and med - set up concealed in c5 behind the rocks. use HE
team 2) lights - break through the shelter at A8
tip 1) a scout can break through the lines and get to arty if timed right you want to ensure as many of the enemy tanks are distracted.
tip2) if being followed bring the enemies into the LOS of friendly
exercise 5) map - various
team 1) scouts - take up appropriate scouting positions. and lay out an effective retreat route. turn tank face in that direction. once detected retreat
team 2) heavy and med aligned in a chain 150 M apart and sweep the map. objective detect and destroy scout in first volley do not chase. fall back . their task is to make the scouts understand the distance before detection and the time for retreat.
If the scouts survive start at another location and run again do this until all player know the distance and the time and can escape efficiently.
min requirements is to survive 3 rounds with the same tank.
stage 1 scout tanks take up
it's up to you to start practicing. Remember - constant practice, training, rehearsal, and constant monitoring of you knowledge will do you any good.
accurate performance of training rooms is a formula for success for you and your team.
Focus fire
Counter battery
Driving over cliff
Honing "Dogfight" abilities
Wolf pack
Weak spots
Tank specific weak spots
Firing lines (arty)
Situational awareness
Games:
The following is a brief synopsis of the different Training room games in which we have developed.
Dodge Ball - Siegfried Line
Team 1: composed of arty and one scout. (The number of arty should be 1/3 of the total number of tanks on the other team
Team 2: Composed of only light "scout tanks"
Goal: For team 1 (arty) to kill all scouts. For team 2 (scouts) stay alive.
Rules:
Stay between the dragons teeth.
Arty cannot pass the first two rows on the mini map.
No shooting the arty unless they pass the 2 row rules.
No shooting the scout tank for the arty team.
No ramming the opposing team (i.e. Scout tank)
Skill sets: scouting, arty, shooting on the move.
Ghost Fight - Any Map
Form balanced teams (1v1, 2v2, and 3v3), free for all, etc. Play without sights by pressing the "V" button once in battle.
Skill sets: observation, ability to improvise
David vs. Goliath
Team 1: a single tier 8 Heavy tank
Team 2: all tier 4/5 tanks
Rules:
No team killing
No derp guns
Goliath tank must be 2-3 tiers higher than the David tanks
Skill sets: weak spots, focus fire, suppression fire, teamwork
Round Robin - Any Open Map
1v1, build equal teams of same tier bracket (a specific tier +/- 1 tier). Start at top of each team roster they meet at a designated point on the map and duel it out. The winner of the duel proceeds to fight the next person in the line until there are no other opponents.
Skill sets: dogfight, weak spots, shooting on the move
Gauntlet - Any Open Map
Summary: very similar to Round Robin however the winner picks his next opponent and MUST be the last person standing. for example: if two teams of three were playing and the first player on team one wins twice he MUST challenge and fight those on his team before the last person on the other team fights.
Skill sets: dogfight, weak spots, shooting on the move
V.I.P - Any map
Teams: Balanced with one arty piece for each side.
Goal: team elimination while protecting arty.
Rules:
if arty dies that team looses.
teams must be balanced
Skill sets: scouting, arty, teamwork, meeting objectives
Rabbit - Any map
Team 1: any tanks (no arty)
Team 2: scout tank
Goal: Team 1: seek and destroy - Team 2: stay alive
Rules:
Team 1: no arty
Team 2: Stay alive, Must be a scout tank
Skill sets: scouting, teamwork, focus fire, evasive maneuvers
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Lert's easy tips for beginners.
Rule the first: Shoot the red tanks. The green ones aren't ripe yet. Under no circumstances is it ok to shoot a green tank. It doesn't matter how often he shot you, what he said about your mother, what crap day you had at work or how many entitlement issues you have: do NOT shoot green tanks. There are plenty of red ones (and a few blue ones every now and then) to go around.
Rule the second: Never block someone from backing up. This means giving people space. It doesn't matter what tank you're in and what tank he's in, he got to that spot first and as such you don't have a claim on it. He might need to back up to save his bacon, give him the room to do so.
Rule the third: Don't all commit to the same side of the map. You have a minimap for a reason. If you're in a group of 12 tanks heading to the east side of the map, it might be a good idea to stop, turn around and go west instead.
Rule the fourth: Be polite. Someone saves your sorry ass? Tell him thank you. You accidentally hit a friendly tank without meaning to? Tell him sorry. You see someone almost dead while you still have full health? Take a shot for him, allow him to get to safety. Two guns at 40% will do twice as much damage as one gun at 100%. Don't call people noob, or whatever your favorite insult is.
Rule the fifth: Kill or Cap is all the same. There is no super secret mega special bonus for killing all tanks or winning by cap. Only a tiny one for wiping out all tanks, but this one is too small to worry about and not worth the extra risk and time. There is only individual XP for killing or capping, but it all evens out in the end. The swift win is always, Always, ALWAYS preferable to the risky, drawn out hunt.
Rule the sixth: Know your job. If you're the small fish in a big pond, your job is not to charge the enemy's big fish. Your job is either find the enemy's big fish without him seeing you, annoying the enemy's big fish by taking pot shots at his tracks while your big fish is drawing his attention, or keeping the enemy's small fish off of your team's big fish's back. All these jobs award XP and credits, and all these jobs help your team win.
Rule the seventh: Driving straight into the enemy base at match start isn't scouting. This is known as suicide scouting, and in most cases is completely useless. All you'll do is tell your team where the enemy tanks are at match start, but we already know where they are: at their spawn. What we need to know is where they're at, 2 minutes after match start. The quick-and-dirty 'rule' for scouting is, creep forward through bushes until you light something up, then back off. People whine about invisible tanks? BE the invisible tank.
Rule the eight: It's a game. This should be rule the first. Way too many people forget about this simple but oh-so-important rule. World of Tanks is a GAME. It's not serious business. It's internet tanks. The price of gas won't go up when you have a bad match. Your girlfriend won't leave you if you die early on with 0 kills. Children in Africa won't go less hungry if you have a good round. It's a game, nothing more.
Rule the ninth: Use the camouflage / spotting system to your advantage. Sit behind bushes, not inside them. Sit near bushes, not too far away from them. The more bushes between you and the enemy, the more difficulty he will have to spot you.
Rule the tenth: Remember that it's a team game. Not a single player game. There's nothing wrong with dying if it helps your team closer to the win. There is nothing wrong with sacrificing yourself to block that enemy heavy from defending his cap. There is nothing wrong with taking a few shots to protect your teammates. If it helps achieve a better strategic position for your team, if it helps your team win, do it.
Rule the eleventh: Just because someone has 0 kills doesn't mean that he's useless. Someone who knocks 99% health off of 15 tanks will have 0 kills, but be far, far from useless. Kills matter, but damage done matters just as much.
Rule the twelfth: There is no such thing as kill stealing. To 'steal' something implies ownership in the first place. Ok, so, you did 99% damage to that tank when someone else finished him off. This is a GOOD thing. It means one less enemy tank, it means you get 99% of the XP for that tank's demise, and it means you don't have to wait yet another reload cycle before engaging the next enemy tank. It's a win-win for all. If I've knocked 99% off of that big mean enemy king tiger and you have a shot at him? Take the shot. By all means, kill that tank. I want you to.
Rule the thirteenth: Focus your fire. Don't spread your fire out. Five tanks at 20% will do five times the damage that one tank at 100% will do. If four tanks are fighting four tanks, the team that focuses their fire on the same target before moving to the next will always, Always win.
Rule the fourteenth: Know your tank. Don't try to hold a flank in a paper armored vehicle. Don't try to rush in a slow vehicle. Don't try to scout in a big-ass vehicle without camo. Don't sit and snipe with an inaccurate gun. Know where your tank sits in the 'holy triumvirate' of mobility, armor and firepower. Play according to your tank's strengths, while guarding for it's weaknesses. You've got a lot of armor? Spearhead the assault. You're tiny but fast? Run interference and scout. You're highly accurate with good pen, but low armor? Sit back and support. Know what guns your armor can deflect, and what armor your gun can defeat. (Thanks to anna_tankgirl and KFAJ)
Rule the fifteenth: Don't be the easy target. If you sit in the open, you die. If you drive in a straight line at a constant speed, you die. If the enemy has two tanks to shoot at: your teammate playing peek-a-boo behind cover and you next to him in the open, you die. Don't be the easy target. Make yourself as hard to hit as possible, at the very least harder than the guy near you. There is no shame in using cover, there is no shame in sitting back and sniping, there is no shame in backing up after taking your shot. Real men fight in the open, but smart men live long enough to destroy the tank that killed the 'real' man and win the match.
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Dogs Advice for beginners
First, and foremost, go read "Lert's easy tips for beginners"....................
Second, go and study all the Training articles, posts, and videos available to you so you learn the game.
Third, after reading Lert's fine post come back here and read this. Sorry Lert I think you should have added this to your fine post.
After 16,000+ battles, and after training new players for my Clan over the last year (And still doing it) there are a few things I stress to new players over and over. (Which is why I have so many battles in my low tier tanks. I am not stat padding I am training new players) I have found that when our new players take this advice they end up having more fun playing the game, their stats improve dramatically, and they actually learn the game.
Do NOT be in a hurry to get to the higher tier tanks...................
This game has a very steep learning curve, but the game itself 'eases' you through that curve in baby steps called tank tiers. If you drive right through the lower tiers and up into the mid tiers you are failing yourself and will only encounter frustration. In the end you will be on these forums complaining that the either the game is broken, this [insert tank name here] is broken, or both are broken.
Instead, drive those low tier tanks to death (In this case I am talking about tiers 1-3), my recommendation is minimum of 100 battles each for the country/tech line you want to follow. DO NOT skip any of them no matter how painful driving them may seem. If you are enjoying the tank then you are learning and having fun, but players ask why drive the ones I find painful/difficult to drive? Because this game is all about adapting to the enemy tanks out there on the battlefield, if you cannot adapt your play style to a tank you find difficult to drive you will never be able to adapt to the enemy tanks you find difficult to damage/destroy.
This is the single most obvious reason you hear new players complaining about the MM or certain enemy tanks in the game. Comments like "How do I damage a tank two tiers higher then me!?" or "The MM stinks." They never spent the time needed to learn the tanks, the game, and how to use 'difficult tanks' so they are clueless when they leave the realm of tiers 1-3.
Some have asked why not hold the line at tiers 1-2 when tier 3s do get matched against tiers 4-5? Basically I like to call this 'A taste of what's over the horizon.' Again I hold the new players in tiers 1-2 for a good number of platoons, even when they want to jump to tier 3. Once I see they have learned the basics I gave them in the training room for shooting I then let them go into tier 3 platoons with me. There they get a taste of what it is like to face tanks much better then theirs in almost every way. But, and this is important, they ask how in the world do I engage those tanks with this tier 3? By getting better with your tier 1s and tier 2s. Learn them in and out, then learn your tier 3 in and out and you will be able to effectively engage and contribute in those tier 4-5 battles with your tier 3. However, skip this learning curve and you will never get better, only worse.
To sum up this category: Do not rush through the tech trees. Instead drive all the tanks to death in the lower tiers, and even when grinding up to bigger better things, don't skip them drive them to death before moving on to the next tank.
Self Evaluation and Ignoring Your Stats.............
All the new players are given this marker to drive their tanks by. They are also told that this is so they can evaluate their own performance in battle, not so we can evaluate them in the Clan. While doing this they are told to ignore their stats and concentrate on what they accomplish in each battle.
After each battle you want to accomplish the following;
(1) Did you finish in the top 6 players, on your team, for Exp earned in the battle.
(2) Did you score at least a 60% hit ratio, not penetrating hits just plain old hits, during the battle?
If you accomplished both goals then you are doing good. If you failed to achieve either, or both, goals then look back on the battle just played and try to decide what you could have done better.
Basically these two goals force a player to think before shooting, and taking their time when engaging the enemy, instead of just blazing away at anything they see. By learning how to just effectively hit targets, in the lower tiers, they are increasing their chances of causing damage and destroying enemy tanks. It is also very helpful later as they can then learn how to aim at weak spots from longer ranges and actually hit them a good percentage of the time.
It also forces the player to pay attention to what is going on around them via the little map in the corner, basically because they now understand how exp is earned and that map is how you get it. It also makes them think how they can accomplish that goal and stay alive longer, because dead tanks don't earn exp, and you are not going to finish anywhere near the top six if you died in the first two minutes of the match.
Be polite at all times.............................
I cannot add to what Lert said on this, I just added it here to reinforce what he said.
Good Luck and Good Hunting, and most of all HAVE FUN
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Focus Fire
Focus Fire - To have all shots from friendly's shoot at one enemy target. The point of Focus fire is to Quickly eliminate an enemy before they have a chance to reload or retreat. it requires Discipline and Coordination to do this as a team. This tactic applies to Tank Companies, Clan Wars, and even platoons.
Step 1: review the basics of focus fire. Remember that a tank at 2% health deals out the same damage as a tank at 100% health..... No health = no threat. Go To a training room and split up into two balanced teams. Make sure the map has a wide open area and line up evenly spaced at approx 250/300 Meters. Each team will be designated a team captain. The team captain will call out a tank either by driver name/hit point/vehicle name/or any other way of identifying the target. after the captain calls out the person to target the rest of the team will "Target that tank using the "T" button. All Field commanders will take turns as team captains. This will continue until the FC's are conformable with calling and everyone is comfortable in Marking their targets.
Once everyone has mastered the above steps. Now it's time to apply. Again the team captain will call out targets and just like before the rest of the team will use the "t" button to mark their targets. However this time you do not move on until the target is destroyed. repeat until there is no other enemy target to shoot. Repeat as many times as needed until everyone is comfortable.
STEP 2:
Review what was discussed the day before. Remember to not fire on another enemy until the threat is eliminated or there is a more pressing threat. This round the targets will be on the move and the Team captain will be the only one marking the targets with "t" repeat as many times as needed until everyone is comfortable with this.
STEP 3:
Target Priority. It is important that the team knows which target is a priority in case the captain of the team is unable to mark the shot. The priority is based on many factors.1)Time to kill target (Hp left on target, how many tank you have, etc.) 2) Danger potential (damage potential, spotting ability, etc.) target those enemies who have the highest combination of the to. I.E. Low kill time highest threat. If the enemy doesn't have a pressing advantage target the biggest threat or best target.
STEP 4:
Using what you have learned. Have clan mates break off into platoons. One person in the platoon act as a team lead and apply these tactics to Random battles. Using these tactics will halp gain more income in platoons.
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Keeping your tanks alive
a famous WoT Guru once said. " the only reason not to destroy an enemy tank is if there is an ally that will definitely destroy him and you have a shell to use on a more powerful enemy. in all other cases destroy an enemy ASAP to reduce the amount of enemy cannons. 2 damaged enemy tanks are a much higher threat than one destroyed and one at full health."
Today we will be learning how to keep your tanks alive longer in platoons, tc, and CW.
Remember "a living tank is a dangerous tank and a dead tank cannot win battle."
Remember "the outcome of the battle is determined by the surviving tanks"
STEP 1:
paired exercise.
Goto a training room and split up into pairs.
Line everyone up one in front of the other. and take turns swapping positions. One moves to the front the other to the back. try to make it it a speedy transition.
RULE 1: the time it takes to make the transition needs to be less than the fastest reloading tier ten tank (t110e5 @ ~7.5 sec) Let the front tank determine which way he/she is going and the rear tank responds accordingly. the idea is to swap positions with a friendly units which has sustained critical damage.
RULE 2: the silhouette of the rear tank needs to be fully covered by the front tank.don't expose your side. Slightly angle your tank to get the most cover.
RULE 3: if you are the covered tank do not pull back. the optimal distance should be about 1/2 the length of your hull. the farther back you are the more expose you are.
REPEAT until all members are comfortable. Switch partners. and repeat again until it is second nature.
Common mistakes:
not angling your tank when taking the front position
reversing to far
Suggestion Use a hotkey command to initiate this procedure (EX: Cover Me) this will save time and confusion.
STEP 2:
Group training.
Court yard on himesdorf
Pair off again like before but be closer to other pairs. this will simulate the closeness of quarters you experience in actual fights. Again have players swap positions. this time there will be others to the sides of you trying to do the same thing. This will cause some issues and we must work as a group to be efficient.
once comfortable break off and form waves of 3. have the first wave advance for a few second. while the second wave aims and targets on the enemy tanks but do not shoot. have the second wave swap positions with the front wave offering the front wave cover. for best results limit waves to 3 members to allow efficient room to maneuver.
STEP 3:
Group Training with live fire.
Once everyone is comfortable with the maneuvers. Repeat step 2 but with live fire and repeat the swapping of positions until one side is victorious. It will be a mess the first few times. until everyone is comfortable with these maneuvers.
STEP 4:
unbalanced fight.
Create a training room with one team stronger than the other (6v7, 8v9, etc). the weaker team will be assaulting the stronger team. this will help emphasis the effectiveness and importance of focus fire. have the weaker team use the tactics we have discussed (focused fire, protecting the damaged allies) while the stronger team is to be stationary and not applying these tactics. the weaker team should easily overthrow the stronger team. Switch places and have everyone get the opportunity to be on each team.
The purpose of this is to share the damage and keeping allies alive.
Break off into platoons and apply these tactics.
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Maintaining a line
tactic dates back to roman legions.
tactics includes not only keeping a line in front of your enemy, but also, being prepared to change formations, maintain firing lines. moving to protect damaged friendlies, and isolating enemy tanks even while on the move.
recommendations:
take a look at the position of your teammates at the beginning of the battle. try to guess which way they will be going and try to figure out where you will be going before the battle starts. try to anticipate where you will have to move. be curtious and allow more important tanks to go first.
make a mental priority list of those tanks who should have right of way.
try to make way for the speedier light tanks or arty.
tread the most optimal path. try not to damage or be damaged by friendly tanks
don't clutter near friendly tanks. you will be easy targets for arty with that much armor in one place.
never cross firing lines of friendly tanks.
if you are faster take the outside path as not to cut off your allies
if collision occurs allow ally to dictate their direction
STEP 1:
How to advance from initial setup into battle formation.
the weakest formation is a single column. or loser's column. this presents a single target to the enemy one at a time.
start with 4 tanks on a city map. line them up one one side. The rear tanks advances first until he overtakes the next tank. then the next until all for are in motion. this will maintain a solid line.
One of the causes of the "loser's column" is an improperly balanced or matched team. to prevent this players will need to be matched up in groups based on speed and need of position. for ex. all t100e% then is-7's then is-4. another thing that will cause the loser's column is terrain. pay attention to things like trees fences, and other obstacles that will slow you down.
useful things to remember: if you follow in the track marks of the one in front you will not be slowed down. further more and eagle eyed arty player looking for damaged buildings, downed trees ect. will not see you markings just that of the lead tank
pull yourself together before any and all engagements.
STEP 2:
maneuvering, turning, and regrouping
you must always be ready to focus fire on an enemy. and be ready to cover you allies with the lowest HP. general rules. the first tank should drive at the outer arch of the turn. another word this tank will travel further in the turn. ideally the tanks want to move a half hull faster than allies on the inside of the turn.
Create a training room in a city map. break off into platoons within the TR. and make a circuit. around the map. preforming this maneuver at each turn. be careful of buildings, rubble, or anything that could slow you down.switch partners and repeat. add difficulty to this by closing the distance between each platoon. until the entire team moves in one group.
Apply a random force to the opposing side to fight. use these tactics to overcome your enemies.
Be arty safe and make sure you don't get your formation into an easy damage area for enemy arty. you are an easier target in large groups.
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Surrounding your enemy
surround your enemy is an important tactic to learn. surrounding your enemy allows you to destroy your enemy forces with a high degree of efficiently and with minimal loss of your hit points. learning how to preform this maneuver will automatically give you an understanding of how to avoid being surrounded your self however you will also be training on however to escape the maneuver as well. the point of the maneuver is to bring local superiority in firepower and position. surrounding and overwhelming your enemy is one of the most effective strategies for winning matches. even the most entrenched enemy can be surrounded it's simple a matter of timing. what you are looking for is any opportunity to engage enemy tanks with two or more ally tanks. the enemy is forced to choose which side to return fire allowing the others to swing in and flank. as usual coordination is key. you will need more tanks in the area than the enemy to preform a true surround.
STEP 1:
first exercise
divide into platoons of three and spread out on a map not to interfere with anyone else.
each plt gets 1 tank in defense and 2 tanks in assault defense tank will take cover while the assault tanks attack. The first assaulter should clinch clinch enemy while second tries to flank getting to the rear and the sides. obvious the tank in defense needs to try and stay alive. a good way to tell if the surround was successful is if the assaulting tanks HP are above 2/3's health then it was preformed admirably.
Hint: when flanking try to put rounds into the ammo rack or engine. this with either explode the enemy or catch them on fire. doing this will destroy your enemy is a shorter period of time.
Exercise 2:
3v2
the task remains the same. the larger team tries to attack and surround the weaker team.
Hint: use previously discussed and developed training topics to achieve this.
Break off into platoons and practice.
STEP 2:
first exercise
split into two groups. one side will have 2-3 extra tanks these should be mediums.
the smaller groups should try to defend a positions.
the larger attacking force will be split into two groups. one with the heavy tanks and the other with the faster medium assaulting tanks. heavy's will lead the advance engaging the enemy while the mediums flank and attempt the surround.
repeat until everyone is comfortable in these maneuvers.
the task of the weaker team is to break off the surround. to do this they must effectively focus fire on the weakest attacking tank and continually be seeking cover as they retreat.
Second Exercise
Held on Mines or himelsdorf
the smaller team's to be placed in an area which is covered from arty fire. the task is to extract them self from a surround. all while the enemy arty is firing on you.
switch sides and repeat until each player has had an opportunity to be both attacking and defending.
tankers should be aware of three factors:
1) synchronization of movement
2) get out of cover correctly avoiding the first tank's destruction by focus fire.
3) focus fire of weaker tanks
break off into platoons and apply to battles.
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Scout tanks
Rule 1:
A player does not scout for themselves but for the whole team. They are to gather Intel for other players to exploit. a effective and timely detection of enemy units and directly influence decisions on the battlefield. This will allow your team to use arty to hit tank when they are vaurnable. this helps teams to gain superiority over a given area. Remember a scout supported by arty is one of the most deadly components in WoT. every player needs to know how to scout. depending on the situation there will be a time when you will need to scout. regardless of the tank you are driving.
exercise 1:
Map: Sand River
select a route and speed limit around the south side of the map.
start: let drive through the dunes at the highest possible speeds and see where novices get stuck. now repeat but in a group of three and pick the best route. repeat until all players can make the route without any stops and with the set time.
tip 1. use equipment. Torsion bars or Cristie suspension. can prevent many of the suspension issues caused by trectous terrain. study all maps know your terrain.
Step 2: gain and keep your speed going. use consumables (speed gov. premium gas.) to do so. pick the best route make sure you avoid steep inclines, or soft ground. avoid running over obstacles.
exercise 2:
Map: Prohvorka
2 teams - 8 people (4 each team)
team 1: Light scout tanks
Team 2: medium and heavy tanks with accurate guns and HE.
Team 2: will set up between the base and the slope leading to the hallow. with one placed forward to detect.
Object: kill all scouts without moving from you designated spot.
team 1: will go one by one to light up the enemy units the next scout does not move until all markers for the previous scout are gone.
Object: detect all enemy units and survive.
Tip 1: on open terrain maps. move along mountain ridges and revel only your turrent.
Tip 2: when scouting on a hill do not wait for enemy units to appear as they do so with a slight delay. you should crest the hill and immediately find cover from enemy fire.
Exercise 3:
Map: Sigfried line
two teams - heavy's vs scouts
team 1 - 3 heavy tanks will take position near a bunker in E2. their task is to attack a detected enemy with HE.
team 2 - scouts will move one by one along the top of a low hill until they are detected. after detection their task will be to keep their speed while retreating using the terrain to avoid enemy fire.
Tip 1: do not jar back and forth quickly. take slight turns that don't effect your speed mixed with quicker turns. remember it takes an average player 3 seconds to aim a gun. take this into account and make sharp turn every 3 seconds.to effect the enemies ability to hit you. use the rest of the time to build speed.
Tip 2: when moving within an enemy's LOS try to move across the direction they are aiming and change direction only after they have fires.
Exercise 4:
Map: Steppes
two teams
Team 1) heavy and med - set up concealed in c5 behind the rocks. use HE
team 2) lights - break through the shelter at A8
tip 1) a scout can break through the lines and get to arty if timed right you want to ensure as many of the enemy tanks are distracted.
tip2) if being followed bring the enemies into the LOS of friendly
exercise 5) map - various
team 1) scouts - take up appropriate scouting positions. and lay out an effective retreat route. turn tank face in that direction. once detected retreat
team 2) heavy and med aligned in a chain 150 M apart and sweep the map. objective detect and destroy scout in first volley do not chase. fall back . their task is to make the scouts understand the distance before detection and the time for retreat.
If the scouts survive start at another location and run again do this until all player know the distance and the time and can escape efficiently.
min requirements is to survive 3 rounds with the same tank.
stage 1 scout tanks take up
it's up to you to start practicing. Remember - constant practice, training, rehearsal, and constant monitoring of you knowledge will do you any good.
accurate performance of training rooms is a formula for success for you and your team.