It is still not available in HD,
its turret is located at the back,
and it burns easily...
Still, this tank is one of the
most popular heavies
in battles on the Global Map
and in the Wargaming.net League.
Yet, in Random Battles
the British FV215b heavy tank is a rare guest.
How so?
What kind of tank is it and how do you play it?
You'll know in a minute!
As is well-known,
“the clothes make the man”.
And the first thing
you see looking at this Brit is the turret,
which is located
at the rear of the vehicle.
In the game, vehicles like this are few.
And to play them well,
appropriate skills are needed.
Some are perfect
for sidescraping,
others should never even try it.
What's this guy capable of?
We're looking at the lower armor plate and
can't believe our eyes.
Was it really made by the British?
The same British who constructed the Black Prince,
Tortoise, and Tower of London?
Just 76 millimeters!
Only 76 millimeters protect
the fuel tanks from a fire outbreak.
Or do they?
The upper-front plate,
on the other hand, is delightful
—152 mm placed at a good angle
produces about 300 millimeters of
relative armor thickness.
But what's more important is the turret.
It has its weak spots,
but it's not that easy to hit them.
The front is rather strong,
and thanks to its streamlined shape,
the number of ricochets
and non-penetrations
goes off the scale!
The turret doesn't just hint
—it screams to the commander:
"Hide your lower front plate and sidescrape!"
And it's a pure pleasure to do in this top-tier Brit.
But absorbing damage can vary.
Up in the hills, the FV215b turret plays
tricks on the tank.
It’s quite hard to show
your head without exposing yourself.
Even the good elevation and depression angles don't help.
In order to avoid taking damage,
you'll have to take your time
and angle the hull properly.
And that's not the only drawback
of the rear-located turret.
The FV joins any party by
sending its weaker half forward.
It's a beautiful move in life,
but a dangerous one in the game!
And what about its dynamics?
The Brit's maximum speed
won't win any races—only 34 km/h.
But it's not in vain that its engine bears the proud
Rolls Royce name.
Similar engines were installed
on the legendary Spitfire fighters.
950 hp can carry this 70-ton monster as quickly as
the T57 Heavy.
Wherever the first signs of trouble appear,
this guy will be there ON TIME.
Well, that’s the acceleration
and maximum speed covered.
What about maneuverability?
Let's have a small experiment:
let's leave the vulnerable victim
in an open field,
let the predator smell its blood,
and see who is going to win.
The BatChat throws itself at the enemy,
tries to outmaneuver it, and...
to no effect!
The FV215b easily
turns its hull,
eats the French baguette
bit by bit, and finishes it up
quickly enough.
And that’s not surprising:
of all the top heavies,
the Brit is the ONLY one
with traversing abilities like this.
Its hull traverse speed
is 38 degrees per second.
That's the best value!
Hmm… Everything went too smoothly
with the BatChat.
Let’s raise the stakes.
This time, we’ll set the
British vehicle against
two Czech vehicles.
They will definitely handle it.
The Škodas rush at the enemy
as a pair of hungry jackals
attacking an old lonely lion.
Though its strength is on the wane,
the Brit doesn’t give up.
The Czechs have emptied their drums already,
and the FV is still standing!
And not just because of the
thick skin and excellent agility of this beast.
This heavy tank boasts 2,500 HP.
Only German and Japanese
vehicles have more HP.
The Škodas try to escape,
but it’s not that easy to hide from the Brit:
its view range is 410 meters.
There’s only one vehicle
in the game with a view range
better than the FV
—the good old M48 Patton.
The last enemy has run far away.
And now our hero
plays its trump card
—its gun!
Take a good look at it:
it’s the most accurate gun
among all Tier X heavy tanks.
Its aiming time is
record-breaking—1.7 seconds.
Add to that
its excellent stabilization
and you’ll see that on this vehicle you can fire
without stopping.
And if you stop and aim properly,
you can hit even the ELC AMX’s muzzle.
This gun is like…
David Beckham’s right foot…
but even more accurate…
And more powerful!
Its penetration is 259 mm
with armor-piercing shells
and 326 mm with APCR shells.
It’s enough to take aim at
and pierce almost any enemy.
And there’s more to come!
The average damage per shot is 400;
reload time is 8.7 seconds.
The Brit delivers
2,700 damage per minute.
And that’s in its standard configuration!
If you equip the vehicle
with ventilation and a rammer,
recruit experienced crew,
and give them pudding and tea,
the FV becomes a real monster.
Its aiming time is a
second and a half,
and its reloading time is
less than seven seconds.
This results in almost 3,500 damage per minute!
As for the third equipment slot,
everything depends on your play style and crew training.
If view range is more important to you,
use optics.
If you want to fire even more accurately,
mount a stabilizer.
This British vehicle has
the best view range,
best hull traverse speed,
aiming time, accuracy,
and the highest damage per minute.
Why then is the FV215b
a rare guest in random battles?..
There’s only one explanation:
you need to get used to it.
Just get used to it:
When rolling out from behind a corner,
angle your side immediately
In skirmishes,
hide your lower front plate and sidescrape
Use your rate of fire
in close combat:
for each enemy shot,
fire two in return
As for long-range combat,
your view range and accuracy will always help you.
And the main thing:
remember to equip a Fire Extinguisher!
Just follow these simple recommendations,
and this tank will show its real power.
The FV215b is a real British legend!