The T-54 first prototype is a fine, robust, and easily understandable medium tank.
It's like an unlucky friend: you can rely on it, but it always attracts trouble.
The key to mastering the new T-54 is to rely on luck as little as possible.
In reality, the first prototype was an intermediary model between the T-44 and T-54.
In the game, it's a classic high-tier Soviet medium tank.
It has moderate armor, moderate mobility, and a moderate gun.
It can rush in from the flank, cause damage, maybe take a few hits, and slip away.
If you make a couple of mistakes, it's not a big deal:
unlike some Soviet mediums, this T-54 is relatively forgiving.
Versatility is what makes the high-tier vehicles of the Soviet branch so attractive.
And now there's a Premium tank for you to train your crew
with before proceeding to the popular Soviet Tier X medium tanks.
Of course, the first prototype has its notable features
but its gun is definitely not amongst them.
It's no worse than its allies, but also no better.
So let's give it a go.
Here's the legendary Type 59, a worthy adversary.
To ensure a fair test, the target is placed 200 meters from each.
To keep it interesting, they'll be accompanied by a SuperPershing
and an AMX CDC, shooting at…
…the menacing E100s.
Their guns have very similar armor penetration
and cause almost the same damage.
Their armor penetration values of 175 and 181 mm
are just enough to penetrate the E100's side, with its tracks and side skirt.
But with an average damage value of 250, it will take them a while to destroy it.
That's not surprising though; it's a Tier X heavy tank.
In one minute, the first prototype has fired seven shots.
However the CDC has fired more.
The Type 59 has managed only six shots.
At last! The first E-100 is destroyed during the second minute.
But anyone can hurt a poor German heavy by shooting its side hull.
What if they shoot it in the front?
No luck, their AP shells don't have sufficient penetration,
even for the lower glacis plate.
It seems that the new E-100 isn't as helpless as the last one.
Time to switch to APCR rounds.
With 235-mm penetration,
they punch through the lower glacis plate like darts through cardboard.
After two E-100s have been destroyed, we can compare the results.
It looks like the first prototype's accuracy is even higher than the Type 59's.
And the vehicle's official stats reflect this.
Now, the third E-100.
This one looks less confident than the previous ones.
Hold on, why is everyone shooting except the T-54?
The E-100 is almost destroyed.
The T-54 is out of ammo.
The T-54 fired all 34 rounds in less than 5 minutes.
Will the T-54 lose out to the Type 59 in such an awkward way?
But the gun of the Chinese tank goes silent as well.
It has fired the same 34 rounds of ammunition.
The German tanks can breathe easy now.
Well, the first prototype destroyed two full-HP E-100s, along with the other tanks.
Its gun is far from perfect.
But it's typical of many Soviet guns:
it's inaccurate, and the average damage per shot is low,
but the damage per minute is quite good.
There's also a myth that Soviet vehicles hit their targets without aiming…
Joking aside, this gun type requires aggressive use.
This is what the other parts of the vehicle are needed for,
and where its peculiar features lie.
The first prototype leans more toward the style of a heavy tank.
It's more armored and a little bit slower than most medium tanks.
Its engine is quite weak.
With 520 horsepower, the T-54 can accelerate up to 44 km/h according to its credentials,
and up to 35-40 km/h in practice.
Its speed may be low, but it's very agile.
A couple of circles, at 42 degrees per second, will give you motion sickness!
The front hull armor is quite strong-120 mm.
With sloping, it turns into 240 mm of effective armor, and even more when angled.
The gun mantlet and turret cheeks have 180 mm of armor.
The shape of the turret is also an advantage.
The 150-mm armor is well curved to cause bounces.
Fighting against Tier VIII vehicles with this kind of armor can be fun.
For example, you can approach your target wiggling your hull like a shark,
swinging your armor like a Jedi lightsaber, and make your opponent watch the fireworks.
The first prototype feels very confident at the top of the list:
it can almost do whatever it wants.
Accompanied by other tanks with powerful guns,
you can easily take on medium tanks or even heavy tanks.
On city maps, they can form a real backstreet gang.
The first prototype can stick its nose out from behind a corner,
and opponents can't do much about it.
It's important to avoid places where tank destroyers might be waiting in ambush.
They can penetrate the T-54's armor and you won't spot them.
The Prototype's view range of 360m isn't that great.
On open maps you can play carefully from behind hills,
protecting your hatches and weak spots, exposing only your turret.
But the gun mantlet could be sturdier:
getting hit here will sometimes cause damage.
You will need to be careful against Tier IX vehicles,
and Tier X battles will put an end to your rampage of mischief.
Rely on the armor only if there's nowhere to run.
To survive in town battles, you should place your hull at a sharper angle.
Your armor will be fairly effective against medium tanks.
But both front hull and turret can be easily penetrated by high-tier heavy tanks and TDs.
That's why caution and cunning will be your main defense for the first prototype.
You should change your role from assault leader to ninja.
Don't rush into the attack.
You need to learn how to hunt down and catch the targets with the thinnest armor.
Wait until they are distracted by your teammates.
It's best to attack vehicles that appear at the bottom of the list, just like you,
but also French vehicles and other fast vehicles with thin armor.
Of course, you won't be able to switch flanks quickly like the CDC.
But the first prototype isn't as restricted as the Löwe,
which gets only one chance to choose which flank it will go to.
So, the characteristics of the first prototype
and its balanced weight turn it into two completely different tanks
with their own gameplay style.
It can either be a sturdy assault medium tank in Tier VIII battles:
aggressive, quick-firing, and fun.
Or it can be a crafty hunter among Tier X vehicles.
An assassin that preys on the weakest opponents…
and receives a lot of credits and experience for this.
And it does all this in typical Soviet style.
If you like the T-54 first prototype, you can purchase it in our Premium Shop.
Good luck on the battlefield!