BatChat… this word means a lot to some…
Without any understatement, it is a true World of Tanks legend.
It’s fast, beautiful, and of course…has paper-thin armor.
Nevertheless, it’s loved.
But the question is: why?
The branch of French tanks has always been different from the rest.
Since its appearance long time ago, it bewildered many players.
They were an odd bunch compared to the typical Soviet and German vehicles.
A lot of time has passed since then, but, let’s be honest,
not much has changed.
Those who have never played the BatChat all see it the same way; or rather, don’t.
This is a ghost!
A phantom!
A devastator!
How many times have you joined a Random Battle, and then for a moment,
for an instant, a flash of sky-blue dashes past you!
Bang, boom! Your vehicle is destroyed.
Yep, that was the BatChat.
But this is only how the players see it.
In practice, things aren’t quite the same.
First and foremost, a medium tank should be versatile.
It should be able to spot enemy vehicles and soak up some damage.
Roughly speaking, an ideal medium tank is the child of a light and heavy tank.
However, the BatChat’s chromosomes got mixed up a little bit.
To see which heavy tank traits the BatChat inherited, you’ll need a microscope.
The Bat’s armor is a French classic: cardboard, duct tape, and the driver’s saliva.
Just think, its thickest bit of armor is only 60 mm…
There’s no joking around here.
Firstly: every joke has been made before, and secondly: they will likely make you cry, not laugh.
However, this Frenchman can bring some joy to others.
Some time ago, artillery players had a little game:
catch a BatChat travelling at full speed, and for the first time,
somebody thanked the artillery in the chat.
Of course, in practice things aren’t so bad.
Destroying the BatChat depends on two factors: the enemy’s accuracy and luck.
It’s incredibly fast.
Hitting this little troublemaker at full speed is like shampooing a bear:
You can do it, but it won’t be easy.
Its maximum speed is 65 km/h and its power to weight ratio is more than 28 horsepower per ton.
This beautiful tank doesn’t roll, but literally flies.
Retreating from the hill on Himmelsdorf is pretty straightforward,
however you might find that stopping is a problem…
In moments like this, you’ll probably start to regret your actions.
But not for long!
Anyway, the BatChat is the fastest medium tank in the game.
And that’s a fact!
Even the Leopard 1 and AMX CDC can’t keep up with the Bat.
The first lacks the power to weight ratio, and the second lacks the speed.
In any sprint race, both will be left in the dust.
But, there’s a catch; they don’t need to be the fastest.
Unlike the BatChat, the Leopard and CDC can boast about something else
—the accuracy of their guns!
The tactics for these vehicles is very simple:
if you’re in the line of fire, just run away and shoot from a distance.
The BatChat can’t do this…
Its gun dispersion, at a distance of 100 meters, is 0.38.
Let’s just say that this is a lot.
Enough to cause shouts and even tantrums.
The long aim time in particular doesn’t really help.
So, you can’t effectively play as a sniper.
But playing as a sniper in the BatChat is just…silly.
Its gun is simply not designed for it.
Close and medium range is where you will really excel.
The autoloader, with 5 shells, can destroy any enemy vehicle with less than 1950 HP.
The reload inside the drum takes 2.7 seconds.
Putting it simply, the T-62A, for example, can be a beautiful durable vehicle one moment,
and a pile of scrap iron 11 seconds later.
The reload of the drum itself takes around 40 seconds, and that’s not a problem.
Well, it might become one, because it leaves you without your gun for some time.
But it’s still not as long as the Waffenträger’s reload.
The Bat’s speed allows it to use those 40 seconds of helplessness wisely.
It can change flank or just hide to reduce its risk of getting hit.
And at the start of the battle, it darts off and spots the first enemies.
What a fine vehicle, eh?
It can’t fire yet, but it’s already helping the team!
But don’t let this altruism deceive you.
In reality, the BatChat is the most selfish tank in the game!
It always uses its allies’ HP to its benefit.
While others are getting hit and destroyed, it can just sit back and watch.
The Bat doesn’t care at all how many hit points its allies have lost.
Its priority is unloading its drum in time!
And this isn’t always bad.
The BatChat has gotten so used to only thinking about itself,
that it’s one of the few tanks that aren’t afraid of being alone against five or six enemies!
What matters is how many shells are left.
The Frenchman doesn’t carry a lot of them.
The BatChat is a difficult vehicle that demands quick decisions from players.
You can’t ignore this peculiarity.
And it’s quite simple: you either stay focused during the whole battle
or get destroyed before you unload your first drum.
So, if you don’t want to end up at the bottom, play smart!
Look at yourself…
Now back to me.
I'm on a Roach!