Hello tankers!
Update 9.21 was released.
It brings the new French heavy tanks without autoloaders,
a winter map for Grand Battles,
significant changes to the armor of British TDs,
and the opportunity to change the look of your vehicles.
More details right now!
New Branch of French Tanks
The alternative branch of French heavy tanks appeared.
The main features of the new heavies are two guns to choose from
and a lack of the autoloader.
Tier VIII is occupied by the AMX 65 t. Its hull durability is below average,
but 250 mm of relative armor thickness in the turret front is a solid number.
Add convenient gun elevation and depression angles,
+13 and -8 correspondingly,
and you get a typical tank to play from a hull-down position.
Only the slope that looks like a kindly smile under the gun mantlet
and large hatches at the top spoil the general picture a bit.
They will be vulnerable spots when playing from a hill.
The engine of the AMX 65 t cranks out almost 17 horsepower per ton.
This seems to be a lot. But in practice,
the terrain crossing capacity of the new French vehicle is not that good.
With a stated maximum speed of 40 km/h, the tank will manage 30 km/h at best.
The AMX 65 t doesn't have any problems with firepower whatsoever.
There are two top guns to choose from. Both are accurate.
The first gun has damage per shot of 300 and decent armor penetration of 232 mm.
The second gun is not so penetrative,
but can boast 400 damage per shot and a shorter aiming time.
Only the Defender, VK 100.01 and O-Ho
have better damage per shot among heavy tanks of this tier.
The AMX M4 mle. 51 is at Tier IX.
One of its main features is its strong turret, like the Tier X vehicle.
The hull’s frontal projection also doesn't lose much to the Tier X vehicles.
The mobility of the AMX M4 mle. 51 is quite good.
Its power to weight ratio is 15 horsepower per ton:
this is more than the T-10 but less than the AMX 50 120.
The French vehicle confidently accelerates up to 35 km/h
and can roll at a maximum speed of 40 km/h over a good road.
The AMX M4 mle. 51, like its fellow tanks, has two guns.
Both have good depression angles.
Your choice will depend on what you need more—
high damage per shot or armor penetration.
Finally, we come to the top of the branch—the AMX M4 mle. 54.
Despite being a heavy tank, it will hardly manage to push through a flank.
It's about its armor. It's strong in its frontal projection,
but the sides and hatches on the turret are quite easy to penetrate.
The AMX M4 mle. 54 has average mobility among other heavy tanks at Tier X.
There are faster tanks, like the AMX 50 B, and slower ones, like the Type 5 Heavy.
Its hull traverse speed is roughly equal to the T110E5.
Two guns put its commander in a dilemma,
already traditional for this French vehicle branch.
The top gun has average armor penetration of 250 mm.
The damage per shot, though, is as much as 560.
The other gun causes just 400 damage per shot,
but it's armor penetration is the best among all Tier X heavy tanks—264 mm.
At the same time, the gun is very accurate and aims quickly.
New Map for Grand Battles
There’s good news for those
who traveled all over the Nebelburg map in Grand Battles.
The new map—Klondike— appeared in update 9.21.
Action-packed tank clashes in the 30 vs 30 format
will take place in the snow, among cliffs and factories.
Klondike can be divided into three areas.
The bridge and open spaces at the center.
The island at the bottom of the map. And the industrial area at the top.
The center part is most suitable for light and medium tanks.
They can spot the enemy there
and move away from the artillery firing line quickly, if needed.
There are several positions for tank destroyers here.
They will cover their allies and won't let the enemy push forward boldly.
Slow and hulking tanks should go either left or right on the map.
Both flanks are equally important.
There's an island surrounded by cliffs at the bottom of the map.
You can roll up at it from only one side.
It resembles the central part of the Mines map.
Those who manage to get to the island first and gain a foothold here
will have a tactical advantage.
An excellent view of the routes to the position can be enjoyed from this height.
You can fire from here, but with caution.
Enemy TDs can shoot through this area effectively from the base side.
Lines from both sides of the island are best suited for heavy tanks.
There are many spots to play from a hull-down position and use armor actively.
The industrial area is located at the top of the map.
Numerous buildings will serve as nice cover from artillery fire.
Heavy vehicle clashes will take place here most of all.
There is a passage to the enemy rear at Line A. If this area is not protected,
a couple of medium tanks can turn the tide of the battle in the industrial area.
Klondike is almost a symmetrical map. Neither team has obvious advantages.
And there are plenty of options for tactical maneuvers.
Rebalance of British TDs
Now let's talk about the changes in the British vehicles.
Last update we improved the characteristics of the alternative TD branch.
Now the time has come for the main branch.
The AT 2 was made weaker.
It had its front, side, and rear armor cut a bit.
Now it corresponds to its tier.
The armor of all vehicles from the AT 8 to the Tortoise improved.
The armor of the left part of the AT 8's cabin more than doubled.
The same happened to the machine gun cupolas.
They withstand hits better in Update 9.21.
Now it's almost useless for most Tier VI vehicles to aim at these spots.
The right side became thicker and now equals the left side.
But the rear can now be penetrated by even Tier V vehicles.
The AT 7 also changed. The vulnerable machine-gun nest
is no longer a desired aiming spot for the lower tier vehicles.
Not many can penetrate it now. Same goes for the cupolas.
Previously, they were shot at first of all and quite successfully penetrated.
Now they are more durable.
The gun mantlet area of the AT 15 became stronger.
The machine-gun cupola and upper glacis plate were strengthened a bit.
Now this British TD will be a tough target
for Tier VII and VIII medium and heavy tanks.
The front armor of the Tortoise became thicker,
and it's immediately felt in battle.
Now you don't need to quiver from every enemy shot in your direction.
Higher-tier vehicles will penetrate the Tortoise's front with difficulty.
The machine-gun cupola is now 273 mm thick.
The previous 171 mm of armor remain only in the machine-gun area.
You need to keep this in mind.
In Update 9.21, a new Tier X vehicle came to replace the FV215b (183).
Meet the FV217 Badger. It's a logical crown of the branch.
The FV215b 183 has become a special vehicle and remained in the Garages
of those players who purchased it before the update’s release.
The FV217 Badger is a turretless tank destroyer
with good armor and fast gun reload. In its frontal projection,
the upper glacis plate has 369 mm of relative armor thickness.
It's comparable with the armor of the T110E3, and that's some armor!
The sides of the cabin and hull are not as thick,
but they withstand hits when placed at rebounding angles.
The FV217 Badger is not a mobile TD.
It's maximum speed is 30 km/h, just like the speed of the Jagdpanzer E 100.
This is one of the worst numbers. Only the T110E3 is slower with its 24 km/h.
The acceleration is smooth and steady.
Its dynamics are more like a sloth than a badger. Climbing up a hill is torture.
But the Badger is lucky with its gun.
The British top-tier TD has an impressive damage per minute of 3,534.
This value is reached due to the fast reload, but not due to damage per shot.
The Badger's damage per shot is only 480.
Summing up, the FV217 is a TD with a well-armored front and low damage per shot.
But due to its rate of fire and accuracy,
it becomes a menacing opponent and excellent ruler of the British TD branch.
You can find more details and compare the armor of TDs
before and after their rebalance on the World of Tanks website.
New Vehicle Customization System
Update 9.21 introduces a new vehicle customization system.
It enables camouflage to be applied to vehicles in an entirely new way
and gives an opportunity to paint vehicles in different colors.
Players can now create their unique styles and stand out
among other players in battle. Now, let's lay it all out.
The vehicle exterior menu has drastically changed.
With Update 9.21, switching between seasons has become more convenient.
Checking how a vehicle looks on summer, winter, and desert maps
has become much easier now.
The interface for switching between the common customization elements was reworked.
New options were added.
The camouflages are supplemented with styles, paints, and effects.
Styles are predefined variants for the exterior of vehicles.
Two styles are available: preset and rental styles.
Preset styles are created by the developers.
They are only available for Tier X and Premium Tier VIII vehicles.
The style is applied to all seasons at once
and consists of elements that can't be changed.
Rental styles are ready-to-use camouflage variants for vehicles of any tier.
They can be rented using credits for a definite number of battles.
This style can't be moved from one vehicle to another.
In the new customization system, players can create their unique designs.
Just let your imagination run riot.
Vehicles can be painted in several colors.
A camouflage can be compiled of different sets.
And don't forget about inscriptions and emblems.
Paints are only available for Tier X and Premium Tier VIII vehicles.
Colors are individually applied to five vehicle parts:
the hull, turret, chassis, gun, and gun mantlet, if there is one.
The exterior can be changed in two ways.
Select an area on the vehicle and click the customization elements you like.
Alternatively, click the paint to select it,
then click suitable vehicle parts to change their color.
This way, you can re-paint the whole vehicle in one go.
A settings window will appear. In this window,
you can duplicate the paint pattern for other seasons.
The cost of each part is automatically added to the purchase window.
To delete an unnecessary visual element,
just click the icon of a corresponding season.
Unlike paints, camouflage patterns can be used for vehicles of any tier.
They are applied individually to three vehicle parts: the turret, hull, and gun.
A bonus to concealment works if the camouflage is applied to the hull.
If you camouflage the gun and turret only, the bonus is not activated.
The principle of applying camouflages is similar to paint application.
For some camouflage patterns, the color and size of spots on the pattern
can be changed in the settings window.
Unnecessary elements can be deleted by clicking the season icon.
Players will keep the camouflages, inscriptions, and emblems
purchased for gold before the release of Update 9.21.
Everything that was applied to the vehicles will remain on them.
Other elements will be moved to your inventory,
which you will see in the customization window.
The previously purchased camouflages
will split into three elements to comply with the new system.
There are some nuances.
Customization elements rented before the release of Update 9.21
will be compensated for with credits proportionate to the number of days left.
Unique vehicles such as the power metal Primo Victoria tank,
as before, can’t be customized.
Clan camouflages will also split into three elements.
Emblems and inscriptions haven't changed in terms of concept.
But the places where you can apply them are now shown on the vehicle.
The principle of applying emblems and inscriptions
is the same as camouflages and paints.
Various effects can be applied to Tier X and Premium Tier VIII vehicles.
Bored with playing the grey-green vehicles? Just add some paint!
Or turn the new IS-7 into a battle-worn vehicle with a faded hull.
These effects contribute to your vehicle’s distinction.
Customization elements can be historical and non-historical.
If a non-historical style is applied to a vehicle,
a special indicator above the vehicle notifies the player about it.
Using even one fictional element makes the whole vehicle exterior non-historical.
To quickly delete such paints or camouflage patterns,
click the indicator above the vehicle and remove the parts in the settings window.
If you don't want to see multicolored allies and opponents in battle,
you can disable the display of non-historical styles.
Then all vehicles will have the standard appearance for you.
New Vehicle HD Models
The transition of the vehicle models to HD quality is in its final stage.
Fifteen vehicles of different nations
received high definition textures in Update 9.21.
And this means that only the AMX 40 is left.
But it will have a new look soon as well.
That’s all for now. Good luck on the battlefield!