They say he was the best.
He could get to places no one would’ve ever thought of.
He had reached the Wish Granter.
And he wished for the two things he had always dreamed of:
power and wealth.
His wish was granted… But not in the way he had expected.
In World of Tanks, every vehicle has their purpose.
Some are scouts by their very nature.
Others dive headfirst into the heat of battle.
And there are some that wait for their moment to strike,
helping those with thicker armor and an aggressive temper.
But what if it's not enough? What if you were to push the limits?
Maybe you don’t just want to deal damage
but do it in the most efficient way possible and earn heaps of credits.
It’s a great feeling when everything falls into place.
At first glance, it’s clear what the main feature of the ISU-152K is,
and why it needs fuel tanks and a log at the rear as counterweights.
It’s because of the gun.
It's so long that several ELC EVEN 90s could use it
to get their bodies in shape for summer and increase their battle performance.
However, they’re not the only ones
who’ve lost their minds over the new Soviet TD.
When those who want to earn credits hear the magic number, 750,
they’ll be left speechless.
Have you ever heard anything better regarding damage per shot at Tier VIII?
Yeah, thought so.
The ISU-152K is so loud it's as if there's a wild party going on inside.
The ISU-152K comes with the tiniest of manuals.
It has just two instructions: "Point at the enemy" and "Fire".
Simple rules, easy to remember.
With this damage per shot,
each one is like launching a firework from your balcony.
It's fun and looks amazing, but someone may get too fired up.
High damage per shot is not the only thing
that helps you to earn as many credits as possible in this Soviet TD.
The standard shell penetration impresses even more: 286 mm.
Only its Swedish colleagues have more, but it's a difference of 2 mm.
We’re all adults here, so we know it's not going to be noticeable.
Wielding such power, you can do impossible things.
Even then I understood that it was something extra special,
something out of this world.
I didn't know where he had been.
But I had my guesses…
He was looking for work.
I noticed his gun and I asked him to deal with the bandit leader.
He was shaking down the whole village.
I've done my share of shooting, but this roamer could still try his luck.
He'd better come back from there…
The sheer power that the ISU-152K possesses
is waiting to be fully realized.
During the pre-battle countdown,
this TD is already imagining its credit yield.
And to help with that,
it has a top speed of 40 km/h if everything’s in its favor.
Its actual top speed is a bit lower;
the ISU accelerates slowly and casually rolls forward,
but it manages to get to the best TD positions in time.
And that's when we get into our routine: get into cover…
Get into cover for those who have –5 degrees of gun depression.
Aim at the enemy, wait for the perfect moment, fire, and…
What do you mean, miss?
The real counterweight for this gun is not the fuel tanks or the log,
but its own characteristics.
Dispersion is 0.43.
And the aiming time is 3.5 seconds, which is almost an eternity.
When the ISU-152K shoots from far away,
one might think that the gunner is looking at the world a bit like this.
The horrible 19-second reload doesn't make the situation any better.
Every miss will not only upset you,
but also turn your vehicle into a helpless TD-shaped steel target.
Anyone can hurt it if they get close enough.
The elegant armor parameters of 90-60-90 sound great,
but judgment has already passed.
This TD can be constantly penetrated by even those weak and ugly tanks
that would've been definitely thrown off a cliff in Ancient Sparta.
This may make one think that there is something wrong with the ISU-152K.
It's like it doesn't let itself realize the potential of its own gun.
But maybe you shouldn't view it in such a way?
Don't try to fit it into existing standards, but do the opposite:
accept its stubborn nature and use its firepower
in ways that will return the most profit possible?
Profit in credits, of course.
The search has led the wanderer to a place where all hired guns converge.
An isle of safety in an ocean of grave danger.
That's where he unexpectedly found a team for himself:
soldiers from the Moody clan.
Their leader was about to send a squad to Ghost Town
to put an end to the bandits once and for all.
He asked the traveler to join them and help, as they had the same goals.
And the loot they’d get along the way they would keep for themselves.
It was foolish to deny such an offer.
The role of the TD is supporting heavy tanks.
But who said that the support must come from the bushes
hundreds of meters away from the main battle?
With the ISU-152K’s accuracy, it should be in a position
where the enemy won't even fit within their aiming circle
just to make sure it doesn't miss.
Not on the first line, of course, but not on the second one either.
Just behind the allied heavies. You may call it the in-betweener.
A lucky charm for heavies.
All the drawbacks of the gun don't matter anymore.
And the stage is taken by the one and only, Ludicrous Damage.
750 per shot is about half a Caernarvon or a King Tiger.
The ISU-152K has zero tolerance for Tier VIII vehicles.
Mainly because they can't really tolerate its shots.
For vehicles of lower tiers, even one ISU-152K shot may prove too much.
And Tier Xs should pay attention: after all, it's a third of their HP.
Facing the enemy requires special care.
Otherwise you can catch a shell with the front of the hull
and turn into a beautiful firework display when your ammo rack explodes.
To avoid that, pay attention to the enemy vehicles,
and only move forward to take a shot when they unload into the allies.
And get back to reload immediately.
The obvious vehicle drawbacks can be mediated
with crew skills and a right combination of equipment.
Improved Ventilation, Gun Rammer and Enhanced Gun Laying Drive
are necessary to maximize the battle efficiency with an active playstyle.
Or a Binocular Telescope instead of the Ventilation for a slower-paced game,
if you want to spot for yourself as well.
In our case the most important thing is to farm comfortably.
You know, there is something primal in this:
whack somebody with a club for 750 or even for 900!
Not every time, of course, but the possibility is there!
However, even the most experienced and strongest warriors don't hunt alone…
This is the Maus.
A huge powerful tank, whose strength imposes awe and respect.
In our case, it's the perfect bait.
All the work will be done by the real hunters of large game:
a platoon of two ISU-152K's.
The Maus is on the front line, patiently absorbing damage for a Personal Mission.
And when the enemy has fired at it,
the most powerful Soviet double-barreled vehicle appears.
The hired gun and the Moody clan had already approached their destination.
It was quiet and it seemed like it went according to plan.
But suddenly, they appeared:
the renegades led by the one, whose turret had a price on it.
Like was told in the stories around the fire, there were no long speeches there.
In the second half of the battle,
when most of the enemy tanks are damaged by the battles they fought,
the ISU-152K finds its second wind.
It's time for destruction.
While the allies see a bunch of enemies on the minimap,
the ISU sees a ton of free one-shot tanks.
And here it's important to pay attention.
Even the fully upgraded Soviet TD has a pretty slow reload,
and it doesn't boast very much HP either.
So, it's important to fire first.
A decent concealment allows this vehicle to hide in some dark corners.
It's a good idea to fell a tree somewhere near you
to increase the bonus to concealment a bit.
When the enemy is within firing range,
back up 15 meters, aim well and take the shot.
A situation may occur, where the allied heavies on your line of attack
will, to put it mildly, gradually fall back to the Garage.
In such case, it's best to leave them be and retreat to a safe distance.
And from there, you can surprise the enemy with tons of damage.
It's possible for you to turn the tide of battle.
Blinded by the sense of imminent victory,
the enemy vehicles will charge forward
and become perfect targets for the ISU-152K.
But it's better to roll back after each shot,
without waiting for Sixth Sense to shine.
Of course, even the Patton built for maximum view range
won't see the ISU until it's about 270 meters from it.
Others, not even this far.
But it's better not to tempt fate
and wait for the shell to load in a completely safe position.
When the allies are pushing the line aggressively and confidently,
it's of no use to sit behind their backs.
You should drive forward and finish the enemy along with everyone else,
biting off your piece of the pie.
In these moments, the ISU-152K turns from the heavies’ lucky charm
to the main decoration of the team: fragile, but it hits hard.
The echo of the last shot dies down.
It's all over.
The ability to properly use cover helped the ISU immensely.
He stood beside the defeated bandit leader
and simply listened to him laughing.
He said that his defeat won't change anything.
That others will just replace him, and they will be even worse.
Because now they have no one to fear.
And that the ISU is not the only one after the bandit loot.
And it was true: engines were already droning in the distance…