World of Tanks has existed for more than ten years already.
Over time, many vehicles have been added to the game.
From the classic ones that we know and love
to futuristic ones and blueprint prototypes.
And now it's time for this tank to roll out!
The one we've all been waiting and longing for.
The one and only, the truly beautiful, ABRAAA…
Uh… Wait a minute. It's not the Abrams.
It's an Italian? The Bisonte C45.
Huh… Didn't expect that…
All right… Let's see what you are made of.
So. This is the Bisonte C45.
A Tier VIII Premium Italian heavy tank.
And here's a fact for you: it really is beautiful!
Just look at those shapes. It's oozing aesthetics.
Low profile, lovely curves, stylish rivets.
It almost cuts through the air. Even when it's standing in place.
In short, real handsome.
We just gotta find out how practical this Brioni suit of his is…
And here's our first disappointment.
On paper, the upper and lower glacis plates
can probably protect it from passionate fans.
And just barely— from Tier VII shells.
However… there's a catch.
The upper plate is patched with screens
and can deal with HEAT shells pretty well.
So it's not a totally lost cause.
Its sides are pretty typical… typical for MEDIUM tanks.
Under an extreme angle it has a chance to bounce a shell.
But over-rotate it a bit and "MAMMA MIA! COME HAI POTUTO PERFORARMI?"
In short, its hull armor is not that fantastic.
The turret is a whole other story!
As is traditional for Italian architects,
our hero's turret hosts a real masterpiece of a certain kind.
It's not leaning, it has all the parts in their places, and…
it's surprisingly sturdy!
The effective armor in its cheeks and mantlet is 300 and 270 mm respectively.
Commander's cupola…
Absent.
There are a couple of weak spots. But everybody has them.
But not everybody can boast 10 degrees of gun depression.
The combination of all of this provides an opportunity
to realize the potential of our hardened hero.
In this position,
the stubble of our Italian alpha-male becomes untouchable
even for some of the most formidable guns in the game.
Bellissimo!
As we remember, our Bisonte C45 is dressed in a stylish Brioni suit.
And maybe someone will consider the following question blasphemous, BUT!
Isn't this a tracksuit?
The Italian's maximum speed is 50 km/h.
Specific Power is 12.5 horsepower per ton.
And it's… not that great…
If you look just at the numbers,
you would think that the Bisonte is quite a slow-paced vehicle.
But everything changes when we unleash it into the battle!
Yes, our hero doesn't accelerate as quickly as we would like.
But after a couple of meters,
its same-tier colleagues start to suspect something…
How and why it manages to reach its actual maximum speed,
only da Vinci knows.
But that's a fact.
Other tanks measure engine power in horsepower.
Our handsome guy measures his in stallionpower!
Gun characteristics are not very impressive at first glance either.
Accuracy of 0.42, base damage of 360, and, let's be honest, mediocre DPM.
Even Gioconda would twist her lips looking at it.
But Madam Lisa is smiling like that for a reason.
She knows about a certain secret.
The secret is the improved autoreloading mechanism.
Let's take a classic Italian medium tank with a normal autoreloading mechanic.
The shells are loaded in the magazine sequentially.
Each following one is faster than the last.
This allows Italian MTs to fire in three different ways:
cyclical, when you are firing only one shell and wait for it to fully reload;
like an autoloader, when you are able to cause immense damage
in a short amount of time;
or combined,
when you are using both of the previous ways in different variations.
We all know how efficient and cool it can be. But!
The autoreloader of the Italian MTs has a catch…
If you fire a shell while the mechanism is loading a shell in the magazine,
the reloading of the current shell is reset
and a longer reload of the following one begins.
And this is often… frustrating!
You see a target that you can shoot and…
you have a choice.
Do I shoot? Or maybe wait?
But if I shoot and the enemy rushes from around the corner?
And if they didn't but I haven't shot?
Or if I shoot and the enemy pushes me in return?!
And at that moment you start doubting… doubting if the decision was correct.
Because it's a lottery in essence…
The one with choice is the one with doubt.
But let's set all jokes aside.
Bisonte C45 is the first vehicle in the game
with an improved autoreloading mechanic!
Exactly! If you didn't wait until the shell was fully loaded and took a shot,
the following shell will receive a bonus to loading time.
The amount of bonus time will depend on what loading stage was interrupted.
But the essence is the same: the vehicle will be ready to fire earlier.
There are four brackets near the shells that show the percentage
of the loading time reduction for the following shell.
The first means the start of the bonus.
After the second one, the loading time acceleration will be about 16%,
after the third one—33%, and after the fourth one—50%.
But it's not really fair to judge the Italian autoreloading mechanic
in a vacuum: it’s unfair both to the old one and to the improved one.
So let's cut to the chase!
Here's the Turtle Mk. I: a vehicle with the highest DPM tier-for-tier
and the same amount of hit points as our hero.
Who do you think will win this battle?
The result was expected…
The only chance for the Brit to survive this duel
was if the Bisonte had bad luck with damage per shot.
Classic autoreloading mechanic in action.
But when there are several enemies…
That's when the improved mechanic really shines.
In real battle, when there are situations
where a couple of seconds mean everything:
that's when you will feel this bonus.
Get shot by the enemy, respond with the first shell, wait for another to load,
but the enemy is rushing you, so you don't have a choice!
You have to finish them! But you received the bonus.
And even though the next enemy is already on their way…
And they can finish you off…
Maybe those bonus seconds will allow YOU to win…
The improved autoreloading mechanic is not a revolution.
It's more of an evolution.
Most of the time you won't notice these bonuses.
But they will always be with you.
It's like a sophisticated Italian spice…
It doesn't draw all the attention to itself,
but it definitely makes the dish delicious.
The Bisonte C45 is mesmerizing.
From its stunning appearance all the way to being the "first of its kind."
It can bounce shells with its turret. It can fire in cyclical mode.
It can surprise the enemy with its loading time.
It can win a duel thanks to its mechanic.
It can destroy 3 vehicles in 6 seconds!
And most importantly, it can do it in its own unique fashion!