You know how to pace yourself. In the heat of battle. You know that you might
only have one shot, but your reach is long and your attack mighty. One shot is
all you need. You're an artillery commander.
As an artillery tank, you must cover your teams advance by shelling the enemy
tanks from long range. To do this you must rely on your allies to be your eyes
on the battlefield. As your teammates charge into battle,
you should stay back behind them. Find a good location that is well covered by
bushes, rocks, or buildings and wait for your fellow tanks to begin spotting
enemies for you so that you might unleash your massive weapons on the
helpless opposition. As an artillery tank you will have an unprecedented view of
the battlefield.
However, enemy tanks will not begin to appear until your teammates, especially
Scouts, get close enough to spot them for you. Once you have an enemy in sight:
take aim and fire. Your attack is incredibly powerful but your reload and aim
times are significantly longer than most other classes. Land your attacks
accordingly and make sure you have a clean shot before you fire. Remember to
pay attention to the reload timer on the hunt so you know how long you have
before you can fire again.
Always make sure the targeting line is green before you open fire. If the line
is red:
there is an obstacle blocking your shot and you need to reposition your tank or
you will waste your ammo. Pay attention to the sides of your targeting reticle. As your
reticle get smaller, your chances of hitting the target increase. If your
enemy is on the move
remember to lead the target if you want to land a successful hit. Also pay
attention to your shot distance. Your round won't arrive at the target
instantly so take that into account when firing. If an enemy takes cover behind a
rock or a building, you will likely not be able to score direct hit.
However, should your tank happen to have a stock of explosive ammunition, you can
fire a shot near your target and the splash damage from the explosive round
might be enough to force him out into the open.
Also, it is good to remember that just because an enemy disappears from your
view does not mean that he isn't there anymore.
All it means is that you or your teammates have lost line-of-sight on the enemy. Try
opening fire on the last location you saw the tank. You might score lucky hit on
the enemy even though you couldn't see him. Playing as an artillery tank means
taking a more strategic approach to battles than with other classes. It's
important to pay close attention to the Battle Map so that you will always know
who on your team needs your support. You may wish to toggle your mini-map on so
that you have a better view of the battlefield and flow of the fight. It is
important to remember that it's possible for enemy artillery or tank destroyers
to locate you
by following your tracers. A good artillery commander keeps moving between
shots, finding new cover and better positions from which he can support his
team. Always stay behind cover as much as possible. Keep yourself hidden and
protected if you want to do the most good for your team.
It is possible for artillery to turn the tide of a battle in a few shots so it is
important to keep yourself protected and alive as long as you can.
The greatest threat to an artillery tank is having a flank exposed for an enemy
Scout to exploit. Staying in cover and maintaining good battlefield awareness
is the easiest way to protect against enemy flanking attacks. Even though Scout
armor is considerably weaker, their superior speed and rate of fire can
spell trouble for your artillery. Should you find yourself in an up-close
engagement, it is possible you might still come out on top but the odds might
not be in your favor. You will greatly increase your chances of survival by
calling out an incoming enemy tank before it gets too close so that a fellow
teammate can rush in to protect you. Finally, remember that just because you
can see an enemy from your cover doesn't necessarily mean they can see you.
Consider your options before opening fire or moving. If the enemy has yet to spot
you, try marking him for your teammates instead of opening fire and possibly giving
yourself away. Heed this advice and your artillery tank will rain down destruction on
your enemies!
Rollout, Commander!