I have the 60TP, 277, T110E4, and panzer 7 unlocked. Which of these 4 would the best purchase?

Hey guys! I stopped playing the game after the 6.0 update, before that I played since the Xbox 360 beta. I have every tier X (including mercenaries) up to that point. I also have way too many prem tanks, but 60% was shit back then too. The question is, how is the game now? Is it worth playing again? What's the meta like? Is the player base growing or shrinking? What about the modern era? I tried to fill the void with WoWs:Legends, but that game turned into p2w in a disgusting way. I tried War Thunder, but except for the flying part, that game is not for me.

*tl;dr - A meme tank that can be lethal in the right hands. Just not my hands. 

*Out of character note to the devs: with this, the T249, multiple versions of the M42, the M-GMC triplets and more in the game there is absolutely ZERO reason we don't have Gepard, ZSU-23-4, ZSU-57-2, Sgt. Yorkie, Flakpanzer I, Ostwind, Mobelwagen, ZSU-37, various Crusader III Anti-Aircraft Tanks, Semovente da 20/70 quadruplo in the game. You already have the firing mechanics, graphics, and sounds and most of those sit on chassis that already exist - you just need to build out turret graphics and hit boxes.

*Now, back to the review.

*Full disclosure: I do not like the Cold War Era 2 M48 GAU-8 Avenger Black Edition - which I’m just going to call “the GAU”. I do not like its ability to eviscerate an unsuspecting opponent. I do not like that it got nerfed harder than the T249. And I do not like how poorly it matches my preferred playstyle. 

*Main gun? LOL. This thing is all about **Clarkson voice** MOAR FYAH POWAH!!!!! Even with the updated overheating mechanics the main gun - this vehicle's raison d'être - is absolutely savage. It’s a version of the A-10 Warthog’s (Not a T-bolt. The USAF can suck it.) GAU-8A 30mm rotary cannon slapped into a turreted mobile ground mount.

*IRL this thing existed for one reason, and one reason only - put foot to Soviet Frontal Aviation ass for god and country.  

*Don’t let the barrel diameter fool you - the difference between this round and most other 30mm rounds is astonishing. Use ye old search engine to find a comparison - the GAU-8A round looks like a 2 liter soda bottle next to a 355ml Mexican coke. I exaggerate, but only a little.

*Like all autocannons the rounds can be a little floaty and pen drops off more quickly than you’d like, but the key here is accuracy through volume of fire. At a nominal rate of 3500 rounds per minute you’re basically guaranteed to hit something vulnerable. Kind of like shooting somebody wearing body armor with 12 gauge 00 buck - it may not kill them, but they ain’t happy about it.  

*The reverse is true on incoming fire. As far as I can tell the hull is the stock M48 armor scheme while the turret is (by CW standards) a thinly armored shell that only exists to contain the 30mm beast within. 

*The turret is a little smaller than the M48 turret so it’s a skosh harder to hit, and it has some angle to it so it will bounce some smaller stuff, but almost any direct hit on it is going to do some damage. Keep moving, try to angle, and try not to make yourself a target. That’s the best I have for you. 

*Mobility is good. Being a bit lighter than the M48 donor means it has a slightly higher power-to-weight ratio and its terrain resistances aren’t bad. That’s good, because you’ll need that mobility to avoid being hit so you can stay in the battle and provide support. Fun little gem I’ve noticed - because all of the weight reduction is in the turret the GAU can run along hillsides more effectively than the M48 / M60 vehicles. I actually spent some time testing that and although I take a lot of drugs the difference seems real. I don’t think that matters during game play, but it’s cool. 

*Its camo rating is even more “who cares” than most other CW tanks for one simple reason - cooking off the GAU-8A creates a laser beam that points straight back at your position. Put a couple of bursts into your target and then GTFO because you don’t have enough armor to survive counter-battery fire and they know exactly where you are. 

*I have no advice to give here. I don’t like the tank. You might like it a lot. As a premium it pays its own bills and (IMHO) it’s a good crew trainer for light tanks with an autocannon, but if I hadn’t gotten it out of a lootbox I wouldn’t ever have purchased it. 

*Current equipment / build: Zero camo, full equipment (gun stabilizer / improved ventilation / armor hardening / cooling jacket), three consumables (enhanced repair kit / enhanced rations / enhanced med kit). 

*As I write this I have career stats on this account of 32,539 battles, a 48.40% winrate, and a WN8 score of 1411. 

*As I write this I have M48 GAU-8 Avenger Black Edition stats of 100 battles, a 55.00% winrate, and a WN8 score of 952. I have not marked this tank.       

*Disclaimers:

*I’m bad at this game and you should probably not take my advice.

*Unless otherwise noted, assume all tanks are fully upgraded/outfitted and the review assumes that level of equipment.

*This is my opinion. I suck at the game and better players might have different opinions. You might have different opinions. That’s ok.

*This game is my hobby and I have a good job so I spend money on it. If you’re an aggressively free-to-play kind of guy we may not vibe.

*All stats taken from https://www.wotstars.com/xbox/1093328947, player AmbshPrdator on Xbox.

Title

Anyone gave these a try on test server yet?

H0w did you find them?

I personally think, looks wise, they look fantastic and would be nice to have a more mobile german heavy line, ive seen MaxGaming and dez give them high praises for "german E5s"

"And quite a few weeks, NOT FOR CO OP ANYMORE !?!?"- As somebody recently made a post about how the rewards are getting stingier and stingier and now, just plain greedy.. What's the deal, "War Games" - lol ??? The game's not in a good place and you being greedier with season passes, tank sales, and especially the current war chest layout is causing not only myself, but Many others to spend less and less on this game than ever before. For the first time since the games launch in 2014 I have money for via gift cards and money on my console piling up, and zero reason to spend it. I have no Fomo about the 5finger tanks for ex. At this rate, I wonder if the game's going to survive the transfer to Europe with anything left that's worthy to put in the effort for them to revamp and rebalance ? This is what happens when ppl complain too hard about OP tanks, you get your wish and wallets close. The golden key is to not make them too op, for the majority of players, so they remain out of constant complaint threads, but are worthy enough for seasoned players to buy. Also things like WG's daffy attempt at ATGM balance, and overly nerfing crew skills and equipment (yes, my sweaty simps, some change were needed, but as usual, they took it too far and ruined things) makes my wallet close lighting fast.

I own 15 of 26. I have something in every tier except tier 9 and I'm grinding the tier 9 Sharpshooter now. I have one tier 10, the Tusk, which was a serious grind. My favourite has to be the tier 4 Bucket, a 4 shot autoloader which I reckon is better than the MTLS-1G14/Blitzen.

I would absolute love if WG provided and opportunity to get the Oscario for free XP. I currently have over 500K and climbing.

Any word on when the next free xp trade in will be, and what tanks might be included?

What is an enjoyable line to grind that pays off with a decent tier 10, doesn’t matter category or play style I adapt to all. I just want something that’s fun throughout most of the line. Something odd-ball though not typical is-7 and super conq line or e-100 I’ve got all of those.

I am a new-ish player. I dare to say that I keep playing this game because of the Cold War mode. very lkely because of my eyes condition. I do not like playing WW2 matches. I avoid this mode to the extent of just playing artillery after having completed the season pass until the next season starts, or playing only the tank line that giives you bonus XP during 2 weeks. However, my perception from this community is that WW2 mode is the most played. Is this correct? If so, what do you prefer above the CW mode, aside from historical reasons?

Any idea who Act Two is going to be for Metal Fest?

Excelsior

https://preview.redd.it/2uv6qwv86zjh1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=3854b830364fdee956bc45134f1044e4f1627d4c

Notes: 

• Release Date: OLD
• Balance history? Eh just the 8.2 global HP changes
• Dispersion: 
  • Turret: 0.16
  • Movement: 0.28
• Weight: 41 tons
• Gun depression: 
  • Front: 9
  • Sides: progressive to 13
  • Rear: 4

Overview: 

• A Fat cromwell? Here is the A33 heavy tank.

 

Pros: 

• Pref MM
• Tad above average VR
• 2nd fastest heavy
• Fastest turret traverse 
• Great hull traverse 
• 13 degrees of gun depression!
• Strong front armor

Neutral: 

• Average HP
• Average camo

Cons: 

• Lower damage
• Lower DPM
• BAD gun handling and accuracy
• Poor standard pen as natural of a pref tank. 
  • Actually decent premium pen
• Low shell velocity 
• Low unhistorical ammo capacity. 
• High fire chance
• Front mounted ammo rack
• 2nd lowest economic bonus.

 

Armor: 

• Its not half bad for a tier 5 considering its mobility. 
• Turret: 
  • Front: a simple flat 114mm. It can block some stand ammo at tier 5 but being flat means it cant be angled (don't bother angling the turret).
  • Side: a generally flat 92mm. With the turret being a flatter octagon, it has some angle but don't rely on it. It serves its purpose against lower tier tanks and HE.  
  • Rear: Also a flat 92mm. So about the same as the sides. 
  • Roof: have to save some weight somewhere, so this is only 25.4mm. Its not that visible so easy enough hide from normal engagements (outside long range durp shots or arty). 
  • Cupola: its very small and is a angled 92mm meaning they might as well shoot the front of the turret.

   

• Hull: 
  • Flat front: a simple flat 114mm. Same comment as the turret front. Blocks standard ammo and some premium ammo from lower tiers. 
  • Angled front: The upper section is actually pretty decent at 68.9mm at 71 degrees making it a auto bounce and quite strong even if it has a bit less of a angle. Its at least as effective as the flat parts. The lower section is 63.5mm at 63.5 degrees… heh. Anyhow its about 143mm effective, or about 120 against AP
  • Sides: mmm a mix bag. The inner section is rather thin at 31.75, but does at least prevent overmatch. This is protected by the 20mm tracks and 25.4 side skirts. So it's a mixed bag as it's good against HE and the rare HEAT round but against normal ammo its generally weak (2x overmatch makes most guns a good deal more effective). 
  • Rear: quite mixed. We got the flat mid section that's 108 which is quite good. The lower section being a flat 63mm and the upper a simple 44 that while angled at 63 but still vulnerable to most AP ammo. Then we got the lowest section thats 88mm at 53 to block most shots. So yea mixed bag and you might get lucky and block stuff with the 108mm plate. 
  • Roof + Floor: eh not great but this is only tier 5 and UK is not known for thick roof armor. Anyhow the value is only 19mm which wont block much outside the 57mm guns which are still common enough.

 

Gameplay:

• With 9 degrees of gun depression it works enough over most hills, but to really use the full 13 you have to pretty much aim directly over the sides. This is a tad awkward but you make due with what you have. 
• As for what to do depends on if you are top tier or not as it has enough front armor to bully tier 4 and 5 tanks. 
• If you're top tier you can play front line heavy tank, though there is enough tier 5 (not to mention all the TD’s) that have enough pen to go through your armor. At that point your best bet if to try to side scrape. 
• Facing tier 6’s (or all tier 5) then your main gun will not be the best. Its pen is usable and you might have to load a decent amount of premium, but the main issue is how inaccurate it is. You shouldn't fire on the move as the dispersion and base accuracy is just too unusable. Anyhow you are best relegated to a support role or tracking or flaking as its mobile enough to able to do that on some maps. It just makes a decent support tank. 
• Equipment: 
  • Vents
  • Optics
  • Turbo
  • Rammer / grousers

Counter Gameplay: 

• Your best bet naturally is just to load gold and aim at the hull to also hit the ammo rack. If your premium pen is not enough or your wallet, then flanking is the best choice. Flanking however will be a bit harder due to the generally decent mobility this tank has compared to other heavies. If you do manage to get side shots then its armor is… so so. Best to try to hit the drive wheel to avoid the side skirts. 
• The best counter is just to have decent armor as its gun is limited in not just pen but accuracy so even having weak spot is not necessarily an issue.

 

Cosmetics: 

https://preview.redd.it/76vht84a6zjh1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=53ea6bf7c95dd95cbe786f3419d3f6eb21add04c

• Mmmm British box design. Ignoring the shape it is pretty detailed enough. Doesn't have any tanker gear, but basic supplies for tank operation. 
• I do like the design of the side escape hatches as even the outer side skirts have doors. We don't get that on a lot of the later tank designs so its always nice to remember this period of history. 
• Nothing too much else, got the basic details a tank should have. I suppose i could comment on the engine deck being somewhat unique in shape. 
• Cosmetics: 
  • Emblem: one on each mid side of the turret
  • Inscription: one on each forward side of the turret. (would prefer to be moved to the side skirts) 
  • Flag: rear right side.

 

General Thoughts: 

• This is a nice historic tank to have and does fit in with other mid tier UK tanks. 
• Mmm this could probably use some help. 
  • First off would be to fix the couple inaccuracy in the tank. 
  • One would be the ammo capacity of 64 should be 80 which still be below average, but its something. 
  • The second would be to have the side armor to the correct values. Compared to the current 31mm, the front half would be 50.8 and the rear 38mm. This combined with the inch thick side skirt would prove quite a bit of protection and would warrant the the iffy gun handling. 
  • The fender of track cover armor could be added to the model as just 10mm would be quite useful. 
  • Depending on how effective the above armor buffs would be adjusting the dispersion a bit would certainly help. Id vote for turret as i can always stand still.

   

• If they really want to feel cheeky they could do the above armor changes and have the pen match the gun found on the TT tanks so instead of 91/144 it be 120/165.  With actually good gun handling and terrain resistances could make it a normal tier 5 heavy probably call it A33/2 or use the shortly used “Commodore” destination. The name Excelsior may not have been used at time design? Eh its in the history article link. 
• One thing i think should be changed is the economic bonuses of 40 silver and XP. of the tier 5 pref tanks this is the tied 2nd lowest. The average silver is about 49/50 and the XP about 45. So i could see it getting boosted considering its cousin the T14 has 62/45 so at least 45/45 (we dont need it boosted to the rather OP Churchill 3’s 58/78)

Buy?

• At time of review its available in the Masters of Mayhem season pass so good amount of ya already got it. 
• So first off its a tier 5 and thus darn cheap. Base value is 1.5k gold which is… yea dirt cheap compared to some of these other premium tanks. Of course still wait for some form of sale via free xp or silver or heck a trade in if you have a tier 6 you don't like. 
• It is available in the premium tech tree so you can purchase this tank directly so that's nice. 
• So anyhow as for the tank? Its decent enough though by the fact I mentioned several changes it could use, means it certainly could use some help. 
  • Not to mention the eco bonuses are not great.

 

External link: 

• A.33, Assault Tank “Excelsior” - Tank Encyclopedia

 

It’s unplayable due to night stalkers and t249 . Heaviest armor in the game gets melted by a belt gun from full health. No wonder they have to incorporate bots .

I tried to buy some gold yesterday to no avail so i thought I'd leave it until today but it's still the same. Is anyone else having this problem?