World of Tanks Beginner's Guide

As soon as you enter the game, you will be taken to the Training Ground, where in practice you will get acquainted with the basics of the game. Be sure to complete the training! A worthy reward awaits you for successful completion: two new cars, gold, trained in 100% crew and other bonuses, with which you will feel much more confident at first.

Hangar
After graduating from training, you will be taken to the Hangar - to the main game screen, at the bottom of which all your equipment is presented. Here you can research and buy cars, train crews, communicate with other players and, of course, go into a tank battle.

In battle
Pressing the Battle button!, you will be taken to the battle loading screen, where you will find out the composition of both teams and the conditions for winning the battle. Also note the helpful tips in the center of the screen..

After loading the battle, the battle screen will open, which contains all the information, necessary in battle.

Armor
All vehicles in the game have armor, which protects against enemy fire. The degree of booking is different for different cars, but for most of them there is a general principle: the frontal parts are better protected, and the board and stern are more vulnerable. Armor is measured in millimeters and is indicated in this format: frontal / side / stern armor thickness. And if the value of the armor, eg, indicated as 75/45/45, then a weapon with a penetrating ability in 60 mm with a direct hit will be able to pierce the side or stern, but frontal armor - no.

Example of IS-3 booking. Color variations show locations with different armor thicknesses in millimeters..

Except board and stern, almost all equipment has the same weaknesses: lower armor plate, hatches and tower roof.

Armor penetration
Armor penetration mainly depends on the angle, under which the projectile hits the armor. The best penetration is achieved with a hit at a right angle - in this case, the projectile overcomes the minimum thickness of the armor. The trajectory of the meeting of the projectile with the armor at a right angle is called the normal..

The deviation from the normal is the angle of entry of the projectile. It determines the thickness of the reduced armor - distances, which the projectile needs to pass, to do damage. The larger the angle of entry, the greater the value of the reduced armor.

The projectile may not pierce the armor, to bounce off it altogether is a ricochet. The ricochet of AP and APCR shells occurs, if the angle of entry of the projectile is more than 70 °, and HEAT shells ricochet at an angle greater than 85 ° (cm. Boekomplekt). Only high-explosive fragmentation shells do not ricochet: if they don't pierce armor, then explode right on her, regardless of the angle of entry.

Another important rule applies to the mechanics of the ricochet of armor-piercing and sub-caliber shells.: if the caliber of the projectile is more than three times the thickness of the armor at the point of impact, then ricochet is impossible at any angle of encounter of the projectile with armor. HEAT shells ricochet at an angle of more than 85 °, regardless of caliber.

Consider the mechanics of armor penetration and ricochet, when you fire at the enemy: try not to shoot tangentially, and do not stand at right angles to the shelling yourself, to reduce the chance of getting a penetration.

Do not stand still, so as not to become an easy prey for the enemy! You need a keyboard and mouse to control the equipment.

Chassis management
Use the W keys, A, S, D to operate the machine in manual mode.

You can also operate vehicles in cruise control mode:

R - automatic forward movement;

F - automatic reverse.

A single press on the cruise control key activates movement at the lowest speed, double - on average, and three times - at maximum speed.

Spacebar - blocking the tracks of the vehicle for emergency braking. This feature is especially useful, when it is necessary to stop abruptly for a shot.

Implement control
Control the implement with the mouse. Move the mouse left or right, to turn the implement in a horizontal direction. Moving the mouse forward or backward will direct the implement up or down. To shoot, left click.

Most vehicles have a turret mounted gun., which can rotate around its axis. This allows you to turn the implement in any direction, while the body of the tank remains stationary.

Many self-propelled guns and tank destroyers do not have turrets. On such a technique, the weapon can move horizontally only up to a certain limit., after which, for further movement, you will need to turn the case. In arcade aiming mode, the vehicle automatically turns after the sight.

Sight device
Every well-aimed shot brings you closer to victory, therefore, it is very important for a tanker to master the art of aiming and shooting.

The crosshair is the main element on the screen, necessary for firing. Explore the structure and function of the scope, to understand, how to aim correctly.

Interactive image. For detailed information, hover over points .

Aim
Always in the center of the screen and aligned with the direction of the camera. The scope circle only indicates the aiming direction, not the position of the gun.

There is an aiming marker in the center of the sight.

Circle of information
Shows, where the gun is currently pointed. Aim circle follows the crosshair with some lag, because the weapon does not move instantly.

In the center of the aiming circle is the gun position marker.. For a shot in the desired direction, the marker must completely coincide with the center of the sight.

Aiming Modes
Arcade sight
By default, you are in arcade aiming mode. The camera is located behind the car, and you can see your tank, freely follow the players around and survey the area.

This standard aiming mode is suitable for close to medium range battles..

Holding down the right mouse button, you can look around, without changing the position of the gun.

In sniper mode, a zoom indicator appears to the right of the scope, which shows, how much the image is zoomed in. By default, the maximum zoom ratio in the game is × 8. In the game settings, you can set the maximum zoom factor × 25.

Don't play sniper mode all the time: he is needed, to focus on one goal, and does not allow you to monitor the environment.

Automatic sight
In automatic mode, you can fix the sight on the central area of ​​the enemy vehicle, and the gun itself will aim at this point. This mode can be useful when shooting on the move..

left mouse button - enable / disable auto-aiming.

Automatic sight is deactivated, if the target disappears from the line of sight.

Artillery sight
The artillery sight allows the SPG player to see the battle map in the "top view" mode and fire at long distances.

Shooting
Now, when you know how to operate a weapon and know everything about the scope device, feel free to go to battle!

To shoot at the enemy's car:

Aim at the car.
Wait, until the gun turns there, where are you aiming. The marker of the position of the gun must coincide with the center of the sight.
Wait, until the gun converges and the spreading circle becomes minimal.
Press the left mouse button, to shoot.
After the shot, wait, until the gun reloads and converges again, - and you're ready to shoot again.

Each battle is not just an opportunity to measure strength with the enemy, but also your main source of income. At the end of battles, you get game resources, which will be required for further development in the game.

Results of the battle
You fought with all your might, learned to apply tactics and act together with the team. When the fight is over, evaluate its results in the Battle Results window.

Game resources
Credits are the main game currency in World of Tanks. Credits are earned in battles and awarded for active hostilities. Winning battles generate the most income.

Credits can be spent on purchasing modules, equipment and technology, car repairs, replenishment of ammunition and equipment, crew training aids and pre-combat instructions.

Experience is an important gaming resource, which is earned in battles and is credited for active hostilities.

For combat experience of a vehicle, you can study new modules of this vehicle and vehicles of the next levels. There is also free experience in the game, which can be spent on studying any modules and techniques.

Bonds are a special game currency, which can be earned in battle, as part of combat missions and game events, as well as in the referral program. Upgraded equipment can be purchased for coupons, pre-combat equipment instructions and rare equipment.

Gold is the game's currency, which can be purchased for real money or received for special merit, for example, passing the Training Ground.

For gold, you can purchase a Tank Premium Account and premium vehicles. Moreover, for this currency you will have access to various useful game features: translation of experience and resources, crew retraining, purchase of an improved pass and much more.

The car becomes elite, when all of its modules and the following technique have been explored. All premium vehicles are elite.
Gold makes the game more comfortable, however remember: you can successfully fight and research new technology without real financial investments.

Explore the interactive table below, to find out, how to get and what to spend game resources. We also recommend visiting the section World of Tanks Economy.

Boekomplekt
Entry-level vehicles are loaded with basic ammunition from armor-piercing shells by default., however, there are other types of projectiles in the game. Learn about their properties, to independently compose ammunition and fight even more efficiently.

Types of projectiles
Armor-piercing shells (BB) used on almost all equipment. They do damage, if they pierce the armor or get into the module.

BB shells are suitable for firing at vehicles of their own level and below, or at weakly armored vehicles.

Cons of BB shells:

no damage in case of non-penetration;
high probability of ricochet;
loss of effectiveness when firing from a long distance.
For some vehicles, there are premium armor-piercing shells with improved penetration or increased damage..

High-explosive fragmentation shells (OF) when the armor is pierced, they explode inside the car, dealing hit damage and additional critical damage. If not penetrated, a high-explosive projectile can explode directly on the armor and also cause damage. Fragments of HE shells scatter within the radius of the explosion and can damage several vehicles at once.

HE shells are especially effective on large-caliber tank destroyers and self-propelled guns. Use land mines on other vehicles against weakly armored opponents.

Cons of HE shells:

low armor penetration;
low damage on non-penetration;
damage can be completely absorbed by armor.
There are premium HE shells with a large hitting radius., and for some British guns there are special HESH shells with increased penetration.

Subcaliber shells (BP) - the most common premium shells in the game. Act as armor piercing, but fly faster and better penetrate armor.

BP Projectiles are great for close combat against heavily armored opponents.

Cons of BP shells:

ineffective when shooting at an angle and at long distances;
costly.
For some vehicles of medium and high tiers, this type of ammunition is the main one..

Cumulative projectiles (K S) - these are special premium anti-tank shells. Their penetration is much higher., than armor-piercing and subcaliber. They do not lose their armor penetration with distance and do not obey the standard ricochet rules..

KS projectiles are best for shooting at heavily armored enemies at long range.

Cons of KS shells:

ineffective when shooting at an angle;
ineffective when shooting through destructible objects;
costly.
For some vehicles of medium and high tiers, this type of ammunition is the main one..

Equipment
Hardware are additional devices, which allow you to improve the combat characteristics of the vehicle. The equipment is available for all vehicles from level II.. The number of slots for equipment depends on the level of the machine: at level II, one piece of equipment can be installed, at the III level - two, and from level IV - three.

Equipment types
There are two types of equipment in the game - standard and special.

Standard equipment can be purchased for credits, as well as earn in game events and promotions. It can be subdivided into classes for specific vehicle tiers.. Moreover, standard equipment is divided into categories depending on the characteristics, which improves: firepower, vitality, mobility and exploration. Starting at vehicle tier VI, one of these characteristics is tied to the first slot for equipment. If you install equipment of a suitable category in such a slot, it will be more effective. Standard equipment can be dismantled and returned to the warehouse for gold or using a dismantling kit.

Advanced and trophy equipment is a special type.. Upgraded equipment is initially more efficient and is bought only for coupons. Trophy items can be earned in in-game events, such as Battle Pass. In terms of efficiency, it is initially the same, as a staff, but for credits you can improve it and increase its efficiency. Advanced equipment is dismantled for booms, and trophy - for gold or using a dismantling kit.

Find out more about equipment in World of Tanks in this section.

Purchase and installation
Equipment
Equipment allows you to repair damaged modules and heal wounded crew members during the battle, or improves the characteristics of equipment and crew. It is cheaper, than equipment, and fits all cars, however, it is consumed in battle and requires replenishment. Equipment can be installed on any vehicle starting from level II. The number of slots for equipment depends on the level of the vehicle: at level II, you can install one piece of equipment, at the III level - two, and from level IV - three.

Equipment types
Equipment can be simple and improved.. Simple equipment has a relatively modest effect., but its cost is also low. Improved equipment is more efficient and has additional bonuses, however, it can only be purchased for a substantial amount of credits.

Repair kits, Fire extinguishers and First Aid Kits can be used multiple times per battle. Upon activation, these types of equipment require 90 seconds to recharge, after which they are ready for use again. Such equipment is consumed, only if you used it at least once during the battle. The rest of the equipment is valid for the entire battle and is consumed automatically.

You can find out more about the equipment in Google

Equipment replenishment
Crew
No car can go into battle without a crew.. The effectiveness of the equipment depends on the combat training of tankers..

Earning experience in battles, the crew is gradually improving their technique. And when the crew members reach 100% machine control skills, they are ready to learn special skills and abilities. A well-trained crew provides tremendous advantages in combat.

New cars
You've fought enough in your car, made it stronger and want to test yourself on other armored vehicles? It's time to master new vehicles among the variety of equipment World of Tanks.

Research technique
Researchable vehicles are a huge collection of combat vehicles of various nations, which is available to all players. Researching and purchasing such vehicles requires Combat or Free XP and Credits.. This technique can also be fully or partially researched for blueprints..

Go to the RESEARCH tab in the Hangar, to see all the nation of technology. For each nation, there is a Research Tree with different types of vehicles by tier.. You can view the characteristics of the machines, find out the cost of studying and buying equipment, as well as research and purchase new modules and tanks.

No need to explain, why well-coordinated team play is the key to success in battle. Invite your friends, unite with other players in platoons and joint efforts to win brilliant victories!

Communication with the team
Battle chat
Use battle chat to coordinate with your allies. It is displayed above the vehicle status panel..

T- activation of battle chat. Now you can write a message.

Press Enter again, to send a chat message to the whole team.

If you are playing in a platoon and want to exchange messages only with players in your formation, switch to platoon battle chat. Posts, written in this chat, highlighted in yellow and visible only to your platoon.

TAB - switch between general and platoon combat chat modes.

Quick commands
Quick commands allow you to instantly exchange information with allies and better coordinate team actions on the battlefield.

Interacting with objects on the map
Use the keys to interact with the game card, allies, opponents or bases.

While the timer counts down to the start of the battle, you can tell your allies, where are you going, using special direction markers. They mark key areas on the map and help you decide, from which flank to attack the enemy.

Press T, to send a quick command to allies.

Any player can join your label. The number of allies is displayed next to the labels, who are ready to help in the area you marked. As a result, you will be able to carry out more effective attacks and act together as a whole team..

Click on, to send a quick response to allied teams.
Interaction with the minimap
Hold down the Ctrl key, to activate the mouse cursor to interact with the minimap.

LEFT — mark a point on the map and draw the attention of allies to it;

RIGHT - show, that you intend to move to the marked point.

SPG players have special rules for interacting with the minimap:

Left-clicking in artillery aiming mode shows allies, where are you aiming, and in arcade mode draws the attention of allies to an area on the map;
Right-clicking in any of the aiming modes transfers the SPG's sight to the selected area.
ALL MACHINES, EXCEPT SPG

SAU (ARCADE SIGHT)

SAU (ARTILLERY SIGHT)

Quick Commands Menu
Hold the key, to bring up the shortcut menu, and move the mouse to define the required command.

Quick command menu adapts to objects, with whom you interact, be it the card itself, opponents or allies.

Chatting behavior
According to the Game Rules, it is unacceptable to use obscene language in the chat, bombard allies with uninformative messages or quick commands, as well as distract or offend players in any other way.

In-game chat messages are tracked, and violation of the rules is punishable by blocking the chat or even the account. Remember, game chat is a tool for communicating with the team, and not a field of defense. Respect each other!
Playing with friends
Contacts
Your friends also play World of Tanks? You met strong players in battle and want to be in touch with them? Add them to your contact list, to know, when friends are in the game, and communicate with them.

To find and add a player to your contact list:

Click on (Contacts) in the lower left corner of the Hangar.
Click on (Player search). Enter the player's name in the search bar, whom you want to add to your contacts, and click Search.
In the search results, click on the player's name and click Add. Wait, until the player accepts the invitation.
Play in the air
A platoon is a formation of two or three players, which always falls on the same team in battle. Well-coordinated platoon play increases the overall chance of victory and allows co-platoon players to complete various combat missions.

Platooning gives bonuses to experience and credits. You will always receive +15% to experience, and with the Tank Premium Account, +15% credits in each battle. If you don't have a Tank Premium Account, but at least one of your co-platoons has it, You'll get +10% credits.

In the Hangar, you can create a platoon with random players, who also want to play as a platoon and match your skill level.

To collect a platoon with random players, to the left of the Battle button! click Create Platoon and select Search Players from the drop-down menu.

You can also create a new platoon, in which there will be no one, except you, and then invite selected players to it.

To create a platoon and invite friends to it:

Click Create Platoon to the left of the Join Battle button!.
In the platoon window, click Invite Players.
In the Invite to formation window, move the players from the contact list to the right side of the window. If the player you want is not in your contact list, click Search outside contacts.
Add your invitation text, if you want to, and click Invite.
Click Ready!. Wait, until the invited players accept your invitation and also confirm their readiness for battle.
Click Into Battle!, to join the battle with a platoon.

If your friends don't accept the invitation, match random players to platoon. To do this, in the platoon window, click Search for players.
You can also create a platoon with allies right during the battle. Such a platoon is called dynamic. note, that experience and credits bonuses are not available for dynamic platoons.

Read more on the Platoons page.

Voice communication
For players in the squad (in the "Stronghold" mode), levers, as well as in training battles, voice communication is available. This is the fastest way to coordinate your actions before and during the battle..

By default, the voice function is enabled everywhere, except for dynamic platoons. If you want to enable voice communication while playing in a dynamic platoon, press the key .
When voice communication is on, the microphone is activated using the key .

Press and hold Q, to send a voice message to all players in your formation. Finished speaking, release the key.

Optionally, you can turn off voice communication with a specific player in battle or in the Garage: right-click a player's name in a formation or allied team list and select Mute Voice Messages.

If you do not need the voice function in the game at all, you can disable it in the game settings. Read more about voice communication settings in this article..

Keep it up, fighter! You are familiar with the game and are ready to prove yourself on the battlefields. What's next? Further - many new opportunities in the world of World of Tanks!

The higher the level of your tanks, the more various combat missions are available for you, events and promotions, where you can earn valuable rewards. And for completing personal combat missions you will receive unique tanks and 100% female crew!

Join the clan, develop the Stronghold together and get unique combat reserves for lucrative battles. The most close-knit and powerful clans can fight for dominance on the Global Map - this is a great way to glorify a clan and at the same time earn gold! Visit the Clan Portal, to learn about all the opportunities and benefits of clans.

Gaining experience, take part in Ranked Battles and earn Bonds - a special currency for purchasing unique in-game items, eg, more powerful equipment.

The most daring and experienced players can unite in teams to participate in tournaments and even in e-sports competitions in World of Tanks.

Forward, to new achievements and grandiose victories in World of Tanks!