Patch 1.4.0.0 has been released. Now mods need to be installed in the folders "res_mods\1.4.0\" and "mods\1.4.0.\". If after the update the mod stops working for you, then simply move it to the “1.4.0” folder. Some mods and mod assemblies may not work or may have bugs. In the very near future, all non-working mods and assemblies will be updated. Please be patient and stay tuned for updates. If after updating the mod/build your client freezes or crashes for no reason, download the game cache clearing script and run it, the problem should be solved.

So, choosing from these outstanding artillery installations, you must decide - what is most important to you? Do you need average killing power, complete with the ability to move quickly? Or would thicker armor and the ability to shoot without regard to ammunition be more desirable? Or maybe the most important thing is to kill the enemy with one shot, even if you simply do not have time to drive away from the place of the shot, and you will be blown away by enemy artillery? A question that often arises among players is WorldOfTanks which art is better to download, but finding the answer with the help of someone else's experience is very difficult, since it is a subjective question, and only your choice.

Currently in game World of Tanks there are five full-fledged artillery branches. They include vehicles from the second to the tenth level. The USSR, Germany, USA, France and Great Britain have branches of artillery. China and Japan do not have them, although the developers plan to correct this shortcoming in the distant future. However, a newcomer to World of Tanks is unlikely to be ready to upgrade all existing this moment five (and in the future - even more) branches of artillery just to find out which one is the best.

Which branch of artillery or which nation from those available in World of Tanks is right for you, what are the criteria for choosing vehicles for upgrade, and finally, which branch of artillery should you prefer? These questions are answered in this guide.

Artillery in World of Tanks - which branch to choose?

In the Soviet branch of vehicles, it is first worth mentioning the SU-26 (third level), which has a 360-degree rotating wheelhouse. It was once an extremely popular car, but after a series of nerfs it turned into a solid middling one. Next comes the SU-5, which does not have a wheelhouse or any acceptable firing range, but has a very steep trajectory, which allows it to throw shells over obstacles.

At the fifth and sixth levels there are fairly ordinary cars without noticeable pros and cons. But the situation changes radically at the seventh level, at which the USSR has two self-propelled guns (one opens with the KV-2). They are equipped with an extremely powerful weapon for their level, with a 102 mm penetration by a high-explosive projectile and a one-time damage of 1850 units. A direct hit on the roof can send a heavy tank even at a higher level straight into the hangar.

Soviet vehicles rarely shoot, often miss, but when they hit, they cause enormous damage.

Soviet artillery in World of Tanks causes enormous damage, but takes a long time to reload. Source: wikimedia

But the price you pay for this is terrible accuracy and a reload time that lasts about 50 seconds. At the eighth and ninth levels, the weapon remains the same, only the characteristics are slightly improved. But the top branch (Vol. 261) represents a serious change in concept. Damage of 1700 units with a penetration of 102 mm is already difficult to surprise anyone, these are weak indicators for the tenth level, but we are pleased with the good aiming speed (6.5 seconds), and the accuracy is one of the best. And good mobility allows you to quickly change position, which cannot be said about the previous machines in the branch.

In general, the Soviet branch cannot be called monotonous. But most time you will have to play on slow cars that shoot extremely rarely, often miss, but with a direct hit they cause enormous damage. At the same time, mediocre horizontal aiming angles with long aiming forces you to spend a lot of time on aiming, and a long reload greatly increases the cost of each miss.

German artillery branch

The German artillery branch cannot be called monotonous either. For example, the horizontal aiming angles are constantly changing, they are best at the seventh level, this car In general, it has good accuracy and an acceptable rate of fire. But this is compensated by the average damage (1200 units) and penetration (88 mm) of a high-explosive projectile. But good mobility allows you to keep up with your allies and stay at the optimal distance from the enemy.

German vehicles are characterized by a good balance between accuracy and rate of fire, but are distinguished by their enormous size and terrible dynamics.

In general, up to the seventh level inclusive, German vehicles are comfortable to play and have a good balance between accuracy, damage and rate of fire. At the eighth level, the damage increases significantly (up to 2000 units for a high-explosive projectile), and penetration is 105 mm. A similar weapon is installed on vehicles of the ninth and tenth levels. But you have to pay for this simply with its huge size and terrible dynamics. Moving from flank to flank can take several minutes, often during this time the battle simply ends without your participation. However, for passive play when you are standing somewhere near a base, high-level German artillery is ideal.

American artillery branch

As for the American branch of vehicles, the top of the branch (T92) immediately catches your eye, which has a maximum damage of 2250 units (!) for a high-explosive projectile with a penetration of 120 mm. But the accuracy is also one of the worst in the game, the spread is 0.92. However, even a splash can remove 500 or more HP from weakly armored targets. But the rest of the machines in the branch are seriously different in concept.

American cars high level almost identical to representatives of the Soviet branch

Only vehicles of the eighth and ninth levels have significant one-time damage; here they are almost identical to the representatives of the Soviet branch. The vehicles that preceded them are solid averages, they are fairly balanced in terms of damage, reload speed and aiming, but, on the other hand, they are devoid of bright advantages, so you are unlikely to remember playing them. But, for example, the American level eight self-propelled gun is considered one of the best precisely because of the comfort of playing on it.

French artillery branch

The branch of French self-propelled guns is distinguished by the fact that almost all the vehicles in it are made within the framework of a single concept. There are no sudden transitions, so it’s unlikely that you’ll have to completely relearn when you level up. But it is important to note that the top branch has a loading drum for 4 shells, this is a unique case in World of Tanks; there is no other artillery with a loading drum.

French technology is distinguished by good accuracy and fast convergence, as well as excellent dynamics, allowing you to quickly change position

But the drum takes a long 80 (!) seconds to recharge, during which your team can easily lose. Or win, nothing depends on you during these 80 seconds. Also saddening is the lowest one-time damage among tier ten SPGs (1250 units) with mediocre penetration (95 mm), but you can shoot four times in 18 seconds. All other vehicles in the loading drum branch do not have a loading drum, but low one-time damage compared to other same-level self-propelled guns is characteristic of almost all French artillery.

This is compensated by both good accuracy and fast mixing. Add here also excellent dynamics, for example, the top line is capable of reaching a speed of 62 km/h, this allows you to change position extremely quickly. In general, French artillery involves active gameplay, as much as possible with self-propelled guns. You need to change your position more often in order to shoot your opponents on the side or even the stern. This will have to be done, because low penetration and one-time damage do not allow you to seriously damage most opponents when hit head-on.

British artillery

Finally, the British artillery branch is characterized by the steepest trajectory in World of Tanks, which allows you to throw landmines even over relatively high obstacles. But this is where the similarity between the cars of the entire branch ends. On low levels there are self-propelled guns that do not stand out in anything remarkable; they are strong middle peasants. But on the sixth level there is perhaps the most unusual self-propelled gun in the game.

British vehicles are miniature and quick-firing, but single-shot damage and penetration are low. As the level increases, the damage increases, but the hit accuracy remains relatively low.

It has good dynamics, miniature dimensions (like a light tank) and an extremely weak but fast-firing gun. It fires approximately every 13 seconds, but the one-time damage (450) and penetration (57 mm) of a high-explosive shell are extremely small. Moreover, the shooting range is so limited that you have to constantly move behind allied tanks to deal damage. But the trajectory of the projectile is such that it allows you to “smoke out” opponents from positions beyond which other artillery cannot reach them.

The seventh level car is a strong average, its only striking feature is high speed back than forward, but they get used to it after a couple of fights. And vehicles from the eighth to the tenth level are distinguished by high one-time damage with mediocre accuracy. The top branch in terms of one-time damage (2200 units) and penetration (117 mm) of a high-explosive projectile is slightly behind the T92, and its accuracy is even worse (the spread is as much as 1.1). Probably, such terrible accuracy also compensates for the steep trajectory, which allows you to throw shells even behind houses.

Your choice?..

So, which branch of artillery should you upgrade? It’s difficult to answer; a lot depends on personal preferences. If you are just starting to play World of Tanks, then, perhaps, the German and Soviet branches are most suitable, they are the most “classic”, you can also recommend the American branch, although the top is quite specific due to its terrible accuracy.

Start with the “classics” - the German or Soviet branches of tanks and artillery. But later, switch to the French artillery branch.

If you have been playing World of Tanks for a long time and understand the game mechanics well, then you can recommend the French, they are the least dependent on FBR, and excellent dynamics allow you to quickly change position, which, with a good knowledge of the maps, allows you to take comfortable positions. The British, in general, are quite specific, the steep trajectory, of course, allows you to throw projectiles behind high cover, but the downside is that the projectile has a longer flight time, and it is not easy to shoot with anticipation.

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World of Tanks is the most popular multiplayer game today, which has enveloped almost the entire world. This game implements battles using military equipment of the Second World War, and today we will touch on the self-propelled gun class, which is the most specific combat class and the most difficult to master. But despite this. Players actively (albeit not very much at the moment) play this technique and enjoy the gameplay.

The best self-propelled gun in WoT

Self-propelled guns are artillery that is capable of shooting through the entire game map, reaching enemies almost everywhere where there is no cover, but is very weak in close combat. In fact, self-propelled guns are a class of support for allies and the most powerful combat class of vehicles in terms of causing damage. Today, 51 varieties of these combat vehicles are available for study and play in World of Tanks, although they have the same application, but given the different characteristics, specificity of designs and the general use of self-propelled guns in battle, each vehicle is unique and interesting in its own way. It is after this that many players run into a problem that does not allow them to completely determine exactly what best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks?

It’s impossible to answer this question right away; the game is too technologically advanced and has great amount a variety of nuances that do not allow any technique to be the real “god” of randomness. But, if you look in detail at the characteristics of these vehicles and listen to the opinions of the players, you can absolutely accurately determine the best self-propelled gun for yourself personally.

The best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks

So, let's start with the fact that the game has a self-propelled gun unit for the nations: USSR, USA, Germany, France and Great Britain. Each nation has its own amount of this equipment and its own interesting moments.

The USSR's artillery is nimble, accurate and dynamic, it allows you to quickly react to the situation in battle, quickly change positions, but at the same time it causes little damage and fires rather inaccurately. What’s most interesting is that this nation has very little splash from projectiles, so enemies behind cover are practically out of reach.

In the US, it’s the other way around: artillery is slow, reloads slowly, and has accuracy errors, but American guns have the highest splash from shells, which allows them to inflict colossal damage on enemies, even those standing behind cover.

Regarding Germany, everything is much more interesting. This nation has the largest number preferred combat models (Hummel, GW Panther, GW Tiger, GWE 100), which are the favorites of the players, but because of pure fun. Regarding their performance, the Germans do not have increased damage, speed and reload, but they have the most accurate guns, which allow them to almost always shoot at enemies without missing a beat.

Now let's turn our attention to the French, who are real innovators in tank building. They were able to achieve good success among all classes that can be found in the game, and self-propelled guns are no exception. Their artillery is nimble, reloads quickly, and the top representative generally has a shell loading drum, which allows you to fire up to 3 shells in a short period of time. This is simply a colossal achievement and in the right hands can be a very dangerous weapon. But they also have one very sensitive drawback: due to their small dimensions, the equipment does not allow it to accommodate sufficient ammunition, so sometimes it is very lacking.

Great Britain turned out to be a little more modest and in its ranks of weapons it has artillery that is well armored and can sometimes absorb the wave from a high-explosive explosion of enemy shells. In addition, these self-propelled guns have the best vertical aiming of the gun, which allows you to throw shells behind cover where enemies are hiding; this unique feature allows these tanks to stay afloat among other competitors.

Of course, there are also China and Japan in the game, but their self-propelled guns have not yet been implemented, but there is a lot of information. Which allows you to understand that the technique will be very interesting and quite promising for the game.

Thus, we have briefly examined the main interesting points of self-propelled guns by nation, absolutely all combat models of a particular nation are subject to the characteristics described above, and even studying the skills of the crew and modules do not allow us to replace the negative aspects, which sometimes greatly interfere with normal play. But even in such a situation, it is very difficult to answer the question “the best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks.”

But don’t panic and completely give up the idea of ​​leveling up this class of game, if there is no way to determine the best technique in the game, then there can be only one conclusion - choose for yourself the technique that is perfect for your playing style. We all play differently, so it's very easy to determine what kind of tank we should be able to play on. Yes. This path is the most difficult and long, but it is the one that will allow you to choose equipment for both the fan and the bend, and in general you will be able to determine all your requirements. Once again, it is worth mentioning that, despite the same gameplay on this technique, it is unique and always behaves differently, depending on your gaming skills.

Which self-propelled gun is better to download?

But, despite this, we recommend that you start studying artillery in parallel mode, that is, set a goal for yourself and play each nation in parallel. It is this method that will allow you to go through all the levels of technology, find out personal feelings, weigh the effectiveness and personal observations, only after that begin to discard tank models that are not suitable for you and do this until there is only one self-propelled gun left, which will be for you. you are the best.

We hope that our information will help you find the answer to the most popular question, “the best self-propelled gun in World of Tanks.” This method is the most effective of all existing ones. Wargaming managed to create a game that has excellent balance and there are no best or worst tanks in this game, there are simply impressions that govern our opinions. Otherwise, each technique has its own weight, power and combat effectiveness, you just need to find your own approach to it. There was a site with you website!

The stopwatch fell silent, and three dozen engines, roaring in unison, threw the steel fighters towards each other. Light, weakly armored, but fast and nimble tanks will go first. Steel wedges of heavily armored monsters, accompanied by mobile medium tanks, will move across the terrain they have explored. Thick armor, killer weapons, onslaught, maneuver! Strength and power! But the real “gods of war” look at what is happening from afar, from closed positions in the rear - these are the artillerymen. A battery of two or three self-propelled guns is capable of turning the tide of a battle and turning a seeming defeat into an unconditional victory, immobilizing and destroying particularly dangerous opponents with “fire from heaven,” covering the advance or withdrawal of allied forces.

But self-propelled guns are not an absolute weapon. They have disadvantages that the artilleryman must always know and remember. Their power must be used correctly so that the “superweapon” does not turn into a pile of burning rubble.

Death from on high

My eyes widen: who should I treat with a shell?

Self-propelled guns are not just another machine of war. This is also a completely different style of combat and game thinking. After all, observing the battle from a bird's eye view gives the artillery a serious advantage! If you remember to turn the mouse wheel, you can aim directly at the grille of the engine compartment of a heavy tank or, conversely, move away and look around the entire battlefield.

Due to this, self-propelled guns make excellent fire spotters - it’s just a pity that few people think about this in the battles of random teams. Be that as it may, the gunner must keep one eye on the sight and the other on the mini-map. And if red dots suddenly appear on it where no one expected them, signal this to the rest of the team, maybe someone will respond.

The second advantage of viewing from a height is that, even without seeing the enemy, you see the results of his activities: falling trees, breaking fences, shot tracers. It can be expensive to shoot based on the first two signs, but it is quite possible to roughly understand where to expect a threat from.

It is important: the tree falls in the same direction as the tank that knocked it down.

But it’s worth talking about shooting at tracers in particular. A lot of copies have already been broken about this on the forum and in the game chat. Who proves that this is the direct responsibility of artillery, who calls firing “blindly” a waste of shells... There is some truth in the words of both the first and the second. The question is, can you afford to waste two or three shells? If for long-range and fast-firing self-propelled guns like Wespe or Grille the answer is most likely “yes,” then for slow monsters (SU-14) or those with little ammunition (SU-5) it’s definitely “no.” Also, remember that while you are tracking the location of enemy artillery, firstly, you are not firing, leaving your allies without support, and secondly, the enemies are still firing! After all, every tracer, even if you spotted the enemy using it, is possibly a destroyed tank of your team.

"Grill" crawled behind a bush. "Grill" is ready for battle!

Large and slow HF are my favorite
May be the target of gunners of all levels.

So whether to shoot or not is your choice. Knowing how to “catch tracks” is certainly necessary, and it’s simply interesting, but you shouldn’t get too carried away with it. For example, you can spy on an enemy base at the beginning of a battle if a suicide scout in a light tank rushes there immediately after the start. Very often, enemy artillerymen cannot stand it and try to destroy it, without relying on the help of the team. This is where you need to catch them. And when the reconnaissance is over, you can switch to supporting your allies.

And finally: remember that tracers are left not only by artillery shots, but by all shots in general. And the route is more noticeable, the larger the caliber of the gun. “Tank destroyers” and heavy tanks are identified by tracers no worse than self-propelled guns - and the former, moreover, rarely change position after firing.

Blending in with our surroundings

The price for firepower for self-propelled guns was light armor and low mobility. In other MMOs, characters with high damage and low defense are called "glass cannon" - and here this term is more appropriate than anywhere else. In addition, do not forget that self-propelled guns are a priority target for the enemy. Sometimes, when choosing between a self-propelled gun and a heavy tank, it is definitely more profitable to destroy the self-propelled gun, which is potentially more dangerous due to its firing range.

The SU-26 hoped to sit out in the thickets. But we're on top
everything is visible...

So the first skill an artilleryman needs is camouflage. And we’re not talking about the skill of the crew - until it appears, you’ll have to get out on your own.

You can often see a self-propelled gun trying to climb into a small bush sticking out in the middle of an “open field”. If this is done by a colossus like the SU-8, then such a “camouflage” does not cause anything but laughter - it’s better to stand where you are than like this. Because any intelligence officer, if he has not just sat down at the controls of a light tank, knows that self-propelled guns need to be looked for in the bushes. The same can be said about artillerymen tracking down the enemy using a tracer: first of all, attention is concentrated on lonely bushes, where it seems so easy and good to hide!

In addition, remember that if part of the self-propelled gun sticks out outside the bush, you can assume that you are not covered at all on that side.

As a result, if you don’t fit entirely, you need to stand behind a bush rather than try to climb into it. But if you have something small (SU-18, Bison), you can fit it entirely in the bush.

Remember that any rotation of the hull completely destroys the camouflage, and all self-propelled guns, except for the SU-26, are aimed horizontally by turning the hull. So, it’s worth repeating once again, constantly look at the mini-map - and if an enemy is approaching you, and you are sure that you are well camouflaged, do not move around.

You also need to keep an eye on the mini-map because in “howitzer mode”, when viewed from above, you risk finding out that they are shooting at you only when you die. You won’t notice any explosion in the neighborhood, or even a direct hit.

Duel of wills: artilleryman versus tankman face to face.

A rare shot: sometimes artillerymen come together in close combat.

On a note: The camouflage network module will reduce the visibility of your self-propelled gun by 25% while it is not moving. Definitely buy it.

If red dots light up dangerously close to you - the enemy has broken through the defenses - then the main advice is: do not panic! Many artillerymen paid the price when they tried to escape from a light tank and turned their “back” to it. But that’s all the enemy needs! There will be more chances if you try to remain “facing” the enemy - and hit him with direct fire. After all, many self-propelled guns successfully fire without “satellite guidance,” the German Hummel is especially famous for this. Sometimes a paradoxical maneuver can work: not increase, but, on the contrary, reduce the distance to the enemy. For example, on Grille it is quite possible to “whirl” a KV or Hetzer. Naturally, if they “come to visit” you, you cannot do without a fair amount of luck, but where is it easy without it?

Artillery Park

Artillerymen today are represented by almost a dozen vehicles that differ from each other technical characteristics and serve for various purposes. What to choose? Let's take a closer look at each of the cars.

SU-18

The SU-18, developed in 1930, opens the line of Soviet self-propelled artillery. Because of its characteristic silhouette, players call it a “duck.” This duck is a very formidable machine in its " weight category", and it's not just about the 76 mm howitzer! The small, birdhouse-like self-propelled gun is well armored - many light tanks of levels 2-3 will be thinner, not to mention self-propelled guns of levels 3-4. Armor allows a novice artilleryman to get comfortable and not be particularly afraid of an enemy suddenly breaking through to a position. There is no particular place to develop it, and there is no need, because the next self-propelled gun in the line is much more interesting.

SU-26

SU-26 is a unique machine. The only self-propelled gun in the game that has a rotating “turret,” even if it’s open. This allows the fire to be moved from place to place with much less loss of accuracy. Acting in harmony, several of these vehicles can literally paralyze an enemy offensive. Despite the relatively small damage and penetrating power of 76- and 122-mm howitzers, the tracks are perfectly knocked down by high-explosive fragmentation shells. And if there is someone to “illuminate” the target and cover it from enemy light tanks, such a baby will spoil the enemy’s blood considerably, and will steadily bring rewards to the owner for supporting his allies.

The weakness of the SU-26 is its thin armor - 15 millimeters can be penetrated by anything. Therefore, if you leave it for a long time, anti-fragmentation lining will be very useful.

SU-5

When all the tankers in the team die, artillery has to go up to attack. And she is capable of this.

If the player's precision strikes are not satisfactory, then the first self-propelled gun capable of causing truly serious damage will be the SU-5 model 1934. Alas, those accustomed to the SU-26 “turret” and fine shooting are initially disappointed by the need to turn the entire body when aiming. At the same time, accuracy and rate of fire drop significantly, and it will no longer be possible to effectively throw shells at the enemy. You have to focus on one target and carefully hit vulnerable spots. The SU-5 is the first self-propelled gun in the Soviet line, with which one begins to learn patience, perseverance and a sense of trajectory. But for the decent penetration power and damage of a 152 mm mortar, this vehicle can be forgiven a lot. The ability of a level 4 self-propelled gun to inflict significant damage on almost any tank is worth a lot. Even if it doesn’t penetrate some Maus, it will tear the caterpillar. Or it will damage the equipment, injure the crew, or simply make them angry, in the end.

All the above-mentioned advantages of the 152-mm mortar are balanced by one, but significant drawback: ammunition. Armed with this weapon, the SU-5 can only carry fourteen shells, and the phrase in combat chat: “I’m empty, I’m going to shine” is the norm. It hardly makes sense to keep this car if the next one has been studied, but since such a whim comes to mind, then anti-fragmentation lining will not be superfluous. If there is light, then shine a little longer.

SU-8

So the SU-5 was left behind. If you have not yet lost interest in artillery, then welcome to the high-power club. If the SU-26 and SU-5 can be called auxiliary artillery, then this self-propelled gun can already lay claim to the role of “lethal force.” And especially when a 152-mm howitzer is installed, the crew is fully trained and additional modules are purchased. After all, there is no tank that this self-propelled gun could not penetrate and destroy with a few hits! Unless mastodons like Maus or VK4502(P) are able to stand under its fire for some time, sadly watching how one device after another breaks down.

This is not a tugboat. It’s just that one SU-14 prefers to get to the position as quickly as possible, and the second one backs away in order to open fire at any moment.
new goals.

You have to pay for the severity of the damage caused by a very noticeable path that the projectile draws. An SU-8 that does not change position after being fired is guaranteed to become a victim of another self-propelled gun. So, such qualities as the speed of sighting and gun reloading are vital for this vehicle. And purchasing such expensive modules as a reinforced aiming drive and a howitzer rammer is not at all a luxury. More like a necessity. But you can think about the third cell. Firstly, the SU-8, unlike its younger brothers, is a large lady, and not every bush can camouflage it. A camouflage net will be very useful. Sometimes an extra second of invisibility decides the outcome of a collision with a light or medium tank that has rushed into a position. And don’t forget about enemy artillery.

But this is until the crew, in full or in part, develops additional camouflage skills. Then it will make sense to change the camouflage network to something else. First of all, it is anti-fragmentation lining. Artillerymen really don’t like enemy “colleagues” and if they notice where someone else’s shell came from, they will certainly send their own in response. And there is little joy from a landmine that fell nearby. In addition, undercutting increases the chances of survival if, on a city map like Himmelsdorf, the artilleryman gives up on the instructions and goes into the city pretending to be a tank destroyer and hitting the enemy with direct fire.

The remaining modules do not make such an impression. An artilleryman rarely needs direct visibility, and the speed of repairs... If an artilleryman needs to be repaired, this means that either he will be finished off now, or he will still have time to get repaired while the gun is being reloaded.

SU-14 and S-51

The remaining two models in the Soviet artillery line must be considered together. These are heavyweights that have no analogues among the Germans - the SU-14, nicknamed the “refrigerator” by tank crews for appearance and driving performance, and the S-51, popularly called “Buratino” for its long upturned nose. They are related by the B-4 203 mm caliber gun, which has no equal in power. A high-explosive fragmentation shell from this cannon deals an average of 1850 points of damage - exactly the same as the health of the German VK4502(P) heavy tank. And the strength of the Soviet IS-4 heavy tank is 1590 units. Naturally, with such power, they are respected by their own and hated by their enemies. But with differences it is more difficult.

Heavy artillery has two sore spots: speed of movement and reloading of the gun. The first callus hurts much more on the SU-14. This car is more than 10 tons heavier than its brother and, accordingly, drives, accelerates and turns slower. Surprisingly, the closed SU-14 is also worse armored. All this reduces the refrigerator’s chances of survival if the team cannot protect it from enemy scouts. The discovered SU-14 does not live long: if it is not the reconnaissance officer who happily shoots it, then it will no less joyfully “cover” the enemy artilleryman with a shell.

But with the rate of fire the opposite is true. The bulky SU-14 does not have time to reload much, but is still faster than the S-51.

Both self-propelled guns are in vital need of accelerated training of loaders, as well as the installation of howitzer rammers and enhanced aiming drives. Otherwise, shooting less than twice a minute will not bring any joy. The installation of a camouflage net also remains relevant, which can later, if desired, be replaced with improved third-class ventilation (+5% to the skills of all crew members - no joke) or anti-fragmentation lining. When fully equipped and with a trained crew, the heavy self-propelled gun becomes noticeably faster and turns into a truly terrifying force.

Sturmpanzer I and II

Players who prefer German technology have three ways to get to self-propelled artillery.

First: immediately after the “small tractor”, transfer to the Sturmpanzer I “Bison”. And although this is the simplest path in appearance, the sensations from it may be unexpected. Second-level self-propelled guns are immediately sent into battle alongside “big and scary” tanks. It would seem, what should he do there?

And the answer is simple: both “Stormpanzers” have the same weapon. And moreover, it won’t be possible to replace it with something more powerful until Grille - but even on it you will have to spend some time with the same 15 cm sIG33 L/11. The main difference between the first and second model Sturmpanzers is the armor and reload time. Naturally, Sturmpanzer II wins in both respects.

High shooting accuracy and damage comparable to that of the Soviet SU-5 (fourth level self-propelled guns) make “storm panzers” a serious threat to any medium tanks.

Wespe

The second path for a German artilleryman is to switch from PzKpfw II to Wespe. The Wasp has a couple of advantages over its peers: power and range. This is the only tier 3 vehicle that can reach from one edge of the map to the other. Her favorite targets are heavy tanks, but it’s a pity that she rarely encounters them. The third level, and poor Wespe has to hunt nimble light tanks... And this is not easy to do on it: the accuracy is worse than that of the Sturmpanzer, and the guidance is slow. Wide horizontal aiming angles brighten up the picture a little, so you can “lead” the enemy for some time, say, trying to shoot with anticipation. But all the same, it is more convenient for the wasp to be a thunderstorm for heavy tanks - the damage allows it - than to shoot down BTs and Leopards on the fly.

Grille

Both paths intersect at one point: Grille. Its initial weapon is the same as that of the Sturmpanzers, but it can (and definitely should) be replaced with an improved 15 cm sFH13 L/17. Damage more than doubles and range (finally!) matches Wespe. And at this level you can already take on the destruction of really serious equipment. With a lot of luck, and this happens more often than it might seem, Grille can destroy an unwary KV with one shot.

After improving the engine and chassis, the Kuznechik gains another advantage over its Soviet counterparts - speed. You can’t escape from a light tank, of course, but you can already “twist” a heavy tank or tank destroyer that has broken through to a self-propelled gun.

Hummel

And finally, the third way. He is (for now) the pinnacle of development of German artillery. The Hummel self-propelled gun is a serious competitor to the Soviet SU-14 and S-51 in the fight for the title of “best artillery” in the game. You can “open” it by gaining enough experience on the Grille or on the PzKpfw IV, and the path “through the tank” is more difficult - you need more experience. In addition, the Hummel is not exactly the vehicle you should start with when learning to become a gunner. Already on the "Grasshopper" there is a danger of remaining at a loss on loans if you do not shoot very effectively. And about the “Bumblebee” with an improved gun they say that it is more profitable to die on it without firing at all than to play effectively and spend money on replenishing ammunition. The solution is simple - do not install the second of the possible weapons, except in special, very important cases. For normal battles, the initial cannon will be enough for you.

With the upgraded cannon, the Hummel does less damage per shot than the SU-14, but fires much more often, and the damage per second is about the same. Naturally, sometimes it is preferable to “treat” the enemy with a more powerful “gift” rather than hitting him little by little but often. But on the other hand, Hummel can afford to finish off an already half-dead enemy or shoot at medium tanks - in such situations, the damage lost in vain will be much less than that of a “refrigerator” or “Pinocchio”.

And last but not least, Hummel is famous for its speed. This property, unusual for self-propelled guns, baffled many armored vehicle drivers who were counting on easy prey. And the “prey,” instead of slowly crawling away, suddenly took off and drove away at the speed of a good medium tank...