Complete Tank Nations Guide For Every Nation - Which Nation Should You Choose? (War Thunder)

I go over every single nation in War Thunder to date and give a complete and comprehensive guide for all things ground forces, including going over gameplay style, each nations' strengths and weaknesses, SPAA, who should play which nation, which nations are most beginner friendly, and more.
I spent nearly two full months working on this video and likely over 80+ hours between gathering gameplay, writing script, editing, rendering, and fixing the audio (although there is one unavoidable audio "glitch" at just over one minute into this video - sorry!). This video is, thus far, my magnum opus - my masterpiece. I made sure to cover everything as much as possible, to the point where it went from an original expected length of 25 minutes to nearly 50 minutes. I learned new editing tricks, had to change the audio last second due to massive echo in the original recordings (let me know if it's mostly fixed!), and now have software to make my videos better from here on out. This video was very much a living project as I was creating it, with new ideas, techniques, and concepts being implemented both retroactively into the video and throughout the regular creation of it.
Either way, I hope you can appreciate this video and, even if it isn't exactly what you want, I sincerely hope that I was able to assist you in learning about the ground forces in War Thunder.
Please, if you like this video or want more quality content, consider subscribing, as that would mean the world to me and is the ultimate gesture of support for my channel.
Thank you.
Join the Discord: / discord
0:00 - Intro
0:23 - Overview
1:51 - USA
7:43 - Germany
13:45 - Russia
19:05 - Great Britain
24:45 - Japan
28:32 - China
31:38 - Italy
35:05 - France
40:27 - Sweden
44:48 - SPAA
47:30 - Ending
(Also, Germany is a 9.5-10.0 for beginner friendliness, and their notable tanks are the tanks mentioned in the video plus Panthers, Tigers, Panzers, and Leopards, though this basically covers most of their tank tree.)
My Twitch Channel: / tankensteinyt
War Thunder Explained Playlist (Over 35 Videos Going Over Everything War Thunder!): • War Thunder Explained
#warthunder #guide #tanks #groundforces

[@nicolasheung441]

Started with the Soviets years ago. The shells are not the most penetrating, and it certainly takes time to learn weak spots once you start fighting tigers and panthers. However, if you managed to penetrate, you can hear the Soviet anthem playing as the enemy explodes with one shot.

[@finnishboo4192]

Yup is2 is so fun

[@craigthegymrat]

Yeah you basically have to shoot first when you encounter tiger or panther but ive learned the panthers front turret is weak and the hatch on top and thd tiger the sides of the front plate and ive noticed heavy soviet bias

[@legacyghost8680]

I did the same thing and feel your pain 😂

[@ussenterprisecv6805]

@@craigthegymrat yeah soviet bias is way to real I shouldn't punch holes in the fronts of panthers with apds 17 pounders and then ricochet of the side of a kv1 or t34 but it happens

[@craigthegymrat]

@@ussenterprisecv6805 wait till you find out that you can't penetrate the panthers side panels

[@rupertmurdock6783]

Fun Fact: Why doesn't Churchill tanks drive faster because the tank was created to support infantry in attacking enemy lines. When someone starts shooting at you, they tend to unknowingly add gas. Therefore, the speed of the tank was deliberately limited so as not to leave the unprotected infantry behind.

[@InoriVoid]

thats actually really smart to combat human nature.

[@ZETH_27]

@@InoriVoid The Churchill's Speed Govourner (same as for a lot of other British vehicles) could be removed, decreasing reliability to T-34 levels, but giving the vehicles a significant speed boost, like getting the Crusaders to 50km/h reliably or making the Cromwells even more speedy.

[@InoriVoid]

@@ZETH_27 "decreasing reliability to T-34" yeah I wouldn't

[@ZETH_27]

@@InoriVoid They did it on the field, so the speed must have been considered a significant enough merit.

[@DagwoodWhite27toDylan]

Exactly! Because it was also mounted with a low velocity barrel just like the Stug that also support infantry

[@SaitoTsukuyomi]

As a Japanese Soldier I grinded Japan as my First Nation and the day the Type10 came out I had it

[@dreamy817]

I was in the Air force And Instantly grinded for the F-4 Phantom And typ-10

[@Kghost0311]

Much respect fellow warrior

[@UselessBunny]

Oh poor you what pain you must have felt grinding Japan as your first nation learning the basics with every tank at reserve or 1.0 having about 40mm Pen with APHE that has less filler then a fire cracker.

[@ItachiUchiha-69]

@@UselessBunny it doesn’t take very long to get to 3.3 and Japan is really good at that BR with tank destroyers. Also the best turn fighters in the game are all Japanese.

[@UselessBunny]

@@ItachiUchiha-69 Doesn't take very long? In Order to research something you need points you know what is really hard as a new player starting with 34mm of penetration and no game sense? Right making points so it is first of all frustraiting and can take longer then your average new nation grind. Also since there are always a lot of good Players bulling in low tier with bushes spammed all over their tank you won't even face enemies with similar skill most of the time. Also there is only one tank destroyer at BR 3.3 which is a pain in the ass to play like every other open Top Vehicle in the game with the current situation of CAS being way to strong and AA being very useless you are lucky even making one or two kills before getting killed by a plane. What i mean with CAS being way to strong and AA being way to weak is mainly that it takes way more skill to be effective as an AA compared to CAS which then also makes less people play AA in the first place.

[@krriiah]

This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for, thanks a lot!

[@Saint-Sadistic666]

Actually me too U don't see soming like this often to at all But I think German low tier tanks have kinda succy armour tonks

[@Zach.3246]

@@rykereddie6029 Ok bot

[@Zach.3246]

@@jacobylorenzo1359 oh look, another bot

[@ayup3907]

Would you look at that, the bots are gone! But yeah the vids pretty epic

[@the_jingo]

You mean “tanks a lot”?

[@SilentButDudley]

I would recommend USSR or US trees for beginners. Many rush to the German trees for the good guns and thicker armor, but don’t realize how important angling is for most of the German tree. Not to mention many newer players don’t know exact weak points on many of the USSR IS tanks or the Jumbos.

[@creforce]

I don't think many new players are willing to stay because of the seal clubbing going on. gaijin are russians. to much vodka no brain to show for it..

[@DIY_Miracle]

US is good for people learning early on but the late war stuff is an absolute pain

[@kingghidorah5213]

@@DIY_Miracle yeah shermans suck

[@ivancarmo878]

Mfs go for german tanks because muuh Tiger.

[@waffle3632]

Yeah the Germans have thicker armor but has a lot of flat armor plates making angling harder. That being said once you get around the panzer 4 you have so many plates that it doesn't matter but on early tiers you will get tons of pens through those flat plates.

[@watch-box]

Many thanks for putting this together, I can see how much time this must have taken. Really enforced what I already knew about the strengths and weaknesses of each nation, I will recommend anyone new to war thunder watches this before playing ground RB. Looking forward to your next video.

[@Tankenstein]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@tunkhine3987]

The 1st Bomber in the French tech tree is extremely good for air realistic battles Because you don’t really need to land since you got 52 50 pound bombs And 5 and 6 of them can kill a base and you can use the rest of the bombs to end the airfield

[@nieznajomy7]

50 kg bombs*

[@theidiotictroublemaker2281]

They got nerfed!

[@antonberglund117]

​@@theidiotictroublemaker2281 How badly?😅

[@theidiotictroublemaker2281]

@@antonberglund117 before the Nerf U need about 6 bombs per base now u need 18 bombs and u get killed by la 5s or bf 109s

[@antonberglund117]

@@theidiotictroublemaker2281 Oh, okay, I see. Thank you for the information. (I am currently going for a bombing round in my Fw 200 C-1 hahahah🤣🤣😂😂) (2023-04-16 01:26) Update: Never got the chance to drop any bombs, got shot down by a DB-7. But my gunner apprerently could give him substantial damage, so much that I got credited for his death #PayBack) (2023-04-16 01:33)

[@sirPUNKsir]

Hey Tankenstein! I like the work you put into these vids but there is one thing that distracts me (for my sins I'm an audio engineer!) I do have some suggestions for solutions that should help make your voice a little more direct. if you are using a mic that sits on a desktop then perhaps you could use a cardboard box to sit it in. (the top can be open) cut out one side and have that facing you. drape towels or some sound absorbent material inside of the box then drape one over the top. sit the mic inside the box. Possibly a towel or blanket should be hung behind you to stop more reflections and you should be good to go! Obviously I wouldn't want it to get in the way of your workspace but it should help a lot to get a better voice-over sound on these vids as long as you are close enough to not be getting too much reflection from your room ;)

[@Tankenstein]

That's a wonderful idea! I've actually been thinking about buying soundproofing for the room in which I record audio, but this makes a ton more sense. I've been able to post-process some of the worst echoes out, but they're still present big time. This advice will help out big time!! I'll try it out possibly with my next video if I get the chance. Thank you!!!

[@sirPUNKsir]

@@Tankenstein No problem! hope it works! in any case let me know how it goes and if there's anything else I can think of I'll let you know.

[@vizender]

I’m actually surprised you find French tanks inaccurate. I personally really enjoy to play them in long range engagement. Also, a enormous downside of the nation you’ve not talked about is the lack of early stabilization from 8.0 to 9.0 (except for the premium amx30)

[@masterPnut1]

I actually that I have an issue with the tech tree at around the 6.7 to 7.7 BR. All are great tanks that can easily deal with the enemy but the repair costs are so ridiculous it makes that BR nearly impossible to play and profit. I've found to make a profit using the AMX-50, 40t and AML-90 being in a match together I'd have to do very well and win the match to turn a profit. I'm curious to see if anyone else is having this issue.

[@vizender]

@@masterPnut1 yeah it’s the grind wall you face at 7.7-8.0 in France. You should research the AMX10RC and Sk105, those are the best to grind the br. 10RC is easier because you don’t get uptiered to 9.3 premiums

[@masterPnut1]

@@vizender aight cool ill give it a shot

[@botiignacz2916]

I never really had any problems using the AMX-30 variants and the amx-10rc... they may not have stabilizer, but France is one of the only nations who gets thermals in that br range, and also apfsds... i never really minded the lack of stabilizers, mainly cus i never really been playing with a lot of stabilized tanks... this is just something you gotta get used to if you are playing France!

[@vizender]

@@botiignacz2916 Oh i’m not saying they are bad. The AMX10RC is one of my favorite. I am just saying, that, factually, the French tree is the last one to have stabilizer, just like the Russian have thermal really late. That does not mean the Russian tree is not my second favorite (with the chinease tree). And that is especially sad considering the French have many interesting vehicles and prototypes that could bring stabs at those BRs, just like the Russian received light tank equipped with thermals at lower tiers (BMP2M being the most obvious one)

[@Christian-zj2us]

I’ve played some of every nation, but only Japan I’ve gotten to top tier. It was challenging and sometimes fun, but now that I’m at the top it’s great. A lot of people will try to rush out with top tier tanks, but Japan excels in an ambush tactic. I’ve destroyed countless tanks easily that should have posed a challenge. The beginning of their tree is more figuring out what works for you, but later on I do suggest trying to do more ambush tactics.

[@rarefishenjoyer]

Fr not many tech trees play the same you just gotta use the tanks in different ways

[@bricklingtonlego]

I have also played every tech tree, only ever reached near top tier with Britain and Israel

[@Armithiel]

Holy cow! Thanks for all you work my friend! Keep going!

[@sovietonion9542]

i started with america a few years ago and then i kinda got stuck halfway through, switched over to germany and i noticed i was doing so much better, later i bought the tiger 2 sla.16 because i needed some help but still, i felt that america was really tough, due to the peashooter guns on the heavies. i loved germany so much.

[@xt2reme52]

For russia you forgot poor gun depression, and very limited reverse driving, making it more difficult to play in some areas. The lack of reverse also means that turning on the spot is difficult as well

[@martonbalogh6021]

yeah the poor gun depression is annoying

[@ACP_1123]

Russia in the battle of El Alamein maps is anything but a pleasant experience at any BR I’ve experienced so far. So many fucking sand dunes with Americans and Germans looking over them

[@caesarsspirit]

It somewhat changes if you are using Turbine Engined tanks. T64s, T80s etc.

[@shifty198885]

I learned why IRL the Russian tanks don't have depression. The cannon breach when the barrel points down hits the top of the turret.... Rather than fix that issue they just limited how far down they can point so the breach doesn't hit the top of the turret. I find the KV series of tanks have an amazing Reverse the KV1s goes 11MPH in reverse and gets there fast.

[@philipped.r.6385]

I'm a Soviet main and this makes playing maps such as Caparthians and Ash River a real nightmare. You're kind of limited to fighting in the valleys because of that. The Russian bias bs is really a meme nowadays and not an accurate description of actual gameplay.

[@mateuszsuchenek5128]

It's fun to watch your older videos (2-3 years ago). It shows how you grown as a KZbinr, quality of your videos etc. Besides many changes and additions in the game still valid guides!

[@robertwatson1985]

Thanks so much just started playing two weeks ago coming over from WOT really enjoying it but lots to learn. Sub

[@soto1649]

Cheer

[@brokenchurch7037]

The most important thing to learn is how to have fun.

[@jackmuehlheuser5789]

Coming from world of tanks you probably understand things like angleing and weak spots. But you should learn how to fly planes for CAS or air supremacy because a good pilot can win the game

[@OuterHeaven210]

Welcome to hell

[@OuterHeaven210]

@@jackmuehlheuser5789 yeah but knowing when to hop into a plane is also important

[@CharliMorganMusic]

Okay, this is the video that convinced me to subscribe. There's not much else on KZbin like it. Keep it up.

[@paulwalpole6103]

Awesome. I had been grinding GB tanks and love the AA. You have shone a light on many other nations and I can't wait to grind some more.

[@FelixGryph]

I find that while tricky, if you get good with the aim on the Swedish Bofors, their AA capability is insane. A single hit will almost certainly knock whatever you're shooting at out of the sky. Getting good at leading planes takes a lot of practice though.

[@jogrin]

Glad to see a new post Tankenstein!

[@axladas_gamezoned8693]

This took a long time to make but saving lots of people a lot of time...subbed good job :)

[@ccnoppystudio]

Thank for making this.i am looking for this for a while.nice vid

[@de_baard_van_Bart]

Started with the British ground forces years ago, haven't actively played any other tech tree since then. Currently at rank V, still proud of it.

[@UnknownArt_K]

You should try other nations it could be fun for you.

[@masonharkness6437]

A bit late to the party just started playing this not even a week ago but your content has been really helpful for a new player like myself 👍

[@JoeScylla]

Also minus of the russian tank tree: often bad gun depression.

[@semnome6589]

@LEOW SI RUI like?????

[@GHOST_CROATIA]

@@semnome6589 Tiger 2 has good depression in uptiers

[@semnome6589]

@@GHOST_CROATIA we're talking about russian vehicles kiddo

[@GHOST_CROATIA]

@@semnome6589 I was referring to the mental depression, kiddo

[@toxic-f14_jollyroger99]

Ok KIDDOS

[@ThommyofThenn]

Another CRITICAL aspect you should have mentioned of British tanks, is the lack of reverse speed. You have to think of where you're driving because once you commit to going to a location, you're not leaving quickly unless you dash forward and then turn around in a wide arc, totally exposed to angry return fire. I find it best to stay back with UK tanks. Use those solid shots to knock out their modules while your explosive shell friends finish them off. That said, the armoured cars and American light tanks in their tree have great reverse speed

[@hehning8678]

So underated dude, i subscribed!

[@JKraft-qd1uf]

great video exactly what I needed. did hit the button for that. greets

[@clintonjfox]

Thanks for the thorough analysis, definitely helps.

[@Michael-fz7ci]

Great video man this really help me and others

[@davidrueth5894]

Gut Gemacht! Good Job!!

[@cheeseofpasswall]

Very useful video. Good work! :)

[@callsignzero7162]

I started with Japan on PC and It's have to say It's agonizing. Anything with a gun over 50mm will 1tap you. Now I'm a 5.7 and It's starting to get better, but It's still pretty difficult. For anyone who wants to start with Japan, you really gotta your entire weak spots and stay extremely vigilant, because a shell that's hits you anywhere will kill you 90% of the time.

[@aryawirayudha]

how long did it take you to reach br 5.7?

[@callsignzero7162]

@@aryawirayudha about a month

[@aryawirayudha]

@@callsignzero7162 without premium account/tank? I've only been playing in Japan for a week and have just reached tier 3 with chi-nu 2

[@callsignzero7162]

Most of the time I didn't.

[@killerbug05]

When I started playing at tier 1 I seen so many Japan tanks and they would regularly destroy me...then I got to tier 2&3 and I'm looking around like "wait whered all the Japan players go?" And then I tried out Japan and realized exactly where they went, to play different games 💀

[@acrazedtanker1550]

You are awesome sir, thank you. I liked and subbed as well.

[@proudpatriot3491]

I'm with you brother, I played Germany first because of the iconic tanks of WW2

[@engi6297]

Me too but it is shit now I play Soviets which are great

[@engi6297]

@Daniel Walder germans

[@engi6297]

@Daniel Walder Low armor until 3-4 tiers, slow tanks even the light tanks, low armor in the front definetly needing one shot to die, good cannons

[@engi6297]

It is definetly not a nation to start the game with

[@engi6297]

When I saw a Sherman or a T-xx series Soviet tank I knew that I would die

[@masonpierce9882]

Amazing video

[@stephenwatson2806]

Great video!!!! ;)

[@projectnightingale6595]

In my opinion, Chinese is more beginner Friendly then Germany till early high tier. You just got the best from both, us and soviet + best CAS from us and strong planes anyway. At the German tech tree where is to many tanks, beside of tiger or panther you need some skills to play with, otherwise you will get very fast frustrated. But in high tier, Germany will easy overpass the ctrl-c ctrl_v tree.

[@Blitzcreeper239]

Thing you missed about UK: I think their turret traverse just have a wide variation, most are average, the Cromwells have outstanding turret traverse while the Achilles has the slowest. I feel that all cruiser tanks tend to have the faster turret traverse, but the infantry tanks don't feel agonisingly slow like hand cranked tanks. Also, no mention of the Cromwell as "mainstay tanks" is pretty sad, I think the Cromwell chassis is quite iconic of mid-tier UK as is one of the universal weaknesses in the UK tech tree: the Cromwell chassis and infantry tanks as a whole have abysmal reverse speeds.

[@user-it2hc6bx5t]

Wait.... there's a reverse gear? I swear I felt like the crew were hand-pushing the tank back everytime I wanted to reverse xD.

[@robertclayton9356]

I've found the Cromwell's (and other tanks using it's chassis) to be painful to play at times. No penetrating explosive round at all for far to long, and US, German and Russian tanks can hit you anywhere and it's almost always an instant kill while you have to carefully place shots to do any damage to most Russian vehicles you'll come across before you get Sabot.

[@Blitzcreeper239]

@@robertclayton9356 Fair point, not the most beginner friendly tank. But I've personally learnt a lot from both shot placement and avoiding the mistake of over-extension playing British myself. Avengers, Comets and Challengers won't have the mobility of a regular Cromwell but that is still their defining trait: their acceleration and quick hull and turret traverse. Not everyone can use it to its full potential and that's completely fine.

[@flamah10n]

​@@Blitzcreeper239 yeah, these are my favourite tank from Britain, Comet, Charioteer, and the Avenger. and I often use the Daimler ac mk2 to get some GOD MODE XD or the Crusade mk 3 those are so fun!

[@simonmic6653]

Thank you for this video and the time you took to make it, it's been very helpful. I've only been playing the game itself a few days and started with aircraft (British) but will take a look at the overall top 3 you picked... For Tanks, i'm about to try them for the first time today hopefully. Subscribed!

[@mattdaly9997]

Fantastic video

[@thatoneguynextdoor8794]

Finally someone who notices how strong the Chinese tech tree is. Most people skip over it either because they don't like copy paste or because China bad (but then jump into their nazi German tank listening to Erika) but it's for the most part amazing.

[@bigmatthews666]

Stop saying it

[@mk6315]

Communist level cope

[@thatoneguynextdoor8794]

@@mk6315 huh?

[@mk6315]

@@thatoneguynextdoor8794 oh no nazis bad My chinesium tank numba one Piss off

[@thatoneguynextdoor8794]

@@mk6315 i only pointed out how some people act like they don't play China because China does bad things but that consideration goes out the window when it comes to nazi Germany. Which is something I've seen. Like, what are you even on about?

[@kaysonmaxwell7775]

This was amazing

[@ThommyofThenn]

Japan has some brutal tree gaps until you get to 4.7 at which point you can more aggressively snipe but still need to rely on overhead cover fairly expertly

[@spacejamsham2440]

Absolutely love playing all the Sherman variants, just a blast to play

[@ncpdswordshielddivision2240]

Ammo Rack Close To The Side: *Hey*

[@m982excalibur5]

america is pain when i cant pen anything

[@litschi5566]

I have to comment that the Swedish AA "ANTI-II" has very good anti tank capabilities since you researched the APHE rounds. Espacially German Tanks, most Shermans und sometimes even T-34's can get taken out very quickly. As comparisson: The pen of the APHE round is nearly the same as the APHE of the Italian P-40 which is a medium tank at roughy the same BR. Its Anti air role is... complicated. But if you play your enemies to go into a headon with you they will die to 100%. ^^

[@thor-loki-einherjar-lighth134]

I see a person of culture, I love to one shot ammo rack Tiger I with this spaa

[@ThommyofThenn]

It can be fun as a boomer zoomer with solid shot belts. Also very satisfying "soda can launcher" rate of fire. Kroosh kroosh kroosh!

[@doelbaughman1924]

Really helpful! Thanks!

[@getgaijoobed6219]

China 5.7 is a really good lineup for event grinding. M18 + 2 T-34-85s + IS-2 + Tu-2 + M36.

[@td9302]

Any good fighters?

[@Kentai_Shimakaze]

In-game i hate how overpowered that is, getting destroyed by their USA tanks when you play USA, their soviet tanks when you play USSR, their japanese tanks when you play as Japan. It always irritates me as it completely defeats the purpose of the tech trees

[@gabrielesiragusa3426]

I started out with Germany 6 months ago and got to 5.7. Got bored of their passive playstyle, then tried USSR, got to 6.3 and they are really good, but I wanted to try out something different. I then decided to give Italy a try and I absolutely love them, they're fast af with good cannons (love the Italian 90mm and the wheelie boys with heatfs), and if somebody sees u ur as good as dead as u got no armor whatsoever (wheelie boys can get 50 cal from the front). However, they're so goddam fun, just zipping around the map with great guns and if u have half a brain and don't participate in the front line fight, using your speed to flank, u'll have soooooo much fun. They also get complemented really well by imported American tanks with the tipo, chaffee, and the only tanky tank in the whole tech tree the upgunned pershing at 6.3 (love that thing). I have gotten to 7.7 and am still having so much fun with the r3 t106 and OF 40. At this point I'm probably going to get to top tier then trying out France next. PS get the panzer 4g if its in discount as it really completes the low tier lineup and helps quite a bit with grinding low to mid tier, especially since there is a hole between 4.7/5.0 and 6.3 and u'll want to grind through it as fast as possible

[@rivvabear9748]

I've had the most fun with Italy definitely I still consider myself a USSR main but Italy is extremely fun, went down it for the r3 ngl but I'm glad I did I'm at 7.3 with the up gunned m47, make a lineup of m47, r3, fiat and l3 to hold points and there you go

[@flamah10n]

AB 42, 43, Breda, Aubl, Fiat, Damn , those tanks made me love Italy, so mich fun, it is the funniest Nation to me in Tank RB

[@Ko_Kasumi]

Personally I used B5N2 as Cas at most brs, it is pretty useful having an 800kg bomb available at 1.7. Also I got the Ro Go and yeah total meme, fun but pretty bad unless you're fighting M2A2s

[@finnishboo4192]

I like the stuka because of its 1000kg bomb at 1.7

[@DatBoi_TheGudBIAS]

Not anymore useless

[@keenai5652]

This video is gold

[@krelekari]

the SAAB for the swedish air CAS is REALLY really fun and very effective with short bursts of its gunpods vs very armored targets

[@moonlightbliss4791]

Quick rundown on playing Britain from start to middle. 1-2 BR: pretty good. The 40mm I feel was easier to use especially compared to Germany. 3.0 3.3 3.7 BR: the 57mm is the way to go. The fast Cromwell with either gun is pretty good. Crusader Mk III was my favourite. Valentines are annoying to use, super slow and the 75mm version is pathetic. (Also have fun fighting the KV-1 spam) 4.0 4.7 BR: 17 pdr is a godsend. Germans/ Russians/ Americans will still drop you at range, but by now you’ll have the chance to pick people off from 800+. 5.3 5.7 6.0 BR: Honestly this is my favourite area for Britain. The Comet and Centurion are exactly what I was craving after playing through those slow pathetically armed tanks. Centurion especially, now surviving shots consistently. Sabot almost feels like a crutch at times making me feel cheap. Thats all I got.

[@ZETH_27]

The Valentine XI (75mm) - while having 20mm less pen - has far superior accuracy. You can sit with that thing and snipe enemies for days, and because of the great Bri'ish mantlet, you'll survive most incoming hits.

[@moonlightbliss4791]

@@ZETH_27 What's funny is the Valentines quickly became my new favorites. The 75mm offers a nice challenge and rewarding experience.

[@PC-coolant-pipe-sucker]

I love how he says "AAs, light vehicles and the R3" like r3 is something super special

[@Tankenstein]

At the time I made this video, it was a bit more of a threat. Now, it's a bit of a meme

[@goodboi101]

Thank you for the video

[@m3dus455]

wicked vid

[@tariq2865]

Thanks man u r a legend

[@CJ-111]

Good review

[@M3ntalVib3z]

Chose japan because I am fascinated by the zero, and wanted to use it. My current lineup is the m41 scout tank, a7m2, the 1.3 light bomber (for lols) and the Mitsubishi I-II. it works pretty well on longer range maps, especially when playing against the Americans and their endless CAS

[@LordJackass]

7:41 I can't _NOT_ think of steiner scout squad when I hear this amazing polka tune...

[@TheoHawk316]

Thanks so frickin' much!

[@skysamurai4649]

Ro-Go is a very fun tank. I really liked it

[@Don-fu2ib]

Woah, thanks a lot

[@TheSoulnex]

Great vid man. Will say the only thing that you didn't go over but its not a major thing is repair costs in silver lions. cause I want to play brits at the moment but in mid teirs i have to go back to my main three mainly russians to grind silver cause the repair costs in brits nearly send me broke. But otheriwse man great vid.

[@Boozsha_Bo_Bellys]

Great video. I think I will go with Murica first.

[@tokugawa33]

would love to have this for planes, keep it up

[@flurry7439]

Great Video!! :)

[@umkm2k]

I started with Japan. Made it to tier 2 and saw the destroyer with the crew sitting on top of the tank. Thank you for showing me things are better in other factions.

[@jimmyneutron5679]

Na-to? I have killed t-34 in close range slugging fests with that thing, or you mean the chi ha with the naval gun? That thing can kill about any tank from 1.0 up to top tier

[@solothurn20mm31]

@@jimmyneutron5679 Yeah if it doesn't have a slope or an angle.

[@jimmyneutron5679]

@@solothurn20mm31 ever heard about turret rings ?

[@solothurn20mm31]

@@jimmyneutron5679 Either you are close range brawling with that thing or you're pulling off ranged pens with it whilst using iffy at best SAP shells and I don't know whether to be afraid or in awe if you're unironically making pinpoint turret rings hits.

[@jimmyneutron5679]

@@solothurn20mm31 tier I battles are barely in range, yk im talking about the chi-ha short barrel which only has HE right ?

[@bricklingtonlego]

So looking for Italy mid, playing the L47/32 Tank Destroyer was some of the most entertaining battles I've ever had low tier. Centurio is a perfect Wirblewind for Italy aswell. R3 is a troll, the entire low tier is a blast.

[@aurorabora7557]

Your intro is like a portal to late 90s early 00s

[@masterdeane2175]

Tanks alot!

[@Squisbabvs]

I started with Japan and the Chi-Ha Long gun and Ho-Ro are just amazing

[@siluda9255]

german has a plus you can play while listening to panzerlied

[@brognog1145]

russians have hardbass

[@commandergeokam2868]

And Japanese and Italians have Eurobeat

[@nieznajomy7]

Im playing french with shants

[@Zachattack1cub]

I started with the USSR tech tree and while I'm not an active player, I do still love my mid-BR Soviets. One thing I'd like to mention is there are a couple more notable tanks than what you'd listed for them, such as the SU- and ISU tanks, and the KV-2, for massive firepower.

[@SapphosSails]

Thanks for making this! I have played before but never maxed any trees but just really wanna do swedish haha. Their early reserve tanks are BRUTALLY hard though. I am holding out for the later ones. Any tips on ammo to use early?

[@ZETH_27]

For Swedish tanks, use their mobility to your advantage. Their tanks have really bad or really good rounds (no in-between), so based on that you can either be a frontal ambusher/sniper or a flanker/side ambusher. Some of their turretless tank destroyers have great rounds, mobility and gun elevation/depression but have bad sillouettes, meaning they excel in setting up kill-zones by finding a position that overlooks where the enemy will go and shooting anyone that dares confront you. Some of their light/medium tanks retain the standard Swedish mobility and most of them have good rounds, however their armour is next to none, so they all behave practically like light tanks. Use these to surprise the enemy by getting to good positions early and use your mobility to always have the advantage over the enemy. What makes Sweden difficult for beginners is that it requires a level of foresight to play well, one that most new players don't have. Later in the tree they keet the speedy light ideology, but more oddities line the Cheese Wedges or the Bkan appear. Otherwise, there isn't anything else that I can think of to say, except that they have great CAS for mid-tier.

[@rivvabear9748]

I remember when I started playing Russia, and I got the KV-1 tanks, I would just rush in places and wait for the enemy to shoot me to locate them because I was still terrible at finding enemies, and knew I could get away with it, fun times lmao, playing now Its easy to average 5 or so kills with the KVs, unless you meet a German player that can hit weak spots, or get up tiered with the Zis-5, but even with that I've won 1 on 1 brawls with tigers at point blank, the Zis Is probably my favorite vehicle in game because it's easy to relax in and it's one of the few vehicles where you can play the full 'heavy tank' role and battle multiple people at once and still come out on top

[@tylerfoley6644]

Lol I’m with you but with the 1941 t34. My Soviet ground tree is at 8.7 and air is at 9.7 but I still go to my 3.7 to chill. The 1941 and 1942 t34s, kv1 zis 5, kv2, btr AA, and my premium p63 supercobra. I can get 100k Silver lions per game if I get a few kills with the p63

[@sweetkiller9696]

8.3 br lineup is so powerful for great Britain I got the Chieftain Chieftain marksman Shot Kal dalet Roikat Warrior and Scout heli I can only recommend them

[@mog5397]

It's even stronger now

[@zacharypreszler6834]

Great guide, but I will contest your Japanese assessment a bit. I started with the US and then went with Japan, as one thing that was overlooked was the filler of their guns. Their guns have tons of filler and good pen imo and the higher tiers are great, with tanks such as the Type 16, Type 90, and Type 89. Again, the video was great, and while Japan isn't beginner friendly it does just click with some playstyles.

[@raihanrafii3527]

Hey any tips for the Type 61?

[@adraen5942]

@@raihanrafii3527 good mobility and rather bad protection, your choice of ammo is limited to an aphe that struggles to pen but does ton of damage or a heatfs that pens rather easily but does little damage (there's also a straight ap shell but I've never found it particularly useful), I'd say bring both with aphe as main and use them as required. You've also got a very useful 50cal on the roof. It's a sort of a mix between m41 and m47 and is overall played more like a light tank than a medium tank (get quickly in a good position and shoot at the sides of ennemies)

[@kurtchenthefur9955]

After abandoning the game for so long and now watching your video (even tho not new but very informative) i learned i might have picked the wrong nation with sweden. xD I was wondering, why other tanks were doing so well compared to mine in low tier br. Now i know why. Thank you!

[@GoldenPancake]

Sweden is best at higher br

[@da_enderdragon]

Great vid, though I have to disagree with you on one point. Swedish SPAAs. You are correct, they are not good at the SPAA role they are assigned, but I have seen (and pulled off) excellent shots with them. The L-62 ANTI II and the Lvkv 42 can one-shot most of the T-34, KV and Sherman Lines. I don’t have any higher that lvkv 42, so I don’t know how they perform at high tier, but their mid tier can go head to head with monsters like the Wirbelwind and Ostwind.

[@KhaoticAntics]

Tankenstein you are the boss 😎

[@kylegarner6753]

I had great success with Japan. Great way to learn how to play at every BR with consistently underpowered tanks

[@Midas1533]

I started with Sweden . Pretty good for sniping :) thanks for the video bro

[@Tankenstein]

Thanks, man! Sweden is definitely really fun

[@finnishboo4192]

Snipers are gay

[@finnishboo4192]

Play the Cap

[@finnishboo4192]

This post was brougth to you by Heavy tank gang

[@blackrifle3742]

@@finnishboo4192 snipers are the reason you can get the cap without getting swamped, distracting an picking tanks off on their way to the cap. Im not a sniper tho, T34 gang gang

[@ElwoodPDowd-nz2si]

I'm tempted to buy the AMX 13 m24 but I haven't even started the French line yet. I really only started playing WT this week, so I know this doesn't make much sense. The play style just feels comfortable, which would be nice while I'm learning maps. Edit: I have played WOT for a long time. That is why I'm familiar with the AMX.

[@GuysGuideService479]

Awesome

[@megablademe4930]

I first played americans, liked them a lot, but left them because of insane repair cost at 6.0-7.0, started playing germans(now I’m at around 5.3) and I love it

[@honkhonk8009]

ikr. Its painfull to play America at that BR. At 8.0, ironically, the game got a shit ton easier.

[@Howl-Runner]

How's that German repair costs now? Some of the most expensive on the team foe modern.

[@Collin857]

“And I think to myself,” where were you man when I started playing WT 2 years ago, I probably would of made it to top tier in Germany tech tree by now if I saw this then lol

[@aoli7313]

Can you make a video about starting the game again. Explaining all the little indicators? I've been playing for 3 days and it's not straight forward.

[@Kameeho]

Hey, great video! But I don't like you didn't take in account of AA. the UK has some of the best AA throughout low tier to high tier with great armor against machinegun strafing. Where USA has great AA in the early tiers, it looses out mid tier before getting OK again at high tiers, Russia has OK AA, but does suffer somewhat as they don't have any particularly rapid fire AA and their all lightly armored. Sweden has the best AA in terms of general purposeness, as they are just as good, if not even better at fighting tanks. With high penetrative rounds and descent fire rate. They excel at both tank hunting and shooting down airplanes. Although they lack armor and crew. Germany has the strongest AA all the way with no particular weakness, much like the Swedish AA they also excel in both taking down enemies tanks and airplane alike. Although it does not share the same high penetrative rounds as the swedes, but has more crew protection against machinegun fire. And for the strongest AA Nation, it is defiantly Italy. All their AA are quite mobile and fast, their guns rapid fire that's good at disabling tanks, killing light armor and planes. and then you got the R3 that is just great at everything if you play it well. But their high tier OTOMATIC excell at taking out everything if you play it well. China and France I have no comment as I haven't played their AA-.

[@handtomouth4690]

44:48

[@Bobbo110]

I play way too many nations at the same time and I've only fairly recently unlocked tier 3 tanks on two of them. My impression of the nations I've played: British (Have reached tier 3): Has alot of weird and varied vehicles. Are usually fast, most of the time I've played them as flankers, your speed is your best protection. Good SPAAs. The south african scout cars are fun and fast. German (Have recently reached tier 3): Nice medium tanks. TD=snipers. If the enemy comes too close you're usually in trouble unless you have support. High rate of fire on the SPAAs I've tried. Soviet (End of Tier 2): Good tanks over all. Some of the TDs were painful to grind. You have to know how to position your tank to maximize armour and to be able to aim with your turret/gun which is hard sometimes. The angles the guns can be aim at are limited when compared to most other nations. Sweden (End of Tier 2): Lots of weird little fast tanks, sort of like the brits. Has several fun TDs. Several medium tanks have pretty good AA capability because of their many machine guns. Their SPAAs are fine, both as AA and as Anti-tank (when you take on lighter vehicles).

[@namelessentity5851]

Usually, I do not really dig non-historical/non-military camo but, for some reason, that Leopard is able to rock that German football paint scheme. Reminds me somewhat of a stock car. Not something I'd 'wear' everyday, but still cool looking. Still trying to figure out my Nation for tanks. I am getting close to MBT's, so I should pick one already. Sadly, 50 solar cycles has destroyed my once excellent vision, and I do not have the reflex time or situational awareness I once had... I am starting to suspect that the medical sweet leaf I use, might be affecting both as well. Basically, I need something sturdy enough to survive a hit or two, and be for the most part "idiot proof" Survivability and good optics are paramount for me, and preferably a stabilized gun as well. Perhaps the U.K.

[@tylerfoley6644]

If you’re looking for survivability then go with Russia. Germany is good too but their survivability is based on situational awareness as an unangled German heave might as well be a medium or light tank.

[@elnewbie2611]

You forgot to say that if you want to broke quickly, you should play 6.0 and up Italian tech tree as the repair cost are insanely high 😂 I'm actually grinding pizza tree and have had a ton of fun, especially with the tutels they have.

[@Lrac011]

I started playing france a couple days ago with my newbie friends i am rank 4 with germany almost rank 5. And holy shit is it a big difference going from german armor to french armor. The french tanks are weirdly innacurate as you stated and the tech tree is a pile of mixed brs which dont fit well together. It is truly one of the hardest nations in game but it can also be mad fun to play france. And also as you said the games you will get will be very random sometimes i get 6 to 8 kills and mvp of the game but i also end up getting only about 2 kills and maybe 1 assist some games. The crusader is honestly one of my favourite scout tanks on the french tree the b1 bis is also a beast but only when you dont get a uptire.

[@matchedplayer979]

this was a great guide but i disagree with some of the things said but otherwise good guide man you get a sub from me

[@_dimitri_1242]

I started with usa because I knew nothing about tanks and planes. Usa had some that I recognized. Now I recognize almost every tank and know more or less their armor values. I'm trying out air rb and turns out I'm not so bad

[@alvinnormason5170]

I'm still grinding Germany at rank VI for the 652mm lol pen

[@sakara4]

Sweden playing defence...sure if you say so.. Tbf though this was probobly before Sweden got Anit and Pvkv 3 at 2.7-3.3...and before the M42 EH and Lago was on a higher Br then 2.7. For today in 2022 Sweden has a superb 3.3 Lineup and can be hyper agressiv if they choose. The real downside with Sweden is that their Br 3.7-5.7 is more or less a swamp due to majority of TD non existence of AA and no Light Tanks before 5.7. After that they get really solid 7.3-7.7 lineup with UDES, USH, Strv 81 and 101. Same with 8.3. The Strv 103 line is really special to play and you really need to know what map to use them on as they are nigh unkillable at long range (1000m +) if they can set up in a sniper position but I highy disagree that the 103 should be your bread and butter on high br when you have so many other options to go by.

[@ihateeveryjuan9943]

Thank you for this video!

[@victorleina2147]

Started war thunder a few months ago this video was really helpful I usually refer to it when i get stuck I found the chinese tech tree more fun though what do you think

[@Tankenstein]

I find it to be a ton of fun, too. It was panned early as a copy/paste tree, but I knew that it was more than that.

[@SkunkdMonk]

I love UK tanks. I was using the A13 M II through rank 3 and was still doing great with it. The Heavies are annoying though, Day Late and a Dollar Short. Get you there slow, and can't do anything when you get there.

[@charlzgormanov8430]

Excellent Videos!!!! The Update "Danger Zone" was released on June 15, 2022. This update is definitely a huge negative change for the Italian tanks. Very sad. Gaijin have moved the three M13/40 BR 1.0 tanks to much higher ratings. The M13/40 I is now at 1.7 and the M13/40 II and III are now at 2.0!!!!!!!! The Italian reserve and other Italian 1.0 tanks are very weak compared to their competition. I have played the Italian ground forces tech tree for a long, long time now and there is absolutely no way that these tanks are in any way that superior to the US, German, or Russian reserve or BR 1.0 tanks. Gaijin previously up-tiered the M14/41 and M15/42 to levels where they are no longer competitive. I wonder if Gaijin is trying to shut down the Italian tech tree? At this point in time, I would absolutely NOT recommend the Italian tech tree for new or changing players.

[@tylerfoley6644]

I’d say that’s inconsequential. Reserve until about 2.7 tanks are all fairly similar performance wise anyways. Until you start seeing stugs, Shermans, and t-34s it doesn’t matter very much

[@triangleanempire5481]

For me, coming in to Italy around that update, it didn't really feel like a difference. I used the earlier AB and TDs much more than the mainline tanks, and for Italy around that BR you have the 2.0 37mm flying gun, which while unconventional is very useful CAS.