The Most Expensive Soviet Heavy Tank

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The experimental IS-7 Soviet heavy tank used to be one of the best tanks in War Thunder. It was actually quite broken upon its introduction, now it stands as an excellent example of the issue of battle rating compression. The IS-7 is still extremely powerful in downtiers, packing excellent armament, solid mobility, and effective armor. In uptiers, however, the IS-7 almost exclusively faces main battle tanks that have stabilizers, APFSDS, and thermal sights. It is also one of the rarest and more expensive tanks in the game, sitting at a market price of ~1149 Gaijin coins.
Check the channel "About" section for the link to the creator of my profile picture.
Songs used (in order from first to last):
Command and Conquer: Generals - Various USA Themes
Halo 3: ODST - Rain (Deference for Darkness)
Sound mods:
Epic Thunder (Pre-release)
Gunner HEAT PC Crew Voices Mod (Personal, go play the game: gunnerheatpc.com/ )
Sponsor: apexpartner.ap...
Second channel: / @spookstoon
Patreon: / spookston
Twitter: / spookston
Reddit: /u/spookston
Discord: See my Patreon page.
Twitch: / spookstonwt
Steam: goo.gl/BYQjC9
#warthunder​​​​​​​​​​​​ #tanks​​​​​​​​​​​​ #tankhistory

[@OddBawZ]

00:25 - I had JUST started playing WT during the SUMMER event to get this. Then 5-6 weeks later, I was facing it in my stock M46 and M47. It was not a fun time at all. Even if you side shot with HEAT-FS it would only hurt one crew at a time. It was pure pain.

[@ivansyzchkyez7148]

OddBALLSz69gaming?

[@hazeldsr]

i remember facing this thing the last few days of the grind in my t62 and it was absolute hell. Then i got it played 30 matches (F) and now its only really usable in downtiers ( double F)

[@MrNamenloser21]

If you shoot M82 between the tracks from the side you'll one shot it

[@bickboose9364]

@@MrNamenloser21 This thing is so fast and mobile it's practically impossible to make that shot.

[@THEGRAYFOXX00]

sounds like you figured our gayjews in a nutshell

[@AverageAKEnthousiast]

New smoke pro tips : - The new smoke effect allows you to see helicopters very clearly when you're inside it, I grew the habit of abusing it and it works most of the time - If a tank is inside a smoke screen you can also shoot behind them, the sparks effects will allow you to see the outline of the tank and then you can finish the job - Don't hesitate to turn off your screen when you're smoking yourself, you will have the impression of the smoke working and tbh the new effects look so bad you don't miss anything

[@All_Mighty672]

Yeah the last one. Even if you are on the edge of your smoke, your screen will be completely whited out although your turret is completely visible.

[@cheesecakedoublepeanutbutt6511]

wait it counters heli? Best smoke gaijin please never fix it.

[@Chernosjk]

the new smoke effect is a badly applied 2d texture, that's when when you're inside of the smoke and you pan your camera to the left, you'll be able to see the right side on the right side. Same goes when panning to right.

[@AverageAKEnthousiast]

@@Chernosjk I tried it and you're right, it explains a lot of things. I thought the effect was now 3D because "why would they change a 2D effect to an other 2D that doesn't work the same" but they might just have tried to change the mechanics of the smoke

[@fire_drake12.arc.24]

@@AverageAKEnthousiast the old effect was 3D i couldve sworn, only 2D at a distance for LOD purposes. But either way the old version was eons better, the new smoke is shit in every way, it doesnt even look real.

[@lunaroth2245]

I have never once regretted getting this thing in that horrid event, amazing tank and so worth it

[@derrickstorm6976]

Lol who would regret getting something Once the grind is over, the predatory grind is the problem

[@Lameirinhas69]

@@derrickstorm6976 i do, i regret grinding the f4d, fkng sucks

[@stevenortiz9008]

@@Lameirinhas69 SAME After my last grinding event,merkava,which is now way more expensive than before,which I chose instead the early jet Now the sky raider with its low price is just sad

[@naf5567]

@@Lameirinhas69 don't play the F4D in realistic, in jet arcade it's pretty fun and you can do some sick things with it

[@destroyerarmor2846]

I don't care about grinding anymore, I have all the tanks I need. Jet's suck, I prefer WW2 prop planes

[@CheezeSpartan]

Yo spook, I recommend the T-34-100. Pen of the T-54 at 6.3 but unlike other thonk memes like the IS-2 the reload is not overly long and you maintain T-34 mobility. In downtiers its a monster, do recommend. Edit: I previously said 6.7. Upon further inspection it was bumped down to 6.3, God help us all.

[@AllMightyKingBowser]

T-34-100 is now 6.3 if im not mistaken, so now its even more fun to use.

[@MirrorBusta2nd]

So it's basically a Soviet M-51, but 2x faster

[@Mort221]

To add on, the T-34-100 is my favourite of all the Soviet 6.3 Premiums right now. It suffers from the usual Soviet shit (no depression) but the armour is surprisingly trolly and to have high velocity high pen APHE (239mm at 100m) with a decent reload on a mobile platform is insane.

[@zeppkfw]

i just use the su 100 since it actually has armor

[@112mirai]

@@zeppkfw su 100p is much better except its open topped, its like an m18 but with 100mm and engine can block shots

[@mey.tomhero4876]

Would love to see a video on T-64A, the worst Soviet autoloaded MBT ans you do get up-tiers pretty often but at 9.0 it’s still a great tanks and personally one of my favorites to play (also it’s cheap to repair relatively lol)

[@RyuKimGaming]

I feel is pretty decent If you play carefully. I managed to get 5 kills on it (enemy team were almost blind)

[@mey.tomhero4876]

@@RyuKimGaming exactly why I love it. It may be the worst *of the Soviet 125mm MBTs* but I think it’s right in the position to do really well

[@BugattiONE666]

worst russian MBT, bettet than Challengers xD

[@RyuKimGaming]

@@mey.tomhero4876 the small profile helps a lot. But overall I think is a good tank, even with its own flaws.

[@EasoLV]

I suppose the first true MBT (debatable, if you wish) might be with it's issues, and thus the worst.

[@Crazy__Biscuit]

Hearing "we all lift together" in a spookston Video is definitely the most blursed thing my brain has encountered for quite awhile.

[@RustyDroid]

It's completely fitting for War Thunder though

[@balazsfonnyadt1903]

@@RustyDroid Indeed. Gaijin is definitely the Prophet of Profit.

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

Meanwhile, we, the pissed off players, are overdue for a ZoltanSultan mix of Charlie Daniels Simple Man. lol.

[@NiekSchramaofficial]

at least Warframe is fun, WT can often be suffering XD

[@BlackHawk21ification]

what i don't like with heavies is that in some game you spend more time repairing your barrel than you spend reloading.

[@theflyingfish66]

They should really add the gunner sight offset from simulator battles to RB, would make sniping barrels more difficult. They're not going to do it, but it would be cool if they did.

[@thecentralintelligenceagen9963]

You can enable it in settings, also fuck that that's just straight up pain

[@Zorro9129]

@@theflyingfish66 I already do that for the immersion but I wouldn't be good at aiming even if I didn't handicap myself. I do agree though.

[@memedealer5044]

*T95 pain intensifies*

[@ciara8811]

This and the Churchill 7 really are the flagship children of BR compression.

[@grikkajunior]

76 jumbo as well

[@StermIing]

I really enjoy playing the Churchill 7 it's honestly my favourite heavy tank it's jokes

[@Haaton-of-the-Basement]

Unlike the IS-7 the Churchill VII needs more than 5 braincells in order to get a **Target Destroyed** Dopamine.

[@ciara8811]

@@StermIing Oh yea don't get wrong I adore the Churchill 7 and have more games in it than I care to admit, but its got an insane flip-flop between uptier and downtier

[@outrageoussharpie4107]

@@ciara8811 That's why you always go Firefly/Avenger/Achilles in an uptier

[@RealStitchie]

I remember grinding for the Canadian Leopard for no reason. It wasn't too good or had much going for it. This was also back when events were a bit easier to deal with too.

[@MaticTheProto]

I like it, it has style

[@TheT-90thatstaresintoyoursoul]

I too, have the chonky leopard

[@TheFleetAdmiral33]

This and the Object 279 are really interesting being such high tiered heavies. Would an Obj 279 video be possible as sort of a follow-up to this one?

[@MaticTheProto]

The obj is objectively worse

[@hobbobandits1986]

@@MaticTheProto how is the object worse in any capacity it’s faster, better armoured, stabilized, better pen, better reload, and all that just being .4 above?

[@Jonathan-yu9ui]

@@hobbobandits1986 yes, 8.7 games are always uptiered into 9.0 and 9.3

[@beowulfsword237]

@@Jonathan-yu9ui yeah at least it can bounce APFSDS? That turret is a monster, and it's got a stabilizer. I have both tanks, 279 is way better trust me

[@bobdickens3674]

@@hobbobandits1986 that really doesn't make up for anything when 8.7 sees perma uptiers. The object is also taller and has no roof mg. At a BR where helis really start to show up, no roof mg is very costly.

[@DerInterloper]

My proudest IS-7 related moment was on Red Desert pre BR patch. I saw one in the shadows headed B in my Maus, and one-shot it in the side. It felt good but I don't think I scored high that match.

[@blu5021]

Hey spookston, first of all, great video! Second of all,can you do a video on IFVS/AAs that can be added to minor nations, like Israel? A lot of minor nations have copypaste aas/ifvs, so it could be nice to see!

[@JuliusCeasar224]

I find the lack of gun depression quite useful, especially when using the tank in a very agressive, pushy playstyle. The reason why is that the -3 degrees or so you get actually kindof acts like a psuedo stabilizer, just gotta wait for the gun to sway down and basically bottom out and pull the trigger, and you have so much pen and post pen damage that most things at that BR can and will be one shot anywhere you hit them. Its very nice.

[@ifoch1838]

damn, mad respect for Warframe audio at the beginning, love that game ( u want to die grinding there too )

[@sniperh2o325]

The is7 isn't bad, but after this things grind, and getting the obj 279 not to long after which does everything the is7 can, but significantly better on top of more, I really don't think the is7 was worthy even a quarter of its price. But that's just me personally after using both it and the obj. The things selling point was its abundance of mg's, and tbh it still is even now

[@RussiaDefender]

props for including the song we all lift together at the start! great song

[@PablitoAndCo]

Watching spook suffer with each shot that makes less damage than it should is esentially my average experience grinding the US tech tree.

[@-FARKI]

I actually really like mozdok.. I do only play with light italian cars, but for them its great: Rush in to b (from eighter spawn) and than go over to c while dodging enemy sniper shots. Or just hide on b with a centauro forex and basically spawn camp. I cant recall ever loosing on this map tbh.

[@CH3TN1K313]

The really need to separate the game into "eras", with the occasional exception for odd vehicles like SPAAGs and some HE dependent SPGs. The difference between the AP+filler vs. steel armor era, compared to just a decade or two later where you have APFSDS & HEAT vs. composite armor, is drastically different and makes for a horrible overall experience with situations like the Maus & IS-7 where you're either stomping lower tier tanks, or being almost useless in an up tier. Also, if they can't add a ground vehicles only mode, even though that's exactly what Air RB is over planes, then they really need to add a cap to how many planes and helos can spawn at a time. Just how Enlisted does it, where they only let one plane per side, at a time, and do not let you spawn back into a plane after you've just died in one. There's to many planes and helicopters in most battles, who either completely stomp your team, or cause you to lose the game since not enough teammates are playing the objectives.

[@Momomaster25]

The worst part about the IS-7 is how it is the pinnacle of soviet heavy tank production, the final daughter of the KV-1 tank, and was distributed through one of the absolute worst events ever, instead of an event that actually went and got people to play the KV and IS tanks.

[@ougioshino6940]

I hope the 770 and 277 don´t meet the same fate of being sweaty event rewards but I don´t have much faith in that

[@Jacekb931]

The first song is "We all lift together" from Warframe, and is worth to put it into description, before Digital Extreme will get pissy

[@rileygayming6933]

We All Lift Together is a nice touch lol. Also, where the hell did all these VT-1 players come from? Like I've a lot more of them in the past few days than I ever have, besides when it came out/got buffed.

[@farrel2114]

According to wikipedia IS-7 has a stabilizer. This thing is already a menace without stabilizer, so imagine how terrifying this thing is going to be if stabilizer was included

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

Since gaijin is turbo bad at modeling stabilizers of earlier variety, the POS will be pin-point accurate on rough seas at mach 2, of course. In before night sights from some Soviet interwar parchment.

[@ArmouredOnion]

Churchill 7 is pretty fun, in an uptier its primarily a support vehicle bouncing shots and barrel tracking tigers, and if you play the proper battle rating (4.7) its amazing as a brawler and you will be able to pen almost anything.

[@caketta]

I loved this thing when it came out. But now, I just don't use it. It constantly gets up-tiered and faces APFSDS, missiles and tanks with thermals and stabilizers. It is supposed to be a heavy. :/

[@unstoppablegames4779]

this is top my favorite tank,i have been waiting for someone to make a video that was recent on it for so long!thank u spookson! ❤

[@unfairbullet]

Just found your videos about an hour ago, now theres a new one. nice.

[@Orangefan77]

I have that version of Mozdok as my current banned map. It's SO horrifically bad. I loved the old version and would genuinely be happy when I got it, but the new one was bad enough that I unbanned Ass River for it.

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

Playing Eastern Yuropoor 80million times in a line is much worse than hitting this up twice at low tier. Don't even touch the dead ass game mode Assault Arcade; it is nothing but Sinai because they know it is horrible.

[@unclesam5733]

I would love to see some Vickers MBT gameplay. It fills your criteria for a fun tank, good canon, good round, ok mobility and 5s reload with stabilizer.

[@MPdude237]

Can you do the top 3 Soviet Heavies in one Lineup? IS-7, T-10M, Object 279. I would like to see how this performs

[@SgtBacalhau]

Warframe music. Is the best. For those wondering what the music is in the beginnings its “We all lift together”

[@mspaint6313]

Thank you for reinstating the summer 2018 grind ptsd, very atrocious… very painful…

[@spartanx9293]

Neat I've been busy grinding 9.0 Germany after I finished off the United States and I kind of miss the days of fighting heavy to heavy

[@akodam1270]

That Lift Toggether at the beginning gave me chills all over again. God damn I love Warframe

[@chemicalman53]

Major props for the Command & Conquer: Generals song starting at around 03:22. Good times

[@MirLo1989]

Love the use of the C&C Generals theme ;D Instantly recognized :D

[@armaholic5949]

Command and conquer Generals theme in the background. A man of culture I see

[@TheGrace020]

OBJ 279 is by far my fav Heavy and when it was lower tier it was just unfair very fun and worth the nightmare grind

[@patrick_okp]

By the way everyone the song at the start is from Warframe, Fortuna Its the music that the works sing when cranking and stuff

[@adrianalprin5752]

Yeah the new smoke effect looks bad and it's so slow to actually smoke and idk why but it sometimes smoke the top part first then it smokes the ground so enemies see ur tracks and hull but not ur turret

[@jordanlee9001]

Good music choice from C&C Generals. Still play it to this day.

[@anti5091]

Excellent video on what's really a unicorn tank in this game! I've always been a big fan of the Ikv 91, and have been really curious as to what your thoughts on it are. Perhaps a video for another day?

[@VanillaFox1-1]

Intro song is "we all lift together" for anyone wondering idk why it's not in the description

[@vollidioten-hauptquatier2781]

Can you make Video about the Object 279 maybe? I would love to see one. Keep it up with the great Videos.

[@mainblue22]

youre missing out with the 2S3M man its a pretty fast derp gun vehicle with good reload for the caliber

[@Edo_Ginting]

Sometimes, when you get tanks humping you at spawn, you might not spawn yet in that person's screen, in his screen he's bumping into air, usually takes 8 seconds for his PC to catch up

[@StrikeWyvern]

Ngl the Object 279 is just straight up better than the IS-7, same stuff that'd bounce off the IS-7 bounces off the 279. Same stuff that pens the IS-7 pens the 279. The 279 also has a stabilizer and better reload. Wish I had the IS-7 still though...

[@13deadghosts]

+1 for "We all lift together" :) Fortuna is just cool.

[@roberttauzer7042]

Oh, a warframe (intro) player : ) What an unexpected crossover

[@SkrapMetal84]

there is a music tune in this video that has me now hunting for where i have heard it from originally....and no its in none of your links in the description. thinking hearts of iron 4 but my brain says no.

[@djungelskog2654]

Play with both M-51 please When I knew they were adding my favorite variants in game i got really hyped, but got somewhat underwhelmed 'cuz of the lack of ammo types it has I didn't knew it only had HEAT rounds and Smoke rounds

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

French gun problems. A hilarious historical duality inverse of British APDS/HESH only holding back their guns.

[@SirFlufficus]

Woah does spook play Warframe? Awesome! I'd love to see content.

[@Bolino2]

for anyone wondering what the song is in first second it's called we all lift together - Warframe

[@jurajokasa834]

You know why gaijin didnt add IS-4MS version? Cuz having such heavy beast with T10M cannon would be crazy on 7.7

[@vtlurker]

After his "fun" time in the Maus, I really want to watch spookston play the Black Prince

[@skyscream]

I swear I run into those thing far more often than the T-10M. Like everyday at its BR.

[@funnyman4407]

Recently got the Vickers Mk.3, don’t know what it’s about that thing but it’s an amazing tank to use and one you rarely see or hear anyone talk about.

[@dickymaulanaaini2972]

FYI the song that he use it the beginning of the video is a song from a video game called Warframe and the song title was We All Lift Together.Your Welcome.

[@ahhno4662]

Spook you should play the Sav m/43 1946 in the Swedish tech tree, it’s one of my favourite tanks and I think it’s also really interesting

[@limboprime4008]

Yoooo wasnt expecting a warframe song from you

[@bigred8313]

It was so fun busting these tanks with my Centurion Mk5 AVRE back in the day.

[@poodlemeister22314]

Starting off with some warframe music You know it's gonna be a banger video

[@sndrc9]

the mobility on this tank is unreal

[@oliverbrown3961]

We were all secretly hoping you would play this tank!

[@isaacsilvas2285]

Is4m and is3 and is6 and t10m all have the famous weak spot of the turret cheeks and hull and side skirts but if you get a full down tier with these tanks your a unstoppable force

[@ashutoshhiremath720]

spookston: play it carefully proceeds to solo peek 4 tanks exposing side and living to tell the tale

[@Rojek-ls3dl]

New smoke effects obscure your vision more than they obscure your tank. When I use them, then at the edge of the smoke, I have complete milk on my screen but my tank is all visible

[@andrewperkovich8184]

I missed this tank, heavily regrett it haha, i made sure to get the 279. Make a vid on it!!!

[@DominusRexDK]

i am so with you on the smoke, it both looks worse and does less to protect the deployer than before, all while doing more to blind you than the enemy. I want them to revert it aswell.

[@masterdestroyer0295]

The spot that the vt1 was in I go in with the r3

[@epicbanana4317]

We all lift intro is so good, have you ever played Warframe Spookston?

[@a.b.3455]

Id love to see you play the Chinese Type 63-I

[@killroy1117]

Tracks eating shells will never get fixed I’m convinced at this point.

[@TheEvilFoxy]

Spook: *Annihilates half the enemy team and wins a 4v1* Also Spook: "Pretty decent match"

[@domagoj5533]

I got my is7 when it was only 80 euros for some reason, i can say pretty good deal at the time when it was a lower BR

[@caleb420420]

The only thing I regret is buying two of these for $180 (total not each) keeping one and selling the other for $250. Wished I had kept it for a while longer and sold it for $600+.

[@convolutedconcepts]

the IS-7 is my best russian tank. one of the few tanks that i'm thankful grinded half my life away for

[@MilitaryHistory2011]

That Warframe music didn't go unnoticed

[@shelbylover1359]

"The IS-7 didn't like taking damage for some reason" classic gajin, very classic

[@mrfisherman1812]

Man we all lift together hits differently during grind

[@Edwards4ID]

Hey Spookston, no bullshit, if you got that loud ringing effect in your ears going on out of game, even if it doesn't stick around for long, get it checked out by your doc. Been dealing with tinnitus for over 20 years. You do NOT want to just ignore it.

[@_Zekken]

Ive actually had a pretty consistent 50/50 win rate on both sides of that version of Modzok. Both sides get spawn camped hard and neither side feels like it has *too* much of an advantage. Apart from the spawncamping tbh I actually like the map

[@thedungeondelver]

"For some reason" HMM I WONDER WHAT REASON THAT COULD BE.

[@AH-64Delta]

I have never once won a match on that side of mozdok. I have also only ever been on the other side once or twice, as I think the match favours some nations for each side.

[@mateuszt809]

I managed to play two times in a row with IS 7 when i considered grinding the event. this thing was outspeeding my bmp 2

[@kanestalin7246]

I would love to see you make more gameplay videos with the is7

[@mirageraven1565]

Since you are doing the IS-7 I guess you can also do the 279?

[@kriskay5020]

The IS-7 is my favourite tank irl

[@BloodyCrow__]

I remember fighting it almost every match in my german m47

[@Nightmare_52]

i have the 279 so i dont think i really need the is7, though it would be a nice collectible to have if somehow it comes back as an event reward

[@SilentSniper58]

on the subject of soviet heavies, play the IS-4M; it used to be top dog but its kinda in the same boat as the IS-7 now.

[@bomb8149]

You forget that it looks so cool

[@toqup_inua8023]

When it first came out in the gaijin market i teamed up with all russian IS-7 all team only (i had the tank in line up and was only one not using, was grinding my other tank)

[@cheesegrater..]

When I played this thing at lower BR it was something else but now I rarely play it because heatfs is a this but it’s still fun in a down tier because it’s still feared in a down tier

[@neromastic4512]

I would love if Spookston would play the Obj 685 that he hasnt played just like the IS-7

[@glitcher1k215]

like the touch of music from warframe. the song is we all lift together ;)

[@arcticwolfxxii9236]

one of my favorite x's in world of tanks, i was greatly dissapointed that i couldnt get it in WT as i started just as that event was finishing up

[@Rubberduckzillas]

You can still buy it on marketplace.

[@arcticwolfxxii9236]

@@Rubberduckzillas yeah if I were made of money, I'd also need to fully transfer my acc to pc from xbox which will take away all GE and prem time

[@AlexT-34]

Twelfth video asking for the Spj fm/43-44, it has a 15 sec reload, and fires 8kg TNT equivalent HE shells, while at br 1.7.

[@MetrixGoat]

that reverse gear is heavenly

[@nicolaspeigne1429]

Do you have the AMX 50 Surblindé ? almost as expensive as the IS-7, less than 10 remaining on the market. i just want Gaijin to re release some of these vehicles that i could never get