Guide: Controls and Firing
Greetings, Commanders!
A motionless vehicle is an easy target, so keep moving! To control your vehicle, use the mouse and keyboard.
Hull Controls
To move your vehicle, usethe W, A, S, D keys. You can also move your vehicle using Cruise Control: R – Move Forward, F – Move Backward.
Press either of the Cruise Control keys once to put your vehicle in the lowest speed, twice for medium speed, and three times for maximum speed.
Space – Uses the handbrake to bring your vehicle to a sudden stop. This can be especially useful when you need to come to a halt to fire with greater accuracy.
Gun Controls
To position your gun, use your mouse. Move it left or right to adjust the gun horizontally. Move the mouse up or down to elevate or depress the gun. Left click to fire at the target.
Most vehicles have their gun mounted on the turret, which allows it to rotate 360 degrees and aim in any direction without the need to move the vehicle's hull.
However, this doesn't apply to the majority of Self-Propelled Guns (SPGs) and Tank Destroyers, which are often turretless. In Arcade mode, your vehicle will automatically traverse after the reticle as you move it. In Sniper mode, the hull will remain locked by default.
Reticle
Each accurate shot gets you closer to victory. That's why it is extremely important to master the art of aiming and shooting.
The aiming circle indicates the gun’s current position and follows the reticle with a delay, since the gun cannot move instantaneously.
In the center of the aiming circle is the Gun Marker. For a shot in the desired direction, it must completely coincide with the reticle’s Central Marker.
Traversing your turret and hull reduces your firing accuracy, so wait for the aiming circle to shrink. After moving your vehicle or turning your turret, come to stop and wait for the aiming circle to snap onto the target.
Aiming Modes
Arcade Mode
Arcade mode is the default aiming mode in World of Tanks. With the camera positioned behind your vehicle, you can observe yourself, other players, and the situation on the battlefield. This mode is best suited to battles at short and medium ranges. Press and hold the right mouse button to look around without moving your gun.
Sniper Mode
Sniper mode is available for all types of vehicles except SPGs, and lets you play the game from the first-person perspective. It's essential for long-range shooting and taking precise aim at modules.
When playing in Sniper mode, you'll see the Zoom Indicator to the right of the reticle. It tells you how much the image is currently enlarged. By default, the highest zoom level is x8. You can increase the zoom level up to x25 in the game settings.
Avoid using Sniper mode all the time. It can be very useful when focusing on a single target, but it impairs your ability to maintain overall battle awareness.
Use the mouse wheel or Shift key to switch to Sniper mode.
Auto-Aim
With Auto-Aim (right mouse button on an enemy), your reticle becomes fixed on the center of the enemy vehicle, and the gun automatically follows it. This mode comes in handy when you are firing on the move. Auto-Aim is deactivated when the target moves out of sight.
Artillery Mode
Artillery mode (Shift) is available to SPGs only and allows you to see the map from above and make long-range shots.
The line going to the center of the reticle is the approximate firing trajectory. It's sensitive to the landscape and is color-coded:
There is also an alternative version of Artillery mode called Trajectory View (G). It's in some ways similar to Sniper mode and can help you more clearly estimate the trajectory of your shell for improved accuracy.
Aiming and Shooting
By default, your enemies are marked red in the game, while your allies are marked green. When you aim at another vehicle, it's highlighted with the corresponding color. Shoot only at your enemies to lead your team to victory!
Shooting
Now that you know how to move the gun and how the reticle works, you are ready to go into battle!
Master your skills in vehicle control and good luck on battlefield!
A motionless vehicle is an easy target, so keep moving! To control your vehicle, use the mouse and keyboard.
Hull Controls
To move your vehicle, usethe W, A, S, D keys. You can also move your vehicle using Cruise Control: R – Move Forward, F – Move Backward.
Press either of the Cruise Control keys once to put your vehicle in the lowest speed, twice for medium speed, and three times for maximum speed.
Space – Uses the handbrake to bring your vehicle to a sudden stop. This can be especially useful when you need to come to a halt to fire with greater accuracy.
Gun Controls
To position your gun, use your mouse. Move it left or right to adjust the gun horizontally. Move the mouse up or down to elevate or depress the gun. Left click to fire at the target.
Most vehicles have their gun mounted on the turret, which allows it to rotate 360 degrees and aim in any direction without the need to move the vehicle's hull.
However, this doesn't apply to the majority of Self-Propelled Guns (SPGs) and Tank Destroyers, which are often turretless. In Arcade mode, your vehicle will automatically traverse after the reticle as you move it. In Sniper mode, the hull will remain locked by default.
Reticle
Each accurate shot gets you closer to victory. That's why it is extremely important to master the art of aiming and shooting.
- The reticle is always displayed in the center of the screen and follows the movement of the camera. The reticle indicates only the direction you are looking, not the direction the gun is pointing. Also, the visual style of the reticle can be changed in the game settings, so don’t hesitate to choose the one most suitable for you.
- The central point of the reticle is called the Central Marker.
- On the top of reticle, you can see the distance to the target in meters.
- On the right, there is the Conditional Indicator showing your vehicle’s current HP.
- Displayed at the bottom is the number of remaining shells of the chosen type, and the number of shells in the magazine if you are driving vehicle with that type of gun.
- On left side, there is gun loading indicator with a loading timer.
The aiming circle indicates the gun’s current position and follows the reticle with a delay, since the gun cannot move instantaneously.
In the center of the aiming circle is the Gun Marker. For a shot in the desired direction, it must completely coincide with the reticle’s Central Marker.
Traversing your turret and hull reduces your firing accuracy, so wait for the aiming circle to shrink. After moving your vehicle or turning your turret, come to stop and wait for the aiming circle to snap onto the target.
Aiming Modes
Arcade Mode
Arcade mode is the default aiming mode in World of Tanks. With the camera positioned behind your vehicle, you can observe yourself, other players, and the situation on the battlefield. This mode is best suited to battles at short and medium ranges. Press and hold the right mouse button to look around without moving your gun.
Sniper Mode
Sniper mode is available for all types of vehicles except SPGs, and lets you play the game from the first-person perspective. It's essential for long-range shooting and taking precise aim at modules.
When playing in Sniper mode, you'll see the Zoom Indicator to the right of the reticle. It tells you how much the image is currently enlarged. By default, the highest zoom level is x8. You can increase the zoom level up to x25 in the game settings.
Avoid using Sniper mode all the time. It can be very useful when focusing on a single target, but it impairs your ability to maintain overall battle awareness.
Use the mouse wheel or Shift key to switch to Sniper mode.
Auto-Aim
With Auto-Aim (right mouse button on an enemy), your reticle becomes fixed on the center of the enemy vehicle, and the gun automatically follows it. This mode comes in handy when you are firing on the move. Auto-Aim is deactivated when the target moves out of sight.
Artillery Mode
Artillery mode (Shift) is available to SPGs only and allows you to see the map from above and make long-range shots.
The line going to the center of the reticle is the approximate firing trajectory. It's sensitive to the landscape and is color-coded:
- green — your shell will reach its target
- red — there's an obstacle on the way, usually a hill or building
- grey — the target is out of range.
There is also an alternative version of Artillery mode called Trajectory View (G). It's in some ways similar to Sniper mode and can help you more clearly estimate the trajectory of your shell for improved accuracy.
Aiming and Shooting
By default, your enemies are marked red in the game, while your allies are marked green. When you aim at another vehicle, it's highlighted with the corresponding color. Shoot only at your enemies to lead your team to victory!
Shooting
Now that you know how to move the gun and how the reticle works, you are ready to go into battle!
- To fire at an enemy vehicle, take aim.
- Wait until the aiming circle fully aligns with the reticle. The Gun Marker should match the Central Marker.
- Wait for the aiming circle to shrink onto the target.
- Left click to fire at the target.
- Wait for the gun to reload and the aiming circle to shrink before firing again.
Master your skills in vehicle control and good luck on battlefield!