World of Tanks News

Greetings, Commanders!

After a series of Sandbox and Common Tests, the reworked HE shells will be introduced to the game in Update 1.13. Their damage-dealing mechanics are about to change, so let's go over how the new HE shells will work once more. We also want to take a closer look at some striking gameplay examples to demonstrate how World of Tanks will change and give you some tips for using the reworked HE shells.



[h2]Main Goals of HE Shell Rebalancing[/h2]
When starting the complex HE shells rework, we wanted to change their damage-dealing mechanics in the following situations:

• Dealing high frontal damage to well-armored vehicles. This is especially frustrating for commanders in vehicles with good armor who cannot play to their vehicles' strengths.
  
• Lack of demand for HE shells for low- and medium-caliber guns due to their unpredictable damage-dealing potential. The unpredictable nature of HE damage from these calibers means HE shells are hardly used.
  
• Some other unrealistic or frustrating aspects of the previous mechanics. For example, an HE shell fired at the commander's cupola can set the enemy vehicle’s engine on fire.
  

At the same time, we wanted to keep all the things that you love about HE shells, including:

• Exciting and fun gameplay.
  
• Ease of use.
  
• High chance of causing damage.
  

[h2]Here's how the new damage mechanics will work.[/h2]

[h3]HE Shells: Changes to Damage Mechanics[/h3]
[h3]1. HE shells now deal damage at the point of impact.[/h3]



Upon penetration of enemy armor, nothing will change—if a shell gets inside the vehicle, you will still be able to cause a lot of damage. But if its penetration value is not high enough, damage will be calculated at the point of contact with the armor. At the same time, after exploding, small pieces of spall will be scattered inside the vehicle, injuring crew members and causing damage to modules, as well as to the armor itself. The spall radius will be the same as the shell’s burst radius in the previous system.

When using HE shells, remember that if the shell reaches the armor, it will deal damage. The amount will depend on the armor thickness at the point of impact—the thinner the armor, the lower its nominal value and the greater the damage. And vice versa—the thicker the armor at the point of impact, the less damage the shell will cause if it does not penetrate.

Just like when using Armor-Piercing (AP) shells, you should aim at vulnerable areas and wait for a good moment to cause high damage. As a result, firing HE shells at well-armored areas of enemy vehicles will become less effective—it will be impossible to cause as much damage as before.

[h3]2. HE shells will be able to penetrate screens, tracks, and the wheels of wheeled vehicles at the point of impact. They will also be able to penetrate insignificant and/or destructible objects (fences, destructible structures, etc.)—this is a direct consequence of changing the HE shell damage model from the area of influence to the point of impact.[/h3]



When an HE shell penetrates a screen, its armor penetration values decrease. Accordingly, the chances of penetrating the armor are reduced, so when the shell hits the armor, it will already be "weakened", and penetration will only occur if the armor is rather thin. If an HE shell penetrates a screen and explodes on the armor, the "spall" mechanic takes effect and is guaranteed to cause damage. The amount of damage will depend on the thickness of the armor plate on which the HE shell exploded.

Compared to the previous version of damage mechanics that was available before Update 1.13, we added the ability to penetrate screens, external modules, and destructible objects. However, after penetration, the armor penetration of HE shells will be reduced by a special coefficient.

There will be two different coefficients of armor penetration loss: 1.0 for destructible objects and 3.0 for screens, tracks, wheels, and external modules. This means that, for example, after penetrating a screen with 20 mm of armor, the HE shell will lose 60 mm of its penetration value, and the next attempt to penetrate a vehicle's armor will be calculated considering this reduced value.

As a result, the probability of penetrating the main armor after penetrating the screen will greatly decrease, especially for vehicles with weak side armor. The probability of taking high HE damage when your vehicle is penetrated with an HE shell will also be lower.

If an HE shell does not penetrate a screen and therefore does not reach the armor, it will not cause any damage at all. To fire HE shells effectively through screens, you will need to consider the thickness and slope of the screens.

If an HE shell penetrates the tracks, screens, and wheels, but there's no armor behind them, it will deal no damage. If there is armor, it will cause damage.

[h2]Reworked HE Shells: Gameplay Tips[/h2]
Now let's see how the new mechanics will work, with a few striking gameplay examples.

• Let's imagine that there are two heavies in a duel—the M103 and the 60TP Lewandowskiego, equipped with a 150+ mm gun. The Polish brawler loads an HE shell and shoots at the opponent’s front without aiming. The shell hits the gun mantlet of the M103, which is a screen with very thick armor. Due to the insufficient penetration values, the shell doesn’t penetrate it and deals no damage.
  
  Instead, it should have fired at the opponent’s vulnerable areas and not at the silhouette. To deal significant damage with HE shells in situations where you can only fire at a well-armored area, you need to spend significantly more time and shells. In this case, it will sometimes be wiser to change the type of shell or choose a different tactic.
  

Well-armored vehicles can reduce the damage they take from HE shells by exposing thicker areas of armor. In fact, you should follow the same tactics as when countering Armor-Piercing shells.

When facing heavily armored vehicles, try to shoot at vulnerable areas for a chance to deal damage. To do this, some preparation is required. Consider the new mechanics when planning tactical actions, or when choosing a direction of attack or a place to brawl with opponents.

[h3]Another illustrative example:[/h3]

• The FV4005 Stage II fires an HE shell at the side of the Maus’ frontal cheeks (which are 260 mm thick). The shell hits the armor, but due to an insufficient penetration value, it does not penetrate the armor. Instead, the shell explodes on the surface. Spall is created inside the vehicle, causing damage to the Maus, but the value is noticeably smaller (250–350 hit points) than it was with the previous mechanics.
  

Now you also need to aim carefully at weak points, not only when shooting at heavy tanks with good armoring, but also at any other vehicle. It would be unwise to fire an HE shell at random in the front or at the enemy's contour. When shooting blindly, you run the risk of hitting a well-armored area or a screen that you can't penetrate. Here’s an example.

• The Type 5 Heavy loads an HE shell and wants to hit a vehicle with light armoring, say, the Progetto M40 mod. 65. Thinking the old way and not considering the peculiarities of the new mechanics, it shoots at random at the silhouette of its opponent. But the shell hits a screen, and its penetration values are not enough to penetrate it. In this case, the Type 5 Heavy won’t deal any damage to the Progetto M40 mod. 65.
  
  Instead, it should have waited for a more opportune moment to shoot at the sides, in the areas with the thinnest armor, or at the tracks (if there is armor behind them), which are now also considered a screen. In this case, the Type 5 Heavy would most likely cause maximum damage (if penetrating the armor) or some amount of damage (if penetrating the tracks and hitting the armor).
  

To help you determine the outcome of your shot, we’ve improved the armor penetration indicator. In Sniper mode, you will be able to use the indicator’s color to predict the outcome of your shot:

• Red: no damage (the shell will not penetrate the screen/track/wheel and will not cause damage)
  
• Yellow: damage will be caused, but not in full (the shell will penetrate the screen/track/wheel, and it will reach the armor but not pierce it)
  
• Green: full damage (the shell will penetrate the screen/track/wheel and pierce the armor).
  

[h2]HE Shells Rework: Vehicle Rebalancing[/h2]
After all the tests, considering the data received and your feedback, we’ve refined the characteristics of vehicles with HE-based gameplay, which required rebalancing (the KV-2, Type 5 Heavy, and some other tanks) to make them feel more comfortable under the new conditions. Some of their parameters have been improved, while others have been slightly decreased. Take a look.



The test results also indicate that wheeled vehicles demonstrate high combat effectiveness in the new system. They feature speed, agility and one of the best gun stabilization values in the game. To better balance these speedy scouts, we've reduced the penetration of HE shells of the three top-tier Tech Tree vehicles (VIII–X). For the Panhard AML Lynx 6x6 and the Panhard EBR 90, it was decreased from 90 to 75 mm, for the Panhard EBR 105—from 105 to 75 mm. We have also increased the dispersion of those guns.



There are other vehicles with HE guns in World of Tanks. But after all the tests on Sandbox we completed together with you, we see that their effectiveness has not changed, so there is no urgent need to adjust their characteristics. We will continue to monitor their effectiveness after the release and, if necessary, make changes to their performance.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Gameplay Under New Conditions[/h2]
In the new system, HE shells are best suited to the role of tactical shells in the following situations:

• If you want to reset a base capture.
  
• To knock off an enemy’s track*.
  
• To finish off vehicles that are low on HP.
  
• Beware, it will be a bit harder now because you need to aim at the drive wheel to do so!
  

Thanks to the new mechanics, it will make more sense to use HE shells in certain guns (especially medium and low caliber ones) than before.

Of course, you can continue to use HE shells to fire without aiming, but when hitting the armor, your shot effectiveness will be lower. And when hitting the frontal or well-armored areas, it will be much less effective. As a result, when brawling with vehicles with good armoring you will need to rely more on basic, established and understandable game mechanics, instead of spamming HE shells. Those commanders who use HE shells will need to aim and focus on the weak areas of the tank they are brawling with.

The way the HE shell system will work from now on means you will not be able to completely avoid taking damage when fired upon. However, on occasions when the enemy's HE shell hits a thick screen that it can't penetrate or penetrates a screen which doesn't have armor behind it, you will not receive any damage.

To counter the new HE shells effectively, try to expose sections with thicker armor, or thick screens or screens that have no armor behind them. For example, you can take a position in which the opponent will be able to penetrate the tracks, but not hit the armor. In this case, HE shells won't cause any damage. This way, you can not only safely expose screens and/or tracks, but also provoke your opponent into shooting prematurely.

Get ready to experience battle with the reworked HE shells, Commanders!

Commanders! Are you ready? The fifth Season of Battle Pass begins on June 23!

The new Season will run for three months. It comprises three Chapters, each with 50 consecutive Stages—and there are tons of rewards on the line for each Stage you complete!



The core rules of this epic activity remain unchanged. However, we’ve increased the number of Battle Pass Points you can earn by fulfilling Daily Missions. Plus, you’ll now receive Points for completing Bonus and Special Missions (for performing 45 missions).

We’ve also continued to expand the list of game modes in which you can earn Battle Pass Points. You can now receive them when playing in all current modes, including the experimental Recon Mission, where you can explore maps that are in the later stages of development.

[h2]Battle Pass Season V[/h2]


[previewyoutube]VIDEO [/previewyoutube]

[h2]Battle Pass Season V Summary[/h2]

• To earn Battle Pass Points and advance through Stages, perform your best in Random Battles (except for Grand Battles) in Tier VI–X vehicles, Ranked Battles Season X in Tier X vehicles, and Recon Mission and Frontline modes. You can also get Points for completing Daily Missions in vehicles of any tier.
  
• Three new Battle Pass Core Vehicles—the AMX 50 B, the CS-63, and the FV217 Badger—have special rules for obtaining Battle Pass Points.
  
• For every Stage completed, you’ll earn valuable in-game Base Rewards. These include a new piece of Bounty Equipment—Bounty Exhaust System—which we’re introducing this Season. You’ll be able to grab it once you’ve complete Stage 90 in the second Chapter.
  
• If you want to get even more rewards, you'll need an Improved Pass to get the prizes in the Improved Rewards Track. The Improved Pass will be available for both gold and real money.
  
• After completing each Chapter of Season V, you’ll get a unique crew member.
  
• You’ll be able to choose one of three progressive styles for the three Core Vehicles at the beginning of each Chapter. They will change the appearance of the vehicles and receive new 2D and 3D elements once you complete certain progression Stages.
  
• You’ll also get Tokens, which you can exchange for rare vehicles in a special section of the in-game Store. All Battle Pass Tokens you earn will be accumulated throughout the year, and you can even spend them in the next Season of Battle Pass.
  

Fight for Battle Pass Points and earn tons of cool rewards in Season V, Commanders!

Learn more...

Commanders!

Do you think a "Collectathon" tag is right for WoT? Are visual components, such as “Historical” or “Realistic” important to you? Maybe you like the tank driving experience or contests with worthy rivals? Tell us more by adding the tags you think are suitable for World of Tanks, and we'll grant you one day of WoT Premium Account!

1. Go to the Store page
   
2. Find "Popular user-defined tags for this product" section on the right-hand side of the Store page and click on "+".
   
3. Select from existing tags (by clicking the "+" symbol next to the tag) or create your own.
   
4. Share your tags in the comments under this post.
   

NOTE! During this event, the 1 day of WoT Premium Account will only be granted once, regardless of the number of tags suggested/added. Please allow for a few days for the Premium Account to be granted to your account.

Make tag suggestions, add them and get free Premium Account. Sounds like a good deal to us!

Directives are special game items that can be mounted on Tier V–X vehicles before combat. They give an additional advantage over the course of a single battle. This advantage may prove critical in certain situations, giving you an edge over your opponents.

[h2]Two Types of Directives[/h2]
For equipment. These directives increase the effect of mounted equipment for the entire duration of a single battle. You can purchase them for bonds.
For crew. These directives will improve the trained skills or perks of crew members or provide the effect of a skill or perk not yet trained. They are applied for the duration of a single battle. You can purchase them for credits.

[h2]For equipment[/h2]
Aim Tuning
Reduces aiming time.
Effect: +2.5% to aiming speed (with Enhanced Gun Laying Drive, Wear-Resistant Gun Laying Drive, or Bounty Gun Laying Drive mounted)
Orderly Ammo Rack
Reduces gun reloading time.
Effect: −2.5% to loading time (with Gun Rammer, Innovative Loading System, or Bounty Rammer mounted)
Stabilizer Greasing
Improves precision by reducing dispersion during firing, turret traverse, or vehicle movement.
Effect: −5% to dispersion after firing, during movement, and turret traverse (with Vertical Stabilizer, Stabilizing Equipment System, or Bounty Stabilizer mounted)
Optical Calibration
Increases your vehicle’s view range, allowing for earlier spotting of enemy vehicles.
Effect: +2.5% to view range, up to 445 m (with Coated Optics, Experimental Optics, or Bounty Optics mounted)
Vent Purge
Improves crew skills that affect vehicle characteristics.
Effect: +2.5% to all crew skills (with Improved Ventilation, Venting System, or Bounty Ventilation mounted)

Pre-Battle Maintenance
Increases the repair speed of destroyed modules in battle.
Effect: +10% to repair speed (with Modified Configuration, Improved Configuration, or Bounty Protection Technology mounted)
Fuel Filter Replacement
Increases engine power.
Effect: +4% to engine power (with Turbocharger of any class or Improved Compressor mounted)
Polished Lens
Reduces aiming circle size.
Effect: −2% to the aiming circle size (with Improved Aiming of any class or Bounty Aiming mounted)
Exhaust Insulation
Increases the concealment of a stationary or moving vehicle.
Effect: +2% to concealment of a stationary or moving vehicle (with Low Noise Exhaust System of any class mounted)

[h2]For crew[/h2]
Natural Cover
Grants the Concealment skill, which reduces vehicle visibility.
If the skill is not trained to 100%, grants all crew members the Concealment skill trained to 100%.
If the skill is trained to 100%, grants an additional 10% to vehicle concealment.
Gearbox Intricacy
Grants the Smooth Ride skill, which improves accuracy when firing on the move.
If the skill is not trained to 100%, grants the Smooth Ride skill trained to 100%.
If the skill is trained to 100%, doubles the effect of the Smooth Ride skill.
Steady Hand
Grants the Snap Shot skill, which improves accuracy during turret traverse.
If the skill is not trained to 100%, grants the Snap Shot skill trained to 100%.
If the skill is trained to 100%, doubles the effect of the Snap Shot skill.
Combat Course
Grants the Clutch Braking skill, which increases hull traverse speed.
If the skill is not trained to 100%, grants the Clutch Braking skill trained to 100%.
If the skill is trained to 100%, doubles the effect of the Clutch Braking skill.
Shell Organizer
Grants the Safe Stowage perk, which increases ammo rack durability (the shells don’t come into contact with each other).
If the perk is not trained to 100%, grants the Safe Stowage perk trained to 100%.
If the perk is trained to 100%, provides an additional 37.5% to ammo rack durability.
Increased Focus
Grants the Sixth Sense perk, which allows the commander to determine whether the vehicle has been spotted by the enemy.
If the perk is not trained to 100%, grants the Sixth Sense perk trained to 100%.
If the perk is trained to 100%, the Sixth Sense perk is activated one second earlier.
Duty Comes First
Grants the Call for Vengeance perk, which allows a Radio Operator who has survived the destruction of their vehicle to report enemy positions for an additional two seconds (12 seconds in total).
If the perk is not trained to 100%, grants the Call for Vengeance perk trained to 100%.
If the perk is trained to 100%, allows an additional three seconds for the Radio Operator to report enemy positions (13 seconds in total).
Focus on Target
Grants the Designated Target perk, which makes targeted enemy vehicles visible for an additional two seconds.
If the perk is not trained to 100%, grants the Designated Target perk trained to 100%.
If the perk is trained to 100%, adds an additional two seconds to the time a targeted enemy vehicle stays visible (4 seconds in total).
Experienced Firefighters
Grants the Firefighting skill, which enhances the crew members’ firefighting abilities.
If the skill is not trained to 100%, grants all crew members the Firefighting skill trained to 100%.
If the skill is trained to 100%, adds an additional 50% to the Firefighting skill.

[h2]Mounting Directives[/h2]
You can mount only one directive on your vehicle before a battle. The mounted directive is effective for one battle.
To mount a directive:
1. Click the directives slot.
2. Select the desired directive and click on it.
3. Click “Apply”. The directive is purchased and mounted on the selected vehicle. If the directive has already been purchased, it is mounted on the selected vehicle from the Depot.



You can purchase more than one directive by clicking “Purchase” under its name. Spare directives are stored in the Depot in the Stock section under the Consumables tab.
To automatically supply and mount the selected directive after it has been used in battle, click the Auto‑resupply checkbox.

Currently, some directives can only be received in limited quantities as a reward for in-game events. The following directives are unavailable for purchase:
● Fuel Filter Replacement
● Polished Lens
● Exhaust Insulation
These directives are only automatically resupplied until they are available in the Depot.

[h2]Removing Directives[/h2]
To remove a mounted directive:
1. Click the directives slot.
2. Click “Send to Depot” under the name of the mounted directive.
3. Click “Apply”. The directive is sent to the Depot and can then be mounted on another vehicle.
Please note that directives cannot be sold.



Good luck (and maximum efficiency) on the battlefield!

Attention! Football Oracles wanted!

On June 11, a grand football tournament starts in Europe, in which the best teams of the continent will compete for the championship. World of Tanks is on the same wavelength with all football fans around the globe, so we’re launching a special Matchday event kicking off on June 10!

[h3]Matchday 2021 [/h3]

June 10, 2021, 15:00 UTC through July 11, 2021, 19:00 UTC

[h2]Matchday: General Overview [/h2]

NOTE
All Matchday activities will take place on a dedicated website. Visit it regularly to see whether your predictions have come true, compare them to those of your friends in the leaderboards and stay up to date on what is coming next!



[h3]How to add your email to the account [/h3]

Add your email to the account before participating in the event, if you haven’t done it before:

1. Log in Steam with your account
   
2. Go to the wargaming.net website
   
3. You will be offered to add an e-mail and a password to your account. Please provide this information
   
4. Log in with your credentials
   

Have questions about registration and game settings? For more information, please contact the official Player Support for World of Tanks.

[h2]How to Make a Prediction [/h2]

Head to the dedicated website, log in, and make a prediction on the outcome (a win of either side, or a draw) of any of the upcoming matches. You can make a prediction before the scheduled start time of the respective match.

To make a single prediction, you need to spend a ticket. When the event starts (or after logging in, if you begin predicting after Matchday 2021 commences), you will immediately receive 10 tickets for free. You can change your prediction any number of times before the start of the respective match, for the price of 1 ticket each time.

To get more tickets, complete special daily battle missions.

51 matches will take place during the tournament.

[h2]Let’s Talk Rewards! [/h2]

The event’s rewards are spread over 10 Levels. To reach every Level, you need to make a certain number of correct predictions. The higher the Level, the better prizes it provides. The rewards are cumulative–for example, if you reach Level 6 by the end of the Matchday 2021 event, you will receive all rewards for Levels 1 to 6.

The top prizes, requiring 26 and 29 correct predictions respectively, are two football-themed 2D styles. Take a look at them below.







[h2]Gather Your Friends in Private Leaderboard Rooms! [/h2]

To create a room, use the Create Room button on the Matchday 2021 website. You’ll be able to invite your friends into your room by sharing a link provided to you. The person with the highest final score in a room will receive a special medal.

Being a member of a room grants you 1 free ticket at the start of each matchday of the group and playoff rounds. In total, if you join the maximum possible number of rooms (3) at the start of the event, you will receive 18 tickets.

The room creator has 48 hours to accept or reject an invited player’s request to join the room. You can't kick players out of your room once they are in.

[h2]Matchday Bundles: Get Even More Rewards! [/h2]

Want to get even more rewards? Take a look at five special Matchday 2021 bundles containing Gold, Credits, x5 XP missions, the 2D styles mentioned above, and high-performing vehicles. Two of the bundles also feature 2 other spectacular football-themed 2D styles (one in each) to help your vehicles stand out.





Want to grab all four cool 2D styles available in the Matchday 2021 event? Choose the fifth bundle containing the complete collection of custom looks and the most solid set of in-game goodies.

Get ready, Commanders! Make your predictions and receive rewards!