Unstoppable: A beginners Guide to Tanking.

[Herbiie]

Hey,

I've started tanking recently (just got used to all the basic tactics etc.) so I thought I'd make a post for anyone who wants to get into Driving or Gunning in a tank

Driving:

Try to remember than mere terrain cannot stop you in most cases, and that holding shift makes it easier to climb/you move faster.

In most tanks (except for the T72/T90 I think) if you left click you get a range finder, this is surprisingly helpful for calling out contacts.

When faced with a contact, there are a few things you can do to help defeat it. First off get "Front on" This means face you target. Your front armour is alot better than your armour at the side, top, or rear.

Stop when your Gunner tells you to - he cannot fire while you are moving.

If you're in a group of more than one Tank, your smoke can be effective for covering your advance, or retreat if you think you are going to lose. If you don't feel confident that you will destroy your opponent easily, try to withdraw.

Try to pick good positions, ontop of a hill is not a good position! Try to pick your ground so that you can cover an area and let your enemy move into your killing zone.

When stationary press F3 to go Silent and listen out for enemy tanks - you will hear them before you see them.

Gunner:
Don't get annoyed at your Driver! Stay calm!

Don't be afraid to tell your driver where to go - they'll usually obey so that you can get a good shot.

If you want to fire on the Move you're going to have to practise alot, it's very hard due to the lack of stabilisers unless you're on a road. If you can however, tell your driver.

Keep your Armour Piercing rounds loaded - if you spot infantry you have your MG and usually enough time to switch to HEAT if needed.

Try to hit an enemy tank on the turret, or inbetween the turret and the hull.

Turn your sensitivity up so you can swing the turret round quicker, but not too high so that you can't get a steady shot!

If you have joystick - use it!

If anyone else has tips for new players feel free to share them, imho I made this because I remember wishing there was one when I first decided to go tanking on PR!

[PLODDITHANLEY]

On air asset maps, worth thinking about a squad with a truck for repair station and/or AAV, but rarely seen ingame.

[L4gi]

Try to hit an enemy tank on the turret, or inbetween the turret and the hull.

Depends on the tank you are shooting at. The Abrams for example can be one shotted.

If you have joystick - use it!

Why? :S

[Tim270]

Why? :S

You can set the throttle to go very slowly forwards/backwards, so you can fire on the move while not making it too bumpy for your gunner.

[Herbiie]

Why? :S

Because it makes it smoother, easier to control, there's no way you can run out of mouse mat, & what Tim said.

[CHUGGA-CHUGGA]

Wait how? what do i use my joystick for? throttle and control or aiming the gun? can i use it for aiming the gun?

that would be AWESOME:

Because Herbiie said "because theres no way u can run out of mousemat"
U dont use ur mouse for moving the vehicle so he must of meant gun?

[CHUGGA-CHUGGA]

excuse me sir,
but may i know whether different tanks have different armour stats?

I don't know? i guess so.

[Inca_Killa]

excuse me sir,
but may i know whether different tanks have different armour stats?

Yes, i'm pretty sure they do.

[Zrix]

I have a faint memory of reading that all tanks are mirrored for balance purposes.

[Arnoldio]

I have a faint memory of reading that all tanks are mirrored for balance purposes.

That would suck though...

[Dai]

Wait how? what do i use my joystick for? throttle and control or aiming the gun? can i use it for aiming the gun?

that would be AWESOME:

Because Herbiie said "because theres no way u can run out of mousemat"
U dont use ur mouse for moving the vehicle so he must of meant gun?

I don't know how to do so, but in MyDocuments/Battlefield2/Profiles/001 (or whatever yours is) there's a file named Controls. Open that with notepad, then you need to know what the name of your joystick is and so on. Going to try and figure everything out.

[MrTomRobs]

Wait how? what do i use my joystick for? throttle and control or aiming the gun? can i use it for aiming the gun?

that would be AWESOME:

Because Herbiie said "because theres no way u can run out of mousemat"
U dont use ur mouse for moving the vehicle so he must of meant gun?

Here you go dude, clicketty click that there link and you can use your joystick to aim as a gunner. It actually also works as infantry and as a heli gunner too.

https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f139-a ... mouse.html

[Ogopogo]

I think it would be prudent to add a few additional things to the guide.


Avoid (urban/densely forested/very hilly) areas if possible/ Tanks are very vulnerable at ranges of under 50m as weapons like grenades, phosphorus, grenade launchers, and sometimes even things like C4.

In my experience you should try to stay 100-150m+ from a target. The tanks optics are more up to the task of engaging targets at this distance, and it makes it harder for the enemy to engage your armor with LATs and HATs.

If there are air assets, make sure to move the tank every so often if you are in a stationary position (say 3-5 minutes). If you are being lazed it can cause the air asset to hit nothing sometimes. On open maps like Kashan move 100-150m as the air assets can see you much more easily and change quickly enough to change the target. On maps that are urban, or forested, or have similar obstructions move 25-50m as it is much harder for a air asset to see and acquire you.

Also, do not take a tank just because you can. AFV's are much better if you are going to head into a urban or similar area.


This next two are VERY important

Make sure you know what side you are on, and what vehicles your side are using. You can easily be destroyed if you need to wonder "Hmm... is that BMP3 on my side? I have been playing MEC the last few rounds." Make sure you know what vehicles are on your side!

On the same note check the area before you go into them. Having no friendlies in the area makes distinguishing targets a lot easier. It can be something as nice as no friendlies in the area to friendlies in the area are south and one squad is 100m to the NW.

Between these two things I have been killed more than any other way combined.

[sylent/shooter]

If you're trying to fire while moving, I find that you need to have a steady hand.

Make sure you compensate for terrain before you hit it and also don't zoom in. If you don't zoom in there won't be as much camera movement

[Ogopogo]

If you're trying to fire while moving, I find that you need to have a steady hand.

Make sure you compensate for terrain before you hit it and also don't zoom in. If you don't zoom in there won't be as much camera movement

If you want to be a very good driver get a steering wheel of more importantly the peddles for one. 50% speed is barely any more then stationary.

[A. Reaper]

Tank - tank combat note here. About 2-3 AP shells will kill/disable a tank, and HEAT can kill with 3-4 (hence what it stands for, High Explosive Anti Tank).

I advise having HEAT loaded at all times, fire first on tank when you meet one, then choose AP for better penetration till all enemy vehicles are destroyed (that you can see of course, or your friends see).

Do not try to engage a wolf pack, simple as that. You will die, and it will be useless because odds are they killed you before you got a shot off. Wolf packs being lots of APCs, tanks, or anything with rockets (Humvee TOW, Bradley/BMP/ATGM APC (not sure of name, looks a lot like BMP-2 but with ATGM turret only), even a squad with a LAT).

Some tanks are special. The T-90 for example, has ATGM capabilities like an APC. Meanwhile, the IDF's Merkava can transport infantry. Use your tank to your advantage.

Most tanks can fire on the move, but are really miserable trying. For best results, stand still at long range, and use x key as gunner to zoom in on targets.

Thermals are useful, but unless you can tell teams just by shape, hold fire till thermals are off and confirm your targets. Of course, if it shoots you you immediately get to shoot back.

Hope my tips are a good addition.

[STORM-Mama]

Where should I fire on an enemy tank? Side or rear are obvious, if I get the chance... But which part of the front is most vurnerable? Turret, tracks, main body?

[L4gi]

It all depends on the tank youre shooting at.

[_Fizzco_]

T72 tracks are a good place to shoot, abrams, either where the turret and hull meet or the red box, when the merkava first came out the purple box was also a one shot but not 100% about it nowadays