Hello folks!

For those that remember, I used to post guides on here all the time – especially guides oriented towards newcomers to the game. I was recently looking through my posting history, and did not see that I ever made one as a guide on premium tanks. So, here we are. Yes, I know that you can earn premium tanks through missions, competitions, or even random luck watching a twitch stream (and I have earned probably 40+ alone of various tiers all those ways myself). However, this is being written from the perspective of a person wanting to purchase their first premium tank(s).

REASONS BUY A PREMIUM TANK

Well, that is the question, isn't it? What reason do I have to buy a premium tank? I believe you can narrow it down to the 5 following reasons for every player. Some may be the only reason. Several of them will likely contribute to the desire.

1 – You enjoy the game, want to support the developers, and a good long-term investment in the game is to purchase a premium tank that you will enjoy playing for hundreds or thousands of battles.

2 – You want to make the credit grind easier.

3 – You want to make the crew xp grind for a tech tree tank you love, easier.

4 – The tank itself is fun and worth the purchase for that reason alone.

5 – You are a collector and just like to have them all.

WHAT IS A PREMIUM TANK

A premium tank is a special tank. it comes to you "elite" (no parts to research). it will have a higher credit generation rate than standard tanks of the same tier in the tech tree, with tier 8 premiums currently giving you the most 'bang for your buck' in terms of credit generation. You can freely swap crews from the same nation/type to it freely without need to retrain, so it becomes very helpful in training crew skills. As the icing on top of the crew xp training cake, premium tanks make 50% more crew xp than regular tech tree tanks. They often also have mechanics similar to the top of the tech tree you are using, so you can get used to a game mechanic before hitting it at upper tiers.

SO WHICH TANK DO I CHOOSE

The answers to this will vary player to player (see above on the 5 reasons players purchase a premium tank). However, there are some questions you can ask that will help you narrow down your choice.

1 – Will I likely enjoy playing it? One of the worst feelings in this game is spending money on a premium tank only to hate it. Yes, speaking from experience there. So this then comes down to figuring out what style of tanks you like. If you have a favorite tank, then look for a premium with a playstyle similar to it. if you don't know exactly what that style is, but know what you like – then ask for help in finding a premium that plays similar to tank XYZ.

2 – What are my goals with the tank? Is it to enjoy a fun tank? Is it to help with your credit and/or crew xp grind? it is just to have the flavor-of-the-month and turn into a whale (totally guilty on this). Is it to be able to platoon with friends and enjoy the time with them? Having a goal helps you focus and narrow down between similar premiums, especially if you only have budget for one of them.

3 – Is it a good money/time investment for me? If you do a lot of playing, then it makes the purchase make a lot more sense. The more you play your tank, the more credits you will earn. It's that simple. However, if you only play occasionally or rarely and still want to purchase something, i would instead suggest boosters. 50% boosters give you the same benefit as having premium time. So if you buy packs of all 3 types of 50% boosters, you can play your hour here, or hour there, and still get the benefits of premium time without paying for premium and letting it tick away not using it. Plus, you still gave your financial support to WG.

WHY ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME TO GET TANK X OR Y

Because I am not you, and I don't know what makes you tick. Premium tanks that I enjoy are because I have fun playing them. I really like taking them out for a whirl. However, if you happen to hate that style of tank or play, I'd just be setting you up for disappointment and resentment at your 'wasted time/money'.

So what I am going to do is give you some general do's/don'ts that will likely help make your choice easier.

1 – Don't go out of your way to purchase lower than Tier 5 premiums unless you really, really, really want that specific tank for whatever reason you really, really, really want it. Below tier 5, the premium tanks don't make that much more profit than regular tanks of the tier. Mostly what you are buying is a unique experience or play style.

2 – Don't dedicate a crew to a premium tank unless it is a brand new premium for a tech tree branch that isn't release yet. Because you can swap crews freely back and forth of the same nation/type, it is a waste of crew space to do this. However, for those who buy a premium tank for an upcoming tree to get a hop-up on crew training? It can be really worth it to have a 2-3 skill crew ready to go into that new branch when it arrives.

3 – Get a general feeling of the tank from peers you trust, especially if you play/platoon with them a lot. If you tend to like tanks they like, then you will probably agree with their assessment of the tank.

if you want a more varied response, you can come here and ask. If you for example ask the following: "I like to play tank destroyers. Is there a good premium TD i can play?" then you will likely get a dozen good recommendations for premium TDs that fit that profile across various nations and tiers.

You could even ask a more drilled down question – as an example: "i really love playing french light tanks. Is there a good premium tank that matches that playstyle?" These are the kinds of questions that will help you get good advice on a premium tank you will likely love to play for years to come, as it is much more specific and much easier to direct you to a specific tank(s) for that playstyle.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN

Well, in the end, it comes down to a couple things. Do you want to support the developers of the game you like to play? What tank will make that support pay off in the upcoming weeks/months/years as you get tons of entertainment out of playing that tank?

Yes, there will be people on here that complain when you ask. "Why didn't you already know the answer to that you noob!" or "Why did you ask what has been asked thousands of times already?"

Here is the thing – every one who asks is unique in asking for themselves. You are not asking for the guy who posted yesterday or 10 days ago. You are asking for yourself. Just remember to ask the right questions (see above) and we will be able to help you enjoy your purchase and stay as a fun-loving member of the community.

Until arty 1 shots you.

And you come here and post bitterly.

Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!

But seriously, I hope this has helped you newbies to the game think about your upcoming purchase(s) in a way that will help you get the most enjoyment in the future. May the RNG be in your favor, and may you have many good games ahead.