The Berlin mode would have been cool and great… If the grind wasn't beyond stupid for a tier 7 copy pasta vehicle. But I guess it gets better soft stats and less view range to make it different.
I'd understand if it was a tier 8 premium. But Tier 7 premiums are not really worth a damn unless we're talking E25. But really, up to you. It's a "free" tank after all.
Starting off here, the best vehicle for the mode:
IS-2V
- 175 pen (Just goes straight through panthers anywhere, also one of the highest pen in the mode)
- 390 alpha
- 10 second reload.
- Still has trolly armor
- Good mobility for a heavy tank. Does not rely on any "nitrous"
- Has a turret
- 1280 health
It's special abilities are still useful. Both of them are. You use the mines in a defensive way to keep enemies from rushing you. Or to slow down "flank" routes when you're not watching. Then using the arty strike on certain targets. More so the stationary ones like Ferdi/Jagdtiger
My second place for best tank I can easily give to T-44-85:
- 155 pen (Not great but not the worst, can still pen panther's UFP)
- 200 alpha
- 5.4 second reload (This is big thing imo considering alpha)
- trolly armor
- good mobility
- has a turret
- 1100 health
It's special abilities out right fucking rule. It's why you play it. Two shots of incendiary rounds, topped by the broken ass katyusha strike. When these things come online you should be spamming it every time.
Third place might surprise some, but it's earned it if you went through the shitty things that is M4A2/Jumbo. The T26E3:
- 160 pen (second best in the mode)
- 240 alpha
- 7 ish second reload. It's basically the same as IS-1.
- Armor is middle of the road. Not much troll.
- Mobility is just alright.
- 1200 health
- has a turret
It's special abilities are still good as again you get two shots of incendiary. However no katyusha. But it does do a set 500 damage each time, to each target in the zone, and does still stun If I remember correctly. So you could get 1000 damage if you just hit two. But so could the katyusha. However is losing a ton of reload speed worth the 40 more damage? I don't think so. It's still a nice tank to play in the mode however.
Fourth place… Some of you might already know, but others may be surprised. Churchill BP.
- 150 alpha
- 150 pen
- 3.8 second reload (Is nice, but the alpha licks my balls and feels like days to kill anything)
- Armor? Hmmm maybe if hull down. But otherwise Panzer 4's just spam HE at you and magically fucking do 100+ damage each time
- Mobility? LOL
- 1450 health (I guess it's best at that, being a sponge and distraction)
- Has a turret (Which is another big reason it's still better then the next tank in this list)
It's special abilities… sorry It's one special ability is useful sure. But it's meme ability about Nitrous boost is too situational to be useful ALL the time. Because using it some ways could screw you over as you push too far. Also doesn't last very long imo. Should last a very long time for what it is… a simple boost to mobility. It's armor is actually rendered useless because Panzer 4's just spam HE at you in tier 3 games and magically fucking do 100+ damage with 75mm guns. And everything else can just pen you anyways. Unless maybe when hull down, then Panthers bounce… I did find the turret to work a few times. If it didn't have a turret it be the worst tank in the mode at tier 3. That alpha blows, that penetration is the worst out of all T3's and it has only 1 actually useful special. BUT It's nice to have in the team as at least then you have a scout tank/distraction tank.
But it's not the worst. It still isn't the bottom barrel.
The ISU-122S is.
- 175 pen (Same as IS-2V, but instead no turret)
- 390 alpha
- 8 ish second reload (2 better then IS-2, but you lose the extremely useful turret)
- mobility is honestly worse then IS-2. Not joking. It felt extremely sluggish
- Armor? It feels less armored then the actual ISU-122S in the normal game.
- 870 health (What the fuck. Why???)
- No turret (sad face)
It's the worst to me because it lacks a turret. It's gun is not interesting because the "best" vehicle for the mode uses the same fucking shit but gets a turret and actually feels more mobile with some armor. It's special abilities are… Interesting I guess, but is having 3 shots of incendiary and a gun strafe strike worth losing armor, mobility and a turret over? You also have 870 HP while everyone else literally has 1000+ health. 870 health is not enough to work with!
My final thoughts and experiences with the mode, playing all of the T3 tanks:
If you don't have any heavy tanks expect to lose. Even a Church BP is better then nothing. The reason I say this is because mediums are not the eyes, the heavies are the eyes of the team. Because WG thought it would be a smart idea to say fuck that big brain play, hurrr durrrr just make everyone have 1 camo so if you're in spotting range you're fucked. Which makes no freaking sense to throw that out the window as they have thousands of videos across their official youtube and what not teaching you how to do this and that… You also need a turret for this mode. Not having it, makes it extremely challenging to do well in most of these maps which consist of knife fights in corridors.
I get bots are still dumb WG, but why in the hell do you render tanks that utilize bush mechanics and camo more then armor absolutely moot in a mode where hundreds of bot guns can slap you across the map. Not that the maps even were made for flanking in the first place. Let alone big enough to support bush mechanics. Oh but there is one map that does come to mind where mediums are able to flank. Siegfried line. In the last mission, the mediums can flank in the middle of the map, and work their way to where arty spawns and come from behind. Holy shit WG, why isn't more of the maps like this or support this big brain move…. OH WAIT. I forgot WG would rather corridors where Ferdis and Jagdtigers sit at the end and no one really has the penetration to take them on effectively. Where is my gold rounds WG? Or is gold rounds big brain gameplay too?
Sorry if I seem like I was getting ranty, I like the mode, it's a hell of a lot better still then that other BOT mode we had a while back using Tier 3 guns against Panthers and Tigers which no one could actually pen. It has so many brain dead choices and backwards things that break how you normally view world of tanks. Like flanking, Bush mechanics, and most of all spotting. This mode actually teaches you nothing on how to effectively play the normal gamemodes. Utilizing, and understanding the mechanics, going to different places on the map to get a flank. Instead WG throws that out opting for a simple, dumb downed WoT experience.
That all being said… Again… I like the mode. It's nice and relaxing to play at times, but there is issues that bother me with it. Also, of course this mode is more fun in a platoon. I'm talking about randoms. Where generally everyone plays.
Edit: Also, Circon is on point too with his complaints.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldofTanks/comments/geloti/my_review_of_all_tier_3_berlin_vehicles_my/
