Soviet heavy tanks - How to use them?
Soviet heavy tanks - How to use them?
Any good player here who uses soviet heavy tanks? If so, when and for what?
I personally love them even if they're slow. I feel like I'm unstoppable when I roll 8 heavy through someones base but I don't have the same confidence with 15 medium tanks. They kill buildings and base defenses quite nicely also. I guess use them for what theyre for and keep them close to the blob. I use them as mobile rifle sponges and nothing more.
This. Like the majority of soviet gameplay, unit preservation is necessary. Keep the tanks alive and once they get to a critical mass they are very hard to stop.Happy wrote: ↑ I personally love them even if they're slow. I feel like I'm unstoppable when I roll 8 heavy through someones base but I don't have the same confidence with 15 medium tanks. They kill buildings and base defenses quite nicely also. I guess use them for what theyre for and keep them close to the blob. I use them as mobile rifle sponges and nothing more.
I think the real question is APCs vs heavy tanks, because they roughly fill the same role.
I think APCs are better on open fields. There's a lot of room to move around and APCs can dodge rocket shots at full speed. They start to fall off a bit in this role once there's lines of tanks blocking their path.
Heavy tanks on the other hand are good base crashers. It's like 5 or 6 can one shot a pillbox, which with support from your infantry blob, can quickly disable a base's defenses before the army arrives. It helps if you keep them repaired by sending them back to the SD when they're red, if you have time.
So, with this in mind, APCs excel during the early stages of the game, but once you have more than two MCV's on the field its probably better to switch to heavy tanks. One micro trick you can use with heavy tanks, is, if your infantry blob is large enough, is to come from a flank. Engage with your infantry first, draw the rocket fire, and then roll in the heavy tanks from the sides. A big problem with heavy tanks is they occupy "firing spots" for the infantry, since they're so slow (this is the literal problem with using mammoths to tank, and why most people misuse them). If you can come in from a flank they fair much better. Heavy tanks are also great at defense.
I think APCs are better on open fields. There's a lot of room to move around and APCs can dodge rocket shots at full speed. They start to fall off a bit in this role once there's lines of tanks blocking their path.
Heavy tanks on the other hand are good base crashers. It's like 5 or 6 can one shot a pillbox, which with support from your infantry blob, can quickly disable a base's defenses before the army arrives. It helps if you keep them repaired by sending them back to the SD when they're red, if you have time.
So, with this in mind, APCs excel during the early stages of the game, but once you have more than two MCV's on the field its probably better to switch to heavy tanks. One micro trick you can use with heavy tanks, is, if your infantry blob is large enough, is to come from a flank. Engage with your infantry first, draw the rocket fire, and then roll in the heavy tanks from the sides. A big problem with heavy tanks is they occupy "firing spots" for the infantry, since they're so slow (this is the literal problem with using mammoths to tank, and why most people misuse them). If you can come in from a flank they fair much better. Heavy tanks are also great at defense.
I agree, i build heavy tanks as base crashers, too. In the early mid game, where surprise attacks on newly built bases are still possible. Later on, imho, other warfactory options are more attractive.
Just watch out that heavy tanks are in front, which isn't the case for simple move and a-move commands with heavy tanks. In this regard med tanks are easier to use, because they will allways be in the front (faster than inf).
Also, it is important to know when to crush with the tanks. Crush, when you are sure you will win the fight. If the blob is too big, driving forward will get you in range of even more rockets and your bullet shield will disappear even faster. So in close fights, keep your tanks near your own lines (simply a-move.).
Just watch out that heavy tanks are in front, which isn't the case for simple move and a-move commands with heavy tanks. In this regard med tanks are easier to use, because they will allways be in the front (faster than inf).
Also, it is important to know when to crush with the tanks. Crush, when you are sure you will win the fight. If the blob is too big, driving forward will get you in range of even more rockets and your bullet shield will disappear even faster. So in close fights, keep your tanks near your own lines (simply a-move.).