Artillery (also known as self-propelled guns or colloquially "arty") is an often misunderstood class in World of Tanks. Playing as artillery takes patience, practice and basic knowledge of the "hot zones" on maps. Generally speaking, artillery has little to no armor, minimum health, and very low mobility. But where this class shines is through its armament: large-caliber guns that can severely cripple, if not outright destroy, an unsuspecting opponent!

Like other vehicle classes you must play to your strengths and minimize your weakness as best as you can.

What Makes an Artillery?

Large-caliber guns -- the largest in the game, to be exact!

When entering battle, many first-time artillery players think they are playing a variant of the tank destroyer class, given their large guns and lack of a turret. Artillery is not meant to rush into close or medium-range firefights; hidden by the base and picking off targets from afar are the goals here!

Artillery fires rounds at an angle, allowing you to hit even concealed foes

Low tier artillery probably won"t seem much at first. Their guns don"t stand out and they"ll easily be the least-flexible class available; with no turrets and limited traverse speed and mobility. However, once you"re exposed to mid and high tier artillery, that all changes and you"ll get a glimpse at what this class truly has to offer.

Know Your Role and Shut Your Hatch

Always remember to look at the composition of both teams when entering a battle. As artillery, take note of how many potential scouts you"ll have as eyes, and how many enemy light tanks might be looking to hunt you down!

Staying concealed is your best armor

While allied scouts are sprinting to the frontlines for detection opportunities, use this time to relocate nearby to a place that offers both decent and unobstructed firing angles and safety. The corners of maps are common places to hide, but that also depends on the firing range of your specific artillery model.You"ll need to experiment with locations on different maps in order to find the places that work best for you. Look for bushes to hide behind. And remember -- artilleryhave no armor, so staying out of direct lines of sight is vital!

Play to Your Strengths

Say hello to my little friend

Know your strengths:

1. Splash damage
2. Indirect fire
3. Force multipliers

Most artillery come equipped with high-explosive rounds (HE) alongside standard armor-piercing (AP). HE rounds have a lower chance at penetrating a target, but upon impact, they detonate, causing an explosion that can deal damage. Exploding HE rounds create a splash radius around the impact zone, allowing the shell"s explosion to cause damage to nearby tanks. On regular tanks firing HE, this splash radius isn"t much, but with large-caliber guns found on artillery, trying to increase your splash damage is a common tactic. Savvy artillery players will memorize choke points and locations where tanks group together to maximize their splash damage output.

Indirect fire and artillery go hand in hand, and it "s defintely a distinct advantage! Foes hiding behind indestructible objects can only be sussed out by artillery. Some artillery have high firing arcs, allowing their rounds to land directly on top of a target, while others fire at a much flatter trajectory and have a chance to hit the side of a target. Being the only class that fires indirectly, artillery is your best bet at clearing a well defended position from afar.

When a battle begins, artillery should note where their scouts are setting up to spot, and zero in nearby. But what happens once the battle is in full turmoil? If you had to guess where to fire next, look toward the main offensive push (or defense). When in the middle of combat, most players will focus on what they can see, not taking into account what else might be stealthily aiming their way. There's nothing more back-breaking for the enemy than receiving and bouncing a few hits in a tank only to receive the final exclamation point by a well-placed artillery round. Focusing your fire on the main assault could turn the tide of battle in your favor -- just try not to damage your allies who may be close to your targeted enemy!

For you history buffs out there, think of this tactic like Blitzkrieg, where your team's fire is concentrated on a focal point in hopes of crushing all defenders.

Mastering Artillery

From the start, you"ll notice that aiming with artillery is quite different from the rest of the classes. By pressing and holding the left trigger (default option), you"ll enter arty mode, where you have a top-down view of the battlefield with a large, green (often oval) aiming circle. By default, your controller is set so that you have to hold down the trigger to keep this aiming mode on, but in the Settings menu you can adjust this so that you don"t have to hold it down.

The green dots indicate that there is a clear path to your target, a red line indicates that something is in the way, and a white line means that you are out of range.

Arty mode: this view is only available to artillery. Use it to zero in on unsuspecting prey

Notice the oval of green dots around your target. This oval starts out large and gradually becomes smaller as it focuses on the target. The size of the circle, how fast it zeros in and how small the circle ultimately gets are entirely dependent on your selected artillery, its gun caliber, crews and equipment mounted.

The dots indicate where your shot can land. If you don’t see dots, then your shot is obstructed, and you won’t be able to hit your target, even if the line is green. The smaller the dots get before you fire, the better your accuracy! Be patient -- it is better to wait a few more seconds to get accuracy better than to waste a shot and wait for the lengthy reload. Stay aware of enemy movement, although you may not be able to see, arty mode allows you to view trees being knocked down, buildings being damaged and muzzle flashes when the enemy fires.

Locking your hull can also help your accuracy by keeping you locked in place. Press Left on the directional pad to lock your hull (and remember to unlock once you relocate).

When firing, remember that it could take a few seconds for your shot to reach its target. If your target is moving, you must factor in how much it will move between the time you fire and the time the shot arrives. This skill takes practice to learn, but there's nothing more satisfying than hitting a moving target!

Artillery is all about patience. Take the time to find a target, wait for your aiming circle to tighten, and let loose a screaming volley of fire!

And again I welcome everyone who carefully reads the “Tankman’s Manual” in the new chapter, which is devoted to a technique that loves to spit shells across the entire map. Yes, we will talk about Artillery. This specific technique, despite its similarities with any other tank on the battlefield, has fundamental differences in the specifics of its preparation. I will tell you how to play art in World of Tanks immediately after you answer the following questions. Are you ready to be to blame for your team's loss in every battle? Are you ready to die in the first minute of battle under the light of a nimble firefly? Are you ready to feel useless in Himmelsdorf? If no arguments can break your stubborn decision to become an artilleryman, then get ready to go to the dark side of the forces, enjoying the curses that will rain down on your head. Arta works on barter, you are a projectile to the enemy, he is a curse to you, so get used to it.

I think all novice artillerymen were able to appreciate the adult size of the top artillery guns in the World of Tank game, perhaps for some this was the reason for choosing specialization, and maybe even an increase in ego, but the main thing you had to understand is that the artillery was created primarily to shoot ! Art is not the team's eyes, art is not the team's armor, art is not the team's sniper, art is the team's main gun! Therefore, let's skip the issues of driving, camouflage and other things, and focus on the main thing, on the shots.

1. Meditation. If you start to reach your goal, then you have a minute to run to the toilet or to the kitchen for tea. But you can’t ignore the convergence, despite the fact that artillery often has to shoot at moving targets, and this has to be done not with full convergence, still try to bring the convergence to the minimum circle. An uncombined piece of art risks sending its projectile beyond the borders of our planet and even the galaxy, hitting the death star with a land mine, and then the World of Star Wars will come to the World of Tanks, but why do we need these problems? The chance of hitting a death star and a tank without information is approximately the same; of course, the Great Belarusian Random sometimes sends your shells exactly to the center, but I do not recommend you wait for such leniency.

2. Throw higher, further, stronger. Naive heavyweight drivers think that there are many shelters on the maps from our heavenly punishment. Many shelters look like an insurmountable barrier to a projectile, but artillerymen who have gone over to the dark side of the force can adjust the trajectory of a projectile. Using force and shifting the aiming center slightly behind the tank, which is behind cover, most likely the corner of the tank's turret will be on the projectile's flight path, which is quite enough to receive a new portion of curses.

3. A grenade is better than a bullet. Since the teaching of force is extremely versatile, it is impossible to say for sure which shells, AP or HE, are better to use, but do not forget that it is HEs that have a blast wave, so I would recommend always having at least a couple in your ammunition load. A tank standing behind an insurmountable obstacle, for example behind a building, may receive not a direct hit, but good damage from the splash (explosive wave). I recommend not sparing shells, but hitting the enemy with all your might, because even with a splash you cause damage, and by causing damage you help the team win.

4. Shooting rabbits. Tankers are extremely ardent and energetic people, they are constantly in a hurry to get somewhere, sometimes shouting slogans, but over the noise of the engines you can only hear “o-lo-lo”. It’s hard to hit the tankers who are on their way, but it’s possible. It is impossible to teach how to do this, but a real artilleryman who has mastered the force, with practice, will be able to control the speed of a projectile, the speed of movement of the enemy, and I won’t even talk about controlling the trajectory of a projectile and slowing down time, it’s as easy as shelling pears. In general, don’t be afraid to practice, over time you will understand which point, on the path of a moving tank, to shoot and when to hit. I can please you, you will receive 2X curses from a tank that was knocked out on the move.

5. The hen does not change place. It is your gaze from the sky that will allow you to find those who are hiding. The gods of the World of Tanks have returned tracers to us, so by inspecting the standard places where PTs or your fellow Artillerymen like to live, you can find tracers. If there is silence or sluggish firefight in the battle, do not be lazy to look for tracers; a killed PT or ART without light gives 3X curses and +1 to karma. In this case, PTs are even easier to kill; they usually return to their places, even if they are scared, because there are few suitable places on the maps for them.

6. Be above everyone else. You can control the trajectory of a projectile not only using force, but by changing your position above sea level. If you are lower than the targets you are shooting at, then the trajectory will be flat, but if you climb higher, the trajectory will become much more “humpbacked”, this will also affect the accuracy, and most importantly, it will be easier to throw shells behind cover.

The path to knowing how to play self-propelled guns in tanks is quite difficult and the ability to shoot alone will not be enough. The team's main weapon must be useful throughout the battle, and for this you need to be able to navigate what is happening on the battlefield. STs have maneuverability and speed, heavy vehicles have armor and a life reserve, and artefacts were given a “dryn” and released onto the battlefield, survive as you wish. Therefore, art must be more cunning and more inventive than everyone else. Even the lord of strength will not teach you all the tricks, but I will tell you some simple rules that can be applied every battle.

1. The beginning of the battle is everything's head. While loading is in progress, evaluate the composition of the team; as an artillery leader, your first concern should be the presence of fireflies, both in the enemy team and in your team. Further, there can be many scenarios, if the enemy has 2 fireflies, it is better to run, if the enemy does not have fireflies, and your firefly writes: “candle right away,” then you need to stand and lead to the enemy’s base. If your firefly illuminates the enemy before the enemy’s ST does, then you will kill their artillery earlier, so there will be no reason to be afraid of your own exposure.

2. Distribution of gift suitcases. Choosing the wrong target is perhaps the second big mistake of art. Arta must select targets in the following sequence: Arta, PT, Heavy. If Arta tries to cover the enemy ST with fire across the entire map, which usually fights with the allied ST, then all sorts of crap happens! During the flight of the projectile, the CTs change places and the projectile hits an ally or with a splash removes his harp, even if you just missed, then there is nothing good in this either. You can only shoot at a ST if you are in a certain square, and there, purely by chance, there is a ST in the crosshairs, which in addition has been used to shoot down a harp. If the situation on the battlefield is such that only CTs are fighting, and the heavies are sitting in the bushes, it’s better to look at the enemy tracers, there will be more benefit.

3. Art walks through the fields. There is an opinion that the safest place for art is your own base, but this is a lie that is spread by the forces of good, so that you never become an art master of a dark force. At the beginning of the battle, I recommend that the artillery move to the flank where most of the heavies have gone. It’s safe to stay behind the thickly armored backs of the weights, and the weights usually collide with the weights in the direction, and the closer you are to the point of combat, the faster your projectile will reach the target. But this is only at the beginning of the battle, if your heavies are moving forward, move after them after each shot. It's not very wise to stand at the base, that's why. Fireflies always fly to shine art on the base, they don’t look for you in other places, especially where there are clusters of strands, because it’s hard to fly past them. There are 3-4 directions of approach to the base, if your strands have broken through one direction, then perhaps in the other direction the ST has lost and is already flying to the base, but you don’t care, you are not at the base! If the enemy is already at your base, and you are far from it, you can freely turn around and hit back, helping to break the capture, and if you stay, they will kill you first before the capture begins.

4. Life is in motion. The last point, just for the sake of making it more memorable than the rest, I will advise you to move. Remember that the enemy team may also have students of dark force who are looking for you using tracers. Therefore, after each shot, immediately move forward or backward. If you have a slow arta, carry oil or a twisted speed controller with you, this will help you run faster.

I wish you to master the science called “how to play art in World of Tank” and successfully use all the techniques of the great art master, and the great power of the miracle will come with you!

Good day, dear tankers! Today I will describe the main controls of a tank in the game World of Tanks. The article will be useful reading for novice tank crews as an instruction manual for the operation of a combat vehicle.

Quite simple and intuitive, especially for people who have played computer games more than once. I will list the main keys in the game with default control settings.

Tank movement:

Double key press R full forward - enables automatic movement of the tank in the forward direction, without the need to hold the button W, but with buttons A And D you can taxi; button press S stops the tank;

Double button press F full back - the button action is similar to R, only turns on the automatic movement of the tank backwards;

- R/F cruise control (when moving forward, backward);

- Space hold and stop the tank while moving to shoot, after releasing the button the tank continues moving;

X The handbrake is used when playing tank destroyers and self-propelled guns to fix the hull; disables body rotation when the sight reaches the horizontal aiming angle. Press again to turn off, or start driving.

Camera:

- Mouse movement when you hold down the right mouse button, view without rotating the turret or moving the sight;

- Mouse scroll wheel, keys PgUp, PgDn zoom zoom in/out of the camera/sight, switch to sniper/arcade mode;

- Ctrl+ click right click for self-propelled guns, turning on the art sight with aiming at the selected square of the minimap.

- Alt hold to enable an alternative mode for displaying tank icons.

Fire:

Cry right mouse button by target, enable auto-guidance and auto-tracking of the selected target;

Cry right mouse button, E key off target, disabling auto-aim;

- Shift manual activation of the sniper/arcade mode of the sight;

- C reload key;

Keys 1, 2, 3 The keyboard selects the type of projectile to be used, one press of the button selects for the next shot, the dual loader immediately proceeds to replace the type of projectile with the selected one.

Keys 4, 5, 6 use of consumable equipment depending on the installation slot; after pressing, you must select the module to be repaired, or the crew member who needs to be cured

Battle chat:

- Tab switching between message recipients (own team, enemy team, message to your platoon/company); By default, messages are sent to your team;

- Esc when the battle chat is open or click left mouse button outside the chat window, exit the combat chat message editor;

Combat interface:

Buttons + And - - respectively, increasing and decreasing the size of the minimap;

- M display/hide the minimap;

- Ctrl turning on the pointer;

- Ctrl+Tab changing the appearance of command lists (ears);

- V- display/hide the entire combat interface in battle;

- Z opening the general menu of orders after opening, you need to select an order with the mouse pointer and confirm it by clicking left mouse button to send to the team;

Z when hovering over an ally/enemy, a menu of orders opens with a list applicable to that player. Also requires selecting an order with the mouse pointer and confirming its sending by clicking left mouse button.

Hotkeys:

- F3 message to the team Defend the base!

- F5 message to the team Exactly! - used as confirmation of an order, or confirmation of the completion of a combat mission, as well as a battle cry after a team wins a battle ☺;

- F6- message to the team No way! - refusal to carry out a combat mission, or disagreement with an order;

- F7- message to the team Help needed!

- F8- message to the command Still reloading (where - the number of seconds remaining until the end of reloading), or Ready to shoot!, if the projectile/cassette is already loaded.

- Esc opening the main game menu. Attention! Do not leave the battle until it is over, unless your tank is destroyed and you are capable of any action to the detriment of the enemy! Provided

As already mentioned, artillery is considered by many “respectable tank crews” to be something of a necessary evil. It seems annoying, and it seems like you can’t do without it... Firstly, you can literally play self-propelled guns with one hand, and with the other you can leisurely sip tea and cookies. And secondly, even after the start of the battle, you don’t even have to drive far, exposing yourself to shells, just sit in the bushes near the base and wait for the next fat enemy to be spotted in order to send him a good gift in the form of a landmine or two. Fortunately, the guns are not deprived of damage either - self-propelled guns can easily destroy almost any target with one hit.

However, the “art” also has disadvantages, including, at a minimum, a long reload time and extremely thin armor (in most cases). Therefore, like it or not, like it or not, the team has to take care of its self-propelled guns, since without any artillery it is very difficult to have an advantage over the enemy.

1. Don't get into trouble. Artillery is not a tank. At the forefront of the battle, it will be taken down before you can say the word “one-shot.” Sit on the edge of the map and don't lean out.

2. Get into a comfortable position. Most often, the best location for self-propelled guns is a corner of the map not far from the base. Preferably one where there is a hill so that as much of the map as possible can be shot through.

3. Follow the progress of the battle and the minimap. There is a reason why “lighting” exists in World of Tanks, and “art” is not able to look at the battlefield from above for the sake of beautiful views. Follow the progress of the battle and first of all take out those who are difficult to take out with one shot from a regular tank: TT, ST and tank destroyers. And if one of the enemies came to “visit” you - RUN, as you would run from the husband of your mistress who suddenly returned. Or hide.

4. Is the enemy close? Direct fire! The enemy is close, but has not seen you yet? Press Shift to exit howitzer mode, aim at the enemy, press RMB to capture the target, and then... give him that very “one-shot” from the harm of direct fire!

5. Not sure? Do not shoot! Wasting official shells in vain is not only bad, it’s also ineffective! Remember that your gun takes a long time to reload, and during this time you can always miss a good chance to knock out a particularly tasty and plump tank of the enemy team. It’s better to wait for this chance for another second than to “hit” for luck.

6. Keep anticipation in mind. The guys from Wargaming did their best and made “real” projectiles in the game that actually fly through the air. This is not Counter Strike: GO, where enemies are killed by the crosshair and the sound of a shot. Similar to real ballistics, in World of Tanks, there is a lead - the expected position of the target by the time the projectile arrives. Therefore, if you are going to “bomb” the other end of the map, then estimate how far your target travels during the flight of the projectile (up to 3 seconds). This will be the approximate value of the lead.

7. Shoot a land mine between enemies. Instead of wasting extra shells on each of the enemy tanks and unnecessary time on reloading, it is better to send a high-explosive fragmentation “handsome” directly between two or more nearby adversaries. Everyone will be affected.

8. Sometimes you can shoot blindly. If you still have a lot of ammunition, and you notice how someone invisible has knocked down a tree, damaged a building, or even fired... Urgently send a shell there! The enemy will be surprised! Even if you don’t hit him, you’ll most likely drive him away from a secluded place, and your allies won’t be far off.

* * *

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How to play self-propelled guns?

Artillery is a rather specific type of equipment: a small amount of HP, no armor, the ability to shoot across the entire map (at least for most self-propelled guns) and huge damage per shot (for example, the average damage of the top gun of Soviet self-propelled guns of 6-7 levels is 1850!) .
It may seem that playing self-propelled guns is the easiest, but it’s not for nothing that artillery gunners are also called “single-button”: stand in cover and slowly shoot at someone else’s light. But with self-propelled guns, as with other types of equipment in World of Tanks, it is quite easy to achieve average results, but achieving real mastery is very difficult.

Any battle begins with choosing a position. What should be a convenient position for artillery? On the one hand, you should be able to fire at the enemy (preferably in several directions), that is, there should not be, for example, a house in the line of fire directly in front of you.
On the other hand, a good position should hide you from opponents, that is, you should stand either behind bushes (preferably double ones) or in a low area. The latter option is preferable when firing direct fire at medium and close distances: you need to stand so that only part of the gun protrudes, that is, you can easily shoot at the enemy, but it will be difficult for him to hit you. It is also advisable to have a reliable cover next to your position, behind which you can hide for a while if you are exposed.

On most maps, such convenient positions are located right next to the spawn or base, but this does not mean that you should always stand on them. If you are the only self-propelled gun in a team, then you can stand wherever is convenient for you, but everything becomes more complicated if there are allied self-propelled guns. There is no need to crowd two or three in one position.

Firstly, you can simply interfere with each other’s shooting. Secondly, it will be easier to identify you using tracers. Thirdly, it will be easier for opponents to hide from your fire. Always try to stand further away from the allied self-propelled guns; ideally, you should take up positions in different corners of the map in order to cross-fire at the enemy, inflict more damage (you can hit the sides or stern), and drive him out of cover.
Just because you take a position doesn't mean you have to stand there glued to the ground for the rest of the fight. In random battles, this is a very common situation: opponents are hiding behind cover, and an allied self-propelled gun stands in one place and does not change position, even if there are no targets available for it. This is a big mistake.

If the opponents are hiding behind cover and are afraid to stick their heads out, then you should change your position so that you can reach them. It is quite possible that you will have to travel a considerable distance. You also need to change your position if you see that the opponents have destroyed allies on one of the flanks and are moving towards you. There is no need to be heroic, you can only fire one shot, and then you will be noticed and quickly destroyed.
You need to change your position, in good light you can make much more than one effective shot, deal much more damage. If you are on a slow self-propelled gun, then in such cases it is better to change your position in advance: when you see that the enemy is pushing through one flank, you do not need to wait until the last minute, retreat immediately.

Also, do not forget that you can be identified using tracers. So after each shot you need to roll forward or backward at least a little. Much depends on what position you stand in. If you are located near a respawn or a base in a position popular for self-propelled guns, then there is a high chance that you will be identified using tracers. If you take an unexpected and rarely occupied self-propelled gun position, then the chances drop to a minimum. Naturally, if the enemy artillery was destroyed, then there is no need to worry about calculations using tracers.

Now directly about shooting and choosing targets. Self-propelled guns are characterized by long aiming times and very long reload times. If at low levels this is not so noticeable, then already at the sixth level, mixing can take seven seconds, and reloading can take thirty. That is, you must choose your target carefully and shoot only when you are almost one hundred percent sure of a hit.
Only two self-propelled guns have a fully rotating turret: the SU-26 and Bat Chatillon 155. The first is a third-tier Soviet self-propelled gun (the most popular self-propelled gun in low-level battles), the second is the top of the French branch of self-propelled guns. Some self-propelled guns have pretty good windage angles (for example, GW Panther), and on some you will have to constantly turn the hull.

To make the sight misaligned less in this case, you need to hold down the right mouse button, rotate the body, and then combine the sight with the aiming circle. If you turn the body slowly, the aiming circle will increase quite a bit, and you will be able to fire a shot almost immediately.
Slow heavy tanks are the easiest to hit, but they have the thickest armor, meaning you won't be able to do much damage if you hit them head-on. Medium tanks do not have such thick armor, but are much more mobile, therefore, it is more difficult to hit them. You should try to shoot either at stationary medium tanks and tank destroyers, or at the sides and stern of any tanks. To do this, you need to change your position more often and fire from positions unexpected for the enemy.

There is no point in trying to hit moving light tanks; you will only waste the shell and waste time reloading. But if you can reach the “firefly” hiding behind cover, then be sure to shoot, a high-explosive shell will cause full damage due to the thin armor. Here again the advice to change your position more often comes in handy. In general, you need to move a lot on self-propelled guns; from one position in most battles you will not cause too much damage.

In random battles, your allies will rarely cover you, so it is quite possible that an enemy light tank breaks through to you. In general, if the enemy is inexperienced and is rushing straight at you, then you have a great chance of destroying him; even one shot will be enough for you. If the enemy swerves and moves in an arc, then it will be very difficult to hit him. In most cases, it makes sense to go straight to cover, because an enemy self-propelled gun can open fire on you, and hope that the enemy light tank will be destroyed by your allies.

If your allies spot an enemy self-propelled gun, you don’t need to immediately target it; first assess the situation. Maybe the allies will destroy it themselves, and your help will not be needed. If you do end up being targeted by an enemy self-propelled gun, then inform your allies by pressing F2 “Attack”. This will be a signal to allied self-propelled guns so that they do not shoot at your target.

If an allied self-propelled gun points to a target with the “Attack” signal, then this target should not be attacked: firstly, it’s simply ugly, secondly, one of you will waste a shell, and often even one shot from the self-propelled gun can decide the outcome of everything battle.
In general, enemy self-propelled guns should be a priority target. Also, do not forget that inexperienced artillery operators often remain in place after exposure. So if you don't even see the enemy, shoot at the place where he was detected. Most likely you will destroy it.

You also need to remember that self-propelled gun shells often hit the roof of enemy tanks, where the armor of even high-level heavy tanks can be, for example, 30 mm, which means you will inflict maximum damage. The projectile can also hit surveillance devices, then the damage will also be maximum. So you need to aim at the roof of the tank, and not the forehead.

Since you often shoot almost across the entire map, the projectile flies for one and a half to two seconds, you must always remember this and take a lead. You are unlikely to be able to hit a moving medium tank from a long distance, especially if it is turning, but hitting a heavy tank moving in a straight line even from a long distance is not very difficult.

In most cases, you need to use high-explosive shells; they have relatively low penetration, but the damage can be partial (in the case of armor-piercing shells, it either penetrates or does not penetrate, there is no third option). Also, high-explosive shells cause a lot of critical damage, which greatly weakens the enemy and increases your team’s chances of winning.

It should also be remembered that land mines have a “splash”, that is, they do not hit a point, like armor-piercing ones, but a small area of ​​​​several meters. This way you can damage multiple opponents. If a shell explodes a few meters from the enemy, the damage will be small, but there is a high chance of knocking down the track. Just don’t forget that the “splash” can also hit your allies, be careful.
Often, self-propelled guns have shaped charge shells available that can be purchased either for gold or for a large amount of silver. They can be useful in many situations, use them if possible. There are also “gold” land mines, the feature of which is a large “splash”. Overall, they don't pay for themselves, but they can be useful if you're knocking a grapple off base, for example.

Also, at many high-level self-propelled guns you can fire armor-piercing shells. They have high damage, so it is tempting to only shoot them. But don't forget that in most cases your projectile hits the enemy at a high angle. For high-explosive shells this does not matter, but for armor-piercing shells in this case the role of ricochets and non-penetration increases. In general, it is rational to use armor-piercing shells only when firing directly or at point-blank range.

That's all. In company and clan battles, self-propelled guns can inflict up to 80% damage; in random battles, this is hardly possible: you are rarely covered by your allies, and the light often dies almost in the first thirty seconds. But you can still deal massive amounts of damage. The main thing is to calculate each shot and change your position more often.