Hey guys! Isopanzer here!
Today I'll take one particular battle and tell you about my way of playing our beloved random battles.
It's actually quite a big topic. The thing is that every day i keep getting the same mails
from my subscribers crying "IsoPanzer, why did I do to deserve this!? I'm getting thrashed! How to play in random battles?? I'm surrounded by n00bs!! I can't do anything!!! How do you have such a good win rate!?"
Guys, I will say it again and again: my style of play and my actions in random battles do not come from some sort of uber-skill
or some high-class play. This is just a regular standard practice that can be used by practically everybody.
The thing is, we once noticed HOW we play as a squad in random battles and it turned out that, battle after battle, we are using the same general tactics and maneuvers.
These tactics practically do not depend on the type of map or on the level of battles we take part in. They are just some general tricks that we have learned to utilize after thousand and thousand of random battles.
And it even doesn't matter whether you are in a squad, or playing solo - some of these tricks are universal.
So I would like to take one battle as an example and comment in details on what logic I use when taking this or that decision.
I also would like to say that for most of the players with 55% and more victories this video will no be of much interest,
Still, maybe even they will find out something interesting out of it.
So, what do we have here? We are in a super squad with Gleborg and Tiberian and we are in fast tier-9 tanks almost at the top of the list.
So now you think we'll rush, agrresively push one of the flanks and lead the attack?
Nope! At the beginning of the battle we will not go anywhere. As for me personally, I will occupy the nearest most convenient bush in order to cover-fire the passageways to our base.
The point is that my experience of thousands and thousands of battles tells me that within the first couple of minutes, somebody WILL rush to our base through the center of the map.
Before it was T-54s...
But now the developers have introduced excellent dynamic French tanks which make thrashing process even more convenient.
That's why in our case it will either be a French tank or it might also be some guys from the bottom of the enemy tank list.
Many guys from the bottom of the list think that their first and foremost task is to die as soon as possible and I will most certainly help them to achieve it.
This is my principle: at the beginning of the battles, should I have such a possibiliy, I'll throw a few shots at the guys who want to get back to their hangars badly.
If they want to go to hanger at the beginning of the battle so much, this is their legal right and I will definitely help them.
I'm ready to deal damage, and I'm ready to score frags an that is specifically why i went to the central part in the beginning. It is a bit sad that the BatChat was not thashed as quickly as usual. He got hit only once and left.
So, do we attack now? Nope! We'll not go anywhere. Why? Because we don't know where the enemy's tanks are.
So far we've spotted only one Bat. We don't know where the HTs are. Maybe they are preparing to rush through one of the flanks. Maybe our held will be urgently required somewhere else.
And here we are! 54 is lighted up. It thinks that it's an aggresive MT and that it definitely must attack! :P
So let's see now. 54 moves forward, and even though I fail to penetrate its armor, its HP drops instantaneously and this drivers leaves for his hangar.
It's expected, it's perfectly normal and it happens everytime.
Another thing: I am now basically sitting at the base. But this is only because I'm in a fast dynamic tank. If I were in some slow and sluggish HT I would definitely cover some important route or flank.
I would do so because otherwise later on I would have no time to occupy strategically important positions on the map if I have wasted too much time in the beginning.
But here I am, in a fast E-50 with a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Whenever required I can achieve this speed by going down the slope and quickly relocate to the flank where I am needed.
But here I see a lighted up Lowe. And here is another of my principles of random play: if i occupy a certain position where an an enemy cannot see me and I can damage him, I will do it.
Yes, Lowe is currently behind an obstacle but I do understand that I may be able to hit him. So, until I see that there is nothing more for me to do here, I will not leave this spot.
I may be a bit unlucky here, having one shot rebound and another one going little bit down, but potentially this could be damaging shots with no backfire.
That is why I stopped and started firing. A light bulb appeared - I take no risk and withdraw without trying any further shots at 120. Light bulb means that three SPGs are looking my way which means I must immediately withdraw and change position.
I come back and wait. It's still not clear where our help will be required. Plus, again, I continue to deal damage without being seen. An ideal variant, a formula of success, if you wish...
I am moving and constantly analyzing, my attention at the minimap. These are probably evident things I'm telling you, but you should ALWAYS check the minimap.
And so I spot a BatChat on the minimap. Unfortunately, our Object is in a bad situation, showing his behind to the Bat, and the Bat successfully kills it.
Still, BatChat will not be able to esape now. He played in quite a risky manner and the payback for this is his return to the hangar.
E-50 decided to support his striving and was hangar'd along.
Note that we still do not move. We continue to occupy this spot, avoiding taking damage. You might call me a cynical player, but let me tell you this: most of my random teammates ARE playing worse then me.
That is why let THEM get the damage and not me. The damage that I will receive will come at the end of the battle. Cause at the end of the battle, every tank counts. You have to understand this.
If you live to the end of the battle with max HP, then your output and your influence on the end of the battle will also be maximum.
That is why I didn't even bother shooting the 120. I was lighted up and the enemy's SPGs spotted me. That is why I simply withdrew and waited.
I did not take additional damage in a situation where I could avoid getting hit.
I come back again once the enemy shows up, deal damage and retreat.
I come back again once the enemy shows up, deal damage and retreat.
Here I take certain risk as I want to finish the JagdTiger and attempt a blind shot, then retreat.
The situation gets hotter now, but this is the risk that you must take. I am not saying that you have to spend the entire battle sitting in bushes. Not at all!
It's just that you need to understand that your HP are very valuable. You need to safeguard them.
And look! It might seem that I spent an entire battle sitting aroung here, idling, beating around the bush, etc. But I have calculated and it turns out that I have already dealt about 2000 HP of damage
Two thousand. And without getting hit even once. I am at 100% HP.
And here it is. A moment that you have to decide that now you must use these HP that you have been carefully saving up to now.
And, again, guys, playing carefully and saving HP does not mean that I am afraid of getting damage. When required - you must get damaged.
See, I am still at my 100% HP. The 120 moves towards us, backed up by their SPGs.
And now comes a moment when I must go out and start working!
I have my backup and I am at full HP!
We destroy the 120 and start moving forward. Jagdtiger is next. I do not stop, because the SPGs might be locking onto me now.
Jagdtiger fires at a different target. I shoot on the move and move to its rear.
That's it! Now I can use finally use other qualities of E-50: not only its precise weapon, but also good speed and maneuverability.
Now I am ready to attack! I know where the enemy is and I know what I must do!
I know everything I need in order to use my tank in the most efficient manner!
So now I turn around and go to the safe position in order to hide from the SPGs.
Here I have miscalculated a little bit and forgot about the existence of one more tank, the tier-7 tank destroyer.
After that I immediately go back to my safe spot and wait for the moment when I'll disappear from the enemy's radar.
Another crucial thing: never leave your shelter immediately, wait for at least 5 seconds. In my case i probably should have stayed behind the house for a little while longer.
So here we are: three very dangerous enemy's tanks have quickly been destroyed with me on the front line. I was no longer afraid to take damage because somebody had to take that damage, no other choice.
Here I try to assist Gleborg in destroying the IS-3. Unfotunately, no penetration, so we decide that he will finish the IS-3 himself while we move to find the SPGs.
Here again I am ready to take at least one shot from the SPGs. The HP that I saved I will be spending at the end of the battle.
GWPanther is spotted. I stopped to shoot because somebody had to finish it. It was a bit risk since I definitely was spotted. But an APG has to be killed and I decided to do it.
That's it. All the rest is easy, nothing to comment, the remaining SPG will be finished now, and this is our victory.
By the way, look: I was spotted and it is a direct hit from the SPG. But, because of my 1000 HP, this GWTiger does not kill me and makes my last frag in this battle.
This battle was absolutely standard for us. This is how we usually play. Do not misunderstand me, I don't frag seven enemise every battle, of course :)
What I mean to say is that this a standard tactic that we use. We are playing in a very careful manner. If you know how to play pocker, that this very much resembles a standard, coolheaded type of play.
You can play differently, I am in no way trying to impose this on you. I just want to tell you that when I was playing solo in such style, I was able to achieve 57% victory rate. In squad play, this rate will of course go up.
So, this tactic, being calm and cool-headed, is much simpler then the aggressive type of play. Playing aggressively makes it very hard to survive and make any big impact onto the result of the battle.
Only very experienced players can do it. That's why most of the guys trying to play agrresively die in the first minutes. And this is perfectly understandable.
If you want to have a furious showdown with your enemies - that is your right. It's a random battle, nobody is obliged here. You can play the way you want to and I personally never blame such players.
This guy has a BatChat and he just urges to rush onto the enemy's base. Let him! He gets thrashed and starts up a new tank in the next battle. Probably that's the way he gets pleasure from the game.
But for me personally, the most important figure is the number of victories. I like to WIN in random battles. For me, the team's victory is much more important than my own actions.
That's why I play in such a way so that this victory can be achieved. You can love or hate it and I have already heard many bad comments on this tactic.
But the point is that it works! And accordingly it's up to you have you want to play and which tactic to use.
I hope that this boring monologue was of any use to you, and thank you for watching!