While the prevailing narrative paints the 2S38 as an overpowered menace, this is a superficial take that completely ignores the vehicle’s glaring vulnerabilities and operational flaws. A deeper, more nuanced analysis reveals a vehicle that is, in fact, a “glass cannon” struggling to find its place. The argument to move it down to a 10.0 Battle Rating isn’t about making an overpowered vehicle stronger; it’s about placing a deeply flawed and situational vehicle in an environment where it can be competitive without being instantly nullified by its numerous and severe weaknesses.
First and foremost, the myth of the 2S38’s survivability must be dismantled. This vehicle is the epitome of a fragile, high-risk design. The armor is functionally non-existent against virtually all kinetic and chemical energy rounds it faces at its current BR and above. It is a massive, boxy target with armor so thin that it offers no protection whatsoever. Its three crew members are packed together in the hull, making them exceptionally vulnerable to a single penetrating hit. The most catastrophic design flaw, however, is the enormous ammunition carousel that occupies a huge portion of the internal space. This makes the 2S38 a literal powder keg; any shot that penetrates the hull is overwhelmingly likely to detonate the ammo, resulting in an instant kill. The so-called “unmanned turret” is a red herring, as experienced players know to simply shoot the hull for a guaranteed kill, or even shoot the turret itself, which is packed with modules that can cause an ammunition explosion upon being hit. It is a vehicle that leaves absolutely no room for error, and any mistake is punished by an immediate return to the hangar.
Secondly, the lethality of the 57mm cannon is grossly exaggerated. While the rate of fire is high, the APFSDS round’s penetration of ~225mm is critically insufficient for the battle ratings it finds itself in. When facing the frontal aspects of main battle tanks like the Abrams, Leopard 2, or Challenger, the 2S38 is forced to engage in “pixel hunting”—aiming for minuscule weak spots like turret rings or lower plates. In a head-on duel, the MBT driver can simply aim center-mass and obliterate the 2S38, while the 2S38 pilot must land a perfect shot on a tiny, often moving target. This relegates the vehicle to a flanking role out of necessity, not choice. Furthermore, the post-penetration damage of this small-caliber dart is often anemic, failing to cause significant damage unless it directly hits a critical module or crew member. This often requires multiple, perfectly placed follow-up shots, a luxury one rarely has when the enemy is turning their 120mm cannon towards you.
Beyond its fragility and inconsistent firepower, the 2S38 is plagued by poor handling characteristics. Its gun depression is a miserable -5 degrees, a crippling limitation on any map that isn’t perfectly flat. This completely prevents it from using hull-down positions on ridgelines, a fundamental tactic for survival in high-tier gameplay. It is constantly forced to expose its entire, vulnerable hull to take a shot. While its mobility is decent, it is not best-in-class and is often outpaced by the very MBTs it struggles to penetrate frontally. The ready-rack is also limited to just 20 rounds; in a heated battle, this can be expended in seconds, leaving the vehicle vulnerable during a lengthy replenishment cycle from the main storage.
Finally, any discussion of the 2S38’s performance must address the “premium vehicle effect.” As a highly popular and accessible premium, it is purchased and played by a vast number of inexperienced players. This artificially deflates its performance statistics. The vehicle may appear to be performing adequately on paper, but this is a false average created by thousands of players who are unable to effectively manage its high-risk, high-reward playstyle. For every veteran who achieves a high kill game, there are dozens of new players who are instantly destroyed, dragging the vehicle’s metrics down. Basing its BR on these skewed statistics is a fundamental error. At its current BR of 10.3, it is frequently pulled into uptiers against 11.0 and 11.3 vehicles, an environment where its paper-thin armor and mediocre penetration are rendered completely useless, leading to immense frustration for the average player. Moving it down to 10.0 would place it in a bracket where its gun is more consistently effective, its mobility can be better leveraged, and its weaknesses are not so immediately and brutally punished. It would be a move that acknowledges the vehicle’s true nature: a flawed, situational light tank that is far from the unkillable monster it is often portrayed to be.
