Currently, I’m trying to spade my Japanese 6.3 tank lineup that consists of: M41A1, ST-A1, ST-A2, Sub I-II, and Type 75 SPH and for some reason, I am struggling heavily with it. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that my abilities in GRB are far from ideal, but even taking that into account, I feel like I’m doing far worse than normal. The M41 is probably the standout of the lineup, with its final round having great pen against the heavy tanks I run into all the time and has the mobility to quickly relocate when the need arise. The ST-A1 and ST-A2 on the other hand, have caused me endless problems. Their APDS round has all the usual faults of the current APDS implementation, in addition to having apparently poor penetration, and the HEAT final round just seem utterly ineffective (I even had it bounce off the side of a panther side plate once). Sub I-II (I know this is 5.3 but I’ll pile on it anyway) seems strangely hard to get a lead on the aircraft and the hits you manage to get it doesn’t seem to do anything most of the time. And I can’t say much for the Type 75 since it’s an HE lobber and the strangeness that comes from the overpressure mechanic.
So is this just a me thing or are the vehicles that make up the lineup poorly matched up to its competition?
I’m at the same point and the teams are currently terrible. The vehicles are not bad, at least in stock condition. The SUB I-II is mega. Very dangerous, especially at short range. Do you already have the DM63 ammunition free? It blows everything away.
Most of the time I find myself in situations that suck because everyone is rushing at the enemy like idiots and getting killed.
My 6.3 lineup is the ST-A1 with HEATFS, Type 75, Sub I-II and A7M2. You just need to play to their strengths.
They Type-75 with HE and a autoloader, was my go to vehicle while spading the next tier. That HE overpressure can destroy everything once you know where to aim, the VT type HE is decent enough and with the .50 you can deal with CAS.
Sub I-II is decent enough and I never had an issue with the HEATFS on the ST-A1, no more than any other tank, although I usually keep a few M82 on hand. It’s not great the ST-A1, but it does have great zoom, and a .50 for air defence and light tank/gun barrel/track destruciton. I generally play this more in the sniper role.
The A7M2 is a zero on steroids and able to easily take on most planes including the early jets. Just not all that fast.
My favorite in the next level is the Type 60 SPRG and Ho-Ri Production. Type 60 SPRG, is small and nimble ambusher, and can kill just about everything. The Ho-Ri, if you get a downtier, you can bully King Tigers, IS-3/4s and US T-34s if you use it right. Unfortunately I tend to see more upteirs, where most of it’s qualities lose out, but I usually wait for later in the match to roll it.
The 6.3 is definitely not that easy, especially if you’re not that experienced. And even with experience you must play differently than with other nations.
The walker bulldog is quite nice, but some people don’t like it.
The sta’s are basically 90mm armed shermans that look like pattons. Nice ammo selection and gunner sight though
The type 75 sph is the best of the 6.3 vehicles as you can destroy everything. Pretty funny baiting planes trying to strafe you and punishing them with he-vt.
And while the 20mm cannon on the sub I-II is a nice anti air weapon , the vehicle has the same problem as many other spaa, having no survivability.
The ST-A1/2 are glassier Pershings with somewhat more mobility, and should be used sorta like the M4/T26 in the US tree. HEATFS is not your main round, M82 is.
The Bulldog is…just another Bulldog. The Type 75 is your star player here.
The prior centerpiece of the deck got uptiered to oblivion (Ho-Ri Prototype, 150mm flat armor at 6.7 is pathetic), and using a premium Tiger E above 6.0 means its functionally a Pershing in terms of armor reliability, if not worse since its a box.
No comment on the SUB, as I don’t own that.
Less poor lineup, and more poor br, 6.7 is a significantly more fun br with very good tanks.
Spoiler
good mobility
Fastest heat shell in game
Rangefinder
Decent zoom
Very poor armor though
6 sec reload or smoke grenades (very serviceable ready rack 14 shells)
All sums up to be the best long range sniper at the br range
One of my friends plays around that br in France, and always complains to me that the sta3 is the most broken 6.7 tank in game
And while heat has its reputation, I find 6.7 heat to do me good, and one shot most opponents
Spoiler
in 6.3 the tanks are more poor in quality, they have nearly none of the benefits listed above, and I’ve lost engagements because I was too accustomed to the great bullet drop of the sta3 and shot too low with the sta1
Back in the day heatfs wasn’t actually useless and the ST’s were pretty good, but without them they’re just bad really with no real redeeming factors, shitty everything at the same or higher BR as the American 90mm tanks like the Persing despite being not nearly as good.
Type 75 is a lot more meta now.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone!
Yep, I have DM63 set alongside DM51A1 for anti-air duties. I don’t know about its capacity to do harm though, since most of the time all I can hope for is to break the barrel and maybe track of the countless heavy tanks I encounter in the BR bracket and hope that an ally would take advantage of this and kill the guy for me.
I don’t know why but I got this weird thing where if I were to snap fire at something, it works wonders but the moment I go into sniper mode to actually aim my shot, it fails. I guess I need to learn to learn where to shoot. Would you recommend the Stock M107 with its higher explosive mass or Type 75 (the shell) with its lower explosive mass but higher velocity (to help the aim)?
Yeah, I generally do this as well since I’ve long since learned to not rely on Japanese armor haha. But good to know nonetheless.
Yeah until I unlocked the M331A2 APDS, trying to get kills with the other rounds was…infuriating. The round keeps failing to pen at the slightest angle or volumetric shenanigans…
That’s a good idea!
Mm, noted. I don’t recall having a good time with that before but I’ll certainly give it a try again.
It does explain me getting uptiered a lot to face all the Pershings and the like.
Right, the HE improvement. Guess I’ll bring that out more often.
Oh, funny thing, most matches I had in 6.7 were down tiers, with the occasional few uptier, but Japan 6.7 lineups are very br insensitive, unlike something like a f104j
When the Ho-Ri Production had its reverse on par with its top speed it was capable of brawling up close with IS-6 I used to do it alot back then take the cannon barrel out then the tracks then shoot it from the side in its weak spot now its slugish and barely wants to turn
I also have a easy trick to increase chances of partial downtiers
Higher velocity, otherwise at longer ranges you have to compensate for the drop. The low velocity does have some advantages, as you can drop it behind a ridge if an enemy is there.
I find you just need to keep it moving slightly to take advantage of it’s turns.
That’s a pretty stacked lineup, but, the vehicles are difficult to play, for sure. Between constant uptiers, and the difficulty, it just takes time to learn niche vehicles and strategies.
With the STs just have to he aware the armor is paper (not including angled bits that might throw rounds) and the scope can throw you off at close range as a very good zoom brings its own issues.
Some of my favourite camos bought go on these Japanese vehicles.
They are just placed because of HEATFS and that is just trash, they should be lower BR.
6.3 Japan is a pretty good lineup, though I favor 6.7 more.
I would skip the M41A1 and SUB-I-II. Neither are very effective, at least in my opinion. ST-A1 and 2 are great, take HEAT-FS and M82 primarily. The optics are way too zoomed in, so stay at longer ranges. Mobility isn’t bad at all, you just have to play around not having any armor and being extremely clunky to use at short range.
Type 75 is definitely the best, though - 10s autoloader with good HE, even among all the 155mm slingers.
Also consider bringing a fighter if you’ve gone down the japan air tree.
A7M2 will make you dribble with joy in the AA role!
It’s easily one of my favorites. J2M3 and Ki-84s don’t do badly either.
I think the word “consider” is an understatement. ;-)
As a Japanese, you actually have a duty to fly CAP!
I like the SUB … when there are no planes I play it like a very fragile scout. There is always a target that you can pen.
