The RU251 was considered too strong for its position at 6.7, which is pretty clear. Today, it’s at 7.3, but the problem is that the 90mm HEATFS is very weak. On top of that, the RU251 is an extremely vulnerable light tank against .50 cal, which is a problem because almost every American and Russian tank has one. Still, it’s justifiable for it to be at 7.3 due to its speed, but it doesn’t fit well into lineups.
Comparing with the Americans:
Meanwhile, on the American side, we have the T92 at 7.0 — a light tank with an extremely low profile, fast reload, capable of firing both HEATFS and APDS, and also equipped with a .50 cal. Then there’s the M50 Ontos, a very small and fast vehicle with 6 guns that fire HEAT and can practically shoot all of them at once. Additionally, the M50 Ontos also has 6 .50 cals. And the M56 Scorpion at 6.7, which is also small and fires HEATFS, although it’s much weaker than the other two.
The Situation in Italy:
It’s the same thing with Italy. They have three light tanks that fire HEATFS, all of them weak against .50 cals (something Americans and Russians don’t have to worry about). However, two of them are at 6.7 and one at 7.0.
The Situation in Germany:
Why, in Germany, where most tanks only have 7.62mm machine guns, does the best vehicle in this BR range need to be pushed up to 7.3? Gaijin has already made life harder for German players by removing the Panther II and Tiger 105 from the tech tree, and now the RU251 is yet another one that complicates things when trying to fit it into lineups.
Ru 251 is faster than any of the Americans. The .50s on the Ontos are ranging guns and have less than 10mm penetration. And the T92 is the only one of the 3 with a turret, and it’s a 76mm, not a 90mm.
As for the Italians, these vehicles have worse mobility cross country, and are even weaker against high calibre machine guns.
The Tiger 105 and Panther II never even existed, it is not “making life harder” for German mains with them being removed.
In conclusion the Ru 251 is still the best of the lot and should stay 7.3.
If anything the RU251 needs to be brought up to 7.7.
90mm HEATFS slinger that’s fast with scouting.
It’s at least on par with M48.
T92 is no where near as fast, and it doesn’t have a 90mm gun.
Italy doesn’t have a comparable light tank.
The C13 T90 pens 70mm less, is slower, and larger.
(I don’t think this is comparable due to the FCS), but the Ikv 91 also has a pretty weak 90mm HEAT-FS, plus extremely thin armor, and sits at 8.0. You may think the LRF is great and it is, problem is most enemies you face in uptiers have a LRF too, plus SABOT rounds and full stabilization.
The AML-90 can also be brought up: 90mm HEAT-FS + unexistant armor + very cramped interior (meaning one shot and you’re dead). It sits in 7.7 and I see nobody complaining. The same happens with the AMX-13-90.
Ru 251 has got excellent mobility, and the HEAT-FS seems to have a good muzzle velocity, I really don’t see why it doesn’t fit in 7.3. I recommend you review your playstyle since it’s obviously not a tank made for frontal assault, move through the flanks and only if you make sure you’ll make it out alive.
A lot of vehicles are vulnerable to the .50 cal, that’s not a valid excuse to downtier it. For a GRB lineup you could have the Ru 251, M47, Wiesel and Luchs. It’s not much though, and I agree more 7.3 vehicles would come in handy.
What? I use quotes for a reason. Read what I quoted. Yes, it doesn’t matter that the T92 has a 76mm gun instead of 90mm because it also reloads almost twice as fast…
What? Read closer in the future. I didn’t say “this is the main reason to downtier it!”
You are grasping at straws and it’s obvious, you know that right? M47 is another premium and Wiesel/Luchs are very specific vehicles that are not generally useful in a lineup besides as niche backup. You can’t make a lineup out of 2 premiums and 2 autocannon vehicles at 7.3.
Look at the AML-90/ELAND-90. They are both 90mm heatfs slingers, but they lack the cross country performance of the RU-251, they can be penned by .50 cals frontally, and they get arguably worse movement abilities in general, as they lack a reverse gearbox as well.
THEY ARE 7.7