Howitzers undertiered?

This topic is for tank AB, in which aiming is assisted by the use of a cursor and spotting is with tags.

I think the BR of howitzers (2S3M, M109 series, Type 75 etc etc) should be looked at;

Currently, the general BR of these vehicles range from 6.0 to 7.3 (most of them). This is the BR range where heavy tanks like Tiger 2 H reigns.

The issue is, howitzers have three capabilities that are not offered to other vehicles

-the (very good) capability to indirect fire (see BMP-1)
-very good survival due to large size
-one hit kill due to overpressure (unlike HEAT shells)

These vehicles render the point of slow heavy tanks useless, and render “conventional” tank destroyers obsolete. Is it any wonder that so many players play them?

I believe moving them up the BR will be in fact better for the heavy tanks and the howitzers; the howitzers would perform even better at cold war tier where vehicles are lightly armored (Leopard, even T-54s can be popped by 155mm)

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Currently I run the Object 120 with HE shells, which has a similar playstyle to these howitzers and do fine at 8.0-8.3; The design of even the “top dogs” like T-64 and MBT-70 means that they can be overpressured, a problem not solved until the likes of Abrams and Leopard 2 with more protruding turrets

You kind of already have this subject covered here.Talk about how the much more modern howitzers destroyed the best era for WW2 tanks in this game.
They can one hit you but APHE passes straight through them with no effect.

It was a very silly idea to spam WW2 battles with 60s/80s artillery and make armour ineffective and make the game pointless.

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In my opinion, era is not the issue balancing wise. You have tanks like PT-76B, M-51, AMX-13, ASU-85 (etc) just to name a few. These vehicles are balanced by the fact that HEAT-FS carrying vehicles generally have bad armor (bad armor in a way that they’re vulnerable to overpressure and thick enough to denotate APHE) and damage.

Not the turreted howitizers; They have relatively fast reload, turret, low velocity, paper armor.

paper armour in this game means you need four shots of APHE to destroy them.

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Nothing is balanced when I can shoot MILANs, HEAT-FS etc frontally one hit killing ww2 heavy tanks.

Right now the only meta is fast and firepower, so stuff like COncept 3, 234/4, t55e1 etc all are very upteirable, but to fight taht gaijin makes maps smaller, more CS’like and less brain use required, no elevation, no climbing, no sniping. So now it all goes back to slugfest at closer range where the same thing happens. but both sides tend to die…

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To be honest, I only had issue destroying M109s series on the first shot, any other, no problems. 2S3M has enough armor to fuze APHE, Type 75 SPH is the same, VIDAR has way too much armor for a Howitzer lol.

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Also no, but okay. This is AB, armor rules here.

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Generally they are fine, to be honest. Playing around that BR I found more trouble from heavies, though admittedly I did play the Bkan a lot so I am kinda part of the problem.

Just make sure to carry HE and you are good, and aim for the most armored areas of the tank when firing aphe.

(Paradoxical, but it works.)

Yeah but you only play Arcade ,they dont hide in arcade do they?

howitzers are not undertierd but simply out of task´s.

Maps are to small, to lcose to the action, missued and classfied as AA. Could be used as intended but some certain game elemts would need tro be changed.

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  1. Add basses like in air RB and SIM on ground maps. With a littel math, simpel addtion players could shoot the bases to bleed tickes.

  2. Have said bases conected to ceratin map/game/mission fetures. Like Medium to short range sams´s protecting spawn areas and airifelds.Ammo repelnishemnd and repairs taking longer or only be used closer to the own spawn area. Remove the ability to call in airsupport or even own artilery

There is lots of solutions to keep said gear we have in game authentic and true to its purpose instead pulling stupid stuff out of some´s ass.

This changes would bring in soem fresh wind in to the game and would be a mayor gameplay addtion.
Not just pew pew spawn camp but earn your spawn camping throu actions and have the other side a chance to prevent it to happen. If nothing is done then well, its on you.

This post is marked arcade.

Screenshot_20240929_231600_Chrome

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

There’s no doubt that the vehicles you mention are currently under-rated in terms of BR. They have advantages which WWII era tanks at this BR don’t have, BFGs, high rates of maneovreability, autoloaders, cold war optics, rotating turrets and uncanny survivability.

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No matter which BR you assign to these invincible boxes - they still going to be toxic due to ridiculus survivability. Gaijin actors players ruined vast part of ground battles by crying about Hull Break mechanic, here are the consequences.

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They should bring back the hull break mechanism. It was more consistent than the overpressure system which is half broken. Actually, it should be “destroy a internal module OR overpressure” thing. A TAM should not be more survivable than a more conventional MBT who sacrifice their speed, turret rotation, etc to be more armored; This is neither realistic or balanced.

The Leopard 1 is a prime example of a vehicle that is fair to fight against: Fast, and lightly armored, but does not benefit from the screwy module system.

If anything a module would actually cause more spalling.

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My favorite surviviability has to be milk trucks vs large caliber solid shot.

I think large caliber solid shot should likely literally break it in half if you hit the trailer given the soft metal used and the weight of the anti tank gun.

But nah, it does nothing unless you direct hit the gunner. Please accept dying as your tank also lacks a coaxial or gunner mg and by the time you reload to HE, it nuked you.

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People need to understand a shell going through a milk truck will not “do nothing” even if the kinetic energy did not torn the vehicle apart.

Lots of stuff can be damaged. “Minor” stuff that aren’t simulated in game include suspension arms, steeling wheel, gear shifter, and the whole structural integrity etc. Damage one of them and the vehicle is grounded for good.

Didnt know that WW2 tanks didnt have turrets but okay.

All of which even if modeled are only ~5-10s repair.

Yes, light vehicles are pretty survivable, but against HE/HEAT or any high-HE APHE they are easy to kill- plus you have an MG for a reason.

I can support better modeling for them, since I think that would help some, but hull break is very, very flawed and should not come back.

Overpressure is a fine mechanic imo- works decent enough for any HE over 37mm, so its fine.

TAM is… wierd, but in my experience against any sort of APFSDS or 105 APDS it goes straight through the engine. It only has an advantage against autocannons/conventional shells, which imo is fine. Personally I have had no issues with the thing.

That is the inherent disadvantage of vehicles without them, and one that makes sense and is fine. If you aim well enough you can knock out at least gunner or mobility, which is enough to kill it.

Other “Tank Destroyers”, particularly WWII ones, don’t generally have turrets. M10/M18/Achilles are notable exceptions.