Why is HSTV-L still on 11.3?
In a quick comparison with its “direct opponent” 2S38
2S38 has more 148 x 26 ammunition, in addition to having a range of surface-to-ground and surface-to-air ammunition, while HSTV-L is blocked with only one APFSDS, not to mention that it has a 1s longer reload.
2S38 has a leading indicator against aircraft, something that HSTV-L does not have.
2S38 has second generation thermals for both the commander and gunner, HSTV-L has only first generation.
The only advantage that HSTV-L has is speed, which is not so discrepant.
What is the logical reason for one to be 11.3 and the other 10.0?
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The caliber the HSTV-L fires is 75mm APFSDS, compared to the 2S38’s 57mm APFSDS. However, the penetration is marginally better, and the post-pen damage difference between them are negligible. You are forgetting about the much small silhouette, and the -15 gun depression (even more on the sides).
The HSTV-L is generally better at dealing with ground vehicles (other than other light tanks, since the 2S38 has a 0.5s reload and APHE), but the 2S38 is much much better at dealing with aircraft, helis, and drones (especially because it gets a lot more ammo, proxy HE, 0.5s reload, IRST track, and a much better gun elevation).
At the HSTV-L’s current state, I think it would be fine at 11.0, and the 2S38 to 10.3 (and maybe even 10.7). If the HSTV-L gets its proximity shells, and a better dart, I don’t see why can’t it be at 11.3, and if it gets a reload buff, to 11.7.
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the HSTV-L is not better at dealing with tanks by any means. Despite the 75mm cannon, the number of shots needed to destroy a T-80BVM or T-90M from the side for example, for example, is often ridiculous, with the successive layers of ERA simply swallowing the ammunition. Against Leopard PSO and STRV-122 the situation is the same, the difficulty of killing laterally due to the greater internal space, and in a frontal arc, basically invulnerable, often resorting to shooting at the cannon barrel does not generate the necessary damage, the same occurs with Soviet T tanks, shooting at the driver’s door, often only hitting the driver’s hatch
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The 2S38’s ability to fire faster gives it a much better chance of surviving against tanks, especially with APCBC, being lethal against Western tanks on the side.
As we know the Ares XM274 fired these ammos:
-Draft prototypes of carbide steel or tungsten alloy (unknown designations)
-XM884 HE-P with EX442 fuze, AAI SETI IR Proximity Fuze or MK. 404 IR Proximity Fuze
-XM885 Delta 3 (equivalent to M774) - depleted uranium APFSDS-T
-XM885 Delta 6 (430mm) - depleted uranium APFSDS-T
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About XM885 Delta-6
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Was the target block made out of RHA?
Oh look, another thread entirely downplaying all the advantages the HSTV-L has over the 2S38 and pretending as if 2S38s aren’t almost always free kills.
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Almost any light tank are easy pickings. HE against the HSTV-L works wonders.
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Most nations don’t have a HE shell at top tier.
Regardless that means you will have to be aware the HSTV-L is there and have pre-emptively switched to a HE shell. If at which point it hasn’t taken out your ability to return fire then they’ve messed up.
HSTV-L has speed, gun depression and survivability over the 2S38.
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Strv PLSS (Swedish top tier MBTs) have HE, so does Leopard 2A7. Challenger 3TD, BVM, T90M have HE, so too does the Merkava.
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The timed fuse HE shells are terrible and you essentially have to use them without a rangefinder for them to work because once you set the fuse they seem to have a hard time overpressuring anything.
A total downgrade from a normal HE shell.
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HSTVL has survivability ober the 2S38? What kind of War Thunder is this that you play? hahahaha and most part of the nations have HE in the Top Tier as SanguineSerpent told, but not American, even if they have and Israel use american ammo
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u can just use as a normal HE
HSTVL has survivability ober the 2S38?
It objectively does. Stop letting your bias get in the way of your rational judgement.
Against a suitable HE (russian/chinese/merkava) shell both of them die to overpressure.
Shooting a HSTV-L with sabot will likely result in autoricochet, especially if they are being smart and utilising their amazing gun depression on ridges to further enhance the slope.
Even if the sabot does penetrate the turret it can only kill the commander after which it is essentially an unmanned turret as the driver and gunner are in the hull.
2S38 on the other hand has extremely easy to hit ammo right next the breech so even if it manages to find a perfect hull down position with its limited 5 degrees of gun depression you can still very easily one-shot it even with sabot.
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Starting with the super fuel tank that the HSTV-L has in the front, which often absorbs 90% of the shrapnel, in fact, after the increase in ammunition size in the Damage Model of the 2S38 it is no longer so much more complicated to kill(as currently Puma) but still, 2S38 has several advantages over HSTV-L, I’m not saying that both should be the same BR, but 2S38 could easily go up to 10.3. While HSTV-L could be downgraded to 10.7(and receive the two missing rounds) along with the M1A1 Base,
Starting with the super fuel tank that the HSTV-L has in the front
There is no super fuel tank in the front, it explodes very often upon being shot and irrespective of this if has his hull exposed and you are not shooting at the massive carousel to ensure an instant kill then that is quite frankly poor aim and you are being punished for it.
2S38s are such a non-threat the vast majority of the time that I still cannot understand why people complain about them. Whenever I run across them I’m usually just satisfied because it’s a free kill to collect.
2S38 is fine at the current BR and I do not want to see it moved up since it means I will see less of them in the BR bracket I play most and will reduce the number of easy kills available.
Also there is no way in hell the HSTV-L should go down to 10.7. Actually get out of here.
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I assume you don’t play much CAS?
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You know what they say about assumptions.
I have never died to a 2S38 in CAS. At that tier I presume you must be actively trying to die to it like the guy I seen in another thread complaining that he died to a bagelpanzer in an A-10 while he was 0.7km from it whilst still having 5 mavericks attached to his plane.
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Especially after the recent BR changes for aircraft with guided-bombs / AGMs, the 2S38 is much more potent.
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What? How? All the aircraft that got moved up (and are basically still within its bracket) have munitions that outrange the 2S38 significantly. Why do you insist on not utilising the reach of your weapon systems to their maximum potential? It is one of the three core tenants of air power.
Or maybe it’s because you haven’t actually played anything in that BR range.
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