I think it need to be clarified just how catastrophic these BR changes are for SPAAs

Let’s be clear here. There are exactly two vehicles in the game that can consistently counter ATGM helicopters at or around their BRs. The VEAK, and the Sgt York. Maybe the WZ305 if the helicopter players are particularly dense. Any other gun based SPAAs can be easily countered by simply staying at medium range and jinking backwards and forwards every couple of seconds. Those two (and a half) are also the ones that stand the best chance of actually taking out A-4Es and other standoff range munitions. It’s still a losing fight most of the time, but at least they have a hope of winning.

After the proposed changes, we lose one of the only two vehicles that can do this. In exchange, we get a very poor 7.7 AA that can at best be a erstatz tank destroyer, for a lineup that’s not desperate for such a vehicle. While letting every A-4E and helicopter on the American team run wild without a care in the world,

I’ve heard that this is a historical change, and if that’s the case, I want it made clear that I do not care in the slightest. Gameplay should always trump realism, and in this case gameplay requires more capable SPAAs at this tier, rather than less. We already have numerous vehicles using weapons they never actually used in service, this should absolutely be an exception like them.

Meanwhile, the Type 81 Tan Sam is being shoved up above the 11.0 lineup, effectively making it entirely pointless. To be clear, the missile itself is very good. The ability to use it, however, is very limited. If it’s cloudy, your lock range reduces to >4km. If your target is anywhere near the ground, same thing. Can’t target helis that just sit hovering over a ridgeline, even at point blank range. You struggle with low flying planes if they’re smart enough to stay low after their run. You can be easily snuck up on and killed by planes, since you lack a search RADAR and you’re a huge, hot target easily spotted from the air. And god help you if you try to spawn it into contested airspace. It’s excellent at slapping down overconfident planes that just fly into the map without a care in the world, but against players with enough braincells to counter it, you’re often rendered useless.

In short, it’s just in no way comparable to RADAR guided SAMs. It’s now going to be 0.3 below the Pantsir of all things, as well as 0.7 above the 2S6 which is effectively superior in every way. Spawning the Tan Sam in at 11.0 was often a gamble since if you had friendly SAMs they’d be able to find, lock and engage targets long before you. Now you’re going to be competing with top tier SAMs just about every single game.

This also gimps the 11.0 lineup severely, as you’re now going to be forced to rely on the Type 93 against standoff range munitions. 11.0 was one of the best lineups Japan had, and now it’s losing it’s only somewhat competitive SPAA.

These are just the two I feel particularly strongly about, the rest are also pretty terrible (Like the compression of the 8.0 Air RB planes) but have been covered by others. These are some of the worst changes I’ve ever seen proposed, and I refuse to be silent about them.

27 Likes

Holy shit, someone who seems like theyve played the spaa and formed a comprehensive list of reasons with actual sense and they play and talk on the warthunder forums. Nah im def dreaming.

10 Likes

So many reasonably effective SPAA end up overtiered or nerfed. It’s just tiring to see over and over and over again.
sad

13 Likes

Historical accuracy and gameplay have two paths, gameplay is always mor important. If we look at stuff like yak 141 and kronshdant they got things they never had because hur dur they needed it but when any ither nation needs something to stay competitive gaijin either may after years add it way too late. Or will leave it to rot after nerfing it. Good ol gaijin balancing.

4 Likes

I don’t understand the Tan-Sam, Strela or Veak changes.

Tan-Sam change kills the line-up, Strela doesn’t need to go up, Veak makes it as shit as the ZSU-37-2.

3 Likes

Aw hell nah, i love the zsu 37-2 the veak is garbo compared to my Yennisei. I will fight till i die on that hill.

2 Likes

It was by far the best spaa at its BR, all the MANPADS carriers just below it were completely redundant when compared to the Strela.

4 Likes

Gaijin wants to sell more air and helicopter premiums. The only way to achieve this is reducing SPAA efficacy. They want you in a plane, spawn kill them it’s more efficient.

3 Likes

Come on, its time to review the spaa BRs! Lets go team!

2 Likes

It is the SPAA standard. All SPAA should be as good as it.

You just cannot balance vehicles based on statistics, an MBT is not an SPAA, CAS is not a fighter, Japan is not Russia.

There are so many variables in this game that determine how a vehicle performs, a high k/d vehicle isn’t inherently OP and a low k/d vehicle isn’t inherently bad.

The Type 81 has a higher k/d because it just doesn’t die as often, no radar means it won’t be detected as easily and the lack of offensive weaponry means it won’t attempt to engage ground forces… opposed to other SPAA with cannons that might try to do so.

The 2S38 might have a lower k/d but clearly that’s not because it’s a bad vehicle, but it does have a very large playerbase and a very low barrier to access dragging the k/d down, as it’s just not a ‘plug and play’ sort of vehicle.

Just look at the M18 in different nations.

It’s this crazy thing where it’s almost like context matters.

4 Likes

The veak change was a horrendous decision by the devs. I also bought a talisman for the vehicle right before the changes were announced. Thought I’ll grind through this BR by being an asset to the team and destorying as much CAS as possible. I’m now stuck with a talisman on a vehicle that is a drivable trash can. Gaijin in typical fashion are refusing to refund anything even though I’m left with a completely different product.

strela does need to go up.