Great Britain Isn’t Very… Great
I’ve played a good chunk of the game at this point USA, Germany, Russia, Japan, Sweden, and Israel. China, Italy, and France are still on the list, but I’ve seen enough to compare. And after grinding Great Britain, I’ve come to a conclusion: it’s the worst tree in the game.
To be clear, I’m not counting the vehicles Britain borrows from other nations. Those have been its saving grace, and they shouldn’t get credit for what Britain itself built. The genuinely British gems are few, the Avenger, the Comet, the Falcon, and the Fox (which I never even unlocked). I can already feel the challenger not have 12.7mm is going to be an utter disappoint.
The problem isn’t that British tanks are unbalanced. Some nations are well-rounded: good at everything, exceptional at nothing. Others are lopsided but dominant in their specialty. Britain somehow managed to be bad at everything and good at nothing.
Armor and Mobility
At low BRs you actually get decent armor and workable shells, provided you’re running solid shot. But the further you climb, the worse it gets.
I don’t know whether Britain genuinely fielded the worst engines available in real life, but in game their mediums and heavies feel underpowered next to almost every other tree. British mobility handles like walking out of a pub and hoping you make it home before the police notice you’re drunk it’s vague, floaty, and never quite going where you pointed it.
Firepower
This is the worst firepower in the game, and it comes down to how War Thunder models damage rather than anything about the guns themselves.
In real life, a shell punching through a tank usually meant the crew bailed out. In game, it means you get to remove crew members one at a time with APDS while the enemy keeps shooting back. Unless you find the ammo rack, you’re not a tank commander you’re an assist machine not better than bringing light tank with no weapons.
It gets worse as you climb. British tanks lack meaningful 12.7 mm machine guns, while enemy crews get larger, often four or more, and commanders gain gunner override, which makes every one of your shots more precise and every movement of yours a potential death sentence if you’re not careful. If a light tank catches you out, you’d better not miss.
Ammunition
APFSDS eventually arrives at high BR, which is the only ammunition that matters up there. Before that, Britain gives you HESH.
HESH is the least reliable round in the game, and pairing it with some of the worst reloads is a fast way back to the hangar. APDS is serviceable, solid shot is better, and HESH isn’t worth the slot except that with no 12.7 mm to fall back on, you end up bringing some anyway.
Conclusion
I don’t think anyone should grind this tree unless they’re bored or genuinely love British tanks. Every step forward mostly gets you a worse tank than the one before it. The fact Gajin has to give them a Trophy System that can counter APFSDS at top tier makes a lot more sense since I can already feel the utter disappoint from the challenger once I unlock it.
Great Britain has managed to be the single worst grind in the game, and I’m only finishing it out of stubbornness to have ALL the Abrams tanks in my collection. With other trees having better or good enough tanks, Great Britain is honestly just Britain.
Maybe there’s some changes to the games mechanics that need to be visited or revisited.