Merkava 4 armor is long overdue to be buffed

Machinery of War Discussion Ground Vehicle
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431

I’ve tried, even posted photos of the armor with writing on it that says “explosive” in Hebrew, it was still turned down. Gaijin is a joke

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432

yeah

433

It’s pure anti-semitism.

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434

Do it brother

lets go to a trip to Israel, I heard air travel there its pretty cheap now

435

can we just call gaijin out on that?

436

Yes, why are they still ignoring and denying any claims that would improve the survivability of the Merks and let’s not forget how they butchered the Namer twice and the APS is not working now at all.

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437

Oh, God, let’s no go there…

Each and every single Top Tier MBT except for Russian ones has a plethora of long-unaddressed issues.

Not just the Merkavas- the Leclercs, the Abrams, the Arietes, the Type 10s, the ZTZs- even some of the Leopards.

3 Likes
439

Didn’t went through all of the topic but it seems it’s in Gaijin trashcan with Abrams UFP as well. Mostly western tanks use composite screens so you have the answer why it’s nerfed to the ground, like rubber screen on T-80B mud guards have better protection multiplier than modern composite screen add-ons

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440

All of them arent even close to the merks level of inaccuracy

The merks are nearly complete oppsite of what they are in the game and even some of their strength that did stay like aps and very strong chemical ptotection are nerfed to the ground

Merks should be top tier heavy tanks with armor that is on par or more to the leo
And very advanced with great aps and fcs(at least give the m4m gen 3 thermals)

441

But I feel that the problems of our Merkavas are much more serious than the MBTs of other countries

442

U might find many other countries have similar if not worse issues. NVM ZTZ-99A’s model being incorrect for 2 years, leclercs’ armour, type 10’s armour, ariete armour all suffer different degrees of nerf. A load of them, especially likes of type 10 are worse than merkava.

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Leclerc speed/acceleration, Leclerc fuel bulkheads not being counted so the easiest way to kill a leclerc is just fuel detonate it, etc

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444

Since they made Merkava Mk.2D available to buy and buffed it’s shell from M423 to M426 they gotta buff the armor next PLEASE DO IT ALREADY ALL POSSIBLE NON-CLASSIFIED SOURCES PHOTOS AND VIDEOS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED

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446

they all are smaller than Merkava in size terms and ZTZ at least has FY-5

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The Merkava Mk.4 in War Thunder: A Call for Accurate Armor Modeling

After extensive gameplay with the Israeli ground forces and particularly the Merkava series, it’s clear that the Merkava Mk.4 is currently one of the least accurately represented MBTs in top-tier War Thunder. This is not a matter of personal preference — the discrepancy between the tank’s real-world specifications and its in-game performance is significant.

Real-World Protection Capabilities

The Merkava Mk.4 was designed with a clear focus on crew survivability and modular protection. Its armor design reflects years of operational experience and combat lessons, incorporating several key elements:

  • Modular Composite Armor: The Mk.4 uses modular composite armor panels, allowing quick replacement and repairs on the battlefield. This armor is designed to withstand both kinetic and chemical energy threats.
  • Internal Protective Layout: Unlike most tanks, the Merkava places the engine in the front, acting as an additional layer of protection. The ammunition is stored in isolated, fireproof compartments, further enhancing survivability.
  • Sloped and Reinforced Turret Armor: The turret is not only heavily armored but also angled to deflect incoming rounds, including top-attack threats.
  • Crew-Centric Design: Approximately 70% of the tank’s total system weight is focused on protecting the crew — a stark contrast to the global average of ~50%.

These features are well-documented in both official defense sources and open publications.

Sources:

Current In-Game Model and Issues

In War Thunder, the Merkava Mk.4 is modeled with significantly lower protection than what is supported by real-world data:

  • The kinetic protection values are modeled with an internal armor multiplier of 0.10x, which is lower than even basic rubber-fabric screens used as add-on armor in some vehicles.
  • Cold War-era APFSDS rounds like DM23 or 3BM22 can penetrate the upper front plate (UFP) and even the turret with relative ease — this is inconsistent with documented protection values of the actual tank.
  • The rear door of the tank is modeled at 30mm of armor, although reference photos and defense reports indicate that it is significantly thicker and reinforced.
  • The game currently does not model SLERA (Self Limiting Explosive Reactive Armor) modules, which are part of the Mk.4’s protection system.

The Balance vs. Accuracy Debate

While game balance is important, accuracy should be the foundation. The Merkava should not be intentionally weakened to the point where it becomes non-competitive at 12.0 BR. A tank from the early 1970s should not be able to consistently penetrate the frontal arc of a modern MBT like the Merkava Mk.4.

An accurate armor model does not imply overpowering the tank — it simply means representing it as it was designed: a well-protected, survivable main battle tank suitable for modern battlefield conditions.

Conclusion

The Merkava Mk.4 is a symbol of Israel’s advanced defense capabilities. Its current state in War Thunder neither reflects its real-world performance nor does it provide players with a fair and immersive gameplay experience. The vehicle deserves to be treated with the same level of detail and respect as other top-tier MBTs in the game.

I urge Gaijin to re-evaluate the Merkava Mk.4’s armor model using verified, publicly available sources and bring its in-game performance closer to reality. This would improve both balance and authenticity across top-tier ground battles.

10 Likes
449

AI isn’t helping anyone here bud.
@141_allen
Type 10s have their advantages over Merkavas, and they are light, so lightly armoured, fast tanks. Which suits Japan’s terrain.

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450

i copypasted @FROZEN_GAME and added 2 links

451

Why would you even do that?

452

Please don’t use AI for posts or taking peoples posts without credit

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453

don’t agree with the copy paste but the point still stands. the merks and Israel’s armored doctrine is highly inaccurate compared to real world facts. gaijin has stated that they won’t give it a higher armor density until a higher weight has been proven. which major sources have been given overtime, but they still don’t care because then it will hurt their beloved cash cow Russia. the aps hasn’t even been working in the last 8-9 months. but we will for sure get a working Russian aps without failure. absolute joke how this nations player base has been shut out of having a competent line up for it off the basis that gaijin just seems to know better than documented sources that are proven from countries. we can’t get accurate armor for a world renown tank known for its high focus of crew survivability. but without failure as I said we will get buffs to nonexistent missiles (KH38MT) that aren’t real and have legit sources given by things that actually have legit history be completely shut down because it’s not Russian, anybody notice the fact that Russia is the first for everything when in reality they were always in last and still are. #russian bias. prove me otherwise

1 Like