Dear War Thunder Development Team,
I would like to respectfully share some concerns regarding the current survivability and armor behavior of the Merkava tank series, with a particular focus on the Merkava Mk.4M.
All of the points mentioned below are based on extensive in-game testing and direct gameplay experience, not on assumptions or isolated incidents.
At its current BR of 12.7, the Merkava Mk.4M appears to be unrealistically vulnerable, especially in the turret and frontal hull. In practice, it can be penetrated with relative ease by many tanks from other nations, often without the need for their top-tier ammunition.
For example:
- Leopard tanks are able to penetrate the Merkava Mk.4M through the turret and hull using DM33, despite DM53 being their primary high-end round.
- T-72 variants can penetrate the Merkava using BM42 without significant difficulty.
- Even lower-tier vehicles such as the Leopard 2A4, using DM23, are capable of penetrating through the frontal hull and engine compartment, often resulting in the complete loss of the crew.
This behavior feels inconsistent with the Merkava Mk.4M’s design and known characteristics. The turret is modeled with approximately 600 mm of NERA elements, supported by composite armor mounted at around a 70-degree angle. Additionally, the Merkava’s front-mounted engine is intended to act as an extra layer of protection. However, in-game, these features do not seem to provide the expected level of survivability.
What further highlights this issue is the comparison with other vehicles:
- Italian vehicles like the Centauro can sometimes stop similar rounds with a much smaller and less protective engine layout.
- Japanese tanks such as the TKX, which have noticeably less turret armor than the Merkava, are still able to resist high-penetration rounds like DM53 in certain areas, while the Merkava remains consistently vulnerable.
While my main focus here is the Merkava Mk.4M, I believe this issue extends to the entire Merkava series. These vehicles would benefit from a more thorough balance and damage model review to better reflect their intended role and improve overall gameplay fairness.
The goal of this feedback is not to seek unfair advantages, but to help achieve a more balanced and enjoyable experience for all players, regardless of the nation they choose to play. A more accurate representation of the Merkava’s survivability would contribute positively to game balance and player satisfaction.
Thank you for your time and for your continued work on War Thunder.