One of the most frustrating things in War Thunder for me is the existence of old event vehicles that are completely unobtainable today because they were never distributed as coupons and therefore never made it to the Marketplace.
I’m not talking about rare top-tier reward vehicles that have a major impact on gameplay. I’m talking about old, low-tier, often niche vehicles that don’t really affect balance or progression in any meaningful way.
What frustrates me the most is that many of these vehicles would add variety and personality to the game if they were available again. Low-tier battles are often where War Thunder is at its most fun. Players experiment with unusual vehicles, strange designs, and historical oddities instead of focusing purely on optimization.
Some of the low-tier event vehicles that I do own have provided some of the most enjoyable matches I’ve played in recent years. They are not overpowered. They are not game-changing. They are simply unique and fun. A few battles in a strange little event vehicle can often be more memorable than dozens of matches in high-tier vehicles.
The vehicle that particularly frustrates me is the AC I Sentinel.
As someone who enjoys collecting vehicles and building complete national collections, seeing one of the few uniquely Australian tanks permanently locked away feels disappointing. Australia already has a relatively small vehicle representation in the game compared to major nations like the United States, Germany, or the Soviet Union. Every Australian vehicle adds character and historical identity to that collection.
For large nations, missing a single vehicle often isn’t a big issue because there are countless alternatives. For smaller nations and subtrees, however, every vehicle matters. The AC I Sentinel is not just another tank; it is one of the most recognizable indigenous Australian armored vehicle projects of the Second World War.
What makes this especially frustrating is that the vehicle itself is not some highly sought-after top-tier reward that would dramatically affect gameplay balance. It is a low-tier vehicle that mainly appeals to players interested in history, collecting, and enjoying unique machines.
War Thunder does an incredible job preserving unusual and obscure military vehicles that many people would otherwise never discover. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy the game so much. Yet in cases like the AC I Sentinel, newer players have absolutely no opportunity to obtain and experience that vehicle for themselves.
I’m not asking for event rewards to lose all exclusivity.
I’m not asking for every old event vehicle to suddenly return.
However, I believe there should be some way for old low-tier non-coupon event vehicles such as the AC I Sentinel to occasionally return through anniversaries, special events, long-term achievements, or other limited opportunities.
At the end of the day, these vehicles are already modeled, implemented, and balanced. They exist within the game, but many players will never have the chance to use them simply because they started playing too late.
War Thunder would feel more colorful, more diverse, and more welcoming to collectors if old low-tier event vehicles could return from time to time.
For me, the appeal of War Thunder has never been only about grinding the strongest vehicles.
It’s about military history, unique designs, collecting vehicles, and building a collection that feels complete.
And as long as vehicles like the AC I Sentinel remain permanently unavailable, that collection can never truly be completed.