Stb-2, why does it have terrible ammunition selection

Machinery of War Discussion Ground Vehicle
1

Why does the stb-2 only have apds and hesh (the two worst modern rounds in the game) when the type 74 c has heatfs which is at least more tolerable. With the terrible reverse speed and armor, what reasoning is there to deprive this 8.3 tank of a round that can reliably pen its peers

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The 8.3 STBs are like… pretty good. The APDS actually does decent damage, and HESH actually overpressures SPAA now due to the change. Plus there’s other things they do well, like decent GH, forwards speed, STAB, etc. Its a pretty standard 8.3.

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The type 74 c is alright but here are the issues, apds bounces and shatters off surfaces it prolly wont in real life like disappearing where the cannon barrel meets the turret, somehow bouncing off the turret of a patton. Hesh is slightly better now but still not good. I shot an xm246 and only did minor damage is absurd. Hesh will still be a garbage round until it does proper overpressure like HE

4

That’s just the XM246. Its INSANELY tanky.

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still is subjected to regular he overpressure though, such as with my type 99 against an xm246. Given hesh is essentially a big clump of plastic explosives it stands to reason hesh should have overpressure like he (not on surfaces it hits directly). But like hesh, its hard to ignore how apds underperforms, it sucks facing tanks at the same br with apfsds, given the artificially poor angled performance

6

HESH is legitimately worthless, frankly. You’re better off not even bringing it imho.

APDS is a 50/50 roulette at best. The STB-2 is not a bad tank, but it’s not the greatest, either. It’s more of a middlin’ pseudo-light tank - like the Type 74s - and ideally is played like that. Either flanking hard or supporting your team closely, but not so closely where you become an obvious target because outside of a bad shot any penetrating shot to center mass will destroy you, just like with the Type 74.

I’ll also add that the STB-2 is one of the prototype variants of the Type 74.

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the only problem you´ll get in a stb-2 is a t-72 whan you have apds… there is only a small spot near the barrel where you can pen him… so a few heatfs rounds would be actually nice(even tho I dont know if the prototype had a heatfs round)

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i think it used to have one. after it’s removal i never touch it again since it’s worst type 74, eventho i prefer the non box look of the stb

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stb2 and type74c are pretty equal, and I only touched the stb2 when first grinding japan…, now I have the type 74c in my 9.7 lineup just for the sake of spading it(one of the last vehicles I have to spade)…

11

I remember it being different but the stb2 is now worse because no heatfs at the br where it is a viable shell

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The Type 74 (C) shouldn’t have access to HEAT-MP-T until the (E) upgrade. While by all technicality it could still be fired from the gun; neither the ballistic computer nor the gunner’s sights were configured to aim the projectile. The (B) and the (E) were the two that introduced changes to the ballistic computer for new projectiles, so it should be as follows:

  • All STBs & Type 74
    • M392A2/L28A1 APDS-T
    • Type 75 HEP-TJ model 1/2
  • Type 74 (B), (C), & (D); APDSFS-T/APFSDS-T capability added by (B)
    • M392A2/L28A1 APDS-T
    • M735 APDSFS-T/APFSDS-T
    • Type 93 APFSDS-T (when later introduced)
    • Type 75 HEP-TJ model 1/2
  • Type 74 (E), (F), & (G); HEP-TJ capability removed by (E) and HEAT-MP-T capability added by (E)
    • M392A2/L28A1 APDS-T
    • M735 APDSFS-T/APFSDS-T
    • Type 93 APFSDS-T
    • Type 91 HEAT-MP-T

It’s accurate that the STB-2 doesn’t have access to HEAT. It’s inaccurate that the Type 74 (C) does.

13

well then they should lower the ranks of those if they went that route or fix apds and hesh both rounds that are severely underperforming. Also on the note of the type 74 line it is absurd the only one of them with a good reverse gear (that would complete a 9.3 lineup) is a premium, the type 74 g. and there is no tech tree type 74 g.

14

since you have the standard 105mm reload, it is kind of hard to ambush with apds when the physics around it acts weird like ricocheting off angles that arent too steep or disappearing in skirts. The only other 105mm tanks that lack heatfs and only have apds and hesh are all 8.0 (the uk ones). Even the leopard 1 is 8.0 with heatfs. Because of that i dont see how the stb2 isnt overtiered at 8.3. It has the worst case scenario of ammo selection of 8.0 mbts but unlike them has to contend with t72s with the worst mbt round at its br

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I’m very aware of how APDS performance isn’t coded properly.

Neither is HEAT-FS, and even HEAT-FS can fail against the T-72s. Trust me, I’ve experienced it firsthand. Having HEAT-FS access doesn’t make all the problems go away.

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fun fact it had HEATFS before, gaijin removed it for “balancing reasons” (keeps it at 8.3, like at least move it down to 8.0 or smthin idk)

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heatfs fails as well, but at the end of the day for pre apfsds rounds, heat seems to do better when you shoot the right areas, in other words it seems to have a lower rate of failure

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i just unlocked the type 74 e and f, they seem pretty over br-ed to me you get what is in essence now with the nerfed engine a shittier leopard at 9.0 with no reverse. While more serviceable than the stb 2, you lack speed, reverse speed, good turret rotation, armor, and any other basics. The closest mbt i can think of to the type 74s performance are the leopard 1s but though they share the lack of armor they are fast

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19

The Stb-2 currently needs to either be given back its HEAT-FS or be moved down to 8.0br. Currently every single 8.3br mbt that has a stabilizer gets APDS, HESH, and HEATFS. I have no idea why the Stb is the exception to this.

Heck with it’s current setup, it should be 8.0br like the Vickers Mk 1 as that tank also is stabilized, has good mobility, a 5 second reload and gets only APDS/Hesh.

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I think being moved to 8.0 would do it some justice but knowing gaijin they wont :(