I wanted discuss the situation that mid-level tiered heavy tanks such as the IS-3 find themselves into when uptiered fully against opponents such as the Somua SM.
Currently, the game is revolving around fast loading autoloaders. When an IS-3 is attacked by a Somua SM, the opponent can simply knock off the barrel and the tracks of the IS-3. This is because the Somua SM possesses a four-second autoloader, which means it locks down a heavy tank even before you have a chance to fix things up. The IS-3 takes more than 20 seconds to reload!
In any case, heavy tanks should rely heavily on their armor. However, since WE (me and other players who are suffering from this) are being continuously uptiered by these types vehicles with fast rates of fire, capable of knocking off your vehicle’s components while still being safe, it becomes highly unenjoyable playing a heavy tank. There need to be better BR decompressions and barrel knockoff mechanisms, especially when you get drafted into matches with the entire enemy team being french AMX’s and it’s premiums. I am wondering if a slight BR change might be necessary, or a longer reload although I am aware that nobody will take any account of my words.
3 Likes
You dont need autoloader to have fast reload.
Or just like pop it through turret if facing frontally, and if from side shoot like whenever.
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In some way the Somua is a glass cannon, the armor is meh besides hull (which no one shoots on basically any tank expect T26 maybe in the BR range)
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autoloaders dont garantee fast reloads.
somua is real powerful but an IS3 is also really powerful
yea thats every tank in the game
4 Likes
i dont have many games in the IS3 but lord have mercy if they dont have HEAT against me lol
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Extremely situational vehicle that places all of it’s eggs in one basket.
7 Likes
even an L3 isnt safe from that bro. Plus IS-3 can pen the Somua anywhere on turrep right.
Plus somua sides = poop
The problem is the somua is a 8.0 tank that hasn’t been upteired. Same gun as the lorraine and amx50-100, but enough armor to bounce a decent number of shots and very little visual difference between the other 2 tanks to identify that the tank is actually armored. Speed isn’t even that much worse with 17hp/t vs 21. Near strict upgrade at the same br, and its not like the amx50-100 is a bad tank.
3 Likes
From experience… rarely lol everyone shoots the weak turret
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u can pen turrep with BT
not surprised in the slightest
IS-3 is only powerful when it faces lv 10s.
The bane of it’s existence is HEAT-FS and APDS.
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I agree with the up tiering part, i play 6.7 and sometimes 7.3 and i get a match with this tank somehow
T32 (7.3/7.7) vs somua. IS3 is nearly the same. These are tanks with 16-20s reloads. Meanwhile the somua pens the turret ring or mg port of the T32 and most of the IS3 with far easier capability. I’m not even comparing it vs all the APHE throwers of 6.7 that have even worse pen and less area to aim. The only thing you aren’t resistant to is 320 pen HEAT or higher. Admitedly, about 1/3 of your competition has that, but thats the case of all armored tanks at this br.
Meanwhile, look at the T54 and try to tell me the somua isn’t strictly better. Similar armor profile but the somua wins in every other category.
4 Likes
Broski just shoot it anywhere that isnt the single armored plate somua has 😭
The worst advice ever known to man. The somua and its variants are tanks where you really need to know where to shoot, there are multiple overlapping plates in the turret. Is their armour good? no, it is not immune to almost anyithing. Is thair armor effective? yes, you cant just shoot it anywhere, you need to aim and that few seconds can be lethal to you
Broski that is true for any tank not just somua.
Literally provided you a screenshot of the armor profile. Most of the area you claim to ‘just shoot’ isn’t viable. Upper turret and most of the mantlet area isn’t pennable by APHE and at 500m hitting a shot just under the barrel is often going to lead to just hitting the barrel. That leaves the turret ring (again difficult at 500m) and below the gun left and right as your only tiny weak points. Your advice is so bad that your own suggest would lead to a bounce in most cases.
And thats IF you can identify it as a somua vs a Lorraine or 50-100. Very few distinguishing pieces, especially if you add in bushes or obscuring terrain.
Hitting the weak points on the tank is comparable to the T32. While the strong points aren’t as strong as a T32, your mobility is far better and your reload is 2nd to none at your BR. I’d take a somua over any 8.0 except the Type 69.
2 Likes
if you have APHE shoot the LFP or the sides if it’s even slightly angled
if you have fillerless AP at that BR most likely you have enough pen to go through the turret anyway
122mm APHE can overpressure and has decent trajectory so just take a few seconds to aim and you’ll destroy it easily
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