War Thunder — Walkthrough

Cheat Codes:
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Submitted by: David K.

-=War Thunder=-
Written by Slav God.

Ever get stuck in a hard place, you are pushing on another tank and you 
have no idea what else to do but shoot, but let me tell you, there are 
actual stratigies to track to track combat.

-=Pushing Battle=-
Say you are in the situation I am in below, Kv1 vs Kv1.

When this is a battle you have to fight, it yields no victory to 
anyone because chances are, you can keep pushing on each other 
forever, and neither of you will win.

Option 1: Wait for Teammates to arrive.
Option 2: If near a cliff face or a steep hill try to push him off.
Option 3: Back up then take shots.

-=General Information=-
You'd think in this practice that heavy tanks would have the advantage,
but actually, if a tank is lower than the heavy tank, It can shoot at 
in uncontested. Persay an IS-6 Versus a Maus, the IS-6 has the advantage
because of its lower stature but this is countered by the Maus's heavy 
armor, If the Maus is pushed from the side, where its totally flat, 
the IS-6 can land some good shots.

When it comes to just pushing a tank off of say a cliff, the heavier 
tank always has the advantage.

-=Strategies=-
* If you are facing a tank that is heavier than yours, see the section 
  above.
* If you are facing a tank that is lighter than yours in a small space,
  or near a wall try to get the tank as they are pushing on you to roll
  over your front and you will have complete control over where they go.
* If you feel like it, drive them into a wall and shoot at their weak 
  underside armor. Like this poor German who got stuck between stalinium 
  and a hard place
* If you are fighting on a hill and you are pushing upwards, you are in 
  danger, because normally your top armor is the weakest and your opponent
  can hit it, back off and move to the left or right and let your opponent
  slide down and expose their side armor.
* If you are fighting downhill, which you are pushing downwards, Try to 
  drive over the top of the other tank and then spin around once you have 
  rolled off of them and hit them in the back, tanks like the KV1 are 
  vulnerable to this due to their poor turret rotation speed.

Basic Aircraft Tips and Tricks

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Written by Paleo Jake

This guide is intended to help you become a better pilot, and hopefully decrease 
the odds of you crashing into the ground.

Tip #1: use tracers as your primary ammunition
They aren't the most accurate, but if you can't see your bullets then how will you 
ever hit your opponent? Research the new ammo belts modification and equip tracers 
as soon as you can.

Tip #2: defend your teammates
Chase planes that are attacking your friendly aircraft first, then go after other 
opponents. Chasing enemy planes that are attacking allies is a great way to rack 
up easy kills.

Tip #3: evasive manuvers
There are none. Fly to your teammates if you are in danger. Just be sure not to 
ram into them.

Tip #4: don't be a kamikaze
Ram killers are the most annoying thing in air battles, so please don't do it. 
It costs you a plane that could be used to do something far more important, like 
take out ground targets or multiple enemy aircraft.

Tip #5: so many payload options, what do I choose?
Go for the option that best suits your playstyle. More bombs/light bombs are good 
for ground targets in Ground Strike, while Fewer bombs/heavy bombs are good for 
taking out stationary targets such as AAA guns, enemy bases, and air fields.

Tip #6: learn from your mistakes
The more you get shot down, the better you'll get at the game.

Failure is the greatest teacher of them all.

Mig 29 Playstyle Tips & Guide

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Written by Derelict

How to safely pilot the Mig 29 and adjust to its learning curve

-=Playstyle/How to Fly=-
The Mig 29 is unlike an F14, Mig 23, F16, or F16. It is a unique plane with high-skill 
ceilings, and I am just beginning to understand the gameplay. Long-range missile slinging 
is not possible with an F14. The radar (, missiles), and long-range tracking modes) are 
less consistent, but the radar can hold locks at oblique angles while you dogfight in 
the HMD tracking mode.

I recommend 4 R60’s, 2 R27T’s, or 6 R60s with the drop tank. Although 4 R60’s and 1 of 
each R27 are good options, they add more work to switch between modes. I find the R27T 
to be more efficient overall when flown correctly. I use reinforced flares and chaff at 
5-second intervals. The dispenser is used when I know there is someone behind me or if 
a missile hits the RWR. It’s not worth running it in the background to passively defend 
against an aim9L/ aim7M that will in good launch conditions. Your flares and chaff won’t 
matter anyways. This plane is too vulnerable to countermeasures that you should not rely 
on them for anything but the last resort. There is plenty of maneuverability to deal 
with any incoming missiles.

Start every match by making a hard left/right turn from the runway. This will take you 
the furthest away from your enemy team. You can accelerate in the afterburner to match. 
95. Depending on the map, it is possible to cut the afterburner, conserve fuel, or use 
surrounding geography, such as mountains to dodge radars. I recommend a more normal play 
style. However, I strongly suggest you continue to side-climb in Afterburner and notch 
against any radar locks as necessary. Although I understand that the meta has been “fly 
low, avoid radar”, the fact that we are moving so fast in these things is not a problem 
at all long distance. It has been a lot of fun, but I have never lost to an AIM54. The 
Mig 29 is very fuel-inefficient at low altitudes. By the time you reach 5000m, the 
consumption becomes more reasonable. Both strategies will give you about the same fuel 
consumption by the time you reach the enemy. Your drop tank will be almost empty by this 
point.

You should make the most of the Mig 29’s climbing abilities. To keep track of your enemies 
as they scramble, use the TWS/HDN and SRC/PD/HDN modes as you climb. The HDN mode allows 
you to use the pilot’s HMD to lock targets. These targets will remain locked at a wider 
angle than the 50×10 stock. TWS radar will also show you any AIM54’s heading your way. 
Once you have engaged in your first engagements, you should turn towards the center of 
TWS. If you are not being locked, you can then engage targets. Dive on two targets between 
6-9km to avoid alarming them. Then, dump the R27T’s onto them. My research shows that the 
missiles are more resistant to flares the faster you dive and the later you launch them. 
Put your faith in the missiles, pull up, and then go back to space. Keep your head on a 
swivel in case anyone else notices you. I don’t see the point in doing a headon down 
there so I turn away and let them waste missiles.

From this point, you can continue to move from space to diving on unsuspecting targets 
using your R60’s. This is where I find the plane to be most rewarding. If you find yourself 
in a dogfight, don’t despair. The airbrake can help you out. It seems to have the most 
authority and can save you in a pinch. F16’s have a wider window of maneuverability and 
are safer than the Mig 29’s. The Mig 29 feels less agile and loses control and authority 
beyond mach 1.1. You still have plenty of AoA when you get back to match. 95. The energy 
retention and acceleration should compensate for any other shortcomings. However, the R60M 
is still a good missile.

-=Conclusion=-
Overall, a great plane. Initially frustrated, I eventually found a way to have more fun 
with it. As with most new jet aircraft, there are a few weeks after release when the most 
heated opinions are expressed. This is because everyone learns about the plane. Although 
jumping in and mop the ground like everyone thought is impossible, a few hard nerfs can 
make any plane fly better. This plane won’t reward you for being a dogfighter, and it 
will only work with your piloting skills if you are an interceptor. It will reward you 
in great numbers when it does.

A Simple Way To Know If You're Uptiered! (Ground RB)

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Written by SkyHax

Hello there lads, over my time playing War Thunder I've found out that most people 
aren't aware of this simple way of knowing if they're being uptiered: Spawn Points.

With the help of this table, you will know whether or not you're gonna be seal clubbing,
 or should you prematurely bend over because you're gonna get ****** in the ***!

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|            |Light Tanks|Medium Tanks|Heavy Tanks|Tank Destroyers|Anti-Air Vehicles|
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|Uptier +1.0:|100 SP     |100 SP      |100 SP     |90 SP          |70 SP            | 
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|Uptier +0.7:|110-120 SP |110-120 SP  |120 SP     |100 SP         |80-90 SP         |
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|Uptier +0.3:|130 SP     |130 SP      |140 SP     |110-120 SP     |100 SP           |
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|No Uptier:  |150 SP     |150 SP      |160 SP     |130 SP         |110 SP           | 
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-=Note=-
This table presumes you're cross-checking your highest BR vehicle('s) with it, otherwise
your spawn point cost may wary, if you, for example, brought a 5.7 medium tank into a 6.0
match the spawn point cost would not sync up with this table.

Tips and Tricks

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-=First Rule of War Thunder=-
* Don’t throw money at it right away. Play the game for a bit and see if you enjoy its 
  gameplay loop before deciding if it’s right for you.
* Buying one of the starter packs isn’t a bad idea and they have some pretty good value 
  to get you started, but ultimately not necessary.

-=Second Rule=-
* Money saves you time in grinding progress, but it’s not going to give you a notable 
  advantage, or any advantage in most cases.
* Wait until you’ve played the game for a bit before considering investing. At most,  
  Premium Account is an easy buy, especially when it goes on sale which happens a few 
  times throughout the year.

-=HOTAS Tips=-
HOTAS is not ideal for War Thunder’s more arcadey game modes, which are Arcade Battles 
and Realistic Battles. These are primarily dominated by Mouse and Keyboard inputs. You 
can get away with HOTAS in Realistic Battles, but you’re putting yourself at a 
disadvantage in precision with aiming. You will have more relative control over your 
aircraft though so you can more easily pull off some pretty cheeky maneuvers.

Though you’re much more likely to stall and require a lot more knowledge on managing 
engines and trim (if available for a given aircraft) compared to a mouse and keyboard 
user.

Sim Battles are where HOTAS shine and gives you a pretty decent immersive experience as 
the view is restricted to Cockpit only. It’s not DCS levels of immersive, but it’s good 
enough. Highly recommend some sort of Headtracker in Sim or VR headset if available.

-=Gameplay Tips=-
War Thunder has a very steep learning curve. You’re probably going to suck. I wouldn’t 
even consider someone out of the “training” phase until they’ve put in at least 100 
hours into each vehicle category (Air, Ground Forces, Naval).

-=Mindset
As previously noted, War Thunder can be frustrating because you’re probably going to 
suck. If you have experience with other flight/vehicle based games, you’ll probably be 
on a better starting point than most, but it’s important to keep in mind: Death is an 
opportunity to learn from mistakes you made. You can potentially face a Day 1 Newbie 
or a 10 Year veteran in your matches when you play. If you run into someone that knows 
what they’re doing and die, pay attention to them.

Knowledge is 90% of the battle in War Thunder. What can your vehicle do? What can’t 
your vehicle do? What can your opponent’s vehicle do? How should you exploit the 
weaknesses of your opponent while maintaining your advantages? Did you maintain 
situational awareness through this whole thought process because there’s someone 
creeping up behind you while you’re tunnel vision’d in on the potential target you’re 
currently looking at to engage?

-=And most importantly=-
* Have fun. If you play to grind War Thunder, you will burn out of the game very quickly. 
  Gaijin’s primary economic scheme to incentivize you to pay is to slow down your grinding
  progress. You will not progress quickly if you do not pay. 

* Does that mean you can’t get anywhere without throwing boatloads of money at the game? 
  No, but that F2P grind will grind you into dust if you try to race through it. Once you
  get out of Rank IV in a given tech tree, the grind becomes progressively harsher. Air 
  battles are much easier to grind than Ground and Naval, but it can still be unfun at 
  times.