They’re Firing Missiles!
Two light tanks were added to the American Tech Tree. Now, the T49 can be researched to the T92E1, which will further lead you to the Tier X XM551 Sheridan. The key feature of these new vehicles are guided missiles. This is a special type of shell marked with a new icon. And you can control their flight! The other two types, APCR and HE shells, work as usual.
With Update 6.7, two new researchable tanks enter the game. They might only be two, but just check them out. First off, these are Tier IX and X light tanks, which are incredibly rare specimens. Second, they’re EXTREMELY SWIFT light tanks, especially the Sheridan. And the guns are their crown jewels—large-caliber and capable of firing anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).
ATGMs are slower than usual shells, but the fact you can control them more than makes up for the lack of speed. The missiles fly where your reticle points. You can strike enemies hiding behind cover, adjust the missile to a more penetrating angle, or even hit enemies from above by taking advantage of the curved trajectory. Chances are though that you won’t be able to pull off such tricks right off the bat. But practice makes perfect.
There’s plenty more to know about ATGMs:
- A missile has no dispersion, which means it will land exactly where the reticle is pointed.
- A missile’s range and flight time are limited by its fuel capacity. When the fuel runs out, the missile will explode in the air.
- The gun starts reloading only after the missile hits the target or explodes.
The T92E1
Researched after the T49 for 170,000 XP
T92E1 is a nimble, maneuverable, and highly dangerous tank. Or rather a hot rod chassis for moving the formidable 152 mm gun. It’s also a good training simulator to practice with before playing in Tier X vehicles.
The default gun of the T92E1 is accurate, fast-firing, and deals high damage per minute. It has a standard shell penetration of just 220 mm, but this number is more than enough given the tank’s magnificent mobility. Besides, you’re not going to engage heavies head-on anyway, right? Riiiight? If you want, you can play this gun up to Tier X, but we recommend installing the top gun with ATGMs as soon as possible to learn the new firing mechanics. This 152-mm gun is identical to that of the Sheridan, so we’ll go into greater detail in the next part.
The Sheridan
Researched after T92E1 for 250,000 XP
This is all that needs to be said: 38 horsepower per ton and a max speed of 65 km/h. You could even win a drag race in the Sheridan! Anyone who doesn’t agree will receive a taste of an ATGM! Mwa-ha-ha!
Seriously though, the Sheridan is a speedster that can accelerate to incredible speeds within seconds. While some heavies are still in the process of lumbering from the spawn point, you can go the entire map and back. Climb Middleburg’s hill at 50 km/h? No sweat! After that, go down and climb again. It’s a pure pleasure to ride in this tank. Skirt obstacles? The Sheridan’s a pro! With such speed and maneuverability, you don’t need armor at all.
And about the armor… the Sheridan sort of doesn’t have it, yet at the same time, it sort of does. Nearly the entire hull is circled by 6 mm side screens, with 12–32 mm for the main armor underneath. This design doesn’t really protect the vehicle against most rounds, but it does significantly reduce damage from HE shells and it might even stop a HEAT in some cases.
The Sheridan is equipped with a 152-mm gun with 3 types of shells. The APCR and HE shells work as usual, while HEAT shells work like ATGMs. All types of shells will do very well in battle:
- The APCRs penetrate an impressive 240 mm of armor and deal 560 HP of damage.
- The HE shells have a nice penetration value of 90 mm, and the 680 HP of damage caused will terrorize lightly armored TDs and French tanks.
- The ATGMs and their 340 mm of penetration with 560 HP of damage will get enemies hiding behind some types of cover and help you hit armor at a more favorable angle.
The devastating firepower, long reload time, and unprecedented mobility of the Sheridan make it clear that hit-and-run is your tactic of choice. The role of this new tank is to pose a constant threat to the enemy—a threat that appears out of nowhere, strikes hard, and disappears almost as fast as it appeared. Even if launching ATGMs is hard at first, the reliable APCR and HE rounds make sure the enemy doesn’t stand a chance. Save XP, upgrade the T49, and be the first to try out the unique gameplay of the T92E1 and Sheridan!
