The WoT Plus program has arrived! For those of you who are part of the program, we’ve got an exclusive challenge for you: Get familiar with the VIIITS-54 double-barreled Tier VIII American heavy tank and grab a chunk of a 140,000 prize pool!
If you’re a WoT Plus member, you have access to the program’s exclusive TS-54, a twin-barreled American heavy tank. Read more about the strengths and weaknesses of this shotgun on tracks below in our how-to-play guide.
WoT Plus Challenge
Available from May 5 through May 15 during Prime Time at 10:00–23:00 CEST (UTC+2)
To join the WoT Plus Challenge, simply sign in to your active WoT Plus account, dive into battle during the times listed above, and cause as much damage as possible, according to the following parameters. You can check your progress on the event Leaderboard.
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Challenge:
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Meet the TS-54
Drive a twin-gun terror! Players with WoT Plus can use the TS-54, a unique Tier VIII American heavy tank with a double-barreled system, which is available for battle while the subscription is active. Like Premium vehicles, this exclusive tank earns extra credits and XP and allows for Field Modification. In addition to those benefits, it welcomes any American crew member on board, regardless of tank class. You could, for instance, train an M44 crew in the tank if you wanted—without penalty!
Let’s dive in and take a look at what it takes to maximize this steel beast’s potential on the battlefield!
Dual-Gun Vehicles in World of Tanks
World of Tanks veterans may remember the IIIMTLS-1G14 introduced in 2011. It was the first vehicle with a twin gun in the game, sparking interest among players and offering unusual and exciting gameplay.
Dual-cannon tanks returned in 2019 on a bigger scale with the Premium VIIIObject 703 Version II , which appeared in Holiday Ops 2020’s Large Boxes. Three Tech Tree models—the VIIIIS-2-II , the IXIS-3-II , and the XST-II —followed in early 2020 with the launch of Update 1.7.1.
In Holiday Ops 2023, the first twin-gun tank destroyer, the VSU-2-122 , joined the game. It, too, was a Large Box item in the annual event.
See how the TS-54 stacks up against other twin-gun vehicles via our Tankopedia comparison.
Firepower
The TS-54’s mechanics are similar to other two-gun tanks. You can fire each gun independently or both simultaneously. If doing the latter, wait until both cannons are fully loaded, then lock onto an enemy and hold down the fire button until both guns fire. Unlike other Tier VIII double guns, however, the TS-54 takes only 2 seconds to lock onto a target and 2 seconds until you fire both barrels. (The Object 703 Version II, in contrast, takes 4 seconds to prepare the double shot.) This also means you start reloading faster after firing both guns.
While a 94 mm cannon is a small caliber for a Tier VIII heavy tank, it can dish out good DPM with average penetration and accuracy. The 8 degrees of gun depression is helpful as the TS-54 is best used on ridge lines and behind cover when you can angle the frontal armor.
Survivability
Enemies will find the TS-54’s 300 mm frontal turret armor a tough nut to crack. It can take a punch in most places, but be cautious of the left and right rangefinder weak spots: The effective armor is approximately 200 mm, and they are always visible—even when the guns are fully depressed.
The hull features nicely angled frontal armor. It’s best used on ridges and behind cover when it can be angled even more to create auto-bounce angles against AP/APCR shells. Relatively weak 65.5 mm side armor strengthens to 80 mm toward the front, so point the front toward enemies and try to expose your sides as little as possible. You can bounce some shells at sharp angles, but be aware of the turret ring extension weak spot.
With 30 mm of top hull and turret armor, try to keep to high ground to avoid being overcome in large areas. You will also be a prime target for artillery (and their “affection”).
Mobility
The TS-54 isn’t especially mobile, which is not surprising for a heavy tank. Although the 40 km/h top speed is quite good, reaching it is a time-consuming chore due to its very bad terrain resistance. Speed-improving equipment is a must!
Crew Perks
COMMANDER | Repair |
Brothers in Arms |
Recon |
---|---|---|---|
GUNNER | Repair |
Brothers in Arms |
Snap Shot |
DRIVER | Repair |
Brothers in Arms |
Smooth Ride |
LOADER | Repair |
Brothers in Arms |
Safe Stowage |
LOADER | Repair |
Brothers in Arms |
Intuition |
Remember: You can only use the TS-54 if you are an active member in the WoT Plus program! Join now and reap the benefits: extra Crew XP, free demounting of certain equipment items, the exclusion of an extra in-game map, earning up to 500 in a special Gold Reserve, and—of course—access to the Tier VIII American twin-gun heavy tank.
Roll Out!
WG can eat a fat one this time. Would’ve been very happy to pay for TS-54 as a regular premium, but they can keep it so long as it’s tied to WoT+ subscription.
Hopefully it’ll be made available for sale at some point, like the American Tiger II before it.