Shell performance is driven by multiple factors, including armor angle, penetration values, distance, alpha damage, and impact location. Because of this, the same shell can behave very differently depending on the target type and battlefield conditions.
Shell types are tied to each vehicle by default and cannot be switched. This differs from classic World of Tanks, where shell swapping is standard. However, on some tanks, equipping certain Firepower modules can change the main gun’s shell type. Whether or not these modules are installed is up to the player.
A tank’s main gun shell cannot be changed mid-battle unless one of its abilities allows for it.
Understanding how shell types function and the situations where they perform best lets you read your tank’s strengths, adapt to different engagements, and improve your effectiveness in combat.
This article covers the shell types available in the game, how they work, and the roles they are designed to fulfill.
How Shells Travel
Before looking at individual shell types, it helps to understand how they travel. Projectiles in HEAT follow one of four ballistic models, and the model determines how a shot moves from your gun to the target and how predictable it is to aim.
- Straight-line ballistics. Projectiles travel directly toward the target and are not affected by gravity.
- Realistic ballistics. Projectiles travel in an arc due to their lower velocity and are affected by gravity over distance.
- Follow-aim ballistics. Projectiles travel toward the aim point, with limitations to their turning radius, acceleration, and maximum velocity.
- Guided ballistics. Projectiles lock onto a pre-designated target and fly toward it, subject to the same turning-radius, acceleration, and velocity limits as follow-aim shells.
Below is an overview of the shell types available in the game and their intended battlefield roles.
Shell Types
Every shell type currently in the game, what it does, and when it shines.
How each round behaves: penetration, damage, range, and damage cone.
AP Shells
The most common shell type. AP shells offer strong penetration and direct damage, both of which decrease past each gun’s effective range. AP shells have a generous damage cone length post-penetration and good critical damage modifiers.
When a module says “AP shell damage” or “AP shell penetration,” it applies to all AP shells on that vehicle. So if Kent has AP as his main shell type and his alternate fire is also AP, any AP-related module boosts both.
Leopard 1A6 AP shell behavior.
HE Shells
HE shells do not experience damage falloff and deal guaranteed damage when they land on the target, regardless of whether they penetrate armor. They can also inflict splash damage to external armor, tracks, and even other nearby targets. HE features higher base damage post-penetration but with smaller critical damage multipliers and a shallower, wider damage cone.
HE shells use realistic ballistics and have lower shell velocity than AP, meaning their guaranteed damage is harder to apply at longer ranges. HE shells deal bonus damage to both tracks and external armor, making them excellent for focusing down tougher opponents as a team.
FV4030 HE shell against shielded armor.
APHE Shells
APHE shells combine strong penetration with a small amount of guaranteed damage on every hit. Like HE, APHE shells do not lose damage over distance, though their penetration value drops. APHE features a shallow but wide damage cone with below-average critical damage multipliers. They can also inflict splash damage and deal increased damage to external modules such as tracks and additional armor.
M551A1 APHE shell firing behavior.
HEAT Shells
HEAT shells provide average damage and penetration values, neither of which falls off over distance. They travel faster than HE and ATGM shells, but slower than AP, which makes long-range shots against moving targets more demanding. HEAT shells have the longest damage cone of any munition and excel through exceptional critical damage multipliers, especially against ammunition racks. Combined, these traits let HEAT shells reach deep inside vehicles, even hitting the ammunition racks of some turrets from the front.
AMX 10 RC HEAT shell impact on a vehicle.
Canister Shells
Canister shells fire multiple pellets in a single shot, allowing for extremely high damage output at close range. However, they have low penetration and suffer from rapid damage and penetration falloff over distance.
M60A1 Canister shell behavior.
Note: the shell type shown is not the vehicle’s default ammunition. It depends on module choice.
ATGM HE Shells
ATGM HE shells have lower penetration than other ATGM variants, but their explosive characteristics make them a reliable source of damage. They are particularly effective against heavily armored targets and at destroying tracks to limit enemy mobility.
M3E1 TOW HE shell behavior.
Note: the shell type shown is not the vehicle’s default ammunition. It depends on module choice.
ATGM HEAT Shells
ATGM HEAT shells have the same basic characteristics as HEAT shells, but with a modestly higher base damage. An agent who can maintain aim on a target will enjoy a more consistent overall damage output, at the expense of remaining exposed.
AMX 10 RC ATGM HEAT shell behavior.
Note: the shell type shown is not the vehicle’s default ammunition. It depends on module choice.
Autocannon APHE Shells
Autocannon APHE shells offer higher damage potential but lower penetration than standard APHE shells, while also dealing small guaranteed damage on hit. They are commonly used by high rate-of-fire cannons and some ability weapons.
M3E1 Autocannon APHE shell firing behavior.
Extra Mechanics
How shells interact with armor, modules, and movement.
Splash Damage
HE and HE-variant shells deal explosion (also called splash) damage. When these shells impact a target or surface, they create an area-of-effect explosion that damages targets within a specific radius around the point of impact.
Because explosion damage affects an area rather than a single impact point, HE and HE-variant shells are particularly effective against vehicles protected by Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA). A single explosion can damage or destroy multiple ERA tiles at once, reducing the target’s external protection and making follow-up attacks more effective.
Splash damage can also affect multiple nearby targets if they are positioned close enough to the explosion radius.
Status Effects and Specialized Ammunition
Some vehicles have shell types that apply additional status-effect build-up when specific conditions are met. When a shell hits an internal module, that module amplifies the status build-up applied. For most shell types, targeting the right module is essential for effective status delivery. HE shells are the exception. They apply higher-than-average base status build-up regardless of where they land.
For example, the M3E1 uses Autocannon APHE shells by default that can apply Fire build-up if they hit the target’s fuel tank. If the shell damages the fuel tank, it accelerates the Fire status on the enemy vehicle.
M3E1 Autocannon APHE applying Fire status on a fuel-tank hit.
Other vehicles can change their shell type through modules equipped before battle. In some cases, these modules replace the vehicle’s default shell type with a different ammunition type entirely, and the new shell may introduce status build-up effects alongside its normal damage behavior. Other modules add status build-up effects directly to the existing default ammunition rather than replacing the shell type itself.
Damage to Modules
Beyond your vehicle’s overall health pool, shells can also damage individual modules, which are pieces of the tank that have their own state. Some sit on the outside of the vehicle (external modules), others live inside (internal modules). Different shell behaviors interact with each kind differently.
Splash damage is most effective against external modules, including:
- Tracks
- Additional armor
- Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) tiles
Internal modules sit inside the vehicle and require a successful penetration to damage. The primary internal modules are:
- Engine
- Ammo Rack
- Fuel Tank
These areas are considered critical zones. Successfully hitting and penetrating these sections can often result in critical hits, causing additional damage beyond normal values.
Whether a shell can penetrate a critical zone depends on multiple factors, including:
- The target vehicle’s armor
- Shell type
- Penetration values
- Impact angle
Because of this, hitting a critical zone does not always guarantee penetration or a critical hit. Some vehicles may have stronger protection around these modules, while certain shell types may be more effective at reaching internal modules than others.
The game provides penetration feedback through the aiming UI:
Penetration UI states: Green, Yellow, Red.
- Green: high chance to penetrate
- Yellow: moderate chance to penetrate
- Red: little or no chance to penetrate
This indicator helps you quickly evaluate whether a shot is likely to penetrate before firing.
Different shell types interact with internal modules differently. Some are designed for direct penetration and internal damage, while others are more effective against external armor, modules, or grouped targets through splash damage.
Shell Velocity and Gravity
Different shell types travel at different speeds, and their velocity and gravity have a major impact on how vehicle guns behave in combat.
Faster shells reach their target sooner, making them easier to aim and more reliable against moving enemies. Slower projectiles take longer to travel, requiring you to lead your shots more carefully and account for enemy movement.
Projectile velocity also affects how strongly you experience ballistic behavior. Slower shells are typically more affected by gravity and travel in more noticeable arcs, while faster shells follow flatter trajectories and are easier to use at longer ranges.
In general:
- AP shells are among the fastest projectile types and travel in relatively direct paths, making them effective for precision shots and engaging moving targets.
- HE shells are typically slower and use more pronounced arcing trajectories due to realistic ballistics.
- ATGM shells are generally the slowest among guided projectile types, but compensate through guided missile behavior that lets you steer or maintain accuracy over distance.
Because of these differences, shell velocity directly affects how you engage targets at various ranges. Faster projectiles favor reactive and precision-based gameplay, while slower projectiles often require prediction, positioning, and timing to use effectively. You can check shell velocities for each vehicle in the Stats tab in the hangar.
HE shell arc and gravity drop over distance.