Cover and Spotting

One of the most important aspects of gameplay is knowing how to use cover effectively in order to spot and attack enemies. Cover serves two purposes:

1. To conceal your tank from the enemy, and / or
2. To provide additional protection to your tank and crew

A player can use cover effectively to minimise exposure to enemy spotting and enemy fire while themselves spotting (which in turn provides spotting experience) and attacking the enemy. View more effective ways of spotting and attacking using cover below.

Hill Crest Spotting and Attacking

A player who positions their tank on the crest of a hill has the advantage of a clearer view and potential chance to spot enemy tanks, perform long distance attacks, and call in artillery strikes. However there are also disadvantages to this technique such as potentially exposing the lower frontal glacis armor of the tank and hence be vulnerable to attack. The risk is amplified if multiple enemies are in firing range to the player's tank. Another disadvantage is the player may not be able to attack enemies that are close to the hill as they will not have sufficient gun depression without further exposing their tank. Risks can be mitigated by positioning the tank further back on the hill line, using bushes for concealment, and / or solid cover like rocks for protection.

Bush and Tree Cover

Bushes and fallen trees only provide concealment from the enemy and great for enemy spotting BUT offers no protection whatsoever from enemy fire. Combined with various camouflage items a tank behind a bush can remain hidden for long periods of time while striking the enemy. Bushes and fallen trees are transparent and depending on the density and type of bush or fallen tree will offer different bonuses to the player's tank camouflage rating. Bushes are cumulative, that is the more bushes in front of the players tank the better the bonus while not shooting. Once the player fires the bonus from bushes within 15 metres of the players tank declines significantly.

Bush Density

• No Bush - 0% bonus to camouflage rating
• Light Bush - 10% bonus to camouflage rating
• Medium Bush - 25% bonus to camouflage rating
• Dense Bush - 50% bonus to camouflage rating

Using Bushes Effectively

1. WRONG ... The tank is completely exposed and easily spotted by the enemy. The player must not have any part of the tank hull exposed!
2. POOR ... The tank hull is hidden however the gun barrel end is exposed reducing the effectiveness of the bush concealment
3. GOOD ... The tank hull and gun are fully concealed
4. BETTER ... The tank hull and barrel are well concealed behind 2 bushes
5. BEST ... Multiple bushes are used to conceal the players tank from different angles

Solid Cover

Solid cover offers little concealment from the enemy as the turret is exposed allowing the enemy to spot the player's tank however solid cover does offer significant protection from enemy tanks. The exception is enemy artillery which may still be able to hit the player. There are a number of solid cover techniques for players to use.

Turret Down - Spotting

The Turret Down technique involves the player only exposing the top part of the turret in particular the Commanders Cupola to spot enemy tanks while significantly reducing the exposure of the tank to enemy fire. There are two Turret Down techniques available to players however each needs to be assessed against the type of tank, role, and environment:

Turret Down Frontal Spotting - Involves peering the Commander's Cupola over a hill or ridge line front on to the enemy. This technique can be combined with the Hull Down technique to shift into attack mode.

Turret Down Side Spotting - Involves turning the tank sideways exposing the Commander's Cupola towards the enemy. Popular with Scouts as the player's tank can be on the move driving just below the crest line of a hill making it extremely difficult to be hit by enemy fire.

Hull Down - Spotting and Attacking

The Hull Down technique is a popular technique amongst tankers whereby the tank's hull is positioned behind a solid object for protection while exposing only the turret. Exposing the turret allows the player to both spot and attack enemy tanks. On most tanks the turret armor in particular the frontal armor of the turret is the thickest and hardest point to penetrate. The downside is once you are spotted the enemy may target weak spots such as the Commanders Cupola or the player's tank may come under artillery fire attack. Hull down can be used behind any solid items including rocks, dead tanks, and hills.

Combination Cover ... The Best of Both Worlds

Some maps offer a superb combination of solid and bush cover allowing the player to position their tank mainly behind solid cover for protection while exposing only part of the tank for spotting and attacking

Back to top