Tankers! Welcome to the first in an ongoing interview series in which we quiz you, or at least a few of your fellow players, about favorite in-game rides. We already have some folks lined up for future installments, but if you'd like us to interview anyone in particular (your favorite streamer, a clan commander, a pro player or a Wargaming employee, perhaps), let us know in the forums and we'll see what we can do. First up we have few players that you might recognize from their videos on YouTube and Twitch. Paul, aka @MightyJingles, started playing World of Tanks shortly after the closed beta and has been creating World of Tanks videos for his YouTube channel more than two years. He got into the game after clicking on a Facebook ad (the first and only time he’s ever done that apparently), and only later realized that he’d already read a PC Gamer article about the game some time earlier. Rita, aka @RitaGamer, has been playing games for as long as she can remember. Shooters and racing games are her favorites, and in World of Tanks she has found a game that combines the two. In Rita’s words, “it was love at first shell”. Rita has been streaming World of Tanks on Twitch for about two years and, in that time, has racked up over a million viewers and 12,300 followers. She owns tanks of all types and in all tiers and her goal is to own every tank in the game. Highlights from Rita's Twitch streams can be found on her YouTube channel. @QuickyBaby is the most popular World of Tanks streamer on Twitch, where he streams on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. His YouTube channel also has a big following. He first started playing during the closed beta and currently has a personal rating of over 10,000 with a 61 percent win rate. Outside of the game, QuickyBaby has recently received a Ph.D. related to satellite imagery. MightyJingles shows us why the TOG II is his favorite tank.

First things first: What is your favorite tank and how long have you been playing with it?

MightyJingles: TOG! TOG is best tank EU! Well, it totally isn't, but it's more fun than a bag of badgers. Been playing the TOG since someone gifted one to me over a year ago. RitaGamer: Without any doubt the IS-3, we have been best pals for almost two years now. QuickyBaby: I’m lucky enough to have played every tank in the game and my favourite is the T7 British medium, the Comet! I have been playing it since the day the British tanks were released in patch 8.1.

Which upgrades/equipment/consumables do you roll with in this tank and why?

MightyJingles: Gun Rammer, Ventilation and Heavy Spall Liner. Artillery is the mortal enemy of the TOG, every little bit of protection helps, especially when Bert the Avenger has you in his sights. RitaGamer: I’ve been rocking the 122mm BL-9 gun with very few gold rounds (this gun is quite efficient and only requires it for the harder bones to bite like Maus). As for equipment, I’m using the Large-Caliber Tank Gun Rammer to decrease the reloading time to a sweet 10.98sec, Vertical Stabilizer Mk 2 to ensure smooth shooting while pushing through enemy lines, and Improved Ventilation Class 3 to give that extra edge but mainly to speed up the crew training. (I almost have the sixth crew skill unlocked and any extra XP percentage is very welcome). The consumables I use are Small Repair/First Aid Kits and an Automatic Fire Extinguisher. QuickyBaby: The equipment I use on the Comet is a Gun Rammer, Ventilation and Vertical Stabilisers, which maximise damage output and lower the aim time. My consumables of choice are a repair kit, med pack and pudding and tea – this makes the Comet able to handle most situations, except a fire. If that happens, the crew must pour tea and throw pudding at it to quell the flames.

RitaGamer scores an especially satisfying kill in this IS-3 stream highlight.

How would you describe your play style?

MightyJingles: Full steam ahead and don't stop until you reach the port of Alexandria! The TOG's so slow you can't afford to waste time sitting still. Luckily it's also very accurate at firing on the move because its full speed isn't much better than a stationary tank anyway.

RitaGamer: The IS-3 awakens the aggressive Klingon warrior in me; as a top dog I will fiercely push the enemy lines and make the way for smaller/weaker tanks. It performs very well even in tier X battles; in those I typically follow the top heavies at very close range and aid them with sneaking shots and sometimes even flanking to feed on the extra XP! QuickyBaby: The Comet is a great all-rounder with a fantastic rate of fire which is quickly able to take out equal- and lower-tiered targets. It also has one of the highest gun depressions in the game at -12* which makes it able to use almost any hill, bump or undulation to hide its hull armour and outplay the enemy tanks!



I usually drive into the middle of the battle using the flexibility and the manoeuvrability of the tank to avoid heavy targets and provide targets for my team to shoot. Later I support my team by flanking and helping to bring down the tougher enemies!

Are there any maps that you especially look forward to?

MightyJingles: Oh yes. Arctic. Heading down south to the Corner of Fail and crushing everything on the corner without stopping. Never gets old.

RitaGamer: Any city map is very welcome but I particularly like Highway, Ensk and Ruinberg; these maps are perfect for this Soviet wonder.

QuickyBaby: Mines is probably the best map for a medium tank with excellent gun depression! Get onto the hill and dictate how the combat evolves.

Why does QuickyBaby love his Comet so much? Watch his review to find out.

Any tips for tankers who might be climbing into your favorite tank for the first time?

MightyJingles: Get into a Platoon. Single TOGs are sad and lonely creatures. The TOG is a herd animal, he works best in large groups. A platoon of three TOGs has 4200 health and fires a shot every one and a half seconds. They crush their enemies, drive them before them and feast on the tears of their repair crews.

RitaGamer: First thing when starting a battle is to check the minimap for a location where you can explore the full potential of the tank; for the IS-3, cities and flat areas are the perfect habitat. (In these locations it will have security while reloading and no need to struggle for gun depression). Once you reach those areas, hull-down and sidescraping strategies are very important. Avoid exposing your sides at all costs or you’re likely to get ammo-racked and/or set on fire. When you meet an enemy and there are no options to hide the tank, your best bet is often to hug the enemy. Because the IS-3 has a very low profile it can be extra easy for taller tanks like T34s to shoot at your weak spot on the turret. Make sure to rotate it while reloading and, when you feel that the enemy is about to fire, attempt to mirror his gun so the shell bounces. Don’t be shy with the IS-3! Have fun and roll it into a victorious sunset! QuickyBaby: A word of advice for a new user of the Comet, get the upgraded turret, the tank is awful without it! Don’t give up initially. I have loads of detailed videos for you to pick up tips about my favorite tank on my youtube channel.

Thanks for your time!

What do you think of these picks? Are you a fan of these tanks yourself? Are you more inclined to try any of these now than you were at the top of the page? Let us know in the forums.