Hello everyone,

yesterday, I posted about Storm stating that the Soviets will get their LT8 along with the German LT8 (RU251). Well, last night (after I asked), Storm confirmed that the Soviet tier 8 light tank will indeed be Yuri Pasholok’s LTTB (a Soviet light tank proposal from late 1943-early 1944), as I predicted (yay me *Droopy’s “happy” face*)

Now that we know this, I can tell you with almost a certainty that this tank will be completely unhistorical, because the proposed original is way too weak for tier 8 (notably: 22 tons, 300hp engine, 90mm frontal armor under 60 degrees, 85mm S-53 gun – 120mm pen or so) – its only real strength would (according to the specifics) be the 200mm frontal turret. The turret was not even designed, the only thing that actually existed was the drawing of the hull (shown above) and a list of specifications, the development was discontinued in 1944, giving way to the T-34/85 production.

Obviously, in tier 8 light tank terms, the historical version is complete shit as it is now, so what I think they will do is this:

- uparmor it somewhat

- upgun it to either high power 85mm, or 100mm (D-10/LB-1) – that itself is not totally unhistorical, this vehicle’s (known) turret ring size would actually allow it, still a fake though, plus, as a downside, the size of the 100mm breech would mean terrible depression, (-3 or -4, depending on the design)

- give it a WG-designed fake turret

- give it a fake 600-700hp engine

In the end, what I think we will get is another Aufklärungspanzer Panther: a vehicle that has an okay gun for its tier, is heavily armored, but lacks proper mobility (certainly don’t expect anything on the level of French or Chinese LT8) – for all intents and purposes a T-44 with heavier frontal armor but with scout MM.

Oh yea, and there is this small thing that there is no tier 7 LT planned (there is literally no candidate anyway), so this vehicle will almost certainly not continue from MT-25, but will be an offshoot of either T-43 or T-44.

I don’t know about you, but I am not thrilled. And yes, the LTTB decision is final.