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I've driven over 15k battles in beta and release combined. During all this time playing the game I've learned a few basic things. Simple rules to keep in mind, that make you a better teamplayer, a more effective player and that make you not suck.



Rule the first: Shoot the red tanks. The green ones aren't ripe yet. Under no circumstances is it ok to shoot a green tank. It doesn't matter how often he shot you, what he said about your mother, what crap day you had at work or how many entitlement issues you have: do NOT shoot green tanks. There are plenty of red ones (and a few blue ones every now and then) to go around.



Rule the second: Never block someone from backing up. This means giving people space. It doesn't matter what tank you're in and what tank he's in, he got to that spot first and as such you don't have a claim on it. He might need to back up to save his bacon, give him the room to do so.



Rule the third: Don't all commit to the same side of the map. You have a minimap for a reason. If you're in a group of 12 tanks heading to the east side of the map, it might be a good idea to stop, turn around and go west instead.



Rule the fourth: Be polite. Someone saves your sorry ass? Tell him thank you. You accidentally hit a friendly tank without meaning to? Tell him sorry. You see someone almost dead while you still have full health? Take a shot for him, allow him to get to safety. Two guns at 40% will do twice as much damage as one gun at 100%. Don't call people noob, or whatever your favorite insult is.



Rule the fifth: Kill or Cap is all the same. There is no super secret mega special bonus for killing all tanks or winning by cap. Only a tiny one for wiping out all tanks, but this one is too small to worry about and not worth the extra risk and time. There is only individual XP for killing or capping, but it all evens out in the end. The swift win is always, Always, ALWAYS preferable to the risky, drawn out hunt.



Rule the sixth: Know your job. If you're the small fish in a big pond, your job is not to charge the enemy's big fish. Your job is either find the enemy's big fish without him seeing you, annoying the enemy's big fish by taking pot shots at his tracks while your big fish is drawing his attention, or keeping the enemy's small fish off of your team's big fish's back. All these jobs award XP and credits, and all these jobs help your team win.



Rule the seventh: Driving straight into the enemy base at match start isn't scouting. This is known as suicide scouting, and in most cases is completely useless. All you'll do is tell your team where the enemy tanks are at match start, but we already know where they are: at their spawn. What we need to know is where they're at, 2 minutes after match start. The quick-and-dirty 'rule' for scouting is, creep forward through bushes until you light something up, then back off. People whine about invisible tanks? BE the invisible tank.



Rule the eight: It's a game. This should be rule the first. Way too many people forget about this simple but oh-so-important rule. World of Tanks is a GAME. It's not serious business. It's internet tanks. The price of gas won't go up when you have a bad match. Your girlfriend won't leave you if you die early on with 0 kills. Children in africa won't go less hungry if you have a good round. It's a game, nothing more.



Rule the ninth: Use the camoflage / spotting system to your advantage. Sit behind bushes, not inside them. Sit near bushes, not too far away from them. The more bushes between you and the enemy, the more difficulty he will have to spot you.



Rule the tenth: Remember that it's a team game. Not a singleplayer game. There's nothing wrong with dying if it helps your team closer to the win. There is nothing wrong with sacrificing yourself to block that enemy heavy from defending his cap. There is nothing wrong with taking a few shots to protect your teammates. If it helps achieve a better strategic position for your team, if it helps your team win, do it.



Rule the eleventh: Just because someone has 0 kills doens't mean that he's useless. Someone who knocks 99% health off of 15 tanks will have 0 kills, but be far, far from useless. Kills matter, but damage done matters just as much.



Rule the twelfth: There is no such thing as killstealing. To 'steal' something implies ownership in the first place. Ok, so, you did 99% damage to that tank when someone else finished him off. This is a GOOD thing. It means one less enemy tank, it means you get 99% of the XP for that tank's demise, and it means you don't have to wait yet another reload cycle before engaging the next enemy tank. It's a win-win for all. If I've knocked 99% off of that big mean enemy king tiger and you have a shot at him? Take the shot. By all means, kill that tank. I want you to.



Rule the thirteenth: Focus your fire. Don't spread your fire out. Five tanks at 20% will do five times the damage that one tank at 100% will do. If four tanks are fighting four tanks, the team that focuses their fire on the same target before moving to the next will always, Always win.



Rule the fourteenth: Know your tank. Don't try to hold a flank in a paper armored vehicle. Don't try to rush in a slow vehicle. Don't try to scout in a big-ass vehicle without camo. Don't sit and snipe with an inaccurate gun. Know where your tank sits in the 'holy triumvirate' of mobility, armor and firepower. Play according to your tank's strengths, while guarding for it's weaknesses. You've got a lot of armor? Spearhead the assault. You're tiny but fast? Run interference and scout. You're highly accurate with good pen, but low armor? Sit back and support. Know what guns your armor can deflect, and what armor your gun can defeat. (Thanks to anna_tankgirl and KFAJ)



Rule the fifteenth: Don't be the easy target. If you sit in the open, you die. If you drive in a straight line at a constant speed, you die. If the enemy has two tanks to shoot at: your teammate playing peek-a-boo behind cover and you next to him in the open, you die. Don't be the easy target. Make yourself as hard to hit as possible, at the very least harder than the guy near you. There is no shame in using cover, there is no shame in sitting back and sniping, there is no shame in backing up after taking your shot. Real men fight in the open, but smart men live long enough to destroy the tank that killed the 'real' man and win the match.



I hope this thread helps.

