Trobsmonkey is a sponsored Wargaming streamer, who broadcasts from Kansas (no Toto jokes, please). Catch Trobsmonkey’s weekly World of Tanks livestream on Tuesday and Thursday — please see the full Twitch schedule for more information.

What got you into World of Tanks?

Back in college, around 2009, my buddy and I were surfing the ‘net during lunch one day and saw a banner ad for World of Tanks. It might be the only ad I ever clicked. I registered for the beta and I’ve been playing since.

How did you start streaming?

I spend a lot of time on WotLabs and the World of Tanks Reddit. Someone asked if I would stream my gameplay. I do remember the reasoning because it hurt a bit: “I want to see how an older guy plays.” I was only 29 at the time.

How long have you been streaming?

I started streaming in August 2013. It was sporadic to say the least. I think between August and January I streamed a total of 10 times. Now I stream daily for at least three hours.

What are your top tanks that you like to play and your least favorites?

My favorite tank is the IX T49 with the 152mm. Nothing strikes fear in the heart of your enemy like rolling up behind someone with that cannon. Beware the derp [low penetration, high damage].

Aside from that, I enjoy in no particular order:

IX T-54

IX AMX 13 90

X E 100

X TVP T 50/51

VIII Emil I

X Leopard 1

I am not enjoying TDs [tank destroyers] much lately. At the top of my least favorite list are the following:

VIII SU-101

VI Ikv 65 Alt II

X FV215b (183)

X Object 268

I love the gameplay of TDs; teaching you to be patient and strike when opportunity knocks. But they’re difficult to enjoy currently.

What one piece of advice can you give to new players?

It’s just a game! No matter what anyone may say to you, or how mad you may get if you make a mistake. It’s a game, have fun!

How did you get to be a unicum [unique player] in World of Tanks?

I honestly don’t remember. At some point two to three years into playing someone told me in a game, “Wow, you’re really good!” This was my introduction to XVM and WN7 rating. I dove into the stat chasing for a little over a year and pushed my numbers up a bit. Eventually got burned out on chasing the purple.

Now I just try to play my best in whatever tanks I feel like playing. I feel this is more important than chasing “purple points.” If you can consistently improve your performance rating, whichever you are chasing, it should go up. At least for me, I find it more fun to improve myself without chasing numbers. Situational awareness is something you can’t quantify into a rating, but it will reward you far more than purple numbers.