With

the update to version 8.3, eighteen new Chinese tanks are trundling

their way into World of Tanks. I think some of them may just become fan

favourites. While the Chinese tech tree is nowhere near as big or as

complex as that of the game’s other nations (it’s more of a tech

sapling), it’s quite unusual in its layout and it offers some

interesting new vehicles to try, some of which I really enjoyed driving.

Here are my first impressions of these new tanks and my thoughts on

their pros and cons.



First,

let me break down that tech tree for you. Seventeen tanks can be

unlocked as you work your way up those branches, while the Type 62 light

tank exists as a separate premium tank, only available for gold. As we

noticed back in November, there’s not a single tank destroyer or artillery piece present: the Chinese tanks are only tanks and, by and large, they’re lights or mediums, with the first medium appearing as late as tier five. (That’s right, the tech tree above has been revised, making the Type 97 a light tank.)



Not

only are those heavy tanks rare, they’re also much further up the tech

tree. While the other nations get to enjoy their first heavy tanks at

the fourth or fifth tiers, as you can see here, you’ll have to wait for the seventh tier

before you can close the hatch on an IS-2, the Chinese refit of the

famous Soviet battle tank. At the same time, even at the very highest

tiers, China still holds on to its light and medium tanks, unwilling to

let go of their speed. This is a nation that enjoys mobility on the

battlefield.



You’llnotice this the moment you start the engine. Even the heaviest of thesenew tanks, the 113, moves at a decent speed for its class and tier,offering a respectable traverse speed too. Hop down to tiers nine andeight and the tanks are nippier still, with China joining France instill offering a light tank option as high as tier eight, that being theWZ-132.

So,

as you might have guessed, these tanks offer speed and maneuverability,

but there has to be a tradeoff for this and naturally this comes in

both firepower and armour. Don’t get me wrong, these things aren’t weak

by anybody’s standards and a capable commander will make sure they hold

their own in any firefight, but there’s nothing like the Maus or the

IS-7 to play with, nothing that can deliver a hammer blow to the enemy

or sit there chewing on AP shells like nothing is wrong. As I fought my

way through my first battles, I found it almost impossible to one-shot

other tanks of the same tier, even other Chinese tanks, and in spite of

all my sloped armour I still felt every hit I took, watching as more and

more of my hit points were chipped away. It wasn’t wise to sit still

for long.



That

said, nothing is too light or too undergunned either. Even the light

tanks still pack a punch and just about everything is quick on the

reload. While you might not one-shot your enemies very often, you’ll

more than make up for this by firing more shells in less time. Trying

out the tier five T-34, a medium tank that’s another Chinese

interpretation of a Soviet classic, I found I was both driving faster

and firing faster than my rivals. What I couldn’t provide in serious

damage I could more than make up for in rate of fire.

With

tanks like the T-34, the IS, the M5 and the Renault NC-31, you’ve

probably noticed that the vast majority of this new tech tree are

refitted or re-engineered versions of other tanks, a reflection of how

China frequently modified the tanks it bought. In many cases these tanks

feel quite different: my impression was almost always of greater speed

turning ability, sometimes as the expense of firepower and frequently

creating a something that ended up as a pretty middle-of-the road

experience. Personally, I like this, but I appreciate this isn’t going

to be to everyone’s taste. These tanks aren’t going to suit campers or

snipers, but they will appeal to players who try for flanking maneuvers,

who who enjoy driving behind their enemies and shooting them right up

the tailpipe.



The

overwhelming impression of these new tanks is that they’re good

all-rounders, balanced vehicles that rarely excel in any category, but

also lack serious weaknesses. This makes them extremely easy to handle –

I can see this nation becoming a favourite for many beginners, as these

vehicles are forgiving at lower tiers and they offer a chance for

players to experiment. At the very highest tiers they’re going to

struggle in face-offs with many of the already established heavy tanks

and they’ll have to make the most of their maneuverability to outflank

their enemies. But this does mean we’re going to see more base captures

by sneaky, speedier tankers who will turn up much sooner than expected.

Tactical play is going to be important.

Wargaming have no firm date yet for their update to version 8.3, but they have released their patch notes for your perusal.