World of Tanks concealment and spotting: how vision works
Spotting an opponent in World of Tanks and seeing one through allied information are different things. Your own detection depends on view range, the target's concealment and line of sight; information exchange adds squad options without turning the radio into extra optics. This distinction explains many situations in which a marker appears on the minimap but the vehicle itself is absent from the screen.
Concealment helps preserve a vehicle and prepare the next shot. However, a bush does not stop shells, and high view range does not make an exposed position safe. A useful position combines observation, allies able to exploit the information and a retreat after detection.
This guide covers Wargaming's PC version: the detection limit, proximity spotting, movement, firing, foliage and equipment selection. You can then apply the rules to each class and examine your replay without guessing that an opponent “sees through everything.”
Four distances you must separate
Three different concepts. The 445 m circle marks a limit rather than guaranteed detection of every target; the vehicle's actual view range depends on its build. Editorial diagram.
Concept | Meaning | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|
Vehicle view range | The particular build's parameter, including crew and equipment | Compare before and after changing the setup |
Maximum own detection | 445 m | You cannot independently spot a target beyond this limit |
Proximity spotting | A 50 m radius regardless of obstacles or concealment | Avoid relying on a bush or wall inside this zone |
Vehicle drawing | 565 m | An allied spotting marker beyond this limit may appear on the minimap without an onscreen model |
View range above 445 m is not wasted: it helps counter concealment inside the permitted detection distance. It does not extend the limit itself. Avoid choosing the exposed middle of a map simply for an attractive characteristic value.
Signal range describes exchanging position information with allies. Without the required connection, your optics do not themselves become weaker, but the team may miss necessary information. Check the radio and allied positions alongside available firing lines.
Enable the relevant minimap circles and learn to recognize each one. If a target is absent onscreen, first establish whether allied spotting exists and whether it is within drawing range. Only then examine bushes and your concealment; otherwise you will try to fix the wrong cause.
What foliage actually covers
A bush needs to screen the vehicle from the observer's direction. An exposed hull section can change the outcome even when your camera makes the tank look hidden. A protruding gun alone does not negate concealment; distinguish it from an exposed hull or turret.
Assess several directions. Foliage between you and the main target may leave a side observer unobstructed. Use the minimap to assess where an opponent could have moved, and retain hard cover against another detection angle. One successful stationary encounter does not prove the position safe from every side.
Within 15 m of a bush, you can observe through it. To prepare a concealed shot, reverse farther away until the foliage becomes opaque. This helps separate the observation line from the firing position, without ruling out proximity spotting, another observer or blind fire.
A pair of bushes works only with suitable geometry between the vehicle and observer. Simply seeing two green textures is insufficient. Before firing, establish what screens each direction and where you will stop after reversing.
Movement, traverse and firing
Hull movement worsens concealment for most vehicles. Tier V and higher light tanks retain the same base concealment while moving and stationary. That advantage does not make an LT invisible: distance, the observation line and firing still matter.
Gun and turret traverse on a stationary vehicle do not themselves reduce concealment. Hull traverse is a different action. This matters particularly for a turretless TD: moving aim beyond the gun's available arc may require hull movement, changing observation and concealment conditions.
Firing sharply reduces concealment and also affects foliage within 15 m of the vehicle. A successful opening shot from a suitable position therefore does not establish that you can continue shooting every available target without changing position.
Avoid assigning every gun an identical safe pause of a few seconds. After contact, assess cover, possible enemy lines and the position's predictability. Even without another detection, an opponent can check a known bush with a shot.
What a vision and concealment build provides
Tool | Job | What to check |
|---|---|---|
Coated Optics | Increases view range while stationary and moving | Availability and the particular vehicle's resulting parameter |
Binocular Telescope | Increases view range while stationary | Whether stopping fits your route |
Commander's Vision System | Reduces concealment of moving targets and targets behind foliage | Vehicle compatibility and bonus conditions |
Low Noise Exhaust System | Improves your own concealment | Whether the third slot loses a required combat function |
Camouflage Net | Improves stationary concealment | Whether your pacing exploits that condition |
Ventilation, improved food and Brothers in Arms | Affect the crew and the corresponding parameters through it | Compatibility, consumable cost and actual role |
Recon and Situational Awareness help view range; Concealment reduces visibility. Sixth Sense warns of detection and is available to commanders by default; it does not itself improve concealment. Avoid substituting one effect for another simply because perks appear near each other in the interface.
Field Modification depends on the vehicle's particular tree. Examine the offered node and its opposing effect before comparing builds for your job. Avoid treating every view-range bonus as directly extending the 445 m limit.
There is no compulsory three-item setup for every class. A TD that must reposition after contact and an LT maintaining observation may need different kits. Compare a slot's contribution to your route rather than counting items with similar descriptions.
Applying the rules to five classes
Light tank
Choose passive observation or an active route around team lineups and support. Preserve hit points for late detection: losing the scout early can deprive allies of information when the front becomes wider. Avoid firing simply because a target enters the reticle; first assess whether revealing the position is worthwhile.
Medium tank
Use vision to decide where to trade and when to switch flanks. From a concealed position, you can check a direction before supporting the attack. If allies stop controlling the adjacent passage, the old bush no longer guarantees a useful firing position.
Tank destroyer
Prepare a second firing position and a route to it. Avoid scheduling an automatic move strictly after the second or third shot: detection, the flank's state and an available exit decide. For a turretless vehicle, separately check whether the gun arc suffices without hull movement.
Heavy tank
Vision helps avoid entering a blind crossfire but does not replace hull protection. Before peeking, establish who could see you from another direction. After closing distance, choose hard cover and armor geometry rather than hoping to hide a heavy vehicle in a chance bush.
SPG
Support currently spotted targets and reposition when circumstances permit. Avoid declaring concealment a safety guarantee: a known firing position can become predictable. Watch whether an enemy scout has gained access to your part of the map.
Mistakes and a replay review sequence
Observation | What to inspect in the replay | What to change next battle |
|---|---|---|
Detected immediately after entering | Distance, exposed vehicle sections and side observers | Approach and hull placement |
Damaged after firing | Foliage, reversing and an already known position | Firing location and retreat behind hard cover |
Target visible only on the minimap | Allied spotting, communication and drawing | Avoid trying to fix this solely with exhaust |
Allies deal no damage to spotted targets | Available line, readiness and gun direction | Select a useful target for support |
A good position became a trap | Lost cover from allies and the adjacent flank's state | Leave before the route closes |
Run a short exercise with a teammate: compare stationary and moving vehicles, then positions closer to and farther from a bush before firing. Change one condition at a time. Record distance, both vehicles' actions and the observation direction so the replay is explainable rather than one fortunate attempt.
In an ordinary battle, examine the moment when the decision could still change. Recognizing lost support early is often more useful than arguing about the last bush after destruction. The review's purpose is to retain a workable route and prepare the next engagement.
Common questions
What is the maximum own spotting distance?
445 m. Extra view range helps counter concealment inside that limit without enabling independent spotting farther away. Drawing and allied information remain separate parts of the system.
Does a bush conceal you after firing?
That depends on geometry, foliage distance and observers. Reversing beyond 15 m helps retain foliage screening when firing, but does not exclude 50 m detection or fire at a known position.
Which vehicles especially need concealment?
Scouting LTs, concealed TDs and mediums working through detection and repositioning. Its value nevertheless depends on the particular vehicle's task. For a heavy engagement, hard cover may matter more than another concealment bonus.