WoT heavy-tank brawling: sidescraping and better trades

Close heavy-tank combat in World of Tanks is won through trade quality rather than peek count. You need to expose the gun, deal useful damage and return without giving the opponent a better opportunity. When several guns engage you simultaneously, even useful armor may not compensate for the positional mistake.

Hit points preserve later options, so assess early contact through the advantage obtained. Taking an important corner, removing an isolated opponent or supporting the group can justify risk; a meaningless exchange for the first shot does not. Continually preserving HP away from the decisive fight is also unhelpful.

This guide covers sidescraping, turret-based play, reload timing, focus fire, eight heavy tanks and a city-lane plan. It addresses Wargaming's PC version. Choose positioning around the particular armor model and threat rather than one angle for the entire class.

What to check before the first trade

An official illustrative screenshot: account for support before trading. This does not demonstrate a particular sidescraping angle.

Identify the main enemy gun, an adjacent threat and available hard cover. If the position lets opponents establish two lines on you, first find a way to close one. Cover must work during the approach, aiming and after your shot.

Compare both vehicles' readiness. A visible enemy shot is a useful reference but does not establish a long safe window: they may have a different gun cycle, a magazine or a supporting teammate. Before peeking, check who else can fire along the line.

Leave room for an ally. A vehicle blocking the corner with its hull can prevent support exploiting an advantage. If you intend to receive a shot or enter first, briefly coordinate the direction and target so the second tank does not simultaneously start another exchange.

Sidescraping: a step-by-step setup

1. Choose a hard corner and hide the vulnerable front. Avoid beginning the setup in the middle of an open passage. 2. Establish which side plate the opponent will see and whether its angle suits their actual shot line. 3. Check the retreat: an ordinary reverse peek needs an open route rather than an ally or obstacle blocking it. 4. Expose only enough vehicle for observation and aiming. After rotating, reassess the available side and turret. 5. Fire only at a suitable target, then withdraw. Avoid continuing rotation to obtain a shot if doing so exposes a vulnerable plate.

There is no universal 20-35° angle for every vehicle. Hull angle relative to a building differs from impact angle relative to the armor normal. Side, turret and nose have their own geometry, while the opposing caliber and shell type alter conditions.

Excessive rotation can make the side an accessible target. If aiming requires exposing the lower plate, rebuild the setup rather than treating every shot as compulsory. Reverse sidescraping also needs the particular hull and turret shape checked; facing the opposite way is not automatically safer.

Ordinary AP/APCR also involve the three-caliber rule: when caliber is strictly greater than three nominal plate thicknesses, that rule excludes a ricochet. Avoid expecting one sharp angle to bounce every shell. Additional weapon mechanics, such as the new German branch's shell calibration, require separate consideration.

Peeking during a reload without unnecessary risk

First establish that the opponent actually fired, then check other threats. Prepare aim beforehand and move into a brief, understandable engagement. A wide peek for improved visibility can expose the hull to several opponents.

Avoid automatically shooting tracks. Without suitable main armor behind them, an attempt to stop the target may not produce the intended damage. Compare immobilization's value with an effective hit and allied readiness to exploit a stationary target.

Stopping an opponent helps when the team has a line and is ready to fire. It does not guarantee follow-up damage when support reloads, leaves or sees only a screen. Communicate the target and stop an awkward engagement when the window closes.

After missing, avoid immediately trying to “recover the debt” with an extra peek. Restore cover and compare readiness again. One lost shot does not make the next exposed trade favorable.

Hull-down: the hull is hidden, but the job remains

Check whether the gun can aim from the chosen position without additional hull exposure. Insufficient depression can force you to reveal the lower plate or roof. The turret also contains different areas: every surface around the gun is not equally protected.

Avoid repeating one stationary peek when opponents have pre-aimed it. Brief movement can alter conditions without removing side fire. If an adjacent flank is lost, good cover against one direction can stop being a good position.

Retain a retreat while reloading. A location that permits one hit but no end to contact needs another group plan. Occupying an adjacent ridge or corner can be better than demanding armor repair the absence of an exit.

Eight candidates for the heavy lane

The first S group contains Super Conqueror, IS-7, Object 277 and 60TP; the A group contains E 100, VK 72.01 (K), AMX M4 mle. 54 and T110E5. This is an editorial selection for different approaches to close combat. A vehicle's strength should match your plan: repeated shots, advancing, or one heavy trade.

The figures below describe average standard-shell damage and the displayed base configuration. Crew, equipment and other modifiers change the resulting characteristics. Nominal armor thickness does not describe every point of the model and does not guarantee protection.

Super Conqueror: repeated shots with the hull covered

The 120 mm Gun L1A1 deals 400 average damage; its displayed reload cycle is 9.6 seconds. This gun benefits from a position that lets you return to the target several times while keeping the hull behind cover. One brief contact followed by a long wait prevents the vehicle from exploiting repeated fire. Nominal turret armor is 279/89/70 mm: watch the turret's direction, especially when a side threat appears. With a top speed of 34.3 km/h, a flank change needs advance planning.

IS-7: advance with the heavy group

IS-7 has 2,400 HP, a gun with 490 average damage, and a 59.6 km/h speed limit. These provide reasons to consider it for timely lane occupation and a coordinated advance, although the speed limit does not mean that speed on every surface. The displayed 13.7-second reload requires support after firing. Watch the nose as you turn and the side you expose: nominal 150 mm hull armor does not make every angle safe. Secure the next piece of cover before moving the group.

Object 277: tempo and support for a change of direction

With 490 average damage, the displayed cycle is 12.5 seconds, top speed is 55 km/h, and specific power is 17.27 hp/t. Object 277 is therefore worth considering for moving between available lines when the group can exploit its arrival. In this comparison its cycle is shorter than IS-7's displayed cycle, but that does not justify peeking whenever the gun is ready. Nominal 140 mm frontal hull armor and 2,200 HP call for careful contact. Avoid turning early arrival into an isolated wait under several enemy guns.

60TP Lewandowskiego: prepare the heavy trade

Its standard shell's 750 average damage makes 60TP a candidate for brief contact followed by a complete return to cover. Select the target, prepare your aim and agree who will cover your reload before peeking. If both hits deal damage, an average exchange of 750 against 400 looks favorable, but damage variation, penetration and enemy support change the actual result. Do not spend that potential on a poorly prepared shot or leave the turret facing a side threat while waiting for the next one.

E 100: corner, turret and gun choice

E 100 offers 12.8 cm and 15 cm guns. The displayed 12.8 cm configuration has 530 average damage and a 12-second cycle; those figures cannot be transferred to the 15 cm gun. Its 2,700 HP support participation in the heavy lane, while a 30 km/h speed limit makes late rotation costly. Nominal 280 mm frontal turret armor still depends on the impact location and angle for protection. Control both hull and turret when peeking, then end an awkward contact after firing rather than waiting motionless for the opponent to aim.

VK 72.01 (K): rear turret and a long cycle

The reward VK 72.01 (K) has a rear-mounted turret and a 15 cm gun with 750 average damage. Its displayed 20-second cycle makes the retreat route and an allied gun that remains ready after your shot particularly important. The rear turret changes the point at which the gun can emerge around a corner, so check the entire maneuver with an observer beforehand. Compare this vehicle as a distinct positioning geometry rather than an automatic choice for reverse sidescraping. Reward status does not guarantee ricochets.

AMX M4 mle. 54: frontal contact and two different guns

The 120 mm D. 1203 B and 130 mm/45 Model 1935 alternatives need separate comparison. In the displayed 120 mm configuration, average damage is 400, reload is 10 seconds, aim time is 1.5 seconds, and dispersion at 100 m is 0.30 m. That is a concrete basis for prepared repeated contacts; do not attribute these figures to the 130 mm gun. Nominal hull armor of 220/85/40 mm and turret armor of 300/80/40 mm underline the importance of a frontal engagement. Limit enemy angles rather than exposing the side for easier aiming.

T110E5: brief support instead of chasing alpha

The 120 mm Gun M58 offers 400 average damage with a displayed 8.8-second cycle. This combination suits repeated support from cover when each peek has a clear target. If an opponent with 750 damage gets one damaging shot for every shot you land, the shorter cycle remains an unused advantage. Seek an additional useful shot without taking unnecessary damage rather than forcing a one-for-one exchange. Its 2,200 HP and turret with differently protected areas require preserving the option to end contact.

When comparing vehicles, record the mounted gun, modifiers and type of encounter. Assess a single-contact trade separately from a sequence of shots while holding a position. This prevents high alpha from standing in for useful firing rate, or ricochet count from standing in for a completed team objective.

Crew, equipment and repair

First identify why the trade failed. If the vehicle remains immobilized under several guns, it needs an exit plan and attention to repairs; another gun characteristic will not remove crossfire. If you expose before the aim is ready, practice preparation alongside suitable equipment.

For the heavy tanks listed here, begin comparison with the standard setups below. These are task-based options rather than one mandatory build. Improved Hardening supports vehicle and suspension durability, a Gun Rammer shortens reload, a Turbocharger improves mobility, and Improved Aiming reduces aiming-circle size.

A smaller aiming circle does not replace stabilization when peeking: if the problem arises specifically during movement, compare an available stabilizer with your chosen third item separately. Consider Hardening for the heavy tank's first survivability slot. Make the final choice around your configuration and role rather than copying results from a different gun.

For the crew, consider Repairs, Brothers in Arms and available perks for each qualification. Perks supplement the trade plan but do not fix an open second line of fire.

Keep the repair kit available for a critical situation without turning that advice into a ban on earlier use. If losing a track already exposes the vehicle to several opponents, restoring movement promptly can matter more than your next shot. Decide alongside the retreat route.

Opening, middle and end of a city fight

Initially occupy the first defensible corner rather than the deepest reachable one. Gather information about enemy guns and allied approaches. Hit points spent without positional gain reduce later choices.

In the middle, convert readiness advantages into brief coordinated advances. If the lane stalls while an adjacent flank collapses, assess rotation before the path closes. Avoid leaving without understanding who holds the abandoned line and whether the base becomes exposed.

In the endgame, use remaining hit points to complete the objective, but avoid treating a late minute as permission for a solo breakthrough. Removing an accessible low-health vehicle reduces enemy gun count if reaching it does not expose you to a more dangerous crossfire. Compare time, base conditions and support.

Phase boundaries follow circumstances rather than compulsory 2:00 and 7:00 marks. A fast battle can reach the decisive trade earlier, while positional play can remain unresolved longer. Read the map as well as the timer.

Five mistakes and practice

In practice, compare two positions with the same vehicle, then repeat a brief peek with an observer on the other side. Record what is visible before and after your shot. In an ordinary replay, look for the last decision that still allowed closing an extra line.

Common questions

What is sidescraping, and which angle is correct?

It uses a hard corner to hide the front while presenting a suitably angled side. The model, enemy line and shell determine the correct placement; there is no single number for every heavy.

Which vehicles are easier for practice?

Compare Super Conqueror for a screened hull and IS-7 for advancing with a group, if available. Simplicity depends on your familiar route and meeting conditions. Armor does not make every setup successful.

Why do corner trades still fail?

Check exposed hull, an adjacent gun, your readiness and the opponent's actual cycle. One successful ricochet does not establish that rotating farther remains safe.

Will this quickly increase wins?

Correcting a repeated mistake helps make more useful decisions, but no timeframe or improvement size is guaranteed. Compare similar encounters and team-objective execution rather than one successful evening.