Snoregasm2

Yes and no. It can make it enjoyable to play or not. But giving it terrible bloom and/or terrain resistances doesn't make it any less broken to play against. It just means it's shit for everyone, e.g. FV4005.

That's true - i'm up to 90+ but that's still after this in my last 78 battles, with good assist: In nearly any other tier 8 tank that alone is 3 marks. That shit is hard to mark man.

Those lists make a lot more sense.

That's really interesting - I use that site but I didn't realise it had these tier lists. The tiers 9 and 10 lists are also interesting: T-54 6th easiest to mark - I need to buy it back apparently, as there is no way it is worse than BC-AP. 277-II confirmed worst reward tank at tier 9. Reward tanks at tier 9 make up 4 of top 5 hardest to mark. Type 5 is the 5th hardest tier 10 to mark, ahead of the VK and S Conq, and even the Progetto. Speaking of, the Progetto is still very high - not played it since the nerf, but is it still better than average? I didn't realise the 279 ebola is 400 dpg better than the Chief - is this because it is more idiot proof?

Make sure you turn encounter off then as map bans only work for standard mode, meaning you can still get Ensk on encounter if enabled.

I'd agree with a lot of that. To be fair to Daki, he deliberated over a lot of choices and often listed alternatives you have above, before explaining why he didn't pick it in the end. He noted that some stuff would be flat out better for randoms in a way that it wouldn't for competitive, with a lot of that being vision modules. Out of interest, what would you put on the Renegade? It's terrain resistances are so horrific that it genuinely seems to be a candidate for grousers? Compared against other tanks I'm thinking of playing for the PL med marathon:

Wow, they all seem OP in current form (measured against same tier peers), but the British TD in particular is a tier 9 Skoda T50, but faster!??? Even if they balance all 3 tanks by way of gun performance, all that means is they're both horrible to play and play against.

That was a really useful video. For those who didn't watch (and bearing in mind these set-ups are for competitive, not randoms - although they discuss random set-ups in the video). Bond/bounty equipment where you have it: 0:38 - Leopard - improved aiming, rammer, vents 4:02 - Object 907 - v-stab, vents, rammer 5:49 - Chieftain - v-stab, vents, rammer 10:49 - Object 279(e) - v-stab, rammer, improved configuration 19:05 - Object 260 - v-stab, vents, rammer 20:10 - Object 277 - v-stab, vents, rammer 21:16 - EBR 105 - lots of options, but settle on rammer, vents, optics 30:15 - Objet 268v.4 - again, they discuss lots of options but end up with improved rotation, vents, rammer 38:18 - T110E4 - improved rotation, vents, rammer 42:00 - AMX 50B - hardening, vents, v-stab 45:15 - Kranvagn - improved rotation, vents, v-stab 47:35 - STB-1 - v-stab, vents, rammer 50:37 - TVP 50/51 - turbo, vents, v-stab 54:34 - Strv 103B - camo net, rammer, vents 57:41 - Conqueror GC - rammer, vents, gld 1:01:12 - CS-63 - rammer, vents, v-stab 1:03:01 - 60TP - hardening, rammer, v-stab 1:08:21 - T-100 LT - binocs, vents, optics (again, worth stressing this is competitive and not random set-up) 1:18:11 - Explanation on Commander Vision System 1:28:45 - BatChat 25t - hardening, vents, v-stab 1:35:15 - Insights on tier 8 tanks starting with Progetto 46

@Deus__Ex__Machina, @Private_Miros @lavawing Sorry for hijacking this thread, but seems relevant as below is probably unconventional. Also, couldn't find if it had it's own page? So, I played 100 games in the 703, so I think it is a large enough sample size. First 40 games were at 41% w/r and 1,800 DPG whilst I figured it out (and before I hotkeyed the double fire button to the middle mouse wheel, i.e. sniping was literally impossible due to shot lag). Strengths: Really good gun dispersion - you often end up firing on the move and hitting. Makes peeking it it easy from a firing perspective. 270 HEAT is nice versus bricks, but is shit for aiming at distance. On balance, it is a wash with Defender's APCR premium (which is basically vice versa). Mobile enough, especially on medium/soft terrain. I did take off the turbo though, as the benefits weren't enough to justify it. Upper plate can get troll bounces, especially angled. Side armour less so, but still Russian so Stalin protects. Weaknesses: Absolute butter armour, in three respects: Against same tier and lower, the lower plate is far too easily pennable, as is the side armour. So what, right? Well, if it's direct competition is the Defender, that's a big deal. The Defender has a gimmick - being unpennable a lot of the time, and it does it well. The 703 fails at it's own gimmick (more on that below). The Defender can 3xr same tier games and get away with it. In the right hands, apart from cuppola shots it is immoveable. Speaking of cuppola shots, they are a nightmare when twinned with the overmatchable roof/low tank combo. So many pens against pixels because of this. The turret is also easily pennable as soon as you don't aim it directly at someone, whereas the Defender turret has to be aiming more like 45 degress to pen it, and even then it is troll. It is absolute butter to any tier 9 tanks and above. Surely most tier 8 heavies are? Yes, but this tank is supposed to have armour, and again it falls ways short of the Defender here. The upper plate is especially bad for this - you can be completely hull down and angling up and it still gets penned by 705s. It makes anything outside a tier 8 game a dicey proposition, because even with hull down/peeking, you may as well be in a Renegade. -5 gun dep/low profile makes it a nightmare when face hugged/close quarters generally. The double shot is pointless, and almost never justifies it. Which is the fatal flaw of this tank - its gimmick is useless. All the best tier 8 tanks have a gimmick that works for them, a leverageable strong point that makes them best in class. SU - boom stick chai sniper. Skorpian - less chai, more vroom vroom boomstick. Renegade - god tier gun handling with great DPM/gun depression. Progetto - everything except armour. Defender - steel wall, with best in tier heavy alpha to fire back. The 703 is supposed to be a mixture between double barrel lol shots and good armour, and in the end it does neither. The DPM is atrocious, and maybe because people expect the double shot or something, it gets yolo'd much more than it should. Maybe that is small sample size, but definitely doesn't have the fear factor to prevent pushes. People note how good the gun handling is, which is great admittedly, but this isn't a 'firepower' tank like the Renegade or Caenarvon - it can't be with that DPM. Neither is it a "stopper" tank like the Defender. Again, it tries to do both and in the end does neither. Very susceptible to arty shots and, unfortunately, engine fires. Burned once every 10 games or so, and if arty picks on you even tier 7 arties take off 300-400 dmg per shot, consistently. It really lacks stopping power because of that. Just played another game and seriously, any shot that isn't to the front is an instant fire, i'm seriously considering that new piece of equipment that increases engine/fuel tank HP. Maybe it is much worse now because people are more aware of it? I remember after the loot boxes they were flavour of the month, but it feels like it is much easier to figure out for pubbies than the Defender is - when it fires, rush in, especially if you here a loud boom. In summary, I don't know what the hype is about. OK Russian heavy with good gun handling but no DPM to capitalise, and butter armour. I'm sure a platoon negates some of it's weaknesses, but most of the other top tier tier 8 prems are better for carrying in solo pubs. Meh.

It's absolute swiss cheese armour wise, it is very uncomfortable to use with the gun dep (that is my issue though, i hate -5 gun dep tanks), it is slow (even with the turbo), it is blind and it has terrible DPM. Not helped by all the shit teams and the tilt i am on, but i definitely don't click with it. EDIT: Also, the lag on gun firing was killing me. Only just realised why I was getting it.

First impressions of the 703 are . . . I fucking hate it. Seriously, who the fuck thinks it is OP? The gun handling is literally the only semi-decent thing about the tank.

I've just checked, the view range is the same as the Defender, which means it tops out over 400 with a good crew without optics, which is fine. I just hate anything sub-400, as you can get farmed for free late game. I wouldn't spot per se in it even with optics, I just build for maximum farming, which for me usually means living longer as aggression right now equates to shitty DPG. I have the Renegade, and I don't find it that fun. I get it, great gun handling and DPM, but the weak armour/slow top speed combo annoys the hell out of me. I only played it pre-1.10, so I guess it works better with Turbo? I realised that is an unconventional opinion - I don't really enjoy the Renegade that much. Everytime you get 2.5k dmg you just feel like you would have done more in either a Progetto, Bourrasque etc., or if you get farmed in the turret/hull, a Defender.

Just seen this. Considering buying it - is it genuinely fun to play in tier 8 randoms (seen as though FL is in the distant future)? Also, did it used to have a rammer and it got removed, like the Italians, or did it never have one to begin with? What does the view range max out with vents/good crew? I know Russian heavies are usually a bad choice for any kind of optics but I hate being blind, particularly at tier 8 where you can carry 9 times out of 10 due to the vehicle imbalance/pubbies skill level.

I agree it's boring as fuck. But boring and strong are two very different things. Regardless of whether the 703 is better or not, the Defender is up there right at the top of the class of tier 8 tanks.

I've never played the 703, and have 3 marked the Defender fwiw, and I would say the Defender has insane carry potential, even if not top tier. It has chunky alpha, OP armour if used correctly and if dug in well can be almost impossible to dislodge, particularly in tier 8 games. It is also idiot-proof in that sense, as you can survive by angling like an idiot and letting Stalin protect you. I know I would much rather fight a 703 9 times out of 10. The 1 other time is if I'm 700 HP or less, as then it is hard to know if you will get double tapped or not. Whether it's better or not I can't really say without playing both, but what swings it I guess for most people is the Defender is BORING to play. OP, but so fucking boring. The only exception to this is when gun handling makes it frustrating rather than boring, but the slow aim time, slow speed, monotonous playstyle (bully boi) means the 703, by comparison, is a breath of fresh air.