Struggling with Conqueror

[RaidenSears 2]

Just got my conqueror few days ago, and felt pretty good initially with its brilliant gun handling.

But now something is really making me struggle about playing this tank, and yes that is SPGs, the scumbags of the battlefield.

Whenever I drive the conqueror, theres a dilemma for me: I either go front line and get concentrated by all enemy SPGs (unless theres a waffle on our team and he gets spotted first of course), or I sit back and watch my teamates die one by one(specifically talking about situation where my team is weaker).

What is a good strategy to deal with this problem?

How do I avoid being concentrated by arties so frequently?

Thank you for answering

[Shade421 2,952]

I don't currently own one, and haven't played it for quite a while, but from what I remember, it's not very good as a front line heavy, even at top tier. Most other 9's will cut right through its armor, even the turret. What it does have, however, is excellent gun handling, pen, DPM, and mobility. What I did with it when I had it, was play more of a support role. This means you go with the main push (if there is one), but don't be on the front line. Wait for other tanks to get engaged, and support them with peek-a-boom tactics. Enemy fires at your ally, poke out, snapshot, and duck back. Your gun handling and mobility mean you can do this with relative safety, and if you're familiar with the reload of the enemy tanks, you know how long you can stay exposed before they return fire. Also, this allows you to watch for enemy arty impacts, giving you a good idea of when it's safe to do so while they're reloading. Generally, when you aren't the first to get spotted, arty is trying to aim at something else anyway, and won't be able to aim in at you before you fire and get back behind your allies. The minimized exposure time also gives you a solid chance of them bouncing your turret even if they do fire back at you, since they shouldn't have time to aim fully at your weak spots.

 

Since you do have a heavy HP pool, sitting in the back sniping, while it's perfectly capable of doing so, isn't the best use of it in most situations.

 

I don't have any replays currently of it, but some of the other PP's may be able to go in to more detail on its play style for you.

[Zesshin 86]

Armor wise:

Turret is weak (The cheeks are actually weakspots)

upper hull is very stronk -It isn't, but it can bounce when angled properly. It's still pretty much a guaranteed pen for most other 9's on flat ground.

Lower hull is weak

 

Gun wise:

Reload is nice

aim time is nice

shell dispersion is nice

velocity is nice

accuracy is nice

Shell selection is really nice

 

Mobility wise:

Power to weight ratio is okay

top speed is okay

everything is meh

 

I would suggest that play it as a slow medium tank. You don't have to snipe but always be behind someone else so that they always get spotted first. As Shade already said this is simply a support tank. If your team isn't 100% retarded you should be able to do quite a bit of damage each game.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Shade421

[Shifty_101st 1,144]

This is probably the one tank you do NOT want to be on the front line with.  You need to be 2nd line at all times unless the situation calls for you to use your HP pool to keep pubbies alive so you can win the match.

 

The longer you stay alive with that gun fucking shit up, the better your games will be.  That can only be accomplished on a consistent basis on the 2nd line.

 

As for avoiding arty.......since the mobility of the tank is not amazing but it's decent.....the best thing I can recommend is for you to prepare arty cover from wherever the scumbags might possibly be.  Other than that if you get a clue as to where they are at, just try to put as much cover as you can between yourself and the shells.  Lastly, do whatever you can to NOT make yourself a target.  

 

That's all I got.  The tank is excellent and can easily carry any match it is in with its amazing gun, but you need your HP pool for that unfortunately.

[RaidenSears 2]

I don't currently own one, and haven't played it for quite a while, but from what I remember, it's not very good as a front line heavy, even at top tier. Most other 9's will cut right through its armor, even the turret. What it does have, however, is excellent gun handling, pen, DPM, and mobility. What I did with it when I had it, was play more of a support role. This means you go with the main push (if there is one), but don't be on the front line. Wait for other tanks to get engaged, and support them with peek-a-boom tactics. Enemy fires at your ally, poke out, snapshot, and duck back. Your gun handling and mobility mean you can do this with relative safety, and if you're familiar with the reload of the enemy tanks, you know how long you can stay exposed before they return fire. Also, this allows you to watch for enemy arty impacts, giving you a good idea of when it's safe to do so while they're reloading. Generally, when you aren't the first to get spotted, arty is trying to aim at something else anyway, and won't be able to aim in at you before you fire and get back behind your allies. The minimized exposure time also gives you a solid chance of them bouncing your turret even if they do fire back at you, since they shouldn't have time to aim fully at your weak spots.

 

Since you do have a heavy HP pool, sitting in the back sniping, while it's perfectly capable of doing so, isn't the best use of it in most situations.

 

I don't have any replays currently of it, but some of the other PP's may be able to go in to more detail on its play style for you.

Feels kinda guilty to let my teamates take the shots because I main heavy tanks (E100, 113)

but thanks I will try that

[ThePowerOfLove 203]

1. Find competent allied E75 or similar, or platoon with one

2. Stick around behind them, let them brawl

3a. Slap people as they poke out and try to return fire at your friend, thus offering your friend some 'yolo insurance'

3b. Drive round and snap a shot into a weakspot after they trade fire, use excellent acceleration to back quickly behind your boxy friend

4. Profit

[Shade421 2,952]

Let me know the results, if you start doing better or worse.

[RaidenSears 2]

Let me know the results, if you start doing better or worse.

I am doing better now

(other than the fact that I keep getting screwed over by RNGesus)

now the games in Conqueror are like "hide from arty->poke->hide from arty->poke->lead the attack because my teammates camp forever->loose 90% of my hp and finally get teammates moving->hide behind teammates and finish game off)

[Shade421 2,952]

Lol its not a sure win every time style, but it works better. Good luck.

[WaterWar 2,075]

I don't currently own one, and haven't played it for quite a while, but from what I remember, it's not very good as a front line heavy, even at top tier. Most other 9's will cut right through its armor, even the turret. What it does have, however, is excellent gun handling, pen, DPM, and mobility. What I did with it when I had it, was play more of a support role. This means you go with the main push (if there is one), but don't be on the front line. Wait for other tanks to get engaged, and support them with peek-a-boom tactics. Enemy fires at your ally, poke out, snapshot, and duck back. Your gun handling and mobility mean you can do this with relative safety, and if you're familiar with the reload of the enemy tanks, you know how long you can stay exposed before they return fire. Also, this allows you to watch for enemy arty impacts, giving you a good idea of when it's safe to do so while they're reloading. Generally, when you aren't the first to get spotted, arty is trying to aim at something else anyway, and won't be able to aim in at you before you fire and get back behind your allies. The minimized exposure time also gives you a solid chance of them bouncing your turret even if they do fire back at you, since they shouldn't have time to aim fully at your weak spots.

 

Since you do have a heavy HP pool, sitting in the back sniping, while it's perfectly capable of doing so, isn't the best use of it in most situations.

 

I don't have any replays currently of it, but some of the other PP's may be able to go in to more detail on its play style for you.

You hit the nail right on the head with this description. It is all about supporting your heavy tanks without taking unneccesary damage early on. The gun is excellent so keep the gun singing and don't be afraid to load APCR to ignore armour of enemy heavy tanks. You can go through the upper plate of an E75 if you can aim down on it slightly (face hug situation).

 

Here is a video where I play my Conqueror a few patches ago. Shows how the gun is amazing (6.5k dmg) and that the armour can be quite troll at times.