How do you earn XP as arty?

[Canadian_Reaper 90]

Yes I know, arty sucks, but

I'm on mission 15.3 (for the T55A) I have to score top damage on my team,(at least 3k) as well as have the most XP.

Using the M53/55, and so far (with a little luck) top damage has been easy. but top XP -I'm not even close.

(Just finished a game with 4.6K damage, more than the next 3 members of my team combined, -but I came 6th on XP earned)

I get that kills give XP, but with a 40 second reload, I'm not sure if I'm better to go for a (potential) 800 damage hit or a 50 damage hit and a kill.

 

Are there any tricks to getting XP for this mission?

Really want to get it as the 55A is the last of the mission tanks I want, and I won't have to play arty again after (if) I earn the 55A. 

 

[xWulffx 393]

 

Q How do you earn XP as arty?  A Metastasis

[Sorphius 508]

You need to damage tanks that other people aren't spotting.  In practice this means either shotgun somebody at the end, or hit blind shots.

Edit: I should also note that 4.6k damage isn't really that much.  To be top XP with that much damage you really pretty much need to do 2-3k blind.  Realistically speaking, to end up top XP in an M53/55 you'll probably need closer to 6-7k with some of it blind.

[Whole_Nutmeg 523]

Find the nearest lake and drive into it, proven 10/10 strat

check the missions thread, I think M44 with HEAT going for kills on higher tier tanks is the best way

[Android25 962]

Hitting tanks that are tiers above you is a good way to farm XP as well. I've come a lot closer to top xp games in the S-51 (with small gun for better accuracy and a lot more opportunities) than I have in the 261. That being said, the only game I've actually been able to finish it for 15.3 was in the 261 on a game that I lost and died (not finishing the secondary condition). In other words, if your whole team sucks and you do well but loose, you can get it as well. I tried several more times and ended up just giving up and doing the missions for all the other classes as well.

I noticed while doing the scouting missions that you get assisted damage after spotting a target even if it goes dark for a few seconds, so holding your shots as arty just to shoot at an unlit target isn't going to do you any favors, better to go for more damage on higher tier tanks.

[Fianii 63]

Ooh that mission was a pain.

I first followed online advice and used the M44 w HEAT w Battle Assistant, threw in food also for good measure but didn't complete I despite losing almost 2 mil creds. Came close though.

Actually managed to complete it with the GW Tiger P in a very very long Prokh game. Can't remember the specifics.

Try platooning with pref MM tanks one tier higher if attempting it at T6 or T7 so you exclude your lowest battle tier without failplatoning

[Ezz 1,770]

It helps to get 'lucky' with a horrible team as winning and surviving wasn't a requirement (iirc). Did mine on malinovka lobbing shells at a pack of their heavies on top of the hill while our team just bounced off their turrets. Died with about 3k damage but that was about triple the closest and our spotters were all sharing the spotting so none really got much XP.

[BadLuckCharm 41]

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[Jaegaer 180]

First of all the M53/55 is not perfect for the job as it hardly gains anything over the M40/43. SO if you are hell bend then use that one instead. But the best tank is prolly the M44 with ample HEAT and some patience.

Your first shot should ALWAYS be blind. On most maps there are famous bushes that have peeps in them. Shoot these and watch you shell vanish more often than not. And if nothing else presents itself, shoot that bush again, yes, people are that dumb.

If the game runs well, move up with your team! Don't sit at the redline 24/7. That takes A LOT of practise though. You need to know where you can go unspotted but ever meter less means your gun gets more accurate even though your shell arc starts to suck if you are too close.

Anyways, when you had a good game so far and your team starts to push, PUSH UP MORE. Sit in a bush and let your binos go active (on arties that have no vents you always equip binos) then spot for yourself and get 2-3 shots off that are worth a lot of exp.

Claim to fame: almost 3 marks on both M44 and M40/43 (one time I will push it thorugh but for now WoWs feels so much btter than WoT), did SPG 15.2 on Ruinberg in M44 with honors, did SPG 15.3 with honors on first try in M40/43 on Stalingrad.

[Inciatus 1,124]

Shooting higher tier stuff is the easiest way to help increase the xp and they tend to be easier to hit and have more juicy HP. I remember hearing at one point that damaging a tank higher or lower by 20% for each tier difference (if in tier 8 shooting 9:+20% shooting 10: +40% shooting 6: -40% etc). Hitting blind tanks is also a good way to help get those numbers up since you aren't losing half your xp to the spotter. If you have a fast enough reload you can track people and get some spotting damage that way.

While sort of outside the spirit of the rules you could "fail" platoon a tier 6 or tier 7 arty with a pref 8 to take advantage of the xp bonus and the larger slower targets which can make it easier to get into the higher tier games (and a lot of times nets more damage).

[Folterknecht 2,257]

Get a t6-7 (t8 if you have nothing else - though its hard to compete with t10 meds and TDs for top XP) arti like the M44 or GW-P take some heat with you and dominate the game, especially on Mines I always found it very easy to be at least top damage dealer.

[Archaic_One 1,853]

I've seen it done in a Bert on airfield, probably because he had a ton of assisted damage from permtracking heavies - which could negate the spotting penalties.

[Canadian_Reaper 90]

Thanks guys!

Might try Bert- I had tried M44 with HEAT until I gave up, I just can't get the HEAT to pen with that tank, I manage to hit tracks with pretty much every shot, even from the front- and after scoring non damaging crits 15+ times a game over who knows how many games I'd had enough.(And I was running out of credits)

Just gave up, might buy it back and try again though. 

I like the idea of trying blindshots- but that near 40 second reload would make it a little imparactical on the M53 I think.

 

And yes, worded it poorly, meant that with 4.6 K damage I outdamaged my closest team mates by a wide margin and still didnt get close to top XP

[Folterknecht 2,257]

1 hour ago, Canadian_Reaper said:

Thanks guys!

Might try Bert- I had tried M44 with HEAT until I gave up, I just can't get the HEAT to pen with that tank, I manage to hit tracks with pretty much every shot, even from the front- and after scoring non damaging crits 15+ times a game over who knows how many games I'd had enough.(And I was running out of credits)

Just gave up, might buy it back and try again though. 

I like the idea of trying blindshots- but that near 40 second reload would make it a little imparactical on the M53 I think.

 

And yes, worded it poorly, meant that with 4.6 K damage I outdamaged my closest team mates by a wide margin and still didnt get close to top XP

HEAT/AP on arti isn't some kind of magic device. There are very few SGPs where it even makes sense to take a larger amount of these shells with you on to battle field. And even for those SPGs HEAT/AP shouldn't be your standard ammo. It all comes down to knowing when it makes sense to shot AP/HEAT and at what targets. Read my guide on the Obj 261 and you can apply the advice given there in regards to AP to artis like M44 or GW-P.

[dualmaster333 3,324]

Unless you're an M44 in which case you fire almost entirely HEAT with only the occasional HE.

But seriously, the M44 is probably the best option for this mission. It's a little luck dependent like arty always is. But I'd guess I get this mission roughly once every 15 games in the M44.

Don't be an arty noob and sit in the back clicking at people. Your accuracy on the other side of the map is very bad. Stick close to the fight (400-500 meters) where your accuracy is actually quite good. You will still get plenty of non-pens but you'll soon get a game where RNG favors you. You only need 5 penetrations and with an 18s reload you can get plenty of shots out.

[bortass 22]

Think I got it in the SU-14-2. It's amazing what a couple AP rounds can do when they pen. I only carried a few AP rounds and normally load AP for the first shot. I happened to be grinding that SPG so I didn't bother trying it with the M44 heat spam.

[Driftin 168]

As most have said, the only ways to get good XP. blind shots and be lower tier. In your 9, you will never get a 2 tier higher spread which hurts your XP quite a bit. While I agree with moving up with the battle, it won't directly get you extra XP unless you are inside 300m, but the boost in accuracy by being close more than makes up for it.