Help me pick my next grind

[Matross 145]

Help me pick my next grind. I free exp'd from the Charioteer to the sh*t barn, and finished my UDES 15/16 grind.
 

I'm trying to pick the tanks that are more important for CW's first, and then for missions. Help me pick 2! (all tanks start fully researched - meaning, not stock)

Missions wise, I'm on the T-55A missions, working to finish HT15 (thinking I might need Maus for this, I have the Type 5), light tank and TD's (for honors, but I think I can do it with E4/JPZE100/Grille15). For lights, I have all the tier 9's, and the T100LT for Tier X. For arties... I have T92, and the only other viable arty I see needing might be the Conq GC, but I think I might be able to cheese it with the T92, am I right?

Last bit... I have about 130k free XP, so a lot of tanks here... I can pretty much start at Tier 8, since I have them unlocked, and just need to buy the tank. Only the STRV 103B, I would have to start from Tier 1, and free XP to tier 8. I could grind some more x5 free xp for another week to ensure I start with all modules, so I don't have a stock grind.

 

Here are the options & my comments/opinion. Tanks are in random order.

1. T110E3 - Start at T28 (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - The T95 Doom turtle might be fun, E3 is used time to time for CW.
  - I figure the line would help finish TD missions in the future (doom turtle/E3).
  - Not having a turret frustrates me, but... it actually gets armor... so... it kind of balances it out?

2. Maus - Start at VK10001P (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - Never ground it, I always see people blocking huge numbers with it. Is used time to time in CW.
  - Probably more reliable since Type 5 got nerfed.
  - Always wanted a Maus...

3. STRV 103B - Start at UDES 03 (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - I have this line discounted from the Christmas boxes, all the way up to to the Tier 10, and have 2 fragments for it!
  - I don't really like TD's without a turret, but see people doing some serious damage out put with the Tier 10. 
  - Bought the STRV premium tank, seems gimmicky, and positioning is absolute key, I know it has great camo and a laser gun.
 
4. OBJ. 268 - Start at ISU-152
  - I know it's not a CW tank. Probably buy the 268 to finish the grind. I hate how the ISU-152 has no armor. 704 also is a heat magnet.
  - They do have great camo however, and a nice boomstick, but once spotted, pretty much toast.
  - Would it help me finish missions? I have the WTauf4 and the Grille15...
  - Should I just free xp to the 704 and grind it from there? 704 gets the BL-10, with real pen...

5. OBJ. 268 v4 - Start at SU-101 (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - Still strong, after nerfs. Used in CW's. Probably would help me finish missions.
  - Sucks to start at Tier 8, since I hate tanks without at turret. Is the camo still good on this line? SU-101 over the ISU-152? 
  - End of the line, plays completely different from the Tier 8, Tier 9 seems ok, but can be penned, and pretty much wrecked by arty.
  - I'm hesitant to start this line, because the SU-101 feels like a ISU, with a weaker gun, but has ability to move around, is it worth the grind?

6. AMX M4 54 - Start at AMX 65t (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - People will probably say skip this line. Is it worth going down?
  - I think the tanks look cool, it's a French Maus?
  - I know it's not a CW tank, but it looks cool. Should I save the free xp for the real Maus and start at the VK?

7. EBR 105 - Start at Lynx 6x6 (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - I'm not much of a light tank player, but I see people having a lot of fun with this line. Is it that fun? They are annoying asf to kill in games...
  - I see EBR's in CW...
  - Would this help me with completing missions?
  
8. OBJ. 705A - Start at IS-M (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - Nice tank, looks cool, I see people do well in it. Still not a CW tank.
  - IS-M plays like Chrysler K, with less armor? Seems like it lacks armor, making it harder to play.
  - Since it's not really a CW tank, and would have to use free XP to start at the IS-M. Is it recommended?

[FavreFan4ever 281]

I can't speak to how viable tanks are in CW, but I have played a couple.

-Maus is good for HT missions, although I ground it out when you had to go through the VK 4502 series. I haven't played mine much for some reason but its a Maus. If you're getting tanks for nostalgia's sake, one of two initial tier X heavies is a great place to start.

-AMX M4 54 is poorly balanced. The chassis is decent, although the turret is weak to gold in unexpected areas. That's fine, it's no SConq and tanks should have weakspots anyways. But the guns... the lack of DPM on the 120 and the lack of pen on the 130mm make either gun choice abysmal. You'll always end up in a situation where you wish you were running the other gun, when in reality neither are good options by themselves. With the 120 you're a poor man's SConq, with the 130 you'll be ineffective against anything with armor and will have to spam gold to be competitive. If you do grind this line, run the stock turret + 100mm on the AMX 65t and then stop once you've reached the AMX M4 51.

-268V4 is still really good. If your end goal is tier X, don't let a bad tier 8/9 keep you from getting a tank you've always wanted.

-I don't think armored cars are good for many missions, but they are fun as heck to drive.

 

[DirtyACE7 514]

I personally really enjoyed the Maus grind. Tier 6 is an awesome tank for its tier. Tier 7 is a bit shit but not as much as some of the other shitty tanks at this tier. Tier 8 is fantastic and so is tier 9, just need to keep your tanks angled, including the turrets until you are ready to shoot.

Currently I'm grinding the AMX M4 54 myself. Tier 6 was solid and I found tier 7 to be actually enjoyable even through many hate this tank. The secret is to use the big gun and shoot only gold (330 alpha), then the tank is solid. Currently am on tier 8. That is a truly awful tank. As if its design was inspired by failure and disappointment. Tier 9 is supposed to be great though.

[LamaLeif 92]

The tier 7 AMX M4 45 was one of my favorite tanks when I did the grind through it 5 years ago, everyone said it sucked but I played it spamming premium shells and had a funtime.

[8_Hussars 348]

Other than the Maus, most of the lines you have noted are very niche or very bad and not used in CW much or at all.  They may hold some value to counter tank locking.

The issue with the bounce missions is when players see a VK 100.01P, Mauchen, Maus they will either ignore you for now or press the 2 key.  As their reputations precede them; rarely do you find players willing to continually bounce shots off them, so they may not be as good as you think for the missions.  (When I did HT15.3 I had to slow down, stop killing tanks, and bait more shots to meet the threshold with the 45.02B)

As for arty missions sell the T92 and rebuy the M50/53 it is all you will ever need.

Conserve your 130k free XP it will not go as far as you think...

1. T110E3
- Niche: with no flex capability you are relying even more on RNG to give you "good" maps and mission matches. 

2. Maus
- Just Do It

3. STRV 103B
- Just Do It
 
4. OBJ. 268
- Dead End: stop at the 704 - it does well with TD missions and the 268 is not worth it.
 
5. OBJ. 268 v4
- Niche: like the Maus line players will avoid it until its time and/or use the 2 key.  Frankly, the SU-100 gives a great chance at the "do 4X/5X Hp damage" missions and the SU-101M1/SU-101 are also surprisingly helpful.

6. AMX M4 54 - Start at AMX 65t (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
- Dead end; grind for shits and giggles

7. EBR 105 - Start at Lynx 6x6 (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
- These are a step up from regular light tank play and a lot of players struggle with them.  They are fun but take continual focus and effort to be productive.  Other than the Tier 10 most have abysmal view range so they wont help with vision spotting missions but will be good for tracking (with HE)
 
8. OBJ. 705A - Start at IS-M (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
- Dead end; grind for shits and giggles

[Matross 145]

@8_Hussars I think you're right... the Maus and the STRV-103B should be the targets. Now, the question is... which tank destroyer line would be best to go for first...  The STRV-103B, or the OBJ 268v4 line? The Doom turtle line seems more fun, since it at least has some armor... hmm...

(Thanks for reminding me about the 130k free XP. I know it's not much, I got up to 150k now. I'll probably save it to fully research one tier 8, before grinding some more to start the 2nd line, or maybe just save it to get to the Tier 9 ASAP.)

I'm playing the ISU-152, but hate playing it due to the low pen, low mobility (lack of turret adds to frustration), low HP pool and no armor. I kind of just want to free XP past this, to get to the 704, fully research it, play it a few times, and just grind the XP from there to the 268 (i'll eventually buy it, since I have lots of extra slots left, and since I have OCD, just buy it to complete the line). I figure the Tier 9 can do everything the Tier 10 can do, and it's kind of like the T30 vs E4.

*Sigh so many TD lines left.. ISU-152, STRV-103B, OBJ 268v4... Maybe I'll try the STRV line, at least it's fast? Go for the STRV line first or the Maus line first?

When I play TD's wrong and get blown up early, I find myself jumping into something fast,with mobility & DPM so it takes the frustration off. I know it's a terrible idea to play tanks that aren't similar, but I just hate slow and/or stationary TD play. I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about getting blown up in a TD early game, and then jumping into the VK100.01P, and then not having mobility, getting targeted or ignored until the end of the battle.

*sigh, I need to channel all the patience I have in me. 

[8_Hussars 348]

If your looking at TD mission completion over CW I would go the 268 v4 route.  I suggest don't get in a rush and keeping/sticking with the SU-100 to work on the casement TD play style as 390 alpha at T6 is fun and more forgiving.  The 100M1 and 101 are good for many of the TD missions.  (I think I went back and rebought the 100M/101 for some of them)

Presuming there are no time rushes or other factors.  Why not just start the Maus and 268 v4 lines and grind what ever you feel like.

Note: that the AMX M4 54 goes ontrack tomorrow and even if you only do your 5 premium "manageable XPs" with a booster you should be able to rip through a lot of it... although it really goes no where you get the discounts and crew XP and maybe some equipment.    

[Matross 145]

@8_Hussars I was thinking similarly... I was thinking... STRV is fast... the SU-101 is fast as well... Thanks for your input!

[_Steve 226]

My question is why wouldn't you start at tier 6 and use the free XP to skip stock grinds instead

[Archaic_One 1,853]

My purely 'green shitter who has not played all year' opinion

110E3 - really fun on about 1/3 of maps, functional on 1/3 of maps, RIP life on 1/3 of maps.  Much more of an upgrade from the tier 9 than the E4

Maus - Probably the best tank on your list, can carry definitely a keeper

STRV 103B - The purest form of Wargaming meme, it is both cancer to play with AND cancer to play against.  If it suits your style by all means get it

Object 268 - utterly pointless, line now peaks at tier 6

Object 268V4 - I have no idea since it got nerfed I don't see it as much, its dropped way off of the replay channels on Youtube 

AMX M4 54 - get to the tier 9 and quit while you are ahead

EBR 105 - This seems inferior to the AMX 13-105 in every way, wheeled tanks seem to lose effectiveness in higher tiers when faced with high velocity ammo and huge bore guns

Object 705A - A niche tank for collectors, but seems decently balanced but kind of boring to play, the proposed alpha/HP buffs will probably favor it a lot

[Matross 145]

Ground out the Maus, played the VK100.01P. Skipped the Mauschen.

Didn't know the Captured Tiger (Tier 7 Twitch tank) gave free xp. Sitting on 150k convert XP. Maus is fun, slow, but fun. The VK100.01P really is a mini Maus. Didn't play the Mauschen, didn't look interesting, and it was a credit sink for me anyway. Rip crew skills though... trying to get 3 crew skills ASAP.

Prolly going to grind the STRV or the OBJ268v4 next, weeeeeeeee!

[Matross 145]

The x5 daily XP helps out a lot on premium account. I finished the Maus, EBR 105 and STRV 103B. Which tank should I go down next? 

I figure the OBJ 268 v4 is the answer, but just wanted to throw up the E3 just in case, since it does get used in CW fairly often.

 

Which should I grind next? E3 or v5?

1. T110E3 - Start at T28 (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - The T95 Doom turtle might be fun, E3 is used time to time for CW.
  - Not having a turret frustrates me, but... it actually gets armor... so... it kind of balances it out?
  - Seems like a situational tank, and something I might not have the most fun playing. The T-95 looks fun, just can't over commit. 
  - Should I save free XP and start at the Doom Turtle?
 
2. OBJ. 268 v4 - Start at SU-101 (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - Still strong, after nerfs. Used in CW's. 
  - Sucks to start at Tier 8, since I hate tanks without at turret. Is the camo still good on this line? SU-101 over the ISU-152? 
  - End of the line, plays completely different from the Tier 8, Tier 9 seems ok, but can be penned, and pretty much wrecked by arty.
  - I'm left wondering what mm gun can reliable go through it's lower glacius and front? I'm pretty sure Tier 10 TD gold shells can go through. I figure if I can remember who can pen me frontally and who can't, I can just charge the front line with this tank in pubs.

3. OBJ. 705A - Start at IS-M (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
  - The Tier 10 looks like a nice tank, looks cool, I see people do well in it. Still not a CW tank.
  - How is the gun? Less trolly than the IS-7 gun? Would you say this is better or worse to the IS-7? Same play style?
  - IS-M plays like Chrysler K, with less armor? Seems like it lacks armor, making it harder to play. Against tier 9's and 10's, doesn't gold just go through the front?

4. AMX M4 54 - Start at AMX 65t (use free XP to start at tier VIII)
- Gonna skip, I can't find a real reason to go down this line.

Maybe save the free xp and go down the CGC line? 

 

[arthurwellsley 132]

The tier VII SU-100M1 is one of the very best tanks to do bounce two, three, four or five times your health which crop up in the 279e mission set. This tier VII is extremely useful. The tier X Object 268 v4 occassionally gets used in landing zones during campaigns when the designated map is Himmelsdorf, other than that it's a waste of space, although I saw one clan use them to rush 1/2 line on Prok.

 

E3 occasional use on Himmelsdorf. T95 is much nicer grind after the speed buff.

[Ezz 1,770]

1 minute ago, arthurwellsley said:

The tier VII SU-100M1 is one of the very best tanks to do bounce two, three, four or five times your health which crop up in the 279e mission set.

Pro tip, 279 missions are tier 8 min.

[arthurwellsley 132]

1 minute ago, Ezz said:

Pro tip, 279 missions are tier 8 min.

by the mission set I meant culminating in the 279e, but also including the lower tier tanks, but thanks for the tip about the final set.