Crew Training and Qualifications

Each World of Tanks crew member holds a special position in a tank. There are five unique roles: a Commander, a Driver, a Loader, a Gunner and a Radio Operator.

Each vehicle can vary in the number of crew members inside it and the roles that they are assigned. World of Tanks vehicles have 2-6 crew members. No vehicle in World of Tanks can operate without a complete crew. Through battles, a crew will gain experience the same way vehicles will, and over time crewmen will improve their vehicle operating level, and later, acquire new ones. Initially, all tankers have only 50% training level. The better the outcome of the battle is, the more experience your tankers get. And getting to 100% crew skill is the easiest method to increase overall vehicle performance.

Attention! Every 10% of Commander’s combat skills give a bonus 1% to all crew! Thus, if your Commander is 50% trained, then the crew is trained 55%; if Commander is 100% trained, then the crew is trained 110%.

Some peculiarities of crew training

Each crew member has got nationality, which allows him to operate only on tanks of his nation (e.g. an American gunner cannot be retrained for a German tank). Crew members are trained to conduct a certain tank (and all premium tanks of same nation and type). When one retrains a crew member for another vehicle, he loses all previous qualifications. Crew always gets experience for battle. Let’s assume that for example, when MS-1 gets 1000 exp.points for a battle, the tank gets 1000 experience points, and Commander and Driver get 1000 experience points as well.

Basic experience receipt is reduced in the following cases:

• If a crew member was in a premium vehicle, but is trained for another tank type (e.g. a Panther’s tankee operates a Lowe) then he gets only 50% experience points (500 exp.points);
• If a crew member is fighting on a non-premium vehicle but is trained for another tank of another type (Panther’s tankee operates Maus), then he gets 25% exp (250 exp points).
• If a crew member was in a non-premium vehicle and is trained for another vehicle of the same type (Panther’s tankee operates Panther 2), then he gets 50% exp.points (500 exp.);
• If a crew member was in a non-premium vehicle and he is trained to another premium vehicle the same type (a Tiger tankee operating in a Löwe), he receives 100% of his experience points;
• If a crew member is hit, then he’s fined for 10% exp. If a crew member is hit and not cured by the battle end, or the tank is destroyed (not penetrated!) then he gets 90% exp (900 exp points)

Visually in garage they are distinguished with the percentage amount and vehicle name color. For premium M3 Stuart: 

1. is tankee trained for the tank;
2. is the tankee trained for another tank of same type;
3. is a tankee trained for another type tank (percent amount is colored red):

Please note (1000 exp points taken as an example again):

1. If that is the first victory of the day, then each crew member gets 2000 exp points.
2. If that is the first victory of the day and, e.g. a special doubling training rates active, then each member gets 4000 exp points.
3. First victory of the day refers to a vehicle. In other words, if you receive double exp on MS-1 and send its crew to a premium T-127, then you will get double income as well, in case you haven’t gathered one on T-127 yet.

Crew training mechanism

The crew training process can be accelerated at any time. When you buy a new vehicle you can get it with 100% trained crew with a basic competence. Well-trained tankees will make the vehicle show all it can do. For choosing this option please select Tank Academy in the Purchase window.

Please note that Tank Academy training is purchased with in-game gold:

If you want to train an existing crew member, all you need to do is to select the vehicle, right-click on the specified tanker and open his Personal File in the menu

In Personal File click on Training tab and choose Tank Academy training (purchased for Gold), thereby increasing the tanker’s major qualification level up to 100%:

If your crew members have gathered experienced or if you want to retrain them, the training level at Rapid Courses or in Regimental School may differ to greater number than denoted. For example, retraining a 100% trained crew member from one heavy tank to another through Regimental School will give not 75% but 90% skill level.

Accelerated crew training

All experience gained for a battle can be sent directly to crew training. A vehicle must have elite status which is achieved when all its modules are researched. When a vehicle is elite, enter garage and put a tag in Accelerate training checkbox.

In the pop-up window confirm your selection:

Since that moment the “weakest” crew member will get two times more experience and other members a regular amount of experience. In this case no experience goes to the vehicle and no undistributed experience is lost.

If you're going to sell a tank and to buy a new one, but do not want to lose the skilled crew, the crew can be retrained from one vehicle to another. Of course, in this case you must take into account the nationality of tankers. Thus, Soviet tankers would not fit into German or American tanks and vice versa.

In order to retrain you soldiers, send them to barracks before you sell the tank: select the tank and click on the tankers, in the pop-up menu, select Send to Barracks (and same should be done to the rest of the crew):

It is also possible to automatically send crew to Barracks at tank selling. The mark in the tag “Send to Barracks and Demount Equipment” in the sell panel is set by default.

When you sell the tank and buy a new one, putting a mark on Buy the tank without crew note because you already have soldiers in the barracks. Click on Barracks tab and right-click on the required tanker. Select Training tab in his Personal File and specify the desired tank for this soldier.

As soon as you have your new machine in your garage you can assign your veteran tank pilots to it. 

Retrain crew for a new tank: open Personal File of each tankee. Select the training level (Tank Academy, Regimental School, Rapid Courses) and click on “Train”.

Please note that the major qualification cannot be changed: a radio operator cannot become a gunner, as well as a loader will not become a commander.

Crew skills and perks

When a tankee has 100% major skill qualification trained, he gets an opportunity to train other skills and perks.

General skills

Perks and Skills which apply to all crew members.

	Repair – Skill The higher trained, the faster damaged modules will repair (till “yellow” status). Average skill training level of the crew is considered.
	Camouflage – Skill The more researched, the less your tank is seen by the enemy (better covered with bushes, less distance coverage, etc.). Average skill training level is considered.
	Firefighting – Skill The more trained, the faster the fire is put out. Average skill training of crew considered.
	Brothers-in-Arms – Skill Improves all crew skills results. Apply only when all crew members train it to 100%. The skill operates even when a crew member is hit.

Individual skills and perks

Skills and perks that can only be applied to individual crew members.

Commander
	Jack of All Trades – Skill The skill enables the Commander to master every qualification and replace knocked-out crew members.
	Mentor – Skill The skill provides additional experience to all crew members except the Commander. The amount of experience increases with skill level.
	Recon – Skill The skill increases Maximum View Range. The skill is more effective if observation devices are damaged, or when combined with Situational Awareness, Coated Optics, and Binocular Telescope.
	Sixth Sense – Perk The perk enables the Commander to identify whether the vehicle is detected by the enemy. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%.
	Eagle Eye - Perk The perk enables the Commander to identify critical damage of targeted vehicles. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%.
Driver
	Clutch Braking - Skill The skill increases vehicle rotation speed. The skill is more effective when combined with Additional Grousers, Lend-Lease Oil, Removed Speed Governor, 100-octane Gasoline, and 105-octane Gasoline.
	Off-Road Driving – Skill The skill reduces ground resistance when driving on soft and moderately soft terrain. The effect increases with skill level. Lower ground resistance increases vehicle maneuverability and acceleration. The skill is more effective when combined with Additional Grousers.
	Smooth Ride - Skill The skill improves accuracy when firing on the move. The skill does not effect a vehicle when stationary or rotating. The skill is more effective when combined with Vertical Stabilizer.
	Controlled Impact - Skill The skill decreases ramming damage to your vehicle and increases ramming damage to an enemy vehicle. The effect increases with skill level. The skill is effective only while both vehicles are in motion, except when two allied vehicles collide.
	Preventative Maintenance - Perk The perk reduces the chance of engine fire by preventing gas or oil leakage in the engine compartment. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%.
Gunner
	Armorer - Skill The skill improves accuracy of a damaged gun. The effect increases with skill level. If two Gunners have the skill, only the higher rating is effective. The skill is more effective when combined with Vertical Stabilizer.
	Deadeye - Perk The perk increases the chance to critically damage enemy vehicle modules and crew. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%. It is effective only with AP and APCR shells.
	Snap Shot - Skill The skill improves accuracy during turret rotation. The effect increases with skill level. If two Gunners have the skill, only the higher rating is effective. The skill is more effective when combined with Vertical Stabilizer.
	Designated Target - Perk The perk makes targeted enemy vehicles visible for two more seconds. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%. If two Gunners have the perk, the effect is not cumulative.
Loader
	Safe Stowage - Perk The perk increases ammo rack durability: the shells do not come into contact with each other. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%. If two Loaders have the perk, the effect is not cumulative. The perk is more effective when combined with "Wet" Ammo Rack.
	Intuition - Perk The perk creates a chance that the proper shell is already loaded when switching between shell types. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%. The gun must be completely loaded before the perk can be used again. If two Loaders have the perk, the effect is not cumulative.
	Adrenaline Rush - Perk The perk accelerates gun loading if the vehicle has less than 10% of its hit points left. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%. If two Loaders have the perk, the effect is not cumulative. The perk is more effective when combined with Gun Rammer.
Radio Operator
	Signal Boosting - Skill The skill extends Signal Range. The effect increases with skill level. If two Radio Operators have the skill, only the higher rating is effective.
	Situational Awareness - Skill The skill extends View Range. The effect increases with skill level. If two Radio Operators have the skill, only the higher rating is effective. The skill is more effective when combined with Recon.
	Relaying - Skill The skill extends Signal Range of allied communications within vehicle's radio coverage. The effect increases with skill level. If two Radio Operators have the skill, only the higher rating is effective.
	Call for Vengeance - Perk The perk enables a Radio Operator who survived the destruction of his vehicle to report enemy positions for another two seconds. The perk comes into effect after it reaches 100%. If two Radio Operators have the perk, the effect is not cumulative.

Please note that if one of two crew members with same qualification have one perk (or skill), then the more researched one prevails. Thus, if you have 2 loaders or radio operators it is better to train different skills or perks (besides repair, camouflage, firefighting and brother-in-arms).

In fact, it’s hard to give advice on what skills or perks should be applied to a certain tank, as each player has his/her own tactics and even the gun selection can provoke arguments. And it’s far harder when comes to skills and perks. The only rule to follow is to think twice before you train the crew: determine what skills are necessary for the vehicle, plan the training perspectives, and follow the chosen combat tactics in game. No need to rush: read comments on forums, watch VODs and check up other sources of useful advice.

And don’t forget that Barracks can be enlarged at any time!

Make your crew 100% effective and crash the enemy on the battlefields on World of Tanks!