Once you've completely played through the French Tier IX heavy tank line, the AMX M4 mle. 54 at Tier X will feel like a natural advancement. The looks are pretty similar, and the defining traits – armour, mobility, firepower – have been improved once more. Let's see what else you can expect from this top-tier tank!
Gameplay
If you already thought the Tier IX vehicle boasted strong frontal armour, the AMX M4 mle. 54 tops it easily, making it extremely hard to penetrate frontally. Problem is, you still cannot angle it in any way as your sides are as thin as the AMX M4 mle. 51's; side-scraping is still not an option. The turret saw some improvements in thickness, but you still need to pay attention to the weak spots; they are the same as on the previous vehicle.
Just like the two preceding vehicles, you have two guns to choose from, each with their own up- and downsides:
- 120 mm D.1203 B: Similar to the 120 mm gun used by the AMX M4 mle. 51. Compared to the 130 mm gun, it features better penetration, aiming time, accuracy, and rate of fire at the cost of damage per shot. The best choice if you want to deal damage more reliably. Avoid trading shots and try to shoot twice while the enemy reloads.
- 130 mm/45 model 1935: Slightly inferior in many aspects but comes with devastating damage per shot. Ideally used in close combat and if you prefer trading shots. You may have trouble with super-heavy tanks frontally, either try to get to their side or focus on lighter-armoured heavy tanks.
For both guns, the damage per minute is about the same, so it's on you to decide if you want a harder punch or faster reload time. We recommend you play like a conventional heavy tank despite its good mobility, except if you face too many super-heavy tanks. In that case, you might want to consider giving medium tanks a hard time. Avoid long-range battles because of your mediocre view range and large size.
Equipment
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All three pieces of equipment above are valid for both the 120 and 130 mm gun, mainly increasing the stabilisation and potential damage per minute.
Crew Skills
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Basically, the crew skills and perks are pretty much consistent with the previous vehicles – the Repair skill is crucial in close combat, with blown off tracks your opponents can get to your weak sides easily, which may end fatally for you. Later on, when collecting enough Crew XP, Brothers in Arms will give a similar bonus in crew training level as the Improved Ventilation.
