Controls and Firing

A motionless vehicle is an easy target, so keep moving! To control your vehicle, use the mouse and keyboard.

Hull Controls

To move your vehicle, use W, A, S, and D.

You can also move your vehicle using Cruise Control:

Move Forward in Cruise Control Mode

Move Backward in Cruise Control Mode

Press either of the Cruise Control keys once to put your vehicle in the lowest speed, twice for medium speed, and three times for maximum speed.

Use the handbrake to bring your vehicle to a sudden stop. This can be especially useful when you need to come to a halt to fire with greater accuracy.

Gun Controls

To position your gun, use your mouse. Move it left or right to adjust the gun horizontally. Move the mouse up or down to elevate or depress the gun. Left-click to fire at the target.

Most vehicles have their gun mounted on the turret, which allows it to rotate 360 degrees and aim in any direction without the need to move the vehicle’s hull.

However, this doesn’t apply to the majority of Self-Propelled Guns (SPGs) and Tank Destroyers, which are often turretless. Without a turret, their gun can move horizontally only to a certain point; after that you have to traverse the hull. In Arcade mode, your vehicle will automatically traverse after the reticle as you move it.

Reticle

Each accurate shot gets you closer to victory. That’s why it is extremely important to master the art of aiming and shooting.

The reticle is the central element of the screen. It’s essential for firing. For excellent shooting, learn the components of the reticle and how its elements work.

Interactive image. Mouse over the points  to display detailed information.

Range to Target

Distance to the target in meters.

Gun Loading

Indication of the current state of your gun: loaded and ready to fire, or reloading. This indicator becomes red during reloading.

Shells Remaining

The number of available shells of the selected type.

Containers

The number of shells left in the magazine. This indicator is displayed only for guns with a magazine loading system.

Condition Indicator

Indication of your vehicle’s HP. Shows the vehicle’s state, while aiming.

Loading Timer

Your vehicle gun’s reload time with a countdown between shots.

Reticle

The reticle is always displayed in the center of the screen and follows the movement of the camera. The reticle indicates only the direction you are looking, not the direction the gun is pointing.

The central point of the Reticle is called the Central Marker.

 

Dispersion

The circle in which your shot will land. Traversing your turret and hull reduces your firing accuracy, causing this circle to expand. For better accuracy, wait for the aiming circle to shrink. After moving your vehicle or turning turret, come to a stop and wait for the aiming circle to snap onto the target.

Aiming Circle

The aiming circle indicates the current gun position and follows the reticle with a delay, since the gun cannot move instantaneously.

To fire accurately, wait until the Gun Marker in the center of the Aiming circle aligns with the Reticle’s Central Marker.

Aiming Modes

Arcade Mode

Arcade mode is the default aiming mode in World of Tanks. With the camera positioned behind your vehicle, you can observe yourself, other players, and the situation on the battlefield.

This mode is best suited for battles at short and medium ranges.

Press and hold the right mouse button to take a look around without moving your gun.

Sniper Mode

Sniper mode is available for all types of vehicles except SPGs and lets you play the game from the first-person perspective. It’s essential for long-range shooting and taking precise aim at modules.

or Switch to Sniper mode.

When playing in Sniper mode, you’ll see the Zoom Indicator to the right of the reticle. It tells you how much the image is currently enlarged. The highest zoom level is ×8 by default. You can increase the zoom level up to ×25 in the game settings.

Avoid using Sniper mode all the time: it’s great while focusing on a single target; however, it impairs your ability to maintain overall battle awareness.

Auto-Aim

With Auto-Aim, your reticle is fixed on the center of the enemy vehicle, and the gun automatically lays on it. This mode comes in handy when you fire on the go.

Activate/Deactivate Auto-Aim.

Auto-Aim is deactivated when the target moves out of sight.

Artillery Mode

Artillery mode is available to SPGs only, and allows you to see the map from above and make long-range shots.

or  Switch to Artillery mode.

The line going to the center of the reticle is the approximate firing trajectory. It’s sensitive to the landscape and is color-coded:

• green — your shell will reach its target;
• red — there’s an obstacle on the way, usually a hill or building;
• grey — the target is out of range.

There is also an alternative version of Artillery mode called Trajectory View. It’s similar to Sniper mode and can help you more clearly estimate the trajectory of your shell for greater accuracy.

Switch to Trajectory View.

Aiming and Shooting

By default, your enemies are marked red in the game, while your allies are marked green. When you aim at another vehicle, it’s highlighted with the corresponding color.

In the game, there is an automatic system of penalties for team damage and teamkills (see Teamkill).

Shooting

Now that you know how to move the gun and how the reticle works, you can go into battle!

To fire at an enemy vehicle:

1. Take aim at the enemy vehicle.
2. Wait until the Aiming circle fully aligns with the Reticle. The Gun Marker should match the Central Marker.
3. Wait for the aiming circle to shrink onto the target.
4. Left-click to fire at the target.

Wait for the gun to reload and the aiming circle to shrink before firing again.