Commanders,
The Community has spoken! Based on the outcome of the recent poll, this November will be dedicated to the French medium tank, the Bat.-Châtillon 25 t.
Important: November Top of the Tree is the final one in 2016! Afterwards, the event will go on a break for two months, making its come back in February 2017. But fear not, the end of the year will be pretty packed with discounts and bonuses, so you will not be missing out on anything!
Meanwhile, why not join the forums and let us know what you want 2017 edition of Top of the Tree to look like? We are waiting for your suggestions, ideas and questions!
50% discount on purchasing the following French vehicles:
- FCM 36
- AMX 38
- AMX 40
- AMX ELC bis
30% discount on purchasing the following French vehicles:
- AMX 12 t
- AMX 13 75
- AMX 13 90
- Bat.-Châtillon 25 t AP
- Bat.-Châtillon 25 t
+50% Crew XP bonus on all vehicles discounted in the special
Your crews will also be very excited about the new toys in your garage!
These bonuses will be available from 1 November at 06:00 until 1 December at 06:00 CET (UTC +1).
Missions
Top of the Tree: Reward 1 | |
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*This Crew XP Bonus will stack with the standard Crew XP bonus for the Top of the Tree special
Top of the Tree: Reward 2 | |
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Personal Reserves rewarded in this mission have no expiration date. You can keep them indefinitely and use them whenever you want. However, once activated, the effect will last for two hours per reserve. After that time, the reserve is considered as used up. Effects of the same reserve type do not stack.
These missions will be available from 1 November 2016 at 06:00 until 1 January 2017 at 06:00 CET (UTC +1).
Vehicle Overview
Bat.-Châtillon 25 t, or Bat Chat for short, is like a holy grail for many players and for very good reasons. This little tank is one of the greatest menaces in Tier X battles, as it can make short work of any tank it meets, thanks to its powerful autoloader-type gun. Sporting a penetration value of 259 mm, 390 average damage per shot and a 5-shell drum, the Bat Chat can unload crippling amounts of damage in very short time – a feat that makes it a mortal threat to any vehicle that lets itself be ambushed by one. Add to it a small size, superb acceleration, good manoeuvrability and a top speed of 65 km/ h, and you get yourself a true ninja – as deadly and elusive as those ancient warriors.
Despite these amazing feats, the Bat Chat does have a couple of drawbacks that need to be considered at all times. First of all, the tank has virtually no armour. This means that pretty much anything can penetrate and deal damage to you, regardless which side they shoot at. Also, even though your small size gives you great camouflage values, it also makes your modules cramped together and limits your crew to just 3 tankers. As a result, getting hit will more often than not leave you with a damaged module and/or knocked out crew member. Needless to say, this can seriously reduce your combat capability or flat out be the cause of your tank’s destruction. Fewer tankers also translates into less skills/ perks you can have, so choosing their setup is a very delicate task.
How do you drive one of these babies effectively then? One thing is for certain – mastering this tank is not easy. Bat Chat is arguably the least forgiving but most rewarding vehicle available currently in the game, as even the tiniest mistake can cost you dearly, but effective gameplay can be exceptionally gratifying. The first thing you need to do is not to rush the enemy head on. Even though the role of a scout is not only possible but also encouraged for this tank, engaging the enemy during your scouting runs can end really badly for you. As the battle progresses, you need to play strictly as a support vehicle and choose your targets very carefully. One of the best tactics is to let your heavies engage enemy units, and once the hostiles turn their focus to your allies, get behind their tanks, unload your drum in their soft sides and rears, and then retreat before they realize what hit them. Your speed and good camouflage values make you also an excellent scout interceptor and artillery hunter – watch out for enemy light tanks and openings so that you can either swiftly relieve the other team of their eyes, or make a quick dash and relieve them of their biggest guns as well. Last but not least, consider forming a platoon with friends. The Bat Chat is a perfect tank for any wolf pack – a well-coordinated unit with a Bat Chat in its convoy is a force than can rarely be stopped. If you want to know more about how to play in a wolf pack or in a platoon in general, make sure to check out the dedicated episode of the Tank Academy article series.
Tank tip: Remember that your gun has a horribly long reload time for the whole drum. Therefore, it is very important to time your reload very carefully. The enemy will rarely approach you when you have shells just waiting to be fired. However, as soon as you’re out, rest assured that they will try their very best to take you out. Bat Chats are some of the most valuable assets you may have on your team, so losing one will be a major blow to your overall chances for victory. Therefore, make sure never to engage when your drum is not fully loaded and that you have a way out or place to hide for reload.
In order to maximise your performance on the battlefield, we suggest installing the following equipment:
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| Improved Ventilation Class 2 | Coated Optics | Vertical Stabiliser Mk 1 |
In addition, your crew members should learn the following skills and perks:
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| Gunner/ Loader | |
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As always, please consider the setup for both the equipment and crew skills as suggestions. Feel free to experiment on your own and choose what you think works best for you.
Roll out, Commanders!
