Commanders,
The Community has spoken! Based on the outcome of the recent poll, this August will be dedicated to the German medium tank, the E 50 Ausf. M. This means great discounts, Crew XP bonuses, and dedicated missions for the crowning tank of the line!
50% discount on purchasing the following German vehicles:
- Pz.Kpfw. II
- Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E
- Durchbruchswagen 2
- VK 30.01 (H)
30% discount on purchasing the following German vehicles:
- VK 30.02 (M)
- Panther
- Panther II
- E 50
- E 50 Ausf. M
+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 August at 07:10 until 1 September at 07:00 CEST (UTC +2).
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 August at 07:10 until 1 October at 07:10 CEST (UTC +2).
Vehicle Overview
This monster of a medium tank is not one to be denied on the battlefields. Sporting one of the most accurate guns in the game, the E 50 Ausf. M (E 50 M) is more than capable of delivering damage effectively, even at great distances. Just like most Tier X mediums out there, this tank’s standard ammunition is APCR projectiles, which means that shells fired from its gun are capable of penetrating pretty much anything it may encounter (save for a few exceptions). In addition, the outstanding muzzle velocity makes anticipating enemy movement while aiming almost effortless. Combined with a rather comfortable reload time and decent alpha damage, these qualities make the E 50 M one of the most effective snipers on the battlefield!
Another great feature of this tank is its outstanding armour. The 150mm frontal plate is installed at a very acute angle, which in turn raises the effective armour thickness considerably while increasing the chances of a ricochet at the same time. If you angle it properly, you can even deflect shells fired from high-caliber Tier X guns! The outstanding armour also results in the vehicle weighing over 60 tons, which is a lot for a medium tank. However, the 1,200 h.p. engine compensates for its enormous weight and means that the vehicle still has decent acceleration as well as a high top speed.
Even though the E 50 M can easily be described as a state-of-the-art vehicle, it’s not entirely free from drawbacks. First and foremost, it still suffers from poor gun depression, a rather typical feature of German tanks. It won’t compete against American or Japanese tanks by using hull-down tactics any time soon. Secondly, all that wonderful armour does not come at the price of huge weight alone. In fact, it also makes the vehicle very big. Somebody once said that bigger is better – obviously they didn’t try driving the E 50 M through a battlefield under the watchful eyes of enemy scouts before making that statement. A huge silhouette equals a huge target with low camouflage values. Do we need to say more? Finally, the immense weight reduces the vehicle’s acceleration and manoeuvrability on soft terrain and while driving uphill. As a result, using it to cross marshes and damp ground can be pretty risky.
All in all, the E 50 M is a particularly well-rounded vehicle. However, to say it can be used in any scenario would not be accurate. As always, using the right tactics is the key to success.
Tactics
Even though the E 50 M generally performs well, make no mistake, it is still a German medium tank. As such, its primary role is to be the team’s sniper – a mobile and nicely armoured one, but a sniper nonetheless. Due to the superb gun characteristics, the tank has a medium to long optimal operational range. The astonishing accuracy makes aiming at enemy weak spots a piece of cake, even if they happen to be on the far side of the map and/or on the move. Moreover, its good power to weight ratio, as well as good accuracy on the move, also makes it perfect for providing fire from behind walls and other large forms of cover – quickly jump out from behind a corner, fire upon the targeted enemy while laughing gleefully in their faces and then quickly retreat to reload. While performing this manoeuvre, never forget to come out with your frontal plate slightly angled towards your target. This way you will have a higher chance of deflecting fire in the event that the enemy vehicle anticipates your move. Also, don’t hesitate to relocate when the situation gets heated. You are mobile enough to swiftly switch positions and reinforce the next line of defence if your first one crumbles. Just make sure you avoid travelling through soft terrain. Otherwise you may find yourself filling the role of a sitting duck at the height of the hunting season.
Even though the E 50 M is not the best brawler, it can still hold its own in some face-to-face standoffs. In such situations, the most logical approach for a medium tank is to immobilise the enemy by shooting its tracks and then circle around it while dealing damage to its sides and rear. However, using the same tactic while driving the E 50 M will most likely result in the enemy coming out on top. Despite the powerful engine, the E 50 M falls behind other Tier X mediums in terms of manoeuvrability. It tends to lose speed while turning and its traverse rate on the move forces it to drive in relatively wide circles. As a result, attempting this circling manoeuvre on an enemy vehicle that has a turret is basically asking to have your tall sides perforated... a lot! In case of a close encounter, the suggested tactic for the E 50 M is to ram the opponent – you have the weight advantage and the engine that can accelerate the vehicle to a reasonable speed relatively fast. If you rush towards the enemy and hit them properly (either on the side or the frontal wheel), you can cause considerable damage and even break their suspension at the same time. After that, follow up with a well-placed shot to one of their weak spots and then retreat behind some cover. Depending on the situation, you can also “face-hug” the opponent and continue shooting at the commander’s cupola. If you go for the second option, make sure there are no other enemies around that could flank you when you are busy dealing with the enemy in front of you.
In order to maximise your performance on the battlefield, we suggest installing the following equipment:
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| Vertical Stabilizer Mk 1 | Medium-Caliber Tank Gun Rammer | Medium Spall Liner |
In addition, your crew members should learn the following skills and perks:
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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 feel works best for you.
Roll out, Commanders!
