Frontline 2020: Regulations

Commanders!

Frontline, the most epic mode in World of Tanks, is finally returning to the game, kicking off on March 9th. This time, Frontline’s core gameplay and economy remain unchanged, but some adjustments have been made to make the mode even more enjoyable. Read up on the shared progression system with Steel Hunter, a revamped respawn selection system and other changes coming with your favorite mode!

Select the corresponding tab in the battle type drop-down list to enter the Frontline queue.

Schedule

The Frontline mode will have the ceasefire periods, when the mode is unavailable during the current Stage, from 00:00 to 03:00 (UTC).

General Overview

• Battles take place between two teams, with 30 players on each.
• Only Tier VIII vehicles are allowed in this mode.
• To fight in Frontline, players can use any Tier VIII vehicles available in the Garage, as well as special vehicles, that are available for rent.

Objectives

Each team has its own objective:

• The attackers should break through the defense and destroy at least 3 out of 5 pillboxes on the enemy territory.
• The defenders should repel enemy attacks until the battle timer elapses.

The combat takes place on two 9 km² maps (Normandy and Kraftwerk) that can be divided into three horizontal lines:

• First defense line (zones A, B, and C): starting point for the attacking and defending teams. 
• Second defense line (zones D, E, and F): the frontline is shifted to this map area once at least one zone at the first defense line is captured.
• The third defense line (not divided into zones) represents the map area, where the final battle takes place. The main objectives are located here—the pillboxes with powerful high-caliber guns. The attackers must destroy them to secure victory. These pillboxes do not rotate or move, but have the ability to spot attackers. The maximum spotting range of the pillboxes is 445 meters. However, they can transmit radio intelligence to all allies without distance limits.

In the beginning, the teams are evenly distributed on each front: 10 vehicles per front, at the zones of the first defense line.

Each of the zones in the first and second lines has a base. When the attackers capture a base, they take control of the entire zone, and the next zone (vertically) becomes available for capture.

E.g. after capturing a base in zone A, the attacking team is able to capture zone D.

If at least one zone of the second line is captured, the third line becomes available and the attackers can attempt to destroy the main objectives (pillboxes).

If the attacking team starts capturing a base, it is performed according to the standard rules, however with minor additions:

• Base capture points will be reset only after destroying an enemy vehicle that is capturing the base. 
• Causing damage to a vehicle or damaging a vehicle's modules blocks base capture of this enemy vehicle for 5 seconds.
• The more bases on the first defense line that are captured, fewer points will be required for capturing bases on the second defense line. If the attackers capture one base on the first line, they will have to earn 450 points to capture a base on the second line; two captured bases on the first line reduce the number of required capture points of the second line to 250; all captured bases on the first line reduce the number of required capture points of the second line to 150.
• Upon reaching a certain number of base capture points, you no longer earn XP. This restriction is aimed at avoiding potential cases of the mechanics abuse.
• Captured zones cannot be retrieved.

In case of losing a zone, the defenders need to leave it within 1 minute, after which an air strike is called in at this zone causing significant damage to all defending vehicles there.

Respectively, if attacking vehicles get to a zone at the second defense line, while the previous zone has not yet been captured, the vehicles will receive significant damage from an airstrike in a matter of seconds.

Once attackers capture at least one zone at the second line, they can destroy the main objectives.

The main objectives are five large pillboxes with coaxial high-caliber guns:

• Each objective has 3,200 hit points
• Front armor / turret: Cannot be penetrated or damaged when firing HE shells
• Side armor: 180 mm
• Rear armor: 90 mm
• Vulnerable spots: 70 mm (hatches) and 25 mm (vent holes)

The basic battle duration in the Frontline mode is 12 minutes. This time can be extended through effective actions of the attacking team.

• Each of the captured zones (A, B, C) adds 2 minutes to the battle timer.
• Each of the captured zones (D, E, F) adds 2 minutes to the battle timer. 4 minutes are added for capturing the last zone.

Overtime

1. If the battle time elapses and at least one player of the attacking team remains in the base circle, overtime triggers.
2. The maximum overtime duration is 90 seconds. There is only one period of overtime, after which the defenders will be deemed victorious.

Overtime ends if none of the attackers is successfully capturing a base.

Description of Other Game Mechanics

Respawns, Resupply Points, as well as Combat Reserves (that can help win even in a desperate situation) will be available in the Frontline mode.

Respawn Mechanics

• At the beginning of each battle, each player has one respawn. 
• Every 5 minutes one more respawn will be added, but you cannot accumulate more than 2.
• The total number of respawns is not limited.

Players will not be able to respawn in zones where 12 other allies are already fighting. In one zone there can be a maximum of 1 SPG, and if it is already there, then you will not be able to respawn an SPG in this zone.

In the previous Season, you could only choose the direction in which to respawn, and the specific point of your entry into the game was determined automatically. This time, players on the attacking team will have up to 4 dynamic respawn points to choose from, and the defending team up to 6, including those behind the front lines. The defending team has more respawn points because they must be able to fall back and repel the enemy’s attack if it breaks through to the Pillboxes. When the player's vehicle is destroyed and there are respawns available, the player will be transferred to the respawn screen, where they can select an appropriate vehicle and a point for spawning within zones controlled by the player's team. Respawn points that are under attack are highlighted in red and are not available.

You can change a lane in battle. For example, this feature can be useful when you have destroyed the enemy on a flank and captured the last zone, and now you need to go to another flank quickly to support your allies. When pressing J, the vehicle selection panel will be displayed. This allows you to choose another vehicle and respawn in another flank. In this case, the first vehicle will be self-destroyed after a short countdown, but sometimes such actions may lead to a victory.

Combat Reserves

There will be six Combat Reserves available in the Frontline mode that can be used in battle.

Each vehicle type has a certain number of slots for Combat Reserves:

• Three slots for heavy tanks
• Two slots for medium tanks/tank destroyers
• One slot for light tanks and SPGs.

Combat Reserves can only be selected in the Garage before entering a battle.

The Combat Reserve slots are displayed to the left of the standard consumables.

Each Combat Reserve has 5 levels. They can be upgraded using the Supply Points received for earning tiers that will be described below.

How Combat Reserves work (effectiveness values are specified for the maximum level (5)):

Resupply Point

In addition to a base, every zone has a Resupply Point. Resupply Points replenish shells and restore vehicle durability, damaged vehicle modules, and injured crew members.

• If a player's vehicle receives damage during repair, the process is paused for 5 minutes.
• Once a vehicle is fully repaired, the Resupply Point becomes unavailable for 3 minutes.

At the end of the battle, players will be charged the full cost of the restored durability, but no more than 100% of the vehicle’s durability.

Examples:

• a player repairs a vehicle three times, 20% of full vehicle durability each: they will pay for 60% of repair
• a player repairs a vehicle three times, 40% of full vehicle durability each: they will pay for 100% of repair, instead of 120%. It works even if the vehicle has been destroyed in the meantime.
• Thus, repair over the vehicle's full durability is free of charge.

The total cost of replenished shells will be charged.

In this case, if the number of spent shells exceeds the ammo rack capacity, the cost will be deducted from the credits earned in battle.

Consumables work similarly to Random Battles: they will be deducted if used at least once, irrespective of the total number of uses.

Tank Rental

To play Frontline, you just need to have at least one Tier VIII Vehicle.

However, for a more enjoyable game experience, it’s desirable to have three vehicles or more, since after being destroyed, the tank is unable to respawn for a few minutes. To quickly get back into battle, simply pick another eligible vehicle and roll out!   

If there are not enough suitable vehicles in your Garage, or you don’t have any Tier VIII tanks at all, you can rent vehicles.

All rental tanks are replicas of existing vehicles, with the same characteristics and properties.

Three vehicles will be available for rent each Stage. A total of 12 rental vehicles will be available.

In the previous Season, only one base tank, the T-44 FL, was available for credits. Now another versatile warrior, the T-32 FL, has been added to the list of basic vehicles that will be available throughout all Frontline Stages. In addition, these tanks have special vehicle status—this means you can move crew members from another tank of the same nation and class into them without incurring a penalty. The remaining ten vehicles will be replicas of existing Premium tanks.

Now all rental vehicles available for gold will be accessible during all Stages. The list of them will be set for the entire Season. Check it out.

1. WZ-120-1 FT FL
2. Strv S1 FL
3. FV4202 FL
4. M4A1 Rev. FL
5. AMX M4 49 FL
6. Löwe FL
7. Т-54 prot. FL
8. T26E5 FL
9. ELC EVEN 90 FL
10. IS-6 FL

Rental tanks are offered with “virtual” slots and they will remain on your account until you remove them manually.

Rental tanks are available even if you already have the original version of the vehicle. So, you may have, for example, two identical tanks on your account – the T-44 and the T-44 FL.

It’s impossible to rent the same vehicle twice. For example, there can be only one T32 FL per account.

There are no restrictions on the total number of vehicles, so, there can be up to 12 rental tanks on your account.

There are 3 types of rental leases:

• Leasing for one Stage, if you rent a vehicle for the first time. In this case, the tank is available with the Crew.
• Renewal for one Stage, if you have already rented the vehicle and the lease has expired. In this case, the vehicle remains in your Garage and the lease can be extended, it will cost less than its initial rental. This can be done even if this tank is not available for rental in this Stage.
• Weekend offer. Two days before the end of the Stage (Saturday and Sunday), in the case of a first lease, the tank is available for rent for the remaining two days, plus the entire next Stage. So, the rental period can be 8 or 9 days.

This offer will be great for those of you who prefer to play a lot on weekends.

Premium vehicles are credited with a free 100% Crew.

If necessary, you can move an established or veteran Crew to the rental vehicle.

The Expiration of the Weekly Rental

After the expiration of the weekly rental period, the tank will remain in your Garage but becomes unavailable for battle.

You can remove a rental tank from your Garage or extend its rent. To do this, right-click on the tank and select the appropriate item from the menu. You can do it also in Depot (right-click on the tank and select the appropriate item).

Discounts on Original Versions of Rental Tanks

All the Gold spent on rent will be accumulated in a special fund that can be used to get a discount on the purchase of the original version of any of the leased tanks.

It doesn't matter what tanks and for how long you've rented them, all the Gold will be in the fund.

The size of the discount depends on the following factors:

• How much Gold has been accumulated in the fund
• The cost of the original version of the tank

The discount will be calculated depending on how much Gold you spent on rent. The more Gold you spend, the greater the discount you get. The discount will only be in Gold.

Gold not used to get a discount remains in the fund and may be accumulated further to receive other discounts.

In case, the Gold of the fund was not used to get a discount, after the end of the Season it will be lost.

Economy

Five simple yet important aspects: the way of earning experience/credits and the way of calculating the cost of repair and shells. 

1. Players pay once per destroyed vehicle, irrespective of how many times it was destroyed during a battle. The repair cost will be deducted only once.
2. Players will only pay for consumables and shells that they have used in battle. The main cost is charged only for replenishing shells and consumables when a vehicle is destroyed.
3. Credits are earned according to similar formulas, by analogy with Random Battles. There is a minor difference: considering the long battle duration and the possibility of using a considerable number of vehicles, we introduced adjusting coefficients to prevent players from losing Credits. The mode is interesting and we want players to focus only on the gameplay.
4. Frontline doesn't apply a multiplying coefficient for earning credits for wins existing in Random Battles. However, you get a fixed number of credits per battle: 30,000 when your team wins, and 10,000 if it loses.
5. Experience is earned by analogy with Random Battles, plus additional coefficients for the achieved ranks. Experience is distributed among all vehicles that participate in a battle depending on the performance on each vehicle.
6. Personal Reserves, Battle Payments reserve, Premium vehicles: all these bonuses are applicable in the Frontline mode.

Awards for Effectiveness in Battle

Players can receive particular awards for effectiveness in battle:

Occupying Force	Iron Shield	General of the Army	Supreme Guard	Small Army
As an attacker, earn a total of 100 base capture points or destroy an enemy main objective.	As a defender, cause 1,800 damage to vehicles in zone bases or within 150 m of the main objectives.	Be the top player with the highest base XP at the end of the battle from both teams and also receive General rank.	Awarded to players who caused and assisted the highest amount of damage during a battle (at least 10,000).	Awarded to a platoon that destroyed at least 20 enemy vehicles in one battle. Each platoon participant receives this title.

Updated Progression in Frontline

This Season we’re retiring Prestige Points. Instead, you will earn tokens, the event currency, which can also be obtained by playing Steel Hunter. Use these tokens to redeem any two of the three exclusive vehicles (more on them below). 

Instead of 30 Frontline Tiers, there will only be 15 Tiers per Stage. Completing them will require almost half as much Frontline Experience as the last Season. Upon reaching the final Tier, you will receive all 3 tokens for that Stage, regardless of how well you have performed in battle.

It won’t be possible to play any missed Frontline Stages, so skipping one may mean losing the opportunity to earn its tokens. After the completion of each Stage, progress is reset and you’ll begin the next Stage the following month from Tier 1.

Good performance in Frontline will bring you heaps of rewards: credits, consumables, directives, Personal Reserves, badges and medals, as well as bonds and gold. 

Daily Missions 

Special daily missions with even more valuable prizes will be available this year. They unlock upon reaching Frontline Tier 15. The sooner you reach Tier 15, the more missions you can complete during the current Stage and, consequently, the more rewards you can earn. Check it out.

Stages of the 2020 Season

The weeks where Frontline will be available will be known as “Stages” and will be available for one calendar week, from March through May 2020. Between Stages, Frontline will be unavailable. In the 2020 Season, there will be 4 Stages and each will last one week.

The dates of Stages will be announced gradually during the Season. You can see the schedule of the current Stage and the next one, which will allow you to plan your activities in advance.

Frontline Experience and Your Progression in Battle

In Frontline, there is a Rank system. There are six Ranks, from Private to General. Increasing your Rank depends on how much experience you earn in battle, which stems from the effectiveness of your combat actions. Your main tasks are to seize / retain zones and destroy main objectives. It’s considered the total experience earned by you from all tanks that participated in battle. The more experience you earn, the higher Rank you receive.

Ranks are updated right during the battle, so you can easily track your progress.

Depending on the Rank received, you get a multiplier to your experience.

The experience multiplier is applied after the battle to the total net experience of all tanks in which you rolled into battle.

Frontline Tiers

You earn Ranks (from Private to General) during the battle, but at the end of the battle, depending on the Rank you received, you will be credited with the Frontline Experience. Frontline Experience is used to increase your Frontline Tier and your progress in the 2020 Season.

There’s a total of 15 Frontline Tiers. Reaching each Tier brings you rewards.

Rewards

In the 2020 Season, any player will be able to win a large variety of rewards. We have provided:

• Rewards for each Frontline Tier for those who don't want to engage in long-term planning
• Rewards for completing special daily missions
• And finally, exclusive Tier IX tanks—a worthy reward for perseverance and commitment shown in the Expedition, a shared progression with Steel Hunter.

The Expedition: How It Works

For each Frontline 2020 Stage, you can earn a maximum of 3 tokens—one at Frontline Tier 5, one at Tier 10, and one at Tier 15. In total, you can get 12 tokens for playing all 4 Stages. The most successful players who have collected all 12 tokens will be able to exchange them for one of the following exclusive Tier IX reward vehicles:

• The Object 777 Variant II, a brand-new Soviet Tier IX heavy tank
• The Char Futur 4, a unique new French Tier IX medium tank
• The AE Phase I, an American Tier IX heavy tank with four segmented tracks

All these vehicles feature a built-in Large Repair Kit as a handy bonus.

You can get a second reward tank (or collect the missing tokens for the first) by playing and earning tokens in the Steel Hunter event, which kicks off in the second half of 2020.

Moreover, this system will reward you with additional prizes for sustained participation in one or both game modes.

Combat Reserve Points and Combat Reserve Upgrades

In addition to the rewards for each achieved tier, players will receive special Combat Reserve Points required for upgrading Combat Reserves.

Unlike the automatic tier progression, players will need to unlock and upgrade Combat Reserves themselves.

Performance in the mode

Frontline will still require more system resources than regular Random Battles. This is due to several key factors that are specifically related to Frontline, including the large map size, large number of objects and vehicles on them, as well as activation of Combat Reserves. Players with low-spec CPUs and graphics cards may experience some performance issues when running the mode. To avoid them and play with maximum comfort, change the graphics settings in your game client in accordance with the capabilities of your CPU and graphics card.

See you on the battlefield!