With the WZ-132-1 OnTrack starting I thought I'd do some tank reviews of the Chinese LT line. The Chinese line is a little odd because the LTs don't really start until tier 6...the tanks that lead up to that are mostly mediums. The tier 6 is the 59-16 and even though some people slag it off, I sort of like it.
So let's jump in and talk about the tank...
The 59-16 has really good gun handling stats. The DPM is very respectable for a tier 6 LT, likewise the dispersion (on the 57mm anyhow). But the map is not the territory and I find that RNG is not very forgiving on this tank.
So let's jump in and talk about the tank...
Equipment
The equipment choices on the 59-16 are relatively straight forward and there aren't a lot of them. That's good, if you're just grinding through to the WZ-131, and it means not a lot of agonizing over which [thing] is best.
Guns
This tank isn't a huge damage dealer, but it's a light tank and dealing damage is only part of its job. The turret choice, is pretty simple. Get the top one. The armor is nominally better, but the view range is 10m better and that's important on a scout.
The 76mm gun is less accurate than the 57mm but has better pen and does better damage. I'd lean towards the 76mm, though the 57mm has a faster rate of fire, much better accuracy and is slightly lighter which can help with mobility.
You'll have to unlock the 76mm to get the top turret anyhow so maybe try them both and see which feels more comfortable for you.
I have found Chinese guns to be pretty derpy overall. Even on the "accurate" ones I have a surprising number of seemingly well aimed shots that go into the dirt or spiral off into the distance. "Legendary Chinese accuracy" I sarcastically mutter to myself when that happens, which is often a few times a battle.
Engines and Tracks
The top choices here once again make it easy. Mobility is critical on a light tank and the top engine gets you an extra 50hp, along with 3% lower fire risk.
The top tracks improve your traverse and load limit. I'd get the engine first, but don't skimp on the tracks.
But the radio...
The is one of the rare tanks where the radio actually does matter a bit. It should be your lowest priority BUT, the stock radio is 60kg heavier than the next two, so after you've got the gun you want, the top turret, the engine and the tracks, I'd be inclined to upgrade to at least the 2nd radio to save the weight and improve your mobility a bit.
Crew
The 59-16 has a four-person crew: Commander, Gunner, Driver, Loader and the Loader is also the Radioman. Keeping in mind that you get to the 59-16, which is a light tank, from the tier 5 Type T-34 which is a medium that has a different crew layout (dedicated radioman). That means you have to do some awkward shuffling to get your crew aligned in the 59-16.
Currently I have my #3 Chinese LT crew in the 59-16 and they're pretty noob. They're 100% but finishing their FIRST skill.
My Commander is working on Recon. When he finishes that I'm going to reset it to 6th Sense and start Recon again. When he finishes Recon I'll probably go Camo.
My Gunner is working on Camo. When he finishes that I'll go Snap Shot.
My Driver is working on Camo. When he finishes that I'll go with Off-Road Driving, most likely, to improve the tank's overall mobility.
My Loader is working on Situational Awareness. When he finishes that he'll start on Camo.
At some point after the Commander has finished his second skill I'll reset everybody and get them on BIA, make sure the Commander has Sixth Sense as well, and the third (or fourth) skill they can take from there.
Gun Handling
The 59-16 has really good gun handling stats. The DPM is very respectable for a tier 6 LT, likewise the dispersion (on the 57mm anyhow). But the map is not the territory and I find that RNG is not very forgiving on this tank.
Forget snap shots, fully aimed shots are often unpredictable - even back when I had my prime Chinese LT crew in it that had 3+ skills.
The pen and damage aren't that exciting, but the rate of fire is excellent and if you can use your mobility and get to the sides or back of tanks you can generally pen with silver. This is especially true with the new matchmaker that makes +2 battles less likely.
The biggest problem with the gun handling, aside from the frustrating RNG, is the gun depression. Put simply: It doesn't have any. 5 degrees is what you get, and in almost every battle I'd hit that limit and have to reposition to make the shot.
Mobility
The mobility on this tank is the opposite of the gun handling. The stats are good, but driving it feels exceptionally good. Power to Weight, Top Speed, and Traverse are all above average, but it really feels like one of the more mobile light tanks at its tier. I thought perhaps that was due to terrain resistance but the terrain resistance on the 59-16 is actually fairly middle of the road.
So maybe it's just perception, or some invisible soft stat, but the mobility on the 59-16 really does feel very good.
Survivability
The armor on this tank is amazing. No, not really...it's a light tank, it doesn't have much armor. The turret is a bit more armored than the hull but really if you're relying on the armor you're probably in trouble.
Scouting
This is a light tank so one of its primary roles is scouting. How does it do in that role? I think this tank is pretty dependent on having a good crew. View range is actually pretty poor. With my #3 crew, granted I don't yet have the first skill trained all the way up, I have to run food, vents, and optics, just to get to 440 view range. Likewise on camo - I don't have the first skill trained all the way up, but I even with food I only get about 25% camo rating. That's not terrible...but it's not especially good either.
What saves this tank for scouting is it's excellent mobility. And with a good crew the view range and camo are good. Not best in class, but good.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 59-16
Q: Will you keep it?
A: I recently bought it back and I think I will keep it.
Q: What equipment do you run on it?
A: I run Coated Optics, Vents, and a Vertical Stabilizer.
Q: Which tank is next on the tree?
A: The WZ-131, which I've already reviewed here.
Q: Which tank is next on the tree?
A: The WZ-131, which I've already reviewed here.
One piece of feedback I saw was that you should always prioritize camo on light tanks. That's not an unreasonable idea, and the argument that you can get outspotted by medium tanks if you don't have good camo is fair.
ReplyDeleteBut...you can get outspotted if you don't have good view range either, and the 59-16 has especially poor base view range at 360. Even with food I haven't been able to get to 445 view range yet, and if I went all camo for my crew I'd probably be down around 420.
So...if you want to go all camo for the first crew skill that's not a bad idea, but I chose to prioritze the view range skills on the commander and loader just to try and make it a little less blind.