Since it's On Track right now (at least on NA) I figured I might do a quick review of the ST-II line to give you an idea what to expect.
This On Track is for the ST-II though, so let me offer a couple of thoughts on the line.
T-150
The T-150 is a respectable heavy tank at Tier 6. Good alpha, long reloads, sloppy gun handling (but undoubtedly benefits from the RASSHA effect).
Mobility is HT-like, armor is pretty good for Tier 6 (you won't present much problem for tier 8s, of course) if you angle well, and you can sidescrape in it.
KV-3
After the competent T-150 the KV-3 was a bit of a letdown for me. For one thing it's a Tier 7 which means it can see Tier 9s, but I don't think it's much better at dealing with tier 8s than the T-150 is (which is to say, not great).
Pen is lowest in class, Alpha is good, reloads are pretty slow again. Like the T-150 the gun handling is sloppy but will pleasantly surprise you occasionally; especially if you didn't fully aim.
Mobility is worst in class and the armor is pretty decent - though the hull really isn't much better for side scraping than the T-150 and again...you could be side-scraping against nastier characters.
KV-3 also suffers a bit because it's at the same tier as the legendary T29 (USA, HT).
IS-2-II
At Tier 8 we finally get the first double-penetrator of the group. I didn't enjoy the IS-2-II very much. The standard alpha and pen are fine, but the gun handling is weird. To activate the "Salvo" of both barrels you hold the left mouse button down for a few seconds (4?). There are two problems with this:
- When you don't want to fire a salvo you need to be pretty snappy on that button. The slightest linger in your finger and the gun will wonder if you intended a salvo and there can be a pause before it actually fires. When I first started playing the double-barrel guns this caught me out a bit because my shots were often delayed and it messed up my timing (especially firing at a moving target).
- When you DO want to fire a salvo you need to line up on the target and time it just right, which often means you have to sit out exposed for several seconds. That's ok if you've swung around behind a distracted enemy, but if you're poking corners you could eat more damage than you wanted to waiting for the salvo to fire.
There is one other issue with the salvo that takes a little getting used to - it's entirely possible for you to have your reticle on a target, but have one of the two guns blocked. This is especially true if you're firing from cover, peeking around a corner, a rock, or a dead tank. You may let loose the salvo only to find that one of your shots is actually blocked. There is apparently a visual indicator for this on the reticle, but I haven't noticed it yet. I'll make a point to watch for it in my next session.
Otherwise the tank is kinda unremarkable. DPM is better than the IS-3 and the two-shell system CAN become sort of a poor-man's autoloader at times. It's been handy for keeping people tracked, for example; or if you shoot somebody and knock them under 300 HP so they're a likely one-shot for you in a couple seconds the second barrel will become available and you can finish them off.
Mobility is underwhelming though and I found the IS-3 to just be a generally better tank to play. Your mileage may vary.
IS-3-II
Then you get to the tier 9 and it's a definite step up, in my opinion. Mobility feels a bit better, turret armor is much better, and the gun handling just felt sharper to me.
While I found the IS-2-II kinda meh, I like the IS-3-II so far. Even with the stock gun it's playable. It suffers from the same salvo awkwardness as the IS-2-II, but just overall feels better.
Some of that may be because at Tier 9 it only sees tanks 1 tier higher, and often sees tanks 2 tiers lower, so it just feels more competitive. But I've had some good luck even facing Super Conqs and 5As in it. While the IS-2-II feels helpless in that situation, the IS-3-II feels like it can at least do some work, even if it doesn't ultimately win.
Some of that may be because at Tier 9 it only sees tanks 1 tier higher, and often sees tanks 2 tiers lower, so it just feels more competitive. But I've had some good luck even facing Super Conqs and 5As in it. While the IS-2-II feels helpless in that situation, the IS-3-II feels like it can at least do some work, even if it doesn't ultimately win.
What are your thoughts on the double-barreled tanks? Leave them in the comments below!
GLHF!
GLHF!
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