Tactics Talk: Mines South Spawn

When you play south spawn on Mines in a standard battle there is one key position you HAVE to deny the enemy, and it's not hill (though that's important too). It's K1.

K1 is critical on Mines in World of Tanks

If they get somebody in that position they put your guys at F5 in a crossfire, and can stop you from pushing around the SW corner of the hill to reinforce F5, They basically own the Western 2/3 of the map if they own K1.

And worse, K1 is a hull-down position with both hard and soft cover that even your arty (who are usually cowering at K9) rarely have shots on.

If the K1 player is especially bold - and has friends helping him - he may push over to k3 and get even more shots into the back of the 4/5 line guys.

How do you prevent them from getting to K1?

You really need to send somebody, preferably a medium with mobility and a decent gun, to H1 at the beginning. He just needs to deter them, he doesn't necessarily have to hold the position by himself. 

Also, by spotting the 1 line, he makes it possible for your arty as well as TDs at K5 or any tanks who are playing the G4 area to get shots on them if from F1 south.

If you don't send somebody to H1 at the beginning then you'd better have somebody at H3 or G4 spotting and shooting, and enough tanks ready to shoot the 1 line crossing to punish them for trying to go.

What can you do if they get there?

If you're playing 4/5 line you'll need to either 1) Push and get north of E or onto the hill, or move west and try to hug the 4 line rocks.

4 line can be a good hulldown play and the K1 position doesn't have good shots as long as your butt isn't hanging out at F4 or G4.

You can't really fall back becaues K1 has shots on the G1 crossing,

Digging them out of K1 is hard becaues if you try to drive down there you have to come around K3 where you're exposed to shots from any tanks on the island at F1, and you have to drive through the water making you more vulnerable to arty.

What about encounter mode?

Encounter mode is very different because the cap is at C8 and the K1 position is only relevant if the south team lets it be. In encounter mode if you control hill and rush the cap you'll almost always win. 1 line is pointless for encounter mode.

If you're playing south spawn and enemy goes to K1 on encounter mode just let him sit there. Only your people who are lounging at F5 are really in jeopardy and those guys should either push or slide West anyhow.

GLHF!

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