How to identify a teammate (or an enemy) in tank simulator battles

This wonderful game mode is particularly unique for its friendly fire mechanic. It results in many teamkills and confusion. I think this is one of the reasons why many players hesitate to keep playing sim and therefore here I am with intentions to cut your learning curve.

Introduction

There are several ways of telling whether that’s a teammate or an enemy in front of you. I will start with the basics and continue with it as we progress.

There is a video form of this guide so watch it if you don't want to read:

Ground Vehicles

If you use a rangefinder on any tank, the “Requesting an ally position” text will appear.



We won’t use it. It’s slow, doesn’t work with laser rangefinder, you gotta follow moving targets with your crosshair, it’s bad at far distances, etc. Forget about it and instead - shoot tracks! Shooting optics, MGs, tracks, and gun barrels with machine gun displays a hit camera. Tracks are bigger and easier targets to hit, thus we choose them. Whenever you shoot your teammate, there is no hit camera. But that is quite complicated with the enemies. Even if your shell bounces off of an enemy vehicle, the hit camera appears. So if you hit someone with a main gun and there’s no-hit cam - you better start apologising. From all of this, you should remember that if you shoot a track and there is a hit camera - that’s an enemy. If you shoot a track and there isn’t any - that's a friendly. This works with tires, tracks, and even if you're in a plane.



The only situations when you should use a rangefinder are if you’re playing a vehicle without an MG or you’re an AA vehicle. Also if the vision of the tank is obstructed and you don’t want to risk shooting a track. You can still shoot tracks for the hit camera with AA, but make sure not to break them.

I’ve mentioned the far distances and fairly you can’t hit tracks at high ranges. For this, you’ll have to use something unavailable for most WT players - logic. Is this a familiar shape? Is this the beginning of the battle? Can my teammate be there already? Is his turret pointing at me? Is the tank hull pointed towards us? Where is it shooting? If you’re still alive and you answered these questions, you’re fine. If you didn’t - the only way to tell is to place a squad mark, click on the map to place a mark for your team to see, and hope that the guy replies with “Need cover!”. Other than that, I’d say shoot and enjoy the kill or learn a lesson through shame and mistakes. If you haven’t been paying attention to which points are capped, what space your team controls and you are a big silly, there is no other way of identifying a far away tank.

A very important concept to get used to is to communicate with your team. If you hear an engine behind the wall and you’re not sure who’s that - mark it! More skilled players will reply to you with radio commands. And use the T-4-2 combination, which is a request for backup. Don’t spam follow me because if there’s a fuss and someone’s marking an enemy and you mark yourself with the same exclamation mark, you won’t help anyone. If you want to call for an actual backup - mark yourself with a shield and an enemy with an exclamation mark. Of course, sometimes some people won’t reply to your calls, but it's better to try than not. Some players go further and message in chat about their vehicle and how to identify them. You should pay attention to this as I can’t see any excuses for killing these people later. If you genuinely think fratricide, in this case, is not the killer’s fault you might as well go play other game modes.

The last tricks that might help you are to watch whether the point is being capped or decapped and where is your team when you spawn. There is a short period of time at which allied tanks are marked on the map shortly after you spawn. Use it to know where to expect your enemy.

Air Vehicles

In EC a name of your teammate appears above the plane on a 1 km range and less. Meanwhile, enemies aren’t marked anyhow. But this isn’t relevant for ground sim, in it, there are no markers on planes at all. The only and the best tip for how to tell if this is an enemy plane or not is to check the tab and the map. Despite that the names of the teammates aren’t displayed, the marker on the map is shown whenever the friendly plane flies near. Pay attention to their shape (this works especially well if you’re an experienced pilot) and how many engines they have. Being sober and looking at the kill feed applies here too. If you’re playing an AA you might as well check the insignias. Some players may fake them, but if you’re not sure, remember - the good old tab will never lie.

Clones

It isn’t crucial to be able to tell whether that’s a German or American Bf 109 because you can check the tab and double-check the map if you’re not sure. Although knowing the difference between tanks is important.

Clones - Germany

M4 - You can tell the difference from its standard camo and wavy winter camo. German M4 doesn’t have a track on the frontal plate.

Churchill - It has grey camo and German markings on the turret.

T-34 - its default and marketplace camos are very distinctive. Winter camo is the most confusing, but you can recognise the tank by its commander hatch. People usually put some decorators or bushes on top.

KV2 - Commander’s hatch and camo.

KV1B - Just the camo.

BMP-1 - decals on the turret.

Ersatz M10 - It just… Doesn’t look right...

Clones - USSR

TIII - Green camo and decals.

T-V - Camo and decals on the turret. There is no side skirts.

Clones - Japan

M24 - Standard camouflage is a little distinctive. M24 has a green camo that’ll cover this issue by lowering its condition. Usually, people put decals and bushes to blend it.

M4A3 - same as m24.

M42 - Look at the crew. I am not racist.

M16 - Crew and camo.

Clones - China

Chi-Ha - Camo. It can be well hidden so check the tab for China.

Chi-Ha Kai - Same as Chi-Ha.

M113A1 - Look at the gunner.

M42 - Look at the crew.

M60A3 TTS - No explosive reactive armor.

M48 - Just the camo.

PTL and WMA - they have 6 wheels and Centauro has 10.

Clones - Italy

M24 - Decals on the front and side. Players usually put something there and try to confuse you with American flags.

M4 Hybrid - Same as M24.

M3A3 - Same as M24.

M18 - Same as M24.

M4 TIPO IC - Muzzle brake. In its set up there is no M4s with it. And their hulls are a bit different.

Sherman Vc - Same as M24.

M26A1 - Barrels are different.

M36B1 - It is a unique vehicle in the game and you should just remember how it looks.

Clones - France

Panther Dauphine - It has no skirt and there’s a French insignia on the turret’s side as well as Dauphine on the hull. Everyone’s putting bushes and decals to hide these.

Ending

Memorising the difference, dying from these vehicles once or twice, and checking tab each battle to see against whom you’re playing will make you familiar with all clones in no time.

I didn't mention helicopters because I assume that if you managed to get into the air and actually find someone to fight then you'll be experienced enough to know everything required.

I decided to remove part about battle logs as well. Check battle log to see who's shooting you and whom did you shoot. If you hold down "J" you can see the guy's name and then find him on the tab. That'll be even more reliable.

[Jon]

this article needs update for ukrainian situation lol

every vehicle the same

[TheMasterBaiter]

no wonder why i have getting so much kills i killed 50 team mates

[cjl1w4g2]

Pls make a guide for Air and Ground RB, War Thunder players only know how to help the enemy team

[Muffalopadus]

My first and last sim game was when I was playing as a german puma

Turn the corner, see friendly driving a puma

He looks at me....keeps looking....looks some more...then teamkills me. I couldn't figure out what the heck he was thinking. He was IN A PUMA TOO.

[DrunkenTee]

There are no teammates in this game because majority of people are retarded and cant do the most basic things right