France Ground Forces, A Primer

Are cigarettes and coffee your idea of a wholesome breakfast? Let me introduce you to your new favorite tech tree - France!

Introduction

Welcome to the French tech tree!

My goal is to (hopefully) give a nice overall gameplay and (occasionally) historical summary of each tank, without going into too much detail. I want you to be able to leave each section with a good idea for what to expect while using that vehicle. I also hate Steam guides that are just links to Youtube videos. Call me a boomer but I just prefer this style.

France is an extremely competitive tech tree with a lot of interesting and unique vehicles to choose from. While they have a higher skill floor than other nations, the payoff is access to some very powerful tanks.

TL;DR

France is a generalist tech tree with vehicles that will suit most playstyles whether it is pushing objectives, flanking, or sniping from afar.

Strengths

• Early access to autoloaders
  
• Oscillating turrets have above average aiming speed
  
• Good mix of mobility and armor - very flexible
  
• Strong, full caliber AP ammo
  
• Lots of tanks have secondary autocannons

Weaknesses

• Minor nation BR inflation (success breeds jealousy)
  
• Low tier France filters out a lot of new players (because its legitimately bad)
  
• Very late access to stabilizers (you will suffer)
  
• Very sparse access to APHE
  
• Solid AP can have poor angle performance, very prone to bouncing
  
• Top tier MBT's have been power crept out of the meta (even though they're still usable)
  
• Awkwardly placed BR's for some vehicles
  
• CAP and CAS options aren't anything to get excited about

This guide will be focused on realistic battles, and not arcade or sim.

Tech Tree Overview

French Tactics

You could fill up this section with a lot of useful advice but if I had to pick and focus on one thing that will maximize your potential while playing France, it would be suspension control. Frances major weakness is that it has very few low speed stabilizers at low and mid tier and that it gets access to fully stabilized tanks very late at top tier. However, with some practice you can minimize this downside.

Suspension Characteristics

Not all suspension is created the same. Tanks that are very tall or have an extra heavy turret will bounce around more than a tank that is lighter or has a lower center of gravity. Tanks with relatively short track length or tanks with rear mounted turrets will have worse suspensions than tanks with centered turrets and with longer track length.

Where your gun is aiming also has some influence on how bouncy you are. Aiming straight ahead will always be better than aiming off to the side when trying to anticipate suspension sway.

The ELC Bis and the EBR are superior because they're light and have a low center of gravity. The Somua and Lorraine 40t have good suspensions because of their longer track length and center mounted turret.
Tanks like AMX-13 have poor suspension characteristics because of its rear mounted turret and relatively short track length. The M4A4 SA50 and M4A1 FL10 have bad suspensions because of their high center of gravity and oversized (i.e. heavier) guns.

The suspension module also helps with all tanks, so don't neglect it when playing France.

Coasting and Firing

You don't have to come to a full and immediate stop in order to fire your weapon. Yeah yeah, excluding most ATGM's I know. Sometimes you're fortunate enough to come across someone who hasn't seen you and you have the time to come to a full stop and to carefully aim your gun. You were either lucky or you out maneuvered them, so good job either way.

You aren't always going to have that luxury. Learning how to fire accurately while on the move is easy and will improve your KDR.

When you come across an enemy your first instinct may be to slam on the brakes in order to come to a complete stop. For tanks with low speed stabilizers, this is actually the best way to get your gun on target.

Instead of slamming on the brakes, which throws your gun up and down as your suspension absorbs your momentum, simply take your finger off the gas and coast. Your gun will still bounce a bit but with some practice I think you'll find that you'll be able to shoot targets at decently long ranges.

Bonus: Suspension Shots

Since we're on the topic of suspension mechanics here's a bonus tip. If you find that you don't quite have enough gun depression to hit your target, you can go forwards and then hit the brakes. If you time it right, you can use that little dip forward in order to sneak in a shot you otherwise wouldn't be able to make.

I've used it more than once to kill enemies when my vertical aiming drive was broken.

Rank I Vehicles

AMC.34 YR

Automitrailleuse de combat AMC 34 (APX 1)

The single saving grace for this tank is that its armed with APHE, which is extremely rare in the French tech tree. Good luck penetrating anything though.

Pros

• Turret armor is troll-y
  
• Low speed stabilizer (<10kmh)

Cons

• Terrible main cannon
  
• Terrible armor overall
  
• Poor mobility
  
• Very small crew (2)
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)

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AMD.35

Automitrailleuse de découverte AMD 35)

As long as your terrible tank is fast, its at least fun to drive around. Thankfully the AMD 35 is also armed with a halfway decent gun. Its main downside it is that its only a 25mm cannon, so anything you hit will require follow up shots to kill.

Pros

• Good top speed (72kmh)
  
• Excellent reverse (-42kmh)
  
• Good rate of fire
  
• Above average gun depression (-12 deg)
  
• Surprisingly big crew (4)

Cons

• Poor post penetration damage
  
• Irrelevant armor
  
• Wheeled vehicle will struggle offroad

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AMC.35 (ACG.1)

Automitrailleuse de combat Renault AMC 35

At BR 1.3, its pretty incredible to compare this to the BT-7 in the Soviet tech tree. You are slower, with a worse gun, and similar armor. You enjoy 1 more crew member and some gun depression. Wow, amazing.

Regardless, its at the very least...usable. Don't compare it to other nations 1.3 tanks because you'll be sad. Just be happy its not a higher BR.

Pros

• Low speed stab (<20kmh)
  
• Above average gun depression (-12 deg)

Cons

• Kinda poor mobility overall
  
• Poor post penetration damage
  
• Irrelevant armor
  
• Small crew (3)
  
• Beveled armor means you can't even angle your hull

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H.35

Char léger Hotchkiss modéle 1935 H

This is one of the tanks that should be a candidate for negative BR...or at least BR lower than 1.0 because its frankly embarrassing at how bad this tank is.

Pros

• Decent frontal armor
  
• Low speed stab (<10kmh)
  
• Above average depression (-13 deg)
  
• Good rate of fire

Cons

• Terrible main weapon
  
• Very small crew (2)

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H.39

Char léger Hotchkiss modéle 1935 H modifié 39

The main gun, while not anything exceptional at least reaches "minimally acceptable". The mobility can also be described the same way - its nothing to be excited about but you at least wont suffer too badly. I dare say this qualifies as a playable tank.

Pros

• Semi-decent armor
  
• Low speed stab (<10kmh)
  
• Above average gun depression (-13 deg)

Cons

• Poor post pen damage
  
• Very small crew (2)

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S.35

Char de cavalerie SOUMA 1935 S

The S.35 is actually a little bit of a bully in certain situations. It has pretty decent armor and a good enough gun to fight everything at its battle rating. If you can deal with its lack of mobility and don't rely on its armor TOO much, its actually a pretty decent tank.

Pros

• Pretty decent armor
  
• Superior gun depression (-18 deg)
  
• Access to HE shells
  
• Low speed stab (<10kmh)
  
• Neutral steering

Cons

• Poor mobility overall
  
• Poor reverse speed (-5kmh)
  
• Small crew (3)
  
• Large cupola
  
• Poor horizontal aiming speed

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FCM.36

Char léger d'accompagnement FCM 36

Not only is this one of the worst tanks in the game, it is also in the running for stupidest looking tank in the entire game as well.

Pros

• Superior gun depression (-18 deg)
  
• Superior vertical aiming speed

Cons

• Terrible main weapon
  
• Terrible reverse (-3kmh)
  
• Terrible armor
  
• Just terrible overall

France: "Ah oui zis is what peak armored vehicle performance looks like!"

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R.35 (SA38)

Char léger d'accompagnement 1935 R (SA 38)

While an important tank for historical reasons, this just doesn't make the grade for reserve tier battles. Its not horrible but at the same time isn't very usable.

Pros

• Fast vertical aiming speed
  
• Low speed stab (<10kmh)

Cons

• Poor mobility overall
  
• Terrible reverse (-3kmh)
  
• Below average gun depression (-2 deg)
  
• Small crew (2)

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D2

Char moyen D2

The D2 is very similar to the S35, it just has a slightly worse engine and slightly worse hull armor. It is easier to angle due to its armor layout.

Pros

• Pretty decent armor
  
• Superior gun depression (-18 deg)
  
• Access to HE shells
  
• Low speed stab (<10kmh)
  
• Neutral steering

Cons

• Very exposed turret ring
  
• Poor mobility overall
  
• Poor reverse speed (-5kmh)
  
• Small crew (3)
  
• Large cupola
  
• Poor horizontal aiming speed

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P.7.T AA

Citroen-Kégresse-Hinstin P.7.T.

Its a bunch of HMG's strapped to a tractor. What more do you want me to say about it?

It shoots fast but each gun only has a 30 round magazine, so you'll be reloading this a lot and the reload time isn't exactly quick - spamming at aircraft isn't recommended.

Pros

• Very good rate of fire
  
• Responsive turret
  
• HMG's can penetrate some ground targets at its BR

Cons

• No armor, its a tractor
  
• No HE belts
  
• Magazine size is small, you'll be reloading a lot
  
• Poor turning and hill climbing

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Rank I Vehicles, part 2

AMR.35 ZT3

Automitrailleuse de Reconnaiseeance AMR 35 ZT 3

If it wasn't for the really restricted aiming arc, this would be half decent. As it is, it is merely usable.

Pros

• Good penetration and rate of fire on main weapon
  
• Low profile
  
• Low speed stab (<10kmh)
  
• Has a coax LMG

Cons

• Poor armor
  
• Poor horizontal aiming coverage, even for a casemate (+/- 5 deg)
  
• Poor post penetration damage
  
• Small crew (2)

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Lorraine 37L

Chasseur de Chars Lorraine 37

Overall: Its like a French Zis-30 (if you've played that). Its small but it slaps.

When I was starting to grind out the French tech tree, this thing single handedly convinced me to keep playing. I would encourage any new France enjoyers to research it ASAP.

The strength of the 37L is its main weapon, which has plenty of penetration and post pen spalling to knock out pretty much everything you'll come across. It also has a very good rate of fire (3.9-3.0 sec reload) for the damage it can cause. The only downside is that it doesn't have a lot of ammo (22) and it runs out pretty fast.

A minor downside is that you don't have access to HE shells, which are fairly useful at low tier since you face a lot of open tanks with light armor.

Pros

• Very good main weapon
  
• Fast reload time (3.9 seconds stock -> 3.0 aced)
  
• Above average gun depression (-12 deg)

Cons

• Limited horizontal aiming
  
• Practically no armor
  
• Exposed crew
  
• Small ammo capacity
  
• No secondary machine guns

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SAu 40

Canon automoteur de 75mm SAu 40

The single saving grace for this vehicle is its gun. It has enough penetration to easily handle most tanks you'll face. Penetration doesn't mean everything - but this thing also packs almost 100 grams of HE filler, which is more than enough to one shot anything you penetrate. It does have a somewhat high fuse sensitivity of 14mm, so against the lightest tanks (like SPAA) it may not explode.

You have enough armor to resist autocannon spam but don't rely on it to protect you because its pretty bad - and thats not even mentioning the goofy machine gun turret. That thing attracts shots like crazy.

Pros

• Gun with high one-shot potential
  
• Enough armor to frontally resist autocannons
  
• Neutral steering

Cons

• Poor horizontal aiming coverage (+/- 7 deg)
  
• Poor mobility
  
• Goofy commander MG tumor loves getting shot
  
• MG turret is too slow and can't elevate enough to go after planes
  
• Poor reverse (-5kmh)
  
• Small crew (3)

Rank I Premium Vehicles

H.39 "Cambronne"

Char léger Hotchkiss modéle 1935 H modifé 39 (14e BCC) Cambronne

Should I buy: Its pretty darn cheap, but its also a Rank I premium and its not even a very good one at that. I'd skip.

Overall: This is a carbon copy of the tech tree H39. The only differences are the lack of its trench crossing tail and the addition of some historical markings.

No unique pros or cons
(Honestly the tail doesn't matter in any practical way)

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2C bis

Char Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM) 2C bis

Should I buy: I wouldn't pay full price for it - its a Tier I tank with Tier III pricing.

Overall: Its a low tier derp gun that is pretending to be a battleship on land. It not good in a metaslave sense but it is always fun to kill people with big dumb HE shells. Your giant crew makes it quite difficult to kill this tank in one hit and with some angling you can even bounce shots.
Try to stick with your team, alone you will easily be swarmed and disabled and your enemies can take their sweet time killing you.

Pros

• Giant HE round
  
• Gargantuan sized crew (12)
  
• Crew is very spaced out
  
• Excellent gun depression (-15 deg)
  
• Excellent reverse (-15 kmh)
  
• Neutral steering

Cons

• Way overpriced
  
• Very poor top speed (+15kmh)
  
• Slow reload that only gets slower as your crew inevitably dies
  
• Very slow projectile speed
  
• Slow aiming speed
  
• Only +/- 100 degrees of turret traverse (can't aim backwards)
  
• Rear facing machine gun is useless (can't even elevate to attack aircraft)
  
• Very prone to being set on fire

Fun fact: the spinny thing on top would comm

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AMD.35 (SA35)

Automitrailleuse de découverte AMD 35 avec tourelle Renault (SA 35)

Should I buy it: No, unless you're a collector.

Overall: Fast but forgettable. Being isolated with no lineup really sucks.

This event vehicle is a great example of French BR bias early on, so get used to it. Germany gets a clone of this which gets a better gun with APHE and its at basically the same battle rating for some reason.

Despite its decent mobility, the gun really holds this thing back from being remotely enjoyable. It just doesn't do enough to warrant a strong recommendation from me.

Pros

• Above average gun depression (-12 deg)
  
• Good acceleration and top speed on roads
  
• Superior reverse speed (-42kmh)

Cons

• Only available on the marketplace
  
• No real lineup to support it
  
• Poor braking
  
• Very wobbly suspension
  
• Poor post penetration damage
  
• Poor offroad performance

Rank II Vehicles

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Crusader Mk.II

Char de cavalerie Crusader Mk. II

The Crusader is a very decent light tank overall, but keep in mind its a LIGHT TANK. Flank and be a annoying rat from the sidelines. Fighting things head on will result in suffering.

Pros

• Good rate of fire
  
• Low speed stab (<10kmh)
  
• Good gun aiming speed
  
• Good mobility
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair
  
• Smoke mortar (26 grenades)

Cons

• Poor post pen damage on AP rounds
  
• Best AP shell is a tier 4 mod
  
• APHE is on the weak side
  
• Poor armor
  
• No HMG's

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M3A3 Stuart

Char léger M3A3 Stuart

Its fast and therefore it is fun! It also helps that the Stuarts gun is fairly decent especially when paired with your mobility. I personally prefer the Stuart over the Crusader. While the Crusader is more well rounded in capability, the Stuarts mobility really gives it an edge, especially at the beginning of the match.

Pros

• Good rate of fire
  
• Low speed stab (<15kmh)
  
• Troll-y armor can sometimes bounce stuff especially autocannons
  
• Very good mobility
  
• Good stationary turning
  
• Pintle mounted LMG
  
• Stock smoke launchers (2 uses)
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair

Cons

• No APHE
  
• Poor post penetration damage
  
• Poor vertical aiming speed
  
• Pintle LMG has weird aiming restrictions in certain areas

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M4A1

Char moyen M4A1 Sherman

Your bog standard Sherman. Great all rounder that can aggressively push into enemies due to its low speed stabilizer and strong APHE round. As long as you aren't relying on your armor, you'll be fine. Against heavy tanks you will need to know where their weakspots are, as you don't have enough penetration to just lolpen them.

Speaking of your APHE round, it doesn't come stock. Your AP round is fine, but you'll want to rush for the APHE round as soon as possible.

Pros

• Strong APHE round (that has to be researched)
  
• Low speed stab (<23kmh)
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Pintle mounted HMG

Cons

• Poor armor
  
• Poor vertical aiming speed
  
• Poor reverse (-5kmh)
  
• HMG doesn't have great elevation and can only fire in a frontal arc
  
• Awkward battle rating

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B1 bis

Char de bataille Renault B1 bis

The B1 bis is an absolute bully. Heavy tanks are always sensitive to matchmaking and the B1 is no different, but if you manage to get a downtier you will be invincible! Well, almost. Sweden and Germany are still pretty scary even in a downtier.

The true weakness of the B1 is its fairly puny 47mm cannon. Its turreted, but slow. You will not be able to keep up with people if they immobilize you and run around you in circles. The secondary howitzer seems like it would be strong but its actually pretty wimpy - the HE shells don't have much TNT filler and the APHE shells are low velocity and don't have much penetration. Being able to shoot two guns while pointed at the enemy is still a strength! You just need to place your shots carefully.

Watch the matchmaker and position yourself well - you will be an anchor the team can rely upon.

Pros

• Strong armor on all sides
  
• Two main weapons
  
• Superior gun depression for both main weapons (-15 deg)
  
• Neutral steering

Cons

• Kinda worthless when uptiered
  
• Turret ring and cupola are prominent weak spots
  
• Poor mobility overall
  
• Poor reverse speed (-4kmh)
  
• No pintle mounted MG
  
• Both main weapons are pretty weak
  
• Howitzer has very poor frontal aiming cone (+/- 1 deg)

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2C

Char de bataille 2C de Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM)

An absolute behemoth of a tank, the 2C is mostly a meme vehicle to play for fun and not for being "meta". You really have to WANT to play a giant landship because your fun is buried under a lot of suffering.

Your gun is fine but will struggle against the more armored tanks like the T-50 and the 105 Shermans. Whatever you do manage to penetrate will almost certainly die due to the huge explosive filler it gets.

As a monstrously sized vehicle you will be prime target for bombers so get used to it.

Your main defensive capability is your enormous crew of 12. Most are in the front, but a good chunk are in the back half of the tank and it is very difficult to one-shot the 2C due to the isolated crew. Its best to play with your team because you aren't very sneaky and you'll be repairing almost constantly.

Pros

• Superior gun depression (-20 deg)
  
• APHE round has 350g of TNT
  
• Enormous crew (12)
  
• Neutral steering
  
• Amazing reverse (-15 kmh)

Cons

• Very slow top speed (15 kmh)
  
• Poor mobility
  
• No low speed stab
  
• Poor armor
  
• Sensitive to uptiers
  
• Turret can't aim backwards

Rank II Vehicles, part 2

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CCKW 353 AA

Truck, 2½-Ton, 6x6, GMC CCKW 353 (40mm M1)

This is just another one of those bog standard Bofors trucks that show up in a lot of tech trees.

If you haven't played one before, they are surprisingly good at anti tank duty but not so good at killing planes because of its relatively slow aiming speed. Keep in mind that you can't shoot directly forward and also that if you're shooting at something perpendicular to you that your suspension is quite wobbly. You may need to shoot slower to hit distant targets due to how wobbly it can be.

If you DO get good at hitting air targets, its large shell will obliterate whatever you hit.

Pros

• Strong AP belts
  
• Great rate of fire for anti-tank duty
  
• Good aiming speed for anti-tank duty

Cons

• Exposed crew
  
• Bad gun depression (-6 deg)
  
• Poor rate of fire for anti-air duty
  
• Sluggish turret traverse for anti-air duty
  
• Wobbly gun while firing
  
• Poor gun depression (-6 deg)

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VTT DCA

AMX Véhicule de Combat d'Infanterie avec tourelle M45

The AMX VCI is basically the APC version of the AMX-13. This one in particular is armed with 4x M2 HMG's but the AMX-VCI was equipped with many different weapons systems such as autocannons, mortars, ATGM launchers, and even ROLAND anti-air missile launchers.

A very welcome addition to the tech tree, the VTT DCA is a great low tier SPAA. It is extremely beginner friendly due to its high rate of fire and very large magazine size. Because it uses the AMX-13 chassis as a base, it is also surprisingly durable if shot from the front. Your engine and transmission take up a lot of space in the front and will eat more shells than you'd expect.

The problem is, obviously, you're only armed with HMG's so you're probably dead even if you absorb an enemies first shot.

The main way this kills aircraft is by lucky pilot sniping and setting fuel tanks on fire, not actually doing direct damage like blowing wings off. More experienced players will probably prefer SPAA's equipped with autocannons due to their higher damage against aircraft and better ability to defend against ground vehicles.

Pros

• Large magazine
  
• High rate of fire
  
• Doesn't overheat
  
• Engine/transmission can block shots
  
• Very responsive turret
  
• Very good gun depression for SPAA (-10 deg)
  
• Good top speed, decent acceleration

Cons

• Poor armor overall
  
• Relies on fires to kill planes
  
• Long reload (18.2-14 sec)

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M4A3 (105)

Char moyen M4A3(105) HVSS Sherman

Another absolute bully of a tank. New players won't know how to deal with you. Experienced players will groan when they're the ones being uptiered into YOU. On the flip side if you're the one being uptiered you're in trouble and you will need to play carefully.

Your major strengths are your very strong frontal armor and oversized cannon. Its hard to say whether HE or HEAT is better because Gaijin is always messing around with their mechanics. You'll figure out what works best for you.

You lack the low speed stabilizer the other Shermans have, but its a pretty good tradeoff for what you get. Your turret is very slow but if you're playing correctly your enemies should be in front of you so you wont have to aim very far from side to side.

Pros

• Strong frontal armor
  
• HE shell can kill everything if aimed well
  
• HEAT shell can kill everything else
  
• Pintle mounted HMG
  
• Smoke mortar (12 grenades)
  
• Smoke shells

Cons

• Sensitive to uptiers
  
• Long reload (13->10 sec)
  
• Slow shell velocity
  
• Very slow gun handling

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M10 GMC

Canon automoteur M10 Wolverine

The Wolverine is an extremely strong tank destroyer that has an elevated skill floor. If you know how to play around your weaknesses, you'll slaughter with this thing.

Despite having a turret, this thing is basically a casemate because of how extremely slow your turret is. If you get mobility killed and your enemy is off to your side, you're screwed. They'll be able to shoot you a dozen times before you'll be able to turn your turret over to face them. Your other major weakness is being open top. HE ammo, artillery, and CAS are major threats to you.

The good news is that your armor is surprisingly good and is capable of being angled. Do the tank destroyer thing and lock down a high traffic area by camping it.
Pros

• Strong APHE shell (researchable)
  
• Surprisingly good frontal armor
  
• Also surprisingly good side armor
  
• Pintle mounted HMG
  
• Add on armor helps a lot against APHE rounds

Cons

• Poor mobility overall
  
• HMG doesn't have great horizontal or vertical coverage
  
• Extremely slow turret
  
• Open top
  
• Awkward battle rating

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Rank II Premium Vehicles

B1 ter

Char de bataille Renault B1 №101 modifié ter

Should I get: You can buy this vehicle in the French starter pack, which is $5. This is by far the best way to acquire this vehicle. I would highly recommend picking it up when its on sale, which happens fairly frequently.

The B1 ter is a direct copy to the tech tree B1 bis but with upgraded side armor but at the cost of a higher battle rating. You still have the very puny howitzer and weak main cannon, still have the exposed turret ring, everything else is functionally the same.

You can definitely perform well but pay attention to who's on your team. Germany and Sweden are your biggest threats so hopefully you get them on your side. Of course every tech tree has dangerous vehicles you need to watch out for so don't be a dummy.

Unique pros

• Much better side armor

Unique cons

• Higher battle rating

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AMX-13-M24

Char léger AMX 13 (tourelle M24)

Should I buy: Very fun, but a Tier II vehicle. You won't be able to do most dailies/challenges/events with it. Its shown up in the Battlepass shop a few times and I would strongly encourage you to pick it up if it ever shows up again or if its on sale.

The Frankenchaffee. This thing takes the Chaffee turret (which is great) and puts it on an AMX-13 chassis (which has a better HP:Weight ratio). Its absolutely fantastic and I love using it. You can flank (with your speed), you can brawl (with your stabilizer), and you can support (with your light tank abilities). The AMX-13 chassis is also more tanky than the Chaffee because its engine and transmission are up front and it can absorb a surprising amount of damage.

Pros

• Engine-in-front design makes your hull able to absorb shots
  
• Very good mobility overall
  
• Responsive turret
  
• Low speed stab (<24kmh)
  
• Good APHE round
  
• Pintle mounted HMG
  
• Smoke mortar (14 rounds)
  
• Smoke shell
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair

Cons

• Tier II, wont let you grind tasks and events :(
  
• Cramped crew in turret
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)

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LVT-4/40

Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored) (Mk. 4) (Bofors)

Overall: Its unique mix of weapons make it quite good at AA and AT duties - I feel bad for anyone who missed out on this tank.

Bofors trucks are generally not great at anti-air duty due to their low rate of fire and poor gun handling. This thing is different. First, the gun handling is significantly better. Second it comes with TWO coaxial HMG's which is extremely useful for AA duties.

The 40mm autocannon and the HMG's have different velocities for their ammo, so firing both off at the same time at air targets increases your chances for a lucky hit due to both volume of fire but also due to how your rounds arrive at different times. This can help in situations where you're aiming too far ahead or behind your target.

The Bofors has a decent amount of penetration, plenty for light tanks but heavier vehicles you'll have to go for side shots. Track and barrel torture is not recommended due to your terrible armor. You'll get MG'ed to death if you try to trade shots.

Pros

• Decent mobility
  
• 40mm autocannon has decent penetration and good rate of fire for antitank duties
  
• Double HMG's are good for anti-air duties
  
• Responsive turret
  
• Amphibious
  
• Has scouting ability
  
• Large crew (5), widely spaced out
  
• Lots of ammo to spam at targets

Cons

• Very poor armor
  
• Open top and exposed crew
  
• Poor reverse (-5kmh)
  
• Terrible gun depression (-3 deg)
  
• Can't aim directly backwards
  
• Unobtanium event vehicle

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Rank III Vehicles

AMX-13 (FL11)

Char léger AMX 13 (tourelle FL 11 avec 75)

AMX stands for Ateliers Moulineaux, which roughly translates to “construction workshops of Issy-les-Moulineaux” which is located in southwest Paris.

The AMX-13 is a great light tank. It's mobile and very small and sneaky. Your gun has both a decent APHE round as well as above average magnification for it.

Your main downside is that it is isolated in the tech tree (as of writing) so you will either have to drag up a lower lineup or uptier it with a higher lineup. Don't be a liability for your teammates by being a 1 death leaver!

This tank has two quirks to keep in mind while playing.

First, the turret is placed quite far back on the chassis, which means if you reverse out of cover you expose less of your tank. On the other hand, this means if you peek a corner while going forward you have to expose nearly your entire tank. The main benefit of the rear mounted turret is that your engine and transmission are typically mounted in the front, which gives your crew more protection - especially against APHE shells. There are quite a few tanks in the French tech tree with this quirky turret configuration (i.e. other AMX-13's) so keep this in mind when playing those too.

Second - it is equipped with a smoke grenade launcher system, but for whatever reason they launch a lot higher up than you’d expect. Because of their high launch arc, it takes a lot longer for the smoke to actually deploy. This is a reoccurring feature of French smoke launchers for some reason so expect similar behavior across other French tanks.

Pros

• Good top speed and acceleration
  
• Hull armor is quite strong for a light tank
  
• Small profile
  
• Good optics (5.8x)
  
• Smoke launchers (2 salvos)
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair

Cons

• Poor armor overall
  
• Headlights on front corners block gun depression
  
• Wobbly suspension
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)
  
• Small, cramped crew (3)

---

E.B.R. (1951)

Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance Panhard EBR modéle 1951 (tourelle FL 11 avec 75)

The EBR has a reputation of being extremely good, but it gets that reputation from the OTHER two EBR's that are in the game. While its very mobile and has access to APHE, the weapon is a bit overtiered (hint: its the same gun as the previous AMX-13). You will suffer against the hoards of heavy tanks you'll come across. Your only hope is to flank them...and if you can't flank them, you can at least spot for your team.

Pros

• Good acceleration and top speed
  
• Equally fast going forward or backwards
  
• Very good steering
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos)
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair

Cons

• Poor armor overall
  
• Cramped crew
  
• Endless hordes of heavy tanks and a gun with only 100mm of pen
  
• No pintle mounted MG

---

M4A4

Char moyen M4A4 Sherman

It's a Sherman! It's actually not a Sherman that you can play in the American tree - it's only available in Italy, France, and China (as of this writing). Regardless, it plays pretty much the same as your bog standard Sherman. You’ll want to rush the research for the APHE round because your stock AP isn’t great.

Your armor is capable, but nothing special. Angling may help but over angling will expose your thin side armor. You do get additional armor over your ammo stowage which is nice...for your enemies. It tells them exactly where to aim to easily ammo rack you.

This thing was a struggle to play while fully stock. Once you get the APHE and engine upgrades, I'd call the Sherman good. The Shermans really shine at close range combat where they can use the low speed stabilizer to get off accurate snap shots.

Pros

• Good APHE shell (researchable)
  
• Decent ROF
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Low speed stabilizer

Cons

• Poor turning
  
• Poor reverse
  
• No American pintle mounted HMG :(
  
• Stock suffering syndrome

---

M4A4 (SA50)

Char moyen M4A4T Sherman de 75 v 1000º

Basically the French Firefly - a strong gun on a somewhat crappy chassis.

Despite being classified as a medium tank, the SA50 is definitely better suited as a tank destroyer. You'll want to be supporting your team behind the front line by going after enemy heavy tanks and flankers. Your suspension is pretty wobbly so you are at a big disadvantage while moving around.

Pros

• Enough frontal armor to resist most autocannons (<30mm)
  
• Good penetration
  
• Has full -10 degrees of gun depression

Cons

• Irrelevant armor overall
  
• No American pintle mounted HMG :(
  
• Poor reverse
  
• Poor suspension
  
• Awkward battle rating

---

ARL-44 (ACL-1)

Char de transition ARL 44 (tourelle ACL 1)

ARL stands for Atelier de Construction de Rueil, which translates to “Rueil Construction Workshop”. Rueil is a suburb in western Paris. ACL-1 refers to “Atelier et Chantiers de la Loire”, which was the shipbuilding company that produced the turret used for this early prototype.

The ARL-44 is quite tall, which is neither a good nor a bad thing in my opinion. It just means you have to play the map differently. No, you are not going to be as sneaky as something like an ASU or ELC. However, with some map knowledge you’ll be able to take advantage of some spots that other tanks cannot peek over. For example you can shoot over the concrete pipes on the Alaska map! They're at the perfect height for you.

Your main enemies to avoid are Germans and Swedes. They have the pure penetration to get through your armor. American and Russian tanks will struggle a bit more. Obviously tank destroyers are very dangerous no matter where they're from so make sure you manage your threats accordingly.

Pros

• Great turning speed (while moving forward)
  
• Good frontal armor
  
• Good penetration
  
• Chassis side armor is thick enough for aggressive angling
  
• Crew is widely spread out

Cons

• Very slow vertical targeting
  
• Slow reload
  
• Poor post penetration damage (Solid AP only)
  
• No pintle mounted machine gun
  
• Very large
  
• Commander cupola is a prominent weak spot
  
• Sloped turret face can sometimes bounce shots into your commander cupola

---

ARL-44

Char de transition ARL 44

This version of the ARL-44 is the production version. The main difference is that they reworked the turret and also added a new (naval) cannon. The turret used recycled armor from the scuttled battlecruiser Dunkerque.

The ARL-44 is technically a heavy tank, but is more of a tank destroyer. Its hull armor is very good but its turret is relatively easy to penetrate so actually brawling with it isn't advisable. Your gun is good enough to penetrate any enemies you'll face, which is good because your reload rate is pretty slow.

Overall, the ARL-44 is capable but nothing to be excited about. Its usable but thats about it.

Fun fact: The ARL-44 does have an assisted loading system (its even modeled in game) but it isn't implemented.

Pros

• Strong AP round
  
• Strong hull armor
  
• Surprisingly good turning while moving forward

Cons

• Poor post pen damage
  
• Poor gun depression (-5 deg)
  
• Disappointing optics for a tank destroyer (4x)
  
• Weak turret armor
  
• Slow reload (13s->10s)
  
• No pintle mounted machine gun

Rank III Vehicles, part 2

M4A3E2

Char d'assaut M4A3E2(75)W Jumbo

The Jumbo is a notorious bully but it wasn't until I actually played it that I came to truly understand its true nature of being a MIXED BAG.

The Jumbo is a skill test for both you and your enemies. While your frontal armor is very good, most players know about your notorious frontal weak spot (the MG port). So it becomes a test - can you position yourself in a way that protects your weak spot? Can you leverage your stabilizer to go after their weak spots? Your gun isn't that good, so against enemy heavies and mediums you will need to know the specific spots you need to shoot.

I personally didn't enjoy the Jumbo very much, but I know a lot of players do.

Pros

• Strong frontal armor
  
• Low speed stabilizer (<24kmh)
  
• Pintle mounted HMG
  
• Smoke shells

Cons

• Stock suffering
  
• Relatively weak main weapon
  
• Poor reverse (5kmh)
  
• Sensitive to uptiers
  
• Infamous weak spot in frontal armor

---

AMX-13 DCA 40

AMX 13 Défense Contre Avions Canon de 40mm

The AMX-13 DCA is a great multipurpose tank. You can use it as a sneaky light tank and its also decent at killing aircraft.

Your HE rounds are strong but due to your single gun it requires more accuracy and less luck in order to hit your target. Your good rate of fire counteracts this disadvantage slightly. Your AP rounds are really good as well against most targets except heavy tanks. Using your mobility to flank will maximize your killing potential against ground targets. The best part is that you have plenty of ammo so you can bring a lot of both.

Your optics are quite good but firing at full speed is pretty inaccurate due to how wobbly your chassis is.

Pros

• Good mobility
  
• Good magnification
  
• Good ROF
  
• Good AP belts
  
• Responsive turret
  
• Plenty of ammo
  
• Will eventually overheat but it takes so long its a non-issue

Cons

• Single gun means you must be accurate when shooting, can't saturate area with fire
  
• Open top, very poor armor
  
• Gun is unstable while firing

---

TPK 6.41

Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de L'Atlantique (ACMAT) TPK 6.41 Véhicule Protection de Convoi | Véhicule Leger de Reconnaissance et d'Appui

The TPK is a welcome addition to the French tech tree. Its speedy and is very good at shooting down CAS as long as they aren't shooting you back. Your guns have a very high rate of fire with very fast projectile speeds - its pretty easy to shoot down aircraft.

Your AP isn't really that good so outside of light tanks you should focus your efforts on killing aircraft and capping points (in a pinch).

Pros

• Good acceleration, great top speed
  
• High rate of fire
  
• Fast projectiles
  
• Responsive turret
  
• Very large crew (6)

Cons

• Cannot fire forward
  
• Basically no armor
  
• Poor AP
  
• Terrible gun depression (-3 deg)

Fun fact: the infamous Italian R3 is armed with the same weapon, albeit a single one.

---

M44

Howitzer, Self-propelled, Full Tracked: 155-mm, M44

---

M36B2

Canon automoteur M36B2 Jackson

The Jackson would be a pretty decent tank destroyer if matchmaking didn't force you into non-stop uptiers. When you're playing around this battle rating, you will be sucked into the black hole that is Germany 6.7. The entire game is warped around this BR because everyone wants to play LE EPIC TIGOR. Prepare your butt.

Starting out this thing is pure suffering - you're slow and only get solid AP shot. Get the APHE shell as soon as possible. Its significantly better but will still struggle against heavies from the front. Eventually you'll get HEAT-FS which will help a lot. Don't even bother with the APCR even as an intermediary round. Just git gud instead.

The two pintle mounted machine guns are nice for shooting at air targets but have some quirks. First - the LMG gets in the way of the HMG constantly, which is annoying. Second, if you're a pro gamer (like me) you have a keybind to select your machine guns directly - however this only selects the HMG. In order to shoot both of them you have to have all weapons selected which is annoying because it points your gun way up in the air when you're aiming at airplanes.

*ahem*

Anyway, overall the Jackson is kinda terrible when starting out but eventually turns into a half decent tank destroyer with terrible matchmaking. As for me, this ends up being a desperation spawn towards the end of a match most of the time. You have much more fun options available.

Pros

• Flexible ammo choices (APHE for weaker targets and HEATFS for stronger)
  
• Roof will protect against HE and frag rounds from aircraft and artillery
  
• Two pintle mounted machine guns (LMG + HMG)

Cons

• Firmly inside matchmaking uptier black hole
  
• Stock suffering
  
• Mobility overall isn't that good
  
• Irrelevant armor
  
• Poor reverse (-5kmh)
  
• Pintle machine guns get in the way of each other

---

Rank III Premium Vehicles

M4A1 (FL10)

Char moyen M4A1 Sherman de 75 v 1000º (tourelle FL 10)

Should I buy: A great tank but only a rank 3 premium - get it on sale unless you just really like playing at around its BR

Overall: Fun and powerful but a bit tricky

The FL10 is a beast of a tank if you can manage its wobbly suspension. Shermans have decent mobility and its turret is pretty quick to turn. The autoloader and strong main cannon all add up to a dangerous package.

As with all autoloaders, ammo management is key. Once you completely empty your magazine you are in for a very lengthy reload process. Try not to fire your last round because it will make the reloading process take about 10 seconds longer. Ideally you can just go to a capture point and replenish your magazine from there.

Pros

• 5 second autoloader (12+1)
  
• Smoke launcher (2 uses)
  
• Good turret rotation speed
  
• Hull armor can resist most autocannons

Cons

• Very unstable - wobbles a lot when braking
  
• Poor reverse (-5kmh)
  
• Turret armor is quite weak

---

Lorraine 155 Mle.50

Lorraine automoteur de 155mm modéle 1950

WIP

Pros

• ???

Cons

• Unobtanium event vehicle

---

Rank IV Vehicles

AMX-13

Char léger AMX 13 (tourelle FL 10 avec 75)

The AMX-13 would be an absolute godlike tank if it didn't face non-stop hordes of heavy and superheavy tanks.

On maps where you're forced into more frontal engagements (like Sun City), track and barrel torture is the way to go. Ambushing your target with your 5 second autoloader means you can shoot twice before they'll be able to shoot once. If you can't disable their gun in that time then you can just run away with your superior mobility.

On more open maps leverage your mobility and small size to get into sneaky positions for scouting, early caps, or ambush spots. You aren't as fast as wheeled vehicles but you're definitely faster than the heavy tanks you're facing.

Pros

• Good overall mobility
  
• Autoloader (5 sec)
  
• Large magazine (12+1)
  
• Small
  
• Responsive turret
  
• Smoke launchers (2 salvos)
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair

Cons

• Irrelevant armor
  
• Heavy tank matchmaking hell
  
• Rear mounted turret makes peeking corners tricky
  
• Small crew (3)
  
• Poor gun depression (-6 degrees)
  
• No pintle mounted machine gun

---

M26

Char moyen M26 Pershing

The Pershing is definitely the standard for the mid tier medium tank in my mind. Its decent at everything - decent mobility, decent armor, good gun.

There really are no glaring problems with this tank. You have access to APCR shells but honestly you should just git gud at hitting weak spots with your perfectly good APHE. With a little practice you can even fire on the move due to your good suspension characteristics.

The only glaring weaknesses I can think of is that your stock performance is noticeably worse than your spaded tank. Like, more than usual I mean. You know how some tanks barely feel upgraded after you get the mobility upgrades but some tanks feel like they're twice as mobile? This is one of the latter ones. Its hard to explain, but if you know you know.

Pros

• Good gun
  
• Decent armor
  
• Decent mobility, surprisingly good reverse (16kmh)
  
• Above average suspension
  
• Pintle mounted HMG
  
• Smoke shells

Cons

• Stock suffering (sorta)
  
• Slow vertical aiming

---

AMX M4

Char M 4 de AMX (1949)

The AMX M4 is an absolute beast of a tank. It has an autoloader, is highly mobile, and its gun has great penetration. Your armor isn't anything to write home about but your hull can bounce shots on occasion. The neck of your turret is a notorious weak spot.

Playing this as a really chunky light tank is the way to go. Your mobility on all terrain is going to be superior to almost everyone. Use it to push aggressively and hold forward positions or flanking routes.

Pros

• 6.7 sec autoloader (7+1)
  
• Great acceleration, good top speed, lots of horsepower
  
• Good reverse (-19kmh)
  
• Good horizontal aiming speed
  
• Neutral steering

Cons

• Weak turret armor
  
• Very long reloading process

---

CA Lorraine

Canon d'assaut Lorraine de 100mm

The Lorraine is basically an engine with a gun strapped to it. Its way faster than it looks, but it gets its speed at the cost of armor - you will only really be able to resist autocannons from the front.

Make sure when you shoot, you aim to kill or at least disable the enemy from being able to fire back. You only have solid AP and your reload is quite slow, so its likely you will need follow up shots if you aren't firing from an ideal angle.

Its quite fun once you get used to its limitations but I wouldn't call it a good tank.

Pros

• Great penetration
  
• Great acceleration, good top speed, lots of horsepower
  
• Great turning, neutral steering
  
• Good reverse (16kmh)
  
• Low profile

Cons

• Casemate
  
• Poor armor
  
• Poor gun depression (-6 degrees)
  
• Poor aiming speed
  
• Long reload
  
• No secondary machine guns
  
• Big target for CAS

---

ELC bis

AMX Engin Léger de Combat bis avec tourelle-casemate de 90

The ELC project was aimed to produce a tank light enough for rapid air deployment but with a powerful enough weapon to take out any armored target it came across. While the platform was never adopted it did produce a number of different configurations, including a competitor line designed by Brunon-Vallette known as the ELC Even.

When playing the ELC I constantly forget that its a tank destroyer and not a light tank. You're fast and sneaky and it feels just like playing a light tank to me.

You also have enough armor to resist HMG fire from the front but thats about it. Rely on the power of pancake to stay alive.

Upon further research, the particular turret (TC 904) that it was equipped with didn't have an autoloader but did have an assisted loading mechanism for 4 rounds[en.wikipedia.org]. It isn't modeled in game and it wouldn't actually provide any benefit since if you lose a crewmember you die, but it does explain why you continue to reload even when putting out fires.

Pros

• Stock HEAT round is good
  
• Good acceleration, top speed, and reverse
  
• Very small
  
• Secretly an autoloader - can put out fires without interrupting reload (not sure if bug or feature)
  
• Good enough armor to withstand HMG's, kinda
  
• Smoke launchers (2 salvos)
  
• Is armed with a coax LMG to break fences and other HEAT blockers

Cons

• 2 person crew
  
• Turret can only rotate ~20 degrees to either side
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)
  
• Poor armor overall
  
• Wobbly suspension
  
• For some reason does not get scouting :(

---

Rank IV Premium Vehicles

Panther "Dauphine"

Char Panther Mle. G (Escadron Autonome de Chars Besnier) "Dauphine"

Should I buy: Not really worth it. Its in the ugly middle area between "low ranked but at least its cheap" and "expensive but at least its high ranked". Can only recommend if you're a collector or really like Panthers.

Overall: Its a mashup of a Panther A and G, so its pretty darn good.

Part of a cobbled together tank division made up of German tanks abandoned after D-day (future French premiums??), the Dauphine was a Panther G nicknamed after a province in southeastern France.

Despite having the Panther G turret and hull armor, it is equipped with the Panther A gun mantle.

Pros

• Good main weapon
  
• Strong frontal armor with small weak spots
  
• Above average suspension, easier to fire on the move
  
• Unlikely to get killed in one shot if hit in the turret
  
• Neutral steering
  
• Smoke mortar (12 uses)

Cons

• Terrible reverse speed (-3 kmh)
  
• Very weak side armor, do not angle
  
• Large cupola
  
• Despite weak spots being small, they are well known due to the popularity of the Panther

---

AMX-13 (SS.11)

Char léger AMX 13 (tourelle FL 10 avec 75 et SS.11)

WIP

Pros

Cons

---

E.B.R. 1954

Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance Panhard EBR modéle 1954 (tourelle FL 10 avec 75)

Pros

• ???

Cons

• Unobtanium event vehicle

---

Rank V Vehicles

AML-90

Automitrailleuse Légère AML 90

Underestimate this at your peril. The AML is fast, sneaky, and punches above its weight class.

I really liked using the AML-90. Even though it lacks an autoloader and doesn't have APHE, it was a lot of fun. Your ability to aggressively push into forward positions and then hide in extremely sneaky spots is a powerful mix of abilities.

You downsides are the ones you'd expect from something that's basically a car with a turret on it. You are easily killable with HMG's and CAS and basically anything that shoots you with its main weapon is going to knock you out. So git gud and don't get shot.

Pros

• HEAT is very relevant against hordes of heavy tanks
  
• Very small
  
• Pintle mounted LMG
  
• Good acceleration, great top speed, decent reverse
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos)
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair

Cons

• Terrible armor
  
• Wide turning circle
  
• Poor turning speed (steering wheel turning speed)

---

AMX-13-90

Char lèger AMX 13 (tourelle FL 10 avec 90)

Its convenient to compare the AML and the AMX 13-90 because they fill the same niche but in different ways. The main difference with the AMX is that it has an autoloader, which makes a big difference. Its fast reload makes it easier to dial in the range for distant targets easier, lets you make follow up shots faster, and makes up for your somewhat poor post-pen damage due to using a relatively smaller gun compared to your peers.

The AMX is a bit bigger and a bit slower than the AML but they both are small tanks. The rear mounted turret on the AMX will make peeking corners more risky since more of your tank is exposed before your turret gets around the corner. Its best to do it in reverse. Actually its best to just not peek corners if you can avoid it.

Pros

• 5 sec autoloader with a large magazine (12+1)
  
• Quite small
  
• Good mobility
  
• Smoke launcher (2 uses)
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair

Cons

• Poor armor
  
• Poor post-pen damage
  
• Rear mounted turret
  
• Slow reverse (-7 kmh)
  
• Small crew (3)

---

Lorraine 40t

Char de bataille Lorraine de 40 tonnes (tourelle oscillante Lorraine)

The Lorraine is a light tank disguised as a medium tank. Its mobility is surprisingly good for its battle rating and its armor is terrible. Its awesome! Fast = fun. What's also fast is the gun - both the gun handling and reload speed.

While the penetration is very good, it's still only an AP shell. You'll need to place careful shots for the superheavy tanks around your BR but for basically everything else you can just aim center of mass. Thankfully your 4 second autoloader is very forgiving for missed shots. What it is not forgiving of is running out of ammo. As with all autoloaders, running out of ammo means a very very long reload process so reload on capture points if they're available (REEE 1 CAPTURE POINT MAPS).

Pros

• 4 sec autoloader (7+1)
  
• Good penetration
  
• Superior mobility for its weight class
  
• Great reverse (-23 kmh)
  
• Neutral steering
  
• Very good gun handling

Cons

• Poor armor for medium tank
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)
  
• No pintle mounted machine gun

---

Char 25t

Batingnolles-Châtillon Char de 25 tonnes

I'm gonna be honest - I slept on the Batchat. Even though I was aware of its reputation of being a strong tank, I really didn't like it at first. HEAT was much easier to use in a BR that is absolutely dominated by heavy tanks. There weren't a lot of light and medium tanks running around that I could easily kill, so I sort of skipped the Batchat first time around.

For a while the Batchat was really excellent but BR inflation has finally creeped up to a point where its no longer viable. The tank itself is still pretty good but because of how matchmaking works (i.e. infinite uptiers) you're going to have a terrible time. Superheavies and TURM 3's are going to endlessly wreck you and you just don't have the penetration or flexibility to make a significant difference. With tanks like the AMX-30 you at least have HEAT and some survivability.

Pros

• Very good gun aiming speed
  
• Good acceleration, excellent reverse
  
• Troll-y armor can protect you sometimes
  
• Small
  
• 4 second autoloader (12+1 magazine)
  
• APHE (rare for France)
  
• Smoke launchers (2 uses)
  
• Pintle mounted LMG
  
• Light tank scouting and improved repair
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Inflated BR (in my opinion)
  
• No stabilizer
  
• Main weapon will struggle against heavy tank hordes
  
• Very cramped crew
  
• Rear mounted turret
  
• Poor gun depression (-6 degrees)

---

AMX-30 (1972)

Engin principal de combat AMX 30B modèle 1972

The AMX-30 is just straight up good...with one caveat. Its not stabilized. While not every tank will have them yet, I think it is at this point that stabilizers start becoming common enough that not having one is a serious downside.

Everything else about this tank is pure gas. Its highly mobile and highly survivable. Autocannons wont be able to penetrate your armor from the front and the many internal fuel tanks are really great at absorbing damage (at the small cost of setting you on fire). I wouldn't carry more than 20 rounds since the turret bustle is a much safer ammo storage than the front of the hull (in War Thunder at least).

You also get the French special weapon - a secondary autocannon. It can make quick work of tracks, light vehicles, helicopters, and even low flying aircraft. It's excellent. A quirk is that it can aim about 20 degrees higher than your gun and it elevates faster to boot. There's no way to select it directly so you'll just have to use your tracers to help you aim it.






Pros

• Surprisingly survivable, fuel tanks absorb a lot of damage
  
• 20mm coax autocannon, great vs helicopters and light vehicles
  
• Good mobility and top speed
  
• Excellent reverse (same as top speed)
  
• Upgraded rangefinder module
  
• Secondary turret LMG
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Smoke launcher (2 uses)
  
• Commander sight
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)
  
• Likes to get set on fire
  
• No stabilizer in stab heavy matchmaking
  
• Additional ammo past 21 is stored in the frontal hull (dangerous)

Rank V Vehicles, part 2

---

AMX-50 (TOA100)

Char moyen AMX 50 avec tourelle TOA 100

The TOA 100 and the 40t are easily compared to each other. The main difference is that the TOA 100 has much better hull armor and is, therefore, much heavier than the 40t. It is compensated with a more powerful engine so its actually not that much slower than the 40t.

Overall both tanks play basically the same way - they're fast and have a strong gun and a fast reload. They're both excellent tanks.

Pros

• 4 sec autoloader (7+1)
  
• Decent hull armor
  
• Good penetration
  
• Good mobility
  
• Good reverse (-23kmh)
  
• Fast aiming
  
• Neutral steering

Cons

• Very weak turret armor
  
• Lengthy reload process
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)

---

AMX-50 Surbaisse

Char lourd AMX 50 Surbaissè

The Surbaisse is excellent. It can do everything you want - you can keep up with your team in the initial push. You can snipe (once you get the rangefinder upgrade). You can brawl with your very good gun handling and good front armor. On top of all of that, you are given an autoloader which forgives poorly aimed shots.

Your main weapon has decent one shot potential due to its caliber, but don't be surprised that you'll have to shoot something more than once sometimes (especially light vehicles at poor angles).

Your main weaknesses are your weak turret neck armor and poor reverse speed. Smart players will aim for your turret because your upper front plate is actually quite strong.

Pros

• Good hull armor vs non-HEAT
  
• Great main cannon
  
• Autoloader (6 sec)
  
• Autoloader has huge magazine (19+1)
  
• Very good horizontal aiming speed
  
• Great mobility for heavy tank
  
• Optical rangefinder module
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos)
  
• Widely spaced crew
  
• Commander sight

Cons

• Sensitive to uptiers
  
• Turret and turret ring are very vulnerable
  
• AP round bounced on angled armor a lot
  
• Poor reverse (6kmh)
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)
  
• No pintle mounted MG

---

AuF1

Canon de 155mm Automoteur Modèle F1 sur châssis AMX30 Grande Cadence de Tir

The AuF1 is a decent derp gun with the gimmick that its an autoloading SPG. If you were more survivable this would be a really nice perk but you're basically a giant ammo rack.

Even though you may be tempted to bring HE-VT and go for cheeky plane shots, its not really worth it. You might have been able to compensate for your very slow aiming speed but when combined with the below average speed of the HE-VT round it makes for a very difficult combination. I wouldn't bother. Sometimes HE-VT is worth bringing to splash light targets behind cover but that is situational based on how Gaijin have been fiddling with how the fuses work.

It wasn't the most fun derp gun I've used in the game, but it wasn't awful to use either.

Pros

• Can resist HMG and small autocannons (<20mm) frontally
  
• 7.5 second autoloader
  
• Big HE shell (6.8 kg of TNT)
  
• Access to HE-VT
  
• Very good vertical aiming (+66 deg)
  
• Pintle mounted HMG
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos)
  
• Very good reverse
  
• Commander sight
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• HE slingers are fun but inconsistent
  
• Basically a giant ammo rack
  
• Overall very poor armor
  
• Poor vertical and horizontal aiming speed
  
• Very poor gun depression (-4 degrees)

---

AMX-10M

Projet de système d'Arme Anti Char Rapide | AMX 10 M

Forgive me for saying this but man this is a really ugly tank. You know how in Japan they grow watermelons in boxes so that they grow into a cube shape? This is like if you took a Pug and grew it in a box but it was also a mutant cyclopean monster too.

Anyway, its actually a pretty decent tank. It is both a good tank destroyer AND a good anti-air platform.

For anti tank capabilities, it gets a very fast ATGM with excellent penetration and damage. Most ATGM's are in the 250-300kmh range, but you get one that flies at 500kmh! Its very responsive to aiming as well - very easy to guide on target. You also get these weird rocket propelled HE shells but I haven't really found any use for them yet.

You're also armed with a 20mm turret on top of your tank. It is quick to aim and is very useful for shooting at CAS and light tanks.

Keep in mind if you're using the commander sight to aim (due to its superior magnification over your gun optics), your missile is limited by where your barrel can point . It can also be difficult to see through the smoke after shooting so its best used when shooting at very distant targets.

Pros

• Very fast ATGM with good pen
  
• Secondary 20mm cannon with good aiming speed and elevation
  
• Low profile
  
• Neutral steering
  
• Commander optics (10x)
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Casemate with limited gun traverse (even for a casemate)
  
• Very poor armor
  
• CAS magnet
  
• Below average gun depression (-7 deg)

---

AMX-50 Foch

Canon automoteur AMX 50 Foch

Overall: I love the Foch, but it's best on big open maps.

Until you get the improved rangefinder upgrade, its going to be pretty difficult to snipe unless you are really good at estimating long ranges. The improved rangefinder transforms this thing into a monster. Its extremely gratifying to pop King Tigers from over 2 km away.

Your secondary autocannon has decent coverage but is blocked from shooting to the left side almost entirely. It doesn't quite get enough elevation to shoot at planes reliably, but low flying ones (or hills) may give you an opportunity to shoot at them. Its also not big enough to damage most barrels, but you can at least track people with it. Overall its nice to have but kinda irrelevant.

As long as you are at or below your BR, your armor is extremely good. You will be basically immune from non-chemical rounds from the front, outside of the obvious weakspots of the giant rangefinder and autocannon. This is why the Foch is quite weak at close ranges - its really easy and obvious to shoot at these. Staying at range and using your commander sight to spot targets is the way to go.

Your most dangerous enemies are light tanks. At this rank they're usually equipped with HEAT which will punch right through your armor. Plus, you know, that flanking thing that they like to do. That's dangerous too.

Pros

• Very strong frontal armor against kinetic ammo
  
• Very strong solid AP
  
• Secondary 20mm autocannon
  
• Excellent reverse speed
  
• Neutral steering
  
• Improved rangefinder upgrade
  
• Commander sight (4-10x zoom)

Cons

• Map sensitive
  
• Sensitive to uptiers
  
• Poor gunner optics
  
• Long reload time (19.4s -> 14.9s)
  
• Poor horizontal aiming area
  
• Commander sight has very limited range of movement
  
• Prone to being set on fire
  
• CAS magnet

---

Rank V Premium Vehicles

Somua SM

Char lourd Somua SM

Should I buy: Definitely worth it. Excellent tank in an excellent lineup that's a high enough tier to help the worst part of the grind.

Overall: God I love the Somua, even though I have no idea how to say "Somua"

The Somua is definitely one of the best heavy tanks in the game. Good armor, good main weapon, good mobility - its only real weaknesses come from overconfidence and overextending. So don't do that and you're pretty much golden.

While your turret neck is still a weak spot (as it is with all oscillating turrets), there are some overlapping plates in areas that will protect you from getting completely nuked.

Pros

• 4 second autoloader (8+1)
  
• Great horizontal aiming speed
  
• Strong armor when at or below your BR
  
• Good mobility for a heavy tank
  
• Good aiming speed

Cons

• Very sensitive to uptiers
  
• No pintle mounted machine gun
  
• Poor reverse (-6kmh)
  
• Turret is a major weakspot
  
• Very long reloading process

---

AMX-30

Engin principal de combat AMX 30B modèle 1965

Should I buy: Probably not, there are better things to buy. Only if you're a collector or if its on sale.

Overall: A carbon copy of the tech tree AMX-30B, except its armed with a coax HMG instead of an autocannon.

Unique Pros

• Premium bonuses to SL/RP

Cons

• Coax autocannon has been downgraded to a HMG

---

AMX-50 (TO90/930)

Char moyen AMX 50 avec tourelle TO 90/930

Should I buy: Definitely worth looking into but currently overtiered.

Overall: Basically its just a big Batchat, so if the Batchat is good this is good.

This is basically the Lorraine 40t but with the Batchat gun. You get the best of both worlds - highly mobile AND a devastating APHE round. It has a much better engine and performs better on hills compared to the Batchat, as well as having a better top speed.

I personally prefer this over the Batchat most of the time - the mobility and superior suspension make it a lot more enjoyable to use even if you aren't quite as sneaky.

I try not not comment on matchmaking and battle rating in my guides because of how mercurial Gaijin is with changing them but currently its basically unusable at its current BR due to unfavorable matchmaking. Moving it up to 8.0 basically ruined it (and the Batchat).

Unique Pros

• Premium bonus to SL and RP
  
• Better HP/T ratio, higher top speed
  
• Better suspension

Unique Cons

• Much bigger than the Batchat
  
• Price will be determined by the marketplace so get it while its relatively cheap
  
• Doesn't have the full forward and reverse gear that the Batchat has

---

E.B.R. (1963)

Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance Panhard EBR modèle 1963 (tourelle FL 11 avec 90)

Should I get it: Excellent tank in an excellent lineup. Get it if you can afford it.

Overall: Fast and slappy, very good light tank that punches above its weight class.

The E.B.R. is a great light tank that is effective and fun to use. Its very nimble and equipped with HEAT. You're good at everything except taking a hit.

Do whatever you need to do. Rush caps, flank, support your team in the main pushes, its mobility lets you get in and out of danger quickly since it goes the same speed backwards and forwards. I sometimes forget what direction the "front" of the vehicle is when I keep having to change directions a lot so don't be bad like me and slam the accelerator and crash into the building you thought was behind you.

Additionally it has that really nice dual steering that lets you turn much tighter circles than other wheeled vehicles.

Pros

• Excellent top speed (105kmh) and full reverse gearbox (-105kmh)
  
• Good turning for a wheeled vehicle
  
• Pintle mounted LMG
  
• Very stiff suspension makes firing on the move harder but you recover faster when stopping
  
• Smoke shells
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos)
  
• Scouting and improved repair

Cons

• Price will be determined by the marketplace (i.e. expensive)
  
• Poor engine power, bad acceleration on hills
  
• Very poor armor overall
  
• Very slow vertical aiming
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)

---

AMX-50 Surblinde

Char lourd AMX 50 Surblindé

If someone could gift me one of these I would be so happy.

WIP

Pros

Cons
IS-7 levels of unobtanium

---

Rank VI Vehicles

MARS 15

MARS 15 (tourelle TS 90 avec 90mm F4)

The MARS is one of those tanks that I really hated at first but by the time I spaded it I actually ended up really liking. Its basically just a modernized AMX-13 and it plays exactly the same. Use your mobility and low profile to get into flanking positions when first starting out. Stock HEAT at this rank starts to fall off in usefulness and the fact you only have a 90mm cannon further exacerbates this problem. You will commonly fail to one shot enemies so use your quick reload strategically to disable then destroy enemy MBT's.

Once you get the APFSDS round you're in business. It still has worse post pen damage because of its smaller size so aim carefully.

Pros

• Above average reload speed (6.5->5 sec reload)
  
• Very good mobility, excellent reverse
  
• Low profile
  
• Researchable APFSDS (tier 3)
  
• LRF
  
• Smoke shells, smoke launcher (2 uses)
  
• Light tank scouting, improved repair, and recon drone
  
• Commander sight (2x-6x) (slaved to main gun)

Cons

• Stock suffering
  
• No stabilizer
  
• Poor post pen damage (even with APFSDS)
  
• Poor gun depression (-6 deg)
  
• Rear mounted turret
  
• Below average suspension
  
• Terrible armor
  
• Small crew (3)

---

AMX-13 (HOT)

Char leger AMX 13 (tourelle FL 10 avec 75 et Haut Subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube)

I don't even know why this is in the game to be honest. It's terrible. On paper it sounds great! A decently mobile ATGM launcher that also has a backup autoloaded cannon with 200mm of pen?

Yeah nah.

The problem is that it does neither of these things well at all. Your ATGM's are launched upwards and have a minimum range of ~250m. If you want to hit targets close you have to aim your gun significantly downwards and even then good luck hitting what you're aiming at. I dunno, maybe a custom sight would help. If you're playing normally you'll need to practice a lot to get the hang of it. At the very least, your ATGM's have plenty of pen so if you actually get a solid hit on something then you're gonna do a lot of damage.

Your gun is basically only useful against light tanks or if you flank someone. Its going to be mostly useless against the well armored medium tanks that you commonly come across.

Without the ability to fire your missiles in cover, this is just a source of major skill issues for me. The only way I've been able to use this vehicle successfully is waaaay in the back as a sniper (ideally near to a capture point so I can resupply more missiles). I'll spade it eventually but I'm not going to enjoy it.

Pros

• 5 second autoloader (12+1 magazine)
  
• 6 ready to fire SACLOS ATGM's
  
• Decent mobility
  
• Smoke launcher (2 uses)
  
• Light tank scouting, improved repair, and recon drone

Cons

• ATGM has minimum range of ~250m
  
• Poor armor
  
• Rear mounted turret
  
• No stabilizer
  
• Poor suspension
  
• Poor reverse (-7kmh)
  
• Poor gun depression (-6 deg)

---

AMX-10RC

AMX 10 Roue Canon

Excellent light tank. While you have a slower reload compared to the MARS 15, you do have a 105mm cannon which means you do a lot more damage even while using stock HEAT.

A secret feature the 10RC has is hydropnumatic suspension - it can manually control its suspension. Most importantly this means you can tilt the tank forward to give yourself much better gun depression. I estimate that it gives you upwards of 30 degrees of gun depression. USE IT!

The controls you need to bind are under "Suspension control" and the most important are [Incline Forwards] and [Centre Suspension]. There isn't really a good reason for the left and right tilting, but raising and lowering the suspension can change the characteristics of its damping effect so you may want to play around to see if you prefer one or the other.

It starts strong and gets even stronger as you unlock more of its goodies. I love this thing.

Pros

• Decent acceleration, good top speed, very good reverse
  
• Very good turning for wheeled vehicle
  
• Wheeled neutral steering (unique to the 10RC as far as I know)
  
• Pintle mounted LMG
  
• APFSDS dart (tier 2)
  
• Gunner thermals (Gen 1)
  
• LRF
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos)
  
• Light tank scouting, improved repair, and recon drone
  
• Hydropnumatic suspension (adds almost -30 degrees of gun depression)
  
• Commander sight (2-8x)
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Below average gun depression if not using hydro-suspension (-8 degrees)
  
• Below average reload speed (9.7 stock - 7.5 aced)
  
• Poor armor
  
• No stabilizer
  
• Very vulnerable front ammo rack if you take more than 16 shots
  
• Pintle LMG has poor elevation

---

SK-105A2

Jagdpanzer Kürassier 4KH6FA-SK105-A2 [Austria]

The SK-105A2 may be labeled a light tank but I think classifying it as a tank destroyer is more accurate to the role it plays in a match.

Even when fully upgraded, the mobility of the SK-105 is not really an asset. Your armor and gun depression are also bad as well. Your main assets are your APFSDS, 4 second autoloader, and high quality thermals.

Due to your unstabilized gun and meh mobility, what you're great at is defending against enemies pushing into your objectives. You can hold off basically any amount of enemies provided that they don't swarm you all at once. Most players aren't that coordinated, and even the smarter players will wait for you to shoot at their teammate before pushing you but even that small delay will get them killed because of your quick reload.

If you get good at using your recon drone there's basically no way for people to get the drop on you. Its definitely a good tank to put in a lineup, but it might not be your first spawn due to its limitations.

Pros

• 4 second autoloader (11+1)
  
• APFSDS round (tier 3)
  
• Smoke launcher (3 salvos)
  
• Light tank scouting, improved repair, and recon UAV
  
• LRF, gen 3 thermals (gunner)
  
• Commander sight (slaved to gun) (1.6-7.5x)
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Stock suffering
  
• Poor mobility for light tank
  
• No stabilizer
  
• Poor suspension
  
• Poor armor
  
• Small crew (3)

---

VBCI

Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie (Véhicule de Combat d’Infanterie)

Pros
Electro-optical Active Protection System (EIREL APS)

Cons

Rank VI Vehicles, part 2

AMX-30B2

Engin principal de combat AMX 30B2

The AMX-30B2 is essentially the exact same tank as the previous AMX-30 except it gets access to thermals and APFSDS. Prepare for stock-shock because the vanilla performance of this will feel pretty bad if you spaded the AMX-30. The worst part is that because you're starting out at a much higher BR you're going to suffer against a lot of fully stabilized tanks.

Its a shame because its still a great tank on paper - very mobile, the secondary autocannon is great, and the new thermals help out a lot too. Once you unlock your dart then you really come online. Since you are an unstabilized tank in a mostly stabilized battle rating area, the best way to play this tank is to use its speed to push aggressively at the start of a match to get a forward or flanking position where you can camp out. In an emergency you can do the coasting technique outlined earlier, that will get you some success at closer ranges. The main thing is that pushing into unknown enemies is a risky strategy because they may have the first shot advantage over you.

I would strongly recommend only bringing 20 rounds maximum - your first order ammo rack in the turret is fairly safe and reduces the likelyhood of getting an ammo detonation from the hull ammo storage.

Pros

• Decent acceleration, excellent reverse
  
• Decent armor vs autocannons, fuel tanks can absorb a lot of damage
  
• APFSDS (tier 2 research)
  
• 20mm coax autocannon
  
• Gen 1 thermals (gunner), LRF
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos), smoke shells
  
• Commander sight (10x)
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• No stabilizer
  
• Mobility is surprisingly bad when stock
  
• Poor gun elevation speed
  
• Get set on fire a lot

---

AMX-30B2 BRENUS

Engin principal de combat, AMX 30B2 Briques Réactives de Surblindage

The name BRENUS is likely partially an anagram for the reactive armor and partially the name of an ancient Gallic chieftain, Brennus. If anyone has a more accurate explanation, please let me know in the comments.

The BRENUS is a straight upgrade compared to the previous AMX-30. Your additional ERA and soft-kill APS make it more difficult to kill you with chemical weapons, and your engine has been upgraded to deal with the extra weight.

The EIREL APS is an infrared guidance jammer with a good area of coverage. From the front of your turret, you have +/- 20 degrees of horizontal coverage and 120 degrees of vertical coverage. As long as your turret is roughly pointed towards the enemy it can jam most SACLOS ATGM's. Laser guided and MCLOS ATGMs are unaffected.

Unique Pros

• Upgraded engine compared to the B2
  
• ERA helps a lot against HEAT (i.e. downtiers and stock enemies)
  
• Soft-kill APS will defeat most ATGM's you come across

Unique Cons

• APS is extra visible with night vision on

---

AMX-32 (105)

Engin principal de combat AMX 32 P1

Overall: Disappointingly average. Your relatively terrible armor and lack of anything special in the mobility department makes this a chore to play. The secondary autocannon is nice for killing aircraft and disabling components on tanks.

Your main strength in this tank is its reverse gear - you have a full reverse gearbox. Firing and retreating into cover is the best way to play this vehicle because it kinda sucks at brawling. Normally this wouldn't be too bad of a limitation but at this rank everyone is so aggressive that being unable to be aggressive yourself is quite a downside. Camping is just asking for a speedy light tank to flank you so you have to be a bit smarter than average when playing this vehicle.

Your guns fixed magnification encourages you to use the commander sight more, which thankfully is quite good. It is very responsive and has a great FOV when zoomed out but sadly lacks thermals. APFSDS ammo is only a tier 2 mod thankfully and your LRF is a tier 1 mod so the stock grind in this vehicle is relatively easy to get over that initial hump.

Pros

• Fully stabilized
  
• Full reverse gearbox
  
• 20mm coax autocannon
  
• APFSDS is only a rank 2 mod, you can get it right after you research parts
  
• Smoke shells, ESS, smoke launcher (3 salvos)
  
• Extremely responsive commander sight with good FOV
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Somewhat poor mobility
  
• Irrelevant armor
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)
  
• Engine deck blocks gun depression
  
• Kinda sluggish gun handling, especially elevation
  
• Fixed gunner optics

---

AMX-32

Engin principal de combat AMX 32 P2

Basically a copy and paste version of the previous tank except with a larger main weapon. You somehow don't have a slower reload despite having a larger gun. It's much more annoying to grind out modules because the dart is a higher tier and also the total RP required to spade is 20k higher, meaning each individual module requires more RP to unlock.

It is, strictly speaking, a direct upgrade to the previous version but I still wouldn't call it a good vehicle. It is merely "fine".


Unique Pros

• 120mm cannon with better penetration and damage
  
• Maintains same reload speed despite being a larger round
  
• Increased (about 10%) power to weight ratio

Unique Cons

• APFSDS ammo is a tier 3 mod
  
• Does not get smoke shells
  
• ~10% increased RP for most modules

---

Rank VI Vehicles, part 3

AMX-30 DCA

AMX 30 Défense Countre Avions

The French counterpart to the Gepard, the AMX 30 DCA is very good at both killing aircraft and ground vehicles.

Killing aircraft is slightly more difficult because of the closely placed guns. You will have to be more accurate and therefore should engage air targets while they are as close as possible. Practice trigger discipline and don't spam shots at distant aircraft. Wait until they're within 1.5-1km if possible. The best time to fire is when the pilot is lined up for their attack run and are focused on aiming.

Killing ground targets is more risky but highly encouraged. You are highly mobile and have a double autocannon that is basically stabilized. Your mixed belts of APDS and SAPHE will shred light tanks and will quickly disable barrels and tracks of heavier tanks. Pick your targets carefully - American tanks and Russian tanks very commonly have HMG's that can penetrate your turret.

The maximum range you'll get a lead indicator is ~3km depending on whether your target is moving toward or away from you. You can donk helicopters at longer ranges since they are usually focused on guiding in their ATGM and not focused on you. Unless they're guiding in their ATGM to you and by the time you realize that its probably too late.

While the radar is quite stable once its locked on to something, you may have difficulties actually locking onto your chosen target. I'm not sure if its a bug or a feature, but I've had my radar switch targets that were dramatically far apart from each other. It is also worth noting that you cannot radar lock recon drones. Not that it matters since its really difficult to hit them with guns.

Pros

• Good mobility
  
• Great gun depression for SPAA (-8 deg)
  
• Lots of ammo
  
• Gets excellent mixed HE/SAP/APDS belts (tier 4 mod)
  
• Technically unstabilized, but has excellent gun handling
  
• Radar has very little drift when locked on
  
• LRF
  
• ESS (3 uses)
  
• Smoke launchers (2 salvos)
  
• Commander sight (2-8x)
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Terrible turret armor, large ammo storage
  
• Small crew (3)
  
• Radar can be very wonky about what it locks - it may snap to other targets
  
• Unable to track recon drones
  
• Gun can overheat (~200 rounds or ~10 seconds of continuous shooting)
  
• Stock belts are bad at damaging components on heavier tanks
  
• Very long reload (>30 seconds)

---

SANTAL

Véhicule de Défense Anti-Aérienne, System Anti-aerien Autonome Leger

For the first missile SPAA for France, you can definitely do worse. It's quite limited compared to SPAA like the AMX DCA due to its specialized weaponry.

Your missile takes about a second after firing to start maneuvering, so lead your target and don't waste your shots on targets that are extremely close to you or moving very quickly perpendicular to you.
Your radar being locked on a target does not mean you have a missile lock. The radar is just for finding and tracking your target.
Your missile is easily defeated by flares but that's why you get 6 shots before you have to reload! When in doubt, just keep firing.
It is difficult to lock onto helicopters unless they're quite close (~2km) so try not to aggro them.

Pros

• Excellent mobility
  
• Small turning radius for wheeled vehicle
  
• Gen 1 thermals
  
• Scouting
  
• Smoke launchers (2 salvos)

Cons

• Difficulty locking on to helicopters
  
• No self defense capabilities
  
• Cannot effectively engage close targets
  
• Irrelevant armor
  
• Radar doesn't fold down when not in use

---

AMX-30 ACRA

Engin principal de combat AMX 30 (arme Anti-Char Rapide Autopropulsé, montée sur tourelle prototype T 142

Overall the ACRA is almost a good tank. You wont first spawn it, but its a decent backup vehicle and you won't suffer too badly while grinding it out.

The ACRA is an AMX-30 chassis with a slightly unique ATGM launcher. It fires the same missiles as the AMX-10M - i.e. they're really fast and have snappy guidance. Ultimately they're still ATGM's and you will have to sit and guide your missile to your target which exposes you to danger much longer.

Since its based on the AMX-30 chassis, the ACRA has good mobility and because it has an actual turret it is much more flexible than the AMX-10M. Additionally it is one of the rare non-Russian ATGM launchers that can fire on the move! Not that you'll be doing that very often since you're unstabilized but it does mean you can panic fire while you aren't at a near complete stop.

Sadly you don't get the coax 20mm cannon but you still get a HMG and sometimes that's good enough to kill light tanks and helicopters.

I would recommend not bringing more than 17 missiles - excess ammo will be stored in a very vulnerable ammo rack in the front of the hull.

You have access to weird rocket propelled HE rounds and an upgraded rangefinder but I have found no use for them.

Pros

• Very fast ATGM with good responsiveness
  
• AMX-30 hull has above average survivability
  
• Good accleration, top speed, excellent reverse
  
• Can fire ATGM on the move
  
• Secondary LMG and coax HMG
  
• Upgraded rangefinder module (not worth it unless using the HEF rounds but why would you use those?)
  
• Commander sight (10x)
  
• Commander fire control
  
• Hunter killer system

Cons

• Inherent ATGM weaknesses i.e. having to guide missile to target
  
• Below average gun depression (-8 deg)
  
• Long reload (15.6-12s)
  
• Commander sight is blocked with smoke when firing, recommend only using at very distant targets

---

MEPHISTO

Véhicule de Combat Anti-Char, Module Elévateur Panorampique Haut Subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube (HOT) Installé sur Tourelle Orientable

The MEPHISTO is quite good and only held back from greatness by the inherent problems ATGM's have.

It has everything you want in a shootin' and scootin' tank destroyer. Its fast, it can shoot while hull down, it has good optics with thermals, and you can shoot 4 missiles before having to reload. The reloading process for the MEPHISTO is long and can be a lot longer depending on where the launcher was pointed when you fired your last missile. The launcher has to reorient forwards in order to reload. Unlike the M901 when your launcher retracts to reload, your optics do not move during the reload process which means you can continue to track your target.

Another downside is that the HOT missiles are slow, especially after coming from the ACRA ATGM's from earlier in the line. Targets that are aware you are shooting at them have plenty of time to retreat back into cover.

Pros

• 4 ready to fire missiles
  
• Can fire while hull down
  
• Optics have both very wide FOV and good max magnification modes
  
• Good acceleration and top speed
  
• Small turning circle for wheeled vehicle
  
• Spaced out crew
  
• Optics and launcher move independently (relevant for reloading process)
  
• Gen 1 thermals
  
• Smoke launcher (2 salvos, 360 degree coverage)
  
• Stabilized
  
• Amphibious

Cons

• Slow ATGM
  
• No secondary machine guns
  
• Terrible armor
  
• Can be over-pressured and ammo racked even when in defilade
  
• Long reload process (15-30 sec, depending on where you were aiming)
  
• Cannot fire on the move
  
• Slow vertical aiming
  
• Limited upward aiming (+10 degrees)

---

Rank VI Premium Vehicles

AMX-30 Super

Should I buy: Maybe - if you want to skip all the fun tanks in the French tech tree and skip right into the barren wasteland of toptier? Be my guest but I personally think that is a mistake.

Overall: Its a perfectly adequate tank with no exceptional features. France having access to stabilizers at this point is mandatory so even that isn't anything special.

The closest thing in the tech tree you could compare this to is the AMX-32 (105) mostly due to them being equipped with the same main weapon. The AMX Super has better acceleration and hill performance but lacks the coaxial autocannon.

As with previous AMX-30s, only take 19 ammo if you want to remove all but the turret bustle ammunition.

Unique Pros

• Tons of smoke launcher salvos (8)
  
• Better HP:T ratio

Unique Cons

• Coax 20mm is downgraded to HMG
  
• Doesn't have full reverse gearbox compared to AMX-32 (105)

---

VBCI-2 (MCT30)

Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie 2 (MCT-30) [QAT]

Pros
Excellent top speed, great reverse
Unmanned turret
Amphibious
Thermals (gen 3, gunner & commander)
LRF, LWS
IRST tracking

Cons
Very large
Slow rate of fire
Map sensitive

Rank VII Vehicles

Vextra 105

GIAT Industries Véhicule d'Experimentation et de Transmission 105 (1997)

Véhicule EXTRAordinaire was the nickname given by the engineer, allegedly.

TML turret that we've seen before, but fully stabilized this time. In real life, the optics had 3-plane stabilization.

Should have hydropnumatic suspension.

May have blowout panels?

Gen 2 thermals
APFSDS ammo is tier 2 mod
Doesn't have fully articulated wheels but does have above average turning for a wheeled vehicle

---

AMX-40

Engin principal de combat AMX 40 P4

Really good stock mobility

Frontal has decent protection for up to 40mm autocannons but shouldn't be relied on.

---

Leopard 2A4NL

Kampfpanzer Leopard 2 A4 NL

---

Roland 1

Engin principal de antiaérien AMX 30R

The Roland is the first SACLOS SAM that France gets and its good but has a learning curve.

When thinking about SPAA, they form a sort of trifecta of capabilities. Gun based SPAA are great at ranges from about 2.5km to point blank range and can be used to defend yourself against other enemy ground units, but have a bit of a learning curve even with radar assistance.

IR missile based SPAA are good at much longer ranges than guns and are extremely easy to use. Just lock on and fire. The problem is that you can't use them against ground targets and it can be very difficult to lock helicopters that are more than 3km away.

SACLOS SAM have both the range of IR missiles but also retain the ability to fire without locks, meaning you can attack ground targets and even pre-fire at air targets. They have a bit more of a learning curve because as your target maneuvers you will have to adjust your tracking to compensate - it isn't as simple as locking on your target and firing. You also can only guide 1 missile at a time which means that if you miss you have to ditch your missile into the ground or wait for it to self destruct. This is a major problem when you need to reload - because you won't start the reload process until your missile is finished.

If anyone is aware of a way to manually self destruct your missile please let me know.

Your radar range is about 16km but your IRST range is 10km. By default your scan area display is at 10km but you can change it to 20km. After your second missile detonates, the launcher is forced into its reloading position. This will yank your camera if you're in first person and you will lose IRST lock.

Pros
Autoloader (5 sec)
Good acceleration, top speed, and reverse
Can engage ground targets in emergency
IRST tracking (accurate and stealthy)
Doesn't need a lock to fire
Great gun depression for SPAA (-10 deg)
Smoke launchers
Scouting

Cons
Irrelevant armor
Small crew (3)
Very obvious smoke trail from missile
Relatively slow missile speed
Unstabilized and cannot fire on the move
Only two shots before needing to reload
Reload process breaks lock
No separate scan while tracking ability (need to confirm)
Limited vertical aiming (+35 deg)
Missile has difficulty keeping up with evasive targets

Rank VII Premium Vehicles

CV9035NL

Combat Vehicle 9035NL | Infanteriegevechtsvoertuig CV9035NL

Squadron vehicle

Smoke launchers (5 salvos)
LWS / LRF
Scouting, improved repair, recon drone

Rank VIII Vehicles

Leclerc

Char Leclerc série 1 RT5

Pros

Cons

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Leclerc S2

Char Leclerc série 2 T9

Pros

Cons

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Leclerc SXXI

Char Leclerc série 21 T11

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Leclerc AZUR

Char Leclerc série 2 T9 (Action en Zone Urbaine P1)

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Leopard 2A5NL

Kampfpanzer Leopard 2 A5 NL

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Leopard 2A6NL

Kampfpanzer 2 A6 NL

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ItO 90M

Sisu XA-181 (ilmatorjuntaohjus m/90-M) | Ps. 477

The Ilmatatojum...uhh...ItO 90M is a Finnish XA-180 APC with the French Crotale NG missile system installed in it. The first prototype of this vehicle was produced in 1990, after successful testing an additional 20 units were delivered to Finland by 1993 and recieved the designation ItO 90. In 2007 the ItO 90 underwent modernization which most importantly gave the vehicle thermal optics and changed the designation to ItO 90M.

As of the update Sky Guardians the VT-1 has the agility of a truck and it's not that hard to dodge anymore since it's so sluggish to turn, they did increase the G tolerance to 50Gs but that doesn't matter if the missile turns like a semi truck on ice.

The radar is incapable of detecting threats flying very low or directly above you. If you detect a plane and it starts side climbing it may be a good idea to track it manually in case it goes outside of your radar range which is made easier with the thermal gunner sight. The ItO 90M recently got IRST which won't alert enemy aircraft when you're locking onto them however it won't show you the range to the target.

When shooting at a helicopter that is firing ATGMs you have to curve the flight path or there's a risk of your own missile being destroyed. High tier helicopters can launch multiple ATGM's at the same time - they will use this volume of fire in order to overwhelm you. Your missile is much faster than their missile - so you can win the trade if you just avoid their incoming fire.

Fun fact: Ilmatorjuntaohjus translates to anti-aircraft missile or surface-to-air missile

Pros

• Good manually guided missiles (depends on the patch)
  
• Gen 3 thermals (gunner)
  
• Scouting
  
• IRST
  
• Track + Scan capability

Cons

• Lacks any sort of mobility uphill
  
• Lacks meaningful self defense against ground targets
  
• Absolutely massive profile
  
• Insufficient armor to stop anything above 7.62mm rounds.

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Rank VIII Premium Vehicles

This space reserved for future rank 8 premiums. You know they're coming eventually. :^)

High Tier Technology

War Thunder does a pretty terrible job at communicating some of the more subtle game mechanics. There are many features that the game doesn't even tell you about. We have moved this section to its own guide as it keeps growing and its easier to keep it up to date this way.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3118897418


Please check it out if you're interested in ESOTERIC KNOWLEDGE.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for reading this guide. I hope it has convinced you that France is worth playing! If you liked this or thought it was helpful, give it a thumbs up. If not, give it a thumbs down. If I'm completely wrong about something, please let me know in the comments.

I'll eventually get around to grinding out the tip top tier tanks, but to be honest I don't have a lot of fun past 10.0 no matter what nation I play.

If you're interested in playing Italy or Sweden, please check out my other guides!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2736462704
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2649904720

Changelog

5.20.2022

• Initial draft

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2023.6.19 (Major Update: La Royale)

• Added placeholders for the AuF1 and VBCI-2

2023.8.27

• Finished tier III section

---

2024.3.13 (Major Update: Alpha Strike)

• Dang its been a while, I been slacking

2024.4.26

• Pushing to release guide this weekend!
  
• Updated tech tree to the new foldered version
  
• Rearranged all the vehicle sections
  
• (re)Finished everything up to tier IV

2024.4.27

• Finished everything up to tier V
  
• I think once I finish adding images to everything I'll release the guide and fill in the rest of tier VI later on as I go

2024.4.28

• Finished ancillary sections
  
• Added pictures for everything else in the tech tree that I've put off until now
  
• Probably gonna publish tomorrow

2024.4.29

• Minor editorializing all over the place
  
• Released guide

2024.5.1

• The AML is no longer a delicious and savory dish best enjoyed medium rare.

2024.5.5

• Updated MARS-15, AMX-10RC, AMX-13HOT, AMX-30 ACRA
  
• Updated tech tree

2024.5.7

• Some misc editorializing
  
• Added AMX-30B2 section

2024.5.22

• Minor bits and bobs, still working on 8.7 lineup tanks
  
• Thanks to the 87th Chaos Lord for pointing out erroneous stats on the MARS 15

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2024.6.19 (Major Update: Seek and Destroy

• Added placeholder section for VEXTRA 105

2024.6.20

• Updated tech tree

2024.8.22

• General editorializing

---

2024.9.10 (Major Update: Dance of Dragons

• Added placeholder for CV9035NL
  
• At some point the French land ships got slight buffs, they should be up to date now

2024.10.25

• Added placeholders for the copysloppa Leopard tanks for the BeNeLux subtree. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
  
• Steam broke some images at some point so I restored those again

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2024.11.19 (Major Update: Firebirds)

• All Leopard 2's got nerfed a bit and its all because of France :(
  
• The VEXTRA and AMX-40 got moved to Rank 7, while all Leclercs have been moved to Rank 8 (tech tree update pending)
  
• Otherwise not really any other major changes worth mentioning

2024.11.21

• Updated tech tree image

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2024.12.16 (Major Update: Storm Warning)

• On hiatus lul

2024.12.18

• Added placeholders for the M44 and VBCI

2025.1.4

• Updated tech tree image
  
• Moved ARL-44 and Jumbo into their new folder

2025.3.4

• Officially on hiatus until further notice. Gaijin has worn me out.

[Muffalopadus]

Nice, I'll update that.

They also upgraded the Foch autocannon from a 15mm to a 20mm. France eating good this patch.

[Chaoslord 87]

Scratch my last comment about the VBCI. They finally added the EIREL APS after 3 months (about damn time, given that they could copy paste it from the BRENUS)

[Chaoslord 87]

In case you haven´t tried out the VBCI, be advised that it´s EIREL APS is neither modeled in X-Ray nor working in game.
Gaijin being Gaijin again in delivering unfinished vehicles

[Muffalopadus]

Thanks, steam breaks the images in guides sometimes, I'll get it fixed as soon as I can.

They probably broke more than just this one too.

[Matro]

the image of the tree is gone :(

[Hugo]

hyuck hyuck (i dont even play grb anyway, vautour with nords stronk)

[Muffalopadus]

Because valuable paying customers! If you disagree you are racist please report your account name so you can be banned )))))
(I think you meant 2s38)

[Hugo]

are you fucking serious the 2s28 is AN SPAA. HOW. HOOOOOWWW WWW.

[Muffalopadus]

6 brand new tanks! Incredible work Gaijin.

[dimmerdagger]

"You get a M44, you get a M44! Everybody gets a M44!"