Best Lineups for the Italian Tech Tree (Ground RB)

#WTGuide1

This Guide will go over the entire Italian Ground Tech Tree and what lineups are best at each battle rating. Why listen to me? I have played all of the Italian Ground Vehicles and have way too many hours on this game

I will also be throwing in tips on how to use certain vehicles and other useful information that may not be common knowledge!

In general these lineups DO NOT include planes and premium vehicles so take that into account. Also, it is assumed that the person reading the guide has 5 crews (Max you can get without Golden Eagles and is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

I also highly recommend researching ALL of the tanks at a rank before moving on to the next rank. So do not go on to rank II before you complete rank I, however you CAN skip "stack" vehicles.

Lastly, DO NOT GIVE UP ON ITALY UNTIL YOU HAVE PLAYED BR 3.7

Why The Italian Tech Tree?

With 10 different countries to choose from in Warthunder, Italy may seem like a small, unassuming, minor tech tree compared to the "Big 3" USA, Russia, and Germany. However, Italy is one of the most fun nations to play in the game, whether you are a veteran or new player. This is because the vast majority of the Italian tech tree is built around the principles of high mobility and incredible firepower, while also including many American/German lend-lease vehicles.

So Why Choose the Italian Tech Tree?

You should choose this tech tree if you are fine with trading away armor for a fast, high-powered play style which uses ambushes, scouting, and flanking to capture points and surprise and kill enemy vehicles. This tech tree also works pretty well at most battle ratings if you like to snipe and retreat or have a similar campy play style.

Why Not to Choose Italy?

If you like armor. But remember, no armor is best armor so really there's no reason NOT to choose Italy.

Getting Started (Reserve - 2.0) (rank I)

Now that you have decided to play the glorious Italian Tech Tree, you need to start getting your way out of reserve.

To progress fastest play GROUND REALISTIC BATTLES. You will get significantly more research (progress) playing realistic than you would playing arcade. However, there is no shame in playing some arcade to either learn how to play the game or learn how to play the Italian low tier tanks, as it will tell you where to shoot, which you can then apply to realistic battles.

The Two Reserve Vehicles are the L6/40 and AB 41 which both use low penetration 20 mm canons which can fire a couple rounds at a time before reloading. Some people like 20 mm canons, others do not, so if you DO like them research the As 42 and L3/33 CC. If you DO NOT like 20 mms, then research the M13 and M14, the 47/32 L40, the Lancia 3Ro, and 75/18 M41. All of these have a slower fire rate than the 20 mm canon vehicles, but have more penetration and larger caliber shells which will make getting kills easier.

The Lineups Are:

Ab 41 (Reserve) , L6/40 (Reserve) BR: Reserve
To:

M14/41 (2.0) , 75/18 M41 (2.0) , Lancia 3Ro (1.7) , 47/32 L40 (1.3) , AB 41 (Reserve) BR: 2.0


DISCLAIMER: Low Battle Ratings like this have a lot of flexibility with lineups and vehicle types, so experiment with each vehicle so you can truly get a lineup that you like! Also do not give up on the Italian Tech Tree until you have tried the 3.7 Lineup - trust me, it is really good.

This 2.0 lineup offers a pretty good amount of variety and assumes there are no premium vehicles or planes (obviously you can change the lineup if you have some). This lineup is pretty fast, with little armor and a decent amount of firepower. I am not going to focus too much on this lineup because you should be trying to get out of rank 1 and 2 and into BR 3.7 as soon as possible.

The Rough Part (2.3 - 3.3) (Rank II)

This is where a lot of people do not like playing Italy. However, it is absolutely worth getting through these battle ratings because you are very close to 3.7!

I would suggest playing at 2 BRs in Rank 2:

M3A3 (2.7) , AB 43 (2.7) , M15/42 (2.7) , 75/34 M42 (2.3) , (Personal Choice) BR: 2.7

M42 Contraereo (3.3) , P40 (3.3) , 105/25 M43 (3.0) , Pz.III N (3.0) , (Personal Choice) BR: 3.3

These Two Lineups can be shifted around however you like based on personal preference and plays very similarly to the previously discussed 2.0 lineup, just at a higher BR. Some tanks are difficult/awkward to use, such as the Pz.III N's Howitzer canon, which has very noticeable "drop" when fired. In general, try all of the vehicles at this battle rating and use what works best for you. I know these past lineups are kind of meh, but 3.7 is the start of what I consider legitimate lineups.

The First True Lineup (3.7 - 4.0) (Rank III) + Bonus SL Farm Lineup

The Italian 3.7 lineup is the first of these lineups that I actually keep saved as a preset, and is what I consider to be the first "Legitimate" Italian Lineup.

The Lineup Consists of:

90/53 M41M (3.7) , M4A4 (3.7) , M24 (3.7) , M42 Contraereo (3.3) , (Personal Choice) BR: 3.7
If you are fine going up to 4.0, replace one/two of the vehicles with:

Stug III G (4.0) , Breda 501 (4.0) BR: 4.0

3.7 and 4.0 is a very well balanced and powerful lineup that can perform well in any role.

The 90/53 is one of the BEST KEPT SECRETS in the entire game due to its incredibly powerful canon which can one-tap almost anything it plays against at its BR, even in a full up-tier to 4.7 (assuming you know the spots to shoot tanks at) . Also, due to its odd shape and the fact that nobody uses it, enemies will usually require multiple shots to take you out due to unfamiliarity, which gives you a chance to retreat or shoot back after getting shot. This is easily one of the most powerful vehicles at this battle rating

The M24 is the ultimate multitool tank as it has scouting, a pretty quick top speed, a decent canon/ammo which can kill everything at this BR with a well placed shot, a small profile to avoid detection, and the powerful American .50 for shooting down planes or lightly armored vehicles. This tank is an excellent one-size-fits all for any role from anti-air to point captures and anything in between.

The M4A4 is a very solid Sherman variant for its BR and has a good balance of armor/firepower, as well as the .50 which is great for anti-air.

The M42 Contraereo is an incredibly powerful anti-air and can be used to kill many light tanks, or medium tanks (especially from the side). Be aware of the limited ammo capacity though, so try to be close to a captured point where you can refill ammo.

If you like the high power of the 90/53, I suggest going up to 4.0 and putting the Stug and Breda in this lineup as they both offer about the same firepower performance as the 90/53. The Stug also has much better armor. Keep in mind though that the Breda is a wheeled vehicle, that can die very easily to CAS or machine gun fire.

SPECIAL NOTE: This Lineup can be greatly enhanced by premium vehicles. If you are looking for an excellent lineup to farm Silver Lions, this is my go-to lineup:

THE R3!!!!!!! (4.7 - 5.0) (rank III)

If you know anything about Warthunder, you probably have heard of one of the most polarizing vehicles in the game. A vehicle so BELOVED by Italy players and so DESPISED by literally anyone else. A vehicle that has reached legendary status, and should it have actually gone in to production in real life, would have turned Italy into the world's leading super power. A vehicle that was once at like 3.3 and is now nerfed all the way up to 5.0.

This meme machine is, of course, the

R3 T20 FA-HS

I will be making a separate guide SOLELY about abusing the R3 to its fullest extent - at any BR - so I will not be describing every single method I use with it here, as it would triple the length of this guide. Essentially, the R3 is incredibly potent at anti-air, decimates light tanks and SPAA and can kill most medium tanks by shooting them in the side at very close range while there is a 90 degree angle (The R3 is parallel to the target). Some heavy tanks can fall victim to the R3 as well, but again, different guide. Due to its incredible speed, this vehicle can capture two points before the enemy even gets to one and you can simply rush a tank and circle it to get to an area you can kill the tank because you drive faster than their turret can traverse, meaning it cannot shoot you. The R3 playstyle is completely unique to any other vehicle in the game (the wiesel is a R3 wannabe and I do not acknowledge it) and is truly an art form. A very rage-inducing art form.

Anyways, the 5.0 R3 and friends lineup is:

R3 T20 (5.0) , Sherman V.C (5.0) , M4 Tipo IC (4.7) , 75/46 M43 (4.7) , (Personal Choice) BR: 5.0

My Personal 5.0 Lineup:


The two Shermans and the M43 all have very solid firepower and are extremely potent at this battle rating, and have decent armor, all though all of these tanks can be easily one-tapped. For the last spot I would suggest either the M42 Contraereo as a second anti air, or the Stug III G as another high firepower tank. By far one of my favorite lineups in the entire game.

Mid Tier Grind 1 (5.7 - 6.7) (Rank IV)

The next lineup is the 6.3 or 6.7 lineup, which goes from one fast Italian meme vehicle to 3 fast Italian meme vehicles. That is a pretty significant upgrade.

The lineup is below:

FIAT 6614 (6.3) , AUBL/74 (6.3) , M26A1 (6.3) , M36B1 (5.7) , (Personal Choice) BR: 6.3/6.7

My Personal Lineup:

The FIAT is an incredible piece of Italian machinery that can kill anything it sees but can also be killed by anything that sees it. Be aware that the turret traverse is VERY slow, so play it similar to an r3 as you wait for your canon to get in position. The AUBL is similar to the FIAT, but with a much quicker turret traverse and significantly less penetration (250 mm of pen vs 400 mm for the FIAT). Both should be played in a manner that avoids being seen and taking fire, as machine guns can kill both of these.
The M36 has decent armor and a really solid HEATFS shell and should be played like any other lightly armored Tank Destroyer.

The M26A1 has some of the better armor in the Italian tech tree and can oftentimes live through getting shot. It also has a pretty good amount of firepower. In general, it is a pretty balanced tank and is pretty good at this battle rating, unless there is a full uptier to 7.3/7.7.

The last tank could be a couple of things. It could be an M18, which is a solid light tank with decent firepower. It could be the R3 (my personal suggestion). Or, it could be the C13 T90, which is like a second AUBL with a bit more protection and a better machine gun, although this does come at the cost of a BR increase from 6.3 to 6.7.

Mid Tier Grind 2 (7.3 - 8.0) (Rank V)

If you are still playing this game after the draining grind that is 6.3, congratulations! It just gets worse!

This 8.0 lineup is pretty solid, but this battle rating is so horrendous in general that I wish you the best of luck. Look out for helis ;)

Lineup:

M113A1 TOW (8.0) , R3 T106 (7.7) , OF-40 (7.7) , M47 105/55 (7.3) , R3 T20 (5.0) BR: 8.0
My Personal Lineup:

The R3 T106 is one of the best vehicles in the whole tech tree, and, frankly, I would argue, in the whole game. It takes the firepower of the FIAT, gives it TWO recoilless rilfes instead of one, TRIPLES the turret traverse speed, and somehow also lowers the reload time. Now take this weapon system and put it on the R3 chassis and you have yourself the true spirit of the Italian tech tree. No vehicle quite describes Italy in Warthunder quite as well as the R3 T106 does. Plus, it gets scouting!
The M47 is a pretty standard Cold War era medium tank with pretty solid armor and a HEATFS shell that has 400 mm of penetration, which is usually more than enough. The OF-40 has significantly less armor than the M47, has the same canon, but is much quicker and has a laser rangefinder, which is incredibly helpful. Neither have thermals, but they do have night vision.

The last vehicle is the M113 TOW which shoots an I-TOW missile with 800 mm of penetration. That's enough to kill anything in the game, assuming you aren't hitting an 11.0 MBT directly in the turret or some similar situation. When playing the TOW, keep in mind that missiles are much slower than standard tank rounds, but can be guided and you can get machine gunned to death because the 113 chassis is made of paper mache.

If you have the money for GE, I would personally recommend the premium M60 D.C Ariete because this vehicle will help dramatically increase the rate at which you are researching these research-intensive tanks upcoming in rank VI.

"Top Tier" (8.3 - 9.3) (Rank VI)

In my personal opinion, this next lineup could be used at 9.3 and it could be used at 11.0 and I doubt anyone would notice that much of a difference, hence the name "Top Tier".

Lineup is as follows:

Dardo (9.3) , Centauro I 105 R (9.0) , Leopard 1A5 (9.0) , VCC-80/60 (9.0) OR VBC PT2 (8.7) , SIDAM 25 (8.3) BR: 9.3

There is a lot of good vehicles in rank VI and if you do not like some of these, or want to go to a lower BR of 9.0 or 8.7, you easily can by switching in the OF-40 Mk.2A (8.7) and Centauro I 105 (8.7). These two function extremely similarly to the Leopard 1A5 and Centauro I 105 R, respectively. The only problem with the OF-40 Mk.2A is that it does not get thermals, which are incredibly useful.

The key to this lineup being viable at top tier is the "Big 3" of top tier modifications:

APFSDS shells
Laser Rangefinders
Thermal Gunner Optics

All of these make the 8.7 Centauro feels like the 10.7 Centauro, and that goes for every other vehicle in the lineup as well.

The Centauro and Leopard both fire the same incredible 105mm DM33 APFSDS round which has just above 400 mm of penetration and can kill just about anything in the right spot. They are both very mobile (the Centauro is a bit slower than the R3) and due to APFSDS being so prevalent at this BR, you can usually survive getting shot, despite not having the best armor.

The Dardo is an incredibly powerful IFV that has a high fire rate, high velocity 25mm canon that shoots APFSDS which can kill almost anything from the side as well as low flying airplanes/helicopters, in addition to dual ATGM launchers which can use either TOW-2, which has 800 mm of penetration, or TOW-2B, which is top attack and great for shooting enemies hiding behind hills or other cover as the missiles explode over the roof and severely damage/knock out the enemy tank. This is a great multitool vehicle which excels in many different fields and is a pleasure to use.

The VCC-80/60 is a very unique tank because it has a 2 second reload, with a 60mm APFSDS shell. You get 250mm of penetration (which is pretty good), and you can rapid fire it, which is great for shooting multiple vehicles, or baiting someone that thinks you have to reload. It also has a HE-VT shell which is amazing at shooting down helicopters, and even jets. However the ammo capacity is limited, and you can only bring 17 shells if you want no shells stored in your turret.

The VBC is a Dardo HITFIST turret on the Centauro chassis, minus the ATGMs. It does have APFSDS and a laser rangefinder, meaning it can do a lot of the things the Dardo can, while also being much faster, because it is a slighly faster version of the Centauro. The top speed is the same as the R3, so it is essentially a top tier version of the R3 if you take all factors into account.

Finally, The SIDAM is a very solid anti air that has lock on radars, which is great for quickly and easily demolishing jets, helicopters, and that one guy who brought his stuka from up to ~2-2.5 kilometers away. It also has a laser rangefinder in case there is something outside of your targeting range. I recommend looking up how to set up the lock on though, because I do not know if the lock on is automatically bound to a key (mine is the "`" button above tab).

Top Tier (9.7 - 10.7) (Rank VII)

If you have made it all of the way to the top of the Italian tech tree, I congratulate you. It likely caused you to lose several hundred hours of your life, or your money if you're one of those people, but you finally made it. Lucky for you the top tier lineup is really good, which is unfortunate because playing top tier is usually not.

The Italy All-Star Lineup:

Ariete (10.7) , OTOMATIC (10.7) , Centauro I 120 (10.7) , Personal Choice x2 BR: 10.7


There are simply too many options and not enough crew spaces so I am going to give you a couple of options after I explain the above vehicles.

The Ariete is Italy's flagship MBT, and despite being average compared to all of the other top tier MBTs, it is still a very solid vehicle. The armor is pretty good and you can survive many hits as people do not see Arietes too often and may not necessarily know where to one-tap it. The ammo is very good, an APFSDS shell with almost 600 mm of penetration, which should be more than enough in most situations. It is pretty mobile and performs like you would expect an MBT to perform with all of the bells and whistles you would expect as well.

The Centauro 120 performs like the other Centauros. but with the same canon and shell that the best Ariete gets.

The OTOMATIC is an absolute beast of a vehicle which has a 76mm canon that fires every 0.5 seconds. The two best ammo types are the HE-VT round, which shreds aircraft, and an APFSDS shell that has over 300 mm of penetration. 300 mm of penetration twice a second is, as I am sure you can imagine, pretty fun. The ammo capacity is not great (90 rounds) and neither is the armor, but that is to be expected from a large-caliber anti air like this. For the ammo, you should do 12 APFSDS (max), and a mix of the HE-VT and SAP shells (depends on if you want more anti-air or anti-tank). It also gets a bunch of fancy radars which makes finding and locking onto aircraft pretty easy. Did I mention it gets thermals?

For the last two slots you could put any Italian vehicle you like. One of the two should probably be the VCC-80/30 or Dardo as they are both pretty much the same vehicle and are very good. However, I would recommend the Dardo more, as the 25 mm canon is much more effective than the VCC's 30 mm in actual practice. The other tank could be an anti-air dedicated to anti-air, like the SIDAM (Mistral), or it could be something speedy which you could use to capture a crucial objective quickly, like the two R3s or the VBC. Or, if you like the Ariete a lot, you could put in the Ariete PSO, which is pretty much the same tank and fires the same APFSDS shell. Or, it could be some kind of plane like the G.91. It all depends on personal preference, and due to an abundance of options, I will leave it up to you.

My Personal Lineup:

Summary + Tips

Despite Italy being one of the least played countries, it has a lot to offer in terms of fun vehicles that many other tech trees lack. The R3 T20, in the hands of an experienced tanker, can be one of, if not the most fun vehicle in all of Warthunder, and for that reason alone playing Italy is worth it.

As someone that has done the grind all of the way to the top, I will say that it is worth it and Italian top tier vehicles are pretty cool and are definitely competitive at their BR. Also, because there are less vehicles to go through, you can get to top tier on Italy WAYYY faster than if you were playing Russia, USA, or Germany.

As you are grinding out vehicles, it is important to keep in mind that most people will want to use their new vehicle. However, before you start to transition to a new lineup and Battle Rating, I would suggest having at least two vehicles for that lineup, rather than making the jump once you complete one. For example, do not jump to 8.0 with the M113 TOW and your 6.3 lineup because once you die in the TOW, you are stuck with your 6.3 lineup at a much higher battle rating that you may be unfamiliar with. However, if you think you can handle that go right ahead.

I am totally open to suggestions from other Warthunder players, especially my fellow Italy veterans, so feel free to comment any questions/criticisms/suggestions

Now go and suffer some more. The snail requires it...
(accidental screenshot from chucking my keyboard after getting skill issue'd)

[hun777877]

How about the hungarian Leopard 2a4? Is it good?

[deathsickle.warrior]

l3 lil' beybee :)))))

[deathsickle.warrior]

no italy is actaully trash, the only reason its in the game is becuz the meme tanks

[Wildgoose]

This is a great guide...for 2022, but now its a bit old. The Italian line in 2024 could be considered 'Thracian blend' The Magyar have entered the fray, and they are ferocious! The Hungry Hungry Hind, the prem Tigris and the t72, (just to name a few) You didn't really get into the CAS either. I loved your description of the R3's. Dante Alighieri could not have written it better!

[Thedarkwolf713]

the person below me has not played 9.0

[Lynxium]

Why use the Centauro R? Yes the shell is slightly better but the speed decrease is pain

[Bubbuh]

Another tip is:
If you're a fan of the Italian tech tree, get used to the idea you are going to be constantly fucked over by Gaijin. You will NOT get something every update, even for multiple updates. Most often your repair costs will be absurd so buy a Premium in the German or American tech tree. What you do get will most likely come several updates after it's relevant, and it'll either be nerfed into the ground because it's fun and easy to play (basically other nations don't know how to deal with it) or it will stay as bad as it was when it was introduced.
Don't be afraid to use overtiered planes or tanks at different BR's if you need to save on SL.

BUT:
The AB43 is a really good little car to learn how to play higher vehicles, it's a weapon if used correctly.
The Otomatic (When it's shells aren't detonating on incoming missiles with no effect, and you can hit your targets) is fun

[DrPepperMD27]

@Ouagadougou The best lienup for SL farm for f2p is 5.0 because you can easily get a bunch of money with the R3, and when you die the repair is only 1,426 SL making it very hard to not profit with it. All of the other vehicles in this lineup also have a good SL-earned to repair cost ratio as wel

[Sharker]

what is the best lineup for sl farming for a f2p?

[BigBobsBurgers69]

r3 go burrrrrrrrttttttttttttttttttttt