Tank Controls Guide - Classic M4 Tank Brigade

The CLASSIC GAME controls for operating your tanks in battle. This guide presents both OFFLINE and ONLINE controls, which have slight differences.

View Options

1) Press 1 key for the driver / tank commander view.
2) Press 2 key for the gunner's view.
3) Press Ctrl E to toggle external view on and off.
4) Press F1 key to toggle the map between invisible, transparent and opaque.

Vehicle Identification OFFLINE

Offline colors are simple and consistent - your side is always BLUE, the enemy is always RED.

1) Friendly OFFLINE:
(a) Vehicles have BLUE colored dust trails in the 3D world.
(b) Vehicles have BLUE symbols on the map.

2) Enemy OFFLINE:
(a) Vehicles have RED colored dust trails in the 3D world.
(b) Vehicles have RED symbols on the map.

Vehicle Identification ONLINE

Online colors are different from offline, and depend on your "side" (Gold or Purple). In addition, friendly tanks have text overhead, while enemy tanks do not.



1) Friendly ONLINE:
(a) Vehicles have your side's color (GOLD or PURPLE) dust trails in the 3D world.
(b) Vehicles have your side's color (GOLD or PURPLE) identifying text over them in the 3D world.
(c) Vehicles have your side's color (GOLD or PURPLE) symbols on the map.

2) Enemy ONLINE:
(a) Vehicles have the opposing side's color (PURPLE or GOLD) dust trails in the 3D world.
(b) Vehicles have no identifying text over them in the 3D world.
(c) Installations ONLY have the opposing side's color (PURPLE or GOLD) symbols on the map (enemy vehicles do not appear on the ONLINE map).

How to Drive

You can drive while in any view. However, the driver/tank commander view is best for driving.



1) Use the A, S, D, and W keys on the Keyboard to drive your tank.
(a) Press W once to accelerate to max speed.
(b) Press S once to stop. Press S again to move in reverse.
(c) Hold down A (left) or D (right) to turn while moving.
(d) Vehicle speed varies on hill slopes, climbing a hill WILL slow you down.
(e) Vehicle speed can be affected by damage.

2) Joystick forward, back, left and right work like the WASD keys

Additional Driver Controls

These are additional controls are only available in the driver/tank commander position.

1) Backspace key rotates turret to face forward (i.e., same direction as the tank hull).

2) In the online game only, B key unloads one infantryman from the M5 Halftrack troop carrier.

TACTICAL TIP: Infantrymen are used to capture a nearby field's HQ, but only if the field has turned gray ("contested") on the map.

How to Aim & Shoot

You must be in gunner view (2 key) to turn the turret or fire the main gun.



1) Use Z and V to zoom or unzoom your gunsight.

2) Use joystick left or right, or mouse to left or right, to rotate turret left or right. If using a mouse, first right click to change the mouse from map to turret control. The turret keeps turning toward the small mouse cursor, so to stop turret rotation, move the mouse back onto the center point of the gunsight.

3) Use joystick up or down, or mouse up or down, to elevate the main gun. The gunsight will move up or down accordingly.

4) The arrow keys on the num pad (also marked with 8, 4, 6 and 2) provide small amounts of left-right and up-down movement. You may need to tap the NumLock control to toggle the numpad into the correct mode, depending on your PC.

5) On the gunsight reticule, the cross (American tanks) or top center point of a large triangle (German tanks) is the main gun aim point. The aim point is for point-blank range. To fire at longer ranges, elevate the gun so it is aiming above the target.

6) The F key, left mouse button, or joystick trigger fires the gun. It takes a few seconds to reload afterward.

7) TACTICAL TIP #1: It is much easier to aim and fire if you tank is stationary.

8) TACTICAL TIP #2: If you stop just behind the crest of a ridge or hill, with just your turret showing to the enemy, you hull is protected from fire. This "hull down" position makes you harder to hit.

Additional Gunner Controls

1) Backspace key rotates the hull so it faces in the same direction as the turret.
TACTICAL TIP: This is very handy for pointing your strong front hull armor toward the enemy.

2) Tank driving controls are available while in the gunner position.

Damage Effects

1) Hits on enemy tanks may not result in instant destruction. Where the shell hits the tank, the armor at that point, and type of gun and shell, and the range all influence penetration and damage. For better armor penetration and damage results, get closer and/or shoot at enemy sides or rear (which usually have thinner armor).

2) A tank with running gear damage is slowed down. This is represented by a track missing on one side.

3) A tank with badly damaged running gear is represented by tracks missing on both sides. It is virtually immobile.

4) A fire in a tank often spreads and eventually destroys the tank.

External View Controls

The external view provides a "bird's eye view" of your vehicle and nearby areas.

offline external view

1) Ctrl E toggles the external view on and off.

2) When external view is on, the arrow keys on the num pad (also marked with 8, 4, 6 and 2) control you view direction and elevation.

Map Symbols OFFLINE

Map indicators for the offline game are different from the online game.

offline map

]1) Friendly:
(a) Friendly vehicles have BLUE colored dust trails behind their vehicles.
(b) Friendly fields have BLUE colored names.

2) Enemy:
(a) Enemy vehicles have RED colored dust trails behind their vehicles.
(b) Enemy fields have RED colored names.

3) Neutral fields are gray.

4) Special Indicators OFFLINE:
(a) Vehicles in your unit (including your own) have small circles around them.
(b) Pulsing large circles: Fields that are mission objectives (OFFLINE)
(c) Small circles: Target areas for air strikes or artillery barrages

Map Symbols ONLINE

Map indicators for the online game are different from the offline game.


online map showing a player's unit (of 4 vehicles) and installations around a field

1) Friendly ONLINE:
(a) Your vehicle is a solid box in your side's color (GOLD or PURPLE), surrounded with a small circle.
(b) Friendly vehicles are an inverted "T" in your side's color (GOLD or PURPLE). Vehicles in your unit are surrounded with a small circle.
(c) Friendly fields have names in your side's color (GOLD or PURPLE).

2) Enemy ONLINE
(a) Enemy vehicles never appear on the map ONLINE.
(b) Enemy fields have names in their side's color (PURPLE or GOLD).

3) Contested Fields ONLINE are colored gray. Either side can capture them.

4) Special Indicators ONLINE:
(a) Vehicles in your unit (including your own) have small circles around them.
(b) Small circles: Target areas for air strikes or artillery barrages.
(c) Small hollow boxes: Installations around a field. If all installations are destroyed, the field becomes "contested" and can be captured by either side.

Map Controls

You can control all your vehicles, not just the one you occupy, using map controls. You can also call air and artillery support using the map.

1) Use F1 to toggle map from opaque to transparent to invisible.

2) Use the mouse wheel to zoom the map in and out.

3) Mouse movement control by default is in map mode. However, if you right-clicked to change it to turret control, you must right-click again to change back to map mode.

4) Hold down left mouse button on a blank part of the map and drag to move the map within the window.

5) Left-click and drag any friendly vehicle to give it movement orders.

6) In the ONLINE game, only friendly vehicles appear on the map. Enemies NEVER appear.

7) You can direct any friendly vehicles in your tank force. Hover the mouse over a map symbol to see the name of the vehicle.
(a) ONLINE you control one unit with four vehicles. Your vehicle is always the leader, and represented by a square.
(b) OFFLINE you may control multiple units, each with two or more vehicles. Your vehicle is always the unit leader, and represented by an inverted "T" with a white center.

8) You can direct movement by holding down the mouse on the vehicle and dragging to the desired destination. The vehicle will immediately drive to that point.
(a) If you direct the leader of a unit to move, the rest of the vehicles in the unit will follow
(b) If you direct some other vehicle to move, it splits off from the unit and goes individually to the specified destination. In the offline game, this is only possible for the unit you are personally leading.

9) You can issue orders to the unit leader, or individual vehicles, by right-clicking on the vehicle. A context-sensitive menu appears. Potential Commands are:
(a) Transfer Command - This vehicle becomes the unit leader AND your personal vehicle
(b) Forum Up - All vehicles in unit reform around the leader. There are special commands for special formations.

10) ONLINE ONLY, the small hollow squares around a Field represent targets that must be destroyed to make the field open to capture ("contested"), or guarded to prevent the enemy from being able to contest and capture the field.

TACTICAL TIP: These objects can be anything from fuel drums to buildings to gun emplacements. The gun emplacements may be dangerous - some emplacements at enemy fields can and will shoot at your vehicles! Similarly, some friendly emplacements will help defend it until destroyed.

Map Controls - Artillery & Air Strikes

1) The map is used to request artillery or air strikes.

2) Right-click on the area of ground where you want the artillery or air strike to land.

3) Call Air Strike causes a few airplanes to fly over the designated spot and attack any nearby enemies. Offline this also causes vehicles to appear on the map. Online, however, aircraft do not show the enemy (no enemies ever appear on the online map).

4) Arty Barrage causes a distant artillery battery to drop a barrage of shells around the designated spot. Anything in the area, friendly or enemy, could be damaged or destroyed.

5) Artillery CEP Radius adjusts the dispersion of the artillery barrage. A larger number scatters the shells over a larger area. Default CEP is "100" and is the best choice in most circumstances.

Radio Controls - ONLINE Only

ONLINE, you can send and receive text messages to other players via the radio. Basic radio use is very simple.



1) A log of recently heard radio messages is in the lower left.

2) To send a message, press / key to open the radio Interface. The default radio is set to your side's channel (103 if you are gold, 104 if you are purple).

3) Use the keyboard to type your message. The entire keyboard is available for typing messages. Other keyboard controls are inactive while the radio interface is present.

4) Press Enter (Return) key to send the message. The radio interface closes and your message appears in the log.

Advanced Radio Controls - ONLINE Only

ONLINE, you have four different radios, and can set each to a different channel.



1) When the radio interface is present (/ key), use the mouse to select any one of four different radios by clicking on the appropriate oval.

2) Each radio can be set to a specific channel. Drag the mouse across the number to the right of the oval. When the number is highlighted, you can type in a new number. Setting the channel allows you to send messages into that channel, and hear messages on that channel.

3) Standard channels include:
(a) 104: purple side channel (heard by all purple players)
(b) 103: gold side channel (heard by all gold players)
(c) 102: green side channel, only used in special scenarios with a green side
(d) 101: red side channel, only used in special scenarios with a red side
(e) 100: gray channel, heard throughout the battlespace by both sides

4) The first radio can be set to a "private" custom channel between 01 and 99. All messages sent on that channel can only be heard by other players tuned to that channel. This allows "confidential" communication.

TACTICAL TIP: If you can discover which of the 99 channels the enemy is using for their confidential communication, you can listen in to their confidential communication! This allows some players to become "code breakers."