Things I've learned from 400 battles in the M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman (with tips!)

As of now I've played 400 RB battles in the M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman. I've played hundreds more with other US tanks. I'm not the best US tanker, but I consider myself to be competent. This guide will let you know just how I feel about that.

Introduction:

I have gotten my account to level 47 playing only US vehicles. I almost exclusively play tanks and I think I've become rather good at it. I'm not the best, but I don't think anyone could deny that I know my stuff.

Match Making is by far the biggest joke in this game.

The M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman sits at a 5.3 Battle Rating. It can see tanks from 4.3 all the way to 6.3,

Germany has 7 tanks from 4.3 to 5.3
Soviets have 11 tanks from 4.3 to 5.3
British have 5 tanks from 4.3 to 5.3
US has 8 tanks from 4.3 to 5.3

Germany has 8 tanks from 5.7 to 6.3
Soviets have 7 tanks from 5.7 to 6.3
British have 4 tanks from 5.7 to 6.3
US has 5 tanks from 5.7 to 6.3
*Premium not included in the list. I'm bad at math one or two might be missing*

One could logically assume that you would in all probability face tanks of your own BR a good portion of the time. This simply isn't the case. In 400 battles I've been brought into 6.3 matches far more than I've been able to play with my own BR. I have played vs a max BR of 5.3 maybe a dozen times and that is being extremely generous. Of those twelve times I faced tanks in the 4.3 range maybe once. It's safe to say that at least 90% of the time you will be facing Tigers, Panthers, IS-1s, IS-2s, and with the guarantee of seeing T-34-85s in the match.

Some may blame this on the players for only playing tanks in a specific BR range (specifically the 5.7 and 6.0 German range) thus creating Black Holes in the BR. While this is true to some extent the blame doesn't fall on the players. It's the players job to play the game and have fun; it's the developers job to make sure that happens. Fixing a problem such as Black Holes in the BR is the job of the developers and shouldn't be left to the players to take the blame of the current system not working ideally.

Hardly anyone plays US tanks anymore.

I will throw in the disclaimer that I don't have hard numbers to back this up. I only have logic and reasoning skills that point to an obvious answer.

Of the 400 battles I've played in the M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman I have been on a team only comprised of US tanks once. I remember it because it was like seeing a double rainbow. It was me in my Easy 8 along side two other Sherman's and a whole lot of M18s.

This brings me to a conclusion that hardly anyone plays US tanks at this BR and with my experience with other US tanks I would say hardly anyone plays US tanks at all. The fact that US teams have to be allocated another nations tanks just to be able to completely fill a side is proof enough to me that the US tank playerbase is small. There has been many times where it was me and two or three other US tanks lost in a sea of Soviet or German tanks. I really don't blame anyone for not playing US tanks though. There just isn't much they offer.

The M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman isn't a bad tank it just faces better tanks.

When you compare the Easy 8 with it's direct rival at 5.3, the T-34-85, you will be baffled at the logic of it's BR. The T-34-85 is a faster tank, it has more effective armor, a sloped turret face for trolling shots put into it, an extremely low profile for brawling, and the best cannon for this BR. This leaves the Easy 8 with three things that it does better. Turret traverse speed, cannon depression, and reload speed. These three things are a great combo, but you have to utilize it very specifically in order to use it effectively in this current meta whereas other tanks can pretty much do anything, within reason, and do well. The best tactic I found with this tank is corner creeping & peaking.


Corner creeping & peaking is where you find a nice rock or house somewhere centralized with at least two of your flanks covered. You get behind it and then you wait for a tank to come strolling down that kill zone. The moment it's turret isn't pointing in your direction you creep out, use that fast turret traverse to lock in on it, shoot it, and hope it dies. This tactic works far better than the 'just flank' advice that everyone says you need to do. The only true problem is when you get swarmed.


The problem with flanking is simple. US tanks can utilize the tactic in order to do well. Other nations can utilize the tactic in order to do better. US tanks are only good at flanking so long as they don't run into another flanker on the enemy team. If this happens you're rolling the dice that you will be able to go pound for pound with them in an area that will most likely have no cover. Even if you win that duel your presence will be shown to the enemy and you can expect some 88s and 85s to be coming your way.

I hope you're ready to lose.

A lot of people blame US tankers for losing matches. They say it isn't the tanks that are bad, but the people who play them. As someone who has spent a lot of time playing US tanks I can say without a doubt that US tankers may tilt easy and produce more salt than the dead sea, but they are not the problem.



The amount of times I've had T-34s or Tigers/Panthers casually drive by my tank without a care in the world surprises me even now. These kind of oblivious yolo tactics are seen a lot more in tankers from other nations and it's easy to see why. A lot of the time it works.


I've bounced many shots on T-34s or Tigers/Panthers that yolo in front of me. I've missed a kill shot more times than I can count due to being off by inches, RNG, or just because I was bad. A lot of the times I'm lucky and I can reload fast enough before they get a bead on me. Other times they turn quick enough and with the 85mm/75mm/88mm shoot my tank pretty much anywhere for an instant kill or deathly disable.


US tankers on the other hand know that the tanks they are driving are bad whereas other nations tankers have an unshakable faith in their tank and assume they can just yolo everything and destroy the enemy. To me it shows that other nations employ less effort than US tankers simply because they know their tanks are better and therefor know they can be more risky.

If the M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman is such a bad tank then why do I play it?

I play the Easy 8 because the struggle is satisfying. When you completely destroy a Tiger or Panther, two tanks that are better than you in every single way that matters, it feels good. It feels good to play a tank that no one plays. There is a level of pride in being that special snowflake that chooses a tank not because it's good, but because it's a sad lonely little machine. Most importantly I play it because it's fun and I just really like the tank even with all it's flaws.

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

If you play US tanks long enough you wont just see a problem with the tech tree, but a problem with the whole game. Every single flaw this game has radiates with the struggle of driving US tanks. The US tank line is a terrible choice for someone who is just getting into tanks and is an overall blunder of a nation in this current meta.

Didn't you say there was going to be tips & tricks?

Apart from the tip of corner creeping & peaking there really isn't much else to say that isn't common sense.

I load 40 APCBC rounds and 15 APCR rounds. This fills up the bottom portion of the tank without storing any in the crew compartment. With a 6 second reload rounds can go by pretty fast and I've actually ran out of them in long matches. The only time I use APCR is when I'm trying to get a mantlet shot on a Panther F or if a Tiger pushes up close. The M62 shot (APCBC) has enough pen to go in just about anything at combat distances.

Never stay out in the open and never assume you can take a hit. If the options are retreat to cover or try to get one more shot off then you should take the former. If the tank fires first you wont be able to survive it.

Three fires are just as good as a kill shot. If you see the butt end of a tank sticking out as you peak around that corner shoot it. Wait for him to put it out then shoot it again. Then do it one more time and leave it alone. Don't peak him again even if it means you will get an assist. It isn't worth risking.

Leaving cover to get a better shot isn't always worth it. Staying safe behind cover and pelting a tank with rounds in the same spot over and over can actually be a good idea.

Don't be aggressive; wait for them to come to you. If you see a tank heading your way let them come into your cross hair. Don't overextend and expose your tank. Be as passive as you can.

Learn the map because it's your best friend. Friendly tanks don't even compete with the help that the map gives you.

You have a fiddie cal and you need to use it. That think will melt SPAA trucks and even damage some of the more fortified SPAA vehicles like the ZSU and wirbly/osty. It can even destroy that cute little Soviet ASU tank destroyer or the PT-76b float tank. Heck it is even good at taking down planes.

Other than that there really isn't much to know. Just play the M4A3 (76) W HVSS Sherman as passively as you can. It can't take a hit and it doesn't do much damage. It's a rolling heap of pure suffering that can spin you down into a pit of despair that you wont ever climb out of.

In closing:

I hope this was somewhat helpful for some people. If you would like for me to put anything else in this guide or have any comments feel free to leave them. I will try to upload more images for it as I obtain them. I'm always willing to dive more deep into the rabbit hole that is the US tank line.

[Derr Conductor]

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[Gotgo]

@MysticDaedraI took out a full load and started firing them one by one until it was gone.

[MysticDaedra]

How did you determine that loading that specific number of shells kept ammo from being stored in the crew compartment?

[Blobfish]

Using tanks like the american tanks just feels satisfying. In Russia, I would get multiple kills per game and say, "Oh cool". In American tanks I get much more excited.

[Your Local Democracy Officer]

The only reason I play american tanks is because fuck you 'merica
that said it kinda sucks being in my M4 sherman against IS-2s because I want to take my m18

Half playing the american tree is masochism, the other half is rage

[SturmAlpha]

nice article i like it, im new to the game but im not bad i been playing it 24/7 for 3 weeks now, and im only focusing on germany and usa, the us tanks have some down sides but i can use them into my advantage, i used to to hate usa tanks but now i enjoy them even more since i can master them, cant wait to unlock the easy 8! cheers

[Walta Gaming]

I love using bad tanks in this game as well. With the T34 I can charge around like rambo bouncing shots and getting kills left and right but it just feels wrong. With the US and British tanks I can feel good about my kills and know that I actually played well to get them. You definetly learn how to play better with these things that's for sure.

[Captain Chromosome]

Epic Torpedobeats how? I need your skills

[italiano stallone 28cm 21 anni]

cant agree more than that , but hellcats are mostly seen than shermans.
you could also tell about hull down position even though the mantlet is crap but it can bounce sometimes. all in all pretty good guide
i love the fact that you told about the good feeling of owning enemies with this tank thats realy true mate GL in the future!

[Gen. Alexander]

when you just bought the it1 and you read and find out american tanks are good XD..........IM STILL RUSSIAN!