This is a detailed guide to the mechanics of the game War Thunder in 2024. It covers upgrading equipment, shooting in simulation mode, why your Ju-87 is not controllable, and where the wings have gone.
Don't forget to redeem War Thunder codes to get bonuses in the game. If you still don't have an account, use the instructions about registration with bonuses in War Thunder.
But if you’re in the mood for something different, we also have World of Tanks codes.
- Game Modes
- Arcade Battles
- Realistic Battles
- Simulator Battles
- Naval Battles
- Assault. Air Arcade
- World War
- Events & Tournaments
- Squadron Realistic Events
- Custom Battles
- Equipment and Crew Upgrades
- Variety of Vehicles
- Land Vehicles
- Aviation
- Fleet
- Tips for War Thunder Newcomers in 2024
- Start with Arcade Battles
- Be Sure to Go Through the Training
- Don’t Forget to Upgrades Your Crew Skills
- Adjust the Control in Advance
- Use the Game Wiki
- Look through Binoculars
- Bombing Without Arcade Scope
- Do not Buy Premium Vehicles Outright
- Study Vehicles from Different Countries
Game Modes
There are nine modes in War Thunder:
- Arcade Battles,
- Realistic Battles,
- Simulator Battles,
- Naval Battles,
- Assault. Air Arcade,
- World War,
- Events & Tournaments,
- Squadron Realistic Events,
- Custom Battles.
Further details about each mode are provided below.
Arcade Battles
Dynamic game mode. In ground battles, shot correction for distance is taken into account. The enemy is highlighted with markers. Sight shows the chance of penetration—the color of the crosshairs changes. Players are rewarded with airplanes for destroying enemy vehicles.
The tanks’ passability is higher, the turret rotates faster, and critical damage is less terrible—it is possible to fire with a knocked-out gun breech and fight with the last surviving crew member. Rebirth is limited to three lives.
Air battles are simplified—no flutter, no corkscrew, and airplanes come out of dive at sharp angles. Ammunition is restored in the air, and the preposition marker forgives the player’s poor trajectory calculation skill. The set of planes does not limit the number of revivals—after spending all of them, you can continue to go into battle on doubles until you run out of team points.
Less experience and Golden Lions are awarded for battles in arcade mode.
Realistic Battles
Camouflage has become critical – enemy markers have been removed. Targets are detected visually. Decorators help to blend in with the terrain – branches on the armor turn Object 775 into a bush.
The marker of ballistic correction of the sight is absent. Beginners will have to measure the distance to the target constantly – the main thing is to assign a convenient button. Gradually, players master the technique, study maps, and shoot from memory, knowing the approximate distance between critical points.
The technique is taken in exchange for destruction, and revival points are taken —you capture a moment, burn a couple of enemy tanks, and fly out on a bomber. The power of thousand-pound bombs is impressive, but you can’t return to the battle if you lose your plane without hitting ground targets. Keep an eye on revival points. Flying an airplane with a full bomb load is expensive.
If you lose such valuable equipment, the game is over.
The behavior of planes has become more complicated: a high-speed dive on a target may end with a collision with the ground.
Aircraft realistic battles are made especially for airplane lovers. You can enjoy air duels without the dense fire of anti-aircraft guns.
The individual characteristics of the aircraft begin to have a more substantial influence on its handling – have you ever seen a Bell P-39N-0 Airacobra in a flat corkscrew in ground combat? All from the player’s lack of experience in realistic airplane combat. You have to take the choice of equipment more seriously and know its limitations; otherwise, you will be killed by the usual physics. Any damage to the airplane has a more substantial effect on its dynamics, and sharp turns can end with torn-off wings or the unconsciousness of the pilot. However, some players don’t need whole wings.
Ammunition is replenished only at the airfield, so every shell and rocket is worth its weight in gold. Shooting ceases to be useless, and the range of weapons becomes essential.
For realistic battles, the player receives an increased number of Silver Lions and experience points.
Simulator Battles
The physics of the equipment is close to realistic. The third-person camera is removed—the player uses the commander’s hatch and searches for targets in the optics. Pilots are more complex—you must rotate your head in the cockpit for 360 degrees. The help in control is disabled. You have to shoot using the holographic sight. It is essential to approach the enemy from the tail side to get as close to the target as possible.
It is also more difficult for tankers to aim – parallax affects at short distances. The sight is disconnected from the cannon; the projectile will go off to the side at a distance of up to 1000 meters. Tanks differ in optics, and the offset of each instance is different. There are two ways to combat parallax:
- By aiming in combat.
- Download a historical sight with corrections for the offset for a particular technique.
Since the markers of both teams are removed in simulator mode, players should be careful not to destroy allied equipment. Pilots and anti-aircraft gunners are doubly unlucky—they must identify the target by the list of players and a trim silhouette in the sky.
For simulation battles, the player receives tripled upgrades points, increased number of silver lions.
Naval Battles
When fighting large ships, tactics rely on accurate firing of the main caliber. Battles are fought at ranges of up to 10 kilometers. You don’t need to take your sights to the sky – the mouse wheel regulates the volley range. Because the distance to pick up the exact range is extremely important, if you are wrong by 100 meters, the shells will go by. The first salvos are shooting. After determining the range it is necessary to make corrections for the course of the enemy ship and speed, otherwise, the shells will go away.
An important aspect is torpedoes. A single torpedo hit can sink a ship. Accurate launching requires a proximity of 3-5 kilometers. An incorrect launch trajectory guarantees a miss.
Use the auxiliary caliber—switch to air target mode. Don’t give away the ship by firing indiscriminately. If a fast boat appears nearby, switch to sea target mode.
Launching torpedoes from airplanes and naval bombardment requires separate training, only time will help.
Sea battles are still being worked out and replenished with equipment. The main mode is arcade, experience and lions are unstable. It is better to upgrade up the technique in other modes.
Assault. Air Arcade
PvE Mode. Silver Lions are earned in the Assault Arcade; you’ll have to splurge for maximum effectiveness:
- get gear with a high multiplier,
- turn on the boosters,
- don’t rush to complete mission tasks – destroy the maximum number of bots.
If your allies focus on completing tasks, you will get much less lions – the mission will end quickly.
World War
The mode’s core is a battle between squadrons, which free players can join. All battles occur in realistic mode, and the equipment models allowed for use are limited to the scenario based on actual historical battles. The player travels on his equipment; if he does not have the required equipment, he will be given a copy to replace it in the basic configuration. Therefore, arranging the available equipment in slots in advance is essential. During battles, the stock of vehicles in the opposing armies decreases, and some variants become unavailable.
Battles vary in composition and objectives:
- assault and defense of positions,
- convoy escort,
- battles for supremacy.
Squadron commanders handle tactics.
In air combat, there are no airfields; equipment changes take place in safe zones. Squadron commanders select suspended armaments in advance, so opening all types of armaments for the aircraft is essential so you do not find yourself in the battle without bombs and missiles.
Events & Tournaments
You can find long battles with different conditions, tank soccer, and PvE events here. Check out the tab and explore the available events.
Squadron Realistic Events
Battles for squadrons with specific conditions.
Custom Battles
A test mode where you can gather friends or a clan, train, and test the game’s mechanics.
Equipment and Crew Upgrades
Experience in battle is awarded for events:
- hitting the enemy,
- destroying equipment,
- helping to destroy the enemy,
- capturing points,
- reconnaissance,
- time in combat,
- other events.
Below are tips for getting the most out of these events.
- You get more experience and lions for winning – play for results.
- Machines have a coefficient for gaining experience, and Silver Lions choose machines with a higher coefficient.
- Use boosters: buy them at the Warbond Shop and get them for daily logging in.
- Play simulation battles – they give you more experience and lions.
- Use a premium account.
- Use premium vehicles.
Variety of Vehicles
More than 2000 vehicles are available in War Thunder. Tanks, tank destroyers, bombers, fighters, helicopters, boats, and battleships are new vehicles added to all classes, and new vehicle classes like UCAVs are introduced. The whole list is on the wiki; a brief description of countries and classes is below.
Land Vehicles
The countries represented in the ground technique are:
- U.S.A,
- Germany,
- USSR,
- Great Britain,
- Japan,
- China,
- Italy,
- France,
- Sweden,
- Israel.
The technique is divided into classes:
- Light tanks,
- Medium tanks,
- Heavy tanks,
- Tank destroyers,
- Anti-aircraft vehicles,
- Premium vehicles.
Aviation
Aviation represents the countries in the list above.
Aviation is divided into classes:
- Fighters,
- Twin-engine fighters,
- Strike aircraft,
- Bombers,
- Jet aircraft,
- Helicopters,
- UCAVs,
- Premium aircraft.
Fleet
Countries are represented in the fleet:
- U.S.A,
- Germany,
- USSR,
- Great Britain,
- Japan,
- Italy,
- France.
The fleet is divided into classes:
- Barges,
- Boats,
- Sub-chasers,
- Destroyers,
- Cruisers,
- Battleships,
- Premium-ships.
Tips for War Thunder Newcomers in 2024
Start with Arcade Battles
Simulation battles are not the best mode for a new player. Collect a set of combat equipment and get used to its inaccessible game mode. Get used to it, get used to it—play any mode.
Be Sure to Go Through the Training
The basics of controlling airplanes, tanks, and ships are essential. Passing pays with Golden Eagles – a rare opportunity to get Golden Eagles for free.
Don’t Forget to Upgrades Your Crew Skills
An unequipped crew makes the game harder to play. An inexperienced gunner turns the turret and aims the gun vertically separately, while a trained gunner simultaneously aims the gun in two dimensions.
The crew affects everything: the speed of tanks, survivability, and the effect of overloads on the pilot. The vehicle’s characteristics worsen.
Adjust the Control in Advance
Missiles are not launched, distance is not measured, target acquisition does not work, and radar is not turned on. All because the player did not customize the controls in advance. Consider which functions will be helpful on the new equipment and which buttons are more convenient to assign.
Use the Game Wiki
Select a combat vehicle and press the “Info” button. The wiki page will open. Study ammunition and tactics—experienced players have long studied their advantages and disadvantages.
Look through Binoculars
Binoculars are located above the scope – you can look behind the terrain. Binoculars are less susceptible to sway when moving.
Bombing Without Arcade Scope
Big bombers have optical bomb sights by the F7 button. But how do you bomb in realistic and simulation battles on small aircraft, like strike aircraft?
Play arcade battles. Take tactical bombers and bomb ground vehicles every struggle. Practice custom battles and memorize where the bombs fall. Master dive bombing – you’ll need it many times.
Do not Buy Premium Vehicles Outright
Play at least 100 hours, and then decide if you need paid vehicles. You may not like the game – you’ll waste your money.
Study Vehicles from Different Countries
Machine effectiveness varies depending on the country, combat rating, and game mode. Read manuals, watch videos, learn your weapons, and win battles.
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