The largest number of tanks in War Thunder are American. Both light, maneuverable vehicles and heavy tanks with armor over 800 mm are available. Let’s understand which are the best in ranks in 2024 and what advantages and disadvantages each model has.
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Tier I – M3A1 Stuart
It is a light tank with 25 to 38 mm armor and a crew of 4 men. It has a maximum speed of 65 kilometers per hour. It is equipped with a stabilized M6 cannon and a 7.62 mm machine gun with a rate of fire of up to 500 rounds per minute.
Maneuverability is average, but with turret rotation—up to 6 revolutions per minute—you can aim directly while moving. Stabilization is only on one axis (vertical). All this is compensated by the cost of maximum pumping of only 6.3 thousand silver lions.
From the minuses: thin armor penetrated by any armor-piercing ammunition. The ammunition is placed just behind the turret, so if a shaped charge hits this area, the chances of crew survival are minimal.
The tank supports fast turning with fixation of one track. This adds maneuverability, but its low movement speed still makes it vulnerable to any attack (both from the ground and from the air).
Tier II – M24
It is a light tank with double armor: the first layer is 19 mm, the second is 25 mm. The main gun is the M6 cannon (caliber – 75 mm) with vertical stabilization, from the machine guns available to choose from: dual 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm with a rate of fire up to 575 rounds per minute.
It is effective against tanks, Tank Destroyers, and aviation. The weak point is the transmission because it uses twin gears. The probability of complete failure is high when hitting the caterpillar area with a heavy projectile. Alternative modes of movement are not provided, so entering the battle from a shelter is recommended, where concrete structures will protect the lower part of the tank.
Movement speed—up to 65 kilometers per hour. The tank is maneuverable but has weak armor. The crew is designed for five people. Ammunition is partially stored at the turret and under the crew.
Ammunition hitting the rear of the hull should be avoided. There is a basic protection against shaped charge shells: two-layer armor. It protects against indirect hits from high-explosive charges.
Tier III – T34 Calliope
A modification of the American Sherman vehicle. It was developed as a self-propelled howitzer to support artillery with a 75 mm cannon. It can use any type of ammunition, including concrete-piercing ammunition. Hull protection is 50 mm, and the turret is 76 mm. Movement speed – up to 43 kilometers per hour, but you must manually select the movement mode: forward or backward. When changing direction quickly, there is a delay of a couple of seconds: the vehicle becomes vulnerable to both aircraft and enemy vehicles.
T34 Calliope supports installing different types of shells in one cassette. This allows for alternate shots, such as firing armor-piercing high-explosive shells at the same time and then smoking shells for cover and retreat.
The tank can attack air targets. When pointing, the gun automatically engages stabilization on the vertical axis. The tank uses MLRS of 114 mm caliber (ammunition—60 shells) mounted on the turret to attack vehicles with heavy defenses.
From the disadvantages: the armor is not solid, when hitting armor-piercing shells can occur splintering of the plate. And then the target becomes vulnerable even to fragmentation shells.
Tier IV – M6A2E1
Armor up to 228 millimeters can withstand a direct hit by armor-piercing shells. The main armament is a 105 mm cannon. The total ammunition is 60 shells, and one cassette holds up to 12. The main disadvantage is the long reloading time, more than 10 seconds, so the player needs to calculate his attacks so that a new cassette is charged in a safe shelter, not in the open.
An optional 7.62 millimeter machine gun with a rate of fire of up to 250 rounds per minute with position lock can be installed. Can be used to attack both ground enemies and aircraft. Their total ammunition is 4,000 rounds.
Tier V – M50
This is a maneuverable Tank destroyer equipped with 106-caliber cannons. It fires six shells in one salvo. The total ammunition is 18 shells, and the reloading speed is 13 seconds (at the initial level – 16.9 seconds).
Armor is practically absent: only the turret is covered with 13-millimeter plates, which protect it from machine gun rounds. The guns are located behind the central part of the hull and work independently. If the turret is directly hit from one side, the vehicle can continue firing with the remaining surviving guns.
The light armament is available as a choice:
- 4 12.7 millimeter machine guns;
- One twin 7.62-millimeter machine gun.
Still supports the installation of camouflage in the form of bushes, which makes it possible to conduct aimed fire from shelters in the form of greenery. But after the first volley the vehicle will be detected. This must be taken into account when using the M50 in combat.
Tier VI – M1 Abrams
This is the primary combat vehicle of the American army. Armor is up to 133 millimeters on the hull and 139 millimeters on the turret. The M1 Abrams has a laser rangefinder, optical stabilizer, thermal imager, and homing system (activated when using ATGMs). It can use armor-piercing, shaped charge, smoke, and armor-piercing high-explosive munitions. The main gun is a 105-millimeter cannon with a payload of up to 22 shells. It was reloading between shots – from 5 seconds (after pumping).
It is a versatile vehicle with good all-around armor and no apparent vulnerabilities. Although it has heavy armor, it can accelerate up to 80 kilometers per hour. It is effective against light and heavy targets and a tank destroyer on a tracked platform. It can also be effectively used to attack enemy aircraft, but you need to consider that the protection on the turret side is 50 millimeters. Its armor is destroyed even by armor-piercing ammunition of 35 millimeters, and one accurate hit will be enough to incapacitate the crew.
The only disadvantage of the vehicle is the cost of pumping. Initially in the game it could be obtained only with premium.
Tier VII – M1128
The American-wheeled fighting vehicle (4 axles) has 50 millimeters of armor, supplemented by grille protection against shaped charge shells and ATGMs. It can reach up to 108 kilometers per hour and is invulnerable to most heavy tanks. The main gun is a rifled gun of 105 millimeters. A thermal imager, night vision device, and auto-guidance system are activated using ATGMs and similar munitions.
The main disadvantage is the transmission’s vulnerability. Running over any mine or being directly hit by shrapnel from ammunition turns off the vehicle. The best strategy is to attack from the flank with the support of heavy tanks.
Tier VIII – M1A2 SEP V2
This is a modernized version of the Abrams, which entered service in 2008. Its armor is up to 139 millimeters on both the hull and turret. Its speed is up to 76 kilometers per hour. The main gun is a 120-millimeter cannon with a stabilizer on both horizontal and vertical axes. There are still three places to install machine guns 12.7 or 7.62 millimeters (twin).
The main advantage is active protection, which provides cover from both shaped charge and armor-piercing high-explosive shells. The tank can withstand up to 15 hits, after which the damaged armor plate is shot off. It also has additional protection of the tracks against shrapnel hits, hitting mines.
The only significant disadvantage is the cost of pumping. All improvements will require as much as 1.1 million silver lions.
The unambiguous favorite among American tanks and combat vehicles is the M1A2 SEP V2. It is also considered the best tank in War Thunder. For those who prefer more maneuverable vehicles, the best choice will be the M1128: this tank has many advantages over disadvantages and is effective against aviation of all classes.
When choosing a tank, it is important to consider not only the advantages, but also the vulnerabilities of the vehicle, and select the ammunition individually for each combat situation.
