Aiming in World of Tanks is one of the key mechanics. Turn the turret towards the enemy. Press “shift” or scroll the mouse wheel. You will enter sniper mode.
It may seem simple. The enemy tank is in front of you, so all you have to do is aim at its silhouette and press the fire button. But aiming mechanics have many details and tricks to help you shoot better. You will hit the target more often and deal more crit damage.
The main rule of aiming
The aiming circle primarily influences your shooting accuracy. The projectiles are distributed randomly within it, but a significant portion tends to fly closer to the center.
The aiming circle’s size has no impact on the dispersion of projectiles. However, there is always a possibility of hitting the ground. However, the larger the aiming circle, the higher the chance of missing.
Advice for success: don’t rush. Wait until the reticle is covering the majority of the enemy tank. This will increase your chances of dealing critical damage.
How to aim artillery in World of Tanks
Artillery aiming in WoT is unique compared to other games. This is because the “support class” projectiles follow a parabolic trajectory. To strive, you press the aiming button and see the entire battlefield from above. The green dots represent your dispersion circle.
Hold “Ctrl” and right-click on the desired area on the minimap. This will quickly shift your aim to the combat zone. Then simply wait for your artillery piece to align its gun in the right direction.
In the game, there are two types of artillery aiming:
- Classic – the familiar top-down view.
- Alternative – a view that shows the trajectory along which the projectile flies.
The projectile does not arrive immediately but travels at a certain speed. Anticipate the enemy’s actions. Calculate where they will be when your projectile arrives. Shoot in that direction.
Making predictions about the enemy’s movement is easier with the top-down view. The alternative aiming reticle will be more effective for targeting enemies hiding behind cover or, for example, under roofs and bridges.
And don’t forget that artillery fires high-explosive shells that deal damage in an area. Sometimes it’s more advantageous to shoot at a cluster of enemies, damaging all of them, rather than targeting a single tank.
Where to shoot to deal more damage to a tank?
There are many vehicles in the game. Some have little to no armor and can be penetrated by a thrown stone. Others are slow tanks with strong armor.
However, there is no invulnerable armor in the game, and absolutely all vehicles have weak spots. You can find weak spots yourself. If the center of your reticle is colored green, then the chance of penetrating the enemy is maximized.
The weakest spots on tanks
- The lower front plate is also known as the lower glacis plate. It is the largest and weakest spot for most tanks. The armor is significantly thinner, making penetrating easier with armor-piercing shells.
- The Chieftain’s Hatch. Of course, this applies when the enemy tank faces you because even medium tanks often have strong frontal armor.
- The cupola. It is located on the turret. Not all vehicles can be easily penetrated in this area. However, shooting at the cupola is more effective than shooting at the stronger turret armor.
- Gun mantlet. For many vehicles, penetrating the gun mantlet is difficult because the main turret armor is additionally covered by mantlet armor. However, some tanks have no armor behind the gun mantlet, which can be penetrated effectively.
- Machine gun ports, driver’s view slits. Often, they are slightly less armored than the main plates. If there are no other options, shoot there.
Playing with mobile equipment can make your gun weaker. To maximize effectiveness, flank or attack the enemy from behind. It is easier to penetrate the armor from the sides or rear than to target weak spots on the frontal armor.
It’s possible to penetrate some tanks in the rear with high-explosive shells. You need to understand your tank’s penetration power and the enemy’s armor to do this. For example, the heavily armored S. Conqueror is easily penetrated in the rear by high-explosive shells from any gun.
But what about dealing more damage? Every vehicle in the game has modules: ammunition racks, fuel tanks, tracks, guns, and engines.
Each module has its health. You can damage it, which turns the module yellow. You can also destroy it, which turns the module red.
If you turn off the enemy’s tracks, they will become an easy target. If you destroy their fuel tanks, the enemy will catch fire, causing additional damage. And if you destroy the ammunition rack, you will instantly destroy the enemy’s tank.
Instruction on how to use auto-aim in WoT
Auto-aim is a very convenient tool for active combat. Activating this feature requires right-clicking the mouse (on PC), R1 (on PS), or RB (on Xbox).
You have to do that while aiming at an enemy tank. After pressing the appropriate button, your crosshair will lock onto the center of the enemy vehicle and follow it. You no longer need to manually track the target.
Instances when you should not use auto-aim
Although auto-aim is convenient, it is not always applicable. It is more like a specialized tool for specific situations. Auto-aim locks onto the center of the enemy vehicle. It is ideal for engaging lightly armored tanks in close combat or duels with fast-moving light tanks.
Auto-aim serves a particular purpose, like you would use a knife instead of a scalpel to slice bread. If you need to shoot from a distance or hit the weak spots of an enemy tank, you should aim manually. This is because you won’t be able to hit a moving target at long distances or accurately aim at weak spots.
How to speed up aiming with auto-aim
Here’s a little secret known to experienced players that allows them to save time while aiming. And auto-aim can assist with that.
Usually, our crosshair constantly moves left and right, catching on bumps and building walls, causing increased dispersion. Enable auto-aim on an enemy, and you will lock onto it. Your reticle will not expand because of random movements.
Here’s the plan of action:
- Spot an enemy.
- Lock onto the target using auto-aim.
- Move out.
- Release the target lock.
- Wait and aim.
- Fire.
We use auto-aim solely to speed up the aiming process in this situation. Identifying weak spots on the enemy tank is still up to you.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to pull off this trick on your first attempt. It requires skills that you need to develop. However, in the future, it will significantly improve your performance.
