Spotting, Camouflage and Detection in World of Tanks in 2024

It must be seen to aim fire at the enemy, which becomes possible at a certain distance, depending on your range of vision and the opponent’s ability to camouflage.

The “Range of View” characteristic can determine the primary detection ability, which can be improved by installing suitable equipment or worsened if the opponent uses camouflage.

What is camouflage and detection in World of Tanks, what they depend on and how they can be increased, we will discuss further, as well as answer popular questions on this topic.

Overview and Spotting

Overview is affected by several primary factors:

1. The height dimension of the equipment, because the higher it is, the greater the range of vision from two vantage points:
   1. static – located on the top of the gun turret;
   2. dynamic – coinciding with the exit point of the gun from the tank turret.
2. Essential visibility characteristics depend on the model and specialization of the armament.
3. Tank crew skills are essential because the range of vision specified in the characteristics becomes relevant when they are fully developed.
4. Special equipment is installed in the slots, which open as the level of armament increases.

Range of Vision

When looking at the mini-map, you can see several circles around the player’s equipment designation:

1. Spotting radius (“x-ray”), equal to 50 meters, on which regardless of the presence of obstacles:
   1. enemies are detected;
   2. the player’s equipment becomes visible.
2. The range of sight distance depends on the performance of the equipment, installed components, and tanker characteristics. If vision devices are not blocked, the enemy’s equipment can be detected within this range.
3. The radius of maximum vision can not exceed 445 meters and determines the distance from which enemies can be independently detected.
4. The drawing radius determines the maximum distance of 565 meters to other players’ equipment, at which it will be displayed on the mini-map.

How to Increase the Range of Enemy Detection

To detect enemies earlier, there are the following ways:

1. Develop the essential skill of the tank commander because, for every additional 1% of the ability, there is a 0.43% vision extension.
2. Install a gun turret of a higher level because it is responsible for the range of detection of enemies.
3. Use accessories that affect the range of vision and increase the visibility of enemies:

Name	Effect	Factor	Class	Cost, silver coins	Image
Binocular Telescope	Improved range of vision from standing vehicles (within 445 meters)	1,25 ÷ 1,27	3	50000
			2	200000
			1	600000
Coated Optics	Increases range of view (maximum 445 meters)	1,1 ÷ 1,115	3	50000
			2	200000
			1	600000
Commander’s Vision System	Increases enemy visibility behind vegetation	1,15 ÷ 1,2	1	600000
	Increases enemy visibility on the march	1,1 ÷ 1,125

Camouflage

Various cloaking methods and factors directly or indirectly affect it, making it more challenging for enemies to detect.

The essence of camouflage is to reduce the view of enemy units, thus taking the player out of range or making him difficult to detect when in cover (vegetation, buildings, hills, etc.).

Factors Affecting Camouflage

Factors that make it difficult for the enemy to detect equipment include:

1. The unit’s size affects the location of the most protruding points where the equipment is wholly or partially obscured.
2. The abilities of the rank-and-file tankers and the crew commander.
3. Installation of equipment that has effects bonuses to the “Spotting” specification.
4. Presence of various masking obstacles between opponents (bushes, trees, hills, buildings, etc.).

How to Increase Equipment Camouflage in WoT

Increasing equipment stealth can have a decisive impact on the battle’s outcome because it allows you to conduct aimed fire while remaining undetected or being detected with a time delay.

An obvious way of camouflage is to use obstacles that allow you to hide your location until you get closer than 50 meters when the “X-ray” is turned on.

Shrubs and trees between opponents can increase camouflage from 8 to 50% to the index value, which is made up of the base value, crew skills and the characteristics of installed components.

Crew Skills

For each member of the tank crew, the development of the “Cloaking” skill is available, and achieving its 100% development allows to increase the unit’s stealth from 79 to 98%, depending on the number of tankers, which can be from 4 to 6 people.

The tank crew commander can learn the ability “Sixth Sense,” which allows him, with a delay of 3 seconds, to determine the fact of detection of the tank and take a timely maneuver to change position.

Camouflage

To use protective coloring (camouflage), you need:

1. Click on the “Change” button for the selected technique.
2. Switch to the “Appearance” tab and apply “Camouflage”.

The camouflage effect can be from 2 to 4% depending on matching the protective coloring to the environment.

The selected camouflage must match the environment, because it is unreasonable to expect increased camouflage from green spots against a snowy surface.

Camouflage Net

Once a unit reaches level II, it has an equipment slot that can apply a “Camouflage Net” that increases the stealth of stationary units.

Name	Effect	Factor	Class	Cost, silver coins	Image
Camouflage Net	Increases the stealth of stationary vehicles:		3	50000
	Heavy Tanks and SPGS	1,05 ÷ 1,075
	Light Tanks and Medium Tanks	1,1 ÷ 1,125	2	100000
	Tank Destroyer	1,15 ÷ 1,175

Low Noise Exhaust System

An alternative to the “Camouflage Net,” which is only effective for stationary units, is the use of the “Low Noise Exhaust System,” which reduces the visibility of vehicles on the march:

Name	Effect	Factor	Class	Cost, silver coins	Image
Low Noise Exhaust System	Increases the stealth of vehicles:
	Heavy Tanks and SPGS	1,03 ÷ 1,04	3	50000
	Light Tanks and Medium Tanks	1,06 ÷ 1,08	2	200000
	Tank Destroyer	1,05 ÷ 1,06	1	600000

FAQ

How long is the Detected Technique Visible

The basic duration of visibility of detected equipment is 10 seconds and can be changed:

How to Hide in the Forest

Choosing a forest as cover can be effective if the unit does not make any hull movements because turret rotation and gun movements do not have a de-masking effect.

Camouflage in the forest will work if tree trunks or foliage are on the line between the vantage points and the range points.

If, while in the forest, you make a body turn or get hit by an ally, the static cloaking effect will be temporarily lost.

When firing a shot, all obstacles around the equipment at a distance of 15 meters become “transparent” to the enemy’s detection devices, which means that you need to hide not in the forest, but at an appropriate distance from it.

Suppose between the enemy and the player, there will be bushes or trees at a distance of more than 15 meters from the latter’s equipment. Thanks to the allies ‘ illumination, he can remain invisible even when firing if he can see his target.

How do You Hide in Bushes

When using bushes as camouflage, care must be taken to ensure that the equipment’s protruding overall points are behind a layer of leaves. A trunk protruding outward when hiding in bushes is not a demasking feature because it has no general point.

The effect of using bushes as camouflage is only valid for stationary vehicles that do not fire shots, because otherwise they become “transparent”.

How Does the Speed of Movement of the Equipment Affect its Visibility

The speed of a tank does not affect its visibility factor because only the presence or absence of hull movement, which is a demasking factor, matters.

When is a Tank Considered Invisible

The tank will be invisible to the enemy:

1. If the distance between opponents exceeds 50 meters (zone of action “X-ray”).
2. When the overall points are invisible for observation points due to the presence of obstacles between them or when they are outside the radius of the range of vision,