Seaside Sortie

Another vehicle in Armored Warfare I am trying to tie up some loose threads on is the tier VIII C1 Ariete. In the pre-0.19 days, it had been a solid, high tier performer for me and to ignore it in this new era would be....unkind.

There has been discussion about the Ariete being pulled from it's current slot between the Challenger 1 and the Challenger 2, replaced by the Vickers Mk.7/2 and completing a British line to teir X. The Ariete could be moved to a different position, such as an offside progression vehicle or to another line although. Time will tell were this Italian Stallion finally winds up at.

Once again, I queued up for a PvE battle and just happened to notice Watch Dog, another new map I haven't had the chance to explore. Well, I quickly fixed that....

The Mine Tour

As I clicked on the queue for a PvE battle in Armored Warfare, I happen to notice one of the new maps for Update 0.19, called "Raiding Party," just happened to be up in rotation. Let's label this event "shamefully curious," since it was on Easy mode and I rapidly selected my first vehicle in the game, the tier III T-62 Veteran, to check out it.

I would like the opportunity to try this map out again on a Medium or Hard setting and see the results.

Aggressive Rewards

Ever have one of those days where playing a game really helps to take the emotional weight of your shoulders, or just allow you to blow off steam through actions that you would never be able to do (legally and/or morally) in real life?

In Armored Warfare, I am going back through the vehicles in my garage and "cleaning up" a few. Those through normal gameplay or by adjustments made from Update 0.19, that are have not achieved Renown status, are being queued up to collect the bonus Global Reputation and banked for later use.

However, when I sat down to play out a few sorties, I wasn't in the best of moods. Without going into explicit details, the virtual therapy of  "blowing stuff up" is just what the doctor ordered.

Okay, maybe not them, but you get the meaning. Sometimes, it can be a good thing to throw rational, tactical thought right out the window and just let the emotional, situational subconscious takeover.

The following video, created from a replay and late gameplay capture of this tier VII T-90 battle is a good case in point....

As a side note, if you are looking to add some extra decals to your selection menu, check out how to earn these new ones.

Returning to the Russian Path

One of my original goals when I came to Armored Warfare was to proceed up through Soviet/Russian line and put a T-90MS in my garage. Along the way, I took a few detours and experimented with other vehicle classes, even adding a tier X asset (Leopard 2AX) to my modest collection.

Now, it's time to get back on track. When last I played towards this accomplishment, I had reached the then tier VIII T-90 before I wandered off. After Update 0.19, the T-90 has been moved down a tier and replaced with the T-90A.

Visually, both vehicles look almost exactly the same (the rendering is very different on the 90A, perhaps a "realism look" was being attempted), but I seem to recall the old 90 was tougher in a fight then it's replacement.

Here was a battle in the 90, before the update....

....and now, the T-90A.

Top Cat

After reading on the Armored Warfare forums about other players having issues with redeeming the Tier X Token from the recently moved Centauro 120, I was a little apprehensive myself on continuing towards the Leopard 2AX. However, as the old saying goes, "your mileage may vary."

Starting from tier I and moving up, I selected all the vehicles that had Renowned status, clicked on the upgrade screens and proceeded to unlock all of the Global Reputation modules. Once I had more than enough to cover the Token unlock, I returned back to the Centauro 120 and made my attempt.

Okay, that worked. Perhaps, it was a problem with credits not being accepted? That would appear to not be the issue either. In any case, here is the cardinal battle with my brand new and first tier X vehicle, the Leopard 2AX!

Well now, wasn't that interesting? Time to get back on my original track....

The Leopard and The Monkey

If certain numbers are to believed, then something truly remarkable appears to have happened to the Leopard tanks in Armored Warfare.

For the longest time, most of the Leopard line had to be played with a particular level of thought and awareness. Although fairly quick and well armed, they were more thinly armored compared to other Main Battle Tanks and couldn't take a serious hit. However, through the use angling to help with incoming shot deflection, they could extend their presence in a battle.

After taking note of this change in the garage, I was curious to see how it would actually perform ingame.

As an added bonus, I was treated to a rare occurrence. I am not sure how to exactly label this type of player, without crossing over the realm of "good taste." Jerk was the first thing that popped into my mind, but I will settle for Monkey instead....

An Old Favorite in a New Age

Until the arrival of the IS-7 in Armored Warfare, the premium tier III Type 59 Legend was probably my favorite low tiered vehicle to use. By luck and design, I could very confidently go into battle and know I would contribute decently, even if I was at the bottom of the list. Sometimes, I even outshone top tiered teammates.

Now, in the era of 0.19, the Type 59 has undergone a bit of a name change and other characteristics have been aligned with the new mechanics. My question was, how has this affected my former go-to lower tiered favorite?

Not so rare, for now

When it comes to the now tier IX premium Centauro 120 Wolf, there has been and will be a discussion. When it was first announced this vehicle was going to be moved up in tiers, like it's dealer tree counterpart, quite a few folks with extra cash to spare jumped at the opportunity to purchase it.

Honestly, the only tier IX premium (currently) in the game, who wouldn't be tempted!

Between the original news posted and right up to the launch of 0.19, this vehicle was made available (through portal specials), with the stipulation that it wouldn't be offered again, EVER! However, my.com/mail.ru has made similar statements before and found away to cash in on an "altered re-release" of an exclusive vehicle, in a thinly veiled perception they were keeping their word.

Already some are making it very well known they either didn't bother to buy it at the time, or for some odd reason, claim they didn't even know about the changes/limited availability and are pretty much demanding it be for sale, again.

Frankly, I don't really care if this or a new version of the Centauro 120 Wolf comes out. I didn't buy it for the exclusivity of ownership, which includes the  "Na na, look what I got that you can't get" factor, but for the potential make a much higher credit and reputation bonus from battles, hopefully over and above tier VIII premiums. That's it. Others have their reasons, some even in line with mine.

It has been remarked on the forums this particular vehicle was over-powered when it was still at tier VII and now it's more balanced, after it has been moved up. Well, here is the first battle I had with it then....

....and the big gun, hard to drive and thinly armored vehicle it still is now....

Timeless against the Changes

With all of the big changes in armor, retrofits, ballistics and enemy bot behavior, I was just itching to play out a battle with the premium tier III IS-7. Update 0.19 in Armored Warfare has rewritten pretty much all of the standards for ingame assets, so all of the recent memories of how things used to be may not be applicable anymore.

One worry I had with the IS-7 is because of  how slow it was, from moving around on the map to reloading, just to name a few. Also, it was very heavily reliant on certain retrofits and crew skills to make using it a little less painful to use. However, those choices are either gone, or the new replacements haven't been unlocked and installed, as of yet.

Another concern I had was how much differently the gameplay would be in the lower tiers. If my recently played higher tiered game experience was any indicator, the IS-7 could very well be swarmed by enemy vehicles and it's main defensive characteristic, the armor, could be overwhelmed and reduce any meaningful contributions to the battle.

Well, there was one way to be certain about the current sitiuation....

The Jungle Dragon

One of those other detours I took while playing Armored Warfare was exploring Chinese Tanks from Zhang Feng. While I have read about some complaints on the forums in the past concerning the effectiveness of these vehicles ingame, I must be enjoying a very long good luck streak with them.

A while back, armed with news on the changes planned for Zhang Feng's vehicles, I played out the then tier VII Type 90-II for one battle and waited for the big switcho changeo to take place.

Here is a flashback to my last comments on this topic and a gameplay video before the latest patch.

Now, with Update 0.19 finally here, bringing all these changes (one I just discovered and don't like, the fact you can't buy permanent camouflage for tanks with credits anymore), how does the down-tiered Type 98 hold up under battle pressures in this new environment?

Rewarding and Reaping

While I was so busy checking out the changes to Armored Warfare within the game itself, I neglected to visit the forums or read any news on the portal. So, for the last few days I have been trying to figure out why I was collecting what I thought was random Gold drops. Turns out, there is something going on for a limited time.

From here on forward, I am not going to bother with posting screenshots pre and post 0.19, since the armor and weapons values have been adjusted on non-comparable scales.

Last Christmas, one of the final purchases for the game was a set of then tier VI Terminator Reapers. One for me, one for my son. To recap, here was our first battle together with them....

Now that the premium Terminator's have been moved up to tier VIII, I have read quite a few complaints on the forums about these vehicles being useless in battle. I just had to see for myself....

Collecting on the Higher Rate

This was my predictor when news of the Centauro 120's move from tier VII to tier IX in Update 0.19 started to circulate on the Armored Warfare forums.

However, with the readjustment of armor and damage values, the figures are pretty much a mute point now.

Nevertheless, the move up brings the Centauro 120 closer to the end game assets, including the new tier X Leopard 2AX (formerly labeled the 2A7, I believe), a vehicle that has piqued my interest. But, to get to there, I would still have to fight my way up by using the new and improved 120.

After that battle, I played around with some banked up Global Reputation and closed the gap on my first tier X token. Although my goal for the longest time was to progress up towards the Russian T-90MS, the Leopard 2AX is just compelling for me to ignore.

Trial by Frost

Last December, I made this post....

During this Holiday Season, I have wondered into the other tank lines to prepare for some of the announced changes coming up in the next update. One of those is the removal/replacement of the XM1 Main Battle Tank at tier VI.

I had and still hold out hope that players who own this tank will either be given it back once it becomes a premium (stated many times on the forums this will not happen, but I have this feeling it's not the absolute final word on this matter) or a mission to acquire one will appear in a future update (more than likely, another time consuming grind-fest in PvP, something I will not be interested in).

Time will tell which way things go with this vehicle.

Now, it turns out that just having the previous, non-premium version and playing a few battles paid off. In a way, I am surprised, but at the same time, I am not. Let me explain....

Fives years ago, Wargaming decided to change up World of Tanks in a very dramatic way, especially the American Heavy line. For a year before, rumors circulated about the then current tier IX T34 Heavy Tank being replaced and to be moved down to a tier VIII premium, with adjusted characteristics of course.

To "sweeten the deal," it was confirmed that players who had this vehicle in their garage at the time of the 7.2 Update, back in April of 2012. Many cashed in on this (including myself), others still found a way to complain about the missed opportunity, despite the lengthy chance to do so.

Part of the reason why Wargaming did this was a "word of mouth" marketing ploy, which worked out well for those folks during that time period. Also, there was a lot of....unrest in the community and as a token of appeasement to smooth things over, players collected a high tier premium asset.

Based on recent events in Armored Warfare, I see some strong parallels concerning the magical appearance of a premium XM1 in my garage. I am not complaining, I accept this with wide open arms.    

Once again, like the previously played Challenger 1 Wolf, I had to pick new Commander....

....and Crew skills. Sadly, I didn't get top level people, but one skill is better than none.

A quick re-balance of the ammunition....

....a limited retrofit install and a splash of paint. Should be good to go....

Tanks Reloaded

Update 0.19 for Armored Warfare has arrived and being labeled as "Tanks Reloaded." Well, I am about to take a series of looks at the changes and will leave a few thoughts and videos along the way.

First off, the update wasn't nearly as big as I was expecting (I bet a full, clean install might be a whole lot bigger and take longer download). Surprisingly, getting the new files took less time then what was estimated, but the process to apply them was a little on the slow side.

To start my journey into this new era, I decided to go back to a "tried and true" performer, the tier VII premium Challenger 1 Wolf. Here is what it was....

....and now.

Don't let those increased numbers in the armor value fool you, the enemy vehicles in PvE mode hit much harder and with a greater variety of weapon choices. One thing that I did notice right away is how the vehicles look....different in the garage. Lighting or revised rendering, not sure which, yet.

One thing I kept a close eye on was the commander and crew skill reset. I was almost dreading what kind of changes to these would be inbound, but luckily enough, nothing that a few archived screenshots couldn't fix.

Same old standard choices here, so I made them.

Two shell options here and I never bothered to screenshot the previous choices from before. Since the HESH rounds have such poor penetration, I favored AP for my loadout. 

I am not too happy about the big changes to the selection of new retrofits. While some are ready to be installed from the start....

....others will require some serious game time in the future in newly introduced vehicles.

Now that is all said and done, I figure now is a good time to stop talking and posting pictures, watch and enjoy.

Okay, a few parting words and a picture. Seems the rumors are true, concerning players who managed to put the tier VI XM1 in their garage before the update. After all the changes, these same players will receive the downtiered M1 Abrams and the now premium XM1!

Very nice, perhaps I will roll it out next time....

The day has come!

The long wait is over, Update 0.19 for Armored Warfare will be rolled out for both NA/EU servers, read more about it here.

The question is, will it be the game changer that many hope have hoped for? I predict that the population will experience an upward spike, players who have left the game over time will return and check out what's different, first hand. I am expecting a large number of YouTube videos and forum posts being created over the coming week too, a lot of positive and negative opinions will be expressed from people as they poke around the update.

Perhaps, the Player versus Player mode could see some activity after not being populated for so long, but if this will be sustained or even built upon is anyone's guess. Global Operations might share or suffer the same results. As for Player versus Environment, I suspect it will be business as usual, a few more might be added to the dedicated crowd that has been there pretty much the entire time.

What will help Armored Warfare brighten it's future prospects is not only a increase in population, but also those numbers to stabilize at new baseline thresholds. Plus, if the update is accepted and the majority of players are happy with things, advertise? Right now, the running gag is World of Warplanes (touted as a failure from almost Day 1) has more people playing it then AW.

Of course, I am also waiting for the patch to drop and chomping at the bit to try things out. I am curious to see just how much of the revised Compensation Package will have an impact on me and future purchases.

That is, if the update is applied without any unforeseen issues.

The Chieftain Rolls

Although it has been quite a while since I last loaded up Armored Warfare and played, very little has changed from then until now, except for being a little rusty on remembering the prime map locations in PvE battles.

In six days, from the time of this posting, Update 0.19 is scheduled to drop on the North America and European servers and bring with it some pretty big changes to the game, including addition/removal/rearrangement of a lot of ingame assets.

Still, I wanted to see what the game environment was like before that, so I dusted off my Chieftain Mk.VI for a quick refresher on how things were, before the big overhaul comes into effect....

Actions speak louder than words

For months now, Update 0.19 for Armored Warfare has been advertised as coming Soon^tm. Nothing of real substance has been published on the front page or the forums, aside from the revamped storyline that chronicles the events in the game, possible future vehicle additions and further, but fading discussion of the promised changes announced under the Obsidian development reign.

Then, this appeared. At first glance, it looked like a rehash of a previous statement, but some of the wording seemed different. Old news in a new wrapper? No, it would appear that My.com/Mail.ru has finally figured out that putting their cards on the table, as the old saying goes, was the right, although belated, thing to do.

However, since so much time has past since any serious discussion on Update 0.19, I took the post as nothing more than an exercise in "sabre rattling," give the community the now accepted perception of never-ending-hope.

As much as I want to label this as a bombshell statement, I can't. Although many in the Armored Warfare community are finally relieved the long overdue update is finally coming, holding My.com/Mail.ru to the April 20th release date for both NA/EU servers. Few know it has been live on the RU servers since the beginning of the month. Some might defend that decision with "let the Russians find the bugs," but in my opinion, that is an overused and weak excuse. Westerners would love to be a part of the "testing" process too.

Nevertheless, I read both announcements. I am neither excited nor relieved. In fact, I think I feel numb. For me, the wait for this update was almost too long, so any positive and hopeful feelings I had departed with my patience a while back. I am now left with a "Yeah....Yup....Uh huh....Okay...." response.

Despite all of that, I will try to follow along with events and news as they unfold and if I happen to remember to look. Perhaps, April 20th will respark some serious interest from me to return to Armored Warfare.

Maybe and finally, there will be a little less talk and a lot more action.