Hang Back Bradley

Now that I have completed ten victories in the tier VI M1 Abrams (making some pretty good progress too), it's time to move up to the tier VIII M2A3 Bradley and carry on with the same amount of action and results. Although I don't have the qualifying tier VII Leopard 2, I will make do with these two vehicles for this first round of the Storyline Campaign and collect whatever rewards come my way.

I freely admit (on numerous occasions now) that I am an armor-dependent player, meaning I use the thick skin of certain vehicles for aggressive moves, or help save me when I make a terrible error in judgement. Although this has served me rather well, it's good to step out of that comfort zone and experiment with different options.

Infantry Fighting Vehicles, the Bradley in particular, were not specifically designed for head on, vehicle to vehicle combat, as their designation clearly states. Although they can be used in a fire support role against enemy machines, their primary function is to offer transport and engagement protection for ground troops.

Since Armored Warfare doesn't have the simulated human element ingame, it's nothing but vehicle on vehicle action. While Main Battle Tanks are still at the top of the food chain, despite numerous updates to bring down their dominance on the battlefield, other vehicle classes have seen their effectiveness marginally increased, allowing them to make slightly more meaningful contributions.

However, the brawny playstyle of MBT's doesn't transfer well to IFV's, where brains have to make cautious use of thin armor and lackluster weaponry....

Dropping the Hammer

Despite the June month long Storyline Campaign taking place in Armored Warfare, I have still found some time to continue my progression towards my original game goal, the tier IX T-90MS. In this battle, I got rather lucky to fight along side not just one, but a platoon of two upgrades over my current vehicle choice....

Ha Ha Ha?

If you have the need for a cartoon villain themed vehicle in Armored Warfare, click here for this limited time offer! I think I will pass....

Blue Sky Starry Night?

An interesting bug or glitch I have seen in Armored Warfare before, Starry Night with a daylight sky. If anything, makes playing on this particular map a lot easier than the usual dimly lit conditions it's supposed to have.

My time in the tier VI M1 Abrams is coming to a close soon. During this Storyline Campaign, I decided to put in ten days worth of play in this vehicle, then I will contemplate on performing the same duration of taskings in the tier VIII M2A3 Bradley. Despite the coy responses to inquiries of the ultimate prize, I have resigned myself to use only what I already have, forgoing any desperate attempts to acquire other assets for some unknown reward.

This is supposed to be a fun escape from reality, not some unpaid job with mysterious prizes that might not equate to the effort to achieve them. At least, this is how I see it.

Here is the Abrams in a surreal lit night battle....

Low Rung Warrior

One line in Armored Warfare I never really bothered with is the Abrams. Since I am not an American nor never served in that country's Armed Forces, I don't have any patriotic connection to the machine and have never heard about any great battles it has been in (I watched the news broadcasts from the first Gulf War when I was much younger, containing snippets of a few in action).

To me, it was another series of tanks in the game that I was planning on getting around to playing, eventually.

However, with the somewhat tempting rewards through restrictive play requirements for the first installment of the Storyline Campaign, I figured now was as good a time as any to make some serious progress through this line, starting with the M1. Although I dabbled with the Abrams before in the pre-Update 2.0 days, it has certainly changed from what I considered to be a "unremarkable" vehicle into something a lot more durable and deadly....

Failure to Win

One thing that annoys me with Update 2.0 is this big reward screen from the Login Bonuses. A minor detail, I suppose, but not completely necessary over the previous notifications.

Another annoyance for me is the way near-certain-victories have been quite literally, thrown away. For quite some time, I have noticed too many games came down to the timer on the verge of running out and players putting a lot of faith in those last few fired shots to end the battle, discovering they came up way too short on the damage rolls to secure the victory.

Here is an example of that very thing....

What color are my glasses?

One thing I noticed almost immediately with Update 2.0 for Armored Warfare, the visuals are off.

The most obvious example of this can be seen in the changes to the garage, but I picked up on it very quickly in battles. The best way I can describe this is watch a classic cartoon from many years ago, like Mickey Mouse, Bullwinkle, Pink Panther, etc, then watch a more modern incarnation/remake. 

The same, yet different.

I just can't put my finger on the changes, is it the lighting effects, the detail changes, rendering speed or a combination of subtleties from all the above and/or other things I haven't listed. Perhaps, you can spot the differences on your own. Here is a battle, pre-2.0 of my IS-7 on Anvil this last April....

 ....and a post 2.0 battle with my Terminator Reaper from today....

At any rate, another thing to get used to, I suppose.