What makes this lane special is the extra good gun depression due to the hyroneumatic suspension, which gives amazing abilities for working a ridgeline.
While the STK-2 has more gun depression than any of the previous tanks in the line, using it with its gun is a very hard assignment.
Firepower
Let’s compare the STK-2 with the 2nd-best ridgeline tier 11 heavy in the game, the T803.
Spec
STK-2
T803
DPM Base
2,969.07
2,920.40
DPM with abilities
2,969.07
3,435.76
Penetration
270
267
Gold Pen
325 APCR
340 HEAT
Damage
480
420
Caliber
137
120
Shell velocity
1,100
1,100
Ammo capacity
45
46
The STK-2 is on par with the T803 when it comes to the base DPM, but if T803 gets all of its stacks going, it absolutely murders the STK-2 with around 500 damage per minute advantage. Penetration on both tanks is pretty similar, but the STK-2 does have a lot better alpha damage at 480 and a bigger caliber gun, which enables it to overmatch more armor plates.
Gun Handling
While on paper, STK-2 has great stats, if the gun is used without pauses between reloads, it gets to the point where it’s unusable.
Spec
STK-2
T803
Aim time
1.92
1.82
Dispersion
0.21
0.34
Dispersion when heated
0.47
0.34
… moving
0.13
0.13
… tank traverse
0.13
0.13
… turret traverse
0.10
0.06
Elevation
20
20
Depression
14
10
Both of the tanks have pretty good gun handling stats, especially the STK-2 when we consider the caliber of the gun. The sniper dispersion is the highlight of the vehicle, but the stats don’t tell the whole story. You have that 0.21 dispersion only after the gun is cooled down completely; the accuracy gradually gets worse as you keep firing without pauses between reloads. Meaning that either way, you are losing one of your greatest strengths of the tank. If you keep firing without pauses, your accuracy makes the gun unusable even in close-quarter combat, but if you wait between reloads to keep the gun cool, your DPM goes out the window. The T803 might not be that accurate from the start, but its stats don’t get worse as it keeps firing; quite the opposite.
Dispersion on the tank traverse is identical, but the T803 has a lot better turret traverse dispersion, which makes the gun a lot more snappy.
STK-2, at least, is the king of the gun depression between the heavies with monster 14 degrees, as much as the STB-1. It really enables you to be incredibly flexible on any terrain.
Mobility
Mobility-wise, both tanks are nearly identical, with a slight edge going to the STK-2.
Spec
STK-2
T803
Top speed
42 km/h
38 km/h
Reverse speed
17 km/h
13 km/h
Power/weight
18.18
18
Weight
66 tons
60 tons
Terrain resist (hard)
1.05
1.15
… med
1.25
1.25
…. soft
2.21
2.3
Turret traverse
36.50
35.38
Tank traverse
33.29
33.29
The only bigger difference between the tanks is the top speed, with STK-2 having 4 km/h more than the T803, meaning that you could get away without having to use the turbo on the STK-2, but not really on the T803.
Reverse speed is also a lot better on the STK-2, meaning that you can pull back behind the ridgeline a lot faster.
The rest of the stats are almost the same, and you won’t feel the difference.
Armor
This is where the good news for the STK-2 ends. Even when using its gun depression, it’s not as reliable as the predecessor.
Spec
STK-2
T803
Hull armor
60/80/40
215/76/64
Turret armor
280/150/80
215/120/70
Health
2,400
2,400
The raw frontal hull armor is abysmall on the STK-2, with only 60 mm on the upperplate. While the angling is really good, as soon as the enemies get above you, it becomes paper. Keep in mind also that the FV4005 or FV215B 183 can completely overmatch your upperplate.
The lower plate on the STK-2 is huge, a lot bigger than the upper plate, and incredibly weak at only around 210 mm of effective armor, which means even Ares tanks might go through the lower plate frontally. T803 has a lot better lower plate at around 250 mm.
In terms of weakspots, both tanks have a cupola on the same side, but T803’s is a lot more rounded and harder to hit, while STK-2’s has a larger area in which enemies can score a penetration.
STK-2
T803
While the STK-2 has a lot more gun depression, the lower plate is incredibly hard to hide, and it is incredibly weak at around only 180 mm. Also, enemies can still hit your cupola or go for your track flaps. T803 has its cupola mostly hidden when using 10 degrees of gun depression, and the only weakspot it has is the bottom of the turret that sticks out of the hull, but those are small targets.
STK-2
T803
The side armor of both of the tanks is pretty identical, around 100 mm thick. With the introduction of Ares tanks, the side armor has become a pretty important aspect of the tank. Sadly, both of the tanks can easily be penetrated by any of the Ares tanks they can meet.
STK-2
T803
The rear of the STK-2 is absolutely horrible at only 40 mm of effective armor, it is very susceptible to the HE damage from any gun.
STK-2
T803
Conclusion: STK-2 is one of the easiest tanks to penetrate on flat ground, but also if it’s using the gun depression, it has pretty big weakspots that can be hit. Overall, the armor is a lot worse compared to the T803.
Miscellaneous
Spec
STK-2
T803
Stationary camo
6.61
5.30
After firing
1.07
1.01
Moving camo
3.31
2.62
Shell cost
1,537
1,246
View Range
400
400
Both of the tanks have similar camo stats, slight edge goes to the STK-2, but nothing groundbreaking. Shell cost is higher on the STK-2 due to the alpha damage difference.
Conclusion
Very disappointed with this vehicle, I was very excited about the Tier 11 and expected that WG learned how to balance these Japanese heavies from the Type 71 release, but it seems like this is not the case.
Just the combination of the horrible lower plate that is visible when using your gun depression and gun cooling mechanic, which doesn’t allow you to use your DPM, really kills any interest and fun in playing this tank.
Other tanks like the Tashenratte or the T803 will outclass you in every way, even if you try your hardest in the STK-2. I would advise against getting this tank until and if it gets much-needed buffs to at least the dispersion when the gun is not cooled completely.
While the Maus is a very solid tier 10, it’s just really easy for enemies to penetrate its turret cheeks if they load HEAT rounds. Taschenratte has that problem mostly fixed, but you should angle your turret while waiting for a reload to improve your turret armor thickness. This tank also has an incredibly strong upper plate, lower plate, and side armor. With proper angling, you will give real headaches to your opponents. Gun has received a minor alpha increase and a decent penetration boost.
Its ability is called “Auxiliary Weapons“. Pressing the activation button fires your vehicle’s auxiliary weapons at the target. This additional firepower comes with its own reload cycle, independent of the main gun. It can be very powerful to penetrate lightly armored targets or to track your opponents while the main gun is on the reload.
Mobility is the only limiting factor of this vehicle, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, coming from the Maus.
Probably the best tier 11 currently in the game. It can do pretty much everything, and it doesn’t have real weaknesses. T110E5 is a decent tier 10, but this is a huge upgrade. Armor-wise, you have a lot smaller weak point at the top of the turret, better turret armor, a bit worse upper plate, and a better lower plate. While on paper the DPM seems to be the same, it doesn’t count the bonus from the special ability. With “Semi-Automatic Ammo Rack“, every time you hit an enemy with a shell, you gain a reload efficiency level, temporarily boosting your gun’s reload speed. Levels accumulate with each hit. Destroying an enemy vehicle with a shell grants additional reload efficiency levels.
This tank can murder its opponents with its DPM and snap shot like a boss while doing so. It is even better on the ridgeline because the weak spot is mostly hidden.
This is a tank you can research by playing the IS-7. It has a very similar playstyle to the IS-7; you are a heavily armored and mobile heavy tank. In terms of upgrades, you got on the KR-1, your standard penetration went up by almost 20 mm, so you don’t have to spam gold all the time, as is the case on the IS-7. Your lower plate is going to be really hard to penetrate for anyone with less than 260 mm of penetration, so you are very safe against standard rounds from tier 10s and lower. Your mobility stayed the same, pretty much. The special ability is Ramming Configuration, which gives you a bonus to the ramming damage you would apply to an enemy vehicle. This makes it a hazardous tank while played in platoons.
Derpines of the gun is retained from the previous tier, unfortunately. While the extra ramming damage is nice, it’s hard to make it as effective as for example the T803’s special ability.
Contriever is the only tank that does not receive any kind of special ability compared to the tier 10 predecessor. Other than the fact that it looks similar to the Canopener, it plays the same. In terms of upgrades compared to the tier 10, you have a slightly better alpha damage, slightly better penetration, and dispersion values while in double shot mode. Contriever doesn’t have the weak spot anymore in the center of the frontal hull, but it has a very weak turret cupola and a huge lower plate, which are both easy targets for your enemies.
While the tank itself is not bad, tier for tier, it is a lot worse than the Canopener since the soft stats boost is not enough to be on the same level as the rest of the tier 11 heavies.
BZ-75 is one of the worst tanks at tier 10, so it would be quite an achievement not to be better than it. The successor has quite a few things going for it; it has quite a bit more DPM, 300 DPM more to be exact. Gun is a little bit less derpy and has higher alpha damage. Mobility is exactly the same if we don’t take into account the special ability. BZ-79 has Liquid Fuel Boosters, which enable it to have infinite rocket boosters. The only downside to it is that the ability has a cooldown, but here you don’t have to worry about running out of boosts until the end of the battle.
Unfortunately, the top of the turret is very weak against 151 mm guns and higher since they can overmatch its armor. Also, the lower plate is very big and not well armored. If you have BZ-75, it’s definitely worth working your way up to the BZ-79.
Imbattable has the same playstyle as the AMX 50B, which means you will have to work your butt off in order to make this tank effective in combat. It has absolutely no armor; in fact, it has a lot less armor than already badly armored 50B, to the point where high penetration HE rounds will be able to go through your front armor.
While the gun is decent with the autoloader, it received very minor upgrades compared to the tier 10 in the form of a 10 alpha damage increase. Everything else is almost identical to the 50B. What gives you an opportunity to be more dangerous to your opponents is your special ability. The autoloading system automatically begins loading a new clip when one shell remains in the current one. You can still fire the final shell during this process, but doing so adds several seconds to the remaining reload time.
It’s a very niche tank and probably not worth grinding for in the current meta filled with heavily armored tanks, arty, and corridor maps.
I was very excited for the tier 11 Japanese heavy since I like the tier 10 much and I expected that WG would not make the same mistake as they did with the Type 71 when they first released it, but I was wrong.
Gun received a big alpha damage increase, which is nice to see. When paired with a good reload, it really has a nice DPM for a tier 11 heavy tank. Another great thing about the tank is the extra 2 degrees of gun depression it has compared to the tier 10.
Still, those things don’t save the tank… The fact that it has an insanely big lower plate, which is horribly armored (around 200 mm of effective armor), a bigger turret weakspot than the Type 71, and the atrocious special ability make this one of the weaker tier 11 tanks in the game currently. The active gun cooling is the dealbreaker of this tank, after 2 shots in a row, the gun’s accuracy becomes unusable even in close-quarter combat. Somehow, they took the gun cooling mechanic from lower tiers and made it worse. Essentially, you are punished for using your DPM.
I would avoid getting this tank until it gets much-needed buffs to the accuracy while the gun is not cooled, or the lower plate armor, which is hard to hide when using your monster gun depression.
Successor to the Bat.-Châtillon 25 t, unlike the rest of the tier 11s, this one doesn’t keep the same playstyle as the tier 10, due to the multiple differences. The biggest one is the actual size of the tank, which gives it a much lower camo rating than the BatChat has, meaning that it can’t replace the role of a light tank in a battle. BatChat works well only when it comes to assassinating tanks and then running away to reload. AS-XX doesn’t have to necessarily do that since its special ability allows it to reload shells one by one by pressing a button as long as there is 1 shell in the magazine. You can do multiple smaller engagements as well.
While the tank was mediocre, in patch 2.1.1, it got a bunch of buffs to the firepower and survivability; right now, it’s in a pretty good position.
Leopard 120 takes the cake as the worst tier 11 tank in the game, and it’s not even close. I highly suggest that you don’t spend your credits on this tank while it has these statistics. Reason for the amount of hate this vehicle has been getting is the fact that the dispersion values outside of the ability level 3 are actually a lot worse than the tier 10 predecessor, which makes absolutely no sense. You get a very small advantage when your ability, which gives you bonus dispersion, is charged all the way, and this takes quite a while. Also, it can carry 20 fewer shells than the Leopard 1, and it’s slower.
The tank was garbage before the 2.1.1. It’s still garbage after very small buffs. Just keep the Leopard 1 until and if the 120 gets a much-needed buff.
A successor to the legendary 430U provides you with better alpha damage, armor, and survivability. The playstyle pretty much stays the same; you are the most heavily armored medium in the game, and you can be very aggressive. The only difference is that you can use your special ability to trade more effectively.
The special ability that is supposed to give a big advantage to the 432U is prepping the shell. The longer you wait, the more alpha damage you will have, but if you wait for too long, you will get a lockout period when you can’t fire. In practice, it’s not that easy to use it effectively; either you will fire too soon, or your enemies will recognize what you’re doing and will force you to overheat your shell and go into the lockout.
While the tank was almost unusable before the patch 2.1.1, right now the tank is alright, the armor is much more reliable, and the changes to the special ability help you make it a bit easier to use. Still, the gun handling and horrible DPM make the 430U a better tier-for-tier tank.
It has a great gun, amazing mobility, and pretty weak armor. The tank that is on paper is slightly better than the CS-63, but the special ability really gives it an edge over the tier 10. Over time, you increase the charge level, which you can use on either of your modes. If you use it in turbo mode, you get significantly higher top speed and overall mobility, while you sacrifice dispersion. This is the mode the CS-63 already has, but what it doesn’t have is the new engagement mode, which, when used with charge, gives you a lot better reload time, aim time, and dispersion.
Frankly, the tank is not so easy to play; you need to know when to use which mode and when to use your charge levels. If you manage to master this, you will be one of the most powerful tanks on the battlefield.
In 2.1.1. WG buffed this already great tank, and it does make it a bit too good in my opinion, together with Hacker, the best tier 11 medium in the game.
Without a doubt, the best tier 11 medium tank currently in the game. The gun has been changed from the M48; it now packs a 110mm barrel with 20 extra alpha damage and around 5% DPM increase. A big change was made to the armor layout of the tank. M48 is known to make the same miracle bounces due to the boat-shaped hull armor. Hacker has a very flat hull, which makes the frontal hull easily penetrated by all the opponents this tank can meet.
Good news starts when we take a look at the turret, which doesn’t have a big turret weakpoint, which the M48 suffers from. Premium rounds will be able to go through your manlet, but overall, it’s a lot more solid and dependable turret.
The special ability really makes this tank a beast. By activating it, you get a lower aim time, better mobility, and 0 dispersion values on turret and tank traverse. Since the ability has a relatively short cooldown and decent duration, it helps you a lot in combat without you having to sacrifice any stat in return.
While Rheinmetall Panzerwagen is not really a fan favorite, you should probably get your hands on the Borkenkafer. Statistically, it is the same as the Panzerwagen, but it has a much smaller profile, which is important for camo rating and to not get hit that easily once you are spotted.
Borkenkafer features a very unique ability that improves your spotting capabilities. By activating the ability, your next shot applies an effect based on the enemy’s spotting status. Hitting a spotted enemy will mark them—they will remain spotted longer and receive more damage. Hitting an unspotted enemy will highlight their location with a special marker.
This way, you can deal damage and also provide spotting assistance at the same time. While the tank is not broken, it does offer a different playstyle for light tank enthusiasts.
A very similar tank to the Badger, but with even more DPM and even more armor. Frontal hull is only possible to penetrate by the highest penetration HEAT rounds with over 400 mm of penetration, but if you use the gun depression, nobody will be able to penetrate you. It does have a weaker lower plate and a cupola at the top with around 250 mm of effective armor.
Side armor is really surprising, though. You can overangle it, and it will still be an auto ricochet, or you are going to have around 300 mm of effective armor, which is kinda crazy.
Special ability allows you to go faster and have more engine power the longer you drive in a straight line, which helps especially with climbing the hills. This negates the only weakness of the tank, and that makes it overpowered in my opinion, just people haven’t realized it yet.
A tank that doesn’t have a whole lot going for it. It seems like Wargaming overnerfed all the base stats because they thought the special ability would make such a huge difference. Compared to the Grille 15, it hasa lot lower base alpha damage, which makes it horrible as a tier 11 TD, and that is the main reason why the tank is so weak at its tier. The only areas where it was improved over the tier 10 are slightly better dispersion values and the camo rating.
Special ability is called Propellant Thermal Control System – Remain stationary or move slowly to build preheat, increasing your next shot’s damage and accuracy. At maximum preheat, penetrating an enemy with fewer HP than your average damage causes an ammo rack explosion, destroying the vehicle. Maximum alpha damage is around 820, but it takes too long to preheat the shell, and then your DPM suffers tremendously.
Personally, I would avoid buying this tank as the Grille 15 is a lot more consistent at its tier, even after the buffs in the 2.1.1, since they were negligible.
103B is the best sniper at tier 10, the Strv 107-12 gained an additional mode in which you can be apart from the standard “Siege” mode. 107-12 has received a very subtle increase in the penetration and DPM, but the alpha stayed the same. In my opinion, the 390 alpha at tier 11 feels way too low if you are meeting health juggernauts such as the Tashenratte.
Armor layout was changed, while the 103B has only a cupola weakspot at the top, 107-12 has incredibly weak shoulders, and when you use your gun depression, your whole lower plate is completely paper. So, the armor is a lot worse than at tier 10. The new mode, which you can activate, is the “Pillbox” mode. It completely disables you from moving forward or backward, but it gives you better gun handling and DPM boost, making you a glass cannon. In theory, this mode sounds great, but if you are spotted, you can’t move at all; it takes time to get out of this Pillbox mode, and by that time, you will be nailed by enemy tanks and artillery.
It is nice to have more options on engagements, but it feels like you sacrifice too much when it comes to armor in order to receive these options. After the buffs in 2.1.1, the tank is just so slightly better when using the pillbox mode, but still, 5 seconds to switch to pillbox mode is too long, and it makes the tank feel clunky.
This is the latest tier 11 TD added to the game in patch 2.1.1, and it was predicted to be incredibly powerful, something like the 268v4 was once, but this is not the case.
The tank has rocket boosters, which enable the tank to have an incredible tank traverse speed, making it very hard to flank. The booster uses a solid fuel, so you have a limited number of charges, at 10. Gun is a step up compared to the 113G FT with better gun handling stats and a minor alpha increase.
The lower plate is rather weak at only 230 mm of effective armor; the upper plate can also be penetrated with HEAT rounds. When you use 6 degrees of gun depression, you become almost impenetrable, and you hide your really weak cupola on the right side of the hull.
Overall, the tank is pretty good, without some serious issues letting it down. The only thing is, this is meant to be played by skilled players because you have to use your charges in a smart way and maneuver well to bounce shots.
