Also note that heavy tanks are usually the favorite targets of enemy SPGs. This type of vehicles is relatively slow and usually has a low fire rate. Their main role is to push a flank or meet an enemy push, dealing massive damage and blocking enemy fire with their thick armor. Heavily armored vehicles with powerful guns. However, Medium tanks should not fight alone: a solo Medium tank is typically easy prey, while several in a pack can quickly dismantle opponents. They combine mobility, firepower, and relatively good armor, so they are useful both in frontline combat and in a support role from mid-range. They are the fastest tanks and have great View Range, but usually thin armor and fairly poor firepower. Light tanks are the eyes and ears of the team. Only High-Explosive (HE) shells never ricochet: if they don't penetrate the armor, they explode on its surface. High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) shells can ricochet at angles greater than 85 degrees (see Ammunition). A ricochet can occur with Armor-Piercing (AP) and Armor-Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR) shells if the angle at the point of impact is greater than 70 degrees.

They can also bounce off the surface-this is called a ricochet. Keep in mind though, shells do not always penetrate vehicle armor. The greater the impact angle, the greater the effective thickness of the armor. It is the actual armor thickness the shell must plow through in order to penetrate and deal damage. The deviation from the normal is the so-called impact angle which determines the effective armor thickness. The perpendicular shell trajectory-the shell striking the armor plate exactly 'square on'-is referred to as the normal. The ideal angle is perpendicular to the armor plate-in this case the shell has to pass through the least possible amount of armor plate in order to penetrate it. Armor PenetrationĪ crucial factor in determining penetration is the angle at which the shell hits the target's armor. The variations of color represent different values of the armor thickness in millimeters.Īpart from side and rear armor, most vehicles have common weak spots: the lower glacis plate, the commander's cupola, and the top surface of the turret.

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