WoT Blitz: In Update 3.9, Premium shells will become cheaper, but will cause less damage. As a result, this type of ammunition will be more affordable for all players, and the value of personal skill will increase. See all the details below!
What exactly is going to change?
The two main parameters of Premium shells will be adjusted:
- Damage will decrease by an average of 15%. The change will not affect U.K. HESH-shells, so FV215b (183) fans can relax.
- The price will decrease by an average of 20%, reaching 40% for some vehicles.
For Premium vehicles that use Premium shells more often than other vehicles, the penetration values of standard shells were increased:
- Churchill III: to 130 mm, was 110 mm
- Matilda IV: to 97 mm, was 86 mm
- Matilda BP: to 130 mm, was 110 mm
- M4A2E4 Sherman: to 106 mm, was 92 mm
- T14: to 106 mm, was 92 mm
- T26E4 SuperPershing: to 205 mm, was 170 mm
These Premium vehicles will now be able to earn more credits. The cost of Premium shells will decrease, while standard shells will score more penetrating hits and cause more damage; altogether, it will increase the net profit in credits.
For many researchable vehicles that had premium shells as the key type of ammunition, the penetration value of armour-piercing shells was increased:
- M3 Lee, M8A1, M4 Sherman, M7, T21, M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo, and M4A3E8 Sherman
Gun 75 mm Gun M3 and 75 mm AT Gun M3: 106 mm, was 92 mm - E-100
Gun 15 cm. Kw.K. L/38: 258 mm, was 235 mm - Medium II and Medium III
Gun QF 6-pdr 8 cwt Mk. I: 65 mm, was 57 mm - Churchill I, Crusader and Cromwell
Gun QF 6-pdr Gun Mk. V: 130 mm, was 110 mm - Ha-Go, Chi-Ni and Chi-Ha
Gun 5.7 cm Gun Type 97: 38 mm, was 30 mm - Renault FT and D1
Gun 37 mm APX SA18: 37 mm, was 29 mm - D2 and B1
Gun 47 mm SA35: 62 mm, was 45 mm
Shells for the SU-100Y and Tankenstein will not undergo any changes.
Why?
There are several reasons: inequality between players and vehicle types, inflated requirements for entering battles in high-tier vehicles, etc.
Let’s try to investigate these facts.
Player Inequality
Not everyone can afford Premium shells. The players who can afford them receive significant advantages in every battle.
Our conducted research showed that regular use of Premium shells increases a player’s damage by an average of 15%. They make the game significantly easier, but only a small portion of players are able to purchase them regularly. That is why we decided to decrease damage caused by Premium shells by an average of 15%.
Now the results of battles and records of players will depend mostly on their skill, as well as on their ability to choose shells wisely and aim at the weak spots of enemy vehicles. Players who use only Premium shells are likely to spoil one of the most important service record items: average damage per battle.
If Premium shells cause less damage, they earn fewer credits. That is why we lowered the prices, and firing Premium shells will not be as expensive as it used to be.
Due to these changes, tournament players’ chances will become more balanced as well. Competitions will neither take a bite out of your treasury nor require a full Premium-shell ammo rack.
Huge differences between vehicles in terms of advantages
Currently, Premium shells increase the efficiency of every individual tank differently. The Matilda IV truly suffers without them, while the Grille 15 can happily use standard shells.
Opposing enemy vehicles influence that efficiency as well.
- A heavy tank against another heavy tank: Premium shells give advantages to both players.
- A heavy tank against a lightly armoured vehicle: Premium shells give an ace to the lighter vehicle.
We can often see that heavy tanks’ gun characteristics are nerfed for balance purposes: their rate of fire and accuracy are lowered. Penetration rates are sometimes decreased as well. Lightly armoured vehicles are usually given accurate guns with high DPM and excellent Premium shell penetration rates.
As a result, a heavily armoured vehicle does not get any advantages even when it uses Premium shells. The armour does not protect such vehicles, and slow guns are unable to overpower an avalanche of shells from a quick-firing enemy. Even high damage per shot does not help the heavies.
Our goal is to balance various vehicle types and promote their specific roles. With the new settings, Premium shells act as an alternative for standard shells, not their replacement.
Previously, the decision was obvious: the sturdy armour of an enemy vehicle made players load Premium shells. Now the commander has to choose:
- Standard shell: requires better aiming and knowledge of weak spots, but you can deal more damage.
- Premium shell: you are almost guaranteed to penetrate an enemy vehicle, but your damage will be lower. Therefore, 3 Premium shells may be required to do the job of only 2 AP-shells.
Medium tanks will no longer be able to destroy heavy tanks in a one-on-one confrontation using only their high DPM and Premium shell efficiency. Tank destroyers who like to stay at the edge of a map and fire Premium shells will also lose the excessive advantage.
This means that Premium shells will no longer be a silver bullet for causing huge damage regardless of your skill or vehicle type.
With the release of Update 3.9, we will monitor how this change influences gameplay, and introduce additional adjustments if necessary.
