15 replies to this topic

[I_Know_Nothing]

So I been playing spg's for a some time over several different accounts for past couple years now. On this account I have the Tier 4 UK SPG. I did have the USSR tier 5 SPG, but sold it and swapped to the UK just to try a different nation.

 

How do I get more XP during battles?

It seems that I average only about 200 damage each battle. I am always shooting when there is paint on the screen. I always only shoot after the aiming cycle has completed. I not always am able to hit targets. I hardly ever stun, but I do damage if I hit the target.

 

Secondly, if there are other SPG/s in the battle with me, it appears to me that they fire more shots than I do.

What do I not know, or what am I not doing?

Are they not letting the aiming circle complete its cycle? Are they just blind shooting when there is no paint on screen? I have GLD and Rammer equipped. Is it that USSR and UK are the slowest nations as far as SPG's go?

 

Anyways, while I still like playing SPG's, it is starting to make me not want to play SPG's. 

 

[nekojima]

Have 100% on base experience on your commander, gunner and loader. Use food consumables and buy those when on sale in bulk. These should help a lot.

[ElPuffMo]

In addition to neko's (always great) advice: always shoot as soon as you load --- don't wait around for that "perfect shot.". This means that you should drive, stop to pre-aim when almost loaded (always let reticle get fully closed), then shoot immediately as you load.  Sometimes that means blind shots (risky), but usually it just means timing everything so that an enemy is lit and accessible the second you are ready to fire at him. More (well placed) shots = more xp

 

Any slower-loading SPG will make up for that in higher alpha or better mobility to reach more enemies. 

Edited by ElPuffMo, Dec 04 2018 - 00:42.

[I_Know_Nothing]

I nevet thought the crew level would effect outcome of xp, just the personality of the tank/spg.

 

I will try forgetting about the aiming circle then. So just reload and fire...ok, I will give it a wirl.

 

 

Thank you for the input.

 

[nekojima]

I_Know_Nothing, on Dec 03 2018 - 19:03, said:

I nevet thought the crew level would effect outcome of xp, just the personality of the tank/spg.

 

The crew level doesn't affect xp directly, what it does is make your shots more accurate and decrease aim time and reload. So you can shoot more often with a higher likelihood of hitting the target. That outcome can help you increase xp.

 

[crossedarrows]

I play SPGs a lot.  Just my opinion, but:

-when aiming indirectly, anything less than a fully aimed shot is a wasted shot.

-learn to lead targets.

-know where TDs and arty go.  When nothing is spotted, blind shoot those camping spots.  If the TD was courteous enough to knock over a tree for cover to let you know they're there, all the better.

-know your reload time.  Add time of flight(say three seconds).  If that comes out to 21 seconds, KNOW where tanks usually are 21 seconds after spawn.  If you watch enough matches, on most maps you'll know where to blind shoot at the start of the game.  Some of the maps have easy chokepoints to get that first shot in.  That will also give you time to see where YOUR team is going.

-finally, MOVE!  Most arty players have a well-deserved reputation as red-line campers.  As the battle line moves up, you follow.  That'll shorten the range (more accuracy), help prevent you being counter-arty'd, and prevent you from being blasted by a LT that sneaks through the line (nothing quite as satisfying as watching an enemy tank searching the rear only to come up empty-handed) : )

-One more time, MOVE!  Again, most arty players are red-line campers and enemy tanks will choose their cover accordingly.  If you can advance up a flank behind your team, you change that angle of attack and can catch them by surprise.  Being far from where they expect you to be will do wonders for your score.

Edited by crossedarrows, Dec 04 2018 - 01:40.

[JTM78]

1. 9.18 killed Artillery and Light tanks
2. If you artillery's gun is under 150mm it does not get stun
3. Artillery is not accurate, so don't expect to hit much
4. Artillery has very bad DPM once you know how HE shells work and how WoT has nerfed them to death
5. I have played my artillery a hand full of time since 9.18 because of WoT did to them

Just quit playing artillery or only grind to tier 6 or 7 once you get 150mm+ gun. The high tier artillery only shoots once a minute to have the same garbage game play as the lower tier ones.

[cKy_]

JTM78, on Dec 04 2018 - 01:49, said:

1. 9.18 killed Artillery and Light tanks
3. Artillery is not accurate, so don't expect to hit much
4. Artillery has very bad DPM once you know how HE shells work and how WoT has nerfed them to death

 

 

Umm excuse me?

[nekojima]

JTM78, on Dec 03 2018 - 19:49, said:

1. 9.18 killed Artillery and Light tanks
3. Artillery is not accurate, so don't expect to hit much
4. Artillery has very bad DPM once you know how HE shells work and how WoT has nerfed them to death
5. I have played my artillery a hand full of time since 9.18 because of WoT did to them

 

The nerf was so bad, that my average damage in all my T8-X arty (except one X) has increased by at least 20% since the great nerf. A few adjustments in aiming & targeting has helped.

A few lights were hurt (the poor Bulldog and VK28.01), but overall, they're still quite viable and fun to play.

 

[I_Know_Nothing]

OK

 

Yeah I started WOT in SPG's about two years ago on a different account, now my daughters account.  I dabbled in all the nations to about tier 4/5. I thought something was up, because back then I was always mid pack if not higher as far as damage was done. I went as far as the crusader sp in the UK line as I fell in love with the uniquity of being able to hit behind cover with that nations SPG's. I know from reading, not sure which nations, that there is other nation/s where the SPG's have the same uniquity. I figured I was already committed, why stop, but then life happens.

 

Ok, so yeah the crew not being 100% base does make sense though and that very well may be the problem. I tried the shooting as soon as shell is loaded, but not aimed and I got about 35-50 XP this way over the course of about 4/5 battles. I went back to my old habit of just waiting for full aim before pulling trigger and it went back up to about 180 - 215 XP. 

 

I am trying the american line being the American line has larger guns as rule. Im in the T18 HMC right now, but man do I miss the arc of the UK line. USSR line has decent arc too, but not like UK line. Im going to grind it to the m44 and see if I feel like going on passed that one. 

 

Yeah I remember when i started playing a few years back, it was like shooting the gun on the SU-100Y . Half their health woulf just vanish. But now seems pretty meager. Some times I can one shot a LT, but not often enough.LOL

OK Thanks

[cKy_]

nekojima, on Dec 04 2018 - 02:07, said:

 

The nerf was so bad, that my average damage in all my T8-X arty (except one X) has increased by at least 20% since the great nerf. A few adjustments in aiming & targeting has helped.

A few lights were hurt (the poor Bulldog and VK28.01), but overall, they're still quite viable and fun to play.

 

 

A lot of the lights were buffed/made more viable after 9.18. Take the AMX 13 90, it is so much better now than it used to be. 

[I_Know_Nothing]

So this morning, I tried the German Bison. I really like its accuracy. Are German SPG's generally this accurate the higher the tiers get? 

[dfw11411]

I started with the German line and loved the accurate guns. Keep grinding as they get even better!

 

I also kept and frequently play the American M44 and M35/M55. Both are exceptional.

 

Also, if you haven't already done so, install a mod called Battle Assistant. Its in  the WOT mod store. I installed in as I was grinding the Wespe and it helped increase my scores tremendously. Switching between the Battle Assistant view and the top-down aerial view are very helpful for me.

[scHnuuudle_bop]

All the arty I play with 3 exceptions are all about quantity not quality.

 

The more shots the better, I hate a full tube. So I usually have a camping spot picked out, either a well known one or a place I saw trees go down.

After every shot, I press the S key, usually before the shot has landed. As I am doing so, I choose where to move to get the best line of fire on my next target.

I choose on, who makes the most requests, from my unique view, who I feel needs the support,, or where my personal risk is the highest.

 

I move for the obvious, counter battery, but it kills the load time, allows time to look at maps, and then still allows you to park, pick a target, aim fully, fire and reassess again.

 

I always try and choose those already or are about to be in direct battle with teammates. My damage will have immediate effect as well as collecting assist points. 

I try to keep that in mind as assisted damage is artillery bread and butter. The more support you provide versus your own HP collection or kills makes the XP difference.

The more stun or critical hits you get, the more potential for assist points, and more XP.

I only play tier 5 and above, so can't speak for the smaller guns. I aim to miss. Instead of missing over a victims head, I will purposely aim short, so a ,miss will at least splash tracks and stun. Groups of enemies, I aim to miss between them, to splash as many as possible.

 

My exceptions. The fantastic Bishop , FV304 and Crusader SP. I have a riot with these 3. They all  have low damage potential. The short range adds to the fun by providing another challenge, keeping safe.

To make up for that, the accuracy and load  times are great.

Like throwing anything, the closer you are, the better the shot. I can choose where on the target to aim for. Back deck for engine or fuel. Front to kill driver or wreck gun, and the simplest, tracks. I can easily shoot through windows, or through holes in the roof on Pilsen. With that fast load, it is easy to pick a red in trouble or daft enough to get caught in the open. Track him, and keep him stationary as the team feasts and I collect the assist points. Great XP.

 

What the magic formula is, not sure , but the equipment I bought, 4-5 skill crews can only have helped. I spend more time looking for assisting than killing or collecting HP .

 

dfw above, mentions the battle assistant.

The vanilla client has a version. They incorporated it from the MOD a while back. There were a few small differences, I have not tried the mod since, but it will work the same anyway. A different view, that gives you an approximation of your shells flight path.

[Thirty_BR]

What I recently just figured out was to not take the lone wolf approach to spg’s. As of this past month/few weeks, for the majority of the battles, I primarily aim to miss/stun their enemy tank/s in battle with team mates. I try to get one or two kills per battle, but primarily, I am finding I have upped my XP by assisting tanks in battle with other tanks. I letterally can here my XP go up during battle after I stun if the stunned tank is shot or killed by a team mate. Really WG, Tier 6 and I am just now figuring out what team means. LOL, seriously though, this is about the tier we need to be working as a team and not lone wolfing the battles. Unfortuneatley this is part of the steep learning curve left out of WG’s Boot Camp missions.

 

Another side note to other artillery players, do no steal a kill from a team mate if it is obviously able to do so with out difficulty. They have worked hard for that kill. They deserve it. Let them have it. Kills do not give that much XP to artillery compared to XP earned from assisted damage via stunning.

 

 

Edited by Thirty_BR, Feb 06 2019 - 22:20.

[scHnuuudle_bop]

Thirty_BR, on Feb 06 2019 - 20:30, said:

What I recently just figured out was to not take the lone wolf approach to spg’s. As of this past month/few weeks, for the majority of the battles, I primarily aim to miss/stun their enemy tank/s in battle with team mates. I try to get one or two kills per battle, but primarily, I am finding I have upped my XP by assisting tanks in battle with other tanks. I letterally can here my XP go up during battle after I stun if the stunned tank is shot or killed by a team mate. Really WG, Tier 6 and I am just now figuring out what team means. LOL, seriously though, this is about the tier we need to be working as a team and not lone wolfing the battles. Unfortuneatley this is part of the steep learning curve left out of WG’s Boot Camp missions.

 

Another side note to other artillery players, do no steal a kill from a team mate if it is obviously able to do so with out difficulty. They have worked hard for that kill. They deserve it. Let them have it. Kills do not give that much XP to artillery compared to XP earned from assisted damage via stunning.

 

 

 

They had a major rewrite of artillery a while back. They wanted it returned to "support".

The accuracy was horrendous , but the damage potential was astounding. Taking out intact top tier heavies with one near orgasmic smack, was great. But a lot just spent their game trying for the big HP collection and spent no time on team goals.

 

So, accuracy, lowered damages, bigger splash and the stun, made artillery players quest to help out the front line. Discourage the TD from camping behind their heavies. Splash as many as possible per shot. Equipment and crew damages more important than enemy HP reduction.