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Per the global stats published by WG this tank has the WORST win-loss % globally of all T7 heavies.  

Due to a combo of god only knows what - but certainly MM plays into this - the tank loses over 50% of the matches its in.  Given the high repair bill for this beast you can easily lose 10K credits or more in a match.

Despite better armor this tank has only slightly better win% than Tiger H...

I have the smaller of the 122 mounted at the moment.  Disappointed in accuracy for sure, and you know there is something screwed up when you are bouncing shells off an M4 - give me a break.  T7 IS ought to pwn T5 M4.

I view this as a real waste of time and money at the moment - grinding to this thing, using free exp, etc.

IS is pretty good, even though my winrate is still atrocious.

It's not really that bad, although I can see how the win rate can suffer, with the MM being the main reason. The D-25T is very good in terms of first strike, but do NOT go out alone with it. The RoF is too low to finish enemies off. Against equal tiers, it's okay, but against lower tiers, use the 122mm to cripple your opponent and then have a friend finish them off. The bouncing off a Sherman's just the shit that happens in the game, it's not the gun's fault. It's like how people bounce Ferdi rounds off the Chaffee, although the IS does have the lowest pen of all tier 7 heavies. Also, the armour is better than the Tiger's, but only by a small amount.

The repair costs are generally 7k, but will reach 9k if you take a ton of module damage or get ammo racked. 1k shells do hurt, but you can still break even with a little aiming. T29 and Tiger repair costs are about the same, and T29 has similar ammo costs as well.

My recommendation is to stop using the D-2-5T first of all. Skip it, and use the 100mm until you get the D-25T. Next, get in close, you might have lower pen, but it's enough to deal with anything your tier and below, not to mention the sides and lower glacis plates of tier 8s and some 9s as well.

I do find though, that peek-a-boo is an issue, as even with my 98% crew, the aim time is horrible.

I don't know I liked my IS...

I think the bigger issue is it's one of those "step up tanks".

When I was a noob I remember seeing a t1 heavy or a KV and thinking "when I have one of those then I'll be top dog!" then I got my KV and got pwnd by an IS and was like "when I get one of those I'll be top dog" see what I mean. I think people go into the IS thinking that they are invincible.

It's a transition to the big leagues as I like to say. In addition to the fact that it is so fast and has a low RoF people charge straight into trouble. I have now played all but the french T7 heavies and I think the T-29 is the best T7 but the IS is not far behind it.

I think the buffs to the tiger's armor (via 7. normalization changes) it is a much bigger threat to the IS but still isn't quite as good.

I loved my IS on city maps that huge alpha and quickness make it a really fun peek-a-boo tank.

The IS is pretty squishy but it's fast and has great alpha to make up for it... I enjoyed it more then any other T7.

I have about 200 battles in IS, have won more than half and destroyed a fair amount of tanks with it. Nothing amazing, but surprisingly better than the average.

All I can say is it is really a fun vehicle to play. The hull armor is great, with well timed angling you can bounce shots from the long 88 or higher tier vehicles. The speed is alright, but the acceleration and maneuverability is really good for a heavy. Turret turns nice and fast, and the alpha is very good. Oh and the tank is SMALL. Compare its profile to other vehicles, especially heavies. Small size is a good thing.

I think the issue most people have is the low ROF of the gun, combined with less than stellar accuracy and aiming, and a pen that is lower than the long 88. A bad crew really exacerbates this problem. IDK, but once I got used to the gun the tank really shone, city maps, big maps, whatever, I could reliably hit, damage, and penetrate tanks. Even with snap-up autoaim shots the gun is shockingly accurate. Also for some reason I get really godly matchups with it (more often than my other vehicles IMO) and it absolutely ravages in those matchups.

So to summarize, learn to use the gun, the tank is a beast. It's mobility is really useful, actually lets you run across the map to say defend a falling flag, something most heavies just don't have the luxury of doing.

 cptndunsel, on Jan 31 2012 - 03:52, said:

Sorry, but how can it have the worst win-loss % of all T7 heavies, and have a slightly better win % than a Tiger H ?

To the intent, yes, the IS is probably the worst of the T7 heavies.  The supposed top guns, the D series 122mms have terribad accuracy and penetration coupled with extremely slow RoF.  You are given the speed and gun to be a brawler, without really having the armour to back it up.  While the D series have high potential alpha, if you miss or fail to penetrate all that potential damage comes to naught.

Its best gun is arguably the D10T though this is still inferior to the Long 88 and US 105 in most aspects.  However, with the 100mm it becomes a pretty decent heavy medium, and the greater RoF and better accuracy can compensate for the still somewhat lacklustre penetration.

Is there a link to these stats?

I can only imagine how poor the IS is....Having played with the T29 and the T5E1 and seeing all it CANT do and having seen the German lines played and then having driven the Sherman...I can only imagine how inadequete the IS is having a gun that only has 175pen with a 16s reload and an acc of 4....yikes..

IS used to be VERY VERY GOOD!! especially in the beta period, it can ownz almost every battle, doesn't afraid of T29 or Tiger, IS can ownz both of them, charging ahead like nothing at all, but now.... you need to be in cover most of the time, I miss the old days T_T

Golden days...











It used to be like this : IS > Tiger > T29. Now : T29 > Tiger > IS....

The problem is people tends to think they're invincible in the IS, especially those who chose the KV-3 as stepping stone for the IS (that would be the reason why they say 'the KV-1S is a more suitable choice to get yourself used to the IS')

The IS is NOT invincible, even as top dog... no other tank is. But speaking about feeling, one should not feel invincible in an IS, until he or she reaches IS-3, that's the opinion from my friend who pushes through the soviet heavies up to IS-4

No tank is invincible, but the IS used to be alot better than now.

 cptndunsel, on Jan 31 2012 - 03:52, said:

Last i check the Tiger is a tier seven heavy. So either it has the worst win rating, OR the Tiger has a worse rating. What is it gonna be.

BTW The Tiger is good, so if the IS even has only a slightly better win rating, i guess it cant be UP at all.

Don't judge a tank until it's fully upgraded and have 100% crew, that's all. (also give yourself about 100 games in it to figure out the style that works for that tank)

I have 100% crew and I played IS for hundreds of games in beta, I loved the tank, now it sucks. IMO

Now it sucks because...?

The stats are on the EU forums and are updated monthly.  As of last report -

T29 49.7
Tiger P 49.16
IS 49
Tiger H 48.88

% shown is global win/loss

I have a T29 and a Tiger P and both are doing well enough despite not being fully upgraded with crew < 100%.  Both are at or over 50% in wins and seem pretty decent in the field.

Clearly the delta between tanks is small so its all relative.  Play style and preference will be part of the equation.  I use T29 as a brawler and Tiger P as a sniper.  For IS - still trying to figure out how to play it effectively.  

The biggest surprise was the fact Tiger H is only slightly worse in win/lose despite all the bashing that tank gets in forums.

I much prefer snipers to brawlers - given that should I even advance the IS to the next tier?  Will IS-3/4/7 fit that play style or are they brawlers?

The IS and IS-3 aren't brawlers in the sense that "I will track grind you, circle around you and we both shoot each other's sides". But those 2 are "I will get up close with my speed and shoot you in the face with my large alpha gun" tanks. IS-4 is the true brawler with its side armors.

IS is not necessarily bad, but it is harder to master and do well in. Its guns (I would suggest to use 100 mm until you get D-25T) and armor (or lack of it) also enforce a very particular play style that may not be down everyone's alley. You have to be a good driver, know maps and have good tactical sense to maximize its strengths and work around its weaknesses.

Check out this thread for pointers.

Also, try not to judge the tank until it is fully upgraded.

The IS is an amazing brawler, the alpha damage allows it to peekaboo the crap out of other teir 7 tanks, and if you know how to aim you can pen higher tier tanks. The IS-3 and IS-4 are also bralwers because of the alpha damage and bad accuracy

the Is is a great tank for me, but it also has some problems with vodka inspired flaws.
lets start with the turret, great mallet but it is way to narrow and cover only the center half of the front turret plate with the exposed cheeks being only 80mm rounded. also you have the German cuppla on your turret that is a soft spot.
then we go to the hull where you have a front bumper that is about 120mm(more like 100 as i can pen it with any 75-76mm gun i have)
side armor and back armor is not worth anything but you only way 48t. a lot lighter then the 55t tiger or the 60t tiger p.
that lighter feeling makes it nimble but dont expect to stop or bounce many rounds.
from what i have seen of the is3, the front armor gets fixed and the turret is a lot harder to pen.

Is the OP for real or just trolling??? The IS is the best thing since boobies and I win like 70%+ of my matches in it.