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10 golden basicrules to become a good SPG player

written by _Koma_Roman_

If you don´t have good SPG Positions of your own just watch allied players where they go and use the same position. Don´t worry if there are a few SPGs because there aren´t many good positions on each of the maps. Please use bushes if the location your´re staying at has one. Place your SPG behind it and not in or in front of it. If an enemy scout accelerates towards you and you or another allied standing right next to you shoots move as fast as possible away after the enemy got killed. The shot possibly made you or your allied tank visible and there is a high possibility of getting hit.

AP or HE? Only HE! Sometimes gold ammo can be useful (clan war).

Or even better; learn the difference! They both have their own purposes.

As SPG player you have to look at the mini map more then any other class. You have to know where happens what and where are you most needed. At the beginning of the battle, if no scout is available, you should aim at the location which most of your allied tanks are driving to ("Strg"-key + right click on minimap). It will weaken enemy defense line more if you support the attack of your allies. Additionally you should check the hitpoints of your allies from time to time (by pressing "alt"-key) and change your target to a secondary one if you can hinder the enemy tank destroying your allied tank. Your ally is useful even with one hitpoint remaining because he can still be a scout for you and/or damage other tanks. Furthermore you should move into a new location if there wasn´t anything you could shoot at for a longer time. This is especially necessary on maps with mountains or buildings which hinder you from shooting all over the map from one location.

I have nothing to say here, either.

Be patient! Wait until your aiming circle doesn´t get smaller. You have to fix your chassis (by pressing "x"-key) and only make slow, steady and small aiming movements. Before you waste any shot better align your aim again and shoot then. Before you shoot mark your target (by pressing "t"-key) to tell your allies: 1. Do not approximate the target or you could catch my shot 2. Allied SPGs know that your shooting at it and there is a possibility that they save their shot which only would have hit a wreck.

Use scouts if there are any. Even when you´re looking at your favorite map spot change your aim to support the scout. An in vain sacrificed scout is a bad thing for your team!

Except most of them are lemmings, anyway.

Normally your targets are heavy tanks with many hitpoints left. If one of your possible targets has less then 15% hitpoints and your allies are already shooting at it then save your shot. Most of the times you would have hit a wreck anyways and an adequate new target would have been visible before you even have reloaded after your shot.

Not to mention that you don't shoot heavies several tiers higher than you with AP ammo. THIS is where you use the HE. The AP is used for tanks you KNOW you can penetrate. Master this, and you will be able to cause more damage than ONLY using HE rounds.

Be brave! Everyone knows this: A T-54 accelerates towards you and you have lost. Wrong! Leave the 3rd person mode and turn towards him. Most of the players charging at you will do that in a straight line and therefore give you the opportunity to destroy them. Shoot at them as if you were playing a tank destroyer. But do not forget to fix your chassis and your aim is very sensitive.  If you miss your shot you still have chances of winning the fight: 1) The enemy is not close: Don´t move and shoot a 2nd time. 2) The enemy is close: Pedal to the metal! Try to ram him because if the weight of your tank of a SPG is higher then theirs, you will suffer less damage than them. (It works, and you´re able to gain kamikaze ribbons)

Is this an SPG guide? Why isn't it stated in the title. Also, if it's weight we're talking about, write about it more passively.

„Ragequit“ ?! Never ever! Himmelsdorf is a good map for training the most hated party of any SPG player: Melee. Just imagine you´re playing a tank destroyer made out of paper during battle. Stay back, let your allies in front of you, shoot and retreat until you have reloaded, repeat. You will get used to melee fights by playing Himmelsdorf which is needed for any other map, too.

It's one of my favourites. This shouldn't be in the list.

Don´t bother with crying people or people who don´t worship SPG at all. SPGs are and will be part of WoT. If they are insulting you just be prepared to make screenshots and send them in.

It's just that most people fail to do that.

Play a lot. Sounds as easy as it is. Additionally you should ask friends or clanmates if they do training matches with you to practice certain situations.

"Sounds as easy as it is"? Not necessarily. If you absolutely can't stand losing all the time, then it's not going to be that easy, is it?