Where To Aim At Tanks To Deal More Damage

At first glance, it might appear as if the combat in World of Tanks is easy-going, where you can shoot wherever you want on an enemy tank to destroy them, and for the most part, that’s right. But, when you’re looking to improve at World of Tanks, it’s important to learn about where to aim, because it definitely matters where your hits land. This article will cover the basics that you need to know in order to understand where to aim at an enemy tank to do the most damage.

Where to Aim on Low-Tier Tanks

When you’re just starting out in World of Tanks, the only vehicles available to you will be the lower tier tanks. A low-tier tank could be considered anything below Tier 5, as these are the most easily accessible and some of the first tanks that a new player will aim to unlock.

On low-tier tanks, aiming at the exposed tracks or suspension will cause significant motion damage, often preventing full movement. A lot of the early tanks do not have large amounts of armor, so it can be fairly easy to land decent hits. Try to aim where the turret meets the top of the tank, as this is often a weak point, even on high-tier tanks.

While each tank has specifics weak points, it will not adversely affect your performance in World of Tanks if you do not aim at the weak points on low-tier tanks. The reason behind this is that a lot of the lower tier tanks lack armor, meaning that even a direct shot to armor plating can result in a significant amount of damage being dealt. The difference between hitting and not hitting a weak point on a low-tier tank is negligible. However, it is good practice to hit these weak points as it will help your performance as you transition into the higher tiers.

Where to Aim on Tier 5 and Higher Tanks

World of Tanks tends to shift in skill level and playstyle when Tier 5 tanks roll out onto the field. Tier 5 tanks bring with them some of the negatives of the lower tiers, like poor armor, while also increasing the pool of tiers fought against. This means that it becomes incredibly important where you aim at an enemy’s tank. When you're a lower tier than an enemy tank, missing or bouncing shots often means you will be at a disadvantage at the onset of an engagement. Take the time to pick out an opponents weak points before you fire.

Keep in mind that each tank is slightly different in its build and armor, meaning that aiming at the same spot on all tanks won’t work. You will need to locate each tank's specific position for the following locations.

Gun Port

On a lot of tanks there are guns and attachments that are purely cosmetic, but hitting them here will cause extra damage and have a higher chance of penetration. Look for the small, machine gun-like weaponry that is near the main cannon.

View Port

The view ports are what the crew would use to look out and see the world. Aim for these small holes in the tanks for a higher chance at penetrating. It can often be difficult to see these on high-tier tanks, so inspecting these tanks in the Garage can mean the difference between success and failure.

Turret Ring

Another excellent spot to aim is where the turret meets the top of the tank. This ring that joins the turret to the tank is often extremely vulnerable to attack.

Commander’s Hatch

Sometimes this is the only location on a tank that is extremely vulnerable, so keep an eye out for the Commander’s Hatch. It will often be on the top of the tank and difficult to locate unless a tank is in a hull-down position.

Exposed Suspension

While a lot of tanks have armored suspension, aiming at the tracks on a tank is a good way to prevent it from pressing an attack. If you find your shots bouncing or not penetrating a tank’s armor, and it’s still barrelling toward you, try shooting at its tracks to slow it down, giving you time to reposition or retreat.

Beneath a Tank

This is one spot on every tank that is extremely susceptible to damage. If you are able to shoot a tank from below, and hit beneath its tracks and chassis, you will be able to deal an incredible amount of damage. Whenever a tank is shooting from a high vantage point, try and angle your gun below their main body. Be careful to never be on the receiving end of a well-placed shot that could hit the undercarriage of your tank, or any of the above sections for that matter. One way to ensure you are safe from harm is to learn how to angle your tank effectively.

Those are the basics on where to aim at enemy tanks in order to penetrate or deal more damage. As always, each tank is slightly different to the next, meaning some might not be vulnerable to a gun port shot while others are more susceptible to track hits. It’s important to practice and even inspect tanks in the Garage to see if there are any visible weak points, that way, when you’re in battle you’ll know exactly where to aim at a tank to hit its weak point.

Sam Chandler

Editor

Sam Chandler is the Australian piece of the AllGamers puzzle. Out of all his gaming-related passions, collecting N64 games, speedrunning, and Souls games rank among the most important. You can reach Sam through Twitter, @SamuelChandler, or through his email, sam.chandler@allgamers.com, at any time of the day or night on either side of the globe.