French Tech Tree
Medium Tanks
Tier 9 and 10
The AMX 30 Prototype and 30 B are both receiving significant buffs to their turret armor layouts, as well as large gun handling improvements and DPM buffs that leap frog every other Medium tank of their respective tiers and place them in first.
As they currently stand, the high-tier French Mediums simply aren’t used by anyone for the same reason as the Leopard 1 is ignored – they’re underpowered and out of meta. These buffs could very easily make them the most popular Mediums on the battlefield, however, as they conform to the perfect combination of strong turret armor, excellent mobility, excellent gun elevation arcs, excellent gun handling, and excellent DPM.
One thing I am disappointed to see is no changes whatsoever to the Leopard 1, despite it suffering the exact issues of the current AMX 30 B, if not more so. In fact, with the changes the AMX 30 Prototype is receiving, it’s entirely possible that the Tier 9 French Medium tank will become a superior tank to the Tier 10 German. I hope Wargaming recognise this inconsistency and give the Leopard 1 some love because, as pretty as the Leopard is, looks aren’t everything.
The Bat-Chat 25 t is receiving absolutely no changes whatsoever, which is great news for the community who didn’t want to see the BC nerfed unnecessarily. Good choice by Wargaming to withdraw their decision in my books.
Heavy Tanks
Tier 8
The AMX 50 100 is receiving a gun depression buff, I would guess to at least 9 degrees, in accordance to the recent AMX 50 120 and 50 B gun depression buffs to 9 degrees and 10 degrees respectively. This should make minimal exposure a lot easier for the 50 100 as it shouldn’t have to commit itself nearly as much to be able to bring its gun down on the enemy when cresting ridge lines and hills.
Tank Destroyers
Tier 8 and 9
The AMX AC 48 and 50 Foch are both receiving 3 and 4 round autoloaders respectively, in order to pack more of a punch and fit in with the high tier French theme a bit better. They will also receive improved side hull armor to prevent many guns from over matching it.
Exact values aren’t specified, but I expect them to be doubled from the current 40mm up to 80mm, which will make them entirely invulnerable to overmatch as well as increasing the effect armor thickness to boot. Finally, mobility changes for both tanks are planned – the AC 48 is to become slightly more mobile whereas the Foch will be slightly less so.
Tier 10
Very similar changes here to the AMX 50 Foch (155) in regards to its side armor, though it should also receive an improved frontal hull and improved gun traverse and elevation angles. Not only this, but the modified terrain resistance values of the Foch (155) should allow for overall increased mobility over medium and soft terrain.
Most importantly, however, the Foch (155) is being removed from the tech tree and will be classified as a special vehicle, available only to those who have both researched and purchased the Foch (155) before 9.20 hits the live server. Its Tier 10 position in the tech tree will be taken by the AMX 50 Foch B, an alternative to the Foch (155), using a 120mm autoloading main armament with 6 shells – a much more similar tank to its predecessors. This newcomer will receive very similar overall statistics in most regards but the gun to the Foch (155).
To account for this change, should you own the Foch (155) all of your crew, emblems, inscriptions, camouflage, etc. will instead be transferred to the Foch B whereas your personal statistics including marks of excellence will remain on the Foch (155).