Tier 8
ISU-152
The original ISU, the one everyone thinks of when you utter the name – or more accurately, its 152mm BL-10 main armament. 750 alpha damage at Tier 8 is simply devastating, there’s really no other way to describe something capable of 2-shotting even equal-tier Heavy Tanks in as little as 15 seconds, with enough penetration to blast through any armor they may have. The brutal nature of the BL-10 down at Tier 8 is the reason for its upcoming removal in Update 9.20, where it’s being replaced by an alternate 152mm the D-4S.
Similarly to its Tier 7 counterpart, the ISU-152 lacks any sort of defensive capabilities beyond “offense is the best defense”, with poor armor and mobility statistics.
Rheinmetall-Borsig Waffenträger
Following on very closely from Tier 7 it seems, the German ‘paper’ Tank Destroyer line is gifted the Borsig. Unlike its Tier 7 counterpart, the Rhm Borsig is actually a great tank with a choice of two viable guns allowing for varying playstyles.
Firstly, the more consistent 128mm everyone knows and love. This cannon provides a slight alpha advantage over most opponents you’ll meet, has a solid penetration value, low dispersion (which is good), and high DPM considering the alpha damage and consistency of the gun.
Secondly, is the 15cm which I personally love. Similar to the ISU-152 it boasts 750 alpha damage capable of decimating most foes it’ll meet in a mere 2 shots – perhaps only 1 for lower tier opponents. That’s really it as far as the advantages go as its dispersion values, penetration, and DPM are poor, but you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of alpha, especially when utilising the high-penetration HEAT rounds which partially make up for the poor accuracy of the gun as well as the low penetration nature of its standard AP.
Considering the gun is objectively worse than the ISU-152’s BL-10, you might question why you’d use the Borsig, but it’s all in the platform. You not only get a fully traversable turret which can often mean keeping your reticle bloom down to a minimum and helps with working corners, but your Concealment rating is absolutely fantastic. I hope you’re able to use that to your advantage, though, because you don’t have much in the way of speed or armor… that’s an understatement.