Tier 10
IS-7
A very controversial tank, I’ve found. Those who can’t beat it swear it’s blatantly overpowered, whereas those who can’t figure it out claim it’s the worst Tier 10 vehicle in the game. I reject those answers, and personally rate the IS-7 very highly as it’s the best at fulfilling its specialist role. When the T110E5 was in its prime it was seen as a “better IS-7”, when the 113 was buffed the general consensus was there’s no point in the IS-7. Now, with the WZ-111 5A being released, people cry the IS-7 is entirely obsolete. The IS-7’s role is separate to all of these tanks’, and therefore no matter how power crept the IS-7 seems to get, it’ll always have a place.
The IS-7 excels at being a bully. Its firepower is somewhat lack lustre with poor DPM and gun handling, but the alpha damage allows it to compete regardless as it can unfairly trade with any Medium Tank. It has an impenetrable turret, unlike others with “strong” turrets like the old E5, meaning – when hulldown – you don’t have to worry about taking fire from anything, even a HEAT slinging Jagdpanzer E 100.
Its hull armor is absolutely fantastic considering the mobility the tank gets, capable of shrugging off any standard ammunition from all but tank destroyers and most Premium rounds when pointing the pike nose directly at the enemy. Its mobility is fantastic considering the armor it gets – a top speed of 59 km/h allows the IS-7 to bomb it down inclines to pursue fleeing tanks like most could only dream of.
No other tank does what the IS-7 does better than the IS-7. Even post-3 mark I’ll often take the tank out – and that’s without mentioning the upcoming significant buffs in Update 9.20.
WZ-111 5A
A newcomer in Patch 9.19.1, the WZ-111 5A primarily competes with its brother the 113. Both are very competitive tanks with varying strengths, the 113 gaining a hull armor advantage along with smaller cupolas, but the WZ’s are more significant in my opinion. Its DPM is on par with the 113’s, but it packs a 130mm unlike the 113’s 122mm. This means that not only does it trade far more effectively, but its effective DPM is higher as it hits harder whenever it’s able to fire (and, obviously, you’re not firing 100% of the time so the higher alpha damage takes the cake). Not only this, but the WZ’s gun handling is actually superior to the 113’s too, despite the increase in calibre, meaning the gun is simply objectively better.
While the 113 does have the upper plate advantage, the WZ 5A has a surprisingly strong lower plate entirely unlike the 113 which, due to the current rarity of the tank, many players aren’t aware of, meaning you can often bait shots using this to your advantage. Other than that, the WZ shares the 113’s excellent mobility, and gains 7 degrees of frontal gun depression as well as side depression, whereas the 113 only receives 7 at the sides with the front being a lowly 5 degrees instead. This allows the WZ to work ridges, dish out more damage, and shift around the battlefield far more effectively than any other Assault Heavy can.
T57 Heavy
The American Tank I probably have the biggest love-hate relationship with. The T57 Heavy has undoubtedly high potential with the highest DPM of any Heavy Tank in the game, combined with extreme burst damage at 1600 damage within a mere 6 seconds of firing your first shot. At close range the T57 is absolutely uncontested in its damage output – you can melt certain Tier 9s from full health with a single clip.
Then there’s all the downsides. Yes, every single other aspect of the tank. The mobility, while not Super Heavy levels, isn’t great. The top speed of 35.4 km/h leaves much to be desired compared to its competitors, and its traverse speeds are lack lustre. The armor profile isn’t quite as bad as something like the AMX 50 B, but considering you can penetrate the entire turret cheeks and lower plate armor with less than 200mm of penetration, it’s not good (not to mention the infamously poor US side armor). Its gun handling is worst in class too, with the dispersion soft stats creating the most disgustingly bad bloom you’ve ever seen.
Is the firepower really enough to carry all of these terrible aspects? Well, kind of. Providing you keep the engagements short range – medium range at an absolute maximum – the T57’s damage capabilities are truly outstanding. The number of times I’ve had someone accuse me of hacking once they pursue me due of the fact that I’ve reloaded a full magazine barely over 20 seconds after slamming 1600 damage into them is almost shocking. Just don’t stray any further than point-blank from your target.
That rounds off this list of my Top 9 Assault Heavies in World of Tanks. Are there any changes you’d make to this list? What are they and why?