Conclusions

Updates 10 through 12 have completely changed the tanking scene. The standardization has removed the rage-inducing buggy hitboxes of ye olden days, and has introduced a much more rigid tank class structure. Despite this standardization, there do seem to be a number of exceptions to these rules which place certain side’s tanks above others.

Based on the data presented above, the German tanks have ousted the American tanks at the top of the food chain when it comes to the quality and performance of their tanks, with the Soviets remaining in dead last place. In the current iteration of the game, fuel can be quite scarce if it isn’t used properly in a match, and this means that the team who utilizes their first tank spawns the best will propel themselves into a fuel surplus while the other team is forced to take tanks of ever decreasing quality as the match progresses. This means that the tanks available to teams at the start of the match as well as the first heavies spawned on the field are the most important tanks, and their individual performances determine how the middle to late game will progress for the team and whether or not the tankers will have to go play infantry due to lack of fuel.

Given this fact, let’s look at how the different medium and heavy tanks compare to each other, starting with the dynamic between the Americans and Germans first. The American medium Sherman has a slight disadvantage versus the Panzer IV during the very first tank battle of the game because of the Panzer IV’s smaller profile, larger stockpile of ammunition, and better mobility, but it can go either way depending on the skill of the individual crews. When the first heavy tanks come into play, things take a massive nose-dive for the Allies. First, the first Panther (and indeed, every subsequent Panther) spawns a full 50 seconds faster than the “Jumbo” 76mm Sherman, and it’s faster top speed and mobility allow the Panther to set up in an optimal position and be ready for engagements well before the “Jumbo”. When the shells actually start flying, the Panther’s superior reload speed to the “Jumbo” 76mm allows it to win most engagements head to head, meaning that there is a significant weight towards German tanks in terms of armor superiority in the average game. On top of all of that, the Panthers’ greater mobility and protection versus AT rockets allow them to put immense pressure on American infantry positions including outposts and garrisons after they have mopped the floor with the American tanks.

As for the Soviets versus the Germans, the dynamic gets even more lopsided. The T-34/76 has a less penetrable turret and smaller body than the Panzer IV, which is a moderate advantage, but the real issue is the IS-1. The fact that the IS-1 can be penetrated by the Panzer IV in the front plate is a huge problem for the Soviet forces, and means that any IS-1s spawned in the early mid game are burdened not only with the danger of heavies and AT guns but also medium tanks and even AT rocketeers, making it much harder for them to beat all the odds and come out on top consistently. Toss in the same disadvantages described above regarding the Panther, and you have an armor balance significantly skewed towards the Germans. All in all, since the American tanks are better than the Soviet tanks, and the German tanks are better than the American tanks, my final rankings in the current iteration of Hell Let Loose are the Germans being by far the best, with the Americans second, and the Soviets last.