Lets talk HeavyTank Troop Composition and Tactics!

[icebergler]

Heavy Tanks have been a interesting and fun troop, but not really useful for me until recently. I have finally found a method to dominate with them, that I thought I would share. Heavy Tanks are probably the most risky attack method, because they take the longest to train and cost the most oil. From what I can tell Romans and Germans are the best county to use Heavy Tanks. Romans extra troop size and Germans extra attack and quicker rally really play into the HT's strengths. As a Roman player I have experimented with a few troop combinations each with different trade offs.

• Strategy #1: Brute force the whole base with HTs, and use infantry 1 or two at a time to speed clean up. Use all three planes to kill defenders and anti-tanks. Time is the enemy here, so plan your route carefully. Troops: 5 HTs, rest infantry, 3 planes. Tactics: 2 heal, 2 protects, 1 sab. Strength: Usually only works when a base is somewhat open. Do not use on any base with lots of Anti-Tank enclosed walls.
• Strategy #2: Look for easy to kill Anti-Tank guns and use either air or quick tank attacks to destroy. Then clear a path for zeplin, once a path has been found, rally all troops to other side of base and attack base from two sides. HTs and infantry on one side, zeplin on other. Troops: 3/4 HTs, 2/3 Canon, the rest infantry. 1 plane, 1 zeppelin. Tactics: 2 heal, 1 protect, 1 sab, 1 betrail. Strength: Most flexible, can handle a medium mix of walled-in defenses.
• Strategy #3: Take out anti-tank and air-defense/towers first. Then attack from multiple angles, not using rally very often. The key here is to cover the whole base at once and rally to heal. Troops: 2 HTs, 3 canon, 2 Supply, 2-3 machine gun, the rest infantry/rifleman, 1 airship, 1 plane. Tactics: 3 sab, 1 protect, 1 betrail. Strength: Best for base with lots of walled in defenses.

Notes on using Tactics: Obviously tactics are costly and take a long time to renew, so the goal should always be to not use any. But the high cost of Heavy Tanks make the risk high enough that its usually better to use tactics rather then lose HTs. I use tactics in the following way:

Sabotage: Use only on castle with high lvl generals or on a anti-gun you can't take out by air and which would likely kill 1 or more HT.

Betrayal: Only when another Heavy Tank is a threat. But only use if you know you can take out the bunker quickly. There is usually a better way to take out bunkers, and if you anticipate a enemy Heavy Tank you can usually take it out with your own Heavy Tanks quickly.

Protect: Only if your Heavy Tanks are taking lots of damage and you know it will make the difference.

Heal: Just figured out how awesome this is recently. The 4% is a pulse, so 12 seconds of heal = 48% heal. This is my go to tactic with HTs.

General thoughts: I can usually take out 5-10 bases in a row without loosing 1 Heavy Tank, meaning I only have to train foot troops and canon. A Heavy Tank strategy is only really an option with splash damage and in my option the MKV2 upgrade. As far as I can tell the Armor and Weapon blessing don't affect factory troops so don't bother. You should pick one of three type of bases to attack and then choose a Heavy Tank troop combo best for that type of base. #1 for open base, #2 for a mixed base, and #3 for lots of walled in defenses. I find the most success with #1, but there are not as many open base designs, and this combo is the most risky if the base is not open. Overall, running out of time is the most difficult part. Hope this helps any of you thinking about using Heavy Tanks!




Anyone else have a different strategy? What about for those who are not Roman or German?

 

[Max_imus]

Great post brother!
I use HT very often too and Im roman as you.I moving around 1000-1600 range medals, that means low.(MK2 and splash)
I use only 1 HT for the tanky purpouse (1HT,3artill,3healings, rest rifles) but also for the walls destruction. Usually using 1protect and 3 sabotage (plus blitzkrieg and gladiator 1 a day) and Im doing more than 5 attacks with this HT and my low experience.
My point is that I want to try a new army with more HT and your post was very useful! Any other tips for this low medal HT tactic?

PS: I have only 1 maxed barracks and 4 war tactics.

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

Very nice post ice, thanks, some quick notes:

1. As you say really good nations for use the HT are the Romans and the Germans. French can have a point too, because HT faster to make, and only 5 minutes under TB, but doesn't make that much sense, since we have UU regular tank, and the point of using HT is just that, avoiding losing them to retrain...
2. Armor and weapon blessings don't affect factory units, 100% tested (although really not making much sense, but...). Brandenbourg gate feels like a must for intensive Heavy Tank strategies, in my opinion, +20% attack to 5 Heavy Tanks >> +20% attack to 3 triplanes, although later not 100% useless...

So my capacity is 135 only, I was Roman before now French, and not yet MK2, though splash and 24 room, and this feel like options I have tried:

4 French UU Tank 20 Riflemen 4 Artillery 1 ht mk1 2 healers

I guess reducing healers make sense with HT, the idea as you say it's not to use tactics, as I aim for 10-15 attacks in an hour TB...

I thought about: 3 Heavy Tank MK2 + 7 Artillery + 3 triplanes? But feels a bit vulnerable the artillery.

With Romans what you say 5+infantry or even 6 , sounds interesting enough imo.

 

[Ravenlord]

I thought about: 3 Heavy Tank MK2 + 7 Artillery + 3 triplanes? But feels a bit vulnerable the artillery.

With Romans what you say 5+infantry or even 6 , sounds interesting enough imo.

The romans are big enough that you can have a bit of everything. Your combo is fine but with 3 HT you can afford 1 or 2 less artillery and cover them with archer support or triplane support - the HT's can look after themselves. And if you find they're too independent and do their own thing just drop one and get a couple of regular, more predictable, tanks. I also have an extra 5 infantry for that last minute cleanup or a pesky tower in the way of my Zep.

And as Icy said, the more HTs you have the more open bases you want to hit - plenty of them between 1000 - 1400.

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

The romans are big enough that you can have a bit of everything. Your combo is fine but with 3 HT you can afford 1 or 2 less artillery and cover them with archer support or triplane support - the HT's can look after themselves. And if you find they're too independent and do their own thing just drop one and get a couple of regular, more predictable, tanks. I also have an extra 5 infantry for that last minute cleanup or a pesky tower in the way of my Zep.

And as Icy said, the more HTs you have the more open bases you want to hit - plenty of them between 1000 - 1400.

I just want to recover army as fastest as possible, the idea is that no artillery or healer dies, because they are 2 minutes to retrain, where tanks are 49 seconds, I can retrain 6 of them faster than a single artillery...

So do you think a single HT will do?

1 HT 4 French Tank 3 Artillery 2 Healer 30 Riflemen? Instead of my Classic: 6 French Tank 3 Artillery 3 Healer 27 Riflemen?

Adding 2 feels a bit complicated if still using regulars, but I imagine without healers, it could do:

2 HT 4 French 3 Artillery 20 Riflemen?

 

[Ravenlord]

'2 HT 4 French 3 Artillery 20 Riflemen''

Sounds like a great combo if you're Roman. If you're French I don't see the point of using the HTs when your regular tank is plenty powerful - even more so if you have Versailles - and you can have two regular tanks plus some shooters for the space of a HT. If I were French I would use regular tanks with extra arties and riflemen. But that's me.
(I don't use healers - if my riflemen die they're quicker and cheaper to replace).

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

'2 HT 4 French 3 Artillery 20 Riflemen''

Sounds like a great combo if you're Roman. If you're French I don't see the point of using the HTs when your regular tank is plenty powerful - even more so if you have Versailles - and you can have two regular tanks plus some shooters for the space of a HT. If I were French I would use regular tanks with extra arties and riflemen. But that's me.
(I don't use healers - if my riflemen die they're quicker and cheaper to replace).

Healers I can't yet get ride of them, I have tried, but it does not end well usually, sure, riflemen don't matter, 7s for a French... But the problem is if I lose the artilleries...

So that was my point using HT, as they go near the artilleries, to protect them...

Versailles does only aplly to barracks troops and not factory? Honestly, they effort hard in making factory units useless... lol

And another point of using HT, was using the factory for still faster training times, but sure will only apply when I lose the entire army, has to retrain, as a HT is 5 minutes, to take also only 5 minutes in the 3 barracks... But when army is ready, if attacking, the point is to retrain faster than 2 minutes, so loses the sense if I ever lose a HT... :S

Maybe gatlings is what I actually need! Lol, as we were discussing in the other thread...

7 French Tank 3 Artillery 30 Riflemen 2 Gatling ?

No healers. Target: attack and not lose artilleries, retrain time < 2 minutes.

 

[Ravenlord]

The reason I would rather use regular tanks if I was French is because the HT doesn't target defensive towers. A HT will shoot at a farm or mill rather than prioritise a cannon tower - and if a tower is next to him he'll take a few hits before he moves on - and sometimes will even head away from the tower if he has something else in his sights. A French tank - which is plenty powerful - will prioritise the towers and actively seek them out to destroy them or take the fire away from your arties or riflemen.
The HT is strong and will almost always come back alive so that's not really an issue - the issue is he's a dumb brute and often needs to be told what to prioritise.
Just try the HT to see if it works for you - one experiment is worth a thousand expert opinions .....

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

Yes Ravenlord, but you see, same issue that Gatlings. I have tried mk1, and although doesn't seem 100% useless, yes, feels weak in a French army.

But, how do I know if the mk2 will stand without upgrading it? Though maybe probably still, although the case is harder than gatlings/machine guns, mk1 to mk2 is a big upgrade, stats boost seems huge.

 

[Max_imus]

I hardly used HT before the splash + MK2 upgrade, now I dont know how to fight without it, tahts what I will tell you
Its true that Im not french so its hard say if those StChamonds are better choice...just try it, at least its a fun, the damage is brutal!

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

I'm soon getting my MK2 upgrade!! Already splash and 24 space, will tell you if I see room for it in my French army, and my experiences!

And about defense too, how are they in defense? What's it's better, artilleries, or a "real" mk2 heavy tank? I ask real, because it has splash damage if I'm wrong, bunker ones doesn't have too. A bit risky if the enemy has treason tactics, in that case is worst having it than artilleries?

 

[Brand Marrow]

congrats Aitor! I think artillery is better on defense, harder to betray. I didn't think I would use my heavy tanks for offense but now I always do, 4 tanks, 1 hvy, 3 trucks and 3 art, 20ish rifles. With brandenburg gate, hvy tank is murderous.

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

Brand Marrow

What civ are you Brand? You are French too?

But you have Brandenbourg , I really have not. Although I have Statue, so I use 3 triplanes, that can help clear the path of the Heavy Tank...

I'm starting to think that 1 MK2 is probably necessary in a balanced IA late army, helps you against defending tanks, generals, and other heavy, shall you not be able to betray it / destroy bunker first...

 

[Brand Marrow]

german nation, is good match for hvy tank since you can rally more often to direct it (not very smart, although now all of the other troops have also reached baseline IQ) see what you think, alot of folks give up on them because they take up so much space and with french tanks, the trade off might not be worth out, definitely a fun option though

 

[Max_imus]

Duhh again switched 2 HT for 1 HT yesterday when trying to climb high in medals, probably Im going to try more arty's. The slow motion and barbed wires really f*** me off three times(in 1 day) I lost my army due to not finishing last defense building lol!

TBH when you lose 2k of oil because not enough time you are going to be mad

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

Duhh again switched 2 HT for 1 HT yesterday when trying to climb high in medals, probably Im going to try more arty's. The slow motion and barbed wires really f*** me off three times(in 1 day) I lost my army due to not finishing last defense building lol!

TBH when you lose 2k of oil because not enough time you are going to be mad

Which league are you trying to climb too?

And yes,artillery feels really necessary for me, you don't have enough fire power if not for total destruction...

 

[icebergler]

I noticed many of you guys are using rifleman with HTs. I find that in general the HT splash damage is strong enough to take out all the defenders quickly, how do you guys use the rifleman as support?

 

[Brand Marrow]

The HT often gets separated from the main army or at least from the artillery, helps to have riflemen to defend artillery or other units (supply trucks) until the HT can be rallied back to help out. HT is also slow so sometimes its late to the rally party and other defenders need to step up.

 

[Aitor-NationsLeague]

Brand Maximus, you were right, this MK2 looks brutal, and it's a huge upgrade, seems a must before starting to think of using the tank, fully upgrade it...

 

[Max_imus]

I noticed many of you guys are using rifleman with HTs. I find that in general the HT splash damage is strong enough to take out all the defenders quickly, how do you guys use the rifleman as support?

Mainly what Brand said, it is so tanky that you dont have to rally because of it, so you need to have those rifles with the other part of army. And whats more,you need rifles to keep rolling those defenders down quickly, HT are sooo slow

@Aitor trying to Kingdom myself for a while , I have 4 more days because I build 3 long time buildings.