Overview
After reaching rank 3, tanks start to hit the battlefield in a big way, obliterating any unprepared infantry in their path. Learning which weapons to use against tanks and how to use them effectively can turn tanks into armoured coffins.
Introduction
Until you hit tier 2, you rarely to never deal with any vehicles more imposing than a jeep or kubelwagen. You get accustomed to playing as infantry, against infantry. The first few times you get thrown into battles with tanks can be a nightmare, because most infantry are grossly unprepared. I sure was. When you get past those encounters, you’ll realize that you need a strategy to deal with tanks. That’s where this guide comes in.
Things Not to Do
Use Grenades
It only seems logical that explosives are good for destroying tanks. Indeed, in many older games a few grenades were sufficient to destroy even the most heavily armoured machines. So, most of us will try to take out a bothersome Sherman or panzer with a few of our standard grenades the first time we get the opportunity. Unfortunately, most grenades simply aren’t meant for destroying vehicles. The American MK II, Soviet RGD 33, and German stielhandgranate – with or without the frag sleeve – are anti-personnel weapons. They can tear up your enemies on foot and do a number on light vehicles, but against a tank they are going to accomplish nothing. In fact, they’ll do worse than nothing: at best they’ll notify the tank driver to the presence of nearby enemies. At worst, you’ll kill team mates who actually might have been able to destroy the tank and you’ll notify the tank driver of nearby enemies. Destroying a tank requires anti-tank weapons.
Stand On the Tank
Jumping on top of an enemy tank can make you effectively invisible to the driver, and put you out of its weapons reach. It also means that your team mates can’t destroy the tank without killing or at least wounding you, so some people will hold their fire. Congratulations, you’ve actively contributed to keeping an enemy tank in one piece.
Armour and Ensuring Penetration
It isn’t always enough to hit a tank, sometimes it can be frustrating to see shots from a panzerfaust bounce off of the target. Here’s a few things to keep in mind to ensure your attacks penetrate your enemy’s armour.
Armour Thickness
A tank’s armour isn’t the same thickness over the entire thing. If you want exact notes on the thickness of a tank’s various plates, you can consult the wiki, but it’s doubtful that you’ll remember how thick each and every plate is on each and every vehicle. It’s just too much to remember when you’re getting shot at. The basics are that the armour is strongest at the front, and weakest in the back and top. The sides tend to be noticeably stronger than the back, but less than the front. Therefore shots to the side are preferable to frontal hits, but not as good as a hit to the rear or top. Light tanks are so lightly protected that this usually doesn’t matter, but with mediums and especially heavies it is a necessity. Aiming for these weak points is critical with most weapons, though anti-tank mines and the H3 have such excellent penetration that it practically never matters.
Armour Slope
As important as thickness, the slope of the enemy’s armour in relation to your attack can be critical. Some vehicles have highly sloped armour, or maybe you’re shooting from an angle, but it can cause hits to bounce off ineffectually. For best results, try to get your attack to hit as perpendicular to the plate as possible. In some cases, this can be more important than armour thickness. This problem affects weapons that are at least partially reliant on impact to do damage, like RPGs and panzerfausts. Grenades and mines are largely unaffected.
Range
Much like angle, range can take the impact out of your hit. When using RPGs, panzerfausts, the anti-tank rifle or anything else that needs a heavy impact to pierce the armour, longer ranges will hurt your chances of pentrating armour greatly, so you might want to get as close as is reasonably practical before firing. Again, this is no issue for grenades and mines as long as you’re close enough to hit it.
RPGs
After getting getting crushed by tanks the first few times I played, I decided that I needed to shift focus to playing anti tank, and RPGs seemed like the best way to do that, so I quickly outfitted myself with a panzerschreck with two ammo pouches and a C96 pistol. It was not an especially effective load out against infantry, but I could finally strike back against my armoured oppressors. It was fun to play, and I’d probably still have a soldier with this if it weren’t for the unforeseen drawbacks of the RPG.
The German panzerschreck and American bazooka are both RPGs, and in terms of game play are practically identical. The RPG is unlocked with the infantry assault badge. RPGs use four equipment points to equip, plus ammo pouches. Since each ammo pouch only contains three rockets, anyone specializing in anti-tank to the point of using an RPG is going to need 2 pouches, or end up chained to a supply crate. This leaves too few equipment points available for an SMG, though cutting back to one ammo pouch can leave enough points for a rifle (bolt-action or semi-auto) with one ammo pouch. With two pouches, the only real option for fighting enemy infantry is a pistol, though scavenging guns from the dead can help as well.
The biggest advantage RPGs have over most other anti-tank weapons is range. While most things capable of damaging a tank require close range use, the RPG can be used from a considerable distance. RPGs feature sights adjustable in 50 meter increments, up to 150m. While landing these long range hits is possible, it can drastically reduce the chance of penetrating heavy armour, so closer range is preferable but not always necessary. It takes two to three penetrating hits to destroy a tank.
If the encumbrance of the RPG doesn’t sound like a big problem to you, there’s still another major problem with the RPG: cost to use. When I had switched to using a panzerschreck, I was pretty good at destroying enemy tanks. I didn’t miss much, and most shots penetrated the armour. Overall, I wasn’t wasting many rockets, but eventually I noticed that using the panzerschreck was losing me all of my money. It turns out that the reward for destroying an enemy tank is substantially lower than the cost of the rockets needed to destroy it, so my endeavours were making me poor. Unless reserved for a back-up soldier when you absolutely have to destroy tanks without getting close, or you feel like spending gold (and by extension, real money) to keep stocked on rockets, the RPG is not an anti-tank measure I can recommend.
Anti-Tank Rifle
Rather than having a unique RPG as the Americans and Germans do, Soviets have access to an anti-tank rifle, a powerful weapon that is an exception to the rule of tanks being immune to bullets… sort of.
The anti-tank rifle is a single shot bolt action rifle that fires massive armour piercing bullets. These bullets are sufficient to kill infantry in a single shot to the torso, and are substantially better at damaging vehicles than most other small arms in game. Not that the anti–tank rifle is small, its extremely long and is so cumbersome it cannot be hip fired at all. One must be careful using it, as the excessive length sticks out like a sore thumb, often serving to give away your position. Unlike most rifles, the PTRD takes 6 equipment points plus ammo – the same as a light machine gun. Since each ammo pouch contains a mere 9 bullets, it is advisable to take 2 pouches for a total of 19 shots.
The PTRD is a slow firing weapon – it has to reload after every shot, and the reload is not exactly quick. The fast reload badge will greatly increase your fire rate, but unfortunately it is lo longer tied to using bolt action rifles. Unless you already have it you’ll need to use an SMG to raise it. It is even more essential to aim for a tank’s weakest armour when using a PTRD than it is with other anti-tank weapons.
Because of this, it is mostly used as sort of a sniper for anti-personnel use, though once unlocked and properly outfitted a more standard bolt-action rifle will outclass it in this role. Where the anti-tank rifle shines is in use as an anti-materiel rifle: jeeps, kubelwagens and even halftracks will easily fall victim to a PTRD in the hands of a skilled user.
Anti-Tank Mines
Anti-tank mines are extremely effective for destroying tanks and other vehicles, but have more potential for friendly fire than most other anti-tank weapons. The Soviet, American, and German mines are all practically the same, the only differences are cosmetic, and that using foreign mines will cost you a little extra. The cosmetic differences can have a slight impact though, since some mines may be more noticeable in certain locations.
Anti-tank mines require three equipment points, but only give two mines. The “Dynamite Lover” badge is useful for entering battle with more mines. Mines do enough damage to destroy any vehicle unfortunate to trigger one, making them extremely effective. When a mine is placed, any nearby allies will see an icon warning them of the mine’s location. Even so, fast vehicles like motorcycles may not get enough warning to brake or turn in time to avoid the mine, so it’s best to warn team mates if you’ve placed mines somewhere.
Place mines somewhere that is likely to see lots of traffic: a bridge or river ford, for example, and wait for an enemy vehicle to trigger it. Be careful when placing them, clustered mines will set each other off, so spacing them out will let you get the best use out of them. Mines are also visible, even to enemies, and can be conspicuous if left in the middle of a road. They are best hidden from view in some manner, such as placing one in a tuft of grass on the road or in the shallow ater of a river crossing. The American mine is taller than the others, so it is usually easier to notice. If an enemy notices your mines, they can drive around or trigger them remotely by shooting them or throwing a grenade.
It is lo longer possible to destroy tanks by placing a mine near it and shooting to detonate it. The mine will still explode but the tank will be undamaged.
Anti-Tank Grenades
All nationalities have access to different anti-tank grenades, and unlike the RPGs and mines they’re actually different. Soldiers of each nation can unlock the anti-tank grenades of other nations, though foreign grenades cost more and require more experience to unlock than they do for soldiers of that nation. Just like normal grenades, anti-tank grenades use two equipment points, though you carry three (one less than standard grenades). Unlike normal grenades, they aren’t particularly good weapons for clearing a room. Even so, they’re still explosives, and you don’t want to be next to one when it goes off.
The American (actually British) sticky grenades are on a timer once thrown, much like a more typical grenade. Where it differs is that it can actually damage tanks, and of course it sticks until it explodes. These are useful if it’s not quite feasible to get close enough to a tank to place a mine. They do substantially less damage than mines, so multiple grenades are definitely necessary if the tank is undamaged.
The Soviet RPG-43 isn’t sticky like the other grenades, and instead explodes on impact. Despite looking similar to anti-personnel stick grenades, they are not optimised for that use. They will still damage infantry, but the lethal blast radius is weak. Apart from exploding on impact, they are similar to the American sticky grenades in damage and use.
The last anti-tank grenade is the German Haftholladung H3. The H3 is quite different from the other grenades, and in many ways acts more like a mine. In fact, the game is (or at the very least has been) a little inconsistent in whether they refer to it as a mine or grenade. The H3 does nearly double the damage of the sticky grenade, making it a devastating weapon. Two of these are adequate to destroy any tank. A single H3 is adequate to destroy scout cars and half-tracks, and if you have the gold grenedier badge it will even destroy a light tank. The drawback, as compared to the other grenades, is that they have to be physically placed on the tank, rather than thrown, and run on a short timer once placed. This means you have little time to place your second mine and run before the first explodes, since they do have a lethal blast radius. This can be handy, as sometimes a perceptive tanker can notice the sound of mines being placed and bail out of the tank, only to be killed by the explosion anyway.
Important Badges
The grenadier badge increases the damage cause by grenades and mines by 5% per rank, whether anti-personel or anti-tank. This makes it useful for in a variety of situations. While the damage with mines is irrelevant to tank destruction (it only takes one anyway), it can reduce the number of anti-tank grenades needed to destroy a vehicle. Gold grenedier is enough to set fire to a light tank with a single H3, destroying it after a few moments. This badge does not affect damage dealt by other explosive weaponry, such as the bazooka or a tank shell. It is unlocked through the explosives ribbon.
The dynamite lover badge increases the number of mines and grenades that can be carried by 1 per rank. This affects both anti-personel and anti-tank varieties, but not the rockets for bazookas and panzerschreks. If you have more than one slot filled with explosives, such as carrying both anti-tank and anti-personel grenades, both stacks gain 1 grenade each per rank in this badge. It is unlocked through the explosives ribbon.
The iron fist badge is another excellent badge for those playing anti-tank. This badge increases damage done to tanks with all handheld weapons. Therefore, it applies to mines, grenades, panzerfausts, RPGs, and anti-tank rifles, but not to tank shells. If you have veteran membership and can use two badges, the damage bonus from this stacks with the damage bonus from grenadier. The bronze, silver, and gold badges increase damage done to tanks by 7.5%, 15%, and 25% respectively. It is unlocked through the chauffeur ribbon.
AA guns, Armour Piercing Ammo, Vehicle Crates, and the Humble Panzerfaust
Anti-aircraft guns can sometimes be useful for attacking tanks, if you can find a suitable one nearby. Unfortunately (for this purpose), most AA guns are surrounded by a low wall to afford some protection from low flying planes and ground based assault. Others are mounted on rooftops and are incapable of aiming down. However, there is at least one AA gun in the game that can have a reasonable field of fire to ground targets. AA guns can penetrate the armour of some light tanks, though heavier varieties will be impervious.
Many rifles and machine guns can use armour piercing ammunition. This ammo tends to be high damage, while taking penalties to range, accuracy, and stability. Machine guns are probably in the best position to make good use of it, as rifles tend to be too slow firing to get the necessary hits. Unfortunately, it will make using a machine gun obscenely expensive. Like using the anti-tank rifle, it’s critical to avoid angled shots and aim for weak points, and even then heavier tanks will remain mostly impervious. Armour piercing ammo is still very good for attacking lighter vehicles like half tracks and jeeps, or even planes.
Almost any vehicle spawned by players can have a crates attached to it. These come in three varieties: anti-tank, ammo, and medical crates. While medical crates are not directly useful for taking down tanks, the others are. I am a firm believer in putting crates on all vehicles possible, whether driving a jeep or a King Tiger. Crates are extremely inexpensive and can be huge benefit to yourself and to allies.
The ammo crate is easier to get than the anti-tank crates, and has more universal benefits. It acts the same as ammo crates found in maps, in that soldiers on foot can stop to replenish their ammo and supplies. Since few mines, grenades, or rockets can be carried at one time, this can suppliment your existing anti tank armament by replenishing depleted reserves.
The anti-tank supply crate spawns panzerfausts. Even if your soldier has no equipment points or equipment slots left to take an anti-tank weapon, putting one of these on your car gives you the ability to punch through armour as well. In addition to being found on weapon crates, panzerfausts are often found in crates in bases.
In use, the panzerfaust is like a shorter range single use RPG. The sights are still adjustable for range, but with smaller increments than the bazooka or panzerschreck. Firing from closer range is preferable to ensure accuracy and penetration. Like any other weapon that is picked up rather than part of your standard kit, it is dropped if you switch to a different weapon. Despite being a distinctly German weapon, the panzerfaust has been made available to all countries, likely due to the lack of a comparable weapon in allies’ arsenal.
I Don’t Have Any Anti-Tank Weapons. Now What?
I think all infantry should equip themselves with something to give themselves some anti-tank abilities, but sometimes despite our best efforts we simply run out of anti-tank weapons. You’ve used all of your mines, your car (and its supply crate) were stolen, and the tank with the panzerfausts on the back just got destroyed, but there’s an enemy tank just 25 meters away from where you’re hiding. What are you to do? Many people would pack it in and run away, and you can do that, but avoiding conflict isn’t what you’re playing Heroes & Generals for.
The first thing to do is to let your team mates know right where the tank is. A warning in chat helps, but spotting the tank is better. Despite the options available to infantry, the best thing for blowing up a tank is another tank. One of the biggest problems tank drivers face is that too few infantry take a moment to spot enemy tanks when they find them, and they can’t attack an enemy they can’t find.
Another possible solution is to wait patiently for an opportunity to kill the tank driver. A rare opportunity to shoot them is if the tank is damaged but the tanker thinks they’re out of immediate danger, and they get out to repair the tank.
Tank drivers have poor visibility inside the vehicle, so when out of obvious danger many stick their head up to better see their surroundings. When they do this, they are vulnerable to attack. Shooting the tank driver can be difficult, but if you succeed you have an opportunity to steal the tank. Once the tank is yours you’re free to rampage as you please, at least until you run into an enemy that knows how to destroy tanks.