M46 Patton KR - Gameplay Guide
Commanders!
Today we are bringing yet another newcomer into the spotlight. Meet the M46 Patton KR, a new Tier VIII medium tank reinforcing the in-game armoured arsenal of the United States. The first thing that you notice about the vehicle is its original paint scheme making it look almost like a wild beast. This pattern was inspired by the paint schemes used extensively in Korea during the Fifties. Their job was to instil fear in the enemy soldiers, who were believed to be very superstitious. Whether or not it worked is up for debate.
What about the tank in the game, though? Does it have anything else to offer, other than some fancy camouflage? Let's find out!
Characteristics
| General | Gun 90 mm M3A1 |
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What equipment, consumables, and crew skills should you use?
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Unfortunately, the engine's 20% chance of catching fire when hit makes it very risky not to take any extinguishers into battle with you. However, if you like to take your chances and/or have trained your crew in the Firefighting skill, you may consider replacing the Automatic Fire Extinguisher with a Case of Cola to add an extra boost to the tank's overall performance. If you do though, please remember that this consumable needs to be replenished after each battle, which means 20,000added to the post-battle bill every time you roll out.
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| Commander |  |
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| Driver | |
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| Radio Operator | |
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| Loader | |
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Details and Gameplay
The latest addition to the Patton family is precisely what you would expect from an American medium tank: it's rather fast but not the fastest; it's rather nimble, but not up for the next slalom championship and its turret armour is rather reliable, but not in every situation - in short, it's an all-rounder or a jack-of-all-trades, if you will. Those of you who have followed the US medium tank line leading to the M48A1 Patton should be able to jump right in the right playstyle, as the M46 KR drives very similarly to the corresponding vehicles, especially the Pershing.
What distinguishes this tank, however, is its 90 mm gun. This piece of armament boasts rather good values in terms of alpha damage and accuracy, excellent penetration and rate of fire, and a manageable aiming time. The really good stuff, however, is the gun's vertical movement capabiities - the M46 Patton KR sports astonishing elevation and depression angles, which enable you to perform well on uneven and/ or hilly terrain.
How to use it in combat? Pretty much just like any other mid-to-high Tier American medium tank: provide support, execute attacks from the flank, hunt artillery, intercept enemy light tanks and scout when the circumstances allow it. Thanks to your rate of fire, you can be a valuable asset to any wolfpack (platoon of 2-3 medium tanks), but bear in mind that chances are high that you may lag a little behind if your platoon mates drive faster tanks. Use the terrain to your advantage as often as possible - thanks to your great gun depression, you can go hull-down very easily. Last but not least, don't be afraid to shoot blind where you suspect the enemy may be - you have the astonishing capacity to carry 70 shells, so in the vast majority of battles you won't have to worry about running low on ammo. On top of that, your shells are dirt-cheap, so wasting a couple on probing suspicious bushes won't be much of a financial burden to you, but can score you some extra damage and/ or put pressure on the enemy. Just remember that firing your gun temporarily compromises your concealment capabilities, so proceed with caution, lest the plan backfire.
Conclusion: The new Patton is a solid performer in its tier that can do everything any other standard US tank can - sometimes even more. It's versatile, quite mobile, has a reliable gun and, of course, enjoys all the benefits of being a Premium tank: more XP and credits per battle, elite status and it can accomodate any US medium tank crew of the standard 5-tanker layout without the necessity to retrain them first.
If you need a solid credit maker and a proper training platform for your American medium tank crews, the M46 Patton KR is the perfect option.
A jack-of-all-trades and a solid American medium that intimidates not only with the paint job!
