War Thunder has a lot of choices when it comes to picking nations for Tanks. Here, we list and rank all the best nations for Tanks in War Thunder 2024.
When you hear military/war video games, the first thought that comes to your mind is first-person shooter and, occasionally, third-person. War Thunder stands out with its unique approach to war games. Focusing on realistic vehicular combat only, War Thunder dishes out a magnificent harmony of air, land, and sea combat and puts a strong focus on tactical gameplay.
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Furthermore, War Thunder hosts a huge array of choices when it comes to choosing your perfect vehicle, allowing all playstyles and roles to thrive.
For this guide, we will be listing and ranking the best nations for tanks in War Thunder so that you can pick the tank that is best for your reign of land destruction.
Best Tank Nations in War Thunder
War Thunder has 10 nations to play as Tanks. While some are very strong with their tank arsenal, some fall short, and you will just be wasting time. The options are from the USA, Germany, USSR, Great Britain, Sweden, China, Japan, Italy, and France.
10. Japan
Pros:
- Mid-BR Tanks have good cannons.
- Some Tanks are great.
Cons:
- Tanks have poor armor, especially in low-mid BR.
- Low BR tanks are some of the worst in the game.
- Tanks are slow
- Tanks are poorly armed in most cases.
- Tanks have a boxy shape, so they ricochet fewer shots.
- Mediocre Close Air Support.
- Very Tough Learning Curve.
Notable Tanks:
- Type 10
- Chi-Ri II
Starting with the worst, Japanese tanks have poor armor, which deters them from being in the front. However, they get access to good cannons up through mid-BR, making them suitable for a support role. Still, compared to the versatility that most other nations possess, Japan is by far the weakest of them when it comes to tanks.
9. France
Pros:
- Good Armor
- Has one of the most, if not the most, hard-to-destroy tanks in the game
- Good close air support, thanks to the American planes in their tech tree
- Tanks emphasize auto-loading, so you can fire off shots consecutively relatively quickly with certain tanks.
- Tanks have turrets, which makes it hard for enemies to exploit weak points
- Great selection of light tanks
- Tanks are versatile and support many different playstyles.
Cons:
- Inaccurate guns
- Native cannons on lower BR have poor penetration and poor damage after penetration
- Very limited ammo options
- Not a lot of tanks in low-mid BR.
- Low-tier tanks are very poor compared to those of other nations.
- There are no tanks between 3.7 and 4.7 BR except one Anti-Air Tank. Therefore, it is hard to progress in the mid-BR.
- Reload Speed after auto-loaded ammo runs out is horribly slow
Notable Tanks:
- AMX 13
- AMX 30
- M4 Sherman
- B1 Ter (Premium)
- AMX 30 Super (Premium)
French Tanks have great all-rounder tanks and some extremely scary tanks at high BRs. But they are held back by a lack of good options in low-mid BR, which repels some players. On the other hand, other better all-around options in this game offer more.
8. Italy
Pros:
- Very fast vehicles.
- Many advanced vehicles early in the tech tree.
- Great for capturing points and flanking due to their high mobility
- Good amount of American and German tanks in their tech tree.
- Excels in Urban maps thanks to a good number of wheeled vehicles.
- Mid-High BR has good close air support.
Cons:
- Limited effectiveness in the frontline due to their light armor.
- Lack of ammo options at low-mid BR.
- Their main vehicles are very fragile.
- Italy’s vehicles are poor in off-road situations as most of them are wheeled.
- Some higher BR tanks have mediocre armor penetration.
Notable Tanks:
- Ariete
- Semovente 105/25
- M26A4
Italian tanks offer some of the fastest vehicles in the game at the cost of having poor armor. Thus, this nation is suitable for those who like being glass cannons. Italian tanks excel in urban maps with many buildings and roads, bringing their flanking capabilities to the forefront.
While Italian tanks can be very deadly in the right hands, it does not allow the freedom of different playstyles that the nations ranked higher do. As such, Italian tank lineups tend to be one-dimensional.
7. Israel
Pros:
- Has one of four tanks that can oneshot with a hardkill Active Protection Systems
- Lower BR tanks have guided bombs
- Good mix of British and American tanks
- Tanks are fast
- Tanks like the Sho’t Kal Alef come equipped with features like stabilizers for firing on the move and night vision for improved performance in specific situations.
Cons:
- Lacks a viable light tank
- The best tanks have very slow reloads
- Not a single anti air option below 8.0 BR
- Extremely high repair costs
- Limited options at higher tiers
- Dominated by medium tanks
Notable Tanks:
- Merkava Mk.4M
- Sho’t Kal Alef
Israel is a newer nation in War Thunder and begins at Tier 4. However, you will need to reach rank III/IV on the US and the UK. Thus, while the Israel has some good options, it is simply not worth it to grind, especially due to the high repair costs, when compared to nations such as the Big 3 (US, Germany, USSR). Outside the Big 3. other nations offer more varied playstyles and diverse options when compared to Israel.
6. China
Pros:
- Ability to have both US and Soviet tanks in the same lineup.
- Combines the best tanks of the US and the USSR into one Tech Tree.
- Excellent Close Air Support.
- Extremely Beginner Friendly, as it has easy to use tanks from both the USA and the USSR.
Cons:
- Most of their tanks are copied from the US and USSR, therefore they lack uniqueness before reaching high BR.
- Most Top tier tanks are substantially weaker than the top tier tanks of other nations.
- High BR tanks lack ammo options.
Notable Tanks:
- ZTZ99-III
- T-34-85
- M48A1
China lacks any uniqueness when it comes to tanks. However, they have a few commendable tanks at the top tier. But the grind is not worth it. Moreover, their lineup is an exact copy of other Nations until you reach higher BRs.
That being said, China’s lineup is a combination of the strongest tanks that the USA and the USSR have to offer, giving the best of both worlds to players who can’t decide between the two superpowers. Therefore, the Chinese tech tree is one of the more versatile ones in the game. However, a lack of options, especially at High BRs, holds this nation back from being at the top tiers.
5. Sweden
Pros:
- Very early access to Sabot Rounds, which can penetrate nearly any tank in game quite easily
- Great Defensively, especially at high tiers.
- One of the best high-tier light tanks
Cons:
- Tough learning curve
- At Low-tier, tanks use the same cannon
- Does not have a diverse range of tanks
- The shapes of most Swedish tanks make them difficult to maneuver.
- Not very beginner-friendly
Notable Tanks:
- Stridsvagn 101
- CV-90120
Sweden is a prime choice for players who prefer to go defensive. This is not because Swedish tanks have very high defense. Rather, they have great speed and shot power with their limited but unique choices of tanks in their tech trees, which allows them to defend their weak points and flanks effectively.
Use Sweden’s tanks to ambush enemies, and perform deadly hit-and-run tactics. This is especially useful against heavier and slower tanks.
4. Great Britain
Pros:
- Great frontal armor
- Cannons fire relatively fast
- Very Good in defensive roles
- Has one of the best close-air support
- Early access to Sabot Rounds
- Good variety of tanks that fit different roles
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Most British Tanks are fairly slow and do not have enough armor to compensate
- Does not have very effective heavy tanks
- Slow Turret Reverse
Notable Tanks:
- Black Night
- Conway
- Vickers Mk.3
- Challenger_Mk.3
Great Britain has one of the largest tech trees in War Thunder. Therefore, it gives you different options to play with. But they often rely on solid shotshells, which means you need to have a good aim for the weakness if you want quick takedowns.
All in all Tanks of Great Britain has a lot of options to choose from, with a total of 88 tanks in their tech tree. They can be used for support, capturing positions, and other tactical advances. This also means they require a bit of grinding to get to the best tanks. Hence this is preferred more by experienced players of the game.
3. Germany
Pros:
- Some of the most accurate and highest-velocity guns
- Heavier tanks are deceptively fast
- Lots of Tank Destroyer options
- Lots of Medium and Heavy Tanks
- All Tanks are very versatile
- Great close air support
- Great armor
- Arguably the best optics in the game
- Great ammo options
- A lot of German tanks have an anti-air turret
Cons:
- No true light tanks beyond low tiers,
- Most German tanks are on the heavier side, therefore they lack the mobility of other nations
Notable Tanks:
- RU 251
- Waffentrager
- Leopard 2
- Maus
German tanks pack some of the heaviest punches in the game. Furthermore, their expanded research tree of 125 vehicles means you can always switch up your style and still dominate the battlefield. A prime example is the Tiger tanks.
The German lineup also offers powerful and large cannons that can one-shot enemies or at least deliver tremendous damage. No matter what size they are.
The downside of German armored vehicles is that their mid-tier lacks strong armor and is slower, which is compensated by higher maneuverability. Players also have to practice and learn how to position their tanks perfectly to ricochet enemy cannons and reduce damage taken. This is because of their slopeless shape. This takes a bit of practice.
Germany is a good choice for those who really want to live up to the ‘tank’ name.
2. USSR
Pros:
- Best Armor out of the Big 3 (USA, USSR, Germany)
- Powerful cannons
- Has a Sloped Armor, which makes them hard to destroy from the front, especially at low tiers.
- Great Versatility
- The T-34 is the counterpart to the American Sherman but with more than two cannon options
- Decent Speed, especially for their Armor
- Can fill all sorts of roles
- Very good close air support
- Great for beginners
- Some of the best premium tanks
Cons:
- Very slow reloads, especially on tanks with large cannons
- Tanks are not very accurate at long-range
- Tanks are quite sluggish
- Less crew than other nations
Notable Tanks:
- T-72AV (TURMS-T)
- T-34-85
- IT-1
- Object 120 (Premium)
- T-44 122 (Premium)
Tanks of the USSR are aggressive, fast, and powerful, but most importantly, they will never fail you. The USSR’s tank tech tree offers tanks for all types of gameplay in a balanced way, and each of their armored vehicles excels at its purpose.
Anti-air, anti-tank, light, medium, heavy – you can ride them all. Their attacking options, as well as their defending and movement capabilities, allow you to excel in any situation, whether you’re defending a point, capturing a point, or even flanking enemies.
USSR’s all-around gameplay makes it a perfect choice for newbies.
1. USA
Pros:
- Good Armor
- Good Firepower
- Light Tanks are exceptionally mobile, while other tanks have decent mobility, too.
- Most tanks don’t have too many flaws
- Shermans usually have stabilizers that allows you to fire accurately at long ranges while moving.
- Tanks from mid-tier onwards have armor-piercing high explosive ammo.
- Lots of Light Tanks compared to other countries
- Mid Tier has a lot of Medium Tanks.
- Has overall great versatility.
- Best nation for beginners
Cons:
- No true heavy tanks in the low-mid tiers
- Higher tiers lack a good lineup of light tanks
Notable Tanks:
- M3A1 Stuart (USMC)
- M24
- T92
- M1 Abrams
- M1A2
US tanks give a lot of freedom to their players. Even at lower tiers, with their solid line-ups. Their balance lets you attack head-on or act as a great support to your teammates. Although USA tank tech trees require a lot of grinding, even lower-tier tanks can hold their own thanks to their considerable firepower and fast, agile movement.
Yes, both the USSR and the USA offer balanced gameplay, but some of the notable tanks the USA possesses take them up a notch. But honestly, you couldn’t go wrong with any of the Big 3, which are the USA, the USSR, and Germany.
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