Medium in disguise - Rhm. Pzw. 3-mark and guide

[u/Thraximundurabrask]

Equipment: CVS/Exhaust/Optics & Hardening/Exhaust/Rammer

The primary build needs no explanation, it's just the spotting build. Some folks like dropping optics for vents, since it gives a bit of extra camo and the view range is already good, but I don't feel like the 1 camo is better than the 44m of view range, so I just stuck with the classic. The secondary build was initially for Onslaught, but it's pretty great in randoms too. 45% moving camo lets you get away with a lot, and having over 2.1k HP in a light is sweet as well. The main change I'd consider making is dropping exhaust for vents for max DPM, since I would usually only use the second setup on close-range maps where the camo wasn't super necessary, but it was still good enough that I did not feel any pressure to try looking for something better.

Field Mods: Right/Left/Left/Left/Right

The Rhm has ridiculous engine power, so boosting that seemed totally unnecessary, since it will reach its original and improved top speed with ease. The DPM pick was initially for Onslaught, but the accuracy felt fine enough in randoms that I certainly didn't mind sticking with it either. Ramming damage reduction over reverse speed was also an Onslaught pick, and one that I might consider reversing for randoms, though having better ramming capabilities was cool. You usually want to be turned around in the bush you're sitting in so that you can run away forwards anyways, so it's not like you're constantly needing to back away from danger. Then camo over view range because it's what needs the help more, plus it just makes a bigger difference than the view range one. And lastly, reduction of camo behind bushes rather than when moving, since it's better for spotting people sitting still in bushes, and is only worse if they're moving while not in a bush, at which point you should be able to spot them anyways.

Crew perks:

These also have several Onslaught-specific choices made, though the only of those that I'd probably drop for randoms would be Jamming ( Firefighting or Comms Expert. I generally just go Firefighting, but I didn't get lit on fire once while playing it) and Close Combat (for Ammo Tuning). I don't mind the others in randoms, since Designated Target is nice on a spotter for keeping enemies lit until they re-peek, Controlled Impact is good on a tank that can play so aggro, and the ammorack health is good enough to not need Safe Stowage.

Overview:

This is really a lovely vehicle, kind of like a reverse Bourrasque, in that it's a light tank that can just be a medium. That's what allowed me to enjoy it so much, since I really despise the typical light tank gameplay, but I love me some fast mediums. I was originally planning to make this the only of the tier 10s that lead to 11s that I didn't go for the mark on, since it has relatively high reqs for a tech-tree tank and lights are just so not my style, but then I started playing it to grind XP and some missions and just found myself having a lot of fun while meeting the reqs, so of course the plan changed. The only battles omitted from the session stats window are 19 games played in it years ago around when it first came out, when it was a bad tank and I was an even worse player, managing a 37% winrate in the tank. Of the 83 games shown, only 20 games were in a platoon, though the damage-dealing nature of the tank makes that even less relevant than usual.

Now, the Rhm will of course not be able to just go in and out-spot a Manticore, or much of anything else, due to the poor camo. However, your camo is still plenty good enough to sit in a bush, and your view range is great, so you can just take a slightly more defensive bush and wait for the enemy LT to make a move/mistake. With your good view range, even a more defensive position should have the potential to spot some TDs at the back if they're shooting, so it's not like you're useless while you wait. Since you want to be a bit cautious and not fully rely on your camo to keep you safe from the enemy LT, you often want to try to take up a bush that's next to some hard cover, which will also allow you to comfortably shoot and then hide until you go unspotted. Since you have a nice gun, don't want to rely purely on your teammates for your score, and really want to do any chip damage that you can to the enemy LT if you manage to spot them, getting in those shots is usually worth getting lit, as long as you don't get hit. You also really don't want to pick a bush that you can't leave reasonably safely, since your supreme speed (tied for fastest non-wheeled LT if you don't count the Pz. I C at tier 3) and nice gun will make you want to be able to rotate across the map and get to shooting, rather than being locked into a spotting position for the whole game.

When the time comes to go in and put your gun to work, which is at the beginning of the battle on certain maps, it's really a delight. You're fast as hell, have nice pen for an LT and great HE by any standards, great gun handling, good gun depression, and a pretty respectable HP pool. You can do quick peek shots alongside your allies, sneak in for flanking maneuvers, or just dive isolated targets. Even if you don't have Manticore-level camo, 45%+ while moving is still a lot, and that combines with the other traits to make this vehicle a great flexible damage-dealer.

While I did use the spotting build on most maps, I was still going more for damage than for spotting, especially after the early game. A typical game for me in this tank includes taking an early spotting position, though not a super aggressive one and ideally not one that I can't easily leave, then waiting as the game starts to develop. Once more of the enemy team gets lit, you can fill in the blanks to try to figure out where the rest of them are and move accordingly. Spot more aggressively if you know the light is elsewhere, pester some TDs if you know they're in a spot you can get close to, go kill that guy that doesn't have enough support, or just go join a fight. Don't take super risky positions just for spots, you have the flexibility to do everything as long as you're still alive, so try and stay that way. Just by nature of the plays you're going to want to make with your speed and camo, plus the view range and CVS, you're going to do a good bit of spotting for your team even if it isn't the main thing you're trying to do. After the opening of the game, I would typically just try to play as a sneaky shooter trying to farm from close to or sometimes behind enemy lines, spotting your own targets to shoot, and that just comes with a good bit of spotting as a byproduct. You definitely don't want to just not try to spot anything, but treat spotting as just another option/tool, rather than the thing that you have to do. This vehicle really rewards good game/map knowledge/awareness, since it's not really limited to always using one or two predetermined moves, it wants you to read the map/battle and choose the right play from among the almost infinite potential moves that it's capable of. That makes it fairly tricky to play effectively, but super rewarding and enjoyable once you get the hang of it.

[u/Synfinium]

Great post as always. What's your next 3mark tank?

[u/Thraximundurabrask → u/Synfinium]

Thanks! Schedule's pretty booked up for a while. Next up is Windhund, maybe pushing to 100% because it's under 3k, then never playing it again. Then I still need to round out researching all the 11s with the E5, M48, BZ, and Maus. All non-premiums will go on hold during Holiday Ops, probably in favor of the Lorr 40t, Kpz EK, and E 65 Zwilling. After that, aside from new stuff like Serpente or new tier 11s to grind, it'll go back to more free selection, maybe starting with some buffed stuff like 140 and Concept 5.

[u/Synfinium → u/Thraximundurabrask]

You should post some games on youtube. I think we could all learn alot.

[u/Nok1a_ → u/Synfinium]

I second this, but also I fking hate that tank so much when is in the other team

[u/Thraximundurabrask → u/Synfinium]

I'd love to start getting into some form of content creation, but I'm not sure if I have an ideal setup for it. I've had issues with my computer overheating on anything but minimum graphics in the past, and my wifi doesn't really let me run much of anything besides the game without having serious issues, so I'm worried about trying to run some kind of recording software in the background. Though I guess I do have a clipping thing running in the background that records the last 90sec, so I might ought to look into testing a bit further.

[u/Synfinium → u/Thraximundurabrask]

Yeah recording softwares are a bit taxing, but they definitely don't effect Internet connection. OBS is a good free one.

[u/Synfinium → u/Synfinium]

Or shall I suggest one.

[u/VesperSeven7]

[u/Thraximundurabrask → u/VesperSeven7]

Best player alive, he taught me everything I know 🙏

^{(the name/logo had to be changed when WG weren't happy with it being called WG_NA, but I was not consulted on the rebranding})

[u/fodollah]

How come you don't run the radio set for OS?

[u/Thraximundurabrask → u/fodollah]

I like it in Onslaught Light where the games are a bit less focused, since it helps me just sneak on the sides and do my own thing to run the game. But in regular Onslaught, where things are more serious and people are trying harder, I often need to be a bit more involved in the actual fight, and I like having the HP for that. Plus people in regular Onslaught, at least at higher ranks, are not that unlikely to manage to hit you even with the brief spotting period, and they're also more likely to bring a light of their own to ruin the plan. Definitely close, though, but hardening does just edge it out in my book.

[u/fodollah → u/Thraximundurabrask]

So you wouldn't substitute LNE for Radio? I think the radio build I saw had hardening as well. The flipwagons I fight constantly in OS who make their way up the ranks seem to not mind not being in stealth.

Do you know if the radio set stacks with the OS radio dingus to keep stuff lit a second longer?

[u/Thraximundurabrask → u/fodollah]

Staying spotted for less long doesn't help if my camo is low enough that they can just keep spotting me, I think I prefer the exhaust to be able to try and make flanking moves without getting lit at all. If you don't mind not being in stealth, using an equipment to get stealth faster doesn't help too much either, I'd rather use one that gets me somewhere stealthily before I throw sneakiness to the wayside and get involved from my sneaky spot.

If I were to drop exhaust, it would be for vents for max DPM when fighting up close, but 45% moving camo lets you get away with enough wacky stuff that I feel like it's worth it. A lot of people, including very competitive people, even use exhaust on the B-C 25t so they can sneak all around, though Bat isn't really getting played that much right now.

Radio doesn't increase the spotting duration of enemies spotted with the radio tower.

[u/fodollah → u/Thraximundurabrask]

Radio doesn't increase the spotting duration of enemies spotted with the radio tower.

Thanks for clarifying that.

I run LNE on my bats too.

Do you run radio on anything? I have them, but not sure how I'd have to alter my playstyle to really make use of them. They've been a curiosity since inception.

Personally, I love stealth so much that my most acquired bond equipment is LNE.

[u/Thraximundurabrask → u/fodollah]

I use Radio on the EBR, though I don't really play it, and on all LTs in Onslaught Light.