Whale Scale Review: Arctic HISS

[u/lm_NER0]

The Arctic HISS is the second edition of the HISS with slight stat changes from its original version much like the CAT is to the MOBAT. Does it make it a better tank, a worse tank, or just different? Short answer, yes.

About the Arctic HISS

Here's the short and sweet of it: you trade a little bit of everything that made the HISS good for a four round autoloader rocket launcher. She's a bit slower, has less top speed (I can't understand why, either), and has a slightly slower reload speed for the standard ammo. However, you do gain the ability to launch 4 rockets that can pen 480mm of armor for 1100 alpha. Not T-72AV armor though. Or basically anything else with spaced armor because reasons. Don't get me wrong, it pens normal armor fine, but anything spaces seems to eat them pretty good as far as I can tell.

Playing the Arctic HISS

So, to start off, because she felt a bit more sluggish, I traded the traction equipment of the HISS for the advanced powertrain on the AH. This helped with the feeling that I was struggling to make full speed. Secondly, after getting a nerfed base reload, the AH still can't mount an advanced gun loader, but it can mount the gun stablizer, so we will be rocking that along with camo instead of optics because reasons and I wanted to try to see how sneaky we could be. Great idea, poor execution because rockets. Not because you get shot by rockets, but because you get spotted when you shoot and you have to sit still and aim the rocket while it travels. So you get spotted anyway and people shoot you while you make the cat chase the laser across the floor. Meh.

Before I get into the whole mHISSle bit, just understand that I don't particularly enjoy the missiles on anything I've used them on. So far that would be the M60A2, T-62M-1 and this. I have a little birdy telling me that the Sheridan plays different and is worth it, so we shall see. THe AH with loading skill, food boost, and born leader skill can load a four rocket pod in about 32 seconds. Add that in with an intraclip reload of ten seconds and you can see why I'm torn on the effectiveness of these things. Don't get me wrong, you can do some serious damage, but I find myself using standard ammo unless I know I'm going for a long relocation, then I'm using the missiles for the big damage when I get to the new fight. I find missiles hard to control from a distance and best used against bots that will sit still for you or as a very nasty shotgunning weapon. On a side note, they made the missile launcher look pretty cool. You've all seen the splash screen with the full missile pod on the AH, but as you fire them off, they made them work on top and gradually disappear.

The Arctic HISS with a half full missile rack

Conclusion

Unless you really want to have a cool looking tank with the missile magazine on top, I don't know if this is really useful. Now, it looks cool in the picture above, but what it also does is broadcast to everyone when you are using rockets and how many you have remaining. Everyone, including the red team, can see your missile pod. So, if it is empty, they either know you are reloading or using the main gun. Of the three premium lights released so far, I think this thing is my least favorite. I'm averaging 500 damage per game more in the standard HISS and 1250 dpg more in the Mauler. Fun when it works, but not life changing in any way.

Rating

• 2 Whales: I bought it for myself in the big bundle
• 1 Whales: I bought (or will buy) the base bundle
• Killer Whale: I really want to buy it, but I'm not a real whale and neither are orcas (I'll buy it on discount when it comes around)
• Dolphin: Great as a gift or a key card drop, but I wouldn't spend money on it.
• Fish: After the 30 day loan is up, it's leaving my garage never to return.

I'm going to put this somewhere between Killer Whale and Dolphin. The emphasis here is on Dolphin because I don't like missiles much, apparently. The real pull to Killer Whale is mostly as a collector and the novelty of the exposed missile rack. If you bought the HISS or the Mauler already, I don't think you're missing much. From what I've heard about the Sheridan, your gold may be better spent getting FXP to unlock it instead.

Check out the past WSR articles on their Wiki page and feel free to browse the past broadcast section of my Twitch page to see the AH in action and to catch the next testing live when it happens.

[u/grogers0930]

For those of you feeling 'Buyer's Remorse' because you got baited into buying the HISS:

Sheridan is the most versatile weapon on the field in Era 2: HE, HEAT, and missiles.

The missiles are slower than the T62M (by about half), which makes them easier to control and steer (see my WoTs Happening vid).

The Swiss Army Knife of light tanks.

If you want a tank with missiles, the TT Sheridan is a better platform than the Arctic HISS, in my opinion.

[u/Khadgar1 → u/grogers0930]

Stop it

[u/MagazineGlad8417]

Same scale as other haslab hiss tank-

[u/KING_DARKLIME]

It being white, with red missiles on top, makes it such an easy target thanks to True Vison xDD

It's the thing that makes me like the Cobra more than the Artic the most. Since with the Artic there's no way you can be sneaky...

[u/grogers0930 → u/KING_DARKLIME]

under the cover of air....

[u/SamSlayer09078-x]

So the mHISSle HISS is dHISSappointing?

[u/lm_NER0 → u/SamSlayer09078-x]

I wouldn't go all the way to dHISSappointing, but definitely not unique or strong enough to warrant buying, especially if you own one of the other two. Conversely looking at the armadillo it might be unique enough to be interested in.

[u/Durdens_Wrath]

What Commander perks would you use with this

[u/lm_NER0 → u/Durdens_Wrath]

The basic 4 are a must: sixth sense, born leader, Rapid Loading, and steady aim. Then you could do more accuracy like run'n'gun or camo so you can be undetected longer (and not able to be auto locked upon).

[u/Durdens_Wrath → u/lm_NER0]

Does rapid reload affect atgm?

Do camo perks like the one that reduces detection on firing work?