IS-3 with M3 — Soviet heavy tank tier 8

IS-3 with M3 is a Tier 8 Soviet heavy tank. After its redesign and performance boost in patch 1.3, it sparkled with new colors and now it has become even more expected in the Shop than the well-known Defender. The reason for this is the unique mechanism for reloading shells, previously only Italian high-level medium tanks could boast of this, but now the IS-3 with M3 has received it.

Let's take a closer look at what this machine is like, features of gameplay and performance characteristics, and answer the main question - is it worth buying it?

TTX IS-3 with M3

Let's get acquainted with the characteristics of the tank in more detail against the background of the pumped IS-6, and is also comparable to two more level 8 drum TTs.

Firepower

As armament, the tank received a 122 mm gun with a one-time damage of 390 units and armor penetration with a base (sub-caliber) projectile of 221 mm. As a special projectile, cumulative with 270 mm of armor penetration.

Sub-calibers are distinguished by a high projectile flight speed, which will allow you to shoot more confidently on the move. But the speed of cumulatives is much lower, it is better to use them only at close range.

The aiming time is good at 2,8 seconds, but the accuracy is not at all pleasing at 0,44, so even at a medium distance it will be difficult to target the vulnerable areas of the enemy. The misfortune of Soviet tanks is the poor angle of the vertical declination of the gun -5 °, but it rises to + 19 °.

IS-3 with M3 is the only heavy tank in the game with an automatic reloaderwhich gives it certain advantages. Full reload is 45 seconds, and between shots 3 seconds. Potential damage per minute is about 1992 units, one of the maximum values ​​for a level 8 TT.

How the reloading system works on the IS-3 with the M3

Many players are familiar with similar mechanics on Italian tanks, here the situation is similar, but exactly the opposite. The IS-3 with M3 has a reverse loading mechanism, that is, each subsequent projectile takes longer to loadthan the previous one by 3 seconds: the first - 12 seconds, the second - 15 seconds, the third - 18 seconds. Therefore, in this situation, it is already unprofitable to wait for the drum to fully charge and play like a regular tank with a cyclic reload (this is exactly the tactic that is optimal for Italian CTs), because 18 seconds of reload is very long, so damage per minute will decrease significantly.

What is the best way to implement a drum

Approaching the enemy, you need to try to discharge all three projectiles at once with a potential damage of about 1170 units, but then there is no need to wait for the drum to be fully loaded, but it is better to continue the battle as a normal tank, playing from a cyclic reload (12 sec. pretty fast KD). This is precisely the strength of this tank, because having shot all the shells of the drum, it does not turn into a “whipping boy” (as happens with Italians or with conventional tanks with a drum), it remains at full combat readiness at any stage of the battle.

Vitality

The margin of safety is large 1550 units. The IS-3 with MZ has good hull armor with the legendary "pike nose" in the frontal projection, in the center of which, on the fold, there are two reinforced plates.

Due to the rational angles of inclination of the armor, this tank can sometimes unpleasantly surprise the same-level opponents. In addition, it has screens along the side that provide additional protection. A strong cast tower has become one of the trump cards, so you can tank through it if the enemy does not have an advantage in height. The roof of the tank protrudes slightly due to the plate, which in the reduction reaches 229 mm.

Other indicators

The mass of the vehicle is 49 tons, which, with a small specific power of 10,61 hp / t, still allows you to accelerate to 40 km / h, which is more than enough to get to the enemy. Dashing raids on the flank will not work, but the most important thing is to drive closer to the first line in order to reduce the distance for more accurate firing. Chassis turning speed 26 °/s. The review is typical for Soviet heavyweights of the 8th level of 350 meters, and the communication range is 720 meters.

Advantages and disadvantages

After a detailed acquaintance with the performance characteristics of the IS-3 with M3, we can name its strengths and weaknesses.

Advantages:

• the presence of a drum for reloading shells;
• frontal armor of the "pike nose" type;
• high flight speed of base projectiles;
• strong tower.

Disadvantages:

• mediocre dynamics;
• low view;
• overload of specializations of the commander;
• very low flight speed of gold shells.

Equipment selection

Installing additional modules will help reduce the impact of shortcomings or make it more comfortable to realize the advantages of the tank:

Crew training

The crew of the tank consists of three people, so some of the crew feel overloaded. The commander combines specialization with the radio operator and the loader, the gunner only with the loader, and only the mechanic-driver performs his role exclusively. We recommend the following set of skills:

Order of study and influence of skills

First of all, we study Repair for all crew , after which we reset the commander and set the Sixth Sense. Then it is better to move on to learning the skills depicted at level 3, because they are valid from the moment they are learned. When the experience is with a margin of 2,5 levels, then again you need to reset the skills to select the Battle Brotherhood, which only works with 100% mastery by all crew .

Now let's move on to profile skills. The combination of Smooth Ride and Smooth Turret Rotation will reduce the spread, which will allow you to more effectively implement damage from the drum. The Virtuoso will make the car more maneuverable, and the off-road King will help you gain maximum speed faster. Radio interception will add 10,5 meters to the view, and Eagle Eye 7 meters. The Sniper will increase the chance of critical damage to enemy modules, effectively if you empty the drum in the ammo or tanks, and the Proximity ammo rack will increase the durability of your own module.

Equipment selection

Here, first of all, you need to decide on your goals for the battle: farm silver or drag fights, improve statistics and upgrade your crew. To earn silver, you can get by with the usual equipment:

• small repair kit;
• small first aid kit;
• fire extinguisher (here it’s better not to save and set automatic, it will not only save more durability points, but also reduce the chance of arson by 15%).

If there is no tension with the game currency, then improved equipment will be more effective, which will also increase survivability. In the third slot, instead of a fire extinguisher, you can put a national dish Doppayek.

How to play IS-3 with M3

First, let's look at the final configuration of the tank, taking into the above recommendations:

The focus is on maximum efficiency in close combat, so the view is limited and you will have to rely more often on light from allies. The accuracy and mixing time became acceptable in order to discharge the drum without delay.

IS-3 with M3 has the same universality, for which many fell in love with Soviet heavyweights:

• successfully copes with the attack;
• in the middle of the list is effective as a tank;
• its potential is not reduced at all when holding the defense even against superior enemy forces (a drum of 3 shells can cool the ardor of the most daring).

In of dynamics, the IS-3 with M3 is slightly behind the pumped IS-3 and the "brothers" IS-6 and Ob.252U. Its low specific power will not allow it to develop maximum speed quickly enough for aggressive flank raids, so it will feel much more comfortable at close range as a breakthrough tank. It is in close combat that he will be able to prove himself from the best side. High DPM makes him one of the most dangerous opponents at level 8, and having charged his gold, he can effectively deal with any heavily armored opponent (including tanks of a higher level).

This tank is not suitable for sniping. For a duel at long distances, it will be ineffective for several reasons:

• the accuracy of the gun leaves much to be desired;
• basic sub-calibers lose armor penetration with distance;
• gold cumulatives have a very low flight speed.

Taking defensive positions, try to choose a place so as to hide the NLD as much as possible. The second option is to tank with the sides relying on screens, which can absorb damage from the shells of many guns. Proper positioning will ensure a longer survival of your vehicles, and give your allies more time to break through enemy positions.

Should I buy IS-3 with M3?

IS-3 with M3 offers an interesting gameplay, besides, the tank is very rare and few people can boast of having it in the Garage. After the APA TTX, the tank first went on sale in September 2019. Previously, it could only be obtained from New Year's boxes (at random, some were lucky).

Summary results

The IS-3 with the M3 is now one of the most desirable tanks, so the price is decent, and there are no discounts. He took over from the famous IS-3 strong armor, one-time damage and armor penetration, side screens. In addition, due to the recharging mechanism, it received a proprietary gameplay, which became its main feature.

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