Getting Started in the Grind: War Thunder Rookie Guide

Welcome to War Thunder’s dirt-slinging, track-breaking chaos where one wrong angle gets you sent back to the hangar. This guide is for new players who want to stop being free kills and start clapping cheeks with style. Whether you’re rolling out in a Sherman, a Panzer, or a T-34, we’ll cover what you need to know—ammo types, positioning, nation picks, and how not to charge blindly into spawn like a headless BMP. Let’s get you started.
this can also apply on arcade players....no hate for you guys :3

It’s important to actually know your tank and nation, because War Thunder ground battle isn’t just about smashing buttons and hoping for the best.

• America:

Home of the Sherman and 50 cal. Simple, reliable, and definitely not the most fun you’ll ever have....but hey, at least it’s not a headache.

• Germany:

Thick armor, slow tanks,the only reason you want to grind this nation is to get you´r hands on the Tiger H1 and die in the start of the battle,or sing erika,yet,powerful canons but when you hit, it hurts.

• USSR:

Big guns, slow as molasses, but when they land, they land hard. Embrace the soviet bias,also.. gun depression so bad you’ll wonder why you’re still playing.





Honorable mentions? Britain’s got their weird mechanics, Japan’s a meme,china is copy and paste and Italy... well, Italy exist..play them if you want to embrace pain on a whole new level

Knowing your ammo type in War Thunder is the difference between a kill shot and a bounce that gets you clapped.

• APHE (Armor-Piercing High-Explosive)

"The Soviet special."
This round punches through armor and then explodes inside the tank like a piñata full of doom. Great for one-shotting. If your tank has it, use it. If the enemy has it, pray.

• AP (Armor-Piercing)

"Basic but gets the job done."
Goes in, doesn’t explode, but still wrecks modules and crew. Most early-game shells are like this. Don’t expect fireworks, just reliable pen.

• APCR (Armor-Piercing Composite Rigid)

"Zoom and bounce."
High velocity, great at punching flat armor—but absolutely hates angles and does no damage after pen. Basically a kinetic nerf dart.

• HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank)

"I ignore your armor...sometimes"
Doesn’t care about distance or armor thickness—just hits and pens. Great for spicy memes, but can be trashy against spaced armor or bushes pretending to be tanks.

• HE (High-Explosive)

-"kaboom?"
-"yes rico,kaboom"
Useless against tanks (unless you hit tracks or paper armor), but funny when used against open-top vehicles or planes landing where they shouldn’t.

• HESH (High-Explosive Squash Head)

"British cope round."
Hits the armor, creates spall inside, sometimes works... sometimes makes you uninstall. It’s complicated.

you´ll get the idea of it

• Light Tanks

Role: Scouts, flankers, sneaky bois.
What they do: Fast, no armor, good scouting abilities. Great for spotting enemies, flanking, and annoying the hell out of everyone. Just don’t get hit—seriously.

• Medium Tanks

Role: Jack-of-all-trades.
What they do: Decent armor, decent gun, decent speed. Great for learning the game. They can fight, move, and support without being specialized—aka, reliable.

• Heavy Tanks

Role: Tanky frontliners.
What they do: Big armor, big gun, big target. Designed to soak damage and return fire. Not always the fastest, but when they roll up, they demand respect.

• Tank Destroyers

Role: Snipers with anger issues.
What they do: No turret (usually), huge guns, paper armor. Sit back, aim carefully, and delete targets—unless someone flanks you, then it’s over.

• 
  
• SPAA (Self-Propelled Anti-Air)
  
  
  Role: The sky police.
  What they do: Shoot down planes, but also ruin light tanks’ day with high fire rates. If you're good, you’ll make enemy pilots cry. If not, you’ll still look cool firing tracers.
  
  
  

• First off,

know where you spawn and where the enemy spawns so you don’t run into their guns right off the bat. Control points are where the big fights happen, so try to get there first and control them. Don’t just drive around like a headless chicken, use cover—rocks, trees, buildings—anything to block those enemy shots. Also, high ground is your best friend. If you’re up on a hill, you have the advantage, so always look for spots where you can get that elevation. And lastly, don’t rush straight into the enemy. Look for side routes, get behind them, and surprise them. If you’re not sure about all this, just drive around and get to know the map. You’ll be a lot smarter when it’s time to fight.

Knowing where to shoot is just as important as knowing how to shoot. Every tank has weak spots, and aiming for them can make the difference between a bounce and a kill. Most tanks have soft spots around the ammo racks, driver’s hatch, and engine compartment. These are the spots that, when hit, can cause massive damage or destroy the tank outright. Turrets are generally weak around the base, where the armor isn’t as thick. Tracks are good for disabling tanks, but they don’t do much damage unless you hit the right spot. The rear and sides are usually the softest armor on most tanks, so if you’re flanking, aim there. APHE ammo is great for hitting these spots because it causes internal explosions that’ll wreck the tank from the inside.

If you're not sure, just keep shooting at the same spot until something explodes—tankers have their own “sweet spots,” but knowing the weak areas will speed up your grind.

i would highly recoomend the armor analyzer in War Thunder shows you the armor thickness of enemy and friendly tanks, helping you find weak spots and figure out where to shoot for maximum damage. It also lets you see how different ammo types perform on specific areas, so you can angle your tank or aim for weak points to improve your chances of survival and kills.

this is a basic understanding for war Thunder ground battles are chaotic, brutal, and somehow addicting. But once you understand your tank, your ammo, and your nation, you go from target dummy to battlefield menace. This guide won’t make you a god overnight, but it’ll definitely stop you from being free XP.

Im planning to go into more detail with guides in the future (if this guide gets sopport and help from you guys)

Don’t forget to favorite and like this guide,and leave some yummy steam points....pls...i beg you :3



Remember to grind for the snail