I think everybody likes to exaggerate their age when they’re growing up, but World of Tanks has a really serious case of it: this week, it wants everybody to know that it’s nearly 8.9.
In truth, it’s not even 8.8 yet – that update’s due on Tuesday in Russia and Wednesday in the rest of Europe. But Wargaming.net are already looking beyond to their shiny new line of tank destroyers.
New to Tier IV is the Marder III, which plonks a long nozzle on the chassis of the pre-War Panzer 38(t):
Gun 7,5 cm PaK 40/3 L/46.
Slotted neatly into Tier V is the Pz.Sfl. IVc, better known as the Dicker Max for reasons I’m too frightened to research further:
Gun 8,8 cm FlaK 41 L/74.
Making itself known in Tier VI is the Nashorn, a lightly-armoured, highly visible destroyer capable of making a hole in the front of any Allied tank from long range. Sounds ready-balanced, then:
Gun 8,8 cm PaK 43 L/71
Reserving a parking space in Tier VII is the Sturer Emil. Only two were manufactured during the war: the first was destroyed, the second captured in Stalingrad with 22 kill notches painted on its barrel:
Gun 12,8 cm Kanone 40
Tier VIII is newly home to the Borsig Waffenträger, which looks like a better bath than a tank:
Gun 15 cm PaK L/29.5
The Waffenträger auf Pz. IV features a removable turret which doubles as a pill box, sez Wikipedia. All of its post is now redirected to Tier IX.
Gun 15 cm Pak L/38
Tier X, finally, has taken in the Waffentrager E-100 – which is either very large or very close:
Gun 15сm KwK44 L/38 with auto-loader (subject to change)
Which is your favourite self-propelled gun of this lot, then? Let’s have ourselves a pageant.