WoT: The French Tech Tree

In this exclusive article, SeanPwnery, a Wargaming.net “Supertester”, looks at World of Tanks’ French Tech Tree. SeanPwnery started playing back in August with a goal of getting the German Maus as his Tier X tank. After getting the Maus, he started exploring all of the other tech trees in WoT. Of course, once the French branches became available, he dove into them like a hungry Parisienne on a baguette.

Here is SeanPwnery’s take on the French Tech Tree:

The French Tech Tree

What to consider before taking the plunge – by SeanPwnery

With the release of World of Tanks 7.1, WoT players have been given a taste of French haute-cuisine, armored-warfare-style. The French tech tree release was only a few weeks ago and is currently incomplete. Therefore, if you do decide to dive into French tanks, be aware that it will eventually lead you into a limited  “end game” because, as it stands, the road stops at only two tanks:  the Tier IX Bat Chatillon 25t and the Tier X AMX 50B Heavy.

Currently, the 7.1 release features a tech tree with only two branches:

• Light/Medium
• Medium/Heavy

You can see this branch in this figure:  WoT Preliminary French Tech Tree

Note that the full Tech Tree should actually look something like this: WoT French Tech Tree (full)

While the tree has not been fully fleshed out, there are a lot of interesting tanks to choose from. French equipment looks, feels and fights differently from the other three main WoT national armored vehicles. Here’s what you should know and consider before starting to grind French equipment, especially if you’re already well-established in one of the other three trees:

Autoloader Technology

Before the onset of WWII, the French were one of the most technologically advanced creators of Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV’s). Their innovation is clearly shown with the advent of the “revolver autoloader system”, which is featured in most of the post-war AMX-series of tanks (beyond Tier V). The autoloader is one of the most dramatic technological innovations brought about through the introduction of the French Tech Tree.

While the autoloader sounds like a world-beating feature, it actually is a double-edged sword (epee?). It only works well if you’re the type of player who loves using hit-and-run tactics. In a nutshell, you can lay waste to an enemy tank with the autoloader’s incredible rate of fire. Imagine firing four or six shot volleys with only 2.5-3 seconds ticking off between each round.   Once you’ve depleted the revolver, you will need to reload. Most of the Lights and Mediums get 6-shot autoloaders, heavies get 6 in lower calibers and 4 in the higher ones.

Tip: You do not need to completely empty the revolver to reload it, just press the “C” keybind and the revolver will empty and begin the reloading process. Like CoD-like titles, you do not lose the unused ammunition in the revolver but you now have an “uneven” amount of rounds left in total (your last reload could only be 2 or 3 shots since that’s all you had left, for instance).

Another Tip: Be sure to invest in a Gun-Laying Drive to speed up aim-time ten percent.

French tanks have no designated loader: there’s no room for one to sit in the diminutive turret (smaller turret-harder to hit and knock out the main gun). For this reason, the reload times for the revolver are PAINFULLY slow, so plan accordingly. When fighting, be sure to always give yourself at least one exit route, preferably two, just in case your primary needs to be abandoned due to heavy flanking. Load times vary between 35-50 seconds as far as I can tell. During this time, you’re basically a vulnerable and defenseless target. Use the buddy system and try to work with either another French tank to stagger shots to take up the slack during your reload. Even better, tag along with a Tank Destroyer (TD) to drive the final nail in the target’s coffin.

Lower Tiers

The French tanks in the upper tiers rely on their speed and maneuverability to achieve combat success. This is NOT the case in the first four tiers. You have to remember that most tanks in the lower tiers are also some of the oldest models (pre-war or early WWII variations). Most of the tanks of this period were considered “Infantry support tanks,” which as the war waged on, proved to be an obsolete role for the tank, especially when facing the advent of machines like the Wehrmacht’s Henschel Tiger (Tiger I in the German Heavy Tree) and its superior firepower and armor.

The lower-tiered medium and heavies are well-armored against like-tiered tanks. Their smooth contours (as found in the AMX40) or the angled armor (as seen in the AMX38) give them an incredible defensive advantage against other tanks in the same tier. Trying to kill an AMX40 with another AMX40 is a lot like the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. It can be done, but it’s really not economically viable, considering how you’ll have to unload most of your ammo just to kill one tank. Generally, I leave these low-tiered French tanks to the lower tiered TD’s to make short work of them or let the artillery have a field day with them.

Tip: Help out your arty by “tracking” the French tanks (aim for their tracks) and leaving them vulnerable sitting ducks for the SPGs.

These tanks are also very slow. You should really plan ahead on where you want to position yourself and calculate where you want to be at what time.  The word “rush” did not appear in the French tank-designer’s vocabulary. Patience will be your watchword as these lower-tiered tanks will get there eventually.

Heavies

Contrary to what anyone tells you, the French Heavies are not brawlers.

Let’s look at an example. While it may not be good in a toe-to-toe fight, the French Heavy AMX 50-120, is fast. The ’50 is the Stiletto knife of tanks. It’ll get in there quickly, cut the enemy to shreds and then disappear in a flash. Up against a Tier X Maus,  the French tank will fire off its load before the German can even begin turning its turret to engage.

Tip: As I said, these tanks do not take punishment well. Don’t try trading shots.

Armor – or lack thereof

In the post-war years, the French became enamored by Soviet tank design doctrine which favored slippery and speedy designs. You can see this manifested in the French trend toward powerful engines, angled or curved armor and resulting high rates of speed. Like the Soviets, the speed and maneuverability came at the cost of armor. For the French designs, this downside was even more obvious.

Higher-tiered tankers in the French tree are constantly teased about having armor made out of “hopes and dreams” (the AMX M4 1945, for instance).

Tip: Get in, wreak your havoc, and get out. French heavies make decent “snipers” at long range, and their speed also makes them very effective flankers. Jagdtigers can wreak havoc on French heavies, but then again, you can do equal damage to them with a well-executed flanking maneuver.

Gun Elevation/Depression

Gun Elevation and Depression is supposed to be the French Tree’s secret weapon. Many heavy AMX tanks have a hinged “casemate” design for elevation and depression, sounds good but it is frankly terrible. Most of the lower tier tanks do not have this so when you finally get into, say an AMX 12t for the first time, you may be in for a bit of shock. These “hinged” tanks will require you to really make use of the terrain to dial in your shots. Maps like El Halluf, with the huge downhill center valley, will drive you nuts. Try to keep this in mind and keep the enemy tank in as flat of an orientation to your tank as possible.

Tip: Try to avoid areas of the map with lots of elevation changes.

Where are the TD’s?

As there are no French Tank Destroyers or Artillery pieces yet in place, I can’t really comment on them. All I can say is, they’re coming. But, even as a SuperTester for Wargaming myself, I can’t tell you when.

Redefining Strategy

French tanks definitely do bring a completely new dynamic to what was considered the “norm” play style of the current map rotation. Having a Tier VII French light tank with the revolver and large caliber gun puts other Tier-V lights like the VK2801, Chaffee and the T-50-2 to shame. The French tanks’ speed and high rate of powerful fire have redefined how a map should be played. For example, the fast and hard hitting AMX 50 heavy tank will definitely make a presence on the Clan Wars conquest map, being such an effective flanking tank.

The upper-tier lights are like the current lights but on steroids. The ARL-44 feels like a proper mid-tier heavy tank, like you’d play in the German or US trees. The AMX 50-100, AMX 50-120 and AMX 50B give you the intoxicating speed and the firepower you wish you had in your King Tiger or T-29, but at the expense of ultimate armored security.

Either way, if you’re considering whether or not to take the plunge, chances are, there’s a tank somewhere in the current tree setup that will work for you.