Our Favorite Tanks: Anfield, Zeven and Zoidbergenstein

Tankers! This time on Our Favorite Tanks it’s the turn of players from the NA server who, even if you’re not familiar with their respective Twitch and/or YouTube channels, you might recognize from the WGLNA. These guys play competitively and frequently share gameplay tips and such in their videos.

Anfield first played World of Tanks in 2011 after it was recommended to him by a friend. He headed straight up the German heavy line to get his hands on the E 100 which, almost 3,000 battles in it later, he still enjoys playing in a great deal. Everything Anfield does he likes to do well, and World of Tanks is no different; he has devoted a great deal of time to improving his tanking skills and now he’s the vice-captain of WGLNA team Noble. If you'd like to watch Anfield in action, be sure to check out his Twitch and YouTube channels.

Zeven has been playing team-based first-person shooters for a long time and got into World of Tanks when he joined some of his friends in the beta. He’s been playing ever since and, despite the fact that he doesn’t rate himself as the most accurate shooter or as the player with the fastest reactions times, he feels that he excels at these types of games because he’s good at getting himself into advantageous positions. Zeven regularly streams on Twitch and also posts helpful, narrated match replay videos on his YouTube channel.

Zoidbergenstein has been playing games competitively for about 11 years and has enjoyed some success not only with World of Tanks, but also with such games as Unreal Tournament, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Planetside 2 and a number of Battlefield titles. He got into World of Tanks about a year ago specifically to compete and now plays for eLevate BAE in the WGLNA. Zoidbergenstein has a Twitch channel and has recently taken to shoutcasting unbroadcasted WGLNA matches on YouTube.

There's no place Anfield would rather AMX 50 B.

First things first: What is your favorite tank and how long have you been playing with it?

Anfield: My E 100 has always typically been my favorite tank, but I often have tanks that act as sort of flavor of the month favorites. At the moment it would be the AMX 50 B, which has been my top favorite for eight months or so. To date I have over 1,350 battles in it; it's old, so I can't remember how long ago I got it.

Zeven: I have a lot of tanks that I enjoy playing, but currently my favorite tank is the M41 Walker Bulldog, which I have been playing since it was released in 0.9.3.

Zoidbergenstein: My favorite tank (outside the [Tank Rally mode's] Chaffee Sport which was the greatest thing ever) is the AMX 50 100 and it was the third tier eight tank I unlocked. I’ve amassed about 2000 battles in it and I absolutely love how it has the ability to burn down tanks so quickly with its six shell capacity.

Which upgrades/equipment/consumables do you roll with in this tank and why?

Anfield: For equipment I run the AMX 50 B with a Vertical Stabilizer, Improved Ventilation, and Coated Optics. You could run an Enhanced Gun Laying Drive over Optics, but frankly I prefer the increased view range over marginal increase in aim time with the new aim time buffs. For Consumables I run Premium Repair Kit/Med Kit and Rations (my favorite tanks get preferential financial treatment). My Ammo layout is 32 AP, 20 APCR, and 4 HE (for WT E100's).

Zeven: For random battles on the Bulldog I use Coated Optics, Vertical Stabilizer and Improved Ventilation for equipment.  I use an Automatic Fire Extinguisher, Small Repair Kit and a Small First Aid Kit for consumables. I use the autoloader over the single shot gun because I feel that the burst of the autoloader is more synergistic with the brawling role that the tank excels at.

Zoidbergenstein: When rolling in my 50 100 I use a fairly standard equipment loadout. I run a Vertical Stabilizer so that I can aim in on my target more efficiently during turret rotation and movement. The 20 percent bonus you get is really noticeable and I definitely wouldn’t run this tank without it. I also use an Enhanced Gun Laying Drive for 10 percent faster aiming. Like the Vertical Stabilizer, the bonus is fantastic and will simply make your tank better than one without it. My third equipment slot switches between Improved Ventilation for the crew bonus, Binocular Telescope, and Coated Optics. Which of these I choose to run is dependent on what I’m doing. If I’m pubbing I always use Improved Ventilation for the crew skill bonus because it allows me to get damage out faster and I usually let my teammates do the spotting. In WGLNA events however, sometimes the added benefit of vision on a 50 100 is worth more than the crew bonus so I’ll switch over to one of the other upgrades.

For my consumables I like to use the Small Repair Kit, Small Med Pack, and Automatic Fire Extinguisher. The reason I go with the Automatic Fire Extinguisher is it saves so much damage over time. Having it go off after one tick can be the difference between living an extra shot or dying the next time you get hit.

Zeven shows you how to roll through Westfield in your Bulldog.

How would you describe your play style?

Anfield: Usually I start a match in the 50 B with the intent of getting an early shot or clip off. I look for areas that I can get to quickly while the enemy is still positioning themselves and where there is little danger to myself. After that I look for distracted enemies that I can unload a clip into before they’re able to retaliate. I generally have a rule of not trading unless I can shoot three times for their one shot (assuming it’s a 400 or lower alpha gun). Tank Destroyers I avoid like the plague unless the game has developed enough that I can safely close the gap without a great deal of danger (trading with TDs is never a good idea). I can't do a great deal against focus I get from arty, other than camp behind the largest cover I can find.

Zeven: My playstyle in the Bulldog usually involves spotting tanks in the early game and then finding gaps where I can exploit weak flanks. Understanding where the enemy team has dispersed to is a powerful tool that you can use to your advantage if you know where to attack.

Zoidbergenstein: My play style in a 50 100 is really dependent on what I’m doing. My history with first-person shooters makes me way too aggressive for World of Tanks sometimes. If I’m pubbing and just having fun, you might see me aggressively charge into a group of low-HP tanks to just get some damage out. When I’m really trying to farm up the damage, I camp pretty hard in my 50 100. With six shells if you can sit behind a corner and track a tank coming in, especially with the slow firing tanks, they might get one shell off, but one shell compared to six is a pretty nice trade.

Are there any maps that you especially look forward to?

Anfield: Any map with no arty is a map I immediately look forward too; once you eliminate the random force that I can't defend or retaliate against I can be properly aggressive and really prepare to carry. For this reason I enjoy city maps a great deal because the amount of available cover rarely if ever leads to stagnation in gameplay. Fluid battles favor the 50 B as it can't break through on its own.

Zeven: The nice thing about the Bulldog with the autoloader is that there are no "bad" maps for it.  It can excel on open maps because the speed and camouflage allow it to be an effective scout/surfer.  It also can do well on alley or city maps if you find areas where you can flank effectively. For the Bulldog, my favorite "open" map to play is probably Prokhorovka and my favorite "city" map to play is probably Ensk.

Zoidbergenstein: My favorite map is Himmelsdorf for the 50 100. The 50 100 packs such a punch and is dangerously accurate on a map the size of Himmelsdorf. You can put out a lot of punish on tanks on the hill or stay low and burn down the tanks that push to your side. There are also a lot of buildings for you to run around while you wait for your reload to finish.

Zoigbergenstein offers tips on how to assault Siegfried Line in his AMX 50 100.

Any tips for tankers who might be climbing into your favorite tank for the first time?

Anfield: I would always recommend watching replays/videos/streams of the tank being played a high level, and if it's a stream such as mine, ask the streamer questions and be an active audience member, it's absolutely the best way to learn. As for what little I can type here, remember that positioning is probably the most vital skill in this game, knowing where to go and why, and when to retreat or push. The 50 B is one of the tanks where this has to be done extremely well, so think before you go to your favorite spot: Is this really viable in this tank and will I be able to fall back, and will I have enough support around me? Lastly, don't feel you always have to fully clip a tank out, just because you have four shots does not mean you have to use them all; sometimes it's better to take a shot or two and back off and force your reload before your target has a chance to turn his turret around and fire.

Zeven: The Bulldog is quick, fragile, and bursty (with a long reload).  My advice for new Bulldog players is simple. Have an entrance strategy and an exit strategy. Why are you attacking into this area and how are you going to do it?  How are you going to get out of the area if find yourself in a dire situation? Not knowing the answers to both of these questions can quickly lead to a charred wreck of a Bulldog.

Zoidbergenstein: I tell everyone this when they come watch me stream 50 100 play: You have six shells, so if you play not to take early damage and stay alive long enough for the aggressive tanks to get weeded out, you will win almost every 1v1 with ease. Rounds where you don’t get a lot of damage out with the 50 100 are usually because you got overly aggressive at the start and got burned down. The other advice for 50 100 players that a lot of other tanks don’t have to worry about is play for your reload. Know where you want to be and how you want to get there when you are going to be out of shells. Do both of these things and you will be hitting 2k+ damage a lot more often.

Thanks for your time!

What do you think of these tanks? Are you more inclined to try any of them now than you were at the top of the page? Are there any players that you'd like to see us feature next time? Let us know in the forums.