War Thunder

War Thunder

47 ratings
US Premium Tank Guide (2024)
By Ozzy0 and 1 collaborators
In this guide we will go over all of the currently available squadron, gift and premium ground vehicles in the us techtree. All of the vehicles listed are currently be available on the Gaijin market, store or ingame.

All of the ratings are based on our personal opinions and experiences playing the vehicles on this list. We have listed some strengths and weaknesses of each vehicle so you guys can make up your mind if you want to buy it yourself.

All of the vehicles will also be rated on a 5 point scale based on their performance ingame, then we will let you guys know if we think that the vehicle(s) are worth the money.

We will be making guides for all of the other nations and techtrees in the game, that includes air, ground, naval and helicopters.

Feel free to leave feedback on this guide so we can improve it.
3
4
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Rank I




✔️Good mobility
✔️Good firepower
✔️Good starter vehicle
❌Poor survivability.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes








✔️Good survivability
✔️Good firepower
❌Poor mobility
❌Large target

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes, it’s free (TheRussianBadgers link)[warthunder.com]








✔️Good mobility
✔️Good firepower
✔️Has a 50.cal at a low br
❌Poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it’s too expensive on the market. It’s also available in the chinese techtree for free









✔️Good mobility
✔️Good firepower
✔️Good starter vehicle
❌Poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes.

Rank II




✔️Good mobility
✔️Good firepower
❌Poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, you’ll unlock the same tank after about 2 hours of play time.








✔️Good mobility
✔️Good firepower
❌Poor turret rotation speed
❌Poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, too expensive on the market.








✔️Good firepower
✔️Good armor
❌Poor mobility
❌Large Target

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, it’s fun but you can play the M3 Lee in the Tech Tree.








✔️Great firepower
❌Poor gun depression
❌Poor survivability
❌Poor mobility
❌Can get killed by machine guns

Rating ⭐
Worth it: No, too expensive and hard to use. It’s also available in the chinese techtree for free.








✔️Decent survivability
✔️Decent armor
✔️Good firepower
❌Slow reverse
❌No .50 cal

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes, Good vehicle for good price








✔️Great firepower
✔️Good survivability
✔️Great reload
❌Moderate mobility
❌No 50. Cal

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, it’s great fun but very expensive on the market.








✔️Decent firepower
✔️Decent mobility
✔️Decent survivability
❌Non premium
❌It’s another f*cking sherman

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No ,the tank itself is good but the grind for it in war thunder mobile is horrible.

Rank III




✔️Good mobility
✔️Good armor
✔️Good survivability
✔️Moderate firepower
❌Poor performance in an uptier

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes, it's a good tank at a fair price, just remember to play it like a support vehicle when you get uptiered








✔️Great mobility
✔️Good firepower
❌Poor survivability
❌Open top

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes, but do keep in mind that it need to be played as a flanker.








✔️Good Survivability
✔️Good armor
✔️Fast reload
✔️Moderate mobility
❌Poor firepower
❌Poor reverse

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes, If you like the M4A3E2 you will enjoy this. Also remember to play this like a support vehicle when in an uptier.








✔️Lots of F*cking rockets
✔️Decent mobility
❌Poor Survivability
❌Easily ammoracked

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, It's fun but way too expensive.

Rank IV




✔️Great mobility
✔️Great firepower
❌Poor survivability
❌Open top

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, It’s a good flanker with a good gun but it’s very expensive.








✔️Decent mobility
✔️stabilizer (only at low speeds)
❌Poor survivability
❌Poor armor
❌Poor firepower

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, there are better premiums around








✔️Rockets mounted on turret
✔️Good Firepower
✔️Moderate mobility
❌Poor armor
❌Poor survivability

Rating: ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, fun vehicle, but expensive and not very useful.








✔️Good mobility (Good reverse speed)
✔️Good firepower with HEATFS
❌Moderate survivability at best

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, the rewards are great but it’s unforgiving for the inexperienced player.








✔️Good survivability
✔️Great (front) armor
✔️Great firepower
✔️Tutel
❌Very poor mobility
❌Slow reload

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it’s slow and expensive








✔️Good survivability
✔️Good armor
✔️Great firepower
✔️Decent mobility
❌slow reload

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes! It’s a great premium but do wait for a sale to buy it.








✔️Good survivability
✔️Good armor
✔️Decent firepower
✔️Decent mobility
❌Very slow reload

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it’s very expensive and the reload is a deal breaker.








✔️Decent mobility
✔️Great firepower
❌Slow reload
❌Poor armor
❌Poor survivability
❌Large target

Rating: ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, It’s very expensive and challenging to use for the average player.

Rank V





✔️Great mobility
✔️Good firepower
✔️Small target
❌Very Poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, it’s a fun vehicle but it’s also expensive and a tad bit difficult to learn.





GE Premium



✔️Decent firepower
✔️Good reload
❌Poor mobility
❌Poor armor
❌Poor survivability
❌High battle rating

Rating ⭐
Worth it: No, it’s a mediocre tank at way too high of a price point.









✔️Decent firepower
✔️Decent mobility
❌Poor armor
❌Poor survivability
❌Poor reload

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it’s basically an M48 with a slightly better gun.

Rank VI




✔️Great mobility
✔️Decent firepower
❌Very poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, It’s a fair premium but it’s a bit on the expensive side.





Gift Event Vehicle


✔️Decent armor
✔️Good survivability
✔️Decent firepower
❌Poor mobility

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it’s too expensive on the market. It’s also available in the Israeli techtree for free








✔️Decent armor
✔️Good survivability
✔️Good firepower
✔️Has Thermals
❌Poor mobility

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it’s too expensive on the market. It’s also available in the Israeli techtree for free.





Gift event vehicle


✔️Fast reload
✔️Decent ammunition
✔️Thermals
❌Poor mobility
❌Poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, to expensive on the market








✔️Decent mobility
✔️Decent ATGMS
✔️Can fire from cover
✔️wall-e
❌Poor survivability
❌Missiles can be detonated in the launcher

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes and No, it’s worth the grind but not the gold. It’s a bit difficult to play due to it’s limited usefulness but it’s still a fun vehicle.

Rank VII




✔️Excellent mobility
✔️Excellent thermals
✔️Good firepower
✔️Good Ammo
✔️Decent survivability
✔️No crew in the turret
❌Poor armor
❌Can get killed by machine guns
❌Large target

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Yes, it’s a good top tier premium to pick up if you like light tanks.





Gift Event Vehicle


✔️Decent Firepower
✔️Good penetration
✔️Decent thermals
❌Long reload
❌No gun elevation
❌Poor survivability

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, to expensive and really hard to use.





Gift Event Vehicle


✔️Excellent mobility
✔️Good firepower
✔️Good Ammo
✔️Decent survivability
✔️No crew in the turret
❌Poor thermals
❌Poor armor

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, It’s a fun vehicle but it’s not worth the price on the market.





Gift Event Vehicle


✔️Good mobility
✔️Good firepower
✔️Good gun depression
✔️Decent Ammo
❌Poor survivability
❌Poor armor
❌Poor thermals

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it might be a fun little light tank but it’s really not worth the cost.








✔️Great firepower
✔️Great ammo
✔️Good thermals
✔️Decent mobility
❌Poor armor
❌Poor survivability
❌High profile

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, it might have a powerful gun with a good shell but it’s way too expensive on the market.








✔️Decent turret armor
✔️Decent survivability
✔️Good firepower
✔️Great ammo
✔️Laser warning system
❌Poor mobility
❌Poor thermals

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: No, It’s expensive and you can play the same tank in the Israeli techtree for free.








✔️Good mobility
✔️Fast Reload
✔️Decent turret armor
❌Poor hull armor
❌OK-ish firepower

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: No, Buy the Click-bait instead if you really want a premium Abrams.








✔️Good Reload
✔️Good Firepower
✔️Good turret armor
❌Poor hull armor

Rating ⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, Copy of Tech Tree M1A1, good for making a lineup, worth unlocking for free but don’t waste the gold.








✔️Good Firepower
✔️Good Reload
✔️Decent Turret Armor
✔️APS (Active protection system)
✔️Lawn Chair on the turret
❌Poor hull armor

Rating ⭐⭐⭐
Worth it: Maybe, it’s a decent MBT but I would pick the M1128 Wolfpack instead.

Our recommendations
If you're planning to pick up and new shiny premium tank, here is our picks at each rank.









For rank 1 we would recommend the M3A1 due to it's good all around preformence and because it's included in the US starter pack[store.gaijin.net] for 5€. In the pack you get both the M3A1 and the P-36 aswell as 7 days of premium account time and 120k silver. In other words a great deal for the new player looking for a quick little boost.










For rank 2 we would recommend the M4A5 because of it's great mix of firepower, mobility and survivability making it a great choice for even the newest of players. It's a very forgiving vehicle because of it's trolly armor and for about 6€ worth of Golden Eagles it's an absolute steal.










For rank 3 we would recommend the T14, much like the M4A5 it's a very forgiving tank but it struggles against the german guns when you get uptiered. So we would recommend that you play this thing as a support vehicle if you know that you are uptiered. As for cost, it's still a very cheap only costing about 10€ worth of Golden Eagles.










For rank 4 we would strongly recommend the T29. It's an amazing vehicle and one of my (Empees0's) personal favorites out of all tanks in the whole game. It's got a fantastic gun with a doomsday round that nukes everything you face back in to the stoneage. Ontop of that it gets decent armor and mobility at it's BR so you'll be able to take a beating and dish one out. The only downside of this vehicle is the cost, at 40€ it starts to hurt the ol' wallet, so we'd recommend you pick this thing up when it's on sale.










For rank 5 we would honestly recommend that you don't buy anything at all but if you have to buy a rank 5 premium, we would recommend you get the T114. It's the best out of the bunch with it's small size, decent gun and alright mobility. Just keep in mind that it's an expensive premium that going to set you back about atleast 50€ due to the amount of gold needed to buy it.










For rank 6 we would recommend the XM1. It's a decent vehicle at it's br, just keep in mind that it's a very soft and squshy little think so we would recommend that you flank with it due to it's somewhat poor firepower or stay around your teammates as a support vehicle. This tank is one of the more expensive premiums on this list that you can buy in the store[store.gaijin.net]. It's going to set you back about 60€ so we'd advise you to wait for a sale or spend your money on some Golden Eagles so you can get the M1128 Wolfpack[wiki.warthunder.com]











For rank 7 of the us ground tree we would recommend the M1128 Wolfpack. It's a fantastic "little" tank with good firepower and mobility, it's also got surprisingly good survivability against APFSDS rounds due to it basicly being a large empty box and because of the unmanned turret. It's also gets an autoloader with 9 shots ready to fire and 9 more stored in the back. Just keep in mind that once the first 9 rounds are gone you'll need to wait for them to get reloaded, and that can take quite a while. Remember to use this tank as a flanker and try to keep your hull down whenever you can. This thing will set you back about 50€ worth of Golden Eagles so due wait for the ingame sale on GE vehicles before you pick it up.

5 Comments
ZombieWolf2113 7 Apr, 2024 @ 7:39am 
this is really good how do i find the others you've made?
Pancake 6 Apr, 2024 @ 9:16am 
Great guide! Though, I wanted to point out that the Merkava 3D (Raam Segol) is only available as pack premium in the Israeli tree. The 3B and 3C are part of the regular tech tree and are quite similar though. :steamthumbsup:
Brock 14 Feb, 2024 @ 10:48pm 
i love the tutel addition
Empees0  [author] 12 Feb, 2024 @ 8:12am 
✔️wall-e has been added
gojag706 10 Feb, 2024 @ 8:28am 
M901 is absolutely worth it. Ignoring the fact that you can get a kill across the map by pointing and clicking, you can poke the turret over a slope without exposing crew and the repair for it is only 9 seconds.

also add
✔️wall-e