1: Just Aim for the Center

The vast majority of weak armor areas are near the direct center of the tank. Aiming center mass increases your hit rate, and you need to hit to kill in the first place. Aiming for weak areas away from the center of a moving target can result in a miss.

Aiming for weak spots should be reserved for when a target is stationary, at close range, when shooting for the middle is not working after several impacts, or if aiming for the weak spot wont cause precision issues (the tank is driving almost straight towards you, or is visually large enough from the firing distance that you can't miss).

2: Bailout Mechanics

The game currently has a bailout mechanic for shots that enter the fighting compartment but do not necessarily wipe out the crew. If someone in the tank has died, the next penetrating shot or two may cause the rest of them to abandon the vehicle even if they are not injured from the additional penetrating hits. This can be vital for defeating vehicles with safe ammo stowage like the M1 Abrams under some circumstances.

3: Ammunition Explosions

The vast majority of vehicles in the game will have ammunition in the same compartment as the crew. The crew will attempt to leave the vehicle if ammunition in the tank begins to burn, and if you cause a catastrophic chain detonation the tank will instantly become very dead. Learning where ammo is stowed in various tanks can make you far more lethal.

4: Priority Crew Targets

The crew of a tank fulfill certain functions that you may want to prioritize ceasing in certain situations.

Gunner:
Fires the main gun and coaxial machine gun. If the gunner is killed the tank will be abandoned. The gunner is always on the side of the tank with the main gun sight, this can be a helpful visual cue to remember if you forget which side of the turret a gunner is located. In manually loaded tanks the gunner is located in front of the commander, which can be located by the commander's cupola.

Driver:
Moves the tank around, they are in the hull of the tank at the front. In most cases in the direct center, but some are placed on the left or right. A tank can keep fighting with a dead driver but can be easily outmaneuvered or targeted by artillery.

Loader:
Loads the main gun, a dead loader means an extremely long delay between main gun shots. On some tanks they also have their own roof mounted machine gun (not yet in game)

Commander:
Currently they only spot targets and call them out with voice. You can turn the turret towards these spotted targets by holding space bar with commander's override, but they have other functions not yet added to the game such as firing heavy machine guns and sticking their heads out of the cupola to look with binoculars (you can currently use binoculars but are a ghost while doing this and you don't need the commander).

5: Priority Modules

Engine and Transmission:
The engine and transmission operating together with the tracks allow the vehicle to move, the engine also provides hydraulic power to the turret traverse mechanisms as well as electricity for fire control computers, laser rangefinders, and night vision devices.

While destroying the transmission or tracks will stop a tank from moving, destroying the engine will do this and also cause many other systems to go offline. Reducing a tank to hand cranking the turret can make it a much more approachable threat.

Gun Barrel and Gun Breech:
The main gun of the tank can be hit and disabled, which prevents its firing without killing crew.
Its nice when it works but its not something I would choose first as a target, damaging these modules is often inconsistent and unpredictable currently. These are often hit by aiming for center mass anyways.

Autoloader:
Some tanks have a machine loader instead of a human loader, damage of this mechanism causes long delays in loading.

The M1 Abrams was a massive leap in technology over the United State's previous MBT the M60. For the first time composite armor was introduced to an american tank, providing weight efficient protection against the deadly ATGMs and RPGs arrayed against it in Europe. Though the first version of the M1 can often be defeated by the brand new 125mm 3bm32 projectiles produced by the soviets in 1985, the improved turret of the M1IP increases kinetic protection from the front substantially.

The combination of new fire control technology, thermal imaging, survivability, and excellent mobility provides the United States with a tank that can do it all, either on the counter attack or in a defensive position. Facing the Abrams with anything less than the best the warsaw pact has to offer will often result in disaster without cunning and luck to make up the difference in capability. Arming yourself with the knowledge to defeat this tank will be vital to your survival.

Armor Technology

The M1 makes use of a special armor technology known as "chobham." This non explosive reactive armor, or NERA, is capable of extreme weight efficiency against shaped charges at the cost of an increase in volume over equivalent steel armor.

The armor functions by disrupting an attacking weapon with ceramics and spaced armor, which is then weak enough to be stopped by the thick backing plate. The protection against kinetic projectiles is also very strong, but it can still be defeated by the newest ammunition if the shooter is close enough.

Chobham coverage includes the front of the hull, the front of the turret, and the side of the turret.


Turret Face

-The turret front of the M1 abrams is immune to all shaped charge weapons it can face in game.

-The kinetic protection of the gunner's turret cheek and loader's turret cheek is inconsistent, with the loader's turret cheek being the weakest of the two.

-The protection of the turret cheeks and gun mantlet decreases near the top and bottom edge of the surface.

-The turret cheeks are weakest to kinetic weapons when hit from a perpendicular angle.



Turret Sides

-The turret sides block 73mm Grom, RPG-7V, 76mm HEAT-FS, and SPG-9 projectiles from flat on.

-The turrets sides can block 85mm APHE from flat on, but is defeated by 85mm APCR at 800m.

-When hit at a steep angle from the 30 degree frontal arc, the turret sides have a chance of blocking stronger threats such as ATGMs or HEAT-FS. The resistance to APFSDS at this same angle is far less impressive, and an angled shot to the turret sides can lead to penetration of the turret ammo racks.

Hull Front

-The hull composite array can defeat all shaped charge weapons it can face in game.

-The kinetic protection of the hull composite array can be effective against tungsten cored 115mm APFSDS, but will begin to struggle against 115mm 3bm28 which is depleted uranium. 125mm 3bm22 APFSDS begins to be effective, but 3bm26 and 3bm32 almost ignore this armor.

-The hull fuel tanks flanking the driver in combination with the hull composite can absorb hits from 3bm32, the strongest APFSDS in game. The loader's side fuel tank is slightly thinner and can be defeated by 3bm32 at 850m.

-The sloped upper plate of the M1 is angled at 83 degrees, which exceeds the ricochet and crush angle of most warsaw pact projectiles when impacted on level ground. Only ATGMs and 125mm HEAT-FS can fuse on and defeat this plate when firing level. This can be crucial when playing as east germany, since your 3bm15 APFSDS is ineffective against the composite armor of the M1.

Hull Sides

-The hull sides have heavy sideskirts, three from the front on the left side, and 4 from the front on the right side. These assist in blocking shaped charge weapons from the 30 degree frontal arc, but are ineffective with a flat on impact from the side. This coverage is meant to protect the hull ammo rack.

-The base side hull armor is thinner over the engine compartment than the crew compartment. In combination with the heavy side skirts, this armor is immune to 30mm AP even flat on. This changes if heavy side skirts are not present, in this case the side armor can be defeated out to 900m by 30mm AP.

Variants

The most numerous variant of the abrams in the setting of the game is the M1 (1979). This is the first production variant, and has strong protection against warsaw pact weapons that came before it. As advances in soviet APFSDS have been adopted, M1 tanks are being upgraded to the M1IP standard.
The much less common M1IP introduces a new turret with improved cheek armor designed to counter new armor piercing threats such as 125mm 3bm26 and 3bm32.

Ammo Layout


The ammunition in the Abrams is stored inside safe blow out compartments that vent any flames away from the crew in the event of an ammo fire or explosion. This can be countered by piercing the firewall between the ammo and crew, or penetrating the blast doors which open during the loading of the gun.

While the side turret armor is strong at an angle against shaped charges, it is relatively weak compared to the turret cheeks when impacted by APFSDS. Piercing the turret side with sabot while aiming for the turret ammo stowage is an almost guaranteed kill, as some of the flames will vent into the crew compartment and force the crew to abandon the vehicle.

If you are directly to the side and piercing the firewall isn't an option, you can always just shoot the turret ammo anyways. This prevents the loading of any new ammo from the ready rack and makes the Abrams a sitting duck, but it will still need to be finished off by other methods. Be careful, they might still have one in the gun ready to fire.

Armor Data

The penetration ranges shown below are the absolute maximum distance a defeat is possible, from level ground and straight on. If the impact is not perfectly aligned, defeats should only be expected at ranges below these numbers.

Since this is at the maximum penetration distance, the energy after penetration will be low and unlikely to defeat the ammunition stowage or engine compartment firewalls.



Frontal Weaknesses

Green areas lack composite armor, and can be defeated by shaped charge weapons such as ATGMs or HEAT-FS. Firing HEAT-FS or ATGMs at the drivers periscopes or the area under the gun mantlet is a great way to defeat the abrams if your APFSDS rounds are not up to the task.

The sloped upper front plate marked in blue is very difficult to beat since it is sloped at 83 degrees. If you manage to get a height advantage over the abrams, or the abrams is coming down a hill, this angle can decrease. This can sometimes allow weaker weapons to unexpectedly defeat the upper front plate. 125mm HEAT-FS and ATGMs can defeat this plate on level ground.

The gun mantlet has a layer of composite armor followed by a thick gun mount. It is very difficult to defeat this area compared to what war thunder players might be used to, and I don't usually aim for it due to its tendency to eat shots. Generally even with the high performing ammunition you can only defeat the gun mount where the gun breech is not behind it.

The armor will thin a bit towards the top and bottom edges of the gun mantlet, so weaker ammunition may unexpectedly penetrate here out to a greater distance than data suggests. If you are firing at an M1, the mantlet will be stronger than most of the turret cheek armor, while the inverse is true if firing at an M1IP.

The M60A1 Rise passive and M60A3 TTS make up the bulk of american forces in CENTAG during 1985. Forced to serve far longer than it was originally intended due to the cancellation of the MBT-70 program, its armor is obsolete against modern warsaw pact threats. Considering technological improvements on the M60A3 TTS with its advanced fire control and thermal imaging, even in 1985 the M60 should not be underestimated. With top of the line 105mm ammunition it can quickly kill you if you don't shoot first.

Main Protection Features:

The M60A1/A3 makes use of a steel armor scheme. The turret uses cast armored steel. This armor is effective against older threats prior to 115mm and 125mm guns. Due to the lack of composite armor it is unable to resist most shaped charges, which is the same as most tanks during the early cold war era of tank design.


The turret has a decent chance at deflecting hits that are not impacting a flat surface, but the armor itself is not usually capable of withstanding a direct hit. It can only be expected to consistently block old full caliber 100mm APCBC rounds and 85mm HVAP. Any sabot round, fin stabilized or not, has a decent chance of defeating the turret with a direct hit.

Weaker shaped charges such 76.2mm HEAT-FS and 73mm PG-15V have a chance to be defeated, but this is by a narrow margin if it happens at all. Usually a survival is due to a warhead hitting at a bad angle or crushing before it can fuse correctly.

The gun mantlet is the strongest armor of the M60's turret, but it's performance is very unpredictable due to complex interior geometry and varied thickness across the surface. 73mm grom is generally ineffective unless firing at the lower mantlet under the gun. 115mm HEAT-FS is the weakest shaped charge that is effective against the upper gun mantlet.

The front hull armor of the M60 consists of a Highly angled upper front plate and a less angled lower plate. The lower plate retains much of the thickness of the upper plate but the reduced sloping of this surface means it is far less effective against even low end ammunition.

The side hull armor of the M60 is thick enough to be completely resistant to 30mm AP at any range, though shots can slip through when they land above the sponsons and enter the raised engine deck, causing engine damage.


While the M60's ammo layout provides plentiful ready ammunition to defeat enemy attacks, it is stored in an unsafe manner. 20 rounds in the primary ready rack are stored above the turret ring behind the loader, and are very exposed.

The secondary ready rack is located under the turret ring on the left side of the turret. This moves as the turret rotates so if the turret is not facing the front of the tank, it may be somewhere unexpected. If you happen to forget which side of the tank the ready racks are located, just remember that they are on the opposite side of the turret from the commander's cupola.

On either side of the driver are the hull spare racks. These are easy targets when aiming for the hull from the side or front.

None of the ammo is stored in wet racks, and are therefore highly likely to catch on fire when an M60 takes a penetrating hit.


Distance to Defeat Main Armor:

The image below has information on the distance to defeat the main armor with various warsaw pact weapons. The turret armor is more difficult to get exact ranges for, and thus are displayed as estimates (this may change in the future).

The effectiveness of the hull armor can change depending on the vertical pitch of the tank to the shooter. The turret sides marked in blue can become far weaker if the turret it not directly facing the shooter, they really only provide protection when the turret is pointed directly at you.


While most ammunition can easily defeat the M60, a few spots stand out as especially weak. You can shoot for these when using inferior ammunition.

The turret ring is fairly weak and can be hit easily just by aiming for center mass.

The lower plate can't resist most kinetic rounds and there is ammo behind it on either side of the driver.

The turret roof can become vulnerable if the M60 is moving down hill or if you have a height advantage.

On the edge of the gun mantlet is a weakened zone that can sometimes be defeated by weaker ammo, but it is too small to be worth aiming for.

The commander's cupola is fairly weak, but it is currently difficult to cause serious damage by shooting at it. Note that 30mm from the BMP-2 can't penetrate the front of the cupola.

If the turret is not pointed directly towards you, the turret sides can be easily defeated. The turret sides rely heavily on angling to provide protection and an off axis attack can easily destroy the M60.

The Leopard 1 was the first main battle tank fully developed and manufactured by the Federal Republic of Germany, ending the complete reliance on tanks designed by their allies. Designed during the 1950s and 60s, the mass adoption of powerful shaped charge weapons seemed to hint at a future where the weight of steel required to defeat these new threats would become impractical for a modern war of maneuver. It was under these conditions that German designers chose to make a swift and well armed tank with just enough armor to defeat auto cannon fire and resist some older anti tank guns.

After the adoption of weight efficient composite armor designs by the soviets, and later by NATO, the leopard had been left behind by new breakthroughs in armor technology. Unless you are using legacy weapons such as 85mm or 76.2mm, the leopard 1 will be easy prey if you can land a solid hit. While many leopards will be firing older APDS ammunition, tanks equipped with new DM23 APFSDS will be able to punch above their weight, so don't let them get the first hit.

Main Protection Features

The leopard is an older generation tank with relatively weak steel armor, and as such can not be relied upon to survive hits from any shaped charge weapons. Even lower end anti tank launchers such as RPG-7V and SPG-9 are sufficient to defeat it's frontal armor.

The hull of the leopard is protected by an angled 70mm RHA plate, it can block 85mm APHE but will be defeated by 100mm APCBC and 85mm HVAP. Only at long range can it begin to resist these projectiles. The vast majority of weapons that will be fired at the leopard in 1985 will be far stronger than these, and any direct hits will result in a penetration at all practical ranges.

The previous model leopard A1 had a weakly armored cast steel turret. This situation was improved on the leopard A1A1, which introduced applique spaced armor to the gun mantlet, along with spaced armor plating with a rubber layer, which are mounted to shock absorbing brackets on the turret sides.

This armor provides additional protection against full caliber armor piercing rounds with explosive filler such as 100mm BR-412D and 85mm BR-365 when hit from the front. The spaced armor on the turret sides also protects against 30mm AP fired from the BMP-2 side on, even at point blank range.


The side hull armor of the leopard is extremely thin, and will be torn to pieces by 30mm auto cannon fire if it is caught on the flank under 675 meters. It provides protection against 14.5mm heavy machine guns even at extremely close range, but only if the bullet hits the side skirts or road wheels first.

The leopard a1a1 series of vehicles as depicted in Gunner Heat PC is in a state of transition to a more modern ammo stowage layout. Leopard A1A1, A1A2, and A1A3 have the older ammunition load including extra spares and 105mm HEP-T rounds. The extra spares are located in the floor of the turret at the loader's feet, and a single HEP spare is behind his head in the back of the turret.

The leopard A1A4 is depicted with the new ammo load out, the extra spares have been removed and now ammo is only located in the ready rack and hull ammo stowage. HEP has also been removed and replaced by more HEAT-FS.


If you need to hit ammunition you should aim for the opposite side of the hull from the driver, a large portion of the leopard's ammo is stowed in the front corner next to the driver's position. You can also hit the ready rack or loader by firing at the side of the turret with the roof mounted MG3.

Distance to Defeat Main Armor

The image below has information on the distance to defeat the main armor with warsaw pact weapons.

The effectiveness of the hull armor can change depending on the vertical pitch of the tank to the shooter. The turret sides will become even weaker than usual if the turret it not directly facing the shooter, the little turret protection the leopard has is provided from the direct frontal aspect.


The area below the stereoscopic rangefinder vision ports on either side of the turret are the weakest parts of the spaced turret side armor, and can be defeated even by rounds it could normally stop like 85mm APHE/HVAP and 100mm APCBC. This is nearly impossible to hit intentionally however, and is up to luck.

Even the weakest sabot round for the Warsaw Pact (100mm 3bm8) completely ignores this vehicle's armor at extreme range, so expect stronger rounds to do the same.

Soviet designed tanks featuring composite armor and automatic loading mechanisms include the T-64 series, T-72 series, and T-80 series. All of these are following design principles first laid out in the T-64. The location of composite armor coverage is nearly identical, so these tanks have the same frontal weak points.


These weakened areas are listed below in order of targeting priority:

Driver weakened zone:
The driver weakened zone is a center mass gap in composite armor coverage and overall armor thickness in the front hull armor. The armor is thinner here to make room for the driver's position and periscopes. This weakness is almost always a certain kill shot when hit by any NATO anti tank weapon.

Lower front plate:
The lower front plate is a thin spot in the lower hull of the tank that can become visible when the tank is coming over a hill, or is approaching you in the open. This will usually kill the tank instantly if it is hit by any NATO anti tank weapon.

Gun mount weakened zone:
To the left or right of the main gun, the armor in the turret is thinned to make room for gun elevation mechanisms, coaxial machine gun, and the gun mounting points. This area can be defeated by any NATO anti tank weapon, and will commonly cause damage to the gun breech, the turret crew members, and fragments can sometimes detonate the ammunition stores. The gun breech can also sometimes completely eat the shot, possibly disabling the tank but not killing it outright.

Turret roof:
The turret roof is made of relatively thin steel, and is rounded with a high ridge. The curved shape of the turret roof makes it more likely for sabot to penetrate, and shaped charges are more likely to fuse. This is especially true if the target tank is pitched down relative to the shooter, this further decreases the chances of a deflected sabot round or a shaped charge crushing on impact. Hits to the turret roof can kill crew members, detonate ammunition, or disable the auto loader in some cases. It is difficult to hit at range, so should only be attempted as a last resort.

Turret ring:
The turret ring is a tiny weak point which lacks composite armor coverage. The bottom edge of the turret where the hull and turret join can be defeated by weaker ammunition than you might expect. This spot is extremely hard to hit intentionally, and should not be aimed for over other the more obvious weak points listed above.

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Soviet Side Armor

This side armor profile applies to all tanks of the soviet union from the T-54/55 and beyond.

Some older tanks of the T-64 and T-72 series will be equipped with flat "gill" armor plates that protrude from the sides when deployed. These plates are meant to increase standoff distance of attacking shaped charges and help defeat them when struck from the 30 degree frontal arc. They are largely useless side on.

They were frequently ripped off accidentally while on exercise and had a poor reputation with crews, resulting in their replacement with rubber side skirts later on.

The T-80B is the most modern and effective MBT on the side of the warsaw pact by a large margin. With the highest penetrating sabot round in the game, advanced fire control, and impressive acceleration, the T-80B is a threat to any NATO tank on the battlefield, and even helicopters with the help of its gun launched ATGM.

While it still has the common weak points of all soviet MBTs, it has the thickest armor of all of them on both turret and hull, and anything less than the best of NATO's anti armor technology will have a difficult time defeating the main portions of armor coverage. It is important to remember weak areas when confronted by this vehicle from the front.

Main Protection Features:

The T-80B main frontal armor composite arrays are capable of defeating shaped charge warheads weaker than the american I-TOW. While it can block the I-TOW head on while on level ground, this is done by a small margin and should not be relied upon. This is because the hull armor protection varies depending on the vertical tilt of the vehicle relative to the attacking missile.

The turret of the T-80B is made of cast armored steel, embedded inside each turret cheek is a compressed slab of siliceous material, the armor package is known as "kvartz". This slab extends from the weakened area around the gun, to about half way around the turret sides. It is visible in the image as a grey wall embedded inside the cast steel.

The T-80B depicted in game was improved with a 30mm armored steel plate welded to the front hull armor, this has some gaps in coverage that slightly reduce the protection over the main plate array, but these are small areas and are less likely to be hit. This extra armor is what allows the hull armor to block I-TOW ATGMs and the T-80B would be noticeably weaker without it.

The side armor of the T-80B is the same as other warsaw pact tanks.


The ammo stowage of the T-80B is one of the safest available to the warsaw pact. Spare gun rounds are stored in a single location in a wet rack fuel tank next to the driver, and the rest are stored vertically in a carousel as part of the "MZ" auto loader mechanism.

Although the vertical ready storage is hazardous compared to the "AZ" in the T-72, which stores the ready ammo horizontally low in the floor of the turret, the T-80B has the notable advantage of have no loose ammunition stored above the turret ring. This means the T-80B has a slightly better chance of surviving a penetrating hit to the turret without catching on fire.


Distance to Defeat Main Armor:

This image has information on the maximum defeat distance of the armor array on level ground with straight head on hits. Various circumstances can either raise or lower this distance.

For example: upward or downward pitching of the main hull array can cause drastic changes to the penetration distance, a T-80B using its maximum gun depression behind cover that hides its lower plate weak point could be almost invincible, while a T-80B going slightly down hill in a brave frontal assault may be defeated from many hundreds of meters further, and maybe even up close with weaker rounds like DM23, which would usually be unable to make it through. I-TOW can frequently make it through if the hull armor is slightly pitched down, though it can't do this on level ground.

And while the main turret front armor is impossible to defeat from level ground straight on, shots that land on the sides of the turret, and especially the rear are impacting far thinner armor and will be more likely to penetrate there.


The T-80B shares some common frontal weaknesses with the T-64 and T-72 series of tanks.

The T-72M1 is the strongest MBT given to the east German NVA, unlike the older T-72s in service with the Germans it is equipped with a new turret enhanced with composite armor. This allows it to stand up to more threats than the older steel turret T-72 variants in game.

While it has relatively decent frontal armor, its armor piercing ammo leaves much to be desired in tank to tank combat with NATO's best tanks the M1 Abrams and Leopard 2. However, when it is deployed against older tanks such as M60 and Leopard 1, its armor advantage begins to shine, with its ammo being more than acceptable for these older more numerous tanks.

Main Protection Features:

The T-72M1's hull composite array with 16mm add on plate is capable of defeating shaped charge warheads weaker than the MILAN F1. The turret composite cheeks are vulnerable to the I-TOW and MILAN F1, but can block base model TOW. It should be noted that the up armored portions of the hull are just barely weak enough to be defeated by MILAN, so angling can sometimes defeat this weapon.

The turret of the T-72M1 is made of cast armored steel, embedded inside each turret cheek is a compressed slab of siliceous material, this armor package is known as "kvartz". This slab extends from the weakened area around the gun, to just under half way around the turret sides. It is visible in the images as a grey wall embedded inside the cast steel. Kvartz blocks the same shaped charges as the hull.

The side armor of the T-72M1 is the same as other warsaw pact tanks.


The T-72M1 ammo stowage is slightly inferior to the T-64 and T-80B. This is due to the reduced capacity of the AZ auto loader featured on all T-72 series tanks forcing many rounds to be stored outside the auto loader. Only in the case of the AZ being depleted then replenished with all of the spare rounds does the AZ ammo layout become superior to the MZ ammo layouts.



While the lower profile ammo carousel is slightly safer than the T-80B and T-64, this advantage is nullified by the ammunition spares that are strewn about the interior of the fighting compartment. There are a few rounds above the turret ring, which can easily cause a disaster if the turret is struck by a penetrating hit. The hull also has many shells scattered throughout, some are not stored in slightly safer wet ammo racks but in the open.

Distance to Defeat Main Armor:

This image has information on the maximum defeat distance of the armor array on level ground with straight head on hits. Various circumstances can either raise or lower this distance.

For example: A T-72M1 moving downhill can become vulnerable to DM23 on the hull, and vastly increase the distance M774 and M833 can penetrate. A well positioned T-72M1 slightly tilted upwards with the lower plate soft point covered can become far more durable than you might expect. The turret armor thins out half way around the sides, which normally is not a problem directly from the front, from an offset shot to the turret side however, the armor may be defeated by weaker ammunition.

The green highlighted areas below are unusually weak as they have no composite armor included, and are just armored steel. If a shaped charge weapon such as HEAT-FS or ATGM manages to fuse in these areas, the tank is very likely to be penetrated. Kinetic rounds can also be fired here.


The T-72M1 shares some common frontal weaknesses with the T-80B and T-64 series of tanks.

The T-64 was the first soviet tank to enter service with composite armor and an autoloaded main gun. Although it was without peer on introduction, its hull armor is becoming quite dated against the latest threats of the mid 80s. But its strong firepower and advanced FCS on the T-64B variant means it can still punch above its weight, though it may still struggle to survive shots aimed at the hull.

Main Protection Features:

Even the T-64's earliest armor package was designed to be immune to 105mm HEAT-FS and 105mm APDS rounds such as DM13. It does this well, and aiming precisely at weak areas will be required when using this weaker ammo. However anything much stronger than base TOW will be going through. MILAN F1 and I-TOW easily cut through the hull array.

The turret of the T-64A and B is an armored steel casting, and inside the turret cheeks are are "ultraporcelain" spheres, which are included during the casting of the turret. These spheres add a great deal of protection to the turret cheeks. This composite design blocks MILAN, and is on the edge of blocking I-TOW, so defeating it can depend on the impact angle. Shots offset to the side of the turret will be more likely to go through compared to a dead on frontal impact.


All T-64 variants in game were equipped with the initial 80mm steel, 106mm textolite, 20mm steel layering. Many were upgraded with an add on 16mm armored steel plate welded to the top layer of the hull. This helps it resist more modern threats, but still leaves much to be desired against the very best NATO ammunition available.


The T-64 makes use of the "MZ" auto loader just like the newer T-80B. This means the shells ready to be used in the auto loader have their powder charges stored vertically, which can be a bit more hazardous than the T-72 series. But is this offset by the far safer storage of spare rounds, all but two are stored in the fuel tank wet stowage rack next to the driver. Of the two that are outside of the wet rack, only a single HE shell has a powder charge above the turret ring behind the gunner. If this HE shell has been loaded into the carousel, the T-64 becomes a bit safer in the event of a turret penetration.

Note the single exposed powder charge above the turret ring.

The side armor of the T-64 is the same as other warsaw pact tanks. Some models of T-64A can spawn with gill armor.

Distance to Defeat Main Armor:

This image has information on the maximum defeat distance of the armor array on level ground with straight head on hits. Various circumstances can either raise or lower this distance.

For example: A T-64 moving downhill can vastly increase the distance M735, DM23, and M774 can penetrate. A well positioned T-64 slightly tilted upwards with the lower plate soft point covered can become more durable than you might expect. The turret armor thins out at the sides, which normally is not a problem directly from the front, from an offset shot to the turret side however, the armor may be defeated by weaker ammunition.



The green highlighted areas are unusually weak as they have no composite armor included, and are just armored steel. If a shaped charge weapon such as HEAT-FS or ATGM manages to fuse in these areas, the tank is very likely to be penetrated. Kinetic rounds can also be fired here.

The T-64 shares some common frontal weaknesses with the T-80B and T-72 series of tanks.

Older versions of the T-72 prior to the T-72M1 tend to be less effective due to their lack of composite armor in the turret, but with their decent front hull armor and auto loading 125mm gun, they can still pose a serious threat to older nato tanks such as the M60 and leopard 1 (especially if the leopard is firing older APDS rounds).

Resistance to M72 LAW and Pzf 44 is sufficient to face NATO troops head on, but even older heavy ATGMs such as the basic model TOW can sometimes defeat the turret armor. Defeating these models of T-72 in 1985 is usually simple due to their age, but the details of what they are capable of blocking might be worth keeping in mind in the event you find yourself under equipped with older weapons.

Main Protection Features:


The turret of the T-72 is made of cast armored steel. With the protection of composite armor being absent from the turret cheeks, it is very ineffective at blocking shaped charge weapons. Even base model TOW is on the edge of defeating the turret. The turret's resistance to kinetic weapons is reduced compared to the better composite turrets on T-72M1, T-64A/B, and T-80B.

The hull of the T-72 is protected by a multi material array of armored steel and a special fiberglass layer known as textolite. This armor technology exists in many different variations among soviet designed tanks of the cold war era. There are three types of frontal hull armor array on the kpz T-72 series in gunner heat PC.


The least effective and oldest is the 80-106-20 array, shared with the early T-64A tanks. It is weak to APFSDS rounds present in 1985, and can only confidently resist basic TOW and 105mm HEAT-FS. Older 105mm APFSDS rounds such as M735 will struggle past 1200m, with 105 DM13 APDS being completely ineffective

The second is the improved 60-106-50 array, which increased efficiency by weight. This was done by adding more steel to the back plate. Its improvements are mostly noticeable against kinetic weapons and it blocks the same shaped charges as the previous 80-106-20 array.

The 60-106-50 array was also sometimes updated with a 16mm armored plate welded to the outer surface. This improves resistance to APFSDS rounds present in 1985, and also slightly improves protection against shaped charges. The margin by which MILAN F1 defeats the hull armor is decreased, but will still be defeated by a direct frontal hit. I-TOW still defeats the hull easily.


The Kpz T-72 ammo stowage is slightly inferior to the T-64 and T-80B. This is due to the reduced capacity of the AZ auto loader featured on all T-72 series tanks forcing many rounds to be stored outside the auto loader. Only in the case of the AZ being depleted then replenished with all of the spare rounds does the AZ ammo layout become superior to the MZ ammo layouts.

While the lower profile ammo carousel is slightly safer than the T-80B and T-64, this advantage is nullified by the ammunition spares that are strewn about the interior of the fighting compartment. There are a few rounds above the turret ring, which can easily lead to disaster if the turret is struck by a penetrating hit. The hull also has many shells throughout, some are not stored in slightly safer wet ammo racks but in the open.

The side armor of the Kpz T-72 is the same as other warsaw pact tanks. Some models of Kpz T-72 can spawn with gill armor.

Distance to Defeat Main Armor:

This image has information on the maximum defeat distance of the armor array on level ground with straight head on hits. Various circumstances can either raise or lower this distance.

For example: A T-72 moving downhill can become vulnerable to M735 on the hull, and vastly increase the distance DM23 and M774 can penetrate. A well positioned T-72 slightly tilted upwards with the lower plate soft point covered can become far more durable than you might expect.

The highlighted green areas are unusually weak as they have no composite armor included, and are just armored steel. If a shaped charge weapon such as HEAT-FS or ATGM manages to fuse in these areas, the tank is very likely to be penetrated. Kinetic rounds can also be fired here.


The T-72 shares some common frontal weaknesses with the T-80B and T-64 series of tanks.

Once the backbone of the cold war soviet army together with the T-55A, the T-62 is now the oldest tank in service with the soviet forces in 1985 Germany. Essentially an enlarged and up gunned T-55, it is quite similar at a glance to its older brother. While the T-62 fires more slowly than the T-55, it can hit much harder with its improved 115mm gun. At close range it can even threaten the basic M1 Abrams with its newest depleted uranium ammo. Although its armor is extremely outdated in 1985, it still has a chance to cause serious damage if it manages to hit you with its main gun.

Main Protection Features

The T-62 is an older generation tank with relatively weak steel armor, and as such can not be expected to easily shrug off hits from any shaped charge weapons. Even lower end anti tank launchers such as M72 LAW and Pzf 44 are sufficient to defeat it's frontal armor.

The round cast turret on the T-62 is resistant to 105mm DM13, and becomes stronger towards the outer edge as the line of sight thickness increases due to the curvature. The upper portion of the turret cheeks can also become a bit thicker than expected due to the turret roof, so it is better to hit near the turret ring if you can manage.

M735, the weakest NATO apfsds round, is able to defeat the turret reliably over most of the front aspect, even towards the edges. It should be mentioned that the gunners optic and machine gun port are direct paths into the interior of the tank, and can sometimes allow otherwise weak auto cannon fire to slip through into the fighting compartment.

The T-62's frontal hull armor is largely unchanged from the T-54/55 that it was developed from. A well sloped 100mm RHA plate, once formidable protection in the early cold war, is now ineffective against even 105mm DM13 unless at great range. The lower plate is a similar story, a weak point for an already weak hull armor layout. It can't be expected to protect against anything stronger than auto cannon fire.


The side armor of the T-62 is the same as other warsaw pact tanks.

The ready stowage at the front of the tank next to the driver is protected by wet stowage fuel tanks, offering protection for some of the ammo load against fragments and sometimes even low end shaped charges such as M72 LAW or Pzf 44.

This can not be said for the rest of the ammo load, which is stored in the open. A HEAT and HE-FRAG shell are stowed above the turret ring as spares. The majority of the remaining spare ammunition is stored in the back of the fighting compartment up against the engine firewall, this is often hit in the event of a front hull penetration, which can result in an ammo fire or chain detonation.


Distance to Defeat Main Armor

The image below has information on the distance to defeat the main armor with NATO weapons.

The effectiveness of the hull armor can change depending on the vertical pitch of the tank to the shooter. The turret sides can become far weaker if the turret it not directly facing the shooter, the best turret protection is provided from the direct frontal aspect.


When firing lower end ammo such as 105mm HEAT-FS or 105mm DM13 it is best to avoid firing at the ready ammo stowage from the front if possible, as these weapons can sometimes be absorbed by the fuel tanks. If you are to aim for the hull you should aim for the driver. This lines up three crew members if the turret is facing you, which will kill the tank even without the ammunition detonation such a shot will almost certainly cause.

If the T-62 is hull down and you need to aim for the gunner, remember that the gunner and commander are on the same side of the tank as the driver. Remember also that the front ready rack is opposite the driver. Better ammunition such as M735 and above can be expected to defeat the fuel tank protection with relative ease.

When aiming for the turret it is best to aim as close to the gun mantlet as possible, this is where the armor is more thin compared to the outer edges of the turret which can absorb hits unexpectedly under some circumstances.

The Kpz T-55A is an enhanced version of the widely produced soviet T-54 medium tank from the late 1940s, now modernized and sent into front line service with the east german NVA as their most numerous tank in 1985. The main gun has been given two-plane stabilization, night fighting equipment has been fitted for both gunner and commander, and the NBC over pressure system provides protection against gas attacks and radioactive dust.

Most of these changes will not make a massive difference against the far more modern tanks it will be facing in 1985. Its armor layout is too obsolete to withstand hits from new anti tank technology, and its firepower leaves much to be desired against new NATO vehicles. However, they can still be very dangerous with their new ammunition if you are in an older M60 or leopard 1 tank, especially when you are swarmed by them at close range. And when all of the bigger threats have been cleared away, they can do an acceptable job of clearing out light vehicles and infantry.

The rarer and older kpz T-54A is identical game play wise, but does not have NBC protection like the Kpz T-55A does. Unless gas attacks are added, the differences in these vehicles are mostly cosmetic and not worth worrying about.

Main Protection Features

The T-55A is an older generation tank with relatively weak steel armor, and as such can not be expected to easily shrug off hits from any shaped charge weapons. Even lower end anti tank launchers such as M72 LAW and Pzf 44 are sufficient to defeat it's frontal armor.

The cast turret on the T-55A is resistant to 105mm DM13, and becomes stronger towards the outer edge as the line of sight thickness increases due to the curvature. It should be mentioned that the gunners optic and machine gun port are direct paths into the interior of the tank, and can sometimes allow otherwise weak auto cannon fire to slip through into the fighting compartment

M735, the weakest NATO apfsds round, is able to defeat the turret reliably over most of the front aspect, even towards the edges. The upper portion of the turret cheeks can become a bit thicker than expected due to the turret roof, so it is better to hit near the turret ring if you can manage.

The T-55A's frontal hull armor is unchanged from the T-54 that it was developed from. A well sloped 100mm RHA plate, once formidable protection in the early cold war, is now ineffective against even 105mm DM13 unless at great range. The lower plate is a similar story, a weak point for an already weak hull armor layout. It can't be expected to protect against anything stronger than auto cannon fire.


The side armor of the T-55A is the same as other warsaw pact tanks.

The ready stowage at the front of the tank next to the driver is protected by wet stowage fuel tanks, offering protection for some of the ammo load against fragments and sometimes even low end shaped charges such as M72 LAW or Pzf 44.

This can not be said for the rest of the ammo load, which is stored in the open. 7 HEAT and HE-FRAG shells are stowed above the turret ring as spares. The majority of the remaining spare ammunition is stored in the back of the fighting compartment up against the engine firewall, this is often hit in the event of a front hull penetration, which can result in an ammo fire or chain detonation. There are also ammo spares on the side wall of the fighting compartment.


Distance to Defeat Main Armor

The image below has information on the distance to defeat the main armor with NATO weapons.

The effectiveness of the hull armor can change depending on the vertical pitch of the tank to the shooter. The turret sides can become far weaker if the turret it not directly facing the shooter, the best turret protection is provided from the direct frontal aspect.


When firing lower end ammo such as 105mm HEAT-FS or 105mm DM13 it is best to avoid firing at the ready ammo stowage from the front if possible, as these weapons can sometimes be absorbed by the fuel tanks. If you are to aim for the hull you should aim for the driver. This lines up three crew members if the turret is facing you, which will kill the tank even without the ammunition detonation such a shot will almost certainly cause.

If the T-55A is hull down and you need to aim for the gunner, remember that the gunner and commander are on the opposite side from the roof mounted machine gun. Remember also that the front ready rack is opposite the driver. Better ammunition such as M735 and above can be expected to defeat the fuel tank protection with relative ease.

When aiming for the turret it is best to aim as close to the gun mantlet as possible, this is where the armor is more thin compared to the outer edges of the turret which can absorb hits unexpectedly under some circumstances.

To do:


Rewrite/reformat the chapters to make them easier to find specific feature descriptions.

Finish chapter to describe ammunition


Maybe give imgur links to HD versions of the armor data images

Test Leopard 1A3 welded turret when it comes out.

Test NATO 120mm and Leopard 2 protection when it comes out

Test T-64R turret (this turret armor might be broken, very inconsistent results.)

=2/26/2025=
-Work on guide begins. "What to Expect" completed.

=3/1/2025=
-Ballistic testing of both M1 Abrams front armor arrays against pact ammo completed
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for 115mm and 125mm pact ammo against the Abrams completed (GHPC VERSION 20250212)
-Added first 5 tips to "Universal Tips"
-Added 125mm and 115mm vs Abrams series ballistic results to "Ammunition Effective Range"
-M1/M1IP chapter completed
-Initial WIP publishing

=3/2/2025=
-Ballistic testing of the T-80B against NATO 105mm ammo completed
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for 105mm ammo against the T-80B completed (GHPC VERSION 20250212)
-Added 105mm vs T-80B ballistic results to "Ammunition Effective Range"
-T-80B chapter completed

=3/7/2025=
-Ballistic testing of the T-72M1 against NATO 105mm ammo completed
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for 105mm ammo against the T-72M1 completed (GHPC VERSION 20250212)
-Added 105mm vs T-72M1 ballistic results to "Ammunition Effective Range"
-T-72M1 chapter completed
-Added 105mm vs T-64 Series Ballistic results to "Ammunition Effective Range"


=3/8/2025=
-Ballistic testing of T-64A and T-64B against NATO 105mm ammo completed
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for 105mm ammo against the T-64A/B series completed (GHPC VERSION 20250212)
-T-64 series chapter completed (excluding T-64R turret for now)

=3/14/2025=
-Ballistic testing of the T-72 series against NATO 105mm ammo completed
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for 105mm ammo against the T-72 series completed (excluding cast turret). (GHPC VERSION 20250212)
-T-72 series chapter completed (cast turret needs more detail later)
-Fixed some image formatting so they dont sit on the left on mobile.

=4/3/2025=
-Added new DM23 VS T-72/T-64 Hull armor penetration data to "Ammunition Effective Range", new images with these numbers will be made later. (GHPC VERSION 20250401)

=4/5/2025=
-Reworked T-80B chapter with new images after the PBR update. Chapter is now more compact with fewer images overall and restructured text.
-Reworked M1/M1IP chapter with new images after PBR update. Chapter is now more compact with fewer images overall and restructured text.
-Included testing on the composite turret sides and side hull armor of the M1 Abrams in the M1/M1IP chapter

=4/5/2025=
-Reworked T-72M1 chapter with new images after the PBR update. Chapter is now more compact with fewer images overall and restructured text.
-Reworked T-64 Series chapter with new images after the PBR update. Chapter is now more compact with fewer images overall and restructured text.
-Adjusted shape of highlighted "triangle" weak points on the M1/M1IP turret to show true coverage of composite armor.

=4/11/2025=
M1 armor data image was incorrectly labeled as M1IP. This has been corrected.
3bm26 was labeled as a DU penetrator which is incorrect. Corrected to Tungsten.

=4/28/2025=
-Ballistic testing of the Kpz T-72 series cast steel turrets against NATO 105mm ammo completed.
-Added 105mm vs Kpz T-72 turret armor ballistic results to "Ammunition Effective Range"
(GHPC VERSION 20250401.2)

=4/30/2025=
-Reworked T-72 series chapter with new images after the PBR update. Chapter is now more compact with fewer images overall and restructured text.
-Added information about the T-72 ammo layout to T-72 series article, so the reader does not have to move to the T-72M1 article for this information.

=5/3/2025=
-Ballistic test of the M60 series of tanks against warsaw pact ammunition completed.
(GHPC VERSION 20250401.2)
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for warsaw pact ammo against the M60 series completed. (GHPC VERSION 20250401.2)
-Initial M60 chapter release

=5/22/2025=
-Ballistic test of the T-62 against NATO ammunition completed.
(GHPC VERSION 20250522)
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for NATO ammo against the T-62 completed. (GHPC VERSION 20250522)
-Initial T-62 chapter release
-Changed armor penetration images and text of pact tanks to not be judged against pact shaped charges, now includes MILAN F1:
-T-72M1 updated to image version 1.1
-T-72M1 text changed to include MILAN.
-T-64 series updated to image version 1.1
-T-64 series text changed to include MILAN
-T-72 series updated to image version 1.1
-T-72 series text changed to include MILAN.
-All of above images also had their yellow gun breech locations turned green since it was unnecessary and I will need the space for 120mm munitions soon.
-Deleted "Ammunition Effective Range" for now because i'm just going to redo it way better later down the road.

=5/23/2025=
- Added information about 20mm projectiles to warsaw pact side armor descriptions.

=5/24/2025=
-Ballistic test of the T-55A against NATO ammunition completed.
(GHPC VERSION 20250522)
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for NATO ammo against the T-55A completed. (GHPC VERSION 20250522)
-Initial T-55A chapter release

=5/25/2025=
-Sorted chapters by faction.

=5/26/2025=
-Ballistic test of the leopard 1A1A1 against warsaw pact ammunition completed.
(GHPC VERSION 20250522)
-Images showing maximum penetration distances for warsaw pact ammo against the leopard 1a1a1 completed. (GHPC VERSION 20250522)
-Initial leopard 1a1a1/1a1a4 chapter release

=5/31/2025=
-Ballistic test of the M1/M1IP against 125mm and 115mm ammunition with perpendicular impacts completed. (GHPC VERSION 20250522)
-Image showing results of perpendicular impacts to the turret cheeks added to M1 series chapter.

=6/3/2025=
-Deleted the weak point information from all T-64, T-72, and T-80B chapters and merged them into a single common chapter to remove clutter and repeated information.

=6/5/2025=
-Updated M1 chapter to more recent standards
-Updated M1 and M1IP armor data images to V1.3 (GHPC Version 20250522)
-Increased 3bm32 range against the M1 hull to 3650m
-Decreased 3bm32 range against the M1 gun mantlet to 1150m
-Changed color coding of the armor data images

=6/8/2025=
-Updated M60 series chapter to more recent standards
-Updated M60 armor data image to V1.1 (GHPC Version 20250522)
-Added data for 100mm 3bm8 APDS impacting the lower plate at long range.
-Increased 100mm 3bm20 range against upper plate to 900m.
-Decreased 100mm 3bm20 range against lower plate to 3750m.

=6/9/2025=
-Updated M1 chapter armor data images to 1.3.1. (GHPC Version 20250522)
-Updated M60 armor data image to V1.1.1 (GHPC Version 20250522)
-Updated Leopard 1A1A1/A4 chapter armor data image to V1.1. (GHPC Version 20250522)
-Added NATO anti tank ammunition image 1.0
-Added Warsaw Pact anti tank ammunition image 1.0

=6/10/2025=
-Updated M1 and M1IP armor data images to V1.4 (GHPC Version 20250522)
-Added data for 125mm 3bm32 against the fuel tanks flanking the driver of the M1 Abrams.
-Updated color coding of the turret armor.
-Updated NATO anti tank ammunition image to 1.1
-Updated Warsaw Pact anti tank ammunition image to 1.1

=7/26/2025=
-Updated leopard a1a1 armor data image to V2.0
-Added data for legacy Warsaw Pact ammunition against the non uparmored portions of the leopard a1a1 gun mantlet. (GHPC Version 20250630).
-Changed the leopard a1a1 color coding to be more readable.
-Updated M60A1/M60A3 armor data image to V2.0

-Updated M1/M1IP armor data image to V2.0
-Added data for post turret cheek penetration on ammo door/ ammo firewall for Warsaw Pact ammo.
-Changed color coding for M1/M1IP armor data images to include the sloped upper front plate which has unique behavior compared to other steel armor due to its steep angle.

=7/31/2025=
-Updated M60A1/M60A3 armor data image to V2.1 (corrected missing 3bm8 data for upper front plate)

=8/19/2025=
-M1/M1IP armor data images updated to V2.1 (formatting corrections).

=9/2/2025=
-T-64A and T-64B armor data images updated to V2 standards
-Increased detail of turret cheek armor color coding.
-Decreased defeat distance for M833 vs T-64A/B turret to 600m from 850m. Increased M774 to 150m from immune.
-Added separate penetration distance tables for up armored plate and base hull array to T-64B image.

=9/19/2025=
-T-62 and Kpz T-55A armor data images updated to V2 standards.

=9/29/2025=
-T-72 series armor data images updated to V2 standards
-T-72M1 armor data images updated to V2 standards
-T-80B armor data images updated to V2 standards.
-Updated T-72M1 and T-72 series turret color coding to V2 standards increasing detail.
-Verified T-72M1 turret protection against milan, outer cheeks can sometimes defeat this atgm.

=9/30/2025=
-Simplified soviet tank chapters by moving side armor description to a common area in "Common Weak points".
-Added image showing the upper hull and lower hull with color coding.
-Updated T-64 armor data images to V2.1
-Updated T-64 armor data images to specify which year of T-64B the armor array applies to
-Updated T-64 armor data images to include the hull array diagram like the other V2 armor images of the warsaw pact.

=10/6/2025=
-Adjusted M1 Series chapter text and layout.