Part 3: MBT/IFV tips and tricks

So you think you know how to tank? Well in this post I'll show you different tricks and tips. What should be done and what shouldn't.

-When in a tank and going against an IFV that has reactive armor, always aim for the IFV's turret. Reactive armor doesn't protect the turret.

-Always try to charge IFV's if your in a tank and keep moving, the less the shells have a chance to hit the better you will survive. If you come to a dead stop against an IFV with the setup I run, you're dead.

-The weakest part of all MBTs and IFVs is the rear. Try to out-maneuver your opponent and shoot him in the rear.

-The direction that your turret is pointing in determines what side of the tank you will exit from. If you're getting out to repair and want to exit on the opposite side of enemy fire then point the turret in the direction desired.

-Reactive armor will only be repaired once your MBT/IFV is at 100% health. It takes approximately 4-5 seconds to fully repair one side of reactive armor.

-When using the AP shells in the IFVs and going against MBTs always lead off with the AP shells then quickly switch to the standard HE shells then switch back to AP shells. Bam!! Tank dead. In the time it takes you to shoot AP, HE, AP which is 18 shells, the enemy tank will only have time to get 2 maybe 3 shots off on you which isn't going to inflict much damage if you have reactive armor equipped and keep maneuvering. 

-Infantry perks cannot be stacked but MBT/IFV attachments can be. Driver should have reactive armor and smoke, the second seat gunner should have proximity scan, and on MBTs the CITV station person should have maintenance equipped. 

               -Tank driver: Reactive armor, IR smoke, Canister/Guided shell
               -Tank gunner: Proximity scan
               -CITV station: Maintenance

This setup is greatly effective for engaging almost any enemy on any map. The reactive armor will protect you against tank shells, missiles, rockets. The IR smoke is help with any enemy lock-on weapons. The gunner having proximity scan will prevent any C4 ninjas from sneaking up on you. With guided shell and and the CITV station person having maintenance taking out enemy tanks and air vehicles will be a lot easier. This setup with guided shell works great for maps like Kharg, Op Firestorm, and Caspian Border. This setup with canister shell works well on maps like Seine, Damavand Peak.

-When shooting at an MBT/IFV with any antitank weapons try to aim for a complete right angle. Shallow or wide angles are just glancing shots that inflict much less damage.

-When being locked on by enemy guided weapons, always wait for the missile to be incoming to pop IR smoke. The purpose is to bleed the enemies ammo count and since that enemy has to reload it increases the time it takes for the enemy to reacquire a lock. This also gives you more time for your IR smoke to reload.

-When you have reactive armor equipped and the enemy shoots off one panel re-position your tank to have what panels you still have left to be facing the enemy. If you re-position right you can take 3 tank shells or 3 RPGs without taking any damage to your tank. Learning to turn your tank's main body while keeping the turret pointed in the same direction is the trick to this tip.

-The second seat gunner should be doing 360 degree rotations to watch for any infantry sneaking up. The CITV gunner seems kind of useless on certain maps like Damavand Peak and Seine Crossing but it's not. The CITV station can rotate faster than both the driver's turret and gunner's turret. The CITV station also comes with thermal optics by default. Having a CITV station person using the thermal optics comes in handy for spotting enemies in the tunnel on Damavand.

Well those are some of the most useful tips and tricks for MBT/IFVs in Battlefield 3. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate...and a better tanker.

                                                                             -Tr0y