GameOnMag War Thunder

Battlefield 4 Review
Issue 50 December 2013
1 GameOn Magazine
Introduction to
War Thunder
Within the heart of War
scale ranging from the city
Thunder is a multiplayer online
outskirts of Stalingrad to the vast
combat game for aircraft
oceans surrounding Pearl Harbor.
and armored vehicles.

With hundreds of accuratelyDeveloped by Gaijin
rendered vehicles available
Entertainment, this game is
and more being added with
available across a variety of
every update, players are spoilt
platforms: from Windows to
for choice when it comes to
Macintosh OS X to Linux, as
cutting-edge planes to take
well as on the Playstation 4
to the skies, or menacing
console, with casual game
tanks to tear up the earth.
modes in arcade battles

Relive the action in huge
to realistic and simulator

battles for the enthusiasts.
aerial dogfights and armored

spearhead clashes with friends,
The game spans the
learn about the rich historical
era from the Spanish Civil
significance behind the wars
War to the Korean War,
through War Thunder.
with a huge emphasis on

the Second World War.
Players cross swords in
historical maps of impressive
2 // War Thunder Community Magazine
The GameOn Magazine
letter from the

general
Welcome to the very first issue
we have a caption competition
of the War Thunder Community
for the latter, so jump on in! We
magazine. What can we expect
are hoping this months issue
from the magazine, we hear you
will keep you fully occupied.
say? Well, each month we will

be looking at giving you how to
We will be wanting more
lessons on almost anything, from
people to help out with future
101 on maps to 101 on planes
issues, so please check the Staff
and everything in between.
wanted page if youre interested.
We will also be looking back
The magazine will be free
at the war and reporting what
every month, we just need
happened way back when and
you to support us by sharing
then there is going to be a chance
and downloading it.
for you to read interviews from

real war veterans. And if its
Please do email us with any
fictional writing youre into then
ideas of things you would like in
one of our staff has even stepped
future issues of the magazine,
over the boundaries to that genre.
or even just to let us know if

you liked or disliked one of the
Therell be cartoons each
articles, all feedback is wanted.
month and of course the chance

to win some prizes! This month
War Thunder Community Magazine
The GameOn Magazine // 3
CONTENTS
Contents Page
Teamwork Tactics:..............................
Bait and Hook.................................... 6

This Month in World War II:................
January 1940..................................... 8
War Thunder 101 Game Types:
Arcade Air Battles........................... 10
An Interview with a Veteran............ 16
War Thunder 101 Map Types:......... 20
What do I do in ....................................
Arcade Air Battles?......................... 20
Plane Profile #1 Bf-109E-3 ........... 28
Six World War 2 Facts #1 .............. 30
The Mechelen Incident................... 32
War Thunder 101 -..............................
Research and Lineup...................... 34
Zeros Overhead............................... 48
War Thunder 101................................
Machines - Tank Types................... 50
Wordsearch..................................... 56
War Thunder 101 ................................
Machines - Plane Types................. 58
The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
TEAMWORK TACTICS:
BAIT AND HOOK
An important aspect of War Thunder is
1. Maintain a distance of no less than km and
working together. There is no questioning
no more than 1 km. Being too close to each
the efficiency of a well coordinated team,
other will cause both players to come under
whether in the sky or on the ground.
attack simultaneously, and there is no overwatch

and no one to jump on the attacker in the case
of an assault from either squad member. Being
A squad working together will easily best an

equal, if not greater number of enemy pilots,
too far from each other would mean that the pilot
provided they use proper techniques and strategies.
under attack may not be in range of relief.
In this series of articles, we will be presenting

teamwork tactics, to help you and your teammates
2. Get to the altitude(s) designated by the flight
work together efficiently, and effectively.
leader, with enough distance from the enemy to avoid

interception/detection during the climb.
This first teamwork tactic that we will be

presenting is called Bait and Hook.
This is generally a position with an altitude

advantage compared to an enemy aircraft (see
diagram 1). Individual altitudes may differ, but
remember the distance rule so that you can
defend your teammate or receive support!
3. Leader assigns target, using squad chat, or chat
commands (hit keys in this order: X [locks target],K,7)
DIAGRAM 1
The GameOn Magazine
4. Leader dives down, while wingman maintains
6.Repeat steps 1-5, by cycling the roles through
altitude, and makes a pass on the target.
different squad members. This can be implemented
Wingmans role is to watch leaders tail.
with squads of any size from 2 to 4 planes! Make sure

theres order and clear wingman numbers within
5. Wingman stays above flight leader until you
the squad, so that 2 guards 1, 3 guards 2, 4 guards
regroup at altitude. If an enemy decides to chase the
3, keeping the distance rule between each pairing.
leader from his dive, the wingman makes an assault

from a wide angle (see diagram 2).
May you command your vehicles successfully,
If theres more than one attacker, start from the back
and remember to work together!
and work your way to the first enemy chasing the
By Cade Rosenbalm
flight lead.
Be careful when firing on an enemy close to your
flight leader though, as you may accidentally hit your
flight leader.
We dont want any teamkills resulting

from the use of this tactic article.
DIAGRAM 2
ARTICLE
THIS MONTH IN WORLD WAR II

JANUARY 1940
On the 1st of January, 1940, the Empire of Japan
Though having been prepared for previously,
launched a counter-offensive operation in the Shanxi
with ticket books issued in October 1939, and fuel
Province of northern China as a part of the operation
already being rationed, Britain began rationing
known as the Winter Offensive. A force 10,000
food items in January 1940. Items such as
strong attacked the Chinese forces in an attempt to
bacon, cheese, butter, sugar, and tea became
support the Japanese 36th Division; the attack failed,
precious commodities, and more items would be
and was driven off by the Chinese forces within days.
rationed in the months to come. This rationing

would continue in some form until 1954.
In the skies, backed by Soviet air forces supplied

by the Soviet Volunteer Group, the Republic of China
continued to resist air raids made by the Empire of
Japan, and managed to make several raids of their
own against Japanese-held targets such as Nanning.
The GameOn Magazine
On the 21th of January, 1940, while escorting the
At the end of January 1940, in the beginning
cargo steamer Cyprian Prince, the E-class destroyer
of what would quickly become one of the darkest
HMS Exmouth was spotted and was attacked by the
periods of human history, SS-General Reinhard
German U-boat U-22. The submarine managed to
Heydrich was appointed by Adolf Hitler to find an
torpedo the vessel, which was lost with all hands.
answer to the Jewish Problem. On the 30th of
Because U-22 began to fire on the Cyprian Prince,
January, 1940, a meeting was held by Heydrich with
the steamers captain deemed it too dangerous to
other Nazi leaders to discuss the organization for
search for survivors and left the area. This marked
the evacuation of German Jews to Poland, where a
the greatest victory for U-22 and its commander,
number of concentration camps had already been
Lieutenant Commander Karl-Heinrich Jenisch.
established, marking the start of the Holocaust.
By David King
GUIDE
WAR THUNDER 101 GAME

TYPES:
ARCADE AIR BATTLES
With arcade, realistic and simulator battles in War Thunder, theres just
something for everyone. War Thunder 101 looks at arcade air battles
today and gives an in-depth analysis of this popular mode.
So, you are new to War Thunder and youve heard
The arcade battle mode is targeted at the casual
that this game is a flight simulator, an action game
gamer, and it is one where you can find the most
with tanks and planes, a massively multiplayer
players in. The teams are a mix of planes from
online game. Which exactly is it? Short answer:
different nations playing together in a random pool,
Its everything rolled into one with a matchmaker
and are not sorted according to their historical
that offers a wide range of choices to players.
alliances or countries (unlike in Realistic Battles

and Simulator Battles). Like its name suggests, it
offers an arcade-like experience for anyone looking
to jump into the game without having to worry
about the difficult bits. However, to be a master of it
you would eventually have to pay attention to finer
details as part of the transition into realistic battles.
Line-Up:
The first feature of arcade air battles starts
right when you prepare your lineup for the
game: You are allowed as many planes as the
number of crew slots you have. From fighters
The GameOn Magazine
to bombers to attackers, you can mix and

match your lineup and use them in battle.
crew slots you need for an average match.

Matchmaking and Battle Ratings:
The second feature of arcade air battles is in its
These crew slots can be initially bought with
matchmaking. As of version 1.45, it utilizes a system
Silver Lions (earned from battles) up to the fifth
of Battle Ratings (BR) to determine who you are
slot; subsequent ones will require the use of
matched up against. This is a fairly new introduction,
Golden Eagles (the in-game premium currency)
replacing the 20-tier system previously used.
and scales the more crew slots you get. It is

definitely recommended to get up to the fifth
The BR of a plane is an indication of the its
crew slot once you get enough Silver Lions.
effectiveness in battle, and it changes between

patches for game balance purposes. For arcade air
Once you are sufficiently proficient in the
battles, a weighted average BR for your top 3 aircraft
game, it is usually rare that you will use past 5
is calculated and you are matched up against players
planes as an average session does not last that
with similar BR within a range of 1.0 BR difference.
long. Therefore, make your crew slot purchase
More details about the Battle Rating system can be
after getting a feel of the game and how many
found in War Thunder 101 - Research and Lineup.
GUIDE
Aiming:
Shooting down an airplane in combat is no
easy task; it requires the players to understand
the concept of leading a target. Put simply, when
firing at an enemy aircraft a certain distance away,
there is a need to take into account the targets
movement while the bullets are still travelling to
the target. Therefore, the player would have to aim
ahead of the enemy aircraft and lead the target.
In arcade battles, some of the guesswork is done
through an assistant called the lead indicator.
This is a white circle which predicts the location
understanding of these two models, the flight model
of the target when the bullet lands, provided the
and the damage model. Players can enter the Armor
target continues at its current speed and direction.
Viewing Mode and X-ray Viewing Mode in the
This guides the player where to shoot to get a hit.
hangar to check the armor distribution (below) and
The lead indicator shows up at a range of 0.77 km
modeling of vital components (top) in the plane.
when the target is tracked. Selecting an aircraft to

track is on the middle mouse button by default.
If the aircraft carries bombs in arcade air
battles, a bombing reticle will also be available
in third person view to help the pilots aim their
bombs accurately, regardless of whether the
plane is equipped with a bombsight or not.
Flight Model and Damage Model:
Understanding the differences between
the different modes and getting an in-depth
understanding of the game require the
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The damage model (DM) is the representation
The flight model (FM) controls the flight
of how different armaments are modelled in game
behavior of the plane and affects how the
(cannon and machine guns, different types of
aircraft flies; this includes its engine behavior
shells, muzzle velocity) as well as how these affect
and consequently its speed and acceleration
different aircraft parts upon impact. This DM is
at different altitudes, how the controls behave
different from other games that utilize equivalents of
and respond, climb rate and turn time etc.
health points system commonly found in shooters;

a plane in War Thunder can be taken out by just a
In arcade air battles, the DM is slightly more
single small-caliber machine gun round to the right
forgiving; the aircraft is still relatively flyable with
part (the pilot can be killed by a single bullet to the
slight difficulty if there are critical damages to
cockpit, for instance), while a handful of high-caliber
some aircraft parts, even the control surfaces.
cannon shells to non-critical structures (like the
Players are given reloads in the air; if all the
fuselage) could result in severe battle damage but
rounds in a particular gun are almost used up,
not enough to take down the plane. The statistics
they can be reloaded in the air with a full belt by
card of the plane gives an overview of the planes
pressing the reload key (the guns will also reload

automatically when all the rounds are used up).
GUIDE
The FM is simplified and more forgiving as well,
which cause stiffening of controls, are less
since a boosted FM is used instead of the realistic
pronounced as well. In arcade air battles, the War
FM, which improves the planes maneuverability.
Emergency Power (WEP) feature of engines can
Planes recover from stalls more easily than
be used more frequently and does not damage
other modes. Aircraft wings do not snap when
the engine, leaving you less things (such as oil
performing tight turns at high G or at high speeds.
temperature, coolant temperature) to worry about.
Compressibility effects during high speed dives,
The GameOn Magazine
Air Spawns:
head towards, with a virtual instructor program
Players in arcade air battles will have air starts,
managing the more complicated control surfaces
meaning the plane starts off in the game in the
such as elevator, ailerons and rudder. As the player
air instead of having to take off from the airfield
learns the control basics using mouse aim, more
(although you can choose to start on the airfield).
advanced techniques to control the plane can be
Fighters and attackers generally start at around
slowly introduced, such as manually deflecting the
2000 m of altitude, while bombers spawn slightly
control surfaces for greater maneuverability and to
higher at 4000 m. As such, the action begins shortly
squeeze the optimal performance from the aircraft.
after the battle starts, giving generally shorter
By Chock Wee Boon
matches in arcade air battles. Thus, players

should fly out with the minimal fuel loads (a
heavier aircraft is less maneuverable and slower,
affecting the flight performance negatively),
which is almost always more than sufficient.
Views and Controls:
In arcade mode, players will have all views
available to them, although most will choose to
fly in the third person view, as it offers a greater
sense of situational awareness compared to other
views available (such as the cockpit view which
only offers as much visibility as the aircraft had
in real life). In addition, planes are spotted at
longer ranges and marked with a tag indicating
its name, aircraft type and distance to player.
All control schemes are available to the player in
arcade air battles as well, including the mouse aim
mode that simplifies flying and aiming extensively.
This allows the player to fly the aircraft using the
mouse to point at the direction the plane should
INTERVIEW
AN INTERVIEW WITH A
VETERAN
I interviewed 93 year old WWII veteran
Right Reverend Bickersteth, an AA gunner,
artilleryman and infantryman. This is the
result of the interview. Im acquainted with
Mr. Bickersteth and heard his personal story
before, and Ive decided to ask him some
questions to deepen my understanding of
what he went through during the war.
Where were you during
the battle of Britain?
I just left school in Spring of 1940 when
the Battle begun. I was living in Kent at the
time. I remember walking around and seeing
planes fly above our heads. We watched
them getting shot down by Spitfires and
Hurricanes. When I was drafted into the
military, I was in the Buffs, but our entire
unit got transferred to the Royal Artillery
to be AA gunners. I was mainly stationed
on the Isle of Wight. We shot down He
111s and Bf 109s during our time as AA
The GameOn Magazine
gunners. It was a terrible experience, being shot at

and hearing the whistling of bombs and shells, and
seeing fiery balls swirling down from the sky. I was
in the Royal Artillery for 5 years, from 1940 to 1945.
Can you describe your experiences
during the Invasion of Normandy?
I participated in the invasion of Normandy at D+5 (five
days after D-Day). I left England on D-Day, making me
one of the lucky ones. This was my worst experience
of the war, the hardest for me to surmount. A shell
landed two yards from me while I was an artilleryman
6-7 miles inland from the beaches of Normandy. That
was probably my closest brush with death. I felt the
INTERVIEW
pure heat of the shell on my face. It was terrible. Its very
the bonnet of his motorcar so that he could tell us
difficult to describe the horror of war, the terror that I
how D-Day was going. General Montgomery was very
went through. I left Tilbury, England, on a boat riding
good in that respect. He knew how to communicate
through the river Thames. We were in a convoy with a
effectively with his soldiers and how to boost morale
fair amount of other ships. We had to wait a couple of
effectively. At the time I was an infantryman in France,
days until we could land on Normandy as the soldiers
after D-Day. I was an officer, in charge of 80 men.
who left before us had to establish a safe zone for us

I heard of a story where you sat with a dying German
to land in. We went 6-7 miles inland and waited for 5

days for the infantry to secure the towns before us as
in France. Could you please tell me more about this?
the Germans were resisting with an incredible strength.

We began to move forwards into France later. I was an
artilleryman and infantryman during my time in France.
He was wounded badly when he was on my lap, dying

before my eyes. I was just leaning over when he said,
Kaputt, kaputt. Ich bin fertig. Broken, broken, finished. I
When did you meet General Montgomery?
told him, Nicht kaputt, nicht kaputt! But he died before

me. But I guess the moral of this story is that I survived
There were about 4 or 5 of us when he arrived in
and he died, which Im still very grateful of today.
his iconic car. Montgomery told us to gather around
The GameOn Magazine
Where were you during the German

capitulation/surrender?
I was actually in Holland. At the time, the civilians
were very happy and excited to see us. It was a nice
feeling of freedom. The people felt gratitude for what
we did, and we felt absolute freedom because of this
and because we didnt have to fight anymore. The war
was over in Europe. It was over for the soldiers that
fought beside me. It was over for everyone. We still had
work to do though. We were rounding up hundreds of
German soldiers who were capitulating, giving up. That
was our job then. All the Germans wanted though was
to go home, to see their families. Thats all they cared
about, all they ever talked about. The Germans were put
on trains and sent home to their families a little later.
Where were you during the Japanese

capitulation/surrender?
I was in England in mid-August when the atom
bombs were dropped. I was on a course in England,
a sort of school that the military provided to us.
They couldnt let too many of us leave the military
at one time as there werent enough jobs to supply
us soldiers with, so they released us in batches.
If you are interested in Right Reverend Bickersteths WWII

story, please read his book Run of the Mill Bishop
By Ted Theisinger
GUIDE
WAR THUNDER 101 MAP TYPES:

WHAT DO I DO IN ARCADE AIR
BATTLES?
For beginners, the biggest frustration is to go into a game and not knowing what they need to
do to win the game. In this War Thunder 101 series, we are going to break down the different
map types available in arcade air battles to give you an idea how to drive your team to victory!
There are two main categories of maps in arcade
air battles: Ground Strike and Domination. Knowing
GROUND STRIKE
these maps and playing according to the objectives

will help your team to victory much quicker, although
Ground Strike is perhaps the most commonly
you can definitely win by taking out all the planes on
encountered map type in arcade air battles. As
the opponents teams (which very rarely happens
its name suggests, the focus is on attacking
in Arcade Battles with multiple spawns, but much
ground targets in order to win the game.
more frequent in Realistic and Simulator Battles).

Early Battles:
In early arcade air battles (those of the Reserves
and Tier I aircraft), the key to winning ground
strike maps is to take out the ground units that
count towards the victory points (those targets
will have a yellow glow on your minimap) more
quickly than your enemy. There is also an indicator
at the bottom left hand corner of your screen
showing the number of ground targets left.
The GameOn Magazine
Very often, in reserve tier, the temptation is to fight

the first plane you see, but that usually distracts
Mini Bases and Airfields:

In arcade air battles later on, three mini bases
players away from the victory objectives. Instead,
will be added. They are also marked on the map
strafe the enemy ground targets or only attack the
by a red crosshair and destroying them deducts
planes that are hammering away at your ground
a small amount of victory points from the enemy.
targets, rather than joining a dogfight that serves
Destroying all the mini bases allows your team
no purpose (even if it seems very exciting and fun).
to commence bombing their airfield. Airfields
These ground targets are usually lightly armored,
being bombed are significant, as this means
such as armored cars, anti-aircraft artillery and
that particular side no longer can land to repair
howitzers, which can be quickly taken out using
without worrying about bombs raining down, and
machine guns on any aircraft. Every ground target
more importantly, the destruction of your airfield
destroyed will reduce the amount of victory points
would mean a swift decay of your teams victory
the enemy holds (on the top of the screen) and the
points right down to zero regardless of how many
team that reaches zero first will lose the game.
points you have. The mini bases and airfields are

generally priority targets for bombers, as they
require quite a fair bit of bombs to destroy.
GUIDE
These targets will usually be more difficult to kill
compared to those in early arcade air battles, as
they are mostly tanks (with light, medium and heavy
varieties), pillboxes and theres even an assortment
of ships on maps with water bodies. These vehicles
will usually require more specialized aircraft such as
attackers, bombers or fighters specially configured
to carry bombs and rockets to reliably kill them.
Killing ALL the ground targets can win the game,
although it takes a significant amount of effort on
the attackers and bombers part as these units are
often scattered around the whole map, with some
deep into the enemys territory. This adds a layer
of variety to ground strike maps, as teams may opt
For this reason, bomber rushes are fairly common
ground units simultaneously for faster victories.
in higher tier games, where bombers have heavy

bomb loads and can take out airfields in a few
drops. This is especially so in certain maps where
there is only an airfield and no mini bases; the
airfields can be bombed directly for a swift victory.
Vehicles:
On top of the mini bases and airfields, there
will also be a set of vehicles for each side, with
some counting towards victory points and these
can be identified on the minimap by the yellow
glow mentioned previously. (Do note that not all
ground targets in higher tier games count towards
the victory points, certain light targets this time
round do not and they are just red in color.)
for a double pronged approach to kill bases and
TIP: ONE THING TO NOTE

IS THAT THE OPPOSING AICONTROLLED GROUND UNITS
CAN ACTUALLY DESTROY
EACH OTHER. THEREFORE,
A VIABLE STRATEGY WHEN
FACED WITH MULTIPLE GROUPS
OF ENEMY TARGETS IS TO
HIT THE ENEMY COLUMN SO
THAT THE BALANCE OF
FIREPOWER SWINGS IN YOUR
SIDES FAVOR. THIS ALLOWS
YOUR GROUND FORCES TO
OVERWHELM THE ENEMYS
MORE QUICKLY IN A FIREFGHT
AND RESULT IN A LARGER LOSS
IN VICTORY POINTS FOR THE
ENEMY (AND LOSING FEWER
GROUND UNITS OF YOUR OWN).
The GameOn Magazine
fighters. Fighters in this defensive role are often

called escorts and particularly valued by their
teammates for their teamwork, even if this means
forgoing some of the Research Points and Silver
Lions that you can get by getting into the closest
dogfight mayhem your engines can get you to.
Lonely Island and Pacific Hidden Base:
To end off for Ground Strike, there is one particular
map that new players always seem to have trouble
with as it is slightly different from others: Lonely
Island. Its a location that has a capture point in
Fighters:
So far, the emphasis has been on the attackers
and bombers doing ground strike; what about
the fighters? Are they not important in this map
type? Nothing could be further from the truth. In
fact, fighters play a pivotal role in this map type.
It is up to them to shut down the enemy bombers
and attackers from attacking targets that could
cause a loss in victory points, and it is also up
to them to defend bombers and attackers on
TIP: WHEN ATTACKING ENEMY

BOMBERS, IT IS GENERALLY
UNWISE TO ATTACK THEM
FROM THEIR SIX, OR FROM
THEIR TAIL. BOMBERS
GENERALLY PACK SIGNIFICANT
FIREPOWER ON THEIR TAILS
AS STINGER TURRETS WHICH
MAKE QUICK WORK OF ANY
ENEMY FIGHTER THAT SITS ON
THEIR TAIL. INSTEAD, ATTACK
HEAD-ON (EXCEPT AGAINST
SOME BOMBERS SUCH AS
THE B-25 MITCHELL WHICH
PACK POTENT FRONT-FIRING
GUNS AS WELL), FROM THE
SIDES, THE TOP OR UNDER
THEIR BELLY. EACH BOMBER
HAS SOME BLIND SPOTS (DO
LEARN THEM, ESPECIALLY THE
MORE POPULAR BOMBERS)
WHICH ARE NOT COVERED
BY DEFENSIVE GUNFIRE AND
THIS EXPOSES YOUR FIGHTER
TO MINIMAL DANGER WHEN
ATTACKING THESE BOMBERS.
their own team from being shot down by enemy
GUIDE
the center, and there are airfields on the island.
One big mistake new players tend to make is
in thinking this is a domination map and start
landing on the airstrip; it is not. This often results
in players getting shot down and giving up in
frustration when none of their landing attempts
result in the capture of the airfield. Heres the
kicker: the capture point can only be taken by ships
and tanks landed on the island by landing boats.
The priority of this map is to take out the enemys
cargo ships (while defending your own), as these
cargo ships spawn waves of landing boats which
land tanks on the beachhead when it reaches the
island. The next important targets are the landing
boats, for obvious reasons, and any tanks they have
landed on the island. The destroyers are there to
escort the ships, and should be dealt with last.
Too many tanks landing on the island for one side
and reaching a pre-determined point will result
in a swift decay of victory points and a loss for the
makes for an interesting dogfight experience.
opposite team, as well as losing all the ships.

This map allows for victory through the
Another map that utilises the same capture
conventional way of bombing mini bases and airfields
mechanic using ships and tanks in [Ground
as with other Ground Strike maps. However, there is
Strike] games is a map called Pacific Hidden
an added layer of tactical victory through capture of
Base, although there is no airfield to confuse
the control point in the centre of the map by landing
players this time round. Its a very distinctive
crafts dropping off tanks on the beaches, so be sure
map with tall pillar-like mountain formations
to attack them as well while guarding your own!
complete with arches and crevices, which
The GameOn Magazine
DOMINATION
can result in fairly intense dogfights erupting over

contested airfields with planes trying to establish
Domination maps are slightly less frequent

than ground strike maps on the arcade map
air superiority while theres always that sneaky

fellow trying to land without the enemy realizing.
roster, but they are a lot of fun especially if

you enjoy dogfights, as there are lots of it.
Landing on an airfield is no easy task, and players

in arcade air battles usually do not have sufficient
practice on landing and taking off. It is advisable
that players actually try the tutorial on takeoff and
landing before trying to do so in domination maps,
as landing requires players to keep the plane as
level as possible and drop below a certain speed
threshold so that the plane doesnt smash into the
ground. A more advanced technique to master is to
do a touch and go landing where the plane touches
down on the airfield just long enough to capture
the airfield while maintaining sufficient airspeed
to quickly scoot off before the enemy fighters
pounce on the vulnerable plane on the runway.
Capturing Airfields:
Domination maps usually start off with a number
of neutral airfields (from one to three) which can be
captured. Each team begins with a certain amount
of victory points; more captured airfields by one
team over the other will result in a decay in victory
points for the other, and the first team that reaches
zero loses. To secure an airfield, a team usually
has to control the airspace around the airfield
while one plane lands to take over the airfield. This
GUIDE
Ground units and bombers:
Bombers play an important role as well. There is
usually a set of ground vehicles that count towards
the victory points as well. Destroying the enemy
teams vehicles will cause them to lose a small
amount of victory points, although it usually is not
significant enough to ensure the complete loss of
the enemy team when all their ground vehicles are
destroyed. What players must be aware of, however,
is that ground units are perfectly capable of capturing
airfields as well (naval units cannot capture airfields),
thus players should definitely take out enemy ground
units that are fast approaching a captured airfield.
By Chock Wee Boon
The GameOn Magazine
CAPTION COMPETITION
Enter this issues Caption Competition to be in with a chance of
winning Golden Eagles and Premium Planes!
1st Place: 3,000 Golden Eagles and rank 1 premium plane of your choosing
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Click anywhere on this page to enter!
PROFILE
PLANE
PROFILE #1:
BF-109E-3
The first truly satisfactory variant of the Bf-109
was the the Bf-109E, or Emil as it was called by
its pilots. The Bf-109E first entered production in
1938, equipped with a new Daimler-Benz DB-601A
engine the Emil was much faster than the previous
versions at the cost of being less manoeuvrable. Most
later variants were equipped with two MG FF 20mm
cannons mounted in the outer wings, replacing
the MG 17 7.92mm machine guns previously found
there. The Emil saw service as the Luftwaffes main
fighter from 1939 to 1941 in the closing stages
of the Spanish Civil War and the opening of the
Second World War. It was used as a fighter, fighterbomber, interceptor, and some were even used for
reconnaissance missions. In total, there were around
4,000 Bf-109E of various minor variants built.
Largely different when compared to previous
versions, the Emil featured a mostly redesigned
airframe because the new Daimler-Benz engine
generated a lot more heat and weighed quite a bit
more than the older Jumo engine. The designers
chose to remove the single radiator found under
The GameOn Magazine
the nose and instead added two radiators under the

wings to counterbalance the heat and increased
RATING
weight from the new engine, while leaving the oil

cooler under the nose. Because the radiators were
being moved to the wings, the wings were completely
Firepower: 8/10(Guns can be frustrating

and hard to deal with at times.)
redesigned and reinforced. With the newly designed
Speed: 8.5/10(Dives very well but
wings, the cooling systems were better, although
struggles to retain speed in a turn)
at the cost of more ducting and piping which could
Climb Rate: 10/10(Climb-rate is phenomenal,
be damaged in combat for disastrous results.
4,000m in 3:00min when upgraded)

Manoeuvrability: 9/10(Can turn with most opponents)
PROS
Excellent acceleration
Outstanding rate-of-climb, will out
Overall Rating:(8.9/10)(Great for beginners,

especially for new Simulator pilots)
SUGGESTED STRATEGY
climb almost all opponents

Good turn-time
Boom and Zoom: The Bf-109E-3 can outclimb
Lots of machine gun ammunition
almost every plane it will face and dive past speeds
Nice, clutter-free cockpit, good
of 750km/h, allowing for the pilot to very quickly
for Simulator Battles

Amazing maximum dive speed of 750 km/h
climb to altitude, dive on an unsuspecting prey,

and finally climb back to altitude before it has any
time to react. The pilot should only really turn-
CONS
fight with an opponent when absolutely necessary

because even though the E-3 excels at turning,
it tends to quickly lose speed while doing so.
Cannons can be very frustrating

to deal with at times
Engine overheats very easily
By Daniel Hoffman
Fragile plane and seems to be

set on fire way too easily
Loses speed quickly in a turn
ARTICLE
SIX WORLD WAR 2 FACTS #1

Germany: Heinkel He-280, the first jet fighter ever
produced, first flew under its own power on March 30,
1941, and was capable of speeds of over 800 km/h.
Britain: London was once bombed for 57
nights in a row by German bombers.
USSR: More Russians died in the Battle of
Leningrad than all the British and Americans
throughout the entire war combined.
The GameOn Magazine
Japan: Japan and Russia still have not officially

signed a peace treaty after World War II.
America: Adolf Hitler considered Henry
Ford his inspiration and kept a framed
picture of him in his office.
Hungary: After World War II, in 1946,
Hungary issued banknotes with a value
of 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 pengo,
the largest denomination ever.
By Daniel Hoffman
ARTICLE
THE MECHELEN
INCIDENT
was carrying the documents.
By January 1940, in a phase known as The

Phoney War, the French military insisted upon taking
Reinberger made several
a purely defensive position along the French-Belgian
attempts to set fire to the
border with a British Expeditionary Force in support,
documents but was foiled first
under the command of General Lord Gort. With the
by a faulty cigarette lighter,
Maginot Line supporting the southern flank, it was
then by a pair of Belgian border
expected that Germany would attempt to invade in
guards who arrived in the area.
much the same manner as the Schlieffen Plan used

in World War. On the 10th of January, 1940, a German
The pair were taken into custody and transported
Bf-108, piloted by Major Erich Hoenmanns and
back to the border guardhouse and questioned.
carrying Major Helmuth Reinberger, lost its way and
Once again, Major Reinberger attempted to destroy
crashed in neutral Belgium.
the plans by throwing them into a stove; this last

attempt was also unsuccessful and the plans
Major Reinberger was responsible for organizing
were locked away separately.Knowing his fate if he
the supply lines that would support the German
was returned to the German military, Reinberger
paratroopers leading the way
attacked the captain of the guard in an attempt to
for the upcoming invasion
procure his sidearm. After being subdued by the
and, unknown to Major
captain, Reinberger cried out that he only wanted
Hoenmanns at the time, was
the weapon so that he could take his own life.
also carrying secret documents
initial assumptions made by the French military were
detailing the invasion plans.

Once on the ground, Reinberger
revealed to Hoenmanns that he
Upon inspection of the plans, they revealed that the

correct. The German army was planning to advance
in an arc, sweeping up through Belgium before
The GameOn Magazine
coming back towards Paris. More importantly, they
would follow older tactics, and did not alter
revealed the date for initial stages of this impending
their defensive strategy. On the other hand, the
offensive: January 17, just a week from that day.
incident forced Hitler to realize he must change
In response to the incident, on the 11th of January,

1940, Adolf Hitler fired several division officers and
his strategy entirely, and quickly realized he could

use their outdated intelligence to his advantage.
began assessing the damage done. The Belgian

government pretended that no information was
Instead, on the 10th of May, 1940, the Germans
gleaned from the nearly destroyed documents,
used a feint attack on the Netherlands and Belgium
so Hitler decided to proceed with the invasion as
before spearheading a full invasion of France
planned. Little did he know that a few days later King
through the Ardennes that included over 2400
Leopold III of Belgium would secretly contact Winston
tanks and 7000 artillery pieces. Because their best
Churchill, who at the time was serving as the First
troops had been dedicated to defending against
Lord of the Admiralty, and arrange the relay of the
an invasion through Belgium, the Allied forces
information found within the documents to the Allies.
were quickly outmatched. With the German forces

having pushed between the Maginot Line and the
On 16th of January at 1900 hours, after
Allied forces, the Allies found themselves being
learning that the Belgian and Dutch militaries
flanked by 13 May. Just two weeks later, the German
had been suddenly put on alert, and with very
advance would separate the British Expeditionary
poor road conditions due to weather, Hitler
Force from their French counterparts, and force the
made the call to cancel the invasion just hours
newly-appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill
before it was supposed to take place.
to order a full-scale evacuation from Dunkirk.
While the allies quietly celebrated the foiling

of the invasion, these events would prove to be
By David King
tragic in the long term. The Allies saw this as

a confirmation of their assumptions that Hitler
GUIDE
WAR THUNDER 101 - RESEARCH

AND LINEUP
In this article on Research and Lineup, War Thunder 101 brings you through the
few systems in-game relating to experience points and gives you a general idea
where to place your points for your crew and planes, as well as how to plan your
lineup of planes using arcade air battles as an example and starting point.
Research Points (RP) in War Thunder is something
out an enemy vehicle
like experience points in other games; they mark
Killing a ground or naval target
your progress through the game. Before we talk
Bombing mini-bases or airfields
about how it matters in the macro sense (big picture),
Capturing airfields in planes and

control points in tanks
lets discuss how research points are gained.
Taking off and landing

Taking part in longer missions
In any battle, any action grants you RP.
Participating in combat (such as
Some examples are, but not limited to:

Getting hits on an enemy vehicle
shooting at enemies or getting shot at)
Shooting down or taking out an enemy vehicle
and being around the combat area
Assisting a teammate in taking
The GameOn Magazine
RESEARCH TREE
Now, with that in mind, we will take a look
at how useful RP is in the macro sense. Firstly
and most importantly, RP allows you to research
your next vehicle. In the Tech Tree, you can
select the vehicle you want to research next.
When you first start playing, youre supplied
with vehicles of the reserve tier. Let us take
a look at the US tree as an example.
Planes available for research are shown in blue
boxes, like the F2A-1, with its required RP of 2900
marked on the bottom right corner of its card.
Planes of a series, such as the P-36 are stacked
in a folder card (see the little tab on the top left
corner), which can be expanded by clicking on it.
The P-36A Hawk, the first of the P-36 series, is
also available for research with a cost of 4000 RP.
Choosing either of them allows the RP earned during
battles by the P-26 Peashooters to go directly into
Of course, higher RP gains come from more
the aircraft of your choice. Planes on the right in
significant actions, such as taking out an enemy
brown boxes are premium aircraft; they are bought
vehicle, killing targets that affect victory points or
using real money either in bundles or through the
capturing airfields and control points. Victories
use of the games premium currency, the Golden
also generally grant a higher RP bonus compared
Eagles, skipping the research process entirely.
to losses, therefore it is often wise to help push

your team to victory compared to chasing that
easy target thats probably 10 km away from you.
The planes unavailable for research have red

cards. For example, F2A-1 has to be researched
GUIDE
before starting on the F2A-3. Subsequent planes
in a folder has to be researched this way as
well, such as the P-36G Hawk, which requires
that P-36A and P-36C to be researched. Players
can choose a different branch to research,
or continue down the same branch.
The branches in a countrys tech tree largely
symbolize the development and evolutionary history
of the planes. In the US tree classified according
to its services, the first branch contains fighters
of the US Army Air Force (and planes from its
subsequent organization into the US Air Force); the
second branch contains fighters of the US Navy;
the third branch consists of US Navy/Marine Corps
attackers and bombers; while the last branch
houses the US Air Force attackers and bombers.
TIER SYSTEM
Planes are divided into Tiers as well. Planes
like P-26 and P-36 belongs to Tier I while the
P-40E and P-39 belong to Tier II. The tiers broadly
divide the planes according to their year of service,
and six planes from the previous tier have to be
researched and bought before research on the next
tier can begin. The three P-26 available for reserve
planes have already been researched and bought,
therefore progress through Tier I is 3 out of 6 planes
as shown (3/6) on the left side of the tech tree.
The GameOn Magazine
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR

PLANE RESEARCH
worse the higher the tier difference is.

Researching backwards is usually not optimal
either (with the exception of premium planes).
For example (see the US tech tree), using the
If youre flying the aircraft directly on top
P-39 (Tier II) to research the OS-2U Kingfishers
of the one youre researching, there is a
(Tier I) has a penalty modifier (90%) as well.
research bonus of 130%, allowing you to
However, if that particular plane is very efficient
research the plane much faster. This can be
in gaining RP compared to planes of the
seen on the planes card as shown below.
previous tier, it might offset the penalty modifier
Using a plane to research another in the

same tier and the tier below is usually the
enough to actually be viable to use a later tier

plane to research planes of the previous tier.
most efficient. For example, using the P-36
Between planes, there is a slight difference
(Tier I) to research the PBY-5 Catalina (Tier
in RP earning rates as well. For example,
I) or the A-20G (Tier II) gives good gains to
the Rewards for P-36A is 30% compared to
the research points. However, using the P-36
10% for the F2A-1. If killing an enemy plane
to continue researching the B-25J-20 (Tier
gives 200 base RP, the F2A-1 would earn
III) would not be optimal because there is a
200 x (100+10)% = 220RP, while the P-36A
penalty modifier (of 40%) to any RP gained
would earn slightly more at 200 x (100+30)%
by the P-36. The penalty modifier gets
= 260RP. Therefore, if unlocking new vehicles
GUIDE
is your priority, keep that in mind when
gives you an elite aircraft ( also commonly
choosing the planes to include in your lineup.
called spaded aircraft) with its performance fully

maximized. You will gain a small spade icon on your
PLANE MODULES
planes card as well. The benefits of a spaded plane

can be sometimes significant, as seen in this Bf 109
When you first buy a plane, it comes in its stock

condition and totally not upgraded. The performance,
F-4 comparison, where the climb rate has doubled

and an increase in top speed of almost 60 km/h.
survivability and weapons are of a lower standard

compared to a fully upgraded one. To upgrade the
Most planes have modules divided into Flight
stock plane, players have to use it so that it gains
Performance, Survivability and Weaponry.
Research Points (RP). This is the exact same RP as
Modules in the Flight Performance category
the one used to research new planes, but they are
usually contain improvements to boost climb
not mutually exclusive; the RP gained for researching
rate, maximum speed and turn time, among
new planes are also counted toward upgrading the
others. Survivability upgrades enhance the
different modules of current plane youre flying.
structural strength of the plane, allowing it to

take more hits while giving modest performance
improvements. Weaponry research unlocks better
The items that are needed to be upgraded are

called research modules. There are different
gun belts, improvements to gun accuracy and
modules to be upgraded for the guns, airframe,
reliability, as well as bomb and rocket load-outs.
engine etc. Researching the modules completely
The GameOn Magazine
In addition, completing the upgrades for a
upgrades of Level I, progress can be seen on
particular level in a plane (for example, the
the left), Airframe module is a much needed
Fuselage Repair, Radiator, Offensive 7 mm and
upgrade to boost your survivability. Cover
ETC 50/VIIId bomb Level I module upgrades for
module at Level IV provides a slight increase
the Bf 109 F-4 example) will grant some bonus
to survivability as well and should be taken
RP towards researching the next plane.
after the Engine Injection module (see below).
UPGRADING TIPS FOR FIGHTERS
If the Engine Injection or Engine Throttle

module is present (not available on all
planes), make that a priority as well and
Always research the belt upgrades first at
research once you reach Level IV, as it usually
Level I as fighters rely a lot on their weaponry
provides a very big boost to climb rate and
(Offensive 12 mm in the F2A-3 example). The
top speed of propeller-driven fighters.
stock belt usually consists of rounds that
After that, finish up with the remaining
are not as effective, such as Ball or Practice
Flight Performance upgrades before
rounds which do not apply additional effects
researching bombs and rockets, as they
on hitting the target. The subsequent gun
are of the lowest priority on your fighter.
upgrade (New 12 mm MGs) is also of priority,
A fighters flight performance is usually
as it increases the accuracy of your guns
severely impaired when carrying external
and reduces the possibility of jamming.
ordnance such as bombs and rockets.
Once Level II is unlocked (by researching 2
GUIDE
UPGRADING TIPS FOR BOMBERS

Always research the bomb loads (such as the
MBC-8 for the Blenheim) when they become
available, as they usually allow more bombs
& better bomb configurations to be carried.
Modules that boost bombers survivability
should be researched early on to improve
your chances of surviving hits, such as
the Airframe module at Level II.
Any other research should go into Flight
Performance modules, with modules granting
access to good climb rates prioritized.
If Engine Injection or Engine Throttle is
available at Level IV, make that a priority as
the climb rate boost is usually significant
(although not as much as fighters).
Research the turrets last as the turrets are not
that effective in taking down enemy fighters
who know how to weave and dodge. As much
as possible, you should be avoiding fighters
altogether or flying with fighter escorts as a
bomber, not take down fighters yourself.
UPGRADING TIPS
FOR ATTACKERS
Prioritize bomb and rocket upgrades (such
as the RO-82 and RO-132 rocket modules
on the IL-2M) as they provide a significant
The GameOn Magazine
boost to the ability to kill ground units.

If the plane has cannons capable of taking
out ground targets, research the belts if
they give access to better armor-piercing
ammunition (for instance, the default 23 mm
belt on the IL-2M gives 1 armor-piercing
round in 2 shots; upgrading to the ground
target 23 mm belt gives 3 armor-piercing
rounds in 4 shots, allowing you to take tanks
out much more easily). The gun upgrade
is also important as well as it improves
accuracy and lowers the chance to jam.
Prioritize survivability upgrades, especially
the Airframe module, as it gives a huge
boost to survivability from both ground
prefer to fly exclusively fighters or mostly bombers,
fire (which can take your plane out if you
I prefer to fly a mix with an emphasis on fighters.
are not careful) and enemy fighters. The
Thus, I usually allocate 3 slots for fighters, 1 slot
Cover module is taken after the necessary
attacker/ heavy fighter and 1 slot for bomber. Of
Weaponry module upgrades are done.
course, this varies from player to player and theres
Flight Performance is not a priority as you
no fixed ratio to follow. I prefer the 3-1-1 allocation
will usually be flying close to the ground.
for its versatility and I can fly out different plane
These are maxed out last after finishing up
types depending on the fortunes of my team.
research in Weaponry and Survivability.
LINE-UP
There are different kinds of fighters as well, with

some optimised for performance at high altitude, and
some better at low altitudes, so do take note of that
We are looking at using 5 crew slots per nation,
when choosing fighters to put in your lineup as well.
as that is the maximum number of crew slots that

can be unlocked using Silver Lions. Planning ahead
The next few crew slots can be unlocked
is good as you can level up your crews according
using Golden Eagles rather cheaply (at 200 GE
to the plane type youre flying. While some may
for the 6th and 500 GE for the 7th crew slots)
GUIDE
For arcade air battles, the weighted average of the
depending on your needs. An extra fighter or two

may be helpful for Domination matches, while
top 3 BR values of your planes is used to calculate
additional bombers and attackers may be required
the players BR. The formula is: Player BR = 0.5A
for Ground Strike matches as these are quite
+ 0.25B + 0.25C, rounded off to the nearest .3, .7 or
vulnerable when attacked by enemy fighters.
.0, with A, B and C representing the top 3 planes

BR in descending order (with A being the highest).
BATTLE RATINGS SYSTEM
Players are matched up with other players with a

maximum difference of 1.0 in their players BR.
The matchmaking system in the War Thunder uses

the Battle Rating system as of version 1.45 to group
There is, however, a cap for the difference
players into matches, and it is important to plan your
in BR of the top 3 aircraft. If the difference is
lineup around it so that you are not fighting planes
2 steps (BR value difference of 0.6 or 0.7) or
with vastly superior capabilities compared to yours.
more, the players BR will simply be (A 0.33)

rounded off, with A being the highest BR. This is
Each plane has its own Battle Rating (BR) to
to prevent players from bringing in planes with
indicate its effectiveness in battle and appears
extremely high BR into a battle by supplementing
in steps of 0.33, thus the sequence of BR
the lineup with planes of much lower BR.
appears as 1.0 (lowest), 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3 and

so on (rounded off) all the way up to 9.0.
What does this all mean? As planes in the

Tech Tree are not arranged according to BR,
The GameOn Magazine
For example, putting the new PBY-5 Catalina

(BR2.0) you have researched into your lineup (which
is actually the default option the game picks for
you) with P-26 Peashooter reserve planes only
(BR1.0) could actually set you up with battles with
much better planes, as the PBY-5 would raise the
player BR significantly. There is a chance that the
matchmaker may match the player up against
players with better planes like the F4F-3 (2.3BR),
A-20G (BR2.7) and P-40 (BR2.7) because of the BR1.0
range when finding players for matchmaking.
The planes more suitable to supplement the
P-26A Peashooter in the lineups would probably
some planes at lower tiers might actually have
be the OS2U-1 Kingfisher (and the OS2U-3 as
very high BR due to their effectiveness. Bringing
well) and the F2A-1 planes, which are all at
such aircraft causes you to be matched against
1.3BR, much closer to the P-26 Peashooters.
much stronger planes, and you might not have

planes in your lineup good enough to fight in
Eventually, the player would have to move
those battles once that top-of-the-line aircraft is
on to using planes with a higher BR. To utilise
destroyed. It sometimes may be tempting to bring
the PBY-5 Catalina, the most effective way is to
a shiny new aircraft youve just researched into
supplement the lineup with better planes such
the next battle, but it can be unwise to do so.
as the P-36A (BR1.7), P-36C (BR2.0) and SBD-3
This is a big problem that new players always face,
(BR2.0) which are closer to it, providing a more
as the inner workings of BR and matchmaking are
credible counter to the planes it can potentially face.
not explained clearly right at the start. Newer players
(Note: These values are accurate as of Dec 2014)
often get frustrated when being matched up against

far superior planes that they cant handle with
Therefore, a good way is to research a few new
their mostly reserve lineup when they inadvertently
planes (at least 3) of similar BR before bringing
bring themselves into a higher BR match.
them into battle all in one go, with your older

aircraft as a form of reserve. When it comes to
GUIDE
CREW TIPS FOR FIGHTERS
researching new planes, instead of choosing the

most mean-looking fighter (with a ridiculously
high BR) you can lay your hands on, choose one
For the Pilot tab, Vitality is the most important
that allows your lineup to gradually increase its BR
as it significantly reduces the chances of
without facing significantly more difficult foes.
a pilot knockout by a stray bullet. This is

followed by G-tolerance a close second, which
CREW POINTS
improves how your pilot adapts to high-G

forces and allows for better control responses
Putting crew points into skills that are relevant

can be a huge edge against your opponents
in War Thunder. For starters, the pilot snipe
seen experienced in earlier levels can be
reduced by levelling up your pilot in vitality.
Crew points are brought over from one plane
to another and are not lost when you upgrade
that particular crew slot to a better plane. After
every battle, crews that have participated will
earn a number of crew XP points depending on
their actions (e.g. kills & hits) that can be spent on
individual skills, which will increase the crew level.
Expert Qualification for a particular plane after
meeting the crew level requirements is a big boost
to crew skills (found in the Qualifications Tab in
Crew) by increasing Keen Vision and Awareness (for
Pilots), Fire Accuracy and Precision (for Gunners)
as well as Repair Speed and Reload Speed (for
Ground Service) by 30 points, and this can be bought
using Silver Lions. A further Ace Qualification
(which adds 20 more points to the above-mentioned
skills) can be bought using Golden Eagles.
The GameOn Magazine
in mouse-aiming mode when the plane is
so this is usually brought up to an acceptable
performing high-G maneuvers. Stamina is
level before focusing on other attributes (and
also just as important, as it affects how fast
using Expert Qualification to make up for it).
the pilot fully recovers from the red-outs
Weapon Maintenance reduces the overheating
and black-outs from the high-G maneuvers
speed and chance of weapons overheating,
and accuracy of mouse-aim during those
making it a secondary priority in this tab.
maneuvers. Keen Vision and Awareness
Repair Speed and Repair Rank is usually
affect the distance in which enemy planes are
ignored for the Ground Service tab, as
marked and are relatively important as well.
repair costs in Arcade Battles is usually
Gunners Tab is totally irrelevant as they are
low enough to just pay for the repair. The
only for additional AI gunner crews on board
repair costs, however, become much more
the plane, which are not present in fighters.
significant in Realistic and Simulator Battles
For Ground Service Tab, Reload Speed affects

how fast your guns are reloaded, which is very
important in Arcade Battles as you will be
and these skills will come in handy.
CREW TIPS FOR BOMBERS
reloading quite often in the air. In Realistic and

Simulator Battles, the Reload Speed is less
For the Pilot Tab, Vitality is still the most
important as it only affects the time of rearming
important, but Keen Vision and Awareness
on the airfield. Investing points into Reload
will be useful as well because they help you
Speed quickly increases the points required,
to mark enemy fighters with tags earlier. The
GUIDE
increase in spotting distance will definitely
so it may be wise to plan ahead to match the
be more helpful as the distances between
number of gunners in your future bombers.

For the skills in your Gunners tab, Fire
you and enemy planes are usually greater

and you are trying to fly away from them.
Accuracy and Precision affects gunners when
G-tolerance and Stamina are not needed in
they are controlled by the AI. However, it doesnt
bombers compared to fighters, as the degree
affect the guns when the player controls them
of tolerance and duration of the black-out from
(which should be the case most of the time
pulling high-G forces is not that important.
when you are under attack, unless youre at the
The Gunners tab becomes more important
final run-in for your bombing run). Fully maxed
for bombers. The number of experienced
out gunner crews can be especially deadly if
gunners reduces the penalty to other gunner
the enemy fighter does not perform evasive
skills when it is closer to the number of
maneuvers and they shoot at you while sitting
actual gunner positions on the plane. This
on your tail. Vitality is relatively important as
is usually levelled to match the number of
it allows the gunners a chance to stay alive
gunners you have for that plane youre flying,
when they are being shot at. G-tolerance and
The GameOn Magazine
Stamina is not that important as you will not

be pulling tight turns much in a bomber.
For the Ground Service tab, Reload Speed is
the most important item in Arcade Battles,
as it allows a bomber to halve its reload
There may be one or two AI gunner

crews on board the attackers and
heavy fighters, so players may want to
choose to put a few points into this.
For the Ground Service tab, Reload Speed
time when fully maxed out. This effectively
and Weapon Maintenance has slightly greater
translates to two times more damage on
significance than items in the Pilot Tab as it
the targets. Weapon Maintenance is useful
affects your turnaround time to strike targets
as well as it allows for greater accuracy in
when using rockets and bombs (for Reload
hitting targets, especially if youre bombing
Speed), as well as the accuracy of your bombs
moving vehicles (but not that useful for larger
and rockets (for Weapon Maintenance).
targets like mini-bases and airfields).
CREW TIPS FOR HEAVY

FIGHTERS/ATTACKERS
After going through this lengthy explanation,

we hope you have a slightly better understanding
of the Research Point system for researching
new planes as well as upgrading modules
on your existing aircraft, as well as gain new
My preference to use the same crew slot for

heavy fighters and attackers stem from the
insights on Crew Points and how to plan your

lineup around the Battle Rating system.
reasoning that they largely share the same

crew characteristics (no big requirement
War Thunder has many complex systems
for high-G turns, has roughly the same
binding the whole game together (which can be
number of additional gunners) , although
quite daunting to newcomers; I was very much
you can of course allocate separate crew
perplexed by its complexities when I first started
slots for attackers and heavy fighters
out) but they can be fruitful and rewarding if you
separately if there are sufficient crew slots.
take time to explore and understand. We will be
Skill allocation for the Pilot tab is largely

similar to fighters, except that G-tolerance
back with more in-depth guides in War Thunder

101 in subsequent issues, so stay tuned!
and Stamina skills are not as important

as you are less likely to be pulling sharp
turns in a heavy fighter or an attacker.
By Chock Wee Boon
FICTION
ZEROS OVERHEAD
The friendly Hawaiian air caresses my face as I
of smoke rising from one of the battleships. Could it
take my morning run around the base. Really, one
really be-? No, the Japanese arent stupid enough to
couldnt ask for a more beautiful Sunday morning;
attack. Weve been on a limited alert, patrolling for
only a few clouds hang in the sky, which only adds
submarines in our PBY-5 Catalinas, but there hasnt
a little spice to it. I wipe some sweat off of my
been much, just a couple of sightings every now and
right eyebrow. I believe theres only one thing that
again. It was probably some moron smoking next to
might possibly be wrong with these islands: the
an ammo magazine.
overbearing humidity from the ocean. Even then,
I turn to return the Number Two Barracks, to go get
theres usually a light breeze from somewhere,
ready for muster. As Im going down the dirt road,
so its not that unbearable. I definitely need a
a 38 Ford, owned by Chief Aviation Ordnanceman
shower when I get back to the bunk. I check my
John Flinn. Hed been requested at the airfield, and
watch; its 7:45 AM, December 7th, 1941. My watch
decided to give me a ride. Soon after we started
doesnt have the date on it, mind you, Im just the
driving towards the airfield, a small airplane
type to know what day it is. I need to be ready for
buzzes overhead, flying very low. Im annoyed at
muster, and Id left early from breakfast to take
the pilot, and I inspect his aircraft so that I can
a quick run. Besides, my comrades from VP-14
file an official complaint. Something is wrong.
probably wont leave without me. They usually
Ive never seen a plane of that shape before...It
wait for the stragglers from breakfast, and Fat
has red circles marked prominently against the
Freddie takes his sweet time to get done. If we
dirty-white paint on its wings. My stomach drops
strapped wings to him, hed float just as well as
as I realize the horrifying truth: the Japanese are
our Catalinas! At any rate, Im approaching our
attacking! And we are in no wise prepared.
barracks at 7:48, plenty of time to get ready for theCAO Flinn throws the car into high gear,
What was that? I look over towards the main
and we careen headlong into the chaos that was
air base at Pearl Harbor, just to the west of our
once our airfield. All of the Catalinas have been
airfield at Kaneohe Bay. I see a great big black ball
destroyed, and the Japanese planes are strafing
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the runway, the bases, the men...Hangar Three
Eventually, the attackers slink back towards
suddenly explodes into a ball of flame. Hangar One
the horizon from which they appeared. I survey
is burning to a crisp, and Hangar Two has bullet
the carnage. All of our beautiful float planes are
holes throughout. The CAO leads us to the armory,
in smoldering heaps, or have sunk to the bottom
and hands out rifles. Its all we have. We grab ammo
of the bay. Many men have either been blown into
from a supply truck that has somehow survived,
bits, or torn into shreds. Even the CAO took multiple
and quickly seek cover to fire from. I look over at
hits while defending the airfield. As I look at the
the smoking hull of what was once my Catalina.
devastation in front of my eyes, smell the acrid
I see her, shredded to bits, burnt into a useless
smoke of the burning airfield and remember the
hulk of charred metal. I catch a glimpse of her gun
unfamiliar red circles on the plane that passed
barrel, sticking up from a cracked glass blister.
overhead earlier, one thing is certain: we are at war.

We tried to stay out, but at long last, and at great
She may be permanently grounded, but we
cost, we are at war. And there is no chance that
can salvage the guns! I gather a few men, and we
we are ever going to lose. Because, just like in the
dismount the Brownings from their turrets. We set
Spanish-American War and World War I, we have
them up, and fire at the Zeros strafing the runway.
something to remember. Just like the Maine, and
For the most part, we didnt do much. But I do know
the Lusitania, we will remember Pearl Harbor.
we took one of the buggers down; he caught fire over

our heads and crashed just beyond the airfield.
By Cade Rosenbalm
GUIDE
WAR THUNDER 101 MACHINES TANK TYPES

Just like air power, the role of tanks also came of age in World War II as nations sought to
gain breakthroughs on the frontline, from German blitzkriegs using tank spearheads to
the massed tank formations of the Red Army. On the African front, the major tank battles
in the Battle of El Alamein turned the fortunes of the Western Allies around, prompting Sir
Winston Churchill to remark, Before Alamein we never had a victory, after Alamein we
never had a defeat. Such is the vital role of armor throughout the course of World War II.
LIGHT TANKS
Flanking becomes very important for light

tanks, making use of their excellent mobility to
reposition themselves on the sides or even the
In World War II, tanks were generally

classified according to their weight and role.
Light tanks generally took on the role of armored
reconnaissance, designed to be fast and
inexpensive, often weighing 20 tonnes and below.
Light tanks often traded armor and firepower
for speed. The compromise in armor of light tanks
meant that it could only protect them from nothing
more than machine gun fire from the sides and
take smaller-caliber tank round hits from the
front. Their firepower often comes in the form of
smaller-caliber cannons, limiting their options
during engagements to lightly armored vehicles.
The GameOn Magazine
rear of enemies, where they can fire at the weakerarmed sides and rears of armored vehicles.
In War Thunder, light tanks are mostly
used in capture of control points, a vital
mechanic on tank maps to secure victories.
Light tanks can easily outrun other tank
types to reach the control points first.
Reserve tier tanks are the first light tanks you
will encounter in-game (in fact, theyre the first
tanks you get). The Germans start off with the
Panzerkampfwagen (Pz.Kpfw) II Ausf.C, which means
Armored Combat Vehicle II, Variant C. The Soviets
have two light tanks for reserve, the BT-5 and T-26.
The Americans get the unorthodox angular-looking
M2A4 light tank with the introduction of the American
tank tree in the Steel Generals 1.45 update.
MEDIUM TANKS
The medium tank, as its name suggests, is
a balance between the light and heavy tanks,
with most of them around 20 to 40 tonnes. They
are designed with balances in firepower, armor,
mobility (and cost), and many successful examples
emerged out of World War II, such as the mostproduced tank of World War II, the Soviet T-34,
the American M4 Sherman of the hit 2014 movie
Fury starring Brad Pitt, as well as the German
Pz.Kpfw V Panther that saw extensive service.
GUIDE
Medium tanks are usually armed with a main
HEAVY TANKS
gun (usually around 75 mm) that can match up

to most armor protection in-game. In addition,
they possess the mobility to move quickly enough
Heavy tanks are the absolute juggernauts
for flanking maneuvers although they may not
among tanks, usually weighing in above
have the capability to keep up with the light
40 tons. These tanks are heavily armored
tanks. This combination of firepower, mobility
and armed with powerful cannons, trading
and decent armor protection makes medium
mobility for firepower and protection.
tanks a very popular choice in War Thunder.

These tanks have very thick frontal armor
The versatility and balanced approach of medium
designed to protect them against shells of most
tank design eventually led to the creation of a new
calibers. Penetrating them is not easy, however.
tank classification after World War II, the Main Battle
It takes a detailed study of their damage models
Tank (MBT), replacing the medium and heavy tank
(accessible through the X-ray view in Hangar) to
classification in the modern context. The design is
exploit their weak spots and shot traps, such as
exemplified by tanks such as the T-54 found in Tier
the driver port, turret ring or weaker side and rear
V of the Soviet tree, with a potent combination of 100
armor. Some tanks also come equipped with shells
mm main gun and good armor protection, while still
that are designed to penetrate very thick armor, such
having good mobility. The T-54 is the worlds most
as the High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) shell. Others
produced tank (with the T-34 coming in second) in
disable the heavy tank by shooting at its tracks and
its multiple variants and licenced-built versions. It
gun before closing in, where their shells are much
is still in use around the world by many nations, a
more effective at penetrating, to finish them off.
remarkable feat for a design at end of World War II.
Heavy tanks mostly suffer from poor
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mobility, with even the best engines at that
MULTI-TURRETED TANKS
time unable to compensate for the emphasis

on armor and armament. They are very
War Thunder also models some of the more
vulnerable to flanking maneuvers and take
unorthodox heavy tank designs, such as the
much longer to reposition when overwhelmed
multi-turreted Soviet T-35 and SMK heavy tanks.
with faster-moving light and medium tanks.
These oddities, which looked more like land

battleships, had multiple turrets carrying main
The main gun of heavy tanks usually fire high
guns which could be fired independently of each
caliber shells offering high penetration values
other or simultaneously at once. With these many
along with massive collateral damage. These high
turrets manned by separate crews, these tanks
caliber guns, such as the KwK36 88 mm cannon
were absolute monstrosities, crawling across the
mounted on the fearsome German Pz.Kpfw VI
battlefield at a very slow pace and were difficult
Tiger tanks, could take out almost most tanks
to maneuver, occasionally bringing its broadside
with a single shot through its frontal armor. The
against an unlucky enemy unfortunate enough to
drawback is that these guns usually take much
be at the receiving end of multiple large cannon
longer to load and traverse much more slowly,
shells. These heavy tanks, while of limited tactical
making them vulnerable when surrounded by a
value due to their extremely slow speed and armor
faster moving tank rapidly changing its position.
protection which is average at best, have immense

firepower and are incredibly fun to bring into a battle.
GUIDE
provide a mobile anti-tank gun solution, as antitank guns were more difficult to move around on
the battlefield. However, armor protection can
vary greatly for tank destroyers, from open-top
solutions with only thin armor protecting the front
from small-arms fire, to casemate structures
seen in Sturmgeschtz III (or commonly known
as StuG III), the most-produced armored vehicle
by Germany during WWII, thus outlining the
importance of this potent class of armored vehicles.
This sharp difference between the two schools
of thought is best exemplified by the Marder III and
Hetzer tank destroyers, both based on the same
The American tank branch has their own oddity
Pz.Kpfw 38(t) light tank chassis. The Marders main
in the form of the M3 Lee medium tank as well,
gun was mounted on the open-top chassis, with only
with a 37 mm cannon in a turret and a hard-hitting
a shield plate protecting the front and sides against
75 mm cannon mounted in a sponson on the side
shrapnel and rifle fire. On the other hand, the Hetzer
of the hull, making it look distinctively different
had a sloped front armor of 60 mm and all-round
from contemporary tank designs in World War II.
protection from its casemate structure, which is

reasonably good protection even against tank rounds.
TANK DESTROYERS
A tank destroyer is a specialized type of armored
fighting vehicle separate from tanks, specifically
SELF-PROPELLED
ANTI-AIRCRAFT
designed to take on the anti-tank role compared

to the tanks, which take on a more all-rounded
role in offensive and defensive operations.
Another specialized type of armored fighting

vehicle is the self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle (or
SPAA). This arose from a need to provide tactical
Most tank destroyers have a powerful main

gun fitted onto a tracked or wheeled chassis to
air cover to mobile forces due to strafing and

bombing runs by attacker planes. These vehicles
The GameOn Magazine
have a crucial role to play on arcade and realistic
armor especially from the flanks. These rounds,
battles in War Thunder, protecting their teammates
however, while effective against light tanks and
from bombing and strafing runs by planes.
thinly armored tank destroyers, will struggle to

penetrate the armor of medium tanks and above.
Initially, these were little more than machine

guns mounted on vehicles such as trucks and half-
In summary, armored vehicles are most effective
tracks. Later in the war, more specialized SPAA
when played correctly to their strengths. Some
vehicles were produced on tracked chassis so that
tanks are better off with utilising mobility to their
these vehicles could keep up with rapidly advancing
advantage, while others have firepower and armor
armor columns and provide anti-air support.
on their side. Using one type of tank for a role it is not

built for (for example, a light tank trying to engage
SPAA vehicles are typically lightly armored
a heavy tank in a firefight frontally) often will not
against shrapnel and small-arms fire only
be effective and will only result in frustration (and
as they are expected not to engage in direct
shots bouncing off armor). We sure hope this article
firefights with armored combat vehicles such as
gives you a better understanding in utilising these
tanks and tank destroyers. While tank combat
fearsome machines on tracks (and a select few on
in SPAA is generally not advisable, some SPAA
wheels) to dominate the fields of War Thunder!
vehicles do have armor-piercing rounds which

can do considerably more damage against
By Chock Wee Boon
WORDSEARCH
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GUIDE
WAR THUNDER 101 MACHINES PLANE TYPES
From fighters to bombers to attackers, War Thunder 101 guides you through
each of the different plane types so that you know your machine inside out.
Many of you may have heard exploits about how
Wow. What in the world are all these planes?
your grandfather took to the skies in World War

II, dodging the slashing attacks that came his way
Well, fear not! We are here to explain things to
in nimble fighters such as the P-51 Mustang, or
you in this new series War Thunder 101, starting
desperately firing away at Me 262 jet fighters as a
with the different aircraft types available.
waist gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.

Every aircraft is designed for a certain role it has
You hop into War Thunder, wide-eyed and eager
to fulfill, from its weapons to its performance. This
to plunge into battle and relive the experience
is why, knowing the aircraft type will go a long way
as a hotshot pilot, only to be faced with this:
in ensuring your success in the skies, as you will

able to choose the right machine for the right job.
The GameOn Magazine
FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
seconds to loop behind enemy planes quickly.

Some examples are the early Supermarine
Spitfire fighters (British), the Nakajima Ki-43
These planes are by far the most common and
Hayabusa light fighters, Mitsubishi A6M Reisen
numerous of each nations lineup, designed to
series of naval fighters (both Japanese) and
establish air superiority over the battlefield. They are
the Polikarpov I-16 light fighters (Soviet).
generally fast, maneuverable and possess a strong

set of machine guns and cannons to dispatch any foe.
Some nations prefer to have aircraft with more

powerful (and heavier) engines as well as harder-
Most fighters are generally small in size compared
hitting weapons and stronger airframes, trading
to other aircraft, and are usually powered by a
maneuverability for firepower at the expense
single engine mounted at the front of the aircraft
of weight. These planes perform admirably in
(with some exceptions, as we will see later).
the interceptor role, climbing quickly to high

altitudes and taking out incoming bombers
Choosing a fighter aircraft can be tricky, as there
with their substantially heavier armaments.
are various doctrines or schools of thought involved.

There are so many important characteristics that
are critical to a fighter plane, such as top speed,
acceleration, turn time, climb rate, control response
and energy retention (and the list goes on and
on) that has to be taken into account. A country
may prefer one or more doctrines over the other
and there is generally no right or wrong doctrine,
but rather, more about whether each doctrine
is being exploited to its advantage. Therefore,
give some of them a try and decide for yourself
which breed of fighter suits your playing style.
Some nations may favor designing aircraft
optimized for maneuverability, often boasting
impressive horizontal turn times well below 20
GUIDE
In between these two extremes, various degrees of
compromise exist in every fighter aircraft and some
players adapt more easily to one than the other.
At the most extreme end of the fighter spectrum,
there is a subclass of fighters that are heavily
armed and usually have two engines to power
their larger airframes across the skies. And, more
often than not, these planes, known as heavy
fighters, are substantially armored compared
to their contemporary fighter counterparts and
some are even equipped with turrets to defend
against enemy threats on their tails. Examples
in this game include the Bristol Beaufighter
in the British tree as well as the German
Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstrer (Destroyer).
These planes were not designed to keep
up with turning maneuvers of single-engine
fighters in a dogfight. Instead, they rely more on
positioning, tactics and careful play, bringing their
powerful guns to bear on unsuspecting planes
before taking them down with one short burst.
NAVAL FIGHTERS
In the American and Japanese tech trees,
you might invariably notice that there exists
another classification of fighters called naval
fighters, which deserves a short mention.
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Some countries employed aircraft carriers
The dawn of jet age ushered in a new group of
as part of their warfighting capability in World
aircraft, and hostilities in the form of the Korean War
War II. As such, there are specialized aircraft
not long after World War II soon saw these planes
designed to take-off and land on the flat decks
come head-to-head with each other, with jet fighters
of ships and these planes typically have shorter
such as the American F-86 Sabre locking horns
take-off runs compared to their land-based
with the Soviet MiG-15 in the skies over Korea.
counterparts operating from airfields.

Jet aircraft have typically much higher top
As part of the developmental roadmap of War
speeds and boast significantly superior climb
Thunder, the British tech tree is also slated to
rates compared to the propeller-driven aircraft in
receive naval fighters from the Fleet Air Arm in
World War II, and thus they are in Tier V, although
future patches, so do keep a look out for those!
it is not uncommon to encounter some early jets
JET FIGHTERS
such as the Yak-15 basic fighter jet (later used

as a trainer by the Soviet Air Force), the Me 262
Schwalbe (Swallow) and the P-80 Shooting Star
Near the end of World War II, jet engines

(and rocket engines) were starting to be
used on fighter aircraft as they represented
when flying late-war propeller driven aircraft.
BOMBERS
the next quantum leap in performance.

Bombers are the next major class of planes in
GUIDE
War Thunder after fighters. Bombers are strategic
are highly vulnerable to fighter attacks, so great
assets designed to take out bases and airfields, as
care must be taken by players flying fighters to
well as naval units and vehicles on a tactical level.
escort the bombers to their targets so they do

not fall prey to the marauding enemy fighters.
In comparison to fighters, bombers are generally

much larger in size and lack maneuverability.
Their survivability comes from having more
armor as well as defensive armament in the form
LIGHT, MEDIUM AND

HEAVY BOMBERS
of turrets, although a select few may possess

forward-firing machine guns or cannons.
Bombers are usually classified according to their

payload size and range (generally not a concern
Bombers are usually high-value targets, as they
in War Thunder as the map sizes are small).
can bring lots of destruction to the enemy team
Most bombers come with a bombsight which can
when left unchecked. However, solo bombers
be activated in-game to allow for more precise
The GameOn Magazine
bombing, with the exception of specialized bombers

such as dive bombers and torpedo bombers.
Do take note that bombers payloads in

War Thunder exist in two different units of
measurement: pounds and kilograms. To convert
While there is no standardized notation among
easily from one to the other, simply use this:
countries, a general rule of thumb applies for
1 kg = 2.2 pounds. This is important if you are
the bomber classification in War Thunder using
planning for different targets, as different targets
their bomb load, with some exceptions:
require different bomb loads to take out.
Light bombers: Around 1 tonne/1000 kg
DIVE BOMBERS
(Examples: Sukhoi Su-2, SB 2M, Beaufort)

Dive bombers usually dive directly at their targets
Medium bombers: Around 2 tonnes (Examples:
to allow for more accuracy in their bombing, a tactic
B-25 Mitchell, Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju
used to great effect by the German Ju 87 Stuka
88, Vickers Wellington, Ki-49 Donryu)
in the opening days of World War II. This usually

allows them to hit pin-point targets or even moving
Heavy bombers: Around 3 tonnes (Examples:
targets reliably as it allows for the simplification of
B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, Avro Lancaster,
the bombs trajectory into more or less a straight
G5N1 Shinzan, G8N1 Renzan, Yermolayev Yer-2)
line from the pilots view to the target as opposed to

conventional bombers flying at a certain altitude.
GUIDE
However, dive bombers are usually limited to
smaller bomb loads of around 1 tonne, effectively
making them light bombers. Dive bombing also
requires the pilot to pull up sharply from the dive
after releasing the bomb, which necessitates
the use of air brakes, which are modelled in
War Thunder, so remember to use them if you
do not want to fly straight into the ground!
Most dive bombers also do not come with
the bomb sight, as they are not equipped with
equipment for a bombardier (except the Russian
Pe-2 dive bomber). In War Thunder, dive bombers
are especially effective against tanks and ships,
which can prove relatively difficult to hit by larger
bombers flying at a higher altitudes for safety.
TORPEDO BOMBERS AND

NAVAL BOMBERS
Torpedo bombers are planes specially modified
to carry torpedoes for anti-shipping purposes, but
they are a rarity in this game for various reasons.
The Beaufighter comes under heavy flak fire from
the battleship as it closes in to release its torpedo
Firstly, torpedo bombing often requires the
plane to be flown within a strict set of parameters
(low altitude, low speed and level), making the
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torpedo bomber vulnerable to anti-aircraft
tree include the Bristol Beaufighters and Vickers
artillery and enemy fighters, while bombing
Wellingtons that can deviate from their original heavy
ships using conventional bombs (easily the
fighter and bomber roles respectively, as well as the
faster and more efficient way) allows the plane
venerable (and often vulnerable) Fairley Swordfish
to easily circumvent these restrictions.
of the Battle of Taranto Harbor fame and the sinking

of the Bismarck, the largest German battleship.
Secondly, torpedo bombing usually requires more

lead and estimation as well due to the slow speed
America and Japan possess several dedicated
of torpedo travel after release (you can actually
torpedo bombers as part of their Pacific war-
see a white trail just underneath the waves making
making capabilities, such as the SBD Dauntless
its way to the ship slowly). It is very easy for a
and Nakajima B5N (Allied reporting name Kate).
torpedo to miss unless it is released from very close
These planes also have a secondary role in-
range, which puts the plane under a lot of danger.
game as naval bombers dropping conventional

bombs, usually possessing shorter take-off
Lastly, carrying torpedoes restricts the
distances than their land-based counterparts
attacking options to ships only, while bombs
with comparable bomb loads. The Aichi D3A
allow for more viable targets in tanks, bases
Val is one example of a naval dive bomber in
and ships (and the occasional plane on the
widespread service with the Imperial Japanese
runway for the Surprise! achievement).
Navy, and despite being somewhat obsolete since

the start of World War II, managed to sink the
Some examples of torpedo bombers in the British
most Allied shipping among all the Axis planes.
GUIDE
JET BOMBERS
Similar to their jet fighter counterparts,
Yokosuka R2Y2 prototypes (Japan) joining the sole

German jet bomber, the Arado Ar 234 in game.
ATTACKERS
jet bombers boast extremely impressive top

speeds. Their operating principle is based
The last major class of planes in War
on getting to the targets fast to deliver their
Thunder are the attackers. While attackers and
payloads and escaping before enemy fighters
bombers share the same trait of being designed
realize their presence and close in.
primarily to take out ground targets, there are

still significant differences between them.
War Thunder had a big boost of jet bombers

in patch 1.43 recently, with many newcomers
Firstly, attackers are designed to take out targets
such as the English Electric Canberra (British,
on a tactical level as opposed to a strategic level
with the Martin B-57 license-built version for the
(as in the case of bombers). This means they are
US), the Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle (Soviets) and the
better designed to dispatch ground and naval
The GameOn Magazine
units rather than bases and airfields. As such,
bomber role. Other combinations are present in-
they are better equipped for that role with anti-
game, but a fighter/bomber role is by far the most
tank cannons, smaller bombs and rockets.
common multi-role type this game has to offer.

One example is the American P-47 Thunderbolt,
Secondly, in terms of size, an attacker is typically
a deadly high altitude fighter with eight M2
only slightly larger than a fighter, and much
Browning machine guns. This powerful fighter
smaller than a bomber. This allows the attacker
can double up as a strike plane in an emergency
to generally fly faster and be more maneuverable
by strapping on 10 HVAR rockets and 2500 pounds
than a bomber. However, this does not hold true
of bombs, enough to rival a medium bomber.
every time, as there are fighter variants that are
In addition, some fighters do have the capability
used as attackers (Hawker Tempest V armed with
to strap on some smaller bombs even if they are
47mm cannons) and bomber variants converted into
not labelled as such. These are good if you intend
an attacker role as well (B-25 Mitchell airframes
to contribute to the team by taking out some
modified to the PBJ-1H with a 75mm cannon).
ground targets. However, it is not advisable to

strap on all the bombs if your intended role is as
The iconic Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, a Soviet

attacker, holds the distinction of the most
produced combat aircraft to date, and is available
in the Russian tree in two variants, with and
without the tail gunner. Its successor, the Il-10
Beast, which took part in the closing stages of
World War II, is also available in Tier IV to rain
destruction on enemy tank columns from the air.
FIGHTER/BOMBER &
MULTI-ROLE AIRCRAFT
Sometimes, you may come across aircraft labelled
as such, having multiple roles. These aircraft may
be configured to take on either a fighter role or a
GUIDE
CLOSE AIR SUPPORT (CAS)

This is a role that has not been given much
emphasis in terms of nomenclature for aircraft
roles (and not labelled in-game as well), but it
has been historically significant and will be a
decisive factor in winning games in War Thunder.
Certain planes excel at CAS more than the others
due to their performance at lower altitudes, handling
at low speeds, armor and armament, among others.
Attackers may be a perfect fit, but there are fighters
and bombers (typically the light/medium bombers,
with some armed with forward-firing guns) ingame that are well-suited for this task as well.
As mentioned earlier, some fighters can
carry bombs in their fighter-bomber role to
engage smaller targets like tanks. Moreover,
some fighters are equipped with the capability
to kill some lightly armored units such as light
pillboxes and light tanks reliably with their forward
firing machine guns and cannons using ground
target belts, which usually contain more armorpiercing (AP) rounds to penetrate these vehicles.
This is known as strafing in military-speak.
a fighter as the plane typically takes a big hit to its
flight performance with extra ordinance hanging.
CAS is especially important in low tier &
Decide on your role, and take the appropriate
reserve tier battles, where the winning objective
weapons into the skies of War Thunder!
would be to take out armored cars, howitzers

and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA). With practice,
The GameOn Magazine
a player can effectively dispatch ground targets
From time to time, there are also events
using only the machine guns on biplanes, which
which these planes can participate in, such
are actually very suitable platforms for this role
as the Floats event, where these planes have
because of their handling at low speeds.
to land on water to capture objectives.
HYDROPLANES
With this, we hope that you will have a

clearer understanding the next time you select
This article shall end with a mention of these
a plane for a fly-out in War Thunder. Do give
oddities, the hydroplanes. While conventional
each of these roles a try and have an enjoyable
aircraft are designed to land on runways, there
time in the skies of War Thunder!
is a special need for some planes to land on

waterways. These planes are modelled in game as
By Chock Wee Boon
well and can be used in regular game sessions.

On one end of the spectrum, we have the Vought
OS2U Kingfisher (US) and Mitsubishi F1M Pete
(Japan), small reconnaissance floatplanes lightly
armed with machine guns. On the other end of
the spectrum, theres the Consolidated PBY5 Catalina (US, and available to the British and
Soviets as premium planes because these aircraft
were provided under the Lend-Lease Act) and the
Kawanishi H6K Mavis (Japan) flying boats used
as medium bombers and torpedo bombers.
There is also a special version of the Mitsubishi
A6M2 Reisen fighter equipped with floats to
land on water, the Nakajima A6M2-N Rufe,
and it is potently armed with the same load
out as its more famous cousin at the cost of
poorer flight performance due to its floats.
Brothers: The Thoughts of Two Gamers
Have a safe flight!

See you in next issue.
Issue 48 October 2013
70 GameOn Magazine

GameOnMag War Thunder

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Battlefield 4 Review

Issue 50 December 2013

scale ranging from the city

Thunder is a multiplayer online

outskirts of Stalingrad to the vast

combat game for aircraft

oceans surrounding Pearl Harbor.

and armored vehicles.

rendered vehicles available

Entertainment, this game is

and more being added with

available across a variety of

every update, players are spoilt

platforms: from Windows to

for choice when it comes to

cutting-edge planes to take

well as on the Playstation 4

to the skies, or menacing

console, with casual game

tanks to tear up the earth.

modes in arcade battles

to realistic and simulator

aerial dogfights and armored

The game spans the

learn about the rich historical

era from the Spanish Civil

significance behind the wars

War to the Korean War,

through War Thunder.

with a huge emphasis on

2 // War Thunder Community Magazine

The GameOn Magazine

letter from the

we have a caption competition

of the War Thunder Community

for the latter, so jump on in! We

magazine. What can we expect

are hoping this months issue

from the magazine, we hear you

will keep you fully occupied.

say? Well, each month we will

We will be wanting more

lessons on almost anything, from

people to help out with future

101 on maps to 101 on planes

issues, so please check the Staff

and everything in between.

wanted page if youre interested.

We will also be looking back

The magazine will be free

at the war and reporting what

every month, we just need

happened way back when and

you to support us by sharing

then there is going to be a chance

and downloading it.

for you to read interviews from

Please do email us with any

fictional writing youre into then

ideas of things you would like in

one of our staff has even stepped

future issues of the magazine,

over the boundaries to that genre.

or even just to let us know if