World of Tanks Supertest: British Light Tank Branch – Tier X – Manticore
3 min readThe time has come, as I’ve announced a few months ago, it’s time for the British to have a Light Tank branch up to Tier X and just in time for Tankfest 2019!
As you know, all high-tier light tanks are born scouts, but the role can be played differently. As for the British, they do it by leveraging their small dimensions, a good view range and outstanding guns. So, the very combination gives you a clear clue how to use these vehicles to the best result: nothing is better than to recon the enemy’s position while firing them from the least expected places.
All in all, four vehicles will be added to the British Tech Tree, all researchable from the Cromwell, a Tier VI medium tank. So, the complete branch goes as follows:
- Tier VII: GSR 3301 Setter
- Tier VIII: LHMTV
- Tier IX: GSOR3301 AVR FS
- Tier X: Manticore
It’s still early to share details of Tier VII to Tier X, these vehicles are getting fine-tuning in its full swing and Wargaming has come up with a concept for the entire branch that will, for now, be tested on the top vehicle. What is known for sure is that all tanks will sport small dimensions, LHMTV is smaller than the Bat-Chat 12t, while the profile AVR FS can be compared to that of the AMX 13 90, as well as imposing concealment abilities and a decent view range.
Tier X – Manticore
The branch is topped by the Manticore, a X Tier light tank. The name fits it perfectly as it is nothing short of a controversy of a vehicle. Despite being quite small (the Manticore is smaller than the T-100LT), it manages to bear a huge 105mm gun with excellent characteristics. Imposing armour penetration (248 mm with the standard AP round and 268 mm with the special APCR round), the alpha strike of 390 points, decent stabilization (when firing from a stationary position)—the vehicle’s got everything to be sought after. But let’s face it: it’s not perfect. Its DPM is far from impressive (4.29 shots per minute). Its stabilization when firing on the move is low. Its ammunition is so precious that you’ll have to think over each shot you are about to make.
The Manticore is a predator that can wait while opting for the best place to perform the best. Once the battle begins, it takes a beneficial position to scout and informs its team on the enemy positioning. It doesn’t have to run about the map—other light tanks will do it for the Manticore. Instead, it moves from one position to another, while gradually gaining its tactical advantage. Yes, the tank can play as a scout (and this is where its small dimensions will come in handy). But it’s passive scouting while providing fire support from a distance where its talents shine the brightest.
Each moment, you have to assess the situation and make decisions: is it safe to move further? Is it worth taking a shot to finish off the enemy? Or will your shot just give you away? Because, on the one hand, it’s a shame to keep such a gun idle. But on the other hand, one shouldn’t neglect the tank’s key role (that of a scout).
This is where the zest of playing the Manticore lies. You have to grasp its controversial nature and, having found the perfect balance between the passive scouting and active firing, tame this steel beast. Yes, it’s a challenge, but be sure, you will be rewarded with the thrilling feeling of unique power, that other light tanks can’t get their hands on!
At the moment, the vehicles are in the closed test phase. As said, Wargaming has chosen the branch’s top tank, the Manticore, to verify whether our gaming concept will work out. Once they’ve found the perfect balance between the firepower, concealment abilities and mobility within the given playing role, we’ll proceed to fine-tune the rest of the vehicles of VII to IX tiers.
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hmm.. so a sneako light who should be quite sluggish (in text: “other lights take that part on”), but has a great cannon. I dont really know, it does sound much more like it is a light-TD! The gun is something like the Chinese one, so high alpha, high troll-rate.
Playstyle like it should be something like an ELC without autoloader.
Is there any history reference of this vehicle?
name of manufacture? because I’m not finding anything about this vehicle, and this name WG is using is from a Persian legend
So no Tetrarch or Harry Hopkins in the British tree? Those are iconic vehicles of WW II.
Yo, Harkonnen, you forgot to put the height comparison pictures between the british lights and some other lights.
This will probably be flagged as spam, but here you go:
https://i.imgur.com/ZEXuYv7.png
https://i.imgur.com/LnG6IdE.png
Great, the spam filter ate my comment as I predicted. Go on imgur dot com and put these after the link: /ZEXuYv7.png and /LnG6IdE.png
So the Rheinmetall Panzerwagen becomes even more useless and irrelevant then it already is?
To be honest, it looks like an altered version of french lights.
So no precursors to, or those from, the Alvis Small Tracked Vehicle (Scorpion, Scimitar, etc) family at higher tiers then? Instead some design of light tank rejected by the French.
It seems much too French in design for Britians requirements following WW2 upto the mid 1960s,
Had it been only on paper, would likely have been rejected for the calibre of weapon mounted for its contructional merits, lack of weight of armour to keep an MBT cl*** weapon in-action with such a small ammunition capacity, plus a seemingly poor suspension and track design.
Sigh i was hoping for the Scorpion and the Scorpion 90
16 shells is simply too low.
do we know thew crew layout?
Ikr. Maybe even the sabre without the missiles
Do you have more informations?
Seriously why not put a Tetrarch at Tier II and Harry Hopkins at III, then fill the gaps at IV to VI with paper tanks like the A46 (since we can’t post links in comments here, look it up on tanks-encyclopedia), FV301 (a light tank on the same hull as the FV304 arty) and maybe a Scorpion variant.
The Scorpion would be problematic since its only gun was a low-velocity 76mm firing only HESH and HE. It’s a derp gun except without the high alpha. The Scorpion 90 would be a fine Tier VIII though. Seems about like the HWK 12 except with a gun similar to the HWK 30.
Why not something like this:
Tier 2: M1937
Tier 3: Tetrarch
Tier 4: Harry Hopkins
Tier 5: A46 LT
Tier 6: FV301
From Tier 7 like the current plans
You have a valid point. I spent about an hour writing up a feedback report on the Rhmperzwagon a few days ago. From my experience after 5 years of light tanks, it appears that Wargaming’s developers do not have an understanding on balance or roles…or pretty much anything in regards to light tanks. So yeah, the German tier 10 is statistically the worst of the bunch (when last checked one of the worst globally performing tier 10s..ugh) and totally undesired in pubs or compe***ive clan matches or even tournaments. Considering that before the light tanks changes the ru251 was considered the best LT in the game and that it is now worse than it was at tier 8 + the fact that the rrhmperzwagon is a stinker…Wargaming has managed not only to bungle the German line but actually diverged from its previous niche by their own poor execution.
Anyways, i was told by NA staff to tell this sort of thing to the CCers who the devs actually listen to instead of giving feedback to people that do not play or understand light tanks at WG. Weird huh? I still get angry enough to send them the occasional essay and roll the dice that it actually gets forwarded to someone who is a decision maker and actually comprehends and cares about light tanks.
I figure i owe it to myself to do this because i ground that line out with considerable sacrifice to time, service record, and my sanity.
Just to beat a dead horse, the LT100T carries more rounds and is technically smaller AND has better armor everywhere and better gun handling. 16 shells capacity is enough to piss me off and ignore this line entirely, particularly when Wargaming appears to release tanks they design in their own studio without regard to history, crews actually fitting inside and being able to operate tanks for more than 15 minutes, or even some sort of tether to the laws of physics. If this company can make the LT432 and t100LT into heavily armored attack pancakes with good everything, then they can and should make the new British lights equally good.
Parting shot: The lack of a stabilized gun is also totally unacceptable. This is already outmoded by, again, the Russian light tanks and the wheeled vehicles that effortlessly fire while on the move at full speed with minimal crew skills and equipment. You simply cant even compete in pubs without a stabilized gun that doesnt let you fire on the move unless your approach is an exceedingly low skill p***ive scouting approach.
Checking on wot express manticore will have 2 crew members, commander and driver, not sure about the tier 7,8 and 9 tho, prob the same or 3 crew members? We will have to wait and see.