War Thunder has been the leading edge in realistic war gaming for some time now. The vehicle-based game has you take command of a ship, aircraft, or armored military vehicle from World War 2 to present day. The push for realism means there is a bit of a learning curve though.
Related: Best Action-Adventure Games, Ranked
It's one thing to jump into the game and figure it out through trial and error. But, why not take some time and read up on some things other players have learned through their time playing War Thunder, and find some of the things they wish they knew before playing?
10 There's A Lot To Take In
There's a lot to learn when first starting off War Thunder. Knowing that, it's not a bad idea to take it slow. Look around the menus, do some research, and get a feel for how everything is set up.
Once you've seen what you're working with, it's best to keep in mind that you probably won't be an MVP early on. Don't let that discourage you, though; there is plenty of time to learn, and every match should teach you something new.
9 Gold And Silver
You'll want to understand War and Thunder's currency systems. You have Golden Eagles and Silver Lions — sound cool, right? Gold Eagles are bought with real money and can be used to advance your crew's training, buy more space for more vehicles, or enter premium matches. They can be traded for Silver Lions as well, the other in-game currency.
Silver Lions are gained by doing well in battle and are used to buy new vehicles, crew slots, and repair damaged vehicles. They should be your focus as, without them, you can't do much. There are also War Bonds, which are battle-pass-exclusive currency.
8 Know Your Ratings
Battle Ratings are a good tool to keep an eye on. They are a score that tells you a vehicle's general effectiveness in battle. The rating of a vehicle also changes depending on what other vehicles are in a match and what sort of match you are playing (realistic vs. arcade).
When you first start off, you'll probably be playing with some pretty low Battle Ratings, and that's completely fine. As you progress, though, keep a close eye on the vehicles you plan to research and what Battle Ratings they have attached to them.
7 Play The Tutorials
You may be tempted to skip over the tutorials, as the mechanics might seem obvious to you, but they make an incredibly valid point in War Thunder.
There's a lot more nuance to the game than is first apparent. It is definitely tempting to roll into battle and try to point-and-shoot, but you may not be happy with the results. The tutorials for War Thunder are super helpful and surprisingly pretty entertaining on top of that. So don't skip on by them.
6 Know Your Crew
Crews are a vital part of War Thunder. A vehicle without a crew won't run. Thankfully, each country has two crews for free. More crews can be bought for Silver Lions and existing crews can be upgraded and trained further by using the same currency.
Related: Best Action/Adventure Games For Beginners
Each crew member has their own purpose and their own set of skills. Whether it be from how far away you spot an enemy, how quick you repair your vehicle, or just how fast your vehicle does its basic functions. The better the crew, the better your vehicle will run all around.
5 There's A Learning Curve
The learning curve for this game is a bit steeper than in some similar games. Keep that in mind as you play your first few matches.
Like previously stated, it's not impossible to be an ace early on, but the chances are pretty slim. Don't feel like it's just you if you find it hard to get high up on the match's leaderboards. After a few matches, you should start to get a feel for the game and a hang on how everything functions. It's never a bad idea to watch your teammates and learn what to and not to do in matches from them.
4 Countries
While not a permanent commitment, it is important to take some time to look over the different countries you can choose from in War Thunder.
Each country has its own unique tech tree and vehicles; with that, they also have general pros and cons as well. Germany generally has a better time with tanks; the United States' planes have a bit of a leading edge, and so on. Find out what every country excels in and use that to your advantage. But, ability isn't everything. If you want to play Russian tanks just for the sake of playing Russian tanks, then go for it. It all depends on what you want to do.
3 Land, Sea, And Air
On the subject of playing what you want, there are three distinct vehicle types that you can play as. If you want to zoom through the skies then go aircraft. Want to pretend your a naval admiral? Then go ships. If you think blowing up enemy tanks is the way to go, then choose ground vehicles.
Related: War Thunder: Best Mods
There are plenty of choices to be made, so don't feel bad if you end up not liking one or not performing well. Not every aerial ace is a tank commander.
2 Know Your Ammo
Realism is a big one in War Thunder, and like in real life, most different military vehicles have a few different ammo types at their disposal.
Each of these types of ammo has its own purpose and excels at its own thing. Look around at each of the ammo types for the vehicle you want to play as and get accustomed to what they do and don't do well. Armor Piercing rounds have a better shot at punching a solid hole in an enemy vehicle, but High Explosives are great for destroying an enemy crew if you aim for the soft spots.
1 XP And Tech Trees
You'll gain experience for how well you do in a match, some of which are in the form of Research Points. Those Research Points can be used to further research new vehicles or modifications for your current vehicles.
Keep a close eye out on the amount of Research Points and Silver Lions you have, as well as what's coming up in your favored country's tech tree, to make sure you're saving up for the upgrades and new vehicles you want the most. If you ever find yourself low, make sure to go out and win some matches to start stocking up on more.
Next: Games To Play If You Like War Thunder
