Few people really think of a patch as being something that can be a game changer. Most just see them as little bug fixes and tweaks that are made every so often to improve the game. However, this is not the case in the latest patch for the multiplayer online tank game World of Tanks.

Within World of Tanks, players can choose from a selection of 5 different tank types from 4 different countries. Players often start of in a light tank such as the Russian MS-1 and work their way up to the most powerful tanks, like the heavy German Maus tank. There are also 10 different tiers of tanks, each tier has simmilar levels of health, fire-power and armour, this helps greatly with matchmaking, and means that players driving a Tier 3 tank are not matched against players with a Tier 9 tank.

Until recently, the only tier 10 tanks available have been heavy tanks like the IS-7 and E-100. However with the inclusion of patch 7.5, players now have access to tier 10 tank destroyers and medium tanks. This means that heavy tanks will no longer dominate the battleground and will change the way players think around the battlefield.

The Germans got 3 new tanks. Two new tier 10 tanks: the deadly new tank destroyer JagdPz E-100 and the E-50 Ausf. M medium tank as well as a new tier 8 tank destroyer, the JadgPanther II.

Out of all the new tier 10 tanks during the beta, the JagdPz E-100 was one of the most anticipated due to the massive 17cm gun which it had. Based on the Jagdtiger, it has many of its strengths and weaknesses as well as a few from the E-100 heavy tank from which the chassis is taken. With that being said, the 170mm monster is what makes this tank something to be feared. The penetration of the gun, while not as good as the new Russian TD, is still capable of going through a tier 9 medium like a hot knife through butter and completely one-shotting it. The aiming time and accuracy are actually not bad at all considering how big the tank is. However, the traverse speed of the tank is rather slow, which means you could find yourself being circled by medium tanks quite regularly which can be quite frustrating.

Moving on to the E-50 Ausf. M. While not having the speed capabilities of the other tier 10 mediums, the E50-M has the same great sniping abilities of the previous German mediums such as the Panther and E-50. The 10.5cm gun’s low rate of fire is rescued by its high penetration, damage and superior accuracy for which most of the German tanks are known. While playing it, as long as you’re not aiming for a very heavily armoured part of a tank you’re almost guaranteed to pierce the enemies armour.

The Germans also recieved another new tank destroyer, the tier 8 JagdPanther II which is a breath of fresh air from the slow and sluggish Ferdinand. While having the same gun as the Ferdinand it has superior traverse speed as well as a much higher acceleration rate and top speed. However, it only has frontal armour of 100mm compared to the Ferdinand’s 200mm. But the JagdPanther’s frontal armour is slopped at quite and angle which means it can be hard to pierce its armour.

Overall the German tanks really got it good in patch 7.5 with the addition of 3 great tanks especially the JagdPz E-100 which has the biggest gun out of all the tanks in the game excluding SPGs. All I can say for all the German tankers out there is gutes Schießen!

The US also gained 3 new tanks. Two new tier 10 tank destroyers; the T110E3 and the T110E4; and a new tier 10 medium tank, the M48A1. Firstly, the M48A1. This tank plays similarly to the tier 8 Pershing rather than the tier 9 Patton. The tank has the lowest top speed of all the mediums at only 45 km/h but it has great acceleration and reaches top speed with ease. The tank also climbs hills with ease and you’ll sometimes find yourself circling heavies even on hills. The tank is a good all-rounder which can be said for most american tanks and it’s 105mm gun does it’s job well.

The T110E3 and T110E4 tank destroyers, despite having similar names, play very differently. The T110E3 turned out to be nothing really special. It’s just a more beefier T95 and has quite a nice DPM (damage per minute) and is really hard to penetrate but that’s about it. The T110E4 on the other hand is a complete game changer and an amazing tank to play.

Although it only has a 180 degree turret, it feels like you’re driving a heavy tank with an even better gun. The T110E4 is a little bit more fragile than the E3 because of its turret which can be penetrated on the side by most tier 9 and ten tanks. Overall if you were going to go for an American tank destroyer you’d most likely be better off going for the E4 over the E3 simply because it’s more adaptable in battle and you can even use it as a back up heavy tank.

The French were also blessed with 3 new tanks. The ELC AMX, an annoying little tier 5 medium; the AMX-50 Foch (155) and the upgraded Bat Chatillon 25 t. Let’s start off by getting the ELC AMX out of the way. When you’re playing this tank, you’re going to have a load of fun with its insanely low profile and amazing acceleration and speed. However, when you’re on the receiving end of this little s**t you’ll be grinding your teeth in frustration. It could easily circle a Tiger and kill it on its own. So if you’re in the mood for a little trolling, play this tank.

With that out-of-the-way, let’s move onto the Foch (155). This tank plays exactly the same as the tier 9 Foch which is because it is exactly the same tank except it has a bigger, 155m gun. The tank features a 3 drum auto loader which is the main feature of the tank. The auto loader has its ups and downs. It’s very fast at firing the 3 rounds and means you can usually kill a tank with each shot before reloading. However it has a 40 second reload time which means if you miss all 3 of your shots you’re more than likely to be killed within the long reload time. Also, if you’re not teamed up with someone else, you’re going to have a hard time staying alive during the reload.

Finally, we have the Bat Chatillon 25 t, which I’m sorry to say is rather disappointing. It still plays more like a tier 9 and although it’s amazing speed and agility make it a fun tank, it just doesn’t seem to fill the shoes of a tier 10 medium. It has a little bit more health and a better gun but the only thing the tank’s really useful for is doing some damage and then turning into a smouldering pile of metal.

Lastly, we have the new Russian tanks which include the tier 10 Object 268 tank destroyer and the tier 10 T-62A medium tank. The T-62A has the same sort sloping angle turret as which bounces shots from every angle. The lower armour on the tank is also very well slopped and will bounce some shots. The traverse speed is absolutely amazing and you’ll be able to turn corners without losing much of your speed. The gun on the T-62A has the lowest alpha damage of all the tier 10 mediums but does have the fastest reload time which means it can easily match the same DPM to that of an E-50 M.

Last but not least we have the Object 268 tank destroyer. The most notable improvement of this tank over the Object 704 is the accuracy of its gun. You will find shots fired over 500m will usually hit their target. Damage per AP shot is also very high and comes second to the JagdPz E-100. The speed is also very high at 48km/h as well as a traverse speed of 33. The low profile of the tank also means your going to be pretty hard to detect. However the gun depression is rather poor so it might be wise to stay static when using this tank destroyer. The armour is also relatively poor but is excusable due to the many slopped areas on the tank meaning it can easily bounce shots from a JagdPz E-100. That’s why I would choose the Object 268 over its German rival.

Overall, patch 7.5 has changed the gameplay of World of Tanks forever and it means that not just heavy tanks will be dominating the battlefield. If you’re at loss at what tanks to grind for after the release of 7.5 I would definitely recommend you research the T110E4 and the Object 268.

Lets us know in the comments what tanks you’ve been playing since the release of 7.5 and what tanks you wish you were playing.