What I've learned so far...

The past 2 months or so I had been playing a lot of World of Tanks to the point of addiction that I even dream of the game when I'm asleep. I also have been watching lots of videos especially by Mr Jingles and Quickbaby on YouTube and live stream

Mr Jingles YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/BohemianEagle
Quickybaby YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/QuickyBabyTV
Quickybaby Twitch channel
http://www.twitch.tv/quickybaby

I find their videos exceptionally entertaining and useful. They have tank reviews which is useful even if you are not interested in the tank as they explain the strength and weaknesses of the tanks. Know your target and you will know how to kill them. They also have replays with commentary which actually gives you the insight of what is going on in their minds as they play or what they could have done differently. Quickybaby even have videos on map tactics which is based on how he plays those maps which helps him become a unicum in the EU server. Occasionally you might even see both of them play in a platoon in livestream.

So, what have I learned so far?

From the videos, personal playing experience and tips and advise from better players and interestingly some personal experience in paintball, here are the few things I picked up. Although I do admit I make the mistakes of not practicing it.

1) NEVER tunnel vision.

I learn this in paintball. Focus on one target and you will forget everything around you. That is how to die from a flanking move.

2) ALWAYS look at the minimap.

You know that thing at the bottom right corner? yes that is the minimap and many players forget it existed. Find out where the enemies are, see if your team mates are outnumbered or if they need your help, be aware if you are about to be flanked or there is an opportunity for you to flank.

3) NEVER remain stationary in the open for too long.

That is the fastest way to die.

4) Basic skills/tricks

Simple things like side scrapping, Peek-a-boo, Tea-time, Reverse Tea-time, leading a shot. It's the basic but power is nothing without a foundation.

5) Don't get too focused on one objective

Some players are only out for the kill, some just want to rush for the capture, others just want to spot as many targets as they can and then die.

For me, I just want to win!

My main target for each battle is to cause as much damage as I possibly can, minimum aim? same amount of damage as the health of my tank. Imagine a 700hp tank which is worth 1400hp of enemy health.
Kills? It will come.
Spotting? if my tank allows.
Capture points? if required to secure a win because killing that last enemy tank is not worth risking a defeat.

6) Tactics and Tank's role

- There is a time and place to camp and I call it holding a position. (camping at spawn point when the battle starts is not holding a position.)
-- There are times you have to let the enemy come to you due to a bottleneck or a ridge.

- There is a time to charge. 
--You don't charge like a headless chicken in the open into an enemy that outnumbers you! And when you outnumber them, take that opportunity to quickly dispatch the enemy as one group! Don't appear 1 by 1 and die 1 by 1. That is how 4 enemy tanks can easily wipe out 10 friendly tanks! would you prefer 10 friendly guns on 4 enemy targets or 4 enemy guns on 1 friendly target repeatedly until 10 friendly tank dies?

- Passive scouting and active scouting
--Passive scouting means hiding quietly in a bush spotting targets for your team mates to shoot them as you just observe them die without you firing a shot. NEVER expose yourself by firing a shot.
--Active scouting means running like a crazy chicken in the middle of the field making yourself a hard target and knowing when to pull back and hide behind cover before spotting more enemies.
A DEAD SCOUT IS A USELESS SCOUT

- Some tanks are multipurpose or not the typical of their type.
example: Soviet Tier V medium tank T-34 can also play as a scout which is usually done by a light tank.
British Tier IV medium tank Matilda is played like a heavy tank due to the amount of hp, armour and slow speed.
German Tier VII heavy tank Tiger (P) is played like a sniper which is usually done by a Tank Destroyer.

- Flanking
If it's safe to get to shoot the enemy's rear or side. why not!? it'll be faster and a hell lot easier to kill it right?

7) There is no such thing as a bad tank or a good tank.
A tank is only as good as it's driver. There is no immortal tank that can't be killed. well, with one exception. A dead friendly tank is a bad tank, A dead enemy tank is a good tank.

8) Pick your shots.
Sometimes you are faced with multiple targets. Depending on situation, you either go for easy kill, or biggest threat.

9) Use your free cam when around corners
Why go for the enemy when he is aiming for you to come out? wait for him to turn his turret, take a shot, hide before he turns around to shoot you!

10) Knowledge is power

Know your tank! Know your enemy tank! learn their weaknesses and strength. Learn the maps! Know your role! It'll provide you the key to victory.

Things to take note?
- Armour thickness of tanks.
-- some tanks have thick armour that you need to be careful of so you know not to enggage them from that direction. Your tanks might have really weak armour that you need to pay particular attention to avoid getting killed easily.
- Weak points in the hull or turret.
-- some times you have no choice but to brawl it out face to face, knowing their weak spots gives u an advantage and knowing your weak spots would allow you to avoid from getting shot at those spots.
- Rate of Fire (reload time)
-- Reloading tanks are tanks at the weakest, you can shoot them and they can't fight back. It applies the same to you. so know when to take cover or have back up.
- Damage
-- If you know the type of damage a tank can deal out, you know you have to avoid direct confrontation and probably survive longer and deal more damage.
- Map
-- Good to know which spots are good for camping/holding position or spots that you can use to sneak up on the enemy. Of course those places could be used against you.

well, these are just some of the things I've learned. I might miss out some but I'll add that up once it crosses my mind.

Malinovka, Campinovka

This is how typically this map is played. Everyone camps and it's usually the big bad heavy tanks that camps. Just look at the minimap. There is no need to guess who lost this battle because it was obviously my team. The enemy suffered only 1 lost in that game. The worse part was seeing my team mates dying because they were spotted. And what did they do when they got hit by the first shot? stay in the open!

Yes Tankers. Lesson here is, even if you are camping,
1) if you got shot
1a) you have no idea from where, it means.. THE ENEMY CAN SEE YOU!
2) you still able to move
3) get into cover!

Staying in the open looking around wondering where that shell came from is gonna get you killed!
The thing is, you usually see this in Tier V or below because players are still learning the mechanics of the game but it's a common sight now in tier 6 and above.

It is sad when players go higher up and not learned a thing.

Lesson to be Learned. Look before you jump? Look before you slide down.

Lesson learn from this battle. Watch out where you are sliding down from. I was stuck here for the entire match and didn't manage to see much action. Luckily we won.

Introduction

Who Am I?
I'm a World of Tank player on SEA server going by the IGN Mad84.

I'm pretty much a new player even though I had started playing this game almost a year ago. I stopped playing approximately 1 month after starting mainly because of lag issues with my ISP and not having friends playing the game. I came back some 7-8 months later mainly because of watching a little too much youtube videos of the game. So technically I had to relearn the game all over again after 900 battles. So almost 2 months later, I'm at this moment played 2,477 battles and just unlockedTier VII.

Why blog?

I like to type out my thoughts and rants so I thought it might be fun to post some of my adventures or maybe misadventures in the game. I hope I don't offend anyone but I do have a tendency to offend people, for that I would like to apologize in advance.

And I thought it might be interesting to have the views of an average player instead of the usual posts and videos made by unicums and the such. The progress of an average player as he tries to improve and progress in the game.

My objective in the game?

WIN! ok I hate losing and I'm a sore loser. I blame myself for a poor game but I'll blame the team if I had a poor game and I happen to be the best performer. I like a good win or a good defeat. A good defeat to me means putting a good fight right to the end forcing the enemy to win with massive casualties.

A good game for me is when I do lots of damage or spot lots of damage. I was advised to do at least the equivalent amount of damage to my tank's health, but I will aim for at least 1,000 damage.

And of course to make friend's since I'm excessively active in the General chatroom.

Which nation do I like to play and what type of tank is my preference?

I have a strange attraction to soviet tanks. Not sure why.
I'm in love with medium tanks. To me they are the in-betweeners. The average tank which can be powerful like a heavy tank if used correctly or very weak like a light tank if used wrongly. They are either the mobile heavies or the armoured light tanks. The jack of all trades and master of none.

Current Tanks in my Garage?

At this moment I have only 10 garage spaces and 10 tanks.
Tier I - American - Light Tank - T1 Cunningham (I don't stat pad, I use this tank 2-3 games just for the fun of it or just practice the basics when I think I'm playing too carelessly)
Tier IV - American - Tank Destroyer - M8A1
Tier V - American - Medium Tank - M4 Sherman
Tier IV - British - Medium Tank - Matilda
Tier V - Soviet - Medium Tank - T-34
Tier VI - Soviet - Medium Tank - T-34-85
Tier VII - Soviet - Medium Tank - T-43
Tier V - Soviet - Heavy Tank - KV-1
Tier VI - Soviet - Heavy Tank - KV-1S
Tier VI - Soviet - Heavy Tank - T-150
I intend to get more garage space soon and have every single Soviet mediums and heavies from tier V onwards.