The roar of plane engines, the crunch of tank treads over rubble, the concussive force of a bomb blowing a bunker apart -- the sights and sounds of war leave no question about the scale of the conflict or the seriousness of the stakes. War Thunder is a deep and intense vehicular combat game, and it's easy to make mistakes.
There's a lot to learn in the game, both mechanically and strategically, so it's no surprise that newcomers to the game often struggle. Playing War Thunder doesn't have to be a painful experience, however, and by avoiding certain mistakes, the player can get much more enjoyment from the game.
8 Relying On The Item Shop
War Thunder gives players multiple ways of acquiring items. The Item Shop is the worst option and should be avoided, as it adds an element of chance, leaving the player's rewards up to RNG. As anyone who has played gacha games knows, this process can be frustrating and expensive enough to make players give up on war games altogether.
The player will save money (not to mention a great deal of stress) by simply buying select items outright instead of gambling on the item shop and hoping they are rewarded for it. The odds of receiving the desired item are simply too low, and by the time the player is randomly awarded the thing they want, they will have spent more than if they'd just paid for it upfront.
7 Getting Tunnel Vision
It's all too easy to fixate on an enemy in War Thunder, letting other critical aspects of the mission fall by the wayside. Destroying the enemy is important, but if the player can only do so by ignoring their allies and jeopardizing the entire operation, it isn't worth it.
Some enemies make more enticing targets than others, but just because one enemy might be a more desirable target doesn't mean the player should ignore everything else to go after them. Make sure to be aware of the greater context of the battle and keep other variables in mind when making decisions. Focusing on a single enemy is a quick way to lose battles that would have otherwise been won.
6 Not Assisting Allies
A player will always get better results in War Thunder when they prioritize helping their teammates and keeping their side alive over mindlessly shooting at the enemy. The player will have many opportunities to repair allies' damaged vehicles, and if the player can do so without being destroyed, they almost always should.
Keeping allies alive does more than ensure they will keep shooting at the enemy and pushing one's own side towards victory; it also means that that ally may return the favor by either repairing the player's own vehicle or providing cover fire. Looking out for one another is a far better way to win than using a modded vehicle, and helping allies is a sure way to increase one's end-of-battle rewards as well as one's win rate.
5 Researching The Wrong Vehicles
It's tempting to want to research the best vehicles around. Who doesn't want to use the strongest equipment in the game, after all? Researching vehicles of too high a tier is a mistake, however.
The player receives a massive penalty to Research Points (RP) when they research more than one tier above the vehicle they are playing. Even if the player has a great match and the use of boosters, their efforts will be wasted due to the penalty imposed on their RP. The RP penalty grows in accordance with the gap between the player's current and desired tier, so the further beyond their reach the player tries to get, the more the game will punish them.
4 Neglecting Prestige Vehicles
Because researching multiple steps beyond one's tier is so heavily punished in War Thunder, some players simply resign themselves to the grind. There is a way around this penalty, however, and those that ignore it are consigning themselves hours of unnecessary work to unlock their desired vehicles.
The harsh RP penalties only apply to normal tech tree vehicles. Using a prestige vehicle does not come with that same drawback. Purchasing a premium vehicle allows the player to research any vehicle in that tech tree through the next rank without penalty. This fact makes premium vehicles the easiest way to reduce the tech tree grind, something that too many players overlook. If the player has their eyes on one of the game's best aircraft, this is the way to get it.
3 Outspending One's Skill
The biggest determining factor for what a player should buy is their experience and skill. Because the game includes microtransactions, it's possible to spend real money (even a large amount of real money) buying new vehicles. Players who do so thinking they will immediately win matches are going to be disappointed.
Having a pricey new vehicle doesn't mean one will win. In fact, jumping into a vehicle that the player has no experience in using is likely to ensure the opposite, causing the player to lose games they might have won had they been using something more familiar. Learn the game's general mechanics and strategy and get used to one or two vehicles before thinking about splurging on something new.
2 Not Waiting For Sales
There's no point in buying vehicles that one doesn't intend to actually use. Just because a player is using a premium vehicle and can research new vehicles without penalty doesn't mean they have to unlock every single vehicle in every tech tree.
Being a completionist is fine, but for most players, unlocking everything should remain a long-term goal. If the player only intends on using a handful of vehicles in the near future, unlocking every vehicle and all their coolest skins is a waste of time, energy, and money. War Thunder has regular sales that the player can benefit from in order to acquire vehicles much more affordably. Patience will be rewarded.
1 Not Knowing One's Vehicle
One of the most common and costly mistakes that a beginner can make is not knowing one's vehicle. Armor, armaments, speed, and crew positions all make a difference in battle, and it's worth taking some time in the Hangar before battle to study the vehicle one intends to use, especially if they have not used it before.
If the player identifies their vehicle's weak point before entering battle, it'll be much easier to protect that weak point once the shooting starts. Factors like the vehicle's maneuverability are just as important as how much damage the vehicle can do. It doesn't matter how powerful a tank is if the player has no idea how to use it, and a bit of basic research on the front end will make battles far easier.
War Thunder is available for PC, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.