War Thunder Community Magazine Issue 6 PDF

Battlefield 4 Review
Issue 50 December 2013
1 GameOn Magazine
Introduction to
War Thunder
Within the heart of War Thunder is
maps of impressive scale
a multiplayer online combat game
ranging from the city outskirts
for aircraft and armored vehicles.
of Stalingrad to the vast oceans

surrounding Pearl Harbor.
Developed by Gaijin
Entertainment, this game is
With hundreds of accurately-
available across a variety of
rendered vehicles available
platforms: from Windows to
and more being added with
Macintosh OS X to Linux, as
every update, players are spoilt
well as on the Playstation 4
for choice when it comes to
console, with casual game
cutting-edge planes to take
modes in arcade battles
to the skies, or menacing
to realistic and simulator
tanks to tear up the earth.
battles for the enthusiasts.

Relive the action in huge
The game spans the era from the
aerial dogfights and armored
Spanish Civil War to the Korean
spearhead clashes with friends,
War, with a huge emphasis
learn about the rich historical
on the Second World War.
significance behind the wars
Players cross swords in historical
through War Thunder.
2 // War Thunder Community Magazine
The GameOn Magazine
letter from
the general
Welcome to the sixth
We also take a look at what
edition of the War Thunder
happened in June 1940 with David
Community Magazine!
King in This Month in WWII,

as well as a brief introduction
This issue, we focus our attention
to the WT Economy by Zoso!
on the Japanese side of things,

with WT 101 looking at the
On the Reviews side, we take a
Japanese Tech Tree and our
look at the Panzer IV F2; find out
guns series looking at Japanese
how it fares against its opponents
guns and ammunition; their
in a new vehicle review format.
bewildering array of weapons

is simply mindboggling to
Are you interested in writing
say the least, but John Zoso
historical articles, war machines,
Moore breaks it down into
or War Thunder gameplay? We
digestible bits for you.
are still actively looking out for

more writers, photographers and
With the focus on Japan, we
artists to come on board the team!
also take a look at Tales of

Codebreaking & Espionage in
Do you also happen to know
the Pacific theatre of war in an
someone who has a story from
all new segment, presenting
WWII? They dont have to have
facts and short stories in an
be in the war, we are interested
all new format after receiving
in their story if they are willing
feedback that readers want to
to share it. Please contact us
know more about the back-
warthunder@gameonmag.com
- The Editor
story for our Facts articles.
War Thunder Community Magazine
The GameOn Magazine // 3
CONTENTS
Contents Page
Flying the Rising Sun
Guns of Japan
22
Panzer IV F2 Review
30
This Month in WWII:

June 1940
34
Tales from World War II -

Codebreaking and Espionage
38
Lions, Eagles and Trophies
42
Funny Corner
50
Wordsearch 52
Caption Competition
53
Contributors
KEEP IN TOUCH!
Editor-in-Chief
Editor
Production Mgr
Steve Greenfield
Writer
John Zoso Moore
Kris West
Writer
David HJFarnsworth King
Chock Wee Boon
Photos
Alex Fodder09 Beard
Photos
Martijn mhockx Hockx
The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
FLYING THE RISING SUN
WAR THUNDER 101 - JAPANESE PLANES RESEARCH AND LINEUP

In this final article of the five-part series on aircraft research and lineup, we cover the Japanese
tech tree, which, of the five nations, is arguably one of the harder ones to do well in.
PROS
CONS
Fighters usually prioritise maneuverability
Fewest planes among the 5 countries
over other combat characteristics
Many big BR jumps along the way, rather
Some interesting bomber selections (H6K4 flying boat,

B7A2 Ryusei, G8N1 Renzan, R2Y2 Keiun-Kai series)
than a smooth transition to ease players

of Japanese planes into the game
No heavy bombers with 4000kg+ bomb loads
(Closest is G5N1 Shinzan at 3200kg)
The GameOn Magazine
Poor bomb loads on medium bombers; dive bombers

are disappointing except maybe the B7A2 Ryusei
Fairly average late Tier IV fighter up with
no strong points (Update 1.49)
Relatively poor end-game jet lineup
tree that is more geared towards dive bombers and

torpedo bombers, while the Army gets a bomber
tree with more medium and heavy bombers;
some of the bigger Navy bombers, like the H6K
and the G4M, are under the same tree as well.
with very few fighters

Poor heavy fighter lineup
As with previous suggested lineups, they will be
Earlier cannons and HMG are quite horrible with
presented according to a 5-plane format, mostly with
low muzzle velocities; engagement distances are
a balanced setup of fighters and bombers. The lineups
typically shorter than their contemporaries
are optimized according to the Battle Rating and
Aircraft are mostly unarmored or

are only lightly armored
matchmaking system and the information below is

accurate as of June 2015 (Proposed changes - 15.06.15)
INTRODUCTION
BR 1.0
The Japanese tree, like the US tree covered in Issue
Recommended Lineup: Ki-10 x 3, F1M2 (4 fighters)
5, splits the aircraft lines according to the services

they operate under, with the Imperial Japanese
At BR 1.0, the Ki-10 reserve planes available at the start
Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Services each
are pretty standard except for one characteristic speed,
getting a fighter tree. The Navy also gets a bomber
which is the highest among all the reserves. However,
ARTICLE
with the matchmaking, youll still be meeting BR 2.0-
BR 1.3
2.3 monoplanes that are faster than you in every way.

Recommended Lineup: A5M4, Ki-27
Where the Ki-10 really shines is in the biplane races
otsu, F1M2, Ki-10 x 2 (5 fighters)
the developers dole out from time to time, but thats

about it. Your best bet would be the Stealth belt for
The A5M4 and Ki-27 otsu available at BR 1.3 are
ground targets due to the sheer number of AP rounds,
monoplane upgrades of your reserve plane with the
or Universal if you need a tracer or two in air combat.
same gun armament and a boost in speed, but still
The F1M2 floatplane would be a good addition to your
leaves you horribly outgunned against other nations
lineup as you try to get enough planes to make the next
that start to get improvements over their armaments
hop in BR, with a somewhat useful tail gunner to take
in the form of larger caliber weapons or more guns.
out other new pilots who so often stay on your tail as they
shoot at you. It also comes with 2 bombs to clear ground
As soon as you get the required number of
targets somewhat faster and is a little tougher, but
planes to make the jump to BR 1.7, do so.
otherwise, this is not a big jump from your reserve plane.

Suggested Research: A5M4 Ki-27 otsu
Suggested Research: F1M2
The GameOn Magazine
BR 1.7
Recommended Lineup: A5M4 or Ki-27, Ki-43-I,
Ki-43-II, D3A1, B5N2 (3 fighters, 2 bombers)
Things look slightly better with the earlier Ki-43
Hayabusas becoming available at Tier II. The Ki-43-I
start off with the same horrible pair of 7.7mm Type
89 guns you have been so used to by now, but you
eventually gain the option to swap them out for the
12.7mm Ho-103 HMG, which fires a shorter cartridge
and consequently much lower muzzle velocity and killing
power compared to other guns of the same caliber
(although to their credit, they do have a faster firing rate).
However, the Ki-43 is nimble enough to get on the tails of
other monoplanes most of the time in a turn fight, so try
to close in to around 300 m or so (with the convergence
set to be that as well) before opening up with a short
burst. Ki-43-II spares you the trouble of dealing with
If youre staying at BR 1.7, youll hardly have a need for
the horrifying 7.7 mm guns and gives you 2x 250kg
the 800 kg bomb unless the ground units are neatly
bombs, useful for taking out clusters of ground targets.
clustered together; the 6 x 60kg or 2 x 250kg bomb loads

might be more useful. Torpedoes are seldom worth
The D3A1 and the B5N2 are relatively standard
taking as 250kg bombs can destroy most ships, as well as
bombers; the D3A1 dive bomber has a pair of 7.7
ground targets. These planes are fairly huge, defenceless,
mm forward firing guns for tearing up softer targets
not the most durable and present themselves as
while carrying a decent bomb load (250kg, 2x60kg),
easy targets, so be conservative when using them.
while the B5N2 torpedo bomber forgoes the forward

firing machine guns and instead has a more useful
Suggested Research: Ki-43-I Ki-
bomb load depending on what youre hitting.
43-II D3A1 B5N2
ARTICLE
BR2.0
The Ki-45 Toryu series of heavy fighters (and its

replacement, the Ki-102) come with a mish-mash of
Recommended Lineup: Ki-43-I, Ki-43-II, Ki-45 Ko, D3A1
high-caliber gun types, while the flight performance is
or B5N2, Ki-21-Ia (2 fighters, 1 heavy fighter, 2 bombers)
actually decent for a heavy fighter, with decent climb

rates and maneuverability. Later ones have bigger
The Ki-21-Ia medium bomber, a new addition in 1.49, is
cannons which can be devastating against enemy planes
a much more capable bomber than the dive bombers
if you score a hit, but the low rate of fire, high recoil and
that you already have, and can win you matches easily
huge drop at longer ranges make it difficult to actually
especially if youre sent into games where youre not
hit something. These rounds should NOT be used
ranked at the bottom in terms of BR. The 19x50kg bomb
against armored ground targets; they are more suited
load can end games fairly quickly if enemies are not too
for hitting slow moving aerial targets like bombers.
careful about you, with the plane offering a relatively

tough structure, decently defended with gunners and
The Ko variant, at BR 2.0, comes with 1x20mm
neat flight characteristics for an early bomber.
cannon and 2x12.7mm MG, which is decent enough
The GameOn Magazine
for Boom and Zoom attacks As with most heavy
inside out the moment you get in range. In other words,
fighters, players have to be conservative with their
dont use this plane unless you know what you are doing.
attacks and always be in the vicinity of team mates

as your tail gunner is usually not of much help.
Suggested Research: Ki-21-Ia Ki-45 ko Toryu
The Tei variant, also at BR 2.0 is the weirdest among
BR 2.3
the oddballs, having a Schrge Musik configuration

similar to some of the German heavy fighters for the
Recommended Lineup: Ki-61-I ko Hien, Ki-
20mm cannons, leaving only a slow-firing 37 mm as
61-I otsu Hien, Ki-45 ko Toryu, Ki-21-Ia, H6K
the forward armament. The Schrge Musik 20mm fires
(2 fighters, 1 heavy fighter, 2 bombers)
at approximately a 45 degree angle to the planes nose

and requires the player to switch to something like a
The Ki-61 Hien series become available in the
gunners mode and hold the aircraft in steady flight
Army line, offering a lightweight energy fighter
under the bomber, making it notoriously difficult to use
with a studier airframe in the mould of the Bf 109
effectively especially when bombers usually flip you
and has the same licence-built DB 601 engine as
ARTICLE
the Bf 109 Emil and Friedrich series. While the
of the gunners a little bit more, so the H6K4 is not as
handling is quite similar, the armament isnt.
vulnerable as in previous versions especially at this tier.
The Ki-61-I ko variant opts for 2x7.7mm and 2x12.7mm
The bad news is that the H6K4 is is the bomber with the
MG, while the otsu variant comes mounted with
biggest bomb load until Tier IV when the G5N1 Shinzan
4x12.7mm MG, both of which requires you to practice a
and G8N1 Renzan heavy bombers become available.
bit of gun discipline by closing the gap and firing bursts

at vulnerable areas. The Ki-61 is not exactly a turn
Suggested Research: Ki-61-I ko Hien
fighter, although it does retain energy relatively well
Ki-61-I otsu Hien H6K
compared to other fighters, so getting a guns solution

on a rapidly maneuvering fighter desperately trying
BR 2.7
to get away from your guns might be more difficult.

Recommended lineup: A6M2-N, Ki-61-I ko
The H6K4 has a decent bomb load at BR 2.3, coupled
Hien, Ki-61-I otsu Hien, Ki-45 otsu Toryu, H6K
with a relatively nasty 20mm tail gunner that can take
(3 fighters, 1 heavy fighter, 1 bomber)
out early interceptors relatively easily if they decide to

stay on your tail for too long. It can also climb pretty well,
The A6M2-N, the floatplane variant of the A6M2
and at this BR, interceptors are not exactly available in
Reisen fighter (or Zero), is the first decent plane
abundance. It is also surprisingly maneuverable and fast
with decent cannons at BR 2.7. Unfortunately,
for its size compared to the Catalina. The 1.49 update
the floats that the plane comes with kill off any
seems to improve bombers durability and the lethality
maneuverability and energy retention advantage you
The GameOn Magazine
may have, leaving you with a very slow fighter that
same story goes for BR 3.0, with only the J2M2 thats
packs a heavy punch but its almost a death sentence
reasonably competitive (The J2M2 is at BR 3.3, but can
if you get caught with someone on your tail.
form part of a lineup with an average BR of 3.0) and

the G4M1 bomber. The Ki-45 hei and Ki-102 otsu (at
The Ki-45 otsu is equally bad, with a slow firing 37mm
BR 3.0 for both) are average heavy fighters for a very
cannon thats nothing like what the US have on their P-39
specialized role at best and it might be better for players
Airacobras or the Yak-9. As mentioned above, these are
not to field them as main line fighters in their lineup.
more suited for hitting bombers with the HEFI-T rounds

but the effects are usually quite devastating if the rounds
This is one of the reasons why the Japanese plane
actually manage to hit a plane in one of the critical parts.
tech tree is very unfriendly for new players; there

are simply too few quality planes here to form a
The experience with BR2.7 planes is that matchmaking
decent lineup to learn the game as they slowly
usually up-tiers them against BR3+ planes At the
move up the BR early on, making Japan one of
moment, the Japanese do not have sufficient quality
the toughest nations to play for a new player.
planes for a lineup to do well at this level; it might be

better to stick with BR 2.3 while advancing down the
Suggested Research: A6M2-N Ki-45 otsu Toryu
path of research for the other planes for BR 3.7. The
ARTICLE
BR3.7
contemporary fighter and has great energy retention to

boot. However, that does not mean you go into any fight
Recommended Lineup: A6M2 mod.11, A6M2, J2M2,
looking to out-turn your enemy, burning through your
Ki-49-IIa, Ki-49-IIb (3 fighters, 2 bombers)
energy pool and having a blatant disregard for conserving

your energy. Use vertical maneuvers to conserve energy
The next decent lineup occurs at BR 3.7, with the
in dogfights, and only go into sharp turns if you are
A6M2 fighters available for selection. The A6M
confident of getting a good burst on an enemy fighter
Reisen series are the epitome of Japanese fighter
within, say, a complete turn or so, otherwise you will be
design thinking, valuing maneuverability over other
left very vulnerable if you are caught at low speeds.
factors such as protection and raw engine power.

On the flip side, the A6M series have poor top
The A6M series are decently armed with a pair of 20mm
speeds, making chasing down enemies and high
cannons and a pair of MG, can out-turn almost any
speed diving passes a distant dream as most planes
The GameOn Magazine
have the ability to just out-run you in a straight line
considering youre in a Zero). Later variants address
especially if they have the energy advantage or given
this shortcoming by mounting the Type 99 Mark 2 with
the time to accelerate. The protection is also horribly
much better muzzle velocities and ammunition count.
poor on a fighter at this level (BR 3+ and 4+), with

no armor protection at all. This makes bomber-
The J2M2 Raiden is also another new plane introduced
hunting a risky proposition, as a stray round from the
in Update 1.49 with a BR of 3.3. As with new planes, the
defensive turrets might just take out the pilot or the
BR may not be final and subjected to changes by the
plane easily; the same goes for head-on passes.
developers for balance purposes. The Raiden airframe

is slightly different from most other Japanese designs
The A6M2 variants come with Type 99 Mark 1 cannons,
in that it is not optimized for maneuverability; instead, it
which are not the most ideal 20mm cannons to
packs a much more powerful engine in a stubby airframe
have, with low muzzle velocities, slow firing rates
and used specifically as an interceptor to counter high-
and low ammunition count (only 60 rounds per gun).
altitude bomber raids. Interestingly, the A6M and J2M
Gun discipline is definitely necessary, close in to
series, two very diverse and different designs, are
around 300 m before firing a burst at vital spots by
from the same creator at Mitsubishi, Jiro Horikoshi.
outmaneuvering the enemy (which should be easy
ARTICLE
The J2M2 boasts relatively good climb rates and top
medium bombers standards in other countries.
speeds; it is used mainly for Boom and Zoom attacks.
Relatively fast, decently armored and maneuverable,
With a pair of Type 99 Mark 2 cannons and a pair of
the Ki-49 is good for tactical strikes on ground targets
7.7mm MG to supplement it, this is essentially the
such as tanks and pillboxes, but strategic targets
same J2M3 airframe at BR 5.0 with a slightly weaker
might take a while due to its small bomb load.
armament (but still devastating nonetheless) and

without the turbocharger for high-altitude performance,
Suggested Research: A6M2 mod.11 A6M2 J2M2
which shouldnt matter much at low to mid altitudes
G4M1 (prerequisite) Ki-49-I Ki-49-IIa Ki-49-IIb
which is the norm in War Thunder arcade.
BEYOND 4.0
The Ki-49 bomber in its multiple variants, with slight

performance upgrades and defensive armament
The J2M3 Raiden, like the J2M2, is an interceptor
changes, remains largely the same bomber through
but improved with a turbocharger for high altitude
from BR 3.3 to 4.0. Although a medium bomber
performance. The armament is beefed up with
by Japanese classification, the useful bomb loads
a pair of Type 99 Mark 1 replacing the useless
are 4x250kg and 800kg bombs, considered light by
7.7mm MG at this stage in the J2M2 for a much
The GameOn Magazine
heavier punch. Unfortunately, research wise you
The Ki-43-III Hayabusa comes with a much better
have to get past the N1K2 Shiden-Kai at BR 5.7,
engine and a pair of 20mm cannons and is a capable
which you probably wont use for a while yet.
fighter with an emphasis on maneuverability, much

like the earlier variants of the Ki-43. The Ki-61-I hei
The A6M3 and A6M5 boast slight engine upgrades
Hien comes heavily armed with 2 x German 20mm
over the A6M2, making the Zero go that little bit
MG151 cannons (with the devastating mineshells) at
faster but not by much. The same disadvantages
the price of some degradation of flight performance.
and advantages still remain, with the exception of

the armament, which is finally upgraded to Type 99
The B7A2 Ryusei is a dive bomber that can dogfight
Mark 2 cannons, which are better at engaging targets
fighters reasonably well, although it is not recommended
slightly further out and with more ammunition.
unless absolutely necessary. While the bomb load is
ARTICLE
fairly standard for Japanese bombers (800kg), the
other superprops like the Fw 190 Dora series, F8F
Ryusei comes armed with two Type 99 Mark 2 cannons
Bearcats and the Griffon Spitfires. These are essentially
along with a high altitude air start at the bomber
energy fighters, and as with Japanese fighter design
spawn, with a pretty decent climb rate to boot as well.
philosophy, these planes are relatively maneuverable
This allows the bomber to do some fairly incredible
(although not as well as a Zero), pack a powerful engine
things, such as building up an unassailable altitude
in a light airframe and armed with a relatively potent
advantage relatively early and conducting Boom
cocktail of cannons across the different variants.
and Zoom style attacks on climbing interceptors,

essentially turning itself into a bomber escort; it can
Heavy bomber wise, the G5N1 Shinzan has the biggest
also hunt bombers quite effectively, all while dropping
bomb load in the Japanese bomber lineup, but has
an 800kg bomb every time the reload timer is up.
horrid flight performance. The G8N1 Renzan , which is

quite maneuverable for a heavy, can carry fewer bombs,
Moving further down the BR, the N1K Shiden-Kais
but possess a strong suite of defensive armaments
and the Ki-84 Hayates are fairly average late-Tier
that sprays 20mm rounds in practically every direction,
IV planes as of the current patch, overshadowed by
earning it the nickname Death Star of Star Wars fame
The GameOn Magazine
in previous versions. The damage model and gunner

accuracy is definitely not as strong now with the nerf
to bombers a while back, but it is still quite deadly for
fighters who wish to just sit on the tail and not dodge
the gunner fire. The best bet for these Japanese
heavy bombers is still to climb and bomb strategic
targets while out of sight of enemy interceptors.
For jets, the R2Y2 Keiun-Kai series is at a low enough
BR to fight early jets and late-war props, with some
bombing capability although it is good at neither. The
horrible even when up against the superprops and the
Ki-200 Shusui is pretty much a Japanese copy of the Me
F-86F-30 is a standard American sabre with the 6 x
163B Komet rocket interceptor. The current BR changes
Browning MG configuration, all in all which makes for
make the Shusui see more superior jets unfortunately,
a very limited jet showing compared to other nations.
like its German counterpart. The Kikka is just plain
ARTICLE
CLOSING
Unfortunately for the Japanese air services, the tides
of war meant that conditions were too unfavourable to
produce advanced aircraft in large quantities in 19441945. Some prototypes and limited production runs
were achieved for newer designs could yet make an
Planes such as the Ki-44 and later versions of the Ki-
appearance in War Thunder, such as the A7M Reppu,
61 have been mooted for the Imperial Japanese Army
which would have been a considerable upgrade
fighter tree, with the Ki-51 assault plane and Ki-48 light
over the A6M Reisen series for the Navy tree.
bomber being added for the bomber tree. The navy

could eventually receive the D4Y Suisei dive bomber
There are also a few other mass production Japanese
and the upsized H8K2 flying boat for the bomber
planes that have not been represented as yet, which will
trees and something to fill the gaps in their fighter
fill out the Japanese tree more nicely considering that it
trees, like the N1K Kyofu early floatplane variant of
has the least planes out of the tech trees represented.
the same N1K2 Shiden-Kai fighter already in game.
By Chock Wee Boon
The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
GUNS OF JAPAN
The fourth in our series of articles about WW II aircraft armament looks at the
guns of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Air Services.
Japanese aircraft mounted a wide variety of cannons
This article, as per the current general consensus,
and machine guns, mostly based on licensed and
splits the difference and uses cannon to refer
imported weapons. Ferocious rivalry between the
to weapons with a calibre of 20 mm and above.
Imperial Japanese Army and Navy meant that
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS
each developed their own weapons with little or

no commonality. The two services even differed on
weapon classification; in the Navy, weapons of a
As was common at the time, the standard armament
calibre up to and including 20 mm were classified
for Japanese fighters of the mid-1930s was a pair of
as machine guns, whereas in the Army weapons
light machine guns (LMGs). Both the Army and Navy
of a calibre over 11 mm were machine cannons.
used 7.7 mm weapons based on the Vickers Class

E gun, but where the Navy Type 97 used a rimmed
The GameOn Magazine
cartridge based on the British .303, the Army Type
LMGS IN WAR THUNDER
89 used a slightly longer semi-rimmed cartridge, so

ammunition was not compatible between the services.
Japanese LMGs are typical starter weapons in War

Thunder, not much use against aircraft after Tier I,
For defensive weapons, early Navy aircraft used
and only capable of destroying armoured cars and
the 7.7 mm Type 92, a license-built version of the
soft targets on the ground. As with most LMGs the
Lewis gun, while the Army had a flexibly mounted
Stealth belt is just about the best choice for damage,
7.7 mm Type 89 gun. Later, both the Army and the
or the Universal belt if you find tracers helpful.
Navy used 7.92 mm guns based on the German

Rheinmetall MG 15, designated the Type 98 and Type
Once past reserve planes, other nations tend to
1 respectively. In a rare case of co-operation, minor
get aircraft with more, or larger calibre, guns;
differences between the two weapons (such as a
unfortunately armament is a weakness of many
second pistol grip on the Type 1) were eliminated,
low-tier Japanese fighters, with the Ki-27 and
and the same manufacturer supplied both services.
A5M stuck with a pair of 7.7 mm guns.
In addition to armour piercing, incendiary
HEAVY MACHINE GUNS
and tracer ammunition, the Japanese were

unusual in using explosive rifle-calibre rounds
The Army 12.7 mm Type 1 heavy machine gun
containing a small quantity of PETN. With no
(HMG), also known as the Ho-103, was based on
fuse, these rounds were rather volatile.
the American Browning mechanism but used an

Italian 12.7 mm round derived from the Vickers .5
cartridge. This was a shorter cartridge than the .50
BMG, so the Ho-103 was less powerful than the
Browning .50-cal, but had a higher rate of fire. The
Ho-103 was a staple weapon through the war on
army fighters such as the Ki-43, Ki-61 and Ki-84.
The Navy introduced an HMG towards the end of
the war, also based on the Browning mechanism,
but true to form they used a different round, a
13.2 mm Hotchkiss cartridge as used in some
ARTICLE
HMGS IN WAR THUNDER
The most important HMG for Japanese players is
the 12.7 mm Ho-103, the primary armament of Tier
II Ki-43 and Ki-61 variants. Though an improvement
on 7.7 mm MGs youll still be outgunned by many
opponents of similar Battle Ratings, and will
need persistence, or a bit of luck, to secure kills;
closing to short range (under 300 metres) helps.
Ammunition-wise, the mix of Immediate Action
Incendiary (game terminology for explosive 12.7
mm rounds) and Armour Piercing Incendiary of the
Stealth belt works well, or the Air Targets belt if you
prefer to have tracers. Against ground targets the
Ho-103 is capable of defeating light tanks with AP
ammunition from close range, but nothing heavier.
navy anti-aircraft guns. The resulting weapon,
20 MM CANNON
the 13.2 mm Type 3 machine gun, was fitted to

some late variants of the A6M Zero and N1K.
The Navy were early to appreciate the need for a

shell-firing cannon, to give carrier-based fighters
Defensively, the Army used the 12.7 mm Type
a powerful punch when intercepting bombers
1 on flexible mounts in bombers such as the
threatening the fleet. A license was obtained for the
Ki-49. The Navy introduced yet another calibre
20 mm Oerlikon FF Type F (the weapon adapted in
of weapon with the 13 mm Type 2, a licensed
Germany into the MG FF), and was put into production
version of the German MG 131. Due to concern
as the Type 99 Model 1 cannon. The light weight
about reliability in tropical conditions, the Type
and compact size of the Type 99 made it ideal for
2 used percussion ammunition rather than the
the A6M Zero, where weight was of paramount
electrically-primed ammunition of the MG 131.
importance. The trade-off was low muzzle velocity,

slow rate of fire and limited ammunition capacity.
The GameOn Magazine
Later variants of the Zero, from the A6M3, used a
use cartridges with a reduced quantity of propellant,
more powerful weapon, the Type 99 Model 2, based
so it didnt live up to its full potential. The Army
on the Oerlikon FFL, which used a longer cartridge.
also imported a number of German MG 151/20
Ammunition capacity was also improved on later
cannons, which were used on some Ki-61 fighters.
Type 99 cannon with the initial 60 round drum being

replaced first with a 100 round drum, then a belt feed.
Needless to say, in a continuing bid to drive

logistics officers mad, the five cannons all used
The first Army cannon was a design based on the

Type 97 semi-automatic anti-tank rifle, the 20 mm
Ho-3. This used a powerful cartridge but was heavy
and slow firing, seeing limited use on the twin-
different, incompatible 20 mm cartridges.
20 MM CANNON IN
WAR THUNDER
engine Ki-45. More successful was the 20 mm Ho5, a scaled up version of the 12.7 mm Ho-103. The
The Ki-45 ko at least gives Japanese pilots one
Ho-5 was a good weapon, but lack of high quality
cannon-armed aircraft in Tier I, with a reasonable
materials and strain on production meant it had to
amount of ammunition for its Ho-3. The Type 99
ARTICLE
Model 1s on Tier II A6M Zeros are not particularly
terms of weaponry, though seldom the strongest.
good cannons, but at least an improvement on
None of the 20 mm guns can penetrate the armour of
LMGs; they work best at close range (under 300
medium tanks, so strafing is limited to softer targets.
metres), and a high Reload skill in Arcade goes some

Ammunition options vary slightly between the
way to offsetting the low ammunition capacity.
cannons. Naval Tracer belts are made entirely

MG 151s and Ho-5s give the Tier III Ki-61 and Ki-43
of High Explosive Fragmentation Tracer rounds,
variants a solid punch, but watch out as the Battle
and can be effective against lighter aircraft; the
Ratings jump markedly compared to the MG-armed
Army Ho-5 Tracer belts are all Armour Piercing
variants, so be careful when putting them in an Arcade
Tracer, and not as effective. Generally the Universal
line-up. In Tier III and IV, as the Type 99 Model 2 and
or Stealth belts contain the most useful mix of
Ho-5 become the standard Navy/Army armament,
High Explosive and Armour Piercing shells.
Japanese aircraft are reasonably competitive in
The GameOn Magazine
30 MM CANNON
30 MM CANNON IN
WAR THUNDER
Facing heavy US bombers, late in the war both the

Army and Navy looked to more potent weapons.
In War Thunder the 30 mm cannon are powerful
Continuing with the Browning mechanism, the Army
weapons in late Tier IV and Tier V. Ammunition
Ho-155 was a scaled-up version of the 20 mm Ho-5
is primarily High Explosive; the ammunition
(itself a scaled up version of the 12.7 mm Ho-103) that
upgrades slightly vary the mix of Incendiary and
saw limited service on fighters such as the Ki-84.
Tracer shells, along with plain steel Practice shells.

Practice shells have superior armour penetration
The Navys 30 mm Type 5 was unusual in being an
to the HE rounds and can be more effective against
original indigenous design, potentially a good weapon,
sturdy parts of aircraft such as engines, but not
but arriving too late in the war to see widespread
medium tanks; the Ground targets belt is rather
service. The Type 5 was the intended armament for
a misnomer. Stealth or Universal, depending on
late designs and prototypes such as the J7W Shinden.
your fondness for tracers, are good choices.
ARTICLE
37 MM AND 57 MM CANNONS
LARGE-CALIBER CANNONS
IN WAR THUNDER
The IJA used several large calibre guns on the Ki45, -96, and -102 twin-engine Kawasaki fighters.
In War Thunder, ammunition choice for the the
One of the first was an adaptation of the 37 mm Type
large calibre guns is simple: there is only a Default
94 field gun, manually loaded, not a great success
belt filled with High Explosive Fragmentation
due to the low rate of fire. The 37 mm Ho-203 was
Incendiary - Tracer (HEFI-T) rounds. As a result
based on another infantry weapon, the Type 11 gun,
the 37 mm and 57 mm guns are ineffective against
with an automatic loading mechanism; the Ho-203
armoured ground targets; their primary use is
was scaled up to use a 57 mm round as the Ho-401.
taking down bombers. The low rate of fire (especially
Finally the 37 mm Ho-204 was another weapon
of the Type 94) and limited ammunition capacity
based on a scaled-up Browning mechanism.
makes them less than ideal for engaging agile

fighters, but very damaging if you can score a hit.
By John Zoso Moore

The GameOn Magazine
REVIEW
PANZER IV F2 REVIEW
under consideration. However, the Panzer IIIs turret
HISTORY
ring was too small. The Panzer IV, with the larger
turret ring, took on the modified 7.5cm gun which
The Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks were
became the KwK40 L/43, going toe-to-toe with the
designed around the roles of anti-armour and infantry
T-34 and KV-1 and taking on the anti-armour role.
support respectively. The original PzKpfw IV Ausf. F

was ordered and built with the 7.5cm KwK37 from
The urgency of the situation meant that the German
April 1941, firing low velocity high-explosive shells.
Army High Command (OKH) issued an order to

mount the KwK40 as soon as possible, with 25 of
However, within a few months, events in Operation
the original F models being converted, and another
Barbarossa saw German tanks come up against the
175 being built between March and July 1942 for a
new T-34 and KV-1 heavy tanks, which the Panzer
total of 200, given the revised designation of Ausf.
III was ill-equipped to handle with its 5cm cannon.
F2. These tanks served on the Soviet and Western
Much stronger anti-tank guns were needed and
Desert campaigns and were superior to the
Rheinmetalls 7.5cm anti-tank gun design was
Russian, British and American armour they faced.
The GameOn Magazine
IN-GAME
++ Good gun depression (-10 degrees)

-- Ammo racks line the entire fighting compartment
The Pz. IV F2 represents the turning point in the

Panzer IV operating role from infantry support to
anti-armour, reflected in the greatly increased
lethality of its main gun. As such, the BR
-- Horribly poor armor for a medium; most tank

rounds will penetrate even the frontal armor
-- Poor turret traverse speed
increases significantly from the Ausf. F1 to F2.
SUGGESTED STRATEGY
The PzGr39, the main AP shell with a HE filler, has a
This tank is a glass cannon; any hits to the tank will
penetration of 121mm at 500m and 107mm at 1000m,
most likely take it out in one hit, but anything it hits will
allowing it to penetrate even the KV-1 anywhere
be taken out in one hit as well, including heavy tanks.
and Sherman turrets as well. The PzGr40 APCR

shell should take care of any thick frontal armour,
Always stay concealed at all times behind objects,
being able to achieve a penetration of 127mm at
or hide behind crests while observing over the
1000m range. This is essentially the same gun
hilltop, only popping out to fire when the enemy is
mounted on its more menacing late-model Panzer
not pointing in your direction. Adopt a hull-down
IV brothers who happen to be at least 1.0BR higher.
position and make full use of the good gun depression

to present the smallest target possible when
Being a hastily strapped-on conversion of the Pz. IV
firing. Trading shots with this tank is a no-no; you
F1, it comes with the horribly thin armor that was
probably wont survive the first round that hits you.
originally intended for the infantry support role.

Frontal armor is not sloped and 50mm in thickness on
By Chock Wee Boon
the chassis and front, with 30mm protecting the sides.
PROS AND CONS

++ Good gun with respectable accuracy
++ Good selection of rounds with high penetration
++ APCBC with HE filler has a very good chance
of taking out any tank it faces in one hit
++ Relatively decent top speed for a medium tank
REVIEW
Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf. F2
Main Gun: 7/10

High muzzle velocity, good gun depression
(+10/-20 degrees) but slow turret
rotation speed (16.5 degrees/sec)
Rounds: 10/10
Good mix of rounds with high penetration;
can kill any tank it encounters
Mobility: 6/10
Decent top speed
Armor: 3/10
Tier (BR): II (3.7, 3.3, 3.3)
Hull: 50/30/30 mm
Unsloped thin armor offers minimal protection
Mass: 22.3 tons
Turret: 50/30/30 mm
Overall: 6.5/10
Spd: 43 km/h
Reload: 7.6 s
Main Gun: 75 mm KwK40 L/43 cannon (Ammo: 87)

APCBC 121mm, APCR 151mm at 500m
M4A1 Sherman
Main Gun: 8/10

Fast turret traverse (28.5 degrees/sec) and very
good gun depression & elevation (-12/+25 degrees)
Rounds: 7/10
Decent penetration for rounds, APCBC
offers decent collateral damage
Mobility: 5/10
A little on the slow side
Armor: 8/10
Sloped and thick turret armor, good gun
Tier (BR): II (3.3, 3.3, 3.3)
Hull: 50/38/38 mm
depression allows the Sherman to go hull-
Mass: 30.6 tons
Turret: 76/50/50 mm
down and hide the weak side chassis armor
Spd: 38 km/h
Reload: 6.5 s
Overall: 7.0/10
Main Gun: 75 mm M3 cannon (Ammo: 90)

AP 92mm, APCBC 81mm pen at 500m
The GameOn Magazine
Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. M
Main Gun: 9/10

Very high muzzle velocities with small-caliber
round makes this easy to aim; fast reload
Rounds: 6/10
Sufficient penetration but poor collateral
damage with smaller-caliber kinetic rounds
Mobility: 7/10
Decent top speed with fast reverse gear
Armor: 8/10
Tier (BR): III (3.7, 3.7, 3.7)
Hull: 70/35/50 mm
Frontal armor is relatively thick but unsloped,
Mass: 22.7 tons
Turret: 77/35/35 mm
schrzen and turret armor plates can detonate
Spd: 43 km/h
Reload: 4.8 s
rounds away from fighting compartment
Main Gun: 50 mm KwK39 cannon (Ammo: 92)
Overall: 7.5/10
APC 79mm, APCR 108mm pen at 500m
T-34 1941
Main Gun: 6/10

Fast turret traverse (29.4 degrees/sec) but average
muzzle velocity, good for short to medium range
engagements; poor gun depression (-5/+28 degrees)
Rounds: 6/10
BR-350B has decent penetration and
good collateral damage but will struggle
against more heavily-armored tanks
Mobility: 8/10
Tier (BR): II (3.3, 3.3, 3.3)
Hull: 45/45/40 mm
High top speed among contemporary medium tanks
Mass: 26.5 tons
Turret: 45/45/45 mm
Armor: 6/10
Spd: 49 km/h
Reload: 7.2 s
Armor thickness is average but
Main Gun: 76 mm F-34 cannon (Ammo: 77)
sloped, turret armor is poor
APHEBC 87mm pen at 500m
Overall: 6.5/10
ARTICLE
THIS MONTH IN WWII:

JUNE 1940
were forced to surrender to the German army.
The Dunkirk evacuations, codenamed Operation

Dynamo ended on the 3rd of June, 1940. Nearly
225,000 British troops, and 150,000 Belgian,
On June 7th, the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious
Dutch, and French troops were evacuated to the
and its two destroyer escorts, the HMS Acasta
United Kingdom. 861 vessels, many of which were
and HMS Ardent, were sunk by the German
civilian in nature, were used in the evacuation;
battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in the
243 of those were documented as sunk during the
Norwegian Sea. Of the roughly 1560 men aboard
operation. Unfortunately, between 30 and 40,000
the three vessels, only 40 survivors were recorded,
French soldiers were unable to be evacuated, and
with one each from the two destroyers.
The GameOn Magazine
After months of talks with Hitlers government,
Great Britain several days before.
Benito Mussolini declared war on France and Great

Britain on June 10th. The Allies responded quickly,
On June 14th, the Soviet Navy began a blockade
placing into internment centers any Italians that had
of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The Soviet
lived in Britain for fewer than 20 years. The United
government had previously, and unsuccessfully,
States also responded, with President Roosevelt
attempted to set up military pacts with these
stating that the material resources of this nation
countries in order to establish forward military
would be used to support the Allied efforts.
bases. Over the next several days approximately

500,000 Soviet troops were used to invade and occupy
Also on the 10th of June, Norway surrendered
these countries. Several government leaders were
to the German army. King Haakon and most
imprisoned, with some later dying, in Siberia.
of his government had been evacuated to
ARTICLE
On the 17th of June, the RMS Lancastria was
4,000 people, more than the combined losses
sunk while in service as a British troop transport
of the RMS Titanic and RMS Lusitania.
during Operation Ariel. After an air raid by Junkers

Ju 88 bombers, the vessel listed, rolled over,
That same day, General Charles De Gaulle fled
and sank within twenty minutes of the attack.
France with 100,000 francs given to him by
This incident claimed the lives of approximately
ex-Prime Minister Paul Reynaud. He openly

denounced the French governments willingness
to seek an armistice with Germany. He is later
recognized by the British government as the
leader of Free France on June 27th.
On June 21st, negotiations began in in Compigne,
France for a Franco-German armistice. Adolf
Hitler chose the site personally. As it was the
The GameOn Magazine
location of the 1918 Armistice ending World War I,
On June 26th, the Soviet Union demanded territory
he saw it as payback for the reparations Germany
from Romania. Despite having been given notice
was forced to make after the Great War. Not only
two days earlier, the German government did not
was it the same location, but the same railcar
inform the Romanian government, and agreed not
was pulled out of a museum and placed in the
to provide support. Knowing that they could not put
exact same spot as in 1918, and Hitler himself sat
up an adequate defense against the Soviet military,
on the very same chair that Marshal Ferdinand
the Romanian government agreed to the demands
Foch sat on during the 1918 negotiations.
and withdrew their officials from the territory.
On that same day, Italian forces invaded France.
On June 30th, after days of bombing by the
The armistices were signed with Germany and
Luftwaffe, Germany invaded the Channel Isles. The
Italy on June 22nd and 24th respectively.
islands were occupied by infantry, communications

equipment, and anti-air emplacements. The
June 25th saw the last evacuations of Operation Ariel.
Channel Isles remained under German occupation
In total, nearly 200,000 military personnel and civilians
until the end of the war in May 1945.
were evacuated from France. Over 130 artillery

pieces, 2,300 vehicles, and 24 tanks were left behind.
By David HJFarnsworth King
ARTICLE
TALES FROM WORLD WAR II CODEBREAKING AND ESPIONAGE

A collection of notable, unusual and curious stories from the Second World War. This month
we take a look at tales of codebreaking and espionage in the Pacific Theatre.
A FALSE MESSAGE ABOUT A BROKEN WATER

PURIFICATION PLANT CONFIRMED MIDWAY
AS A TARGET FOR JAPANESE ATTACK
was one possibility, so the commanding officer
was ordered to send a radio message in the clear
saying that the islands water purification plant
had broken down, and fresh water was needed. An
intercepted Japanese message stating AF is short
of water confirmed that Midway was the target,
allowing Nimitz to position his carriers for the
decisive attack on the Japanese fleet on June 4th.
Another critical piece of information gained from
a JN-25 message in April 1943 was a detailed
itinerary for an inspection tour by Admiral Yamamoto,
commander of the Combined Fleet. The message
revealed that Yamamoto was due to fly to a small
The US Navy cracked several Japanese codes, most
airfield in the Solomon Islands, just within range
importantly the main naval code designated JN-25.
of US fighters on Guadalcanal. 18 P-38 Lightnings
In the spring of 1942, messages regarding an attack
were despatched on Operation Vengeance,
on a target designated AF were intercepted, but
successfully shooting down the two G4M Betty
the identity of AF was not known. Midway Island
aircraft transporting Yamamoto and his staff.
The GameOn Magazine
A DOLL SELLER IN NEW YORK TRIED TO PASS ON

INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATUS OF US SHIPS
IN LETTERS DESCRIBING DAMAGE TO DOLLS
Not all codes were as difficult to crack as JN-25.
would be back to work soon (USS Shaw, damaged
From 1942, the FBI became aware of several odd
at Pearl Harbor, ready to rejoin the fleet again).
letters. Mailed to an address in Buenos Aires from

several different senders in the USA, the letters had
The FBI traced the letters to Velvalee Dickinson, a
been returned, undelivered. Intercepted by censors,
doll seller in New York, who had used her customers
or handed over to the FBI by puzzled citizens who
addresses and forged signatures on the letters.
denied having sent them, the letters contained
Dickinson had been recruited by the Japanese Naval
suspicious phrases such as I just secured a lovely
attach in New York City to provide intelligence, but
Siamese Temple Dancer [doll], it had been damaged,
her contact in Buenos Aires had been exposed and
that is tore in the middle, but it is now repaired (a
fled, leaving the letters to be returned to sender.
reference to repairs to USS Saratoga, torpedoed in
Dickinson was sentenced to ten years in jail.
January 1942), and Mr. Shaw, who had been ill but
ARTICLE
A rather more effective agent was Takeo Yoshikawa.
The information supplied by Yoshikawa greatly
Sent to Honolulu in April 1941 under diplomatic
assisted in the planning of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
cover, he gathered a mass of intelligence on

American forces in Hawaii, observing Pearl
He was arrested with the rest of the consulate
Harbor from many vantage points (including the
staff, and returned to Japan as part of a diplomatic
Shunchoro tea house), hiring aircraft from Rodgers
exchange in 1942. He received no official recognition
Airport for pleasure flights, and surveying
for his work, and died in 1993 with no pension.
underwater obstacles in the guise of a fisherman.
JAPANESE NAVAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

TAKEO YOSHIKAWA OFTEN ENJOYED
DINNER AT THE SHUNCHORO TEA HOUSE,
OVERLOOKING PEARL HARBOR
The GameOn Magazine
SOVIET SPY RICHARD

SORGE IS SOMETIMES
KNOWN AS STALINS
JAMES BOND DUE TO
HIS FONDNESS FOR
FAST MOTORCYCLES,
WOMEN AND ALCOHOL
Following the German invasion of the USSR,
Sorge was vindicated, and Moscow requested
information on Japanese intentions; the hardpressed Soviet Union could ill afford a two
front war if Japan invaded from Manchuria.
The Japanese military had two options: To strike
north at the USSR, or south to the colonies of France,
Britain and the Netherlands. The rapid German
advance into Russia was encouraging, but with the oil
embargo imposed by the United States the resources
Knowledge of Japanese intentions was also critical
of the Dutch East Indies became a critical objective.
in Europe, and was provided by Richard Sorge.

By September, the decision had been made
A Soviet agent working as journalist, Sorge joined the
not to attack the USSR and to prepare to turn
Nazi party for cover, and was sent to Tokyo in 1933.
south. Sorge learned of this, and transmitted

the information to Moscow, allowing Stalin to
Gradually building a network of informants, Sorge
redeploy troops from the far east of the USSR
was able to gather information on both Germany
to take part in the counter-attacks of December
and Japan. He warned of the German military
1941 that relieved the pressure on Moscow.
build-up on the Soviet border in 1941, but his

information was regarded as suspicious, possibly
By John Zoso Moore
deliberate misinformation to provoke a response.
ARTICLE
LIONS, EAGLES AND

TROPHIES
WAR THUNDER 101 - GAME ECONOMY
In this article we introduce the basics of the War Thunder economy - the two types of
currency, premium items that can be bought with Golden Eagles, and trophies
CURRENCY
rearm and repair vehicles between battles, and to

buy up to two additional crew slots per nation.
War Thunder has two types of currency:

Golden Eagles, the premium currency, are usually
Silver Lions and Golden Eagles.
bought using real money from the War Thunder store;

Silver Lions, the regular currency, are earned during
you can also earn a few Eagles by completing some of
battles (or sometimes found in trophies), and used
the tutorial missions, or from Golden Battle wagers.
to buy regular vehicles, purchase modifications,
Golden Eagles can speed up progress in several ways,
The GameOn Magazine
but they are not essential, almost everything in the
PREMIUM VEHICLES
game can be unlocked without spending any money.

Premium vehicles, shown with a brown background
Some of the items that can be purchased
on the right hand side of the tech tree screen, are
with Golden Eagles include:
often more unusual models or variants such as
PREMIUM ACCOUNT TIME
prototypes or foreign vehicles, either captured or

supplied via lend-lease. Some are specific vehicles
from history, associated with a particular pilot
or crew with an appropriate paint scheme.
The Golden Eagle price of a premium vehicle is
show on the bottom of the icon; some are labelled
Bundle, these are bought as part of bundles in the
game store (http://warthunder.com/en/store/).
Premium vehicles do not have superior performance to
regular vehicles, but have three advantages. Firstly, you
can buy and use them at any point rather than having to
research and unlock them. Be careful in Arcade mode,
Upgrading to a premium account increases Research

Point and Silver Lion gain. A premium account is
a good way to speed up research, especially if you
play a lot; if you play infrequently then other options
such as premium vehicles may be better value.
Click on the diamond icon at the top of the screen to buy
premium account time with Golden Eagles; the more
time you purchase, the cheaper per day it is. Sometimes
for big celebrations such as game anniversaries,
premium time is offered at a discount; one year of
premium time with a 50% discount works out quite
reasonably, if you think you might be playing that long.
ARTICLE
though, slotting in a Tier IV premium vehicle next to your
reserves is not a good idea. Secondly, they start off with
CREW SKILLS, SILVER LIONS

AND RESEARCH POINTS
all modifications and upgrades available; theres no

need to grind out better engines, types of ammunition
You can also use Golden Eagles to buy crew skill
etc. Finally, most premium vehicles give better silver
points (via the Accelerated Training option) or Silver
lion rewards and research point bonuses than regular
Lions (click on the Silver Lion icon at the top of the
vehicles; check the stat cards to see the exact value.
screen). You can change Convertible Research Points

(shown next to the yellow light bulb icon at the top of
PREMIUM UPGRADES
- BACKUP VEHICLES
& TALISMANS
the screen) into actual Research Points to assist with

unlocking new aircraft by clicking on the icon and using
the Accelerated Research option. Generally these
are quite expensive ways of speeding up progress.
Most modifications and upgrades can be researched,

then bought with Silver Lions. If youre impatient,
TROPHIES
though, you can immediately purchase an upgrade

with Golden Eagles. There are also two upgrades that
In update 1.47, War Thunder introduced Trophies.
can only be bought with Eagles: Backup Vehicles,
These are virtual boxes containing a random
that allows you to use the vehicle more than once in
item or selection of items, similar to lockboxes
a battle (each use must be purchased separately),
or crates in other free-to-play games.
and a Talisman, that permanently doubles Research

Points gained using that vehicle. A regular vehicle
There are four ways to get trophies, and they
with a Talisman is a good way of speeding up
can contain several types of items.
research of other vehicles within one tier of it.
The GameOn Magazine
DAILY REWARD TROPHIES
course there was only a very small chance for that!)

Update 1.49 changed the system; as well as Silver
Lions, battle trophies can now also contain discounts on
The first thing you notice when logging in to War Thunder
premium vehicles, and modifications or upgrades for
is the Daily Reward screen, giving you a free trophy every
your planes or tanks. As well as regular modifications
day. Most days you get a Medium Trophy that usually
(e.g. upgraded engines or fuel, new ammunition types),
contains a small Booster (with a chance of a larger item),
battle trophies can include premium backup vehicles
but every 7 and 14 days you get a more exciting Huge
(allowing you to use a plane or tank more than once
Trophy with larger boosters, wagers or game currency.
in a battle) and, if youre especially lucky, talismans
POST-BATTLE TROPHIES
that boost all research point rewards for a vehicle.
SPECIAL EVENT TROPHIES
After every battle, you have a chance of receiving a trophy.

These random battle rewards were first introduced
Sometimes there are events in War Thunder that offer
in update 1.31 and were always a quantity of Silver
trophies as rewards. Events often have a series of stages,
Lions, the jackpot being 1,000,000 Lions (though of
each with a goal such as getting 25 player kill or 15 match
ARTICLE
victories, with a trophy for each stage that might contain
BOOSTERS
Silver Lions, boosters or wagers; trophies for the final

stage may contain a guaranteed premium vehicle. Keep
Boosters are found in trophies or bought in the item
an eye out on the game launcher or main War Thunder
shop. As the name suggests, they boost the amount of
website for news of events; when they are running you
Silver Lions or Research Points you gain after a match,
can usually track your progress by clicking on your
from a minor 10% boost up to a whopping 500%.
username at the top of the screen, then Achievements.

Boosters from the Daily Reward Trophy expire if you dont
activate them within three days (the amount of time left
is shown in your inventory, which can be accessed via the
crate icon at the top of the screen), so dont hang around
too long. To use a booster, just open your inventory, and
click Activate under the booster you wish to use.
Multiple boosters can be used at the same time, but
boosters of the same type have diminishing returns; the
ITEM SHOP TROPHIES
game will warn you of this before you activate the second
booster, and tell you the reduced boost that will apply.
Trophies can also be bought for Golden Eagles in the

item shop. The contents of the trophies on offer varies
over time; hover your mouse over them to see what
they might contain. The key word here is might, a
299 Eagle trophy might have a chance of containing a
premium plane or tank that would cost far more than
that, but its a very small chance. Item shop trophies are
like lottery scratchcards, if you have money to burn and
dont mind losing it then by all means take a gamble,
but if you really want something in one of the trophies
most people will be better off saving up for it instead.
The GameOn Magazine
Once activated, a booster lasts for 24 hours or a number
complete a task a number of times. The tasks can be
of missions, whichever comes first. The larger boosters
to win matches, to get a certain number of kills within
(100% and up) generally only apply to a single mission,
a match, or to get a particular achievement such as
smaller boosters may last for several missions; hover
Mission Maker, Wing Breaker or The Best Squad.
your mouse over a booster to see the details.
WAGERS
Mouse over a wager to see the specific requirements;

often there will be additional conditions such as
You must have at least one vehicle of Tier III - V,
Wagers are also found in trophies, less frequently than
so you cant get out the starter biplanes and go up
boosters. As the name suggests, the idea of wagers
against brand new players. If you activate a wager
is that you make an initial stake using your Silver
and it does not seem to be progressing, double check
Lions, usually from 1,000 and 10,000, then try and
the conditions. You will also see the list of rewards;
ARTICLE
generally you will make your money back if you
with the wager. Mouse over this, or the wager in
succeed once, and profit after that. Wagers may have
your inventory, to show further details; you will also
between 5 and 20 stages of rewards for successfully
see a summary of the wager at the bottom of the
meeting the requirements, and will allow you to fail
screen between battles, just over the vehicles.
between 3 and 10 times before the wager is over.

After you have succeeded or failed the maximum
number of times, the wager ends, and (if you
succeeded at least once) you receive your reward.
One notable type of wager is the Golden Battles
wager. Sometimes found in the 7 or 14 day Huge Trophy
daily rewards, these pay out Golden Eagles rather
than Silver Lions, and you do not need to use your own
Eagles to make a stake at the beginning (so its not
really a wager!) The objective of Golden Battle wagers
is just to win matches; your best chance is to group
up with some really skilled squadmates if you can,
otherwise pray for some decent random team-mates!
MORE ABOUT THE ECONOMY

This article is meant as a guide to someone whos new to
the game and may be confused by the game currencies
& economy mechanisms, and we hope this helps!
In future articles in this series, well delve a little
deeper, such as the most cost-effective way of
After each battle (where you meet the conditions),
speeding up vehicle research, and the different types
you will see an icon with a green tick or red cross
of wagers and tips on how to complete them.
on the battle results screen to show your progress
By John Zoso Moore
The GameOn Magazine
ARTICLE
FUNNY CORNER
We present a look at the lighter side of things with some military humour doing the rounds on the Internet.
FUNNY SQUAWKS
Problem: Something loose in cockpit

Action: Something tightened in cockpit
Squawks are problems that pilots leave for

maintenance crews to fix before the next
Problem: DME volume unbelievably loud
flight. Heres a collection of squawks and their
Action: Volume set to more believable level
replies from wacky maintenance crews.

Problem: Aircraft handles funny
Problem: Left inside main tyre
Action: Aircraft warned to straighten
almost needs replacement
up, fly right, and be serious
Action: Almost replaced left inside main tyre

Problem: Sounds like someones
Problem: Dead bugs on windshield
hitting engine with a hammer
Action: Live bugs on backorder
Action: Took hammer from that guy and

made him promise not to do it again
Problem: Evidence of hydraulic leak

on right main landing gear
Problem: #2 ADF needle runs wild
Action: Evidence removed
Action: Caught and tamed #2 ADF needle
The GameOn Magazine
Problem: Autopilot in altitude hold mode
Problem: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick
produces a 200 feet per minute descent
Action: Thats what theyre there for
Action: Cannot reproduce problem on ground

Problem: IFF inoperative
Problem: Unfamiliar noise coming from #2 engine
Action: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode
Action: Engine run for four hours, noise now familiar

Problem: Suspected crack in windscreen
Problem: 3 roaches in cabin
Action: Suspect youre right
Action: 1 roach killed, 1 wounded, 1 got away

Problem: Mouse in cockpit
Problem: Whining sound heard on engine shutdown
Action: Cat installed
Action: Pilot removed from aircraft

Problem: Test flight OK, except autoland very rough
Problem: Target Radar hums
Action: Autoland not installed on this aircraft
Action: Reprogrammed Target Radar with the lyrics
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Have a safe flight!

See you in next issue.
Issue 48 October 2013
54 GameOn Magazine

War Thunder Community Magazine Issue 6 PDF

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Battlefield 4 Review

Issue 50 December 2013

maps of impressive scale

a multiplayer online combat game

ranging from the city outskirts

for aircraft and armored vehicles.

of Stalingrad to the vast oceans

With hundreds of accurately-

available across a variety of

rendered vehicles available

platforms: from Windows to

and more being added with

every update, players are spoilt

well as on the Playstation 4

for choice when it comes to

console, with casual game

cutting-edge planes to take

modes in arcade battles

to the skies, or menacing

to realistic and simulator

tanks to tear up the earth.

battles for the enthusiasts.

aerial dogfights and armored

Spanish Civil War to the Korean

spearhead clashes with friends,

War, with a huge emphasis

learn about the rich historical

on the Second World War.

significance behind the wars

Players cross swords in historical

through War Thunder.

2 // War Thunder Community Magazine

The GameOn Magazine

We also take a look at what

edition of the War Thunder

happened in June 1940 with David

King in This Month in WWII,

This issue, we focus our attention

to the WT Economy by Zoso!

on the Japanese side of things,

On the Reviews side, we take a

Japanese Tech Tree and our

look at the Panzer IV F2; find out

guns series looking at Japanese

how it fares against its opponents

guns and ammunition; their

in a new vehicle review format.

bewildering array of weapons

Are you interested in writing

say the least, but John Zoso

historical articles, war machines,

Moore breaks it down into

or War Thunder gameplay? We

digestible bits for you.

are still actively looking out for

With the focus on Japan, we

artists to come on board the team!

also take a look at Tales of

Do you also happen to know

the Pacific theatre of war in an

someone who has a story from

all new segment, presenting