Use not your troops unless there is something to be gained;
Fight not unless the position is critical.
-Sun Tzu
1st Rule of warfare: Know the enemy.
Tanks are a formidable weapon; their range of sight is matched only by their awesome firepower. In this lies their greatest flaw. Brave not is the warrior who exposes his own weakness by granting his enemy its strength, but victorious is the warrior who transforms his enemy's strength into it's own weakness.
- Strengths:
- Superior visibility over wide, flat terrain
- Superior firepower at medium to long range
- Immune to light and medium weaponry
- Fast movement
- Weakness:
- Must remain visible over long distances
- Diminished firepower at close range
- Easily distracted by light and medium weaponry, leaving it vulnerable to landmines, heavy AT, and other tanks
- Movement severely limits accuracy
The tank's greatest asset is simultaneously its greatest weakness. It must remain stationary and visible so that it can see over long distances. This means that it's a big fat target just begging to be hit. The strategy to defeat a tank becomes clear:
- Remain hidden, let the tank become comfortable in the open
- Attack only when lethal hits are guaranteed.
- Attack only when you have an exit strategy to survive
- Attack only at long range, remaining hidden between attacks
- Attack from multiple angles simultaneously; as close to 180 degrees apart as possible
- Force the tank to search for cover, this will:
- dramatically reduces its range
- dramatically reduce its accuracy
- open the door for close assault with landmines
- Remain hidden, remain hidden, remain hidden. Again, remain hidden.
- Patience, patience, patience. Again, patience.
Good luck soldiers.
edit:
The moral of the story is that far too many players engage tanks like they would another soldier. They run towards it, stand on hilltops and stare at it, or ping away single shots with their m16 as if they're going to score a miracle Capt. Miller hit. They run through a tank's field of fire with their eyes closed thinking they can't be seen. They die, respawn, then do the exact same thing all over again, after which, they post on the forums how tanks are overpowered.
The only effective weapon against tanks is a mine, HAT or another tank. Everything else is most likely to get you killed and unless your death results in the destruction of the tank on a 1:1 ratio, you're not doing your team any favors by senselessly losing valuable tickets and infantry positioning.
This guide was written not to show all the possible ways to defeat tanks, but that they can be defeated with a little planning, a little coordination, and a little patience.
