Imagine yourself in the perfect spot. You have the enemy within your sights, unaware of the oblivion you are about to blast them to. You take the shot, and what may very well be the most annoying result in the game occurs. "That shot bounced!", or "Ricochet!". You feel you did everything right, but yet you still could not penetrate the armor on the opposing tank. If this is a problem you are running into frequently, luckily, there are a few things you can do to help with this. This article will focus on how armor and penetration works in this game, and will help newer players understand how to do damage more effectively.

In World of Tanks, your vehicle is basically armored in the front, side, and rear of your hull and turret respectively. Each area has a certain armor thickness depending on the tank you are controlling. The basic rule of thumb is that the side and rear armor is easier to penetrate than the front armor. Other factors do come into play though.

The first factor is the cannon your tank is equipped with. Each cannon displays an average penetration for your shot. If the penetration of the round is higher than the thickness of the armor, then theoretically your shot will deal damage. Unfortunately, this is not the only deciding factor when it comes to damaging your opponent. World of tanks brings a more realistic feel for tank warfare than just a random number generator.

The second factor is the slope of the tanks armor. The best way to explain this concept is by looking at this diagram:

Successfully damaging your opponent depends on where your shell hits the armor, and from what angle the impact occurs. If a shell hits along the horizontal, or flat, plane on slanted armor, it has to pass through much thicker armor than if it were to hit from a better angle. When making your shot, keep thickness and angle in mind. The game helps your out in this regard. In World of Tanks the aiming reticule gives color coded hints when it passes over an enemy vehicle. If the reticule is green, then there is a good chance your shell will find its mark and deal damage. If the reticule is yellow, there is a chance the shell will penetrate, but the chance for a ricochet is higher. Finally, if the reticule is red, save your hard earned credits and hold the shot until you find a better angle.

Sometimes you will find yourself in a head on conflict, where a shot at the side or rear of the enemy is just not possible. This is the time when knowing where to aim will be the difference between destroying your enemy or being destroyed. Each tank has a couple of small weak spots visible from the front. Even though the front holds the thickest armor, you can still aim for these weaker areas such as the lower glacis plate. This is the area in front of the tank usually directly below the sloped upper hull armor.

In this diagram, the lower glacis plate is highlighted in green. When you find yourself in those head on engagements, focusing on this area will give you a much higher chance of winning the exchange.

Another weak spot is a much smaller target - the crew hatch, otherwise known as the cupola.

The cupola, though a small area, is an easily penetrated area on most tanks, and sometimes the only weak spot visibile from the front of some tanks. Aiming for this target can be very difficult as it is usually flat with not alot of surface area to aim for. However, if you can get a shot on the cupola it can definitely change the outcome of the skirmish.

The final weak spots I would like to point out will not destroy the enemy vehicle, but will cause lasting damage that can help you disable them. These are the modules. The modules include the gun, ammo rack, fuel tanks, view port, and the tracks. These all have separate values that are easily disabled with well-placed shots. Though the damage taken to the modules does not lower the hit points of the enemy vehicle, it does cause significant problems that the enemy tanker will have to work with throughout the rest of the match.

World of Tanks can be frustrating at times when you struggle to damage or destroy enemy vehicles, but by following these tips you will find yourself much more successful in your endeavors and subsequently find your kill count rising.

Next week we will continue our beginners guide when we talk about scouting and cover and how you can use these simple tools to enhance your overall gameplay.