Tank:Obus
Before you get into combat, you need your tank to be fully loaded with ammunition. The amount of ammunition each tank can carry depends on the gun caliber and current turret. The ammunition you choose will affect your combat performance. Below are brief descriptions of each shell type in the game.
Regular Ammo
This shell does the full damage listed on the gun specifications if it penetrates the enemy's armor. But, if this shell doesn't penetrate the target, it will bounce and do no damage whatsoever. It can also damage tank modules and crew if it hits at the right spot.
This shell has the highest damage value among all the shell types in the game, but also has a very low penetration value. It doesn't need to penetrate to damage the target, but it usually won't do as much damage as is stated on the gun specifications. If it manages to penetrate the armor, it will explode inside the tank and get full damage according to the specs, plus HE deals additional damage to multiple internal modules and/or crew which depend on how high the HE damage value is. HE shells on tanks have a very small splash-damage radius, but HE on SPG have a larger splash-damage radius.
Premium Ammo
This is the standard Premium ammunition for almost all tanks in the game. It has the highest penetration value, but the damage value is the same as its AP counterpart. It still has AP shell characteristics.
This is the Premium ammunition for most SPG-class and tank howitzer guns. It carries a higher penetration value than HE, but works like AP shells: meaning you must hit the target directly to do damage. It produces less damage than penetrated regular HE shells.
Found in some SPG guns, it has no significant difference to its HE counterpart other than a larger splash-damage radius.
FAQ: When should I use AP and HE ?
The general rule of thumb is; use AP on your own tier and below and HE for tanks higher than you, but this depends upon your gun: some are designed to use HE. Guns like the KV's 152mm gun use a large caliber round, but have a short barrel length. The large caliber of the shell is substantial and carries a generous amount of explosive-compound within, thus causing more damage. The drawback is the shell leaving the gun will have a relatively low velocity because of the short barrel length and thus, low armor-piercing capability. When you factor in the poor accuracy and range, it's simply a waste to use AP shells with this type of gun and HE should be used exclusively.
Try experimenting with different ammunition to see what your gun's capabilities are on certain tanks.
When mounting tier 6 guns and higher, you should consider using AP more frequently, as these guns have enough penetration power to damage most tanks if you know which tank and what part of the tank you should aim for.
