Type 5 Heavy
- For the Japanese Tier VII Medium tank, see Type 5 Chi-Ri.
- For the Japanese Tier IV Light tank, see Type 5 Ke-Ho.
Type 5 Heavy
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[Client Values; Actual values in
6,100,000 ![]() |
2900580 HP Hit Points |
151.1/16083.48/160 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Gunner
- Driver
- Radio Operator
- Loader
- Loader
13701370 hp Engine Power |
25/15 km/h Speed Limit |
2020 deg/s Traverse |
9.0716.41 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
NoNo Pivot |
// mm Hull Armor |
280/210/200280/210/200 mm Turret Armor |
HE/HE
AP//HE Shells |
0/6400/1200
0/0/905 Shell Cost |
900/900/680600/600/770 HP Damage |
75/192/252257/290/70 mm Penetration |
r/m ▲
3 r/m Standard Gun ▲
3.51 Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
▲
Standard Gun ▼
Standard Gun ▲
2700 Standard Gun
▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
2106 Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
m ▲
0.47 m With 50% Crew: 0.582 m ▲
0.38 Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.471 m |
s 2.9 s 2.5 Aim time |
1818 deg/s Turret Traverse |
360° Gun Arc |
-10°/+20°-10°/+20° Elevation Arc |
4060 rounds Ammo Capacity |
2020 % Chance of Fire |
m 400 m 400 View Range |
m 750 m 750 Signal Range |
X

6100000
The Type 5 Heavy is a Japanese tier 10 heavy tank.
The Type 5, also known as the Type 2605, was one of the variants of the O-I superheavy tank, developed during WWII. The vehicle was planned to be used for breaking through fortified enemy lines and for coastal defense.
Sometimes known as "Godzilla" or just Type 5, the Type 5 Heavy holds the title as one of the most frequently changed Tier X vehicles in the game. Initially considered to be one the worst tier 10s in the game, the Type 5 Heavy has since received multiple buffs to its performance in various later patches. While the first round of buffs did not significantly improve its performance, the second round, received in patch 9.17.1, brought forth major changes to the way this tank played. With its much stronger armor and a massive new 15.2 cm howitzer gun with lethal HE shells, each dealing 1400 damage per shot if penetrating the target's armor or 500-600 damage if not, the Type 5 Heavy would consistently inflict serious damage against even the most heavily armored tanks in the game. Because of this, the tank quickly became a far more formidable and popular vehicle, having enough firepower to impact the whole of the meta game and gaining the reputation as one of the most loathed Tier X vehicles from players that were forced to square off against it.
After a while, the Type 5 Heavy's over-performing 15.2 cm was eventually and, according to most, rightfully nerfed, making its performance much less effective. To balance this nerf, however, the 14 cm gun received an additional buff to its own performance, making it a more viable alternative. In addition, the tanks mobility was also improved. These changes had, once again, significantly altered the way the Type 5 Heavy plays, making it more in line with the old Type 5 Heavy, but performing better than its old self due to the aforementioned improvements. While this iteration of the Type 5 Heavy is its most balanced iteration yet, the nerfs brought the tank back into being fairly underwhelming. Over time, despite receiving minor buffs in patch 1.13, the Type 5 Heavy is once again among the least popular tier 10s in the game, and is considered to be among the worst heavy tanks in its tier.
As the final development of its respective Japanese Heavy Tank line, the Type 5 Heavy shares similar features to the tanks that came before it. With its thick armor, huge size, poor mobility, high alpha damage and good gun depression it also comes with a few notable features, which were lacked by the tanks predecessors. Specifically, the Type 5 Heavy has much stronger hull cheeks, terminating one of the most well-known weak points of the previous Type 4 Heavy. This, combined with its very thick side armor, makes this tank surprisingly efficient at sidescraping, something the previous Japanese heavies couldn't do. In addition, the Type 5 Heavy has excellent reverse speed of -15 km/h, which is 50% better than the poor -10 km/h that the previous vehicles in the line had. Finally, the Type 5 Heavy has surprisingly good gun handling, something that also was lacking on the previous vehicles.
The Type 5 Heavy marks the end of its Japanese heavy line.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( ![]()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X | 2x Kawasaki Type 98 V-12 Kai (600) | 1370 | 20 | 1020 | 132000 |
Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ( ![]()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X | Type 5 Heavy | 160 | 20 | B/2 | 40000 | 82500 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Second largest hitpoint pool in the game behind the Maus
- Both guns have great alpha damage; 14 cm gun also has great gun handling for its caliber
- Great gun depression with both guns at -10 degrees
- Very thick all around armor with only a few weakspots (which are also well armored)
- Huge mass, can easily push enemy vehicles or wrecks
Cons:
- Both guns have poor DPM, penetration and long reload time
- Largest tier 10 tank in the game, hard to hide and virtually no camouflage
- Slow and sluggish, mobility is overall poor
- Flat armor is easily penetrated by tier 10 TDs and premium ammo of most tier 10s
- Prone to ammo rack damage, as well as engine damage from frontal penetrations
Performance
Type 5 Heavy looks very similar to Type 4 Heavy, and does indeed play similarly. However, it is a notable improvement from its little brother in many ways, having somewhat more reliable and effective armor profile, huge HP increase (+850), slightly better mobility, notably better gun stats and lower engine deck which makes its silhouette is slightly smaller, though its still the biggest tier 10 in the game and therefor is a massive target. However, the Type 5 Heavy still suffers from most of the same issues as the Type 4 Heavy, which in some aspect become worse due to harsher environment that is the tier 10.
Type 5 Heavy is one of only few tier 10 tanks with two alternative gun choices. However, it is very quickly apparent that the guns are not equal in terms of power. Previously, the 15.2 cm was considered outright the superior option to the point where the 14 cm gun was redeemed completely obsolete; however, after the patch 1.5, this was humorously reverted, with the 15.2 cm receiving huge nerfs while 14 cm receiving some buffs. The 15.2 cm carries an unusual ammo loadout, with it firing HESH shells instead of traditional AP/APCR/HEAT with increased penetration. The gun suffers from poor accuracy and rate of fire, but it does have surprisingly good shell velocity and accuracy when moving. The damage output of the gun is outright pathetic for a tier 10 vehicle - it has the same rate of fire with 10 less alpha damage than the Sheridan with 15 cm, a light tank. Its AP shells also leave a lot to be desired - it has 680 alpha damage, which is less than the E 100 or 60TP, giving the Type 5 the single worst DPM of all tier 10 heavies with cyclic guns. The only appeal of the 15.2 cm gun is it's ridiculously expensive HESH shells that can penetrate some medium tanks and maybe tier 8 heavy tanks from weakspots; however, its penetration is still too low to do much against most heavies, resulting in very low damage output, while also having to pay massive amounts of credits as the shell cost remains unchanged from the days when it had 1400 alpha damage. With all this in the mind, the 15.2 cm is a very poor gun and is a fairly insufficient meme at best. With the HE rework, it is almost completely unable to handle opposing heavily armored tanks, like the E 100, Maus or opposing Type 5, while suffering from all around poor statistics. It is recommended not to use this gun.
The 14 cm gun is thus the only viable gun option on the Type 5. It is significantly superior and at least half-decent compared to the 15.2 cm; however, despite receiving a couple of buffs, the 14 cm gun still leaves a lot to be desired. It retains the same alpha damage and penetration from the Type 4 Heavy. It no longer packs the highest alpha damage in the tier, though 600 is still pretty impressive at tier 10. It has two AP shells with 257 and 290 mm penetration, respectively. While it has fairly decent standard penetration, the premium shell penetration is very bad. Coupled with disproportionately high penetration loss over long distances and poor dispersion, this gun still suffers at dealing with heavily armored targets. The 14 cm gun also still has one of the worst DPM in its tier, while having worse alpha damage than the 60TP and E 100, both of which also have higher DPM despite having 150 more alpha. On the bright side, the gun isn't terrible at everything. 600 alpha is still very respectable, and the large caliber means that the Type 5 is very efficient at overmatching, allowing it to slightly compensate for the poor penetration. The most unique aspect of the gun is its gun handling - with low aiming time of 2.5 seconds and very respectable dispersion when moving, the 14 cm gun is very effective at snapshots. Overall, though, the 14 cm is still a fairly mediocre gun. This means that Type 5 has a rather poor selection of guns, especially when compared to the vastly superior gun selection of the Type 5's competitor, the E 100.
Like all the Japanese heavies, Type 5 Heavy lacks reliable frontal weak points if not shot at with gold ammo. If it faces tier 8s and tier 9s with low penetration or tier 10s that are firing standard ammo, Type 5 Heavy can pretty much laugh at them. While peeking from corner is still reliable and easy way due to lack of lower plate weakpoint, Type 5 can now also sidescrape quite effectively due to much better side armor compared to Type 4 Heavy and hull cheeks. The Type 5 Heavy also can angle its turret slightly when it is reloading, like Maus and E 100, although it is not recommended to angle the turret too much due to pre-angled turret sides. Type 5 Heavy can go hulldown due to its tall profile and -10 degrees of gun depression, but the turret is huge and flat and may be an easy target if sat on a ridge, so it is often recommended to stick to corners instead if possible.
Despite the armor being extremely thick, its also very flat, so premium rounds with enough penetration and tier 10 TDs can still penetrate it without really any issues, even when the Type 5 Heavy angles. Because of this, the Type 5 Heavy driver shouldn't get too confident with the tank's armor, and instead use it accordingly against right targets. When fighting tanks with high penetration premium rounds or high penetration in general, its best to close the distance as much as possible, playing around corners and utilize the high HP pool and 600 alpha to trade. The combination of high HP pool, good armor and 600 alpha means that Type 5 Heavy can actually fight back decently well, even when under constant pressure of premium shells. This is however if the Type 5 actually managed to close the gap without taking too much damage - it suffers significantly more if it doesnt have a lot of HP to trade with. It's best to fight up close and personal as much as possible, and to utilize its good trading capabilities, it should be placed on closed areas as much as possible. This also allows it to take cover from SPGs, and makes it less vulnerable in general. Avoiding long range engagements as much as possible as Type 5 Heavy's gun struggles hard at range due to its very poor accuracy, high penetration drop-off at long distances, low DPM as well as tank's massive profile punishes long range gameplay.
The way Type 5 Heavy plays also depends on the map and matchup. If top tier against tier 8s and 9s, the Type 5 Heavy will actually be a formidable foe. You need to prioritize your targets accordingly - any tank with less than 290 mm penetration with premium rounds will have very hard time against the Type 5 Heavy. Observe what shells the enemy tanks are using as well. Any tank with access to shells with over 300 mm penetration are the biggest threat, and should be your priority target or avoided. When top tier, the Type 5 Heavy can play aggressively and just roll forward while playing around urban areas with hard cover. Pick a flank you think you can be most effective as it's slow mobility would not allow it to reposition easily.
When facing tier 10s, the Type 5 Heavy has to be much more careful. Positioning is extremely important - getting caught in the open against tier 10 premium rounds, TDs and SPGs is a deathwish. Try to find a place with hard cover and expect premium to be shot at you - with this in mind, your best friend is your 600 alpha and 2900 HP, not your armor. The HP is precious - try to save it as much as you can! Don't carelessly peek corners - for example if there's a hulldown T110E3 in front of you, its pointless to peek, as you are most likely going to lose HP for nothing. Play cautiously and wait for a good opportunity to peek. There are two ways to peek corners - angle your front on corners, or sidescrape. As Type 5 Heavy doesn't have a lower plate weakspot, it can angle it's front around 45 degrees on corners. Sometimes, you can angle even more and expose only your front - when angled correctly, it can bounce any shell in the game. Baiting shots is crucial, and it can be surprisingly effective due to Type 5 Heavy's armor layout. Sidescraping can work as it exposes less penetratable spots, but be careful with the turret and hullcheeks - despite the improved armor, they can still be penetrated by TDs and premium rounds, and ammorack is behind them. Because of this, its often better to just peek corners, take a shot, fire, and then utilize the good reverse speed to get back to the cover. If you're caught in the open against a tank firing HEAT, you can intentionally overangle the Type 5 Heavy as a last effort move to the point where you have your entire side exposed. If your opponent doesn't respect your side armor enough, they might carelessly shoot HEAT at Type 5 Heavy's side or large tracks.
Finally, Type 5 Heavy's massive size (even bigger than the Maus!) has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. With its size and speed combined, the Type 5 Heavy is a juicy target for artillery. If there is artillery in the game, try to stay in cover as much as possible. Also, try to avoid going anywhere without allies. Type 5 Heavy which is left alone is easy target for more mobile tanks. Its poor reload and DPM makes it further more vulnerable when isolated. Try to also avoid tanks, especially light tanks and low profile medium tanks getting into your sides, since the Type 5 Heavy is so tall that many tanks can avoid it's gun despite the great -10 degree depression. Even 1 tank with you is better than nothing and generally should be enough to save you from that kind of trouble. Type 5 Heavy is so massive that it can act as mobile cover for its allies, as an addition, it can block streets and flanks even when destroyed. Type 5 Heavy also possess excellent height, good gun depression and large caliber is able to hit roofs of many tanks and overmatch them effectively. For example, Type 5 Heavy is able to hit IS-7's roof if it gets facehugged by one.
All in all, although the Type 5 Heavy used to be even worse when it was released back in patch 9.10, the combination of its significant nerfs (without good enough buffs to compensate) and significant power creep means that its no longer the menace it used to be with its old derp gun. It is not completely useless - it is still able to get good games, and it can actually be pretty powerful in a very good matchup. However, most of the time it has to fight with only tier 10s, where it can have a really hard time. While the Type 5 does have some strengths, its cons definitely outweight its pros. Because of this, it is now one of the least popular tier 10s in the game and consequently is, once again, a contender for the worst heavy tank in its tier. It is notably outclassed by the E 100, which has better mobility, smaller profile, significantly superior guns, and armor that is, ironically enough, more resistant to premium ammo.
Early Research
The Type 5 Heavy does not come elite. It is strongly recommended to research the 14cm gun on the preceding Type 4 Heavy, or at least to spend free experience to unlock it right away upon purchasing the Type 5.
Suggested Equipment
Gallery
Historical Info
According to a vague report found from Soviet archives, the Type 5 had 35 percent smaller engine compartment compared to the Type 4, but retains the same type of engine, resulting in a very cramped cooler design. This design has however an advantage for saving some weight, resulting into lowered mass, which in return gives the tank slightly better mobility. Additionally, the reduced weight could possibly allow the armor of the vehicle to be increased even further without increasing the total mass of the original Type 4. Four radiator blocks are shifted towards the rear, and, along with the separate oil cooler, are cooled with one many-bladed fan, connected to the main reductor by a crankshaft, passing between engines. Air is gathered through vertical grilles in the engine compartment, passes through vertical radiators, and is released behind the tank. If the fan breaks, the air will be partially circulated with exhaust fumes, achieved by a nozzle collector on each engine.
Not much is known about the Type 5. It presumably had the same armament as the Type 4, believed to be a 14 cm naval gun. Just like it, many details like armor, speed, engine type and so on are unknown. Even if the Type 5 existed as a project, it presumably remained on papers due to Japan losing the war.
It is important to note that Japanese sources have absolutely no information of another super-heavy tank project aside from the O-I being developed. It is also important to keep in mind that a lot of Japanese tank-related documents were lost after the war, however. The available information regarding the Type 4/5 super-heavy tanks are far too limited, and whether the tanks actually existed or not remains debatable.
Historical Gallery
Historical Accuracy Errata
Type 5 super-heavy tank is a speculated 2nd Japanese super-heavy tank design that succeeded the O-I. It's existence is debatable, as the only available information of the tank comes from some vague Soviet report of Japanese tanks. Because of this, it is possible that the Type 5 Heavy never even existed.
However, due to the very limited information, some parameters of the Type 5 Heavy are guaranteed to be inaccurate in-game:
- The hull shape differs from the vague sketch drawn by Soviets. For instance, the drawing doesn't show hull cheeks, the upper front plate is completely unsloped, doesn't extend beyond the turret front, and the lower front section is also different, being more similar to that of the O-I. The general design of the in-game Type 5 Heavy is closer to that of the Chi-Ri.
- Due to very limited information, many specifics like top speed, weight and armor are all speculation. Armor in especial is most likely thicker in-game than what it actually was, done mostly due to balance purposes.
- In-game description is somewhat inaccurate - the Type 5 Heavy's design is far too different for it to be a modification of the O-I. While somewhat similar, the suspension design, hull shape, turret and gun are all significantly different, and the tank has only one turret as opposed to the O-I's 4.
- The shape of the turret is slightly erroneous. As seen on both the drawing and the picture of the bunker turret, the front section of the in-game Type 5 turret is too short, while the rear section is too long. In addition, the in-game Type 5 turret lacks the elevated section at top of the turret, which is most presumably an armor plate.
- The Type 5 didn't have the 15.2 cm gun it has in the game. While the exact gun model is unknown (most commonly assumed to be a 14 cm naval gun), the 15.2 cm/45 41st year type gun is clearly different to the gun of the sketch and picture of the bunker turret.
- The 15.2 cm/45 41st year type gun had AP shells and no HESH shells, unlike the model in the game.( it was rectified with the Update 1.13, when an AP shell was added)
Sources and External Links
Light Tanks | IRenault Otsu • IIType 95 Ha-Go • IIType 97 Te-Ke • IIIType 97 Chi-Ha • IIIType 98 Ke-Ni • IVType 5 Ke-Ho |
Medium Tanks | IIChi-Ni • IIType 89 I-Go/Chi-Ro • IVType 1 Chi-He • VType 3 Chi-Nu • VType 3 Chi-Nu Kai • VIType 4 Chi-To • VIIType 5 Chi-Ri • VIIISTA-1 • VIIISTA-2 • IXType 61 • XSTB-1 |
Heavy Tanks | IIIType 91 Heavy • IVType 95 Heavy • VO-I Experimental • VIHeavy Tank No. VI • VIO-I • VIIO-Ni • VIIIO-Ho • IXType 4 Heavy • XType 5 Heavy |
Tank Destroyers | |
Self-Propelled Artillery |