Type 4 Heavy
Type 4 Heavy
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[Client Values; Actual values in
3,700,000  Cost |
| 2050410 HP Hit Points |
| 158.65/16082.48/170 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Gunner
- Driver
- Radio Operator
- Loader
- Loader
| 11001200 hp Engine Power |
| 25/10 km/h Speed Limit |
| 1517 deg/s Traverse |
| 6.9314.55 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
| NoNo Pivot |
| // mm Hull Armor |
| 250/200/200250/200/200 mm Turret Armor |
AP//HE
AP//HE Shells |
0/4800/670
0/0/905 Shell Cost |
| 450/450/610600/600/770 HP Damage |
| 230/258/64257/290/70 mm Penetration |
|
3.68 r/m ▲
3.03 r/m Standard Gun ▲ Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
|
1656 ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
1818 Standard Gun ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲ Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
|
0.38 m ▲
0.4 m With 50% Crew: 0.471 m ▲ Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.496 m |
| 2.3 s 2.9 s Aim time |
| 1717 deg/s Turret Traverse |
| 360° Gun Arc |
| -10°/+20°-10°/+20° Elevation Arc |
| 8060 rounds Ammo Capacity |
| 2020 % Chance of Fire |
| 390 m 390 m View Range |
| 425 m 750 m Signal Range |
IX
3700000
The Type 4 Heavy is a Japanese tier 9 heavy tank.
The Type 4, also known as the Type 2604, is a variant of the superheavy O-I tank that was developed during World War II. The vehicle was designed for breakthrough attacks on enemy fortifications as well as for coastal defense.
The Type 4 Heavy or often simply referred as Type 4, has different design compared to earlier Japanese heavies predecessors. It has much thicker overall armor with completely different guns; it no longer carries the similar 10cm guns or 15cm Type 96 howitzer like them, but has gained 2 huge naval guns, with it's 14 cm gun notably having the highest alpha damage in it's tier. Compared to O-Ho, it no longer carries the awful frontal miniturrets that limits frontal depression. It also has very thick tracks that are effective at absorbing damage.
While Type 4 has much thicker side armor than predecessors, its cheeks on hull are now noticeably weaker than frontal hull armor. Combined with the fact that ammorack is located behind them, Type 4 isn't still all that good at sidescraping. Furthermore, its the heaviest tank in the line (160 tons) but carries the same 1200 HP engine, which makes it even slower than other tanks on the line. It's large guns also suffer from poor rate of fire, accuracy and gun handling.
Type 4, while a slow and clumsy with several downsides, can be relatively respectable opponent due to its huge alpha damage, thick armor and high health pool. It shares few traits among with its older brother, Type 5 Heavy, which prepares the player for it.
The Type 4 Heavy leads to the Type 5 Heavy.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Guns
| Tier | Gun | Penetration (mm) |
Damage (HP) |
Rate of fire (rounds/minute) |
Dispersion (m/100m) |
Aiming time (s) |
Weight (kg) |
Price (  )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X | 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type | 257/290/70 | 600/600/770 | 3.03 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 5600 | 332000 | |
| IX | 12.7 cm/50 3rd Year Type | 230/258/64 | 450/450/610 | 3.68 | 0.38 | 2.3 | 4245 | 230000 | |
| X | 15 cm/45 41st Year Type | 75/192/252 | 900/900/680 | 2.73 | 0.49 | 3.2 | 6700 | 330000 |
Engines
| Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VII | 2x Kawasaki Type 98 V-12 (550) | 1100 | 20 | 1020 | 51000 | |
| VIII | 2x Kawasaki Type 98 V-12 (600) | 1200 | 20 | 1020 | 77500 |
Suspensions
| Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIII | Type 4 Heavy | 160 | 15 | B/2 | 40000 | 34000 | |
| IX | Type 4 Heavy Kai | 170 | 17 | B/2 | 40000 | 68000 |
Radios
| Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VI | Type 96 Mk. 4 Bo | 425 | 50 | 14000 | |
| VIII | Type 3 Otsu | 550 | 240 | 22000 | |
| X | Type 3 Ko | 750 | 560 | 54000 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Monstrous thickness on its armor for tier 9 with lack of weakspots that can bounce even tier 10 standard rounds
- Highest alpha damage out of all heavy tanks at tier 9 at 600 with its 14 cm, or whopping 680 with its 15.2 cm
- 14 cm gun has rather decent penetration and good overmatching capabilities
- 15.2 cm HESH shells can deal monstrous damage when they penetrate (900)
- Third highest HP in its tier (2050)
- Excellent gun depression (-10)
- Thick tracks that counts as thick armor can absorb shots effectively
- Tall height makes it easy to shoot over other tanks and covers
- 3rd heaviest tank in the game; can easily push other tanks, wrecks and takes very little damage from ramming
Cons:
- Very poor mobility, struggles to reach even its already low top speed
- One of the biggest tanks in the game with extremely poor camo values; priority target to SPG
- Poor rate of fire, aim time, accuracy and DPM on both guns
- 14 cm gun suffers from very high penetration dropoff over distance
- 15.2 cm gun lacks premium shells with high penetration, making it very unreliable against enemy armor. Its HESH shells are also extremely expensive
- 15.2 cm gun has limited gun depression over the front (-6.5 degrees)
- 2050 HP, while still high, is actually relatively low amount of health for such a huge tank. Mäuschen, for comparison, has 250 more health (2300 vs 2050)
- Hull cheeks become weakspots when not angled correctly
- Ammo rack is huge and easily damaged from both hull sides and hull cheeks
- While strong, the cupola is very large and easy to hit
- Flat armor makes it very vulnerable to tier 10 and many tier 9 gold rounds and TDs in same and higher tiers; the armor is completely useless against certain targets
- Rather mediocre turret armor that can even be penetrated with standard ammunition with some luck, and is completely worthless against premium ammo
- Long and dreadful stock grind; over 120 000 XP needed for the 14 cm gun, and in order to mount it with any equipment, additional XP is needed.
- Crew goes from 2 Radio Operators to 2 Loaders, requiring a new crew member.
Performance
The Type 4 is a significant stepup from the absolutely terrible O-Ho. Because of this, the tank can feel amazing at first - it has much more menacing guns, and its completely free of the awful gun depression issues. However, the joy can quickly fade away, as the Type 4 has dreadful stock grind. While it is significantly better than the O-Ho, this doesn't mean much as the O-Ho is that awful - the Type 4 is still considered to be one of the worst heavies in its tier.
The Type 4 boasts incredible armor and alpha damage that is the highest out of all tier 9 heavies for it's tier. It has several gun options, the 12.7 cm, 15.2 cm and 14 cm. However, it's generally recommended to use the 14 cm; the 12.7 and 15.2 cm are both relatively poor, and should be avoided immediately once the 14 cm is unlocked.
When first acquired, it goes through a very painful and long stock grind. This is made worst with the 12.7cm cannon due to it's lackluster penetration, DPM and damage, as a result, the type 4 won't be of much effect in the battle and needs a constant load of premium rounds to be viable. The 15.2 cm gun has extremely good alpha damage with its newly added AP shells and can do some fun shenanigans with the HESH shells; however, it is very unwieldy and very expensive to run. While better than the stock 12.7 cm, it is still unable to deal with heavily armored opponents and has several flaws. The 15.2 cm gun is somewhat usable at tier 9, so it CAN be used for meme appeal, but it is still recommended to get the 14 cm, as its overall a more competitive choice.
Once the 14 cm cannon is unlocked, the Type 4 can hit some serious damage and pack a punch with it's huge damage and respectable penetration. However, the 14 cm gun still suffers from poor dispersion, long reload, aim time and relatively high shell dropoff over long distances, meaning that you need to fight enemies close to mid-range. The 14 cm cannon makes this tank relatively good at peek-a-booing and having allies is again must to make you less vulnerable during your reload. The Type 4 can in theory go hulldown with its 10 degrees of gun depression, but its relatively mediocre turret armor, huge size and terrible mobility makes this somewhat questionable.
Staying near cover is a must for the Type 4 Heavy considering its one of the biggest tanks in the game, making sure to not get hit by TDs, which often have enough penetration to go through the armor of Type, and artillery. Avoid going open areas as much as possible because this tank's camo value is laughably poor. Mobility is very poor as well, so you need to predict few minutes to ahead and have good map awareness to minimize chances to get left in behind.
Avoid sidescraping since hull cheeks are weak and has ammoracks located behind them. Instead, come out from corners by angling your hullfront and hiding hull cheek behind the corner. This is safest option since your lowerplate is as tough as front. And keep watch on the cupula since it's easily penetrated, especially with gold.
Never go alone, because Type 4 is big, slow and has long reload. Lastly, you can reverse sidescrape unlike your big brother, Type 5 Heavy, since Type 4 entire rear can be covered behind buildings, exposing only your side and turret.
Overall, the Type 4 Heavy can be slow and cumbersome, its gun can be very unwieldy, and its armor can be incredibly awkward to use at many situations. It is no wonder that it has one of the lowest winratios in its tier. However, its not completely useless - its amazing alpha damage, good HP pool allows it still to put in some work when positioned correctly, being able to trade shots better than any other heavy tank in its tier. Its playstyle prepares one for the Type 5 heavy.
Early Research
Top engine and top radio is carried over from earlier Japanese heavies, mount it immediately. After that, getting the upgraded tracks is HEAVILY recommended - the Type 4 still has the awful terrain resists with its stock tracks like it had when it was first released, giving it effectively some of the absolute worst mobility in the game. Next focus on getting the 14 cm gun ASAP.
Unfortunately, the 15.2 cm gun must be researched before the 14 cm. The 15.2 cm gun is now somewhat better thanks to the addition of the AP shells, which are actually fairly decent at tier 9. However, this gun has several flaws, and if you fire the HESH shells, it is very expensive to run. Sticking with the 15.2 cm, if one has a huge amount of credits to burn, is technically an option for meme purposes, as the gun is semi-playable unlike on the Type 5, but it is still recommended to get the 14 cm. Even if the 14 cm isn't used, it is still recommended to research it, so one isn't stuck with the 15.2 cm on the Type 5.
Finally get the much needed 14 cm gun. Keep in mind the 14 cm gun can be used with the stock tracks without any equipment's, but it's not advised to rush. Researching the 14 cm on the Type 4 Heavy also grants elite status and carries over to the Type 5 Heavy.
- In update 1.13, the 149.7mm derp gun was buffed marginally:
Dispersion from 0.52 -> 0.49, also got a new AP shell 14cm dispersion from 0.42 -> 0.40 The 149.7mm derp gun is still FAR worse than the 140mm, so it is more of an accuracy buff to the 14cm than anything.
Suggested Equipment
Gallery
Historical Info
The only source that directly references the Type 4/5 super-heavy tanks is some vague report from Soviet archives, referencing to cooling systems of Japanese vehicles. According to it, the Type 4 (referred as "Type 2604" in the report) had two 12 cylinder BMW marine engines with a rather complicated cooling system of three radiators per engine and one oil radiator, cooled by two central massive ventilators, powered by the drive train. The air was to be sucked in via massive grilles, positioned in the center over the engine compartment. The main advantage of the design was high protection of the engine from overheating. The document also mentions the Type 5 super-heavy tank (referred as "Type 2605"), a successor to the Type 4 with engine compartment lowered by 35% to save weight, possibly with some other improvements. The report also has a vague sketch of the Type 5, showcasing the suspension, which was similar to that of some German vehicles like the Panther and Tiger tanks, as well as the general shape of the tank, engine, it's cooling system and transmission, which was placed in the front, unlike the O-I, which had it's transmission in the back of the vehicle. In addition, the Type 4/5 seemingly lacked the multiple turrets the O-I had, going back to a single-turret design and in general resembling a huge, upscaled Chi-To or Chi-Ri. The Type 4/5 would've carried a very powerful armament, most presumably a 14 cm naval gun (14 cm/50 3rd year type), and in general was meant to be very large, around the same size or even bigger than the O-I and German Maus. Other details like weight, armor and mobility are completely unknown.
A massive turret with a 14 cm naval gun that bears a strong resemblance to the sketch of the Type 4 was used in a fortification(s) in Manchuria by Japan at end of the war. This turret is often speculated to be the turret of the Type 4. One of these fortifications was photographed by Red Army after the war, which were showcased in the same report with the information of the super-heavy tanks. There's a common belief of this image being photoshopped with World of Tanks in mind, but this picture actually could be found from internet before the game even existed. However, despite the strong resemblance to the turrets of the Japanese tanks, whether the turret was an actual tank turret or just a mere fortification turret is unknown.
According to now outdated sources that refers to the "2nd O-I variant", the "120 ton O-I" (or as known in World of Tanks, the O-Ho) was built in 1944 and shipped to Manchuria. In addition, the tank was stated to have "200 mm armor". While this information is now outdated and some of it come from the actual O-I, which for example had four turrets just like the "120 ton O-I" was stated to have, some of the information doesn't fit the description of the O-I at all. The O-I project was cancelled in 1943, never known to be shipped outside from Japan and even if it had all planned armor plates mounted, O-I's maximum armor was noticeably thinner than the stated 200 mm. Because of this, it is possible that this information actually refers to the possible Type 4 super-heavy tank, as the fortification turret, which is often speculated to belong to the Type 4, was found from Manchuria in late 1945, which would indeed imply that the turret belonged to the tank. However, it also could just be results of wrong information.
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 4 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 4 Heavy never even existed.
However, due to the very limited information, some parameters of the Type 4 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 4 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 4 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 4 turret is too short, while the rear section is too long. In addition, the in-game Type 4 turret lacks the elevated section at top of the turret, which is most presumably an armor plate.
- The Type 4 had neither the 12.7 cm or 15.2 cm guns it has in the game. While the exact gun model is unknown (most commonly assumed to be a 14 cm naval gun), neither the 12.7 cm or 15.2 cm guns have the matching shape to 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.
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 |
