KV-5

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Relatively mobile, although heavily armoured.
• More hit points than other tanks of the same tier (1600HP, same as the British Caernarvon)
• Large mass and heavy weight makes it good for ramming
• High DPM compared to other tier 8 premium tanks, now has the new Zis-6D gun with slightly lower DPM but far higher penetratio
• Special matchmaking (as of 2.8)(+1/-1 MM) that makes tier 9 the highest it will face. (Unless fail platoon with a tier IX)

Cons:

• Armour is from sheer thickness rather than geometry and sloping (unlike the IS series)
• Slow turret traverse
• Low hull traverse
• Very low penetration for its tier(Zis-6M gun), Zis-6D gun trades rate of fire for higher penetration
• Very large silhouette

Performance

Despite its enormous weight, the tank is able to reach a good speed for a heavy tank. This makes the KV-5 an excellent ramming tank. The 107 mm gun ZIS-6M gun is effective, although the penetration is poor for its tier. The use of APCR ammunition is recommended. Its high rate of fire and fairly quick aim time can make the KV-5 a stark contrast to other KV-series tanks that players encounter. In addition, the shells are cheaper than those of its counterparts.

If possible, try to remain at medium to long distances from the enemy. The greater the distance, the more difficult for the enemy to penetrate your armor. The low turret traverse means you will have a hard time bringing your gun to bear at close ranges. However, if you get surprised by an enemy who's already close to you, don't stop. Ram. Stick close to your allies. Since the enemies would be aiming for your weaker allies, you could already possibly get the enemy before they can even get a shot on you. Cover your vulnerabilities, especially the two small turrets on the front of your hull, and also the commander's cupola. Versus tanks of the same tier or higher, the side armor is penetrable. Try to angle your tank towards the enemy. Stopping for a long time is fatal. You should move back and forth all the time to make it harder for the enemy to take aim.

When enemies do get within short range, the KV-5 is perfect for ramming due to its heavy weight and excellent maximum speed. For example, going downhill at full speed, the KV-5 can easily destroy tier 7 medium tanks, using a combination of "shoot, charge, ram, then a second (kill) shot." Ramming heavy tanks may not be as beneficial, but is often part of any short-range attack.

Do not attempt to face-hug tanks with high turret armour (like the T34 and E75), as the KV-5's gun depression is lacking due to the obstruction of the 2 cupolas at the front. The T34 will be impenetrable if face-hugging you, but stick close to the T34 and move around a bit from side to side so as to prevent the T34 from penning your cupola. If he chooses to use premium ammo...

Due to the weak armor penetration of the 107mm ZIS-6M, it is advised to know the weak spots of the enemy tanks you are facing (Lower glacis and cupolas are usually the most reliable and obvious weak spots). The high profile of the KV-5 allows you to shoot over low-profile tanks, such as the IS-3, or to shoot into their turret roofs (IS-3 has a very weak 20mm turret roof, and IS-6 has weak hatches which ypu can hit. Use this to support allies by firing over them. However the KV-5 now has a new gun (Zis-6D) which has a 3 second reload difference (11 second reload) while having APCR from its previous gun as its standard ammo! Having this gun turns the KV-5 from a support tank to a spearhead. The the Zis-6D's premium shells can go through the lower plates of the E 75/VK 45.02B with ease if those weaknesses are facing straight at your gun. Use HEAT wisely as you DO NOT want to waste shots with HEAT as you will lose 10s of 1000s of credits by doing so.

There are large weak spots on the hull and turret. So, limit your enemies' access to them, if you are in a city, sidescraping can work well. Sometimes, depending who is firing at you, driving around backwards actually can work, because the maxiumum rear armor of the KV-5 is 20mm more than the Löwe has at the front! So, driving around backwards will not allow shots into your weakspots, but the controls are counter intuitive and only seasoned players should try this, as it is very hard to do well. Do be careful, though, as the upper half of the rear is 90mm flat plate, and is easily penetrated.