Difference between revisions of "Maps"

Revision as of 14:29, 14 October 2016

World of Tanks games are played on gaming locations named maps. Maps vary in size, design, terrain, location, weather and land leveling. Each map offers different tactics to different tanks. Use these tactics to your advantage and you will master the battlefields. However, in the special section, most were only released for a limited time so tactics won't be included in those certain maps. Most of the others will have tactics, and these tactics, if used effectively, shall help you win games and get kills...

Although higher tier random games will see almost all maps in rotation, there are special cases, particularly for low tiers and other game modes. The Battle Mechanics article describes these in more detail.

Summer Maps

Abbey

A large abbey and town fill the centre of the map with three roads allowing passage from the north and south, and includes an elevated firing position in the abbey's courtyard at the highest point on the hill. West of the town is an elongated hill with several positions allowing fire down into the town. Further west and past the hill, a valley offers significant protection against artillery fire. East of the town lies a curved cliff road which affords shielding from most tank and artillery fire, but forces attackers to travel in a single path. The Abbey is a good control point for scouts and there will be some fast, harsh fighting there. The inland road is better for heavies while the lake road is better for everyone, especially TDs who have found cover and are doing good sniping work. You can attempt to cross the river and it can work if you are fast but I do not recommend it, as it is a route to a quick and easy death.

Cliff

Starting in the north and south, both teams are connected through a valley on the extreme west of the map. Large boulders offer cover south of the valley, and a small town provides cover to the north. The eastern portion of the map is elevated, with two large jutting hills providing cover from enemy fire. An overlooking position near the centre of the map allows tanks to fire into the valley from above. Plentiful cover throughout the area allow for multiple attack routes, with careful coordination and flanking playing a significant role. many light tanks rush up the lighthouse hill, this allows them to get a good spotting vantage points. Tank destroyers take the inland line mostly, and this is a bad place to be caught out in the open. heavies take the cliff road and can do some work there.

Ensk

A mixture of city outskirts and suburban areas with railroad tracks spanning and dividing this map. Plan your tactics to take advantage of defensive choke points and cover open areas with your vehicles. Artillery is great for deterring enemy breakthroughs, but remains almost defenseless when exposed to enemy vehicles attacking from cover.

Fiery Salient

The same as Prokhorovka but with a more war-torn appearance. Fighters fly overhead and there are sound effects for machine gun fire.The hill is a good place for heavies, and once it has been taken control of, a very good sniping position. Scouts end up having a standoff in the centre of the field, and there is a "magical bush" along the long road that many find effective for passive scouting. medium tanks and tank destroyers can do well on teh road, and if it is encounter, then beware the cap circle, only enter it if you knwo what you are doing.

Fisherman's Bay

The map is a combination of open spaces and irregular terrain. Meandering narrow streets of the seaport on the flank can be surprisingly advantageous. Sloping hills covered with bushes offer excellent ambush opportunities. this is a hard map, and can be quite boring too. A lot of light and fast medium tanks head into the central ridge of teh map and have a standoff, while some heavies head to the town and others head around to a small gully that runs along the edge of the map. Other mediums and especially TDs head here too, and they can do very well.

Fjords

Huge mountains and narrow valleys offer great advantages in a battle. You can engage in a fire duel across the gulf or enter a close quarter battle at the nearest port town or flank and capture enemy base. This is a tricky map to play, and there are two main combat zones. A huge hill in the north ends of being a vital strategic point, if you do not successfully protect or take this then you will lose, there is no question of it. The other main point of combat is down the other side of the map, where heavies slug it out for a while.

Ghost Town

This presidio located in the desert sands is an ideal setting for head-on heavy vehicle encounters, while the more maneuvrable vehicles can launch surprise attacks by flanking the enemy. This map stands out in being almost completely symmetrical and was designed for clan-wars. It is not available in random battles.

Highway

The diverse landscape of this map makes it peculiar and complex, and also encourages a wide range of tactics. Multiple defilades are favorable for surprise attacks, while the city blocks are advantageous for close combat.

Himmelsdorf

Literally translated as "sky village" from German, this labyrinth of streets and squares are a large hindrance for artillery and tank destroyers, but ideal for speedy breakthrough and bypass by medium and light vehicles. With the castle dominating the area, access roads running by the hill and along the railway lines to help you out of the impasse.

Karelia

Swamps, rocks, and cliffs determine major avenues of approach on this map. This map, with sparse protection and no buildings, gives the combat advantage to artillery. Concentrate your attacks along the path of your main advance, while conducting delaying and defensive actions along the rest of your front lines. This is a bit of a strange mapp, and can be hard to play, especially for begginers. There is one main peice of advice to give, however. Unless you are a fast scout and you know what you are doing, or it is late game and your team has secured the area, DO NOT cross the central swamp area. It is a death trap, particularly for slow-moving or low-tiered tanks.

Lakeville

An isolated mountain valley on one flank and city blocks on the other allow you to thrust close to the enemy. A large lake in the middle gives long-range weapons a clear field of fire. both sides do need to be secure, and I have seen many teams perish because they failed to leave tanks on either the town or the valley. The valley is usually a standoff towards the Southern team whereas the town is a standoff in the middle, around the church. The lakeside road can be a good flanking opportunity, but it is usually well protected and you run the risk of being sniped. This map is fun but can be challenging. If you know what yu are doing then you can have great games here.

Live Oaks

In the centre of the map there is a large bog lake. A railway bridge and a fording side on the one flank allow to defend the area using scarce forces, and to concentrate main forces on the other flank. This is a hard map, as victory depends on whether your team secured both flanks, or alternatively, secured one while holding off the enemy on the other. Which side to go on is entirely choice, and you see tanks of all kinds going into the city and the bridge. This is a good fun map, but it can be frustrating, especially if you are slow moving.

Malinovka

Initial staging areas are separated by a wide open field, ideal for artillery and defensive operations. Make use of flanking maneuvers and natural defenses like woods, hills, and farmhouses, as these can be decisive. Another option is a well-coordinated high-speed combined arms attack across the field which could bring victory, but at the risk of a bloody loss. Colloquially also known as "Campinovka" for the tendency of most players to just sit behind cover on their side of the starting field and snipe each other.

Mines

A flat hilltop in the center of this map provides an excellent firing position, but the short drive from either starting position makes climbing the hill a dangerous endeavor. Nestled in the canyon northeast of the hill is the small village of Pagorki; offering a tempting route with plenty of cover, but one that is exposed if the enemy controls the hill. West of the hill, surrounded by shallow water, is a small island which offers good cover while providing a large fire zone. While the island is protected from the hill, it is, for the most part, vulnerable to flanking attacks or fire from multiple angles. The island cover is solid, but not particularly large.

Mittengard

This map is only available for tier 1-2 tanks. It is absolutely wonderful, and is very fun to play on, especially if you are seal-clubbing. A warning however, it is absolutely CHAOS. because it is such a low tier map you have people running around all over the place doing lots of random and sometimes hilarious things. beware of staying on the hill too long, it is a deathtrap, and people will quickly snipe you.

Mountain Pass

A large map with many turns and rough ground. The bridge near the center features natural choke points on both sides, and provides a good sniping position against opponents in the north passes if held. There are small positions for artillery near the bases, though artillery may have difficulty due to the terrain. Heavies generally choose the side that has a more open view of the shallow lake, and not many people end up going down the other side, so it has some flanking opportunities. the bridge is an area to be wary of, not just because of other tanks, but because of the fact that it is so easy to kill yourself by accidentally driving off it.

Murovanka

A small town dominates the centre of the map, with a large forest providing concealment in the east and high ground to the west. The forest provides effective concealment, but lacks cover from fire; whereas the town has plentiful cover, but lacks concealment. Murovanka is a hard map to play, and quite unpredictable. If it is Encounter, then there will be chaos around teh capture circle, but otherwise the fighting is even on both sides. In a lower team game I have seen successful flanking maneuvers by fast scouts, who can cause chaos at the back.

Overlord

New map as of patch 9.7. Appears to be limited to tiers 7-10. A relatively flat beachhead leads up to fields surrounded by hedgerows. Teams start up by the hedgerows, so the beach is only a corridor for flanking.

Prokhorovka

Generally open, but hilly, terrain around a vital railroad, with groups of trees providing shelter for tank destroyers. On the offensive, watch your own flanks while striking against the enemy flanks. Artillery has free reign, with the only real hindrance being the train cars themselves, but the open terrain makes them very vulnerable to raids by light vehicles. See "fiery Salient" for strategy.

Redshire

A rolling area, dominated by a couple of hills. The village of Redshire gives places to hide from hill to its northeast. Artillery will play a powerful role on this map. At the beginning of the game, many light tanks will rush the central capture circle (in encounter). This should be stopped as soon as possible, as it can create some serious problems later. Many mediums and some heavies head to the castle, this can be a crucial control point but generally ends up as a stalemate. the other side of the map is generally dominated by heavies, and is also crucial. This map is quite hard to play, but it can be very fun.

Ruinberg

Concentric city streets, along with dense forests and bushes in the overgrown park allow for hidden maneuvers and redeployment of your troops. Although artillery fire is of limited use in the city, the debris provides effective cover for your troops. many lights and mediums head to the tiny town on the main road, this is generally a standoff until the late-game. Heavies of course go to battle in the city, and this is teh deciding factor of the battle. if you ca get some tanks around the back side of the church then you can create alot of chaos.

Serene Coast

This coastal area is bounded by ocean and mountains. A railroad crosses the territory from north to south. Small hills on the western flank are favorable for a swift attack. A straight road connecting the bases passes through a small town, which often becomes a contested piece of terrain. There is also a low ground beside the town, witch could use for flanking the west and the middle. The bases are protected by the hills from direct attacks. However, the flanks of the bases are insecure and must be protected.

Siegfried Line

A wonderful map combining the best of both worlds. The west side is open fields with little cover, excellent for quick flanks around the side for those looking for an early victory. To the east, the town offers concealment and cover for those brave enough to enter its confines. Most of the fighting will happen in the town. Unless you are a light tank or know you are not going to be spotted DO NOT go out into the central field. Also, DO NOT go down the strip behind the city, there will be death on swift wings waiting for you there. Successful manouvres have been made over the hills on the north of teh map, and these can be very game-changing if successful. Overall, this is a fun map that if you play well you can really play well.

Stalingrad

Urban map on which is possible to use various tactics.

Steppes

A seemingly endless open expanse of fields and hills, scattered through this farmland-esque map. Open fields, varying ditches, and small hills and rises litter this map, allowing for some prime spots to lay ambushes. Long, open fields are great for those who prefer long-distance combat, with little cover available to your target. Just remember; This works both ways. This map generally ends with one team taking one flank, and one taking the other. It is important that both are taken. No matter how tempting it is, DO NOT go down the central road until the late game, it is guaranteed suicide.

Swamp

Flank routes offer great opportunities for surprise attacks and diversionary operations. A mire in the centre is not only an obstacle, but also an important tactical location. There is a large rock formation to the North of the map, which creates opportunities for fast medium tank combat. Tank destroyers either follow the mediums or he heavies, or they camp around the swamp, waiting for faster tanks that either attempt to cross the swamp or try to flank around the northern rock formation. Spg's can generally be found along the beaches of the boardwalks. Heavy tanks generally head into the small town in the south. Unless it is late game or very early, DO NOT cross the central swamp, you will die.

Tundra

A mountain in the east offers the possibility of dominating from the high ground, while the central part of the map offers a wide range of tactical advantages. The village in the west could offer some linear combat for heavy tanks. Heavy tanks generally end up around a large rocky hill to the west, fighting along a gully there. The bridge in the middle can be good place for lightning maneuvers into the enemy base, but these should be done with caution. The other main point of conflict is the hill in the East, where many tanks go and fight around a couple of small rocks. This can be a very dangerous place for people who are not aware of what is going on around them. The map has many, many sniping positions that can be used well, and Spgs generally hang out at the back. This is a very good and fun map, but it can be challenging too.

Westfield

A wonderfully lush area, Westfield features forests, fields, farmland, and multiple villages throughout the map. Included is a large war-damaged bridge crossing the eastern valley. Plentiful ridges give ambush positions along nearly every route, and large fields can leave a tank vulnerable when moving between positions. it is not reccomended to go down the central valley unless you are a scout or it is the very late game, as it is a pretty useless area. Heavy tanks, Strong Mediums and some Tank Destroyers en up fighting on the hills next to the small town. Fast mediums and Fast Tank Destroyers can have a good game by going over to the other side of the valley, although they amy need scouts over here to perform well.

Widepark

This map depicts an industrial city devastated by war. A railway embankment divides the map in two, making it possible to concentrate forces for an attack or counterattack. the railway lines at one end of the map tend to have a lot of camping TDs, exercise caution when taking tis route. A lot of heavy tank conflicts happen at the railway bridge at the other end, this usually takes the form of a stalemate until someone has the courage to push forwards. The railway line at the centre of the map is a very long standoff, occasionally tanks poke over the top and try to hit something, unless the enemy team is distracted or fairly incompetent then this is a bad strategy. This is a very bad map for Spgs, as there are a lot of buildings in the way of shots.

Winter Maps

Arctic Region

A large ice-and-snow covered area stretches through this map. Steep hills, rock encampments, twists and turns, and plenty of places to stay and wait will have you on your toes as you battle through this icy deathtrap. Ridge, hills, and lots of rocky outcrops give you many places to hide and ambush your enemy as they come about. Turns and twists could have you stuck if your not on your toes, so watch out.

Erlenberg

A large river splits this map in half, with three bridges acting as choke points between the halves. A small town surrounds the center bridge, while the north and south bridges have fewer buildings providing cover. A large castle overlooks the west half of the map on a large hilltop, offering cover and supporting fire positions. Hills overlook the city in the east, with sufficient vegetation to provide some concealment for tanks.

Kharkov

A historical map of the former Soviet city 'Kharkov' (now 'Kharkiv').

Sacred Valley

Frosty peaks and muted hues bring the landscape to life, wide roads and low buildings will not afford you cover for very long during the pitched battles fated to transpire here! The map was significantly changed in patch 9.14

Windstorm

Winter Himmelsdorf

This map is completely identical to Himmelsdorf but has a snowy environment.

Winterberg

This map is completely identical to Ruinberg, but with snow-covered terrain.

Desert Maps

Airfield

This map offers many great ambush spots, as well as possibilities for maneuvers and breakthroughs. A large airfield in the upper part of the map and a rocky highland in the center offer a major tactical challenge. Occupy the highland to get a perfect view of the surrounding terrain and dominate routes to the enemy base.

El Halluf

A large valley filled with rocks, vegetation, and a small village surrounding a dried out river bed separate the two teams. The large hills on either side of the valley offer many firing positions, and very little cover in the valley will protect a large tank completely against all positions. Regardless of approach, attackers will face a long climb into the enemy's camp, and effective use of the cover en route is essential. The northern approach offers plentiful protection to attack either hill, but the southern approach makes up for lack of protection with shorter distances and better concealment.

Sand River

A mostly open map offering little concealment, but providing plentiful cover due to the large number of sand dunes. Three small villages provide temporary cover at best, but are easily destroyed, so they must be used cautiously. Each flag is well protected with a ridge offering defenders cover, concealment, and excellent firing positions. Plentiful cover allows an excellent arena for run and gun tactics while offering many routes for tanks to engage the enemy and make use of their mobility.

Special

2015 New Year

Due to the popularity of the last 8-bit game mode WoT had, Wargaming made another game mode called "Winter Showdown" on January 26 which included 3 new tanks, mega platoons of 5, and this map. It has the same properties as the last one, but has a winter look to it. However, this game mode was removed on Febuary 9,2015.

Crater

For the 2016 April Fools game mode, a game type called Moon Mayhem was released. This allowed players to use the IS 8-Ball tank to do battle on the face of the Moon. The map consisted of craters and explosive barrels with six lava pits to drown in on each corner and right and left sides of the map. During the match random events would occur such as a "Meteor shower" that if caught in could kill a tank instantly. Other events would be a "Bounce" event hurling players into the air and a "Impulse" that sent players flying in a random direction.

Himmelsdorf Championship

It's the same as Himmeldorf but with one major difference. As the 2014 FIFA World Cup arrived, Wargaming created a giant soccer/football field in the middle of Himmeldorf optimized for a limited time game mode called "Football" which included the T-62A Sport. They removed this mode at July 15, 2014 and as of patch 9.9 it hasn't been added back.

Karl

This was a map where Wargaming had an experiment with 8-bit graphics. As the name vaguely suggests, the tank used was the Karl, a German tier 1 SPG. The blocks around you were all destroyable and traversed in the game mode that was optimized for this map. This map as well as the game mode was removed at April 7, 2014.

Tank Racing

It wasn't exactly what players wanted, but nevertheless Wargaming delivered. This map was modified from Port which was removed in patch 8.11, but had a race track that Chaffee Sports would race on the game mode "Tank Rally". The missions associated with this game mode were removed October 13, 2014 but, the mode itself wasn't removed until November 6 of the same year and Port is still missing.

Training ground

This was the first map you have been on as this was the tutorial where everything started. You were given an T-34 85 (ASIA server seems to use Panther and NA servers use the M4A3E8 Sherman) and learned the basics of the game. Also it looks a lot like swamp.

Removed Maps

Dragon Ridge

Removed from game in patch 8.4

Hidden Village

Hidden Village was removed from Random Battle Mode in Patch 9.10.

Komarin

A more or less unique map in that the teams do not start near the flags, Komarin offers multiple tactical options. The teams start in the north and south, divided by rivers offering three routes. The rivers itself are mostly impassable. The middle bridge is also only accessible once a heavy tank clears the obstacles by driving over them or if someone clears them with HE ammo. The center route is a large, elevated, and wooded island connected by bridge to the south, and offers firing positions to nearly the entire map, but at the cost of being exposed if spotted. A small village on both the west and east side of the map offer attackers valuable cover en route to the flag, but leave any tank passing the village exposed to covered and concealed defenders once they leave the village. This map was removed from game in patch 9.8 for the second time since it's creation.

Northwest

Northwest was removed in Patch 9.7, due to an imbalance that favored the north team.

Pearl River

Rugged terrain is favorable for various battle tactics; ambushes, unexpected flanking maneuvers, and close encounters. Moving along the riverbed allows you to swiftly approach the enemy base and get into action. Go through the middle will let you the possibility to flank the north and south. However, do not leave your rear undefended! This map was removed from Random Battle Mode in Patch 9.10.

Port

The setting is an industrial area of a port city. Teams begin the battle surrounded by factory buildings, warehouses, and docks. An open space in the center of the map consists of a hilly, open area and railroad tracks. Train cars can provide cover during combat. The most direct route to the enemy base is along the two highway bridges above the railway tracks. Common tactics on this map might include ambush and firing from defilade positions. Surprise attacks to the enemy's rear can break a deadlock. This map was completely removed in patch 8.11.

Province

Hills on the periphery of the map are covered with numerous houses and winding streets advantageous for surprise attacks. An open area between the bases is favorable for daring strikes. Except for clan wars, this map is only available to tiers 3 and below. This map was removed from Random Battle Mode in Patch 9.10.

Ruinberg on fire

This map is completely identical to Ruinberg but has improved graphics. It is no longer available in the game since patch 9.5 as it has been replaced by Winterberg.

Severogorsk

The mountain trails on the sides allow snipers to lay waste to enemies in the town below. Only after campers from given side have been pushed back the offensive through the town can truly progress. This map was removed from the game in patch 9.5.

South Coast

On this rugged-terrain map, make use of various battlefield tactics: flank or ambush the enemy, or attack straight ahead. Also use numerous hollows between the rocks for a busting attack with concentrated forces. This map was removed from game in patch 9.12.

Upcoming Maps?

These maps are currently either in development or live on the test server. Details can often change.

Berlin: The capital of Germany being assaulted by Soviet Russia.

Berlin Minimap (WIP)

Studyanka: Seems to be in the middle of Poland.

Studyanka Minimap (WIP)

Unconfirmed, but part of the game files
Asia great wall