Random Battle is selected by default when you click the battle button at the top of the screen, the matchmaking system will put together two teams of 15 randoms players each and randomly select a map to play on. The teams will consist of tanks of various types which are typically within up to 4 vehicle tiers of each other (a few dedicated scout tanks are the exception). Each tank has their role to play, regardless of type or tier. Because every team composition will be different, the key to victory lies in recognizing the team's relative strengths and weaknesses on the specific map against the specific enemy team, and using the advantages you have. Because teams are composed of random players (except those you platoon with), communication and team coordination can be an issue. The team with the better team work typically wins.

Random battles earn credits and experience based on how well you perform in battle. See here for details. Losses and Draws are the same as far as earnings while winning adds 50% to the total earnings for experience points and 85% to credits. Note, the cost of repairs goes up as you advance in tiers. On average you can count on losing money some of the time (destroyed tank, battle lost) starting at tier 7 for non premium accounts, or tier 8 for premium accounts. The tier 8 premium tanks will only rarely lose money, even on a non premium account. Once at the higher tiers it is best to keep some lower tier tanks, tier 5 or 6, to earn credits to keep your high tier tanks operational.

Newcomer Battle

Also called the sandbox, new players (tier 1 and 2 tanks) are limited to a certain subset of maps to assist them in familiarizing themselves with World of Tanks.

Platoons

Any player may form a platoon of up to 3 players. Being part of a platoon allows those players to be placed on the same team when the platoon is placed in a battle. Platoons are identified by a shield with a number icon on the team-list, and your platoon members are highlighted with a different color in game to help you find them in the heat of battle.

Counting In

Groups of players using an external voice communications program, TeamSpeak, Mumble or the like, can attempt to get in together on the same battle by all hitting battle at the same time. It takes a good sense of timing and familiarity with the matchmaking system to be successful. You will note this usage in battle when you see 3 or 4 platoons from the same clan in the same match. The individuals and platoons joining battle in this manner have an equal chance of being on the same team or the opposing team.

In this game mode there are two bases. You must either eliminate the opposing team or capture their base within 15 minutes to be victorious.

Currently this mode has the widest map range available to Random Battles.

• Airfield - Tends to be a close battle.
• El Halluf - Regarded by many players as a bad map. Encourages a campfest.
• Erlenberg - Due to the many flanking routes this map requires a lot of coordination and strategy.
• Fisherman's Bay - Tends to lean toward the team who can win the town.
• Karelia - Tends to lean toward the team who can win the southeast portion of the map.
• Malinovka - Hated by many players due to being bad in all gamemodes. Encourages a campfest in every gamemode and tends to be biased towards the team who wins the hill.
• Murovanka - Tends to be biased towards the southern team.
• Prokhorovka - Hated by many players due to once having an assault mode on it.
• Redshire - Encourages a campfest for the north side, making it easier for the south side to have strength in numbers.
• Sand River - Team who wins the north tends to win.
• South Coast - Overlooked by many, the beach contains many flanking routes. If the beach is won, that team will probably win.
• Steppes - Hated by many players for being good for no tank in particular.
• Westfield - Awkward map that can be played in many ways.
• Himmelsdorf - Regarded by players as a fun map.
• Abbey - Winning team takes one of the flanking routes.
• Arctic Region - Tends to be slightly biased towards the north, but not by much.
• Cliff - Known as the 'Map of Unbiasedness'.
• Ensk - Due to being both open and closed, it offers a variety of gameplay.
• Fjords - Like Ensk, it offers a variety of gameplay.
• Lakeville - Valley push is often considered poor strategy; winning team always wins the town.
• Live Oaks - Awkward little map which can sway either way.
• Highway - Almost impossible for the south to win unless the take the north.
• Mines - Tends to favor the team who takes the islands, as they offer a direct route to the enemy base.
• Mountain Pass - Many routes offer many flanking possibilities.
• Pearl River -Winning team must win the north.
• Port - Almost impossible for the south to win.
• Province - Campfest.
• Ruinberg - Winning team usually wins both fronts.
• Sacred Valley - Map that offers the most variety.
• Siegfried Line - Winning team tends to win the central town.
• Tundra - Great terrain features, heavies to the west, mediums to the east.
• Widepark - Map that offers much variety.

In this game mode the one base on the map belongs to the defending team. The attacking team has no base at all and its mission is to either capture the enemy team's base or to destroy their tanks. The battle time limit is reduced to 10 minutes for this game mode.

Currently limited to the following maps:

• Erlenberg - Along with Sand River is a balanced Assault map.
• Karelia - Can sway either way, but is always a sweep for the winning team.
• Sand River - Along with Erlenberg is a balanced Assault map.
• Siegfried Line - Tends to be biased towards the defenders.

In this game mode there is one base, under neither teams control at the start, and the teams spawn at opposing sides of the map from it. The goal is to either capture the base or destroy all enemy tanks. When tanks of both teams are in the base capture circle, no capture takes place. As usual, the capture bar can also be reset by damaging the vehicles in the capture circle.

Currently limited to the following maps:

• El Halluf
• Ensk
• Erlenberg (added in Patch 0.8.9)
• Himmelsdorf
• Lakeville
• Malinovka
• Mines
• Murovanka
• Prokhorovka
• Redshire
• Ruinberg
• Sacred Valley
• Sand River
• Siegfried Line
• Steppes

In this mode, you can make your own room and select the map you wish to play. Then, decide if you want the game to be open to the public, or use the "invite" feature to play only with friends. After the player has responded and joined, drag their name to the appropriate team and start your Battle. Many players use this mode for experiments with various tank mechanics, learning new maps, strategic planning and movement, and the teaching of those new to the game in 1 vs 1 matches. You will not gain any experience points or credits in this mode and your vehicle repairs are free, but you will still need to pay for expended shells and equipment (consumables used).

In this battle version, players can form their own team by inviting friends or allowing random players to join their company. Team rosters are built using a point system. After forming your team, it will be placed into the Tank Companies Matchmaker. This matchmaker is similar to the 'Random Battle' matchmaker, however, the algorithm used needs at least 4 teams formed to function properly. It is impossible for the matchmaker to create a battle without at least 4 tank companies being ready. Players in a tank company are able to communicate with their teammates using the game's voice chat feature. Each team in a Tank Companies Battle will receive credits and experience in accordance with damage dealt, etc. The winning team, however, will receive a percentage of the losing team's credits and experience, causing the losing team to gain less experience and credits than they would normally expect.

Companies are available in 4 divisions. Junior, Medium , Champion and Absolute.

The "total tier level" indicates the minimum and maximum sum of tiers of all the tanks in the company.

Junior Tank Company

Total tier level : minimum 20 pts - maximum 40 pts
Artillery level : 2-4
Tank destroyer level : 2-4
Light tank level : 1-3
Medium tank level : 2-4
Heavy tank level : 4

Medium Tank Company

Total tier level : minimum 40 pts - maximum 60 pts
Artillery level : 2-6
Tank destroyer level : 2-6
Light tank level : 1-4
Medium tank level : 2-6
Heavy tank level : 4-6

Champion Tank Company

Total tier level : minimum 60 pts - maximum 90 pts
Artillery level : 2-8
Tank destroyer level : 2-8
Light tank level : 1-8
Medium tank level : 2-8
Heavy tank level : 4-8

Absolute Tank Company

Total tier level : minimum 90 pts - maximum 150 pts
Artillery level : 2-10
Tank destroyer level : 2-10
Light tank level : 1-10
Medium tank level : 1-10
Heavy tank level : 4-10

Tank company comparsion table

Clan Wars is the browser-based, multiplayer, military and geopolitical component of World of Tanks. The Global Map is Clan Wars' theater of operations, divided into provinces currently limited to Europe, The Middle East, Northern and Western Africa. The gameplay of this mode is based on the strategic struggle between clans for ownership of provinces on the Global Map. In this game mode armored forces of different clans are represented by chips. The number of a clan’s chips is equal to the number of players in the clan that have played at least one battle in any vehicle of Tier V or higher. Such players provide one chip to the clan no matter how many vehicles of Tier V and up they have played. Every clan possesses one headquarters. Headquarters can be relocated from one province to another and is used to dispatch clan’s chips from reserve to Global Map. Commanders and Deputy Commanders manage chips distribution on Global Map. Other clan members can observe the location and movement of their clan’s forces and headquarters. Once a battle is placed, fifteen minutes before the battle starts, the normally grayed out special battles at the top of the screen will become active, from there you wait in a lobby that is similar to the company battle's lobby until the battle starts. Once the battle has ended, all Clan members are notified in the announcements section at the bottom right of the game whether they lost or have won the battle.

For further details see the wiki's guide here and the official guide here.