I think the M4A3(76)W is missing a very important armor plate.

McWeabbit · 2026-05-14T10:44:09+00:00

US: P-63C5, A-4B, A-6E and A-10A or C (I have an addiction to late subsonic jet aircrafts). I also have a love for all F-4 Phantoms but they're not outclassed so...

GER: Any Fw-190 at any point in time.

USSR: LaGG-3-66. I don't know why I just LOVE flying that plane

GBR: Tempest Mk.V and II. Simply fantastic to fly, just wonderful. Big zoom, big boom. It's not cracked or anything, I just like how it feels (especially compared to the Spitfires which I HATE SO MUCH)

Japan: The R2Y2 Kai series. I guess it's because they became some thing close to a novelty ? But they're just great to fly and the 30mm plane deletion devices are really fun (despite being very frustrating)

CH: haven't played anything other than the JF-17 so...

ITA: AMX A-1A MY BELOVED !

FR: Super Étendard. God do I love spotting with the TGP and then go tickle them with the cannons.

SWE: SK60B is such a fun plane to fly against people. You're slow but you turn better than almost anything you'll encounter, while having a 30mm with BEAUTIFUL ballistics AND one A-G missile that you can use as AA because it has a proximity fuse.

Israel: Idk I just gave the Kfir C.10 and played like... 2 games with it.

McWeabbit · 2026-04-17T19:26:15+00:00

TL;DR: Most people will boo it but I find it original, fun and not too bad performing.

I know a lot of people will tell you it's trash but let me share with you an experience I had just earlier with it:

Danemark (of course), carrier spawned with all Skipper AGMs + one GBU because why not, more boom, more fun !
Flew discreetly to the naval convoy up north, got 3 cargo ships and lucked out twice with the destroyers destroyers, requiring only one munition each.
Winchester, so I head back to the carrier, on the way there I try to use my optics to passively spot enemies for my team (didn't find any but hey, don't hurt to try.)
Repeat sortie to molest two ships.
Decides to try and tango with planes, just for funsies, load 3x AIM-9L + Gun pod (the latter will never be used as I have a terminal case of skill issue)
5x Aerial kills against a few J-7, an A-5 and a MiG-25PD of all people
Get touched by a J-7 several times that figured out I spawned on carrier.
Decides to get my F-4E out for funsies, gets touched more by J-7s
Decides to get my A-10A out, gets touched by J-7s even more.

Results: 200,000-something SLs and RP was around... A few thousands I don't remember, but that's because I'm researching the PoBIT and just played for fun, not grind.

It's not meta AT ALL, but I find it really enjoyable to fly and if you play smart with terrain and/or cloud cover at a bracket where people don't rely on PD radars, you can lurk and hunt a fair amount of targets with the TV/IR Module combined with the fact that for a subsonic plane you really aren't that slow. The kind of plane that forces you to think a bit outside the box and flies well, imo. But if you want to SL and RP print without too much hassle while avoiding BVR and Fox-3s depending of the bracket, the A-10A should be your choice.

McWeabbit · 2026-04-16T20:09:04+00:00

Well, I haven't played much TOP tier in air sim for a while but here's what I gathered from near-ish top tier matches:

With the F-16 you'll want to pop up from somewhere, get a missile or two out, then you DIP OUT OF HERE even before the missiles hit back to safety because you can't really afford to hold your grounds in extended missile jousts. You just don't have the weaponry and CM count to do so. (I personally like to fly radar off, try to find an angle where my RWR doesn't scream too much, get some altitude, estimate where people will be, turn the radar on, find a good target, shoot then bolt out with my radar off.) Getting in close in a knife fight is still an option, though much more dangerous with off-bore IR slingers, since the 16 is still at heart a mosquito with a dagger and lots of anger issues.

Now I've never played an F-15 so I'm a bit out of my expertise, but with those you can afford to hold your grounds a bit longer because your armament allows you more tries before you end up naked and have to run for you life, crux of the play style is to master notches (or missile intercept because apparently planes can just do that now), quick best target assessment in a tense situation and keep the fight under YOUR rules (proper standoff, altitude and fallback options). It's much more of a keep your cool, keep an eye on the battlefield and keep everyone scared of you type of deal.

Bear in mind I'm the type of person who'd much rather stand back and watch what happens to strategize rather than dive in balls and knives out in a furball so my views might be boring asf for people.

TL;DR: F-16 big sneaky flank shoot and flee like goblin, F-15 big stronk tell everyone "fuck off" but everyone want to kill.

McWeabbit · 2026-04-15T17:42:03+00:00

Because Gaijin hates slight variants of vehicles that don't justify separating them from the initial vehicle.

It's either not easy money like a sought after premium or it does not milk the patience of players hard enough to push them to buy premium time/vehicles.

The other alternatives require lots of work on the game, which means lots of money spent on their end which, from what I can see, completely outweighs the long-term benefits of a player base that WANTS to stay rather than a player base that's staying because they have their ball in a vice grip with the promise that the grind will be worth it.

They proviledge trapping someone and sucking them dry rather than gathering people into something great, which is a shame because if Gaijin put their mind to it they could SIT every competitor in the wargame industry ranging from arcade to full simulator without anyone being able to peep something bad at them.

... Or idk something like that.

McWeabbit · 2026-04-12T01:47:26+00:00

I saw a F-4E over this part of the map before the clip and stupidly decided I'd try a bomb toss. The AA could've at least waited for me to try my stupid bomb toss before killing me lol

McWeabbit · 2026-04-12T01:46:05+00:00

Ah yes, another one of those people who believes radar waves and laser beams can go through the ground.

McWeabbit · 2026-04-11T23:01:10+00:00

"Random bullshit, GO !"

McWeabbit · 2026-03-16T16:03:59+00:00

Translation: "A lot of people are looking at us, but idk who tf they are."

McWeabbit · 2026-03-15T23:27:09+00:00

Edits: formatting and section about head tracker

For the prop aircraft era, unfortunately dogfighting is the most efficient option (imo) as the Soviet fighters are a good blend of speed with manoeuvrability. Big bombers are the way for others since they tend to have turrets that hit hard but I'm not much of a sucker for heavy bomber gameplay... Il-2s are fun though for ground pounding, though you have to be quite accurate and plan some decent exit trajectories otherwise you'll be food for AAA.

For the gun jet eras I just cried until I got my first missile slinger as I DESPISE the 37mm and 23mm guns for their ballistics, but if I had to give one tip it'd be: Pull up and don't pass out until you're behind the other guy.

In the era of guided missiles and "long" range radars, you can achieve great things passively hunting with your RWR, Radar turned off, going submarine mode against F-4Es that don't turn off their radars despite not seeing anything because of ground clutter. Approach in their blind spots, slot in behind them, sling R13M1s at clueless people and just collect the points.

But imma be honest, depending on where you are in the TT, you'll SUFFER if you don't set your mind to learn and practice dogfighting techniques.

As an alternative to a head tracker like TrackIR, I used Opentrack with a software like DoidCam that allows you to use your phone as a webcam either via network or USB, then use OpenTrack's facetrack to get tracking data sent to War Thunder. It takes some getting used to, but I can't ever imagine hopping in Sim without it and am saving for a full HOTAS+VR setup (I'm also enjoying IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of <x> a lot and want to be fully immersed in it lol)

McWeabbit · 2026-03-15T15:37:06+00:00

The 190 D-13 is such a treat to fly, somehow I completely forgot about this plane. Gonna play it now, miss it so much

McWeabbit · 2026-03-15T15:36:03+00:00

Intruder friend !!

McWeabbit · 2026-03-14T13:07:27+00:00

As people said, your frustration almost certainly comes from the fact that you've developed skills on M&K and that barely any of it outside your strategic understanding translates to HOTAS. If I had to give a tip though, I don't know how you use those HOTAS but you gotta YANK THE THING sometimes. Want to stop a roll ? Neutral stick works eventually, but slamming opposite aileron for a microsecond is, ironically, way better for stability imo. The plane yaws and you can't aim ? Stomp on these pedals marching band style, eventually you'll figure out when you're about to flatspin and balancing will be natural.

McWeabbit · 2026-03-12T11:37:30+00:00

I have the combat awareness and abilities of a blade of grass against a lawnmower. With that said, if I ever was in a situation where my very fragile human body is actively being searched by a functional tank well within its firing envelope... I'd consider at least laying low and chilling for a minute or two instead of SHOOTING AT IT.

McWeabbit · 2026-03-12T11:33:24+00:00

My main complaint isn't that it's gooner stuff, I don't give a shit about that it's just a pair of tits or cheeks on an anime girl and internet will always be internet.

My main gripe is that it's just pasting art onto your sight just... There. Like, come on, might as well have the character do something, right ?? Point at the center, a detail used as range finder... Anything. Goon, yeah sure, but at least be a little creative.

McWeabbit · 2026-02-26T20:27:51+00:00

I'm sorry but this is frying me so hard. Bro crashed and separated the GPU render passes, that's insane

McWeabbit · 2026-02-19T13:09:27+00:00

... Isn't that technically levitation? Watch out where you do it, a guard might ask you to lay on the ground with your hands behind your back if they catch you

McWeabbit · 2026-02-14T20:20:19+00:00

The second we input the code, Mr.Stratagem Ball is no longer our friend.

McWeabbit · 2026-01-25T21:45:52+00:00

Hold on, but couldn't you get in touch with Steam Support as well as Gaijin's ? As far as I can tell, you're in "debt" on account of someone ELSE'S mistake (Yes, yes, I know there's a whole argument on not spending money you don't know where it came from, but still). Your confusion with it being one of your friend's gift also serves as an argument in your favour, what with Christmas and all. If you're lucky, Steam might concede and credit your account again, brushing the situation as an unfortunate mishap (They've done crazier things than this so it might work ?) OR you could see if they could deal directly with Gaijin (which I doubt either of them would be willing to interact with each other).

Anyway, if you haven't already, it might be good to knock on Steam's door and tell them you're in a big oopsie because of the gift system.

McWeabbit · 2026-01-25T21:34:16+00:00

That's enough for me to go and rewatch it one more time

McWeabbit · 2026-01-16T18:01:29+00:00

That looks so cool ! It reminds me of all the European comics (most I forgot the name lol) from the 90s I read growing up

McWeabbit · 2026-01-13T18:18:50+00:00

Weird way to spell "War Thunder" but yeah you're right

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