World of Tanks Tips for Beginners: 12 Things I Wish I Knew

The best World of Tanks tips for beginners are simple: use cover, stay with your team, check the minimap, and stop moving so your aiming circle can shrink before you shoot. None of it needs fast reactions or an expensive tank, and you can use all of it from your very next battle.

A lot of people join my stream brand new to the game, or just back after a long break. It can feel brutal at first. You drive out, something you never saw shoots you, and you're back in the garage in under a minute. These are the twelve things I wish someone had told me.

Key takeaways

• Don't rush into the open. Move from cover to cover with your team.
• Stop, let the aiming circle shrink, then fire. Driving and shooting at the same time wastes shots.
• Auto aim is fine for learning, but it aims at the centre of the tank, so move to manual aiming when you can. It's still handy in a fast tank circling a slower target (called circle strafing), because you can concentrate on driving instead of aiming.
• Stay in the lower and middle tiers while you learn and keep an eye on your credits.
• Playing with friends or a platoon is the fastest way to improve.

Surviving your first battles

1. Don't rush into the open

The most common way new players die is driving straight into the middle of the map in the first minute. Enemies you can't see yet can often see you. Let the battle develop for a moment and move between pieces of cover instead.

2. Use cover, then peek

Rocks, buildings and hills are your best friends. Pop out to shoot, then reverse back behind cover while you reload. You'll take far fewer hits than sitting still in the open.

3. Stay near your team

A lone tank is an easy target. Going where most of your team goes is usually safer than flanking on your own, especially while you're still learning the maps.

4. Check the minimap often

Glance at the minimap every few seconds. It shows where your team is, which way the fight is going and where enemies were last spotted. If your side is already pushing one flank, joining them is nearly always better than sitting alone on the other.

The aiming circle and auto aim

5. Let the aiming circle shrink

The circle around your reticle shows how accurate your gun is right now. Rotating the hull or turret enlarges the dispersion circle. Every time you fire, the shell lands randomly somewhere inside the circle, so a big circle means a lot of missed shots. The routine is to aim, stop moving and let the circle shrink, then fire.

When I started, I used auto aim and never let the circle go small. I soon learnt the circle was telling me how accurate my gun really was, so driving and shooting at the same time is not a good idea. Now I stop, wait for it to settle, then fire.

Firing on the move is fine up close, but at range a little patience saves a lot of missed shots. For long-range shots, sniper mode gives you a tighter, more precise view. Just don't live in it, because you lose sight of the rest of the map.

6. Know what auto aim does (and doesn't do)

It keeps your gun on them while you concentrate on driving. But:

• It aims at the centre of the enemy tank, which is often the toughest armour.
• It won't lead a moving target.
• It switches off when the locked tank becomes unspotted.
• Right-click is also the default way to lock your turret in place, so you can switch auto aim on by accident.

It's handy up close when you're busy driving. Try to move to manual aiming as soon as you feel comfortable.

7. Aim at weak spots

Most tanks are weaker on the sides and the back, and many are weaker on the lower front plate. The best way to check whether you can get through is the game's Armour Flashlight. It's switched off by default, so look in the settings under Reticle to turn it on. It only works in sniper mode, up to 300 m, and with a short delay after you stop moving. It shades the armour around your aim: green is a good chance, yellow is a medium chance, and red means no penetration. The reticle colour is still a handy quick hint too. Use both as a guide rather than a promise, because it depends on the shell you've loaded and the angle you're shooting at.

8. Angle your armour

Turning your tank slightly towards an enemy makes your armour effectively thicker and makes shots more likely to bounce. Don't overdo it, though. Showing your side fully is worse than facing straight on.

Your garage and progress

9. Don't rush up the tiers

It's tempting to race to the top, but lower and middle tiers are where you learn the maps and mechanics without losing loads of credits. World of Tanks now has a Tier XI, but there's no prize for getting anywhere first. Most tiers use a ±2 matchmaking spread, so higher-tier tanks often face tougher opposition. Try the different tank types as you go:

• Light tanks scout.
• Mediums are flexible.
• Heavies soak up damage.
• Tank destroyers hit hard from cover.
• Artillery (arty) is the long-range support class.

10. Watch your credits

Repairs and ammo cost credits, especially at higher tiers. One guide suggests farming credits in the mid tiers (V–VII) and avoiding early deaths. If you're losing credits each battle, spend some time in a lower-tier tank to build them back up. Or stick to premium tanks (not reward tanks), because they earn more credits.

11. Train your crew

Your crew gets better the more you play. If a crew member is sent to a vehicle they aren't trained for, their qualification level drops in that vehicle, so check the crew screen before you swap people around. Crew can also be trained faster in a Premium vehicle of the same nation and class. The crew system has changed a lot over the years, so read what the game shows you first.

12. Play with people

Everything is easier, and much more fun, when you play with friends. A platoon lets you learn from someone more experienced, and you'll pick up map knowledge much faster. My platoon tips for beginners cover how to get the most out of it.

A simple routine for your next battle

Then, each battle:

1. Look at both team lists before the battle starts.
2. Pick a route with cover and head that way with your team.
3. Glance at the minimap every few seconds.
4. Stop, let the circle shrink, then shoot.
5. Reverse behind cover to reload.

My take

I'd honestly rather people enjoy the game than obsess over stats. Pick a tank you like the look of, learn a couple of maps properly and play with friendly people. The improvement comes on its own.

The aiming circle was my biggest lesson. I leaned on auto aim and never let the circle go small, and I wasted so many shots driving and firing at the same time before I understood what it was telling me. Now I let it settle first. If you want a bit of fun while you settle in, try the which World of Tanks tank are you quiz.

Questions people ask

Is World of Tanks hard for beginners?

It can be at first, because lots of players have played for years. Taking it slowly, using cover and playing with others makes a huge difference.

What tier should a beginner play?

Low and middle tiers are best for learning. You'll pick up maps and basics while spending fewer credits. Take your time before moving up.

Should beginners use auto aim?

It's fine to start with, especially while you're driving. But it aims at the centre of the tank and won't lead moving targets, so learn manual aiming when you can.

Why do I keep missing in World of Tanks?

Most often, you're firing while the aiming circle is still big. Stop, let it shrink, then shoot. Your shell can land anywhere inside the circle, so a smaller circle means a better chance of hitting where you aimed.

Is World of Tanks free?

Yes, World of Tanks is free to play. You can buy extras, but you don't need to spend money to enjoy it.

Want some company while you learn? Join my platoon queue and I'll talk you through battles live on stream. 💛