Product Kit Reviews - Part One [M2]

[Zenyth 6,494]

A big shout-out to @FC_BayernMunchen and for helping me rate and review the kits!

 
The summer is going strong here in western India, and I am longing for the monsoon petrichor - and parallel to the real world, here in Tanki Online we await the sales of this summer, like the ongoing 9-day celebration. However, one salient feature of Tanki gives us a sale on different equipment sets every fortnight throughout the year - the "product kits". Lucrative yet quite affordable, this kit system has impressed me and others alike, and it seems to strike a good balance between the advantage to the buyer and the effects on the gameplay.
 
While quite a few voices in the community still complain about the "undue" advantage that kits obtain the buyer, I'd like to sincerely point out the ease of access of today's kits. The only requirements are a bit of planning from a few ranks ahead, and maintenance of a good crystal to experience ratio to make your budget fit the kit price. All this fetches you, a powerful combination at your rank and a bundle of supplies. Pretty much worth it?
 
So starting today, I will be giving a thorough appraisal and comparison of the different kits that the Tanki garage offers us to help you in choosing the right kit for yourself and stay a step ahead of the people at your rank.
 
In this article, we have four kits at our disposal - Stinger, Tornado, Pitbull and Mosquito. The first three unlock early, while Mosquito unlocks at Captain. Now let's start, shall we?
 

Rating Key and Criteria
 
H (Hull) - rated on versatility, suitability for turret, quality of upgrade, aspects like gold-hunting
T (Turret) - rated on versatility, quality of upgrade, special aspects
P (Paint) - rated on protection spread, versatility and longevity over time
O (Overall) - value for money, early unlock advantage, etc.

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The name says it all. It STINGS.
 
Unlocks at - Warrant Officer 4 ()
Price - 108,600 crystals
Contains - Hornet M2, Isida M2, Fracture
 
Rating:
H  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇►7.5/10
T  ▇▇▇▇▇▇ 6/10
P  ▇▇▇▇▇▇ 6/10
O  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 7/10
 
 
Stinger kit is the first M2-M2 kit and it unlocks at a rank where most players are trying to gain a footing in terms of financials. Costing 108k at such a rank, many people are not able to afford it at WO4, hence it is seen more often in the Lieutenant ranks. Isida M2 is a great starter M2 and buying it early can augment your experience-gaining rate by a lot in CTF and CP modes, 'specially on maps such as Noise and Polygon. Isida M2 has a noticeable increase in healing and damage parameters than its previous modification and a significant fall in its reloading time. Self-healing is good earlier on, but as you arrive to Major, most of the hulls become M2 and as the prominence of light hulls decreases, it becomes less effective.
 

 
Hornet M2 unlocks at and with Stinger you get it three ranks earlier. The advantage gained here gets cancelled out by its inferiority to other M2 hulls as you rank up. Nevertheless, it is a good upgrade from M1, although the drift is still felt, the better armour and top speed can be easily discerned.
 
Fracture paint gives you a decent protection expanse with Smoky, Vulcan, and Railgun. However, 10% Smoky and 12% Vulcan seem inadequate. The 20% Railgun protection saves you from a killing shot here and there but becomes redundant unless one intends to play in the XP/BP format. 

 

@FC_BayernMunchen's Opinion: Cheapest M2/M2 kit, just a little over 100k. M2/M2 at WO4 is great to have and can last all the way up to Brigadier. It's a good option for Isida users who like to play in large maps; Fracture (long range paint) helps here too. However, for Isida users, Osaka is another good choice. Hunter M1 is better than Hornet M2 in Polygon CP (health advantage) and Hunter M1's maneuverability isn't bad at all.

 

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A great deal if one wants to play XP/BP but loses its lustre over time otherwise.
 
Unlocks at - Warrant Officer 5 ()
Price - 147,660 crystals
Contains - Hornet M2, Railgun M2, Spark
 
Rating:
H ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇►8.5/10
T ▇▇▇▇▇▇►6.5/10
P ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 7/10
O ▇▇▇▇▇▇►6.5/10
 
Tornado kit brews up a storm if in the right hands, but only if one is fairly new to the Lieutenant stage. Later on, as observed it fails to be as "over-powering" as the name suggests because it is TRUMPed by the better M2s. Tornado kit majorly appeals to people who plan to play XP battles in the near future and also - people who feel the need to boast of the superiority of this lordly combination and be disdainful of people who think otherwise. All in all, this combination needs a certain amount of skill to remain relevant after its heyday. It proves to be good in medium and large maps, nevertheless.
 

 
Railgun gains a small increase in most of its parameters at M2, with penetrating power, turning speed/acceleration, reload, all noticeable because of the use of this turret in high-octane duels and 2v2s and whatnot. Spark is a good-looking paint with 33% protection from Ricochet, fairly good for maps like Noise and Rio, and decent protection from Firebird and Twins. However, after quarter a dozen ranks it is surpassed by better paints.
 
I'd prefer the Stinger kit if I was preparing for XP/BP. It is cheaper by close to 40,000 crystals and gives you a good short-range turret to help save for Railgun M2.

 

@FC_BayernMunchen's Opinion: This kit is only good for players who wish to play XP seriously. Tornado is not made for ranking fast or earning good crystals.
 

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An intimidating combination at a hefty sum.
 
Unlocks at - Third Lieutenant ()
Price - 209,520 crystals
Contains - Hunter M2, Hammer M2, Atom
 
Rating:
H ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 8/10
T ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 7/10
P ▇▇▇▇▇▇► 6.5/10
O ▇▇▇▇▇▇ 6/10
 
I don't see a lot of Pitbull kits around. Maybe because it is difficult to save up to such a mountain of crystals till , but in my opinion it is this kit's low value for money. Hunter M2 is easily beaten by Viking M2 in most categories that matter, and comparing their top speeds, we see a difference of only 0.64 m/s with Hunter ahead; which is trivial. Besides that, Hunter doesn't provide the kind of stability that a high-recoil turret like Hammer generally favours.
 

 
Hammer in its M2 stage receives only an average upgrade in its damage per pellet. Throughout the modifications, although Hammer's damage per clip is quite high on first sight, it is the damage per pellet that matters, only in a few cases do all the pellets hit the target. Hence, one wouldn't say that Hammer M2 is a lasting turret. Also, a stock Hammer M2 cannot kill a Viking M2 in a full clip, which is another shortcoming. 
 
On the flip side, the paint is a treasure at such a low rank compared to Colonel, when it unlocks. Atom gives decent protection against Twins, Firebird, Freeze and an additional 35% against Hammer. That makes you a short-range baron.

 

@FC_BayernMunchen's Opinion: One word - expensive. 209k, the most expensive M2/M2 kit. Much, much more practical to wait two ranks for Minotaur, rather than get this kit. I have never used Hammer M2 and honestly can't say much. For battles Colonel and under, I would rank it usable but slightly underpowered. But the paint is far from impressive. The 35% Hammer protection is unnecessary (Other high end M2 paints like Loam and Urban are better). 15% Fire is also mediocre (just get Storm for more Fire protection). Atom does nothing except drag up the price of Pitbull. 
 

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A ready-made nimble XP/BP tank at Captain.
 
Unlocks at - Captain ()
Price - 196,860 crystals
Contains - Wasp M2, Railgun M2, Savanna
 
Rating:
H ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 8/10
T ▇▇▇▇▇▇►6.5/10
P ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 8/10
O ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 8/10
 
The lesser favored cousin of the most popular hull in the game, beats the latter fair and square at M2. Wasp M2 has only 2.5 HP less than Hornet M2, and quite a huge leap in top speed from Wasp M1. In fact, the 1.06 m/s increase in top speed from M1 to M2 is the highest increase among all other modifications. There is really nothing to complain about. This kit is a ticket to XP/BP battles that become popular at Major, and the higher price tag than Tornado is well worth it.
 

 
Savanna is a top-notch paint, which definitely can stay among your most-used paints till the highest ranks. 40% Smoky protection is really the highlight of it - a lifeline against the critical hits; besides the camouflage and Railgun/Ricochet protection that it offers. You should buy it without a second of hesitation if you like the combination and have the crystals for it.

 

@FC_BayernMunchen's Opinion: If you have no intention of playing XP/BP, skip this kit.
 
Comparison of Averages:

 
Stinger    ▇▇▇▇▇▇►6.5/10
Tornado  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 7/10
Pitbull      ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 7/10
Mosquito ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇►7.5/10
 

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That's it for this time. I will be back with another set of kits to focus on, till then keep blasting them noobs! Thanks for reading!

Edited May 9, 2016 by Lhamster
Very minor proofreading/editing.

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

Brilliant Article! Man, those designs are just too cool.

[Quarks 2,255]

Well done. Many more still out there for you to write about.

[Blackdrakon30 2,943]

Nice article! I thought these were really useful, and I liked the wordplay a lot. I low-key want reviews on more m2 kits because those are ones I am considering about right now  :P

[Zenyth 6,494]

Brilliant Article! Man, those designs are just too cool.

Thanks. :P

 

Well done. Many more still out there for you to write about.

Yeah, thanks. :)

 

Nice article! I thought these were really useful, and I liked the wordplay a lot. I low-key want reviews on more m2 kits because those are ones I am considering about right now  :P

Sure, I'll help you out by writing more on this. ;)

[Zenyth 6,494]

~ fixed a few errors in the Stinger review

~ added @FC_BayernMunchen's opinion to each review

Edited May 9, 2016 by Zenyth

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

Great article! Loved having @FC_BayernMunchen's opinion as well as yours, the formatting is perfect, and the designs are awesome.

[ethanisme 1,115]

Dude be a reporter already. Lol now i gotta submit one

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Great article, even better illustrations

[Iceknight789 29]

The Designs are Awesome and I have Stinger Kit :)

[Zenyth 6,494]

thanks everyone

I am maybe doing a supply guide next or another kit review

[TheContractKiller_GT 374]

gr8 article bro!

but what about boar and minotaur and other kits?

[Zenyth 6,494]

gr8 article bro!

but what about boar and minotaur and other kits?

I'll do them in sets, those two will come soon ;)

[online-tank-PRO 122]

plzz tell about boar kit

[Zenyth 6,494]

plzz tell about boar kit

in a future review, I will :)

[Hex 11,520]

Great article, even better illustrations

I'm pretty sure it's amazing*. Zen, go apply for Reporter k.

[asifmehmood 1,576]

Good!

[asifmehmood 1,576]

Zenith why don't u join Tanki reporters team?

[Quarks 2,255]

Zenith why don't u join Tanki reporters team?

You could ask the same of me, I have applied 2 times (the first does not count). It is not easy to join.

[asifmehmood 1,576]

You could ask the same of me, I have applied 2 times (the first does not count). It is not easy to join.

Yeah even u have good grammer and writting.

[Zenyth 6,494]

 

 

 

I had applied in November, but..  :unsure: what BTR said.

[tousif_the_master 2,240]

Good luck friend i will be happy to read about minotour :D

[Zenyth 6,494]

Good luck friend i will be happy to read about minotour :D

thanks :P

[PhoenixTheManiac 28]

Yeah even u have good grammer and writting.

Yeah, even you have good grammar and typing. *

 

Seems like you aren't that good in grammar, bro.

[Zenyth 6,494]

Yeah, even you have good grammar and typing. *

 

Seems like you aren't that good in grammar, bro.

you're still the same :lol:

Edited May 14, 2016 by Zenyth