[Review] : Vandal Kit

[Crip 4,735]

  

 

Welcome back Tankers! In this article, I will be reviewing an interesting kit, unlocked at Lieutenant General, which marries the fairly popular Twins M3 with the reject hull, Hunter M3. It may not be pretty, but is it effective? We will be probing its reliability and how it performs today.

 

Behold, the kit Vandal!

 

 

Background to my Purchase ~

 

I bought this kit during the Tanki 2016 New Year Sales, staying awake till 2 AM my time because I'm a sad no-lifer I was excited to see which kits would be available on the Turret Sale, which was 50%. I was hoping for Rockshaper or Jackhammer, so I could acquire Viking M3 to replace my outdated and underperforming M2.   This was the selection on offer.

 

 

Just slightly frustrating. Everyone I met had given very strong opinions on Hunter ; all negative ones. Twins M3 appealed to me slightly, but I'd only used Twins for 6 hours before this, and I didn't appreciate its inaccurate, steady fire. Regardless, I reasoned that since Shaft was for noobs who can't aim campers and Ricochet was for players whose X and Z keys have deserted them, I'd have to take a risky decision, and buy Vandal.
 

What's in the box? ~

 

Available between : -
Turret : Twins M3
Hull : Hunter M3
Paint : Graffiti
Module : Ursa T-D M3

Additional Rewards : 80 of each supply

Price :  414517 crystals

 

 

Twins M3 ~

 

 

Imagine mechanical boxing gloves crashing into your face repeatedly. Essentially Twins M3 at close range.

 

Twins is pretty brutal at the best of times, but the M3 version is something else. Normally unlocked at Marshal for the price of 221 150 crystals, this version crushes the life out of M2s at the Vandal kit unlock rank. By the time you reach Marshal, your Twins will be microupgraded enough to have taken it to another level of tank-suppression.
 

Positive Factors :

• Unlimited Ammunition
• High Impact Force - perfect for knocking tanks off aim at close range
• Rapid firing rate
• Good damage output at short-mid range
• Dominates in small maps

 

The Ultimate Combo taking a battering down an alley. Demonstrating how Twins can knock turrets such as Isida off aim.

 

Negative Factors :

• Somewhat inaccurate
• Inaccuracy increases with range
• Cannot use cover while firing
• Minimal damage at long range
• Severely outclassed in Large Maps

 

Clearly damage indicators have glitched out...

 

Protection from Twins between and :

 

Low Protection (between 5 and 15%) : Common
Medium Protection (between 15 and 30%) : Uncommon
High Protection (30% +) : Very Rare

 

Best Combinations :

 

1) Twins + Titan + Lion/Grizzly Series Module

 

  + 

Suitable Maps : Polygon, Noise, Small and several Medium Maps.
Unsuitable Maps : Basically any Large Map, and some Medium ones.

Hint: A friendly Isida or two close by renders this tank nigh-on invincible. Use as a flag or point defender.

2) Twins + Viking + Kodiak/Shark/Grizzly Series Module

 

  + 

Suitable Maps : Polygon, Noise, some Small, majority of Medium, and Large Maps with plenty of cover.
Unsuitable Maps : Large open maps, several Small and Medium Maps.

Hint: Very useful to attack with or play as an attacking midfielder. Suppressing defenders is what it does best.

Overall Rating : 8/10

 

Note: Please please please do not use this Turret with either of Wasp or Hornet. You will get melted long before you come into effective range, and you will not survive a melee.

 

 

Hunter M3 ~

 

 

The rejected ugly relative of its much more glamorous medium counterpart, Viking.

Hunter should be pitied. All through the ranks, its asymmetrical hull is always in Viking's shadow, even at M1 level where the Hunter has more HP than Viking's counterpart. It just isn't beautiful, no matter what its most avid fan not that it has any will argue. Like Twins (and every other M3), it unlocks at Marshal rank for 200 000 crystals. Vandal kit perhaps offers it the chance it needs to make a good impression on the user.

Positive Factors : 

• Good HP value
• Decent speed
• Good acceleration
• Height serves well for Gold catching
• Turns relatively quickly
• No drift, making it a more solid platform than Viking

 

Hunter's Gold taking prowess expertly displayed by the Savage himself.

 

Negative Factors :

• Outclassed by Viking in speed
• Isn't visually appealing
• Lower Power than the other Medium hulls
• Lighter than Dictator

 

Best Combinations :

1) Hunter + Thunder + Kodiak Series Module

 

  + 

Suitable Maps : Medium - Medium Maps, such as Silence, Serpuhov, Rio or Solimansk, several Large Maps.
Unsuitable Maps : Very Small and most Large Maps.

Hint: A very good combination. I actually find it better than Viking/Thunder, as the extra height plus the better rockback give it better shooting flexibility. Best to play as a midfielder, and pick off the enemy defenders.

2) Hunter + Hammer + Grizzly/Shark/Badger Series Module

 

  + 

Suitable Maps : Polygon, Noise, Silence, Small Maps and most Medium ones.
Unsuitable Maps : Large Maps.

Hint: Use cover to your advantage. Unleash all 3 shots, then use Hunter's speed to take cover while reloading.

Overall Rating : 7/10

 

 

Graffiti ~

 

 

Despise it or adore it, one cannot deny that this paint looks striking.

 

This is a love/hate situation. Graffiti brings out the best in some combinations whereas it uglifies others drastically. I personally prefer other paints, but it's all down to player preference. It will provide semi-decent camouflage in some maps, but on the whole this paint was introduced tank's appearance. Whether it does that or not is debatable.

 

Positive Factors :

• Looks great on some tanks
• Provides moderate camouflage in some maps

 

Some Savage player hiding in the bushes, showing that Graffiti can be used as a camouflage.

 

Negative Factors :

• Brings out visual flaws in some tanks
• Stands out in some terrain

 

Savage appears to have activated his special power to become invisible again...

 

Camoflage Ratings :

 

Terrain      -      Map Examples      -      Rating               -           Reason
Sand                  Desert, Iran                2/10         Colours stand out on a yellow background.
Grass               Kungur, Sandbox           6/10     In dense undergrowth Graffiti provides moderate camouflage.
Urban           Berlin, Skyscrapers          5/10    Although fairly stark this paint will merge into the grey at long range.
Industrial     Monte Carlo, Year 2042     4/10     Will merge at long range but will be visible from most ranges.

 

Average Rating :  4/10 (Mediocre)

 

Overall Rating : 5/10

 

 

Module : Ursa TD - M3 ~

 

 

Provides solid protection from several weapons, but whether is pairs well with Twins is subject to debate.

Provides Protection From :

• Twins  -  (35%)
• Shaft   - (35%)
• Vulcan - (35%)

The "Ursa" Module Series is an interesting one. It's a bit of a "neither here nor there" series, apparently designed for tanks who don't know how to play aren't sure what range they will be playing at.
As with all M3 modules, they can be microupgraded to provide 50% protection on all 3 slots, provided you have access to your mother's credit card enough spare capital. All M3 triple modules are available to buy for 250000 crystals.

I'm personally not a fan of this module, as I think the Shaft slot is wasted. This is because Shaft isn't very common in most battles at my current rank. The 35% from Vulcan however, is extremely useful as Vulcan tends to be the annoying type that won't go away (or simply die). The Twins slot doesn't seem to cooperate well with the other two though, which is another reason why I prefer using other modules.

Positive Factors :

• Provides 35% protection from 2 of the most annoying turrets in the game
• Unlocks in the kit at a lower rank than it would do separately

Negative Factors :

• Indecisive range protections
• Limited battles where all 3 turrets are present

 

Overall Rating : 4/10

---

 

 

Analysing the Kit Combination ~

Now, after looking at the contents of the Vandal kit, let's look at how this kit performs in regular battles.

The Hunter gives Twins enough flexibility to allow this combination to both attack and defend, although it plays much better as an attacker. The rapid firing rate granted by the Twins M3 does pair well with Hunter's quick acceleration and turning speed. Hunter though, isn't the most stable of hulls and does highlight Twins' inaccuracy at certain times, though its maneuverability does allow barrage ambush attacks to be made.

 

 

D3s mate...

 

The module isn't all that great with this combination. Twins thrives in small-medium maps, and usually there are much more short-range turrets than in others. Ursa TD-M3 unfortunately is better suited to campers.

How do different maps affect its effectiveness ? (How well Vandal performs overall, mainly based on its attacking/supporting abilities) Check out some popular map ratings below.

Map           -         CTF Rating       -     TDM Rating      -      DM Rating      -     CP Rating
Island                       7/10                         5/10                        4/10                        3/10
Sandbox                   8/10                         7/10                        5/10                        8/10
Arena                          -                            5/10                        3/10                        7/10          
Noise                        9/10                         8/10                        5/10                        8/10   
Polygon                     7/10                         7/10                        8/10                        8/10
Highland                    8/10                         6/10                        7/10                        7/10           
Serpuhov                   6/10                         5/10                        4/10                        5/10
Rio                             6/10                         5/10                        4/10                        5/10

 

Hint : Vandal performs at its best in Medium maps, and some smaller maps. It will be outclassed in larger maps by long-range weapons and taken down from a distance.

 

 

Additional View : Twins Alteration ~

 

Projectile Speed : + 100%
Range of Minimum Damage : + 100%
Reloading : + 20%

I bought the Twins alteration during the New Year Sales, where it was reduced to just 25000 crystals. Overall, I'd say it's fairly good if you use heavy hulls a lot, since you can simply sit back and reduce your enemies' health from range. For medium hulls, it is less effective in my opinion since you're sacrificing firing rate. Medium hulls tend to get much closer to the enemy, so the alteration doesn't work all that well for them. This alteration also tends to require much better accuracy with Twins, and not simply "Placing a brick on the spacebar."

I'd say I wasted 25k, but that's an opinion, since I don't use heavy hulls regularly unless I'm in a small map, where the alteration isn't needed.

Alteration Rating for Vandal kit : 4/10

 

Conclusion ~

I'd say buying Vandal kit was one of my better choices in my Tanki career. It certainly boosted my Thunder Gameplay, and in my opinion is a better choice to pair with said Turret than Viking.
Twins M3 essentially just fires wrecking balls at a fast rate. I'd certainly recommend buying it, though you'd get the most out of it if you bought another M3 kit at the same time. For example, buying Guardian kit and Vandal. This way you get Titan/Twins and Hunter/Smoky.

The module is this kit's largest drawback, and you should be prepared to be disappointed by Ursa's tendencies to be niche.

 

Savage's Rating : 7/10

 

 

That's all from me today folks! Many thanks to for assisting with the photos. I hope you found this article absorbing and helpful, and maybe it has convinced you into buying a load of junk an effective and interesting kit.

Till next time!

Savage over and out...

Edited January 15, 2017 by Savage

[Blackdrakon30 2,943]

Approved.

 

---

 

I just wanted to say that I am blown back by the quality of this article. In my opinion, it is easily one of the best in AWC as it deconstructs the Vandal kit in such detail, while still being understandable and engaging thanks to information charts, excellent formatting, good use of text colors, and many images. I did not need to make any edits to grammar or anything, although I'm a little sleep-deprived and might have missed something.  :P  Overall, outstanding job!

Edited January 15, 2017 by Blackdrakon30

[Zenyth 6,494]

it is pretty insightful where one would expect it to be

but I don't know why you wrote about combinations of the turret and hull separately

I personally dislike making a supposedly 'practical' piece lengthy by adding such sections

additionally, you made a wrong point by saying hunter is inferior to other medium hulls in weight - it is in fact heavier than viking

[Tofu 6,773]

Buyer ban soon Nice article yiper

[Crip 4,735]

it is pretty insightful where one would expect it to be

but I don't know why you wrote about combinations of the turret and hull separately

I personally dislike making a supposedly 'practical' piece lengthy by adding such sections

additionally, you made a wrong point by saying hunter is inferior to other medium hulls in weight - it is in fact heavier than viking

Ah, thanks for pointing that out about the hulls. I guess I misread the wiki. Will change it!

 

 

Approved.

 

---

 

I just wanted to say that I am blown back by the quality of this article. In my opinion, it is easily one of the best in AWC as it deconstructs the Vandal kit in such detail, while still being understandable and engaging thanks to information charts, excellent formatting, good use of text colors, and many images. I did not need to make any edits to grammar or anything, although I'm a little sleep-deprived and might have missed something.  :P  Overall, outstanding job!

Cheers nug :)

 

 

Buyer ban soon Nice article yiper

All buyers should be banned. Thanks though :)

[sm0ky 92]

Just plain awesome. Could you do an article on different modules? This is one area that I have not seen anyone tackle.

[Ninja 10,468]

Awesome formatting.

[Zenyth 6,494]

Just plain awesome. Could you do an article on different modules? This is one area that I have not seen anyone tackle.

http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=330066

[Truthteller 4,204]

Great article!

[sm0ky 92]

http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=330066

Yes, I know, but that is more of a matter-of-fact article. I was thinking more in the line of personal experience with the modules.

[GeeVuh 1,647]

  

*Sigh* And now Yiper has to beat me in writing too? *rolls eyes* why do u have to beat meh in everytin in tenki u suupppppperr hy6 yuiper, what a savage. <_<

 

All jokes aside, this was an absolutely AMAZING article.

[VaudeVille 1,428]

Turtle outclasses vandal and I'm a hunter fan, tried m3 hulls on alts but I really enjoy the feel of driving hunter prior and post the global update.

I also prefer Hunter's looks over Viking.

Better weight, acceleration, height, no skidding and only marginally slower than Viking.

Need I say more?

[asifmak 467]

^^hunter looks lame as compared to viking

[asifmak 467]

According to me this kit is a great deal

But the only downfall i see is the module.

Twins protection is ok but vulcan and shaft are pretty uncommon

[Crip 4,735]

Turtle outclasses vandal and I'm a hunter fan, tried m3 hulls on alts but I really enjoy the feel of driving hunter prior and post the global update.

That's true enough. Turtle is better than Vandal, but Paladin is far and away the best of the 3 in terms of price.

I also prefer Hunter's looks over Viking.

Congratulations! You're the first person I've ever heard to say that.

Better weight, acceleration, height, no skidding and only marginally slower than Viking.

Viking has better Power, and the shape is far more solid that Hunter. Hunter also drifts with a Speed Boost. The speed difference is actually relevant.

Need I say more?

The thing is, the M2 version of Viking is far better than Hunter M2. This, I think, is the biggest reason why Viking is so much more popular. The M2 Viking users have a choice of between Hunter and Viking M3  once they rankup, and they stick with what they know and choose Viking.

 

But Hunter M3 is vastly underrated.

[Crip 4,735]

According to me this kit is a great deal

But the only downfall i see is the module.

Twins protection is ok but vulcan and shaft are pretty uncommon

Essentially what I said in my article :)

[VaudeVille 1,428]

I don't think Viking has better power post the global update speaking in terms of M3.

Paladin may be better in price but I still prefer turtle, I dueled with a friend who has paladin just to find out which is better.

Duels may not be the best way to find out the effectiveness of a combo but I won.

Agreed that Viking is the best hull at m2 but upon reaching the M3 & M3+ stage, hunter is better.

[Crip 4,735]

I don't think Viking has better power post the global update speaking in terms of M3.

Paladin may be better in price but I still prefer turtle, I dueled with a friend who has paladin just to find out which is better.

In terms of price/equipment, Paladin is the better kit.

Duels may not be the best way to find out the effectiveness of a combo but I won.

Agreed that Viking is the best hull at m2 but upon reaching the M3 & M3+ stage, hunter is better.

I believe it is too.