[Review] Bumblebee Kit

[Crip 4,735]

 

Hello, Tankers! Today, in the second part of my Kit Review Series, we shall be putting my latest purchase under the microscope, taking it apart to fully comprehend its individual components. This kit, the M3 version of its younger brother Fireworks, provides you with one of the strongest stock M3s in the game.

I present to you, the kit Bumblebee!

 

Background to my Purchase -

 

At Christmas, my original intention was to buy both Rockshaper and this kit, in order to bring a breath of fresh equipment into my garage, which was feeling a bit stale after I have been using Thunder M3 almost continuously for 4 ranks. I had aspired to purchase this kit for some time, several months previous in fact, when I saw TNT (Reporter who has sadly quit) destroying some M4s putting up a valiant fight with it in a Deathmatch.

As you may know from my previous kit review, Tanki offered me all the worst kits decided to destroy all my hopes by deploying 3 fairly unpopular M3 kits in my garage. All was not lost though, as I finally succeeded in acquiring my mother's credit card the kit I bought, Vandal, proved to be much better than I had previously thought.

I decided to pool my remaining crystals and bide my time. When Bumblebee finally appeared, I had scraped barely any capital together. But thankfully, I had recently crushed all in won a Newspaper Contest, and that paired with some premium no-lifing snatched me the kit at the death.

 

 

What's in the box? -

 

Available between : -
Turret : Hammer M3
Hull : Hornet M3
Paint : Hive
Module : Grizzly T-H M3

Additional Rewards : 80 of each supply

Price :  327580 crystals

 

 

Hammer M3 -

 

 

This turret is aptly named. Its powerful shots shatter hulls and the extreme force it deals sends light tanks spinning.

Definitely one of the strongest stock M3s in the game. Its rapid reload between shots, massive impact force, high shot damage and surprising size of its effective range all combine to produce a feared turret. It is lethal at close range, only requiring two shots to destroy Light M3 Hulls.

But simply blend this monster of a turret with the relatively low rank of Lieutenant Colonel, where M2 hulls are out in full bloom, your enemies have a real problem on their hands. Its 3 shots are enough to deal with any Light - Medium M2 hull that is unfortunate enough to stray into its path of destruction.

Positive Factors :

• Low shot reload time
• High impact force
• High damage output
• Quick turning speed
• Surprising range
• Pellets can damage multiple enemies

 

1 bludgeoning shot from the Hammer is enough to send the Wasp to its doom.

 

Negative Factors :

• Only 3 shots per clip
• Long clip reload time
• Pellets spread with range
• Effectiveness is reduced with range.
• Requires accuracy to get maximum damage

 

Protection from Hammer between and :

 

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

Savage Hint : Plan your Hammer attacks carefully, and conserve your shots. But do not withhold one shot in your clip, as this will diminish your tank's effectiveness.

Overall Rating : 9/10

---

Hornet M3 -

 

 

With sheer pace, the best acceleration in the game and boasting a decent HP, Hornet M3 is a significant step up from the M2 version.

Hornet M3 is a much better modification than the outclassed, weak M2 version unlocked at low noob ranks 2nd Lieutenant. Although not as fast as the equivalent Wasp, and with equal HP, M3 Hornet is preferred by many in regular battles, due to its increased stability and much better acceleration.

It shows its true potential in CTF, where its afore mentioned characteristics allow it to serve as an excellent flag capturer, racing from base to base at high speed.

It also serves perfectly in XP/BP, making Bumblebee a very popular choice for acquiring this much-used hull.

Positive Factors : 

• Good HP improvement over M2
• Good speed
• Best acceleration in the game
• Increased stability over Wasp
• Drift when using speed boost helps to dodge shots

Negative Factors : 

• Can occasionally flip
• Low health
• Drift can work against the user on maps with self-destruct zones
• Outclassed by Wasp in speed

 

Savage hint: Make good use of this hull, and don't be afraid to be aggressive or attacking. The worst use of a Hornet in regular battles is to sit back and camp, completely going against Hornet's battle role.

 

Overall Rating : 7/10

 

 

Hive -

 

 

Another one of those "meh" paints. Not visually striking, and doesn't offer a lot in the camouflage department either.

Hive doesn't appeal to everyone, like the "Graffiti" paint in my previous article. Comparatively speaking though, few tankers use this paint. It is fairly bland and unattractive, though Hornet and Hammer M3 definitely do their utmost to bring out some non-existent hidden inner beauty into the open. Combinations such as XP have a habit of helping paints to find love, and Hive is one of these paints which combines well with it.

As for offering visual protection, Hive doesn't really excel at it either. The peculiar hexagon pattern doesn't offer the option of blending into the surrounding scenery, and since their aren't that many maps where light brown is a prominent color, there are few places where Hive can render a tank invisible to enemy eyes. Dry - Sandy terrain is where Hive offers the most it has to give (which is close to nothing).

I'd say there are far better paints one could buy with 120000 crystals, but again it's all about player preference.

Positive Factors :

• Offers decent camouflage in several maps
• Interesting appearance
• Looks good on some combinations

 

As you can see, Hive can act as a moderate camouflage at times. Those times just don't come very often though.

 

Negative Factors :

• Few maps where it can find a use for camouflage
• Appears ugly on many tanks

 

Camouflage Ratings :

Terrain          -     Map Examples        -    Rating                         -           Reason
Sand                  Desert, Iran                  7/10            The light brown appearance is enough to blend into the yellow sands at long range.
Dry                  Canyon, Highland            8/10           The speckled texture of the terrain is almost perfect camouflage for Hive
Grass               Kungur, Sandbox             3/10            The color and the pattern don't agree with green terrain.
Urban             Berlin, Skyscrapers           2/10           Grey backgrounds offer little sympathy to Hive's appearance.
Industrial       Year 2042, Factory            4/10            Some of the ground is brown, which helps this paint out occasionally.

Average Rating :  5/10 (Average)

 

Overall Rating : 4/10

 

 

Module : Badger T-H M3 -

 

 

Heavily focused on the Close-Medium range battles, this module pairs very well with Hammer's close range tendencies.

Provides Protection From :

• Freeze  -  (35%)
• Ricochet   - (35%)
• Vulcan - (35%)

Badger is one of the better module series in my opinion. For modules such as Ursa, the indecisive range protections always seems to leave a redundant protection. Not so with the Badger Series.

The Badger Series is clearly designed for players who have a phobia of larger maps prefer to play in small games, where the danger of being destroyed from range isn't so great.

This Badger module is no exception. It provides 35% from 3 of the most aggravating turrets ever created in Tanki. You will now have protection from : The no-turn Ricochet M2 noobs with 30 micros on their turret, The annoying Vulcan who just won't die or stop firing, and of course the turret which will leave you frozen to the floor with sheer fear.

Ik Ik, I'm good at puns.

 

As always, any M3 module can be micro-upgraded to provide 50% from 3 turrets, though plenty of crystals are recommended.

As modules go, the T-H suits Hammer extremely well, as Vulcan and Ricochet are two of its biggest predators at medium range. Then of course you have the Freeze protection, which is handy as it allows your Hammer to remain alive longer while it you overcome the freeze effect and turn to unleash hell.

Positive Factors :

• Provides 35% protection from 3 turrets
• Lower kit unlock rank than separately
• All 3 protections are effective in the majority of small-medium maps
• Suits Hammer well

Negative Factors :

• Unlike most kits, module doesn't provide protection from the turret in the kit
• Module suited to select maps only

 

Overall Rating : 8/10

 

 

Analysing the Kit Combination -

 

We've looked at the contents of the Bumblebee kit, broken them down and analyzed them separately.

Now, let's take a look at how the kit performs as a combination.

The brutality of Hammer and the pace of Hornet go together surprisingly well. Hornet's agility and acceleration allow Hammer hit-and-run attacks to be made, with the enemy team left confused by the brief, yet violent, attacks.

Bumblebee performs best as an attacker, with Hornet's speed perfect for flag snatching. Hammer's recoil allows for hull stabilization, and the 3 shots Hammer donates are enough to punch through weak defenses.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVoU5ZpIALY
 

Just a small clip to show a Hammer stabilization shot and Hornet's agility in action.

 

Badger T-H is admirably suited to this role, as it protects from the strength-sapping Freeze and the continuously-firing Vulcan. Both of these turrets are common in an enemy base, so this module is a real gift to any attacker.

Here's a few numbers to give examples of which maps suit this kit the best. Please note they are based on my own experience only.
 

Map           -         CTF Rating       -     TDM Rating      -      DM Rating     -     CP Rating
Island                        5/10                       3/10                       3/10                     2/10         
Sandbox                    9/10                       6/10                       5/10                     5/10
Arena                           -                          4/10                       4/10                     3/10         
Noise                         8/10                       7/10                       5/10                     5/10    
Polygon                      7/10                       6/10                       4/10                     5/10     
Highland                     8/10                       6/10                       5/10                     4/10    
Serpuhov                    9/10                       5/10                       7/10                     4/10  
Rio                              9/10                       6/10                       6/10                     6/10
Berlin                          8/10                       5/10                       6/10                     4/10

 

Savage Hint: Large, open expanses are no-go places for Bumblebee. If you venture into open plains like Massacre, you will find yourself at an extreme disadvantage, even taking Hornet's agility and speed into consideration.

 

 

Additional Analysis : Slugger and High Capacity Drum -

 

 

Vertical spread range: -50%
Horizontal spread range: -50%
Turret Rotation: -65%

 

 

 

Clip reload time: +35%
Ammo per clip: +2

 

 

Back during the New Year 2016 Celebrations, the original plan was to purchase Bumblebee and Rockshaper, before getting my hands on both of the Hammer Alterations, which were on a 50% sale.

Sadly, neither kit was in the options available (as I have moaned about more than once before), so I couldn't buy either Alteration, having never bought Hammer before.

But thankfully, I have had the opportunity of utilizing the Test Server to try the "Slugger" Alteration, and friends and foes alike have demonstrated the "High Capacity Drum", with me specifically asking them to pair it with Hornet if possible.

"Slugger" is a great addition to Bumblebee. Although Hammer's turning flexibility is reduced, Hornet provides what your Hammer now lacks. And although it takes practice to be more accurate, the concentrated shots mean Hammer will be much more lethal, and your opponents will underestimate your shots considerably.

"High Capacity Drum" is another superb addition to your Hammer's armory, especially when it is serving as an attacker in CTF. With 5 powerful shots available instead of 3, your Bumblebee can blitz your way through the defense and emerge with the flag much more easily. In a Deathmatch this alteration is simply amazing. 5 shots is enough to take care of almost anything, and paired with Double Damage, your Hammer will be unstoppable.
The increased reload takes some getting used to, but Hornet's speed can help you retreat to cover rapidly while you restock with ammunition.

"Slugger" Rating for Bumblebee kit : 8/10

"High Capacity Drum" Rating for Bumblebee kit : 9/10

Savage Hint : Both Alterations can be used on Bumblebee at once, and both are definitely worth purchasing.


Conclusion -

 

Bumblebee is a great kit, and for the comparatively low price of 327580 crystals you acquire a turret which is excellent as an M3 all the way to Legend, not mentioning that it is widely used in Parkour. You also get Hornet M3; fast, versatile and much-used in XP/BP.

Even the module is solid in this kit, although the paint is terrible could be more fulfilling. I love Hammer a lot, and I'm almost tempted to call it my favorite out of my M3s, although my Thunder has served me too well, so I won't call call it anything apart from very satisfactory.

Hornet M3 is so much better than the M2 version, and I've been using it a lot recently (compared to my M2 which had been sadly gathering dust in a corner of my garage since Colonel).

Savage's Rating : 9/10

Savage Hint : Buying Bumblebee and Rockshaper is a much cheaper alternative to buying Legend and Jackhammer, unless you're a Tiger paint fan. It will save you over 120 000 crystals, and you still get M3 XP and Hammer/Viking M3.
 

 

And with that, we have come to the end of my second kit review! I hope this has been worth reading, possibly interesting and maybe even convinced you into buying Bumblebee! Please don't hesitate to comment on anything that you think I could improve, and I'd certainly appreciate positive feedback.

Till next time!

Savage over and out...

 

Edited January 27, 2017 by Savage

[AWMX 394]

Edits:

-Grammar corrections

-A couple of typos.

[Jwimmer 2,835]

Nice. Writing is smooth, it gets the job done, and is not too wordy. I would not be surprised to see this as one of the top articles of the month tbh.

[Crip 4,735]

Edits:

-Grammar corrections

-A couple of typos.

Thanks.

 

Just a few things though.

 

You changed a lot of my fonting back to regular Ariel when you altered it, and occasionally you reset the colour.

 

Also, "Analysing" is the English spelling of "Analyzing"

 

Both are correct :)

[Crip 4,735]

Nice. Writing is smooth, it gets the job done, and is not too wordy. I would not be surprised to see this as one of the top articles of the month tbh.

You flatter me :)

 

Thanks! :D

[Blackdrakon30 2,943]

Excellent job! I liked the humorous tone as always, and I must say that removing the "combinations" part that you had with each equipment piece (like in Vandal kit review) was a smart choice that makes the review seem a lot more focused. I do hope you choose to continue this series for any other kits you get.  :D 

[AWMX 394]

 

 

You changed a lot of my fonting back to regular Ariel when you altered it, and occasionally you reset the colour.

 

Oops sorry :x 

[Crip 4,735]

Oops sorry :x 

Np :D

[Tofu 6,773]

Did wasp give consent to be sent down to its doom?

[sre123 595]

When I first read "Bumbleebee" I thought it was "Dumbledore" :D Anyways, nice review! :)

Edited January 28, 2017 by sre123

[Blackdrakon30 2,943]

When I first read "Bumbleebee" I thought it was "Dumbledore" :D Anyways, nice review! :)

Dumbledore Kit Review, someone make it happen.  :lol:

[Bleach 491]

Did wasp give consent to be sent down to its doom?

I didn't have a choice..

[Ninja 10,468]

Very well done!

[Tofu 6,773]

I didn't have a choice..

That's what they all say

[railguniz4noobz 2,394]

Its also the cheapest m3 kit.

[Truthteller 4,204]

Great review, well written with great illustrations nice colours and I like the svagwe hints and clips.

[asifmak 467]

Nice one..

Next i want review of that kit that is damn hard to spell :D

[Crip 4,735]

Nice one..

Next i want review of that kit that is damn hard to spell :D

Eijeakinsertrandomlettersherenoobajeoull kit.

 

It's named after a Icelandic Volcano, and I have no idea how to spell it either.

 

I'm only reviewing the kits that I've bought, but if I buy it then I probably will :)

[railguniz4noobz 2,394]

Eijeakinsertrandomlettersherenoobajeoull 

Eyejeislasionsasdsupercalifragilisticexpialadocioushagfsajajajajajajajaxaxaxaxaxa

[Benefactor 6,888]

Another quality article!

[Misery 1,415]

Keep these up, they r great and fun to read :)

[Crip 4,735]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys!

[arnav0506 2,777]

I feel like getting hammer with all those juicy words u used :ph34r: Like," bludgeoning.."

What vocabulary sir, keep writing such articles :)

[acharpuchur 37]

Edits:

-Grammar corrections

-A couple of typos.

Ok

---

Nice article.