But it does get the joy of afterburn :D

In the right situation, I'd love to be part of creating a "super-shot" through the heart of a team. Just need to be asked by my teammate. I often wish I had an isida partner with me when I am geared up with titan/vulcan with the "rain fire from above" alt.

I agree in the principle with you for sure. IF the choice is EITHER Having a garage with all m4s (and poor skills) OR Having a garage with 2/3 m4s (and great skills), then you are totally correct. Choose the skills and fewer hulls/turrets for sure. I am banking on doing BOTH/AND, however:) I definitely needed better equipment when I started simply because I was wretched at playing. In fact, I probably still am :D ...but I have been trying to master a handful of tools while improving the entire garage. There have been lots of times that playing with thunder against a team that 90% had 45+ protection against me was NOT helping my team at all. In those times, I like the ability to note what protections they are sporting, choosing a different turret and then having the skill to close the battle gap or even help with a comeback victory. So I don't disagree with you...but I have thoroughly enjoyed the variety of play that a broad garage affords me. I am not GREAT with any one set up (although I think I do well with vulcan/titan; firebird/hornet; rico/thunder/shaft+hunter) but I am SOLID with most and don't hurt my team.

I dusted mine off a month or so ago and mu'd it to m4. I already had the compact tank alt...it has been fun. Very few times, however, have I played a team with no protection modules. Hornet/Firebird would dominate for sure!

I didn't even think about the OD differences. Still not sure how to prepare for them... On a side note, there are lots of players with the viking at high ranks who play really well with it. So my conclusion is each player has to figure out their preferred playing style and max out their equipment to enjoy TO. So I guess for me the viking is useless, but not for everyone. Obviously I am a mid-range/long-range player who really loves helping my team win. I don't play for gold boxes. I enjoy killing a flag stealer and recovering the flag for my team more than capping a flag. I love letting a teammate grab the flag, fly past me, then blocking the chasing tanks until I am killed. I can't tell you why, but I do. Since firebird has been beefed up some, I have started using it more and enjoy it depending on the map. It really makes a difference in the base when enemy tanks come in to set up and spawn kill. Getting multiple tanks on afterburn helps the team for sure:)

I have an m4 viking and if you look at my stats you will certainly see I have spent time with all hulls except Wasp and Mammy. I personally found the viking (even at m4) to be very hard to navigate and shoot while taking fire from thunder, smoky, rico, twins, etc. It is simply way too unstable for me. I regretted getting the viking to m4 (but in reality its stability was flipped to hunter after I was more than halfway there). Since I have upgraded my hunter to m4, I have not used my viking once. If I want lots of speed I use the hornet. If I want strength, stability, and health in spades I go titan. I'd love to trade my viking to someone:)

I got the alt...I've used LCR for year+. The destabilization alt is fun since it doesn't effect firing rate at all (unlike LCR). I have one shotted a titan (obviously not an m4) and multiple medium hulls. I have also died numerous times after hitting a light hull twice and they are still alive :huh: If you like being able to know how many shots it will take you to finish off an enemy, then this alt is NOT for you. But if you enjoy the joy of seeing 3,000+ damage from time to time, then get it. I also enjoy the added impact, but wish it was a little more increase.

I usually do not complain too much. I did get frustrated about the vulcan afterburn however...as well as the shaft losing the ability to shoot a partial scoped shot and only lose part of your energy. Now that they have an alt that allows you to embrace the afterburn and derive some benefit from it (and the shaft now has the light capacitor), then I was fine. But I get your point. Same for a few other alts I bought before the newest releases...nerfed or altered so that I will not use them. The good thing about being at this rank is that the garage is more diverse and I am not hoping for one turret and one hull. For those trying to get to higher ranks, it is incredibly frustrating to have the "cheese" continually moved in rebalances, etc.

I would go with the hornet...much less likely to be flipped over by enemies. Wasp does have a little more speed, but on the rail stability is also nice. Both will rock just fine. Nothing's as bad as swiping the flag and getting flipped on the way back to base by a smoky, thunder, rail, etc.

Yes, if you play DM then you definitely will see the game very differently. I avoid DM at all costs...no fun IMO. Even missions around it I change. The fun of tanki to me is playing with a team vs. another team. I do wish we had more tools to communicate. It is a rush now for sure. In the past I wasn't able to even think about communication in a game...I was learning how to drive, aim, rotate turret, etc. Now I am a different player and definitely wish I could go back in time and play the older tanki with my current skills. As far as the Isida/FB comparison, you are right. I am saving up for the uber-expensive firebird alt....It should be a brutal addition and quite certainly OP. Once I have it (2 weeks away), I will let you know.

The short-band emitter used to be great before all the other alts came out and it was nerfed somewhat. I would NOT get the short band emitters anymore. I am desiring the rapid-fire alt, but have not faced it in battle yet. Lighter capacity battery is what I think I will purchase soon....just 10k more crystals and I can get it. Of course, shaft is fully m4. That would be my first focus before getting alts.

Twins is a ridiculously devastating turret at almost every level. It maximizes OD and drugs like no other turret. Whenever I am getting frustrated at someone on the enemy (normally a spawn killer that I am dropped into the MM halfway through the battle), I will gear up with Twins (I just don't like playing with it as much as I do shaft, vulcan, rico, smoky, or thunder) and set protections vs them...it never goes well for them after that :D

Certainly my thought when they mentioned the unique OD for Titan and Mammy. The Titan can also set up near a base and help shield other hulls before a larger attack however.

At my level normally 2-4 folks will have thunder prot, 6-8 will have rail prot, next seems to be firebird, twins, or rico. The board also changes these...on highways you will see lots of shaft protections...as a user of shafts I LOVE that map...so fun:) I have been in some battles (10%) where no one on the opposition has thunder protection. Completely foolish in my opinion, as Thunder and Rail can devastate so quickly. I almost always suit up with both and fire too. Only if enemy team doesn't have one of those turrets will I switch it out. I hate getting single shotted (if that is a real phrase).

I ditched the viking (m4) because of its instability. The Hunter is a much more stable and solid platform for facing smoky, thunder, rail, shaft, rico, etc. I don't think smoky is hitting harder...I think Viking's stability (it's former strength) got nerfed big time a while back. Now Hunter is the more balanced midrange hull.

At higher ranks you will find that Titan plus lots of turrets is a good option. I still like launching the hornet from time-to-time, but getting one shot by so many turrets is frustrating...enter the Hunter as a nice in between hull. Great in lots of areas.

Get the Vandal...what you lose in a little speed you will make up for in power, stability, and turning speed. Plus it can actually rock (not that you will use that much with twins) should you mount rail, thunder, smoky, vulcan, etc. Ooops, just replied to him without seeing this. You got it:)

This is such a reality in game play...my team lost a battle because I was getting ready to snipe the flag carrier when I am hit by teammate to get OD. Ridiculous...there are only two turrets that can consistently stop a flag carrier at distance...rail and shaft. The shaft is the best at that job!

I certainly avoid them if at all possible...even in m4 Titan I am on life support after an encounter with one, assuming I even survive :lol:

I have all but the incendiary mix. Have been using the compact tanks right now. Seems to cook the enemy quickly. Your time to burn them is about half of normal so I usually hit them and move on...let the afterburn eat away at their health. I didn't like the longer (but narrow) area of damage on the high pressure pump. I'd love to hear about the Incendiary Mix...I already had the other alts...wanted to get it to m4 before any other alts. Today I hit m4 :ph34r: ...watch out shafts

Great minds think alike:)

Man, I wish you were in every battle I play in. I am amazed at how isidas will race around helping different tanks while the team is losing. The vulcan with incendiary alt + isida is almost unstoppable and can turn the tide on most battles. When I am playing on a team and notice another vulcan, I often hit garage and get my m4 isida out to play...fun stuff indeed :D You must be sure you are mu-ing your firebird protection too. Without it you will die so fast. I agree with sezzee100 that if you enjoy the vulcan the alt is a blast. Focus on mu on turret and protection module. Holiday sales should arrive soon too. Save-save-save until then.

Thunder's strength lies in its ability to deliver large amounts of damage via splashing...whether rocking and hitting the ground near a section of "cover" or hitting walls near a suspected magnum. On maps with less vertical walls (where Rico struggles) Thunder is at its best. I've never been much of a sniper with thunder...prefer to deliver damage upon as many of the enemy as i can...rails love cleaning up the pieces:) Definitely want to use this with Hunter on DS.

I would like to, but my mac is not supported. Apparently it allows you to look around without turning your turret. Do you use the mouse aim?

Thanks...it certainly has variety in the damage :lol: Trying to get used to railgun again...surprised at how many protections there are :wacko: