Guide [Issue 63] The Ultimate Guide to Magnum

Hex · March 24, 2017

Magnum, the newest turret in the game has a gameplay that is out of the ordinary, owing much to its ability of shoot along parabolic trajectories. To some, it's a campers' choice; while to others, it's a nightmare already. In many ways, it is already exerting groundbreaking influence on how the game is played.

Nevertheless, quickly after its release, Magnum was able to establish itself quite firmly in the game, terrorizing every other battle. In this guide, Zenith and I will jump deep into the mysteries of this newly released turret and see what you can accomplish with it.

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General Features of Magnum

Magnum was hinted throughout the ending months of 2016 (in the VLOG-102 and in the VLOG-111), but it was in on 24th January, 2017 in one of the Tanki's Friday V-LOGs, VLOG-122 to be exact, that we got to take a closer look. Finally, on February 3rd, the curtains were raised, the dust blown off and we got to see the new turret - Magnum, or "Artillery" at that time.

Seven days later, the developers informed us about the general key features of this "Artillery" turret. They made the following points:

Horizontal rotation is not impossible with Magnum. For rotating it that way, you would have to move your entire tank to the right/left by pressing the respective arrow-keys.
The vertical rotation of Magnum will be controlled by the 'Z', 'X' and 'C' keys. Pressing 'Z' will rotate Magnum vertically up and pressing 'X' will rotate it vertically down. While pressing 'C' returns the turret to an angle of 10°.
The shot's velocity is controlled by the space bar. It is directly proportional to the time you press the said key.
The barrel can only rotate between 0° and 90°, as shown below:

Minimal and maximum angles for Magnum

Firing at 90° will make the projectile go straight up in the air and come down, resulting in severe self-damage and possibly self-destruction.

Visual Features of Magnum

Magnum has one of the longest barrels in the game, and is designed like a long-barrel howitzer. M0 Magnum has standard M0-material panels. M1 Magnum has an additional hole in its muzzle brake, sturdier fittings and more rivets at its base. Its M2 counterpart has more metallic panels and the muzzle brake component looks sleeker with horizontal clefts. M3 Magnum has a modified barrel and some chrome at the base of the barrel.

Magnum is the second turret ever to have animation feature (barrel retracts when a shot is fired) along with Vulcan (spinning barrel). In the future, the developers might possible add similar features to other turrets. This is shown below.

That's not all. In case your sound is turned off, Magnum also has a somewhat transparent dotted trajectory that disappears a few seconds after your shot lands. It is the only way one can get a clue about where a Magnum's hideout is. Magnum also has it's own icon already, which is used to indicate protection against Magnum or to show a kill made by this turret:

Lastly, it also has a magnificent impact explosion. Rather felicitous, given the carnage a single Magnum projectile can cause!

Statistics

Throughout M0-M4, Magnum retains some key characteristics:

Amplification - Refers to the time required to hit 100% shot power. It is a constant two seconds irrespective of modification and is divided into 20 intervals of 5% power units each. With a constant angle, increase in power increases the range of your projectile.
Shot Angles - The maximum and minimum shot angles for any modification of Magnum are 90° and 0° respectively. Additionally, the default shot angle when you spawn on the map is 10° and not 0°. It is a real savior when you're about it get spawn-killed since it minimizes the possibility of self damage depending on your power. It is to be noted that pressing 'C' will also take your turret to the 10° angle.
Projectile Speed - Projectile speed is directly related to the percentage (%) of shot power that you set before taking your finger off the space bar. The maximum speed and minimum speed is 35 m/s and 140 m/s respectively, as of now.
Splash Damage Radii - Magnum sports the highest minimum damage radius among all the turrets from the garage. It can deal a significant amount of damage to enemies 15 meters (three prop-lengths) from the point where the shot lands. In addition to this, it can deal the maximum damage to all enemies within a meter of the landing spot. A great weapon for those spine-tingling multiple kills.
Projectile Radius and Gravitation - Projectile radius gives us an idea about the actual size of the Magnum projectile, whereas the value of gravitation indicates the effect of gravitation force on the vertical component of the said shot's velocity.
Rotation Speed - Magnum's turret doesn't permit rotation in the horizontal plane, so the rotation speed stands for the speed at which the barrel rotates along the vertical, using the 'Z' & 'X' keys.

Table of Statistics:

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Pros and Cons

Pros:

Very high damage per shot
Biggest splash damage in the game
Ability to hit every nook and cranny of the map without exposing your tank
Sizeable impact force that can easily unsettle enemy aim

Cons:

Difficult to master due to the existence of two variables (angle and power)
Low versatility, not multi-purpose
Low reloading speed
Possibility of self-damage at close quarters

Angles and Trajectory

Angles and Their Control:

As we all probably know at this point, Magnum can only be rotated in vertical degrees, that is, up and down. Controlling these angles shouldn't be that hard, as we can 'lock' the turret to stay at a certain angle by pressing either of the 'Z' or 'X' keys. Unlike the power, which once reaches 100%, can't be brought back down - well, unless you make the shot and start over again - the angles can stay at one place. This is one of the most fundamental concept to learn about Magnum. Why? Read on!

Now that you know angles can be locked into place, you can take in this factor and use it to its full potential. While playing with Magnum, you should always shoot with 100% power, with a certain angle required to make the projectlie reach your target's location. For example, in the map Stadium, the values of angles from a certain location and 100% power is as under: ^[1]

Values of angles (with 100% power, except flags) from a certain location (left side)

As you can see, the picture above explains the vales of angles required with 100% power to make the shot reach the target. As aforementioned, you just need to lock the turret at a certain angle, and then shoot with maximum power. With accurate aiming, your shot will reach the designated place.

Trajectory and Its Control:

The trajectory is the most difficult thing to control. It combines the angle you select and the power you make the projectile fly at. But, firing at 100% power will not be always efficient. Going for 100% power means doing away with crucial reaction time because you need to load the power bar fully and the time of flight is also really high. For example, see the illustration below:

A low-power shot

A high-power shot

In the above example, a low-power shot at the right angle will prove more worthwhile than a high-power shot. This is simple because the low-power shot will take considerably less time in hitting the target, say right below the position of the tank (the dusty, grass patch); whereas the high-power shot will take three to four seconds. Capturing the high-power shot is impossible in the tank view, no matter what setting you try for your camera. Even using Spectator didn't prove to be good, as the tank and shot get too small at the distance the image was captured.

Moving on, there are two ways by which you can hit your enemy. The first way is making a low-flying shot, while the second way is making a high-flying shot. This is explained below: ^[2]

Illustration explaining the two types of shots possible for hitting an enemy (along with a normal 45°, 100% shot)

These are the two paths your shot can take - a high one (blue) and a low one (green). The gray line shows the angle of the path at which your shot will travel maximum distance, which is in between the two angles: A 45° shot with 100% power. The distance covered by this shot will be far greater than any straight distance on any Tanki Online map, so running out of range is not something you will ever need to worry about.

You should always try to use the green path, since that way your shot will take much less time to get to the target and the margin of error is a lot greater (as I previously stated too). At this angle, each degree of the angle makes less of a difference to where the shot will land. So if you are shooting at a target which requires a 15° or 75° angle (the addition of the angles of both paths will be approximately 90° i.e. the two angles will be complementary), you are still likely to hit the enemy if you guess 14° or 16° for the low path, but you will probably miss by quite a few meters if you select 74° or 76° for the high path. The error is the same (1°), but the effect on the result is greater depending on the path you choose.

But keep in mind that the high path is still useful in certain situations. Sometimes you have to choose it because there is a large obstacle between you and the enemy (such as a building), or the height difference is too great.

Tips, Tactics and Strategies

The Learning Curve:

Magnum is unlike any other gun in Tanki Online and is already making the rounds as one of the most difficult-to-master turrets in the game, perhaps toppling Railgun from its throne. First and foremost, make sure you know what it takes to get good at it, or else buying Magnum will be like a pig in the poke. Wouldn't say that Magnum's gameplay is monotonous, but it definitely is laid-back and patience-testing. Shafts would know.

Secondly, it really requires a certain amount of practice before it can yield good results for you in actual battles. Even with that done and dusted, you have to do something else than just aim correctly - which is, contributing to the goal of the format. Hence, it is better if you test it out in a Deathmatch first and then go for a CTF or CP battle. While doing all this, you should make sure that you won't get "bored" while shooting away from a placid retreat barely visited by enemies or teammates alike. It actually isn't boring as you progress, the satisfaction that you get from direct hits, the prospect of getting two, three, four, ... kills at once...

Shooting Behind Walls and Pre-Charging:

Magnum is the only turret - as of now - that can shoot whilst being behind cover all the time. This property can come very useful in certain maps and certain situations. All you need to do is find a place on a certain map which will allow you to: 1) shoot all over the map (this would already be possible with Magnum) and 2) provide direct cover from the enemy base (while making sure you turn the turret back down after each shot to avoid getting punched by persistently waiting Shafts).

Some of the following maps provide the best spots:

What makes Magnum more unique is its ability to pre-charge. Railgun also pre-charges, but this charge of Railgun can't be controlled. As soon as you press the 'Spacebar', the shot will be made no matter what. In Magnum's case however, you can control the charge by not letting go of the 'Spacebar'. Hold your shot, adjust your angles and direction and wait as soon as you spot someone. This way, it'll be much easier to play with this monster of lead, especially when you're trying to shell lighter hulls.

Choosing Targets:

It is pretty much common sense to go after a tank which either is of a relatively lower modification or is heavily damaged, unless situations compel you to do otherwise. However, this will, and should not be the case with Magnum. Magnum is like a real-life artillery cannon, designed to provide support for offensive campaigns. For instance, a Magnum should fire its shells at the enemy base instead of picking anyone around it. If the enemy team is running a two-pronged attack on your base, it's better if the Magnum opts for the faction that is using, say an uncommon entry point to the base or is advancing by tiptoeing through the flanks. The rest of the defenders can deal with the other faction.

Maximizing the damage per shot is another thing. For example, when shooting at a clump of enemies, shooting at their centre of mass is useful. What if one of them is an Isida and you didn't see that from a distance? You injure both of them at one go. The same applies to multiple tanks converging or diverging from a spot. Shoot the spot, not the tanks. Direct hits are great but it's not a DM! However, the surroundings can make their presence felt, too. If one of the tanks is turning around a corner or going into a safe zone (for the chosen angle), a direct hit could be the optimum shot.

The cognitive part of choosing targets and accurately pelting projectiles at them is really enjoyable. Besides that, using a clever technique you can not only be a powerful Magnum on the prowl, but also (inevitably) a scout for your team. Stationary yet engaging in espionage. How? Read on.

Shooting using Camera Controls:

Seeing your shots towards the enemy base going down the drain is never a good thing. Long-range shots from the Magnum can penetrate enemy bases or help you rain down blows to distant CPs, but doing that in vain isn't favorable since the low reloading speed can make you easily vulnerable. So, is there a way to see where and what you're shooting at? Of course, having damage numbers switched on can help you locate enemies behind cover, but that's still taking a chance, innit? What if you have a bird's eye view that you can use to shoot with great precision even at long-range? Using camera controls (also known as a "Modeless Spectator", can allow you to do just that. See the steps below if you don't know how.

First of all, head to your favorite camping spot. Actually, choose one with very high protection. Behind a building if possible.
Keep 'Q' pressed till your camera comes to a standstill.
Press 'Ctrl'+'Shift'+'K' and you'll see a console opening up at the left. Enter "vars.set cam_maxmove 0", and 'Enter', followed by 'Ctrl'+'Shift'+'K' again. Then, press 'E' till you have you it, a bird's eye view (somewhat). You will still be able to see the power and angle meters.
To take a look at your tank's health bar and the immediate surroundings, press Q.
Got killed and about to respawn? Press 'Ctrl'+'Shift'+'K' and enter "vars.set cam_maxmove 5", followed by 'Enter'. Now exit the console and you'll be in normal camera mode. From this point onwards, you won't have to type in the whole command, just press the 'Up-Arrow key' once or twice and you'll have the command you need.

The bird's eye view while your tank is behind the central building of a Highways map base.

Once you're in the bird's eye view, use the left and right arrow-keys along with 'Q' & 'E' to aim at your target. The targeted tank should be approximately between the angle and power meters. If your target is a moving one, aim at the general direction of the target and try to forecast the target's position at the end of your projectile's time of flight (which depends on the angle and power set). A bit of practice and you'll get the hang of it. Remember, there's a time and place for the usage of this tool. If your base is being overrun by the enemies, avoid using this. You'll be cannon fodder otherwise.

But before you try this out, make sure you know what kind of vulnerability it leaves you in. Once you're using camera controls, you cannot quickly switch back to the normal camera mode. This takes away crucial reaction time and a DPS weapon sneaking up to you in such a case will most probably mean instant death. You can see your surroundings by pressing 'Q', but that's about it. To make sure you have a higher chance of survival, press 'C' immediately after you spot an enemy near you and then switch back to the normal camera mode. Lastly, catcalls of "mult" and "noob" will be commonplace, don't get bothered if you're indeed contributing to the team.

Aiming on Slopes:

Now this is pretty obvious. Make sure you don't falter when going along a ramp or in fact, any sloped or undulating ground. The angle that your Magnum's barrel makes with the horizontal can in fact go beyond 90°, if you're holding it at 90°already and simultaneously going up a ramp. In such cases your aim can possibly go erratic. Here's a useful piece of information - most of the ramps in Tanki's maps are roughly 30° steep. There are exceptional cases like the ones in Madness, of course. Now that you know the angle, you can adjust the angle of your Magnum when you're going up or down a ramp accordingly. For example, there's this camping spot on the Silence map's red base which can be accessed by a small ramp. If you camp with Magnum on that spot, you're easy pickings for Railguns while you aim or reload. So, alternatively, you can avoid doing that and camp on the ramp instead. The ramp gives you protection from enemy campers (except Thunders and other Magnums) but it doesn't hinder your aim. All you have to do is rectify, by lowering your turret's angle.

About Gold Boxes:

Many high-ranked people do not, in fact, care for Gold Boxes. They sit and keep killing, capturing and fulfilling battle objectives while the 'hunters' are busy fighting for the Gold. Most of these people tend to stay behind and kill those hunters. Grabbing a Smoky, Twins or Vulcan doesn't cut it, so whenever a Gold Box drops, they change to energy weapons (such as Firebird or Freeze), or splash damage weapons (such as Thunder and Striker). But, with the addition of Magnum, one can take out possible the whole horde of people under a dropping Gold. This tactic would practically be useful in DM games. So, why not utilize this option?

Whenever any of those golden boxes drop, switch to Magnum. Then, in the process of spawning, you should hopefully spot the drop zone and head over there. Grab a Double Damage and wait for the people to pile up. Once the have piled up, land a shot straight in the middle of them by either:

Making your way to the Gold Box and making a 90° shot, so that the payload drops straight down on the horde with you.
Standing far back and making a 10°- 45° shot, which, with luck and aim, lands straight in the middle.
Camp on a point above the Gold, pre-charging the shot and releasing it while jumping on the horde.

All of these methods prove to be worthy in all situations. Hence, if you're hungry for some "extra kills", Magnum is your best option.

Magnum vs Other Turrets

To write this section, we experimented Magnum versus other turrets mounted on Viking. Viking is a medium hull, with all the perfect statistics to test a turret. Moreover, the protections were zero and the battle had MUs off, so the exact duel could be finalized. Do note that these results were gathered from two turrets of the same modification level, and no alterations were used. Results might vary for different modifications and with the use of alterations.

Additionally, this video^[4] is also a quick guide for remembering which turret wins. Do remember that the battle options weren't correctly set in it.

Magnum vs. Firebird:

Firebird is a born-to-kill weapon. With its high damage and after-burn effect, it can literally take out a Magnum in less than four-six seconds. This time is less than the sum of reload time of two Magnum shots. Hence, Magnum easily loses this duel.

Magnum vs. Freeze:

Freeze is very similar to Firebird. The only difference is that a Freeze user will start to circle you as a way of making you unable to shoot him/her. Combine this with Freeze's drastic damage over time, and Magnum will not be able to land a second shot at the Freeze user. Magnum, again, easily loses this duel.

Magnum vs. Isida:

Isida also has a very high damage output value. It can literally suck the health out of a Viking in less than four-five seconds. As I previously said, Magnum wont be able to land two shots on the opponent Isida, resulting in a loss.

Magnum vs. Twins:

Twins has undergone various balance changes in the past, and overtime, it was made stronger. Before the previous global update, Twins was unable to kill a tank in less then six-seven seconds. But now, it can. This change has made Twins remarkably stronger, especially for use in DMs. Six-seven seconds is still lower than the sum of the reload times of two Magnum shots. Though its first shot may send some plasma flying, Magnum would still lose from Twins.

Magnum vs. Ricochet:

Simply said, the plasma of Ricochet is too strong and its reload is too fast for Magnum to compete with. It can take out a Viking in less than four-six seconds. Thus, Magnums loses to Ricochet. If, however, a Ricochet runs out of ammo, a Magnum may have a chance to kill it. The result is a tied situation.

Magnum vs. Smoky:

Smoky is a bit under-powered if you aren't using it with supplies, especially Double Damage. Its damage output over time is too low. A Magnum will easily be able to serve two shots for the opposing Smoky. Thus, Magnum wins.

Magnum vs. Thunder:

Contrary to the popular belief of Thunder being so strong, it actually can't win against a Magnum. Magnum packs quite a punch and this combined with Thunders self-damage will prove to be a disaster for the opposing Thunder. Thus, if you face a Thunder user, don't worry -- you know the Magnum will win.

Magnum vs. Vulcan:

A Magnum-Vulcan duel is the most dramatic duel of all. It literally goes to the last second. If both, the Vulcan and the Magnum start shooting each other at the same time, the Vulcan will be able to kill the Magnum just a millisecond before the Magnum lands its second shot. However, if the Vulcan starts shooting late, the Magnum will take it out. Hence, the result is win-lose, or rather a tie.

Magnum vs. Striker:

Even if a Striker starts locking onto a Magnum, after the Magnum has already shot it, the Striker will be able to lock onto the Magnum and unleash its four-rocket salvo. This salvo will be able to take out the opposing Magnum. Magnum, thus, loses to a Striker.

Magnum vs. Hammer:

Hammer's case is a little different. Hammer shoots three shots spaced by a certain amount of time. Plus, Hammers pellets were recently reduced, heavily crippling its ability of landing most of the pellets, or rather all of them onto a tank in a swift dogfight. Magnum here would easily land two of its shots on the enemy Hammer, resulting in a win.

Magnum vs. Railgun:

Railgun has a pretty high value of damage -- but, it is countered by its reload time plus the charge time. Unless the Railgun dodges your shot, it will be impossible for it to kill you. This is because a Magnum can take out a Viking in two shots. The sum of the reload time of two Magnum shots is less than that of three Railgun shots (Railgun takes out a Viking in three shots). Hence, Magnum wins.

Magnum vs. Shaft:

Shaft is a deadly weapon. Any hull will bow down to this woeful beast, for it mercies none. As simple as it gets: If you bump into a Shaft, run. However, if by some means you can get behind the Shaft while it's aiming, you will be able to make those two shots necessary to kill it. Result? A tie.

Magnum on Different Hulls

Now, let's see how Magnum performs when mounted on each hull...

Magnum-Wasp:

To put it bluntly, you should not use this (certain exceptions), there are better combinations out there. If, however, you are playing in a Parkour battle, then this combo might have some usage. As said, exceptions include maps like Kungur, where a Magnum-Wasp could sit in the bushes and rain lead on the enemy base, as shown below.

In different gametypes:

DM: Would get killed right on spawn. Unless you find a really good spot, you can expect to fail big time.
TDM: Might be useful if there is a 'governing point' in the map. You could camp there and deliver support. But why not choose something more reliable for the same?
CTF: Here comes the mode in which this combination might actually work. Find a spot in the map (in your base of course!) and deliver shots right into the enemy's base. Still very situation-specific.
CP: Will only work in a map with a huge surface area and lots of points, potentially near some major props. The health factor is still valid, which makes the choice debatable.

Magnum-Hornet:

Magnum-Hornet should be the same as a Magnum-Wasp, but might feel better or worse depending upon your playing style. In my opinion though, this should still not be used. (Unless you feel that hulls heavier than Hornet or Wasp lack too much in turning speed and acceleration for your liking.)

In different gametypes:

DM: Straight-up kill on spawn, unless you find a good spot; just like Wasp.
TDM: With cover, this might excel.
CTF: Same as TDM basically. But if you’re playing a medium-sized map, be prepared for a sudden onslaught.
CP: Same as Wasp.

Magnum-Hunter:

Handling this beast isn’t tough, and with the proper set of skills, this combo can prove to be amazingly good.

In different gametypes:

DM: Basically, you would want to use Magnum paired with the heaviest hull in the game – Mammoth. While Hunter could still possible work with skills, it doesn't have the health to counteract Magnum’s exceptionally long reload time.
TDM: With cover and good use of the damage output, this will work, unless you’re in Duel or something…
CTF: Worth it. Hunter is the simplest medium hull, and understanding it shouldn’t take ages. It has a perfect height and somewhat a good number of hitpoints.
CP: Will work only if you know how to control and aim perfectly with Magnum. Should still play in medium-large maps though.

Magnum-Viking:

A bit better in handling and maneuverability than Hunter, Viking can provide the perfect statistics needed by a Magnum user.

In different gametypes:

DM: Still a wee bit weak for DMs, honestly. Wouldn’t get high on the leaderboard.
TDM: Will largely depend upon the map you’re playing. If it’s quite spacious, might work, but if it isn’t, it might not.
CTF: Magnum is awesome with any given medium hull in this mode, but do stay behind cover.
CP: Again, largely depends on the map you’re playing.

Magnum-Dictator:

Though a Dictator might feel a little too heavy, it provides the height of three stacked Vikings. Good in crunchy maps in my opinion (to get that guaranteed low-shot ya know).

In different gametypes:

DM: Dictator is a medium hull, and medium hulls are weak to be in a DM while using Magnum.
TDM: Can prove to be really exceptional.
CTF: Finding a 'governing point' might be necessary, though you will be needing a good cover to counter for your height.
CP: As I stated for the previous hull, pretty much similar.

Magnum-Titan:

A beastly Titan can really prove to be a monster for the enemy whilst being decent for a Magnum, but it will matter directly onto you whether you like high speed or more weight.

In different gametypes:

DM: Now we're talking. Just find a good spot around which most of the fighting happens, and then, wreck everyone.
TDM: Too slow? You need to change positions in this mode, but that depends upon the map you're playing on. An assured winning combination for maps like Brest.
CTF: Can prove to be really good, albeit you will still need cover, because those Shafts wont mercy a Magnum at all.
CP: Will only be good if you know how to play with Magnum. Don't miss a shot and go straight for a certain point (preferably an isolated one, so that you can shoot from there and hold it).

Magnum-Mammoth:

To have more speed and be swift, or to have more hitpoints and excel in the most sophisticated of DMs?

In different gametypes:

DM: Will be quite similar to Titan.
TDM: This is even slower than Titan, but such good hitpoints? Could work in midfielding.
CTF: Similar to Titan.
CP: Choose a point in the midst of others or stay behind, just get those shots straight on.

Protection Modules

Magnum is quite a fierce turret. One of its disadvantages is that it is unable to rotate in the horizontal plane. This can have further disadvantages, such not being aware of what's happening behind or even to the sides. It is also to be noted the Shaft can hit the barrel of this turret and get a free kill. At longer ranges and in bigger maps, a Magnum user can remain possibly untouched throughout the battle and only threats posed to such a tank are from splash damage turrets and Shafts. As the maps get smaller, the short-range turrets become nightmarish and according to your style of play, a module can be chosen.

Thus, protections against some turrets are necessary as a Magnum user. Some of the best ones are given below:

Griffon T-G -

Griffon T-F -

Kodiak T-E -

Badger T-D -

Badger T-F -

Lion T-B -

Best Maps for Magnum

Like others turrets, Magnum too, suits some maps really well. These maps should have the following properties:

Size - Maps should be medium-large sized - providing a good view and a spacious battlefield for Magnum to effectively play in. In general, prefer maps with distinct bases and a big midfield.
Cover: Direct cover from the enemy base is necessary.
A Governing Point - A point on which a long-ranged turret can reach all points of the map is generally referred to be a 'governing point' or a 'vantage point'. A map with one could prove to be good fit for a Magnum. Doesn't necessarily have to be at a great height. (For example: Silence, Noise...)
A Spacious Base - While the battlefield itself should be spacious, the base should too, follow this property. Any distractions by friendly-firing teammates or crazy drivers could prove to be fatal. (For example: Berlin, Dusseldorf, Highways...)

Small-Medium Maps: Silence, Noise, Siege...

Although small maps such as Duel (duh), Duality and Island won't cater for Magnum at all, medium maps could suit it really well. Consider the example of Noise, in the red team. It is not common that a blue team on Noise controls the middle floor and that is perfect for a Magnum. A no man's land where you can incessantly shoot and essentially present a blockade that would prevent any blue team infiltrator and mean a one-sided victory if your team is good enough. A similar situation could be choreographed from the Silence blue base with plenty of supplies.

The good thing here is easy shooting, the power doesn't need to go beyond 20-40% and that means a higher reaction time too. If you're shooting from a height, 0-5% shots also do a good job and are really easy to execute.

By staying here, you will be able to get a good number of kills in a small amount of time. With skill, you can even make shots curve (spinning your turret on a ramp). Heck, you might even make the blue team run!

Medium-Large Maps: Year 2042, Serpuhov, Barda...

Medium-large maps increase the potential of Magnum. The average size of these maps is still a bit low for making that dramatic, full-power shot unless you use a really steep angle. Consider the following example to Barda, in the blue team. Analyzing the battle situation gets more important here, as the number of players per team and the vastness of the map increases. Every shot counts more because landing accurate shots becomes proportionately harder as the map grows bigger, meanwhile increasing the number of places an enemy can run to and hide in.

The dimensions of the map and your position in it can mean a great deal. Maps like Year 2042 are noticeably long, but their breadth is comparatively low. Sitting beside the central wall and shooting at both bases is useful in CTF and it requires a lower power than the longer shots. For a given power and angle, you can draw an imaginary circle around your camping spot and determine the areas where you can shoot consistently without changing the angle or power much.

This is an excellent spot -- it provides cover while letting you shoot all over. Streamline your shots and you shall prevail!

Huge Maps: Solikamsk, Lost Temple, Highways...

Very big maps, such as Highways, Berlin and Lost Temple are perfect for a Magnum. You can literally remain alive throughout the battle but there's a catch - the difficulty level here is something that you'll worry about. This might seem a bit OTT, but it's true. Magnum is long-ranged turret, so these maps care for it really well, but without camera controls you'll be losing out and even then, getting kills will be far from a five-finger exercise. But if you do master this turret anytime soon, consider the example of Berlin below, in the red team:

This spot is really good. With excellent aim, you might just ace the leaderboard.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, there it is.

Magnum is a really strong gun, with tremendous damage output and an incredible range, it could ace the battle easily if it's in the right hands. What do you think of Magnum? Is it good, is it bad or is it somewhere in between? What role can it most perfectly take on? Is it edible, is it chocolaty?

See ya tankers!

|

✯ DestroyerPdox ✯

Credits:

Big, or a rather HUGE thanks to everyone below for making this article possible.

[1] Claudiu

[2] Maf

[3] Maf

[4] TheMakMan

marc.jp_44 · April 8, 2017

This article lacked information, lacked facts, was not helpful, illustrations were awful, the article was horribly boring and I highly disagree with most points.

Sucked in!

Happy

April

Fool's!

Feels good to give it back to those Reporters who troll'd us on Fool's! :ph34r:

arnav0506 · April 8, 2017

http://i.imgur.com/OqBh9gs.png I hope u really want us to find the Magnum in that pic :lol:

Great article though :D Really helped me, I`ll use it for my alts :3

Edited April 8, 2017 by arnav0506

Hex · April 9, 2017

^ Sorry for the inconvenience, but the Magnum is behind a wall in that little 'rank-up' area.

ULLkmXw.png?1

arnav0506 · April 9, 2017

^ Sorry for the inconvenience, but the Magnum is behind a wall in that little 'rank-up' area.

Yeah, thanks for pointing it out clearly, I did have to search for the little thing for an entire 15 minutes :lol: And oh, it's fine, things like this keep happening. After all, you're a reporter :)

fordmustang12345 · April 9, 2017

If you saw me on my alt you'd know your magnum Hunter Review was wrong B)

Hex · April 9, 2017

^ Haha, everyone is pro on his/her alternate, because you have a set of skills incredibly higher that your alternate's rank. So no, that Magnum-Hunter thingy is completely fine.

Maf · April 9, 2017

You should have mentioned in the part about Mammoth Magnum the fact that Mammoth's slowest turning speed means that it provides the most precise horizontal aim, while with other hulls it will take a lot of (potentially frustrating) gentle tapping on the keyboard to get the right direction. However, it also means that you will be vulnerable when someone attacks from behind since it will take a long time to turn around to shoot them.

Truthteller · April 9, 2017

I knew zen was going to be here when I read the topics name ;) great topic, change my view on ~~nub turret~~ Magnum

Yisroel.Rabin · April 9, 2017

Feels good to give it back to those Reporters who troll'd us on Fool's! :ph34r:

I can hardly call what we did 'trolling'. Was much better the previous year, in my opinion. xD But that's okey, because I can hardly call what you just did trolling either.

c7b885dd8bad28f190dfc3e05984cee9_-meme-f

Gambit · April 9, 2017

Note: the Gold Box goes through the Magnum turret as if it wasn't there.

Maf · April 9, 2017

Note: the Gold Box goes through the Magnum turret as if it wasn't there.

It only goes through the barrel part, but gets collected as soon as it hits the main turret part. Collecting golds with the barrel would make Magnum OP for golds. You'd be able to stick your turret up and collect the box through a tank that's on top of you :D

Gambit · April 9, 2017

It only goes through the barrel part, but gets collected as soon as it hits the main turret part. Collecting golds with the barrel would make Magnum OP for golds. You'd be able to stick your turret up and collect the box through a tank that's on top of you :D

I guess that squashes that hope.

Zenyth · April 10, 2017

You should have mentioned in the part about Mammoth Magnum the fact that Mammoth's slowest turning speed means that it provides the most precise horizontal aim, while with other hulls it will take a lot of (potentially frustrating) gentle tapping on the keyboard to get the right direction. However, it also means that you will be vulnerable when someone attacks from behind since it will take a long time to turn around to shoot them.

I kinda prefer the turning speed of medium hulls here, actually. You can get to your targets faster and a slight error is handled by splash damage anyway. But that's me.

MasterGedou · April 13, 2017

Awesome guide, really enjoyed reading it :D

But there's a tip that I would like to give to Magnum players that wasn't covered on this guide: Master the 45° angle!

Being the angle that shoots the farthest, this means that it takes less power to shoot on the same spot that any other angle tries to, this will save you time to kill enemies and even save yourself on 1v1 situations because you will hit the enemy faster than if you try to aim directly at him and do a 100% charged shot.

When I play with Magnum I always keep the Turret at 45° angle when moving around the map.

Zenyth · April 13, 2017

Awesome guide, really enjoyed reading it :D

But there's a tip that I would like to give to Magnum players that wasn't covered on this guide: Master the 45° angle!

Being the angle that shoots the farthest, this means that it takes less power to shoot on the same spot that any other angle tries to, this will save you time to kill enemies and even save yourself on 1v1 situations because you will hit the enemy faster than if you try to aim directly at him and do a 100% charged shot.

When I play with Magnum I always keep the Turret at 45° angle when moving around the map.

That is true, although it is mentioned in the guide. ;)

A 45° shot with 100% power. The distance covered by this shot will be far greater than any straight distance on any Tanki Online map, so running out of range is not something you will ever need to worry about.

Going around the map with the barrel tilted by 45 degrees is also a good way to be ready to shoot at any range. The only weakness I could think of is enemies sneaking up to you or Shafts shooting your raised barrel.

Hate · April 13, 2017

I don't think you have left any info, everything that needed to be mentioned or most parts of it is already mentioned in here. The one thing I really liked is that small extra trailer. :o Seems like you really invested quite a lot of time writing it, well done, well done!

Maf · April 13, 2017

The one thing I really liked is that small extra trailer. :o

Well, you can thank Claudiu for that :P

RIDDLER_8 · April 17, 2017

Your article on Magnum is superb. Players will now be able to better use the turret.

SLS7777 · April 17, 2017

This is really good, it might help people with lower ranks(like me, this was really helpful) and people who are new to magnum. :D

DieselPlatinum · April 17, 2017

Well, it's against the rules to mislead ppl.

Magnum can't beat a smoky or thunder or a hammer unless if it's long range. Because magnum also has self damage.

Railgun can actually beat magnum if it was right in its face.

And it actually has a chance to beat a striker, which IMO, makes it better than striker.

TheCongoSpider · April 18, 2017

Note: the Gold Box goes through the Magnum turret as if it wasn't there.

The Gold Box is taken when it touches the HULL of the tank not anywhere on the turret.

Hex · April 18, 2017

Well, it's against the rules to mislead ppl.

Magnum can't beat a smoky or thunder or a hammer unless if it's long range. Because magnum also has self damage.

Railgun can actually beat magnum if it was right in its face.

And it actually has a chance to beat a striker, which IMO, makes it better than striker.

First of all, we here at the Official Newspaper never intend to write misleading articles.

Secondly, I clearly wrote in the Turrets vs. Magnum's first paragraph that we (me and some friends) tested Magnum vs other turrets of the same modification with MUs, alterations and supplies off. Now, you're saying that if Hammer, Smoky and Thunder were placed at a greater range from the Magnum, they would've won. But, there's also Firebird, Freeze and Isida; and if we had placed these three at the same distance as the Smoky, Thunder and Hammer, they wouldn't have been able to hit the Magnum at all. So, we placed all turrets at melee range with a Magnum.

Thirdly, even at huge ranges, a Magnum is unable to beat a Striker, even if it doesn't lock on. The Railgun was in the Magnum's face, right at melee range. But the thing is, Railgun takes out a Viking in three shots (again, MUs were off), but Magnum on the other hand, two-shots a Viking. Hence, Magnum wins against Railgun.

RIDDLER_8 · April 18, 2017

The Magnum article has been closed. You can read posts from this old Magnum forum here: http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=353281

RIDDLER_8 · April 19, 2017

Magnum is so good.

Challenge	Start Date	End Date
1	15.08	29.08
2	29.08	05.09
3	05.09	12.09
4	12.09	19.09
5	19.09	26.09
6	26.09	3.10
7	3.10	10.10
8	10.10	17.10

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