"Road to legend" for non-buyers

[LittleWillie 3,216]

My free-play Captain alt just upgraded his turret and hull to 10/10 = M3 strength.

 

M3 equipment doesn’t unlock for something like another SIX ranks! And that’s early unlock kits - garage M3s are even farther away.

 

What the heck am I going to do with this guy now?

 

Even with free M3s, I can’t start micro-upgrading for a VERY long time.

 

I could buy more M2s, but that doesn’t sound wise in the long run. I could buy and buff modules, but several of those have rankup restrictions above Captain. Drones? Prevailing wisdom seems to be that they are just not worth it. Save my crystals for the future? Maybe - but booooooring!

Z

You are seeing what I've mentioned here before.  Your path is much like my Isida account. It got the m2 kit and mued it to 10 long before m3 unlocks. My other accounts were in the same boat but the Isida account was an extreme case.

 

Old School: 

 

I would have 1 triple module to maybe LtCol when I cuold afford a 2nd.  Then you get ot Col or Brigadier and it was time to buy enough modules to protect against all the 14 attacks.  

 

You could wait until MajGen to but teh 14th, mines, because m3 unlocked at that rank.  So your first mines could be the m3 version.  Othr modules unlocked at MajGen, Gen, and Marshal.  So the time from brigadier to marshal was to fil out and MU yur module collection.  Trade in some at one rank, some more next and your last ones at marshal.  Investments could be prioritized by unlock rank. 

 

New School:

 

The module breakup changed all that.  The cost to MU and buy has tripled roughly.  And now all modules unlock at marshal with the hulls and turrets.  The Brigadier t Marshal range is a vast wasteland now.

 

Now low ranks accounts have to buy m2 modules as they come available so these can be MUedduring the vast expe gap ahead.  This is also the time to consider 2nd turrts and hulls and possibly thirds.

 

If you want to use drones buy one as low a rank you can and start to MU it. Dont use teh thing.  Just MU it on sale until it is at least mu 10.  Then you can start to experiemnt.  In the meantime you will stockpile batteries.

 

Drone development cost is all in the MU ladder.  Free layers cannot afford to drive this quickl. They must wait for sales above mu step 6 or so. .  So start early and go up the MU ladder on sale.  The buy cost is almost nothing so you can own 2-3 drones. Just MU them wisely.

Edited July 11, 2018 by LittleWillie

[austen_pierce 1,959]

^Thanks LW!

 

I’m going to take your advice and build and buff out my modules. I’m also going to keep an eye on drones but I want to see what other drones they release before making a buy.

[LittleWillie 3,216]

I have a drone and the problem it is as much to mu a drone as it is a hull or turret. The drone is not much good until you get it mu'ed. When you buy the drone it lasts 1 second. Mu'ed all it way (1 million crystals) it lasts for 5 seconds. Still not a very long time. Also they eat batteries fast so I only enable it when I get my mission chain bonus and get a few batteries. They last maybe half of 1 day then gone.

It costs twice as much to mu a drone than a m4 turret. But the purchase price is lower.

 

I agree they are not useful until Mu'ed significantly.  But a Captain account has a long long time to work on that.

 

As fo the battery limitation.... My thoughts are that by the time I have any drone with enough MU I wil have a galf-year accumulation of batteries.  They you only use the drone only when the right circumstances exist. 

 

This is just hedging my bets. I am not sure the drones system is entirely needed to remain competitive.  But if it will be vital best to get on the MU ladder earlier than later.

[austen_pierce 1,959]

I appreciate your debate.

 

I will eventually buy a drone. The real reason I am delaying is that I suspect that the next three drones they release will be slightly better than the ones available now. Then the final three will be even better still.

 

I’m afraid that if I buy and sink MU crystals in the early drones, I will have very expensive yet inferior drones.

 

I’ve seen this movie before.

[LittleWillie 3,216]

I appreciate your debate.

 

I will eventually buy a drone. The real reason I am delaying is that I suspect that the next three drones they release will be slightly better than the ones available now. Then the final three will be even better still.

 

I’m afraid that if I buy and sink MU crystals in the early drones, I will have very expensive yet inferior drones.

 

I’ve seen this movie before.

I understand 100%. I agree the next wave will probably be stronger.  But they might have a costlier mu ladder too.

 

I just happen to have three accounts with 98% items at full mu.  They have months  until the next unlock rank. That means they are my drone testers. They have nothing else to buy for months.

 

I have already stopped one drone at mu=6 and I did not buy Trooper. I will take the other 3 or 4 to MU 10 at a cost of about 150k each using sales. That's 50% of the drone potential for 15% of the potential cost. 

 

My take on drones is we have to learn how to use them so that means using them. This 340k - 600k  just the Cost Of Doing Business.

Edited July 11, 2018 by LittleWillie

[Nine 699]

May I recommend buying the keeper kit as soon as you can, then use it without MUing it or wasting crys till WO4 and buynthe Stinger kir (m2 hornet m2 isada) I did that on this account without buying..

[wolverine848 13,152]

May I recommend buying the keeper kit as soon as you can, then use it without MUing it or wasting crys till WO4 and buynthe Stinger kir (m2 hornet m2 isada) I did that on this account without buying..

No point in buying that kit unless you MU asap.  having a smoky m1 10/10 at low rank is way OP.

You will recoup spent crystals through greater battle-fund winnings.

[sensei_tanker 3,156]

 

 

Keeper

 

 - 

 

Osaka**

 

 - 

 

Simoom

 

 - 

 

Atlas

 

 - 

 

Rock climber

 

 - 

 

Medic**

 

 - 

 

MU for 1 turret and 1 hull, any combination of these 2 kits is a good m4

 

 - 

 

 

 

This entire list of kits are Pay-2-win. You can't possibly expect a free-2-play to afford more than 2 kits. 

[austen_pierce 1,959]

This entire list of kits are Pay-2-win. You can't possibly expect a free-2-play to afford more than 2 kits.

I think it is possible for free play via mission and chain rewards with ultra slow approach to ranking up. Like years to just to move three or four ranks. Also not sure about keeper kit. Where is a player that low in rank gonna find 16k crys :blink:

 

But I think buying kits in general is a huge waste of crystals. You don’t need the paint and you probably already have the module.

.

Edited July 11, 2018 by austen_pierce

[LittleWillie 3,216]

Some low accounts will get windfalls from containers. Imagine a new account that get 25k from opening its 1st container.  That 25k goes a long way at entry levels. :o

 

But as a game plan?  Kits are SO 2016. The rules have changed a lot since then.

[Sergeant808 82]

Some low accounts will get windfalls from containers. Imagine a new account that get 25k from opening its 1st container.  That 25k goes a long way at entry levels. :o

 

But as a game plan?  Kits are SO 2016. The rules have changed a lot since then.

I usually find you insightful, but I have to differ a bit here. A great sale in Tanki is 50% off, right? And to buy a turret or hull you have to be at the unlock rank or higher (and higher is almost already obsolete).

 

This is more of a framework than a road map, because everyone travels to the beat of a different booming turret... but here goes!

 

If you count the paint at zero bucks, these kits actually still come in BETTER than 50% and unlock stuff before you can get it otherwise:

M1

 

 

Keeper (Smoky-Titan)

Firefly (Fire-Wasp)

Blizzard (Freeze-Hornet)

Harvester (Vulcan-Titan)

Tsunami (Hammer-Titan)

 

 

-----

M1/M2 Hybrid (Hunter M1 is so close to M2 that it worked great for me for a long time)

 

 

Siberian (Freeze-Hunter)

Osaka (Isida-Hunter)

 

 

-----

M2 (yechh, so few options)

 

 

Avalanche (Freeze-Hornet)

Voltage (Rail-Dictator)

 

 

-----

M3 (save for 2 of these, 1 light, 1 medium, with different turrets!)

 

 

Bumblebee (Hammer-Hornet)

Centaur (Shaft-Hornet)

Healer (Isida-Hornet)

(New Huntsman is maybe 49%, Smoky-Hornet)

Medic (Isida-Viking)

Paladin (Smoky-Viking)

 

 

-----

 

More advice:

 

 

Non-buyers have to pick 1 kit per mod. They have a couple of ranks after LtG to earn for a second M3 kit.

 

They all come with drawbacks, except Keeper. Really. I don't know anyone who shouldn't buy Keeper. Unlocks way early, basically 2/3 off for a gun/hull which can be MU'ed at your leisure to be way overpowered over the next 10 ranks; rank 22 equipment in WO ranks. Not quite a DM beast before MUs, but it does keep station well in any other mode. My daughter totally owned a DM with it tonight with MUs 1/10 and without supply usage... another critical non-buyer factor. The supplies aren't all the way there in low ranks. You can't just repair-kit yourself out of trouble every time. The only compensating factor is armor. If you need a light hull for flags/captures, just get the Wasp M1 on sale and invest the difference. I was topping large-map DMs with this at Brigadier at one point with 2 MUs, so the speed is all you need. If you are willing to play patiently and not get everywhere in a few seconds, then you can be extremely savvy by using Titan.

 

For an M2 kit, I wouldn't even buy an M2 kit. Osaka is the closest thing; about 60% discount, a surprisingly stout Hunter M1, plus a turret which is another early unlock and has lots of potential on upgrade. I think high M1 and low M2 kits are the hardest to get because of the cost versus the funds available to non-buyers. Imagine being able to save over 23000 crystals more than the 50% sales, though. That's huge at WOx ranks. Besides, you will still be welcome in the high M2 and low M3 matches, because one more Isida (even at M2) still matters for a team. The hull is the drawback here, and an upgraded Titan M1 to full will complement. If you think of a Hunter M1 as a light-medium, then you can skimp for it to cover 2 hulls. Non-buyer is all about trade-offs and masking your personal weaknesses. The Hunter Hull Company was probably mad at me because I kept parking it in my light hull spot in my driveway...

 

M3 makes me mad because all the heavy hull kits are overpriced by six figures, and I prefer heavies. However, Healer was nice to have, and Paladin was surprising to me in effectiveness. The key is to get 3 hulls (light/medium/heavy) and about as many turrets (light/medium/heavy). 2 combos come from kits, 1 from your fully MU'ed M2s (no heavy? How about that Titan?), and that coincidentally gives you 3 go-to M3 modules. Isida as a fourth turret isn't a bad idea, but the kits make it really easy unless you love the other turrets. Upgrade these before buying more equipment, concentrating on your best-for-you, most versatile bread-and-butter combination to get it as close to M4 as you can. This is your money-maker, and at M3 ranks you need to be pulling some serious salary from free-play. M4 still has some advantage over other players. I still get "nice M4" comments on my Thunder at this rank, when I play Legend matches half the time. Only upgrade at 50% sales or when the MUs are really low. Speed-ups are for chumps and buyers (possibly the same thing, right, if you're trying to do this much strategy around not buying?). Patience puts money in your pocket. Do secondary upgrades if you afforded all the primary equipment upgrades during a sale and have spare moolah. Your trade-off at M3 is giving up some variety of game-play, in order to gain competitive advantage with the combos you have.

 

Don't play non-PRO unless you're trying for a mission or have such an over-powered combo that you can do the crazy weekends for containers. If you play PRO because of premium or clan membership, OK. Don't outstrip your ability to earn crystals and supplies over time. You're crystal farming. You don't have a choice if you are not buying.

 

Save some crystals for opportunities. Log in every day. I planned to buy nothing on a 30% sale day. Then I got a personal discount for Ricochet M3 which made it better than 50% off. Now I have Rico M3 and another tool in the box.

 

At any rank below M3s, I wouldn't try to upgrade light hulls, protection modules, medium M1 hulls, or secondary turrets. They're all good enough. "Buy cheap and invest the difference." You don't buy? Then you need 1 good combo. Invest all you have in that, and the rest is variety or situational luxury. Get that stuff on clearance only. Don't get 2 medium M2 hulls. Don't get 2 same-range turrets, even if they unlock at exactly the same time (c'mon, Tanki, why do 2 of the 3 M2 short-rangers unlock first and second? Why are there no heavy hulls between rank 8 and rank 20? Swap Titan M1 and Dictator M1 with starting stat adjustments, and you have a much-improved tech tree with very interesting options. Because of this, though, we have to exploit Titan.)

 

The protection modules are the hardest thing. However, with so many turrets out there now and somewhat close balance for them all in MM, they're really no good until you get to at least M2 or run into a ton of hard druggers of one turret type. I would echo what someone else said; get the 3 or 4 you encounter the most or which give you the most problems. Anything more than 3-4 for your mod rank (M1/M2) is a buyer's luxury.

 

Another trade-off for the non-buyer is that, unless you're awesome reincarnate, you will lose to buyer gangsters in low ranks. No way around it. #1 will defeat you by outspending you on equipment, upgrades, and supplies. Learn to knock their supporting #2 and #3 tanks out so they have no help coming back with the flag, or block them, distract them, delay them. There are many ways to win besides firing the deciding shot.

 

You will also be less disposed to certain missions due to your equipment. Can't finish top 3? Trade that one. Can't cap flags? Enjoy your heavy hull and destroy lights in the interim to complete other tasks. Can't survive long enough in TDM? Shoot-and-scoot or pull out Isida. All else equal, though, try to do the crystal missions. You can't upgrade or buy anything with high-inducing gas or explosive cookies.

 

Try to cash a mission a day. There are good strategies for this up the thread. The matchmaking payoff in low ranks is a pittance, and you're racing the experience clock. Containers and chain rewards dwarf game-play results... unless, of course, you're awesome reincarnate.

 

As a non-buyer, you may have to trade off gold boxes on your road to high ranks. These can be huge gifts as outlined by others above if containers, but if you are saving thousands upon thousands by getting a heavy hull, you're not going to catch much gold and don't even need it. It's a game-play luxury for people who concentrate on it.

 

Having Isida as a secondary (assuming it's not your main turret) is really helpful. It's cheap at M1/M2, unlocks early, not bad at all for DM, and is really welcomed by teammates who know what they're doing.

 

If you get protections or kits, consider the ones for the cheap turrets because you can partially protect yourself against the same turrets everyone else has, get them earlier, and with one of the kits above get it over 50% off. If you're going to buy a kit, make sure if comes with cash back on everything.

 

Buying secondary turrets... Try not to buy Hammer outside of a kit. It is priced as a buyer turret, way over other turrets at the same rank range. In fact, Hammer M1 is so bad that ANY other M1 turret is not really overpriced much in comparison. If I were starting over, though, Striker M1 is really, really cheap as a medium-long range option, and I've seen it very effective on a cheap light M1 hull. Firebird and Smoky are cheap options at all mods (except slightly sub-optimal at M3... more below).

 

Secondary hulls are easier because they're both cheaper than turrets and more versatile. Mammoth M2 is so cheap that it would be incredibly enticing under the old system where you had to buy something M1 to get it at M2. However, we're in 2018, and Keeper's Titan is so easy to upgrade above Mammoth M2 in WO ranks that it's practically useless now except in overpriced kits. Oh, and because Mammoth M1 unlocks one rank before Titan M1, you don't need to own that either. Mammoth is for M3 only, and why? They need to reorder the unlock ranks to save this hull, or give it a very strong overdrive. M1 Wasp is something which I've already praised, and it's cheap for rank too. M1 Viking is about the only weak thing down there. M1 Hunter can masquerade as an M2, and Dictator M2 was a go-to for Titan M1 users with few upgrades (about as much armor and way more speed). If you do the vast majority of your missions on light hull work and need every ounce of speed and armor you can get, Hornet M2 unlocks very early and is cheap for rank.

 

Whatever you do, though, pick your M2 to try to be something you'd be happy to MU to M3 and use there to the exclusion of similar combos.

 

Contradicting annoying rule of thumb: If something is cheap at M2, it is the opposite at M3 (you'll pay a premium for it). Really. They're -0.7 correlated on raw values compared to expected turret prices at their respective ranks. NOTHING is cheap for rank at both M2 and M3. This is true for hulls and turrets. The best combinations of M2/M3 prices are Smoky, Firebird, Striker, Magnum, and Shaft. Most of the hulls are nearly a wash or better than average, all pulled down by a horrible M3 Hornet price. Maybe that's why the Hornet kits are such a good deal?... When I calculated this, I was surprised that Striker and Magnum, the new shiny turrets sure to be bought on impulse from buyers with bottomless wallets, were actually good deals. If you thought Magnum was over-powered today, wait until everyone is using it at M1/M2 because it's apparently and secretly cheap to weld a battleship gun onto a tank chassis.

 

There is no similar rule for M1-to-M2. Cheap stuff at M1 can be had cheap at M2 also, in some cases. If you want to have spare cash before M3, try Firebird, Smoky, Freeze, Shaft, and Titan. Buyer-only territory is Hammer, Twins, Thunder, Magnum, Viking, and Dictator. Cheap kits excepted, of course...

 

 

 

 

Finally, a disclaimer:

 

 

One team is red....

The other is blue...

On the road to Legend...

Mileage will vary for you.

 

 

[austen_pierce 1,959]

^The early unlock of kits is a great reason to buy IF AND ONLY IF the kit in question has exactly what you need and want in all aspects (turret, hull, module, paint) and NONE of what you already have.

 

You also pretty much have to buy the kit at the unlock rank.

 

That’s a lot of stars to align. Sure it’s possible with a lot of long term planning... unless Tanki decides to change things when you’re 95% ready. But that never happens :ph34r:

 

I just can’t recommend this approach.

[GuidoFawkes 2,384]

(do not publish it in my community because there is not participation in the LATAM community)

(sorry for the grammatical errors my level of English is elementary  :''c )

 

Sí, joder Matias!

 

Yo también juego allí ¿Cuál es tu nombre allí?

[GuidoFawkes 2,384]

One team is red....

The other is blue...

On the road to Legend...

Mileage will vary for you.

 

i think you can just do both.

 

i might not be a completely free player anymore but.. i managed to fully MU shaft + mammoth to m3 and get enough crystals for raiden when i was still a 100% free player. and that was before the introduction of containers. nowadays i see free players who already have over a million crystals on top of their m2 10/10 combos at major general.