guide Blindshots: How to use them effectively

[TeyKey1 119]

Hello everyone. It's again time for a new guide translation from AWtactics. The original guide in german can be found here

Keep in mind that english is not my native language, I try my best to write correct sentences. Aswell I use google translate on my original text to keep the effort a bit lower. So there might be some errors I'm missing. In this case feel free to correct me.

Blindshots, i.e. shooting at the enemy without seeing them, can be seen as a legitimate and effective tactic in Armored Warfare. Used correctly, you can use it to increase your damage output and increase your chances of winning the game. As always the Guide is a bit more focused on the PVP side of things. However, there is not really much of a difference to PVE concerning this topic.

Content:

I'll cover the following things in this guide:

• What are blindshots
• How to use blindshots as a tactic
• How can you prevent being blindshotted

1. What are Blindshots

In general, you can say that a blindshot is a shot at an opponent who is not visible (ie not spotted). There are a few tactics that can be used to increase the damage output from blindshots. These are detailed below.

It is important to know that a hit with damage to an unspotted opponent is not displayed in the UI and is not reported by the crew. So you only know at the end of the battle in the winscreen with 100% certainty whether you hit the blind shot or not. The only exception is if your shot was defeated by a hard-kill APS.

In battle, one can guess the successful effect of the blind shots by one of the following aspects:

• The opponent sets a smoke screen after the blind shot, although he is actually not spotted at all.
• The opponent moves after the blind shot (which is visible if he hits some trees or even gets spotted by his movement)
• The enemy has lost the estimated number of HP compared to the damage which your projectile deals. (Of course you only see this when the opponent is spotted again)
• Your shot almost disappears in the air, where the opponent is. (This is not always the case, but you can observe it from time to time)
• The opponent's APS triggers (a message appears on your reticle)
• The opponent complains about cheaters in chat (rare but possible )

2. How to use blindshots as a tactic

In general, blind shots can be divided into 5 categories, whereby these situations can of course also occur in combination in combat (e.g. blind shot at tracked opponents behind a smoke screen). Of course, you can combine these tactics in any form and adapt them to the battle situation.

Blindshots at frequently occupied enemy positions:
Blindshots at frequently occupied enemy positions are rarely used. The benefit of this is that you can scare away the potential opponent from there by blindshooting his position, on the other hand it is a very random method and of course due to that not always successful. You need a lot of luck and of course also appropriate map knowledge to guess where the opponent might be positioned. In general,while using this tactic you should be aware that the enemy is usually hiding behind bushes, trees, rocks or house corners rather than standing in a completely open field. Accordingly, you should prefer such positions as targets for this type of blindshots.

The general advantage of this tactic can be that you can chase away enemy spotters who make life difficult for you, or at least force them to reposition their vehicle.

Blindshot at enemies who were previously spotted:

These blindshots can be made very often and mostly with a very high level of certainty. If an opponent is no longer spotted, but you are already aimed at his position and can shoot within a short time, it is mostly worth firing the shot. The opponent cannot change position very quickly in such a short period of time, so the chances of a hit are good.

Blindshot at tracers:

Blind shots to bullet tracers can be used very often. Here it is especially important that you know roughly where your opponent is. Especially if you are shot at by invisible opponents, you can successfully defend yourself by using this tactic. The easiest are bullet tracers from machine guns and autocannons, which form a direct line to the target. The only thing you have to do is shoot directly at the origin of this tracer. Keep in mind that you might want to aim lower to not hit the gun of a potentially unmanned turret.
Single-shot cannons are also not a problem with a little practice. The following checklist for a blindshot at a tracer is helpful:

• Estimate where the opponent could be (from which direction am I / my teammates being shot at?)
• Watch this spot, preferably in the sniper view
• Wait until the enemy shoots
• Recognize the tracer and shoot at the place of origin.

Blindshot at tracked enemies:

 

Blind shots at tracked opponents can be very effective. It is important that you shoot continuously at the position of the drive wheel or the idle wheel in order to keep the enemy tracked. Try to evaluate how much shots you need to kill the opponent, so as not to shoot 20 shots at a position where the opponent is no longer standing (for example, the opponent has repaired his tracks).

In the video example you can see that after the first shot with the RDF-LT, which tracks the opponent, I no longer shoot the idle wheel, but in the middle of the hull. This is due to the fact that I shoot HEP ammo. Due to the HEP mechanics, I would not do any damage if I hit the enemy tracks, but would only continue to track the enemy. Therefore in this situation it is better to deal actual damage by hitting the hull.

Blindshot at enemies behind a smoke screen:

 

This is also a situation that occurs relatively frequently: The opponent is spotted, takes a few hits and deploys a smoke screen to cover himself. If you are already aiming at the opponent and are almost reloaded, it is a good idea to fire once again at the last position of the opponent (the opponent does not have enough time to move away from his old position). This action is all the more effective if the opponent is poorly armored, since it doesn't matter where you hit.
If you have not previously aimed at the opponent, but can see the smoke screen, it can work quite well to shoot in the middle of the smoke screen shortly after the smoke appears.

Blindshot at moving targets:

 

Definitely the supreme discipline in this regard. If a moving enemy was previously spotted and then disappears again, it can be quite efficient to shoot at the enemy again. But, of course, you have to take the speed and movement direction of the enemy into account. This is a skill that can be aquired by playing the game and gaining lots experience.

Self-protection and priorities when using blindshots:

I would like to emphasize again that blindshots can be effective, but due to the uncertainty whether you deal damage or even hit the target at all, it is also a tactic that should be used with caution. Before firing the blindshot, you should always consider whether it is worth firing it. The following factors should be considered:

• Is it possible that the enemy could spot me because of the blindshot? (Is it better if I remain undetected? Do I have cover in the event of being spotted (rocks, smoke, ...))
• Do I have enough ammunition left to fire such a risky shot? (Or should I better save the grenade / missile for later)
• What is the likelihood of a penetration if I hit? (Is the target well or poorly armored)
• Are there better targets / targets with higher priority, which are spotted and which I could shoot at immediately? (If so, this would be the better option)

 

3. How can you avoid being blindshotted

Basically, you can always be hit by blind shots. Nevertheless, you can try to keep the probability as low as possible. Especially when you play TDs and stand in one place for a long time, you should constantly watch whether you are being blindshotted. You can recognize this by the fact that shots from the enemy side fly past near your own tank. The most effective way against such shots is to vary the position by a few meters after each shot. If you are heavily blindshot at, which is rare, but can happen, it helps if you have cover and only expose yourself if you really want to shoot.
Blind shots are often a considerable problem when using smoke screens. As soon as you deploy one and assume that you will possibly be blindshotted (if, for example, opponents have previously aimed / shot at you), it can help if you do not reverse straight backwards after deploying, but steer the tank to one side (left or right) of the screen. This increases the chance that you will not be hit, since most opponents assume that you are reversing straight backwards.

Edited April 23, 2020 by TeyKey1
typo (see edit history)