War Thunder Tier List - Best Characters & Builds

Tier List Overview

War Thunder is a complex, combined-arms vehicular combat game that spans decades of military technology, from the biplanes of the 1930s to the modern main battle tanks and supersonic jets of the Cold War and beyond. Because War Thunder does not feature traditional "characters" or class-based shooters, the most accurate and practical way to rank the game's elements is by evaluating Top Tier Main Battle Tanks (MBTs). At the highest battle ratings (11.0 to 12.0), the game boils down to high-stakes, single-life engagements where the slightest miscalculation results in an instant trip back to the hangar. This tier list ranks the best premium and tech tree MBTs in the current meta, focusing on their firepower, survivability, mobility, and overall carrying potential in Realistic Battle mode.

The criteria for these rankings are based on a tank's ability to dominate the current meta, which is heavily defined by advanced composite armor, high-penetration chemical rounds (HEAT-FS and ATGMs), thermal imaging optics, and highly lethal kinetic penetrators (APFSDS). A tank's placement is heavily influenced by how easily it can secure hull-down positions, how reliably it can penetrate enemy armor, and how well it can survive the ubiquitous "reverse gear" meta where tanks peek over ridgelines, fire, and instantly reverse back into cover.

S Tier

S Tier tanks represent the absolute pinnacle of War Thunder's Ground Realistic mode. These vehicles have no glaring weaknesses and possess distinct mechanical or statistical advantages that elevate them above the competition. If you want to win consistently at top tier, these are the machines you should be driving.

Leopard 2A6 / 2A6HEL / 2A7V

The Leopard 2A series is the undisputed king of the hull-down meta. What places these German behemoths firmly in S Tier is the addition of the wedge armor on the turret cheeks. While many tanks rely on composite arrays that can be defeated by chemical rounds or weak spots, the Leopard 2A6's wedge armor can frequently deflect even the most powerful APFSDS and ATGMs in the game. Combined with an incredibly flat turret profile, excellent gun depression, and a devastating 120mm DM53/DM63 APFSDS round, the Leopard 2A6 can sit behind a slight rise in the terrain, be completely immune to return fire, and systematically dismantle the enemy team. The mobility is also phenomenal, allowing you to reposition across the map to plug leaks wherever they appear.

M1A2 SEP

The American M1A2 SEP is a masterclass in situational awareness and raw firepower. In a game where spotting the enemy first is often the difference between life and death, the SEP's independent CITV (Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer) is a game-changer. A competent commander can scan the horizon for targets while the gunner is already engaging another, effectively doubling your vision range. The SEP also features the M829A2 APFSDS round, which boasts extreme penetration capabilities and post-pen lethality due to its DU (Depleted Uranium) penetrator. While its turret armor is technically weaker than the Leopard 2A6's wedge, the tank's gas turbine engine provides unmatched acceleration, allowing it to exploit gaps in enemy lines with terrifying speed.

Type 90 (B)

The Japanese Type 90 (B) is arguably the best Autocannon-Loading System (ALS) tank in the game. The automatic loader allows it to dump rounds into a target incredibly fast, giving it a distinct advantage in close-quarters brawls or when engaging multiple enemies in rapid succession. Furthermore, the Type 90 (B) features a laser warning receiver (LWR) that is integrated into its fire control system. When an enemy laser designator "paints" your tank, the system instantly and automatically slews the gun to face the threat. This mechanical reaction time is faster than any human player, allowing the Type 90 to snap-shot enemies trying to range you from across the map before they can pull the trigger.

A Tier

A Tier tanks are exceptionally strong and highly competitive. They are fully capable of carrying games and dominating matches, but they fall just short of S Tier due to minor vulnerabilities, situational limitations, or a slight reliance on player skill to mitigate armor weaknesses.

Challenger 2 (2F) / Challenger 2 DLC

The British Challenger 2 series brings the biggest gun to top-tier combat: the 120mm L30A1 rifled gun firing the legendary L28A2 APFSDS round. This round has the highest raw penetration statistics in the entire game, meaning there is no tank you cannot frontally penetrate. Furthermore, the Challenger 2 features second-generation Dorchester composite armor, making it incredibly difficult to kill frontally. However, the reason it sits in A Tier rather than S Tier is its abysmal mobility. The Challenger 2 is painfully slow, with a top speed that feels more akin to a medium tank from the 1960s. In a meta defined by aggressive flanking and rapid repositioning, the Challenger 2 often struggles to reach key map positions before the battle is already decided. Additionally, the rifled gun's lack of high-penetration HEAT-FS means you are entirely reliant on your APFSDS for anti-armor duties.

Strv 122B

The Swedish Strv 122B is essentially a highly customized, up-armored Leopard 2A5. It features an absolutely monstrous armor layout that is even more resilient than the German Leopard 2A6 in certain aspects, particularly regarding the lower front plate and turret roof armor (which is highly resistant to top-down ATGM attacks). It also features an automated hunting sight for the commander. However, it suffers from a lower reverse speed compared to its German counterparts. In a game where reversing is your primary defensive maneuver, this slower reverse speed can occasionally be fatal, preventing it from reaching the S Tier.

T-80BVM

The T-80BVM is the ultimate refinement of the Soviet MBT doctrine. It packs a massive 125mm gun firing the 3BM60 Mango APFSDS round, alongside the highly lethal 9M119M Refleks ATGM system which can secure long-range kills on enemies who aren't paying attention. The tank is also incredibly fast, utilizing a gas turbine engine similar to the Abrams. The drawback keeping it in A Tier is its armor layout. While the Kontakt-5 ERA and composite armor are effective against kinetic rounds, the T-80BVM is highly vulnerable to chemical rounds (HEAT-FS) hitting the hull cheeks or the driver's port. In a meta where NATO tanks rely heavily on HEAT-FS spalling mechanics to secure kills, the T-80BVM requires very careful angling to survive.

Leclerc (Série XX)

The French Leclerc is a technological marvel featuring an autoloader and an incredible power-to-weight ratio, making it one of the fastest and most agile MBTs in the game. Its 120mm cannon fires the OFL 120 F2 APFSDS, which has excellent post-pen fragmentation. The Leclerc also features the Galix smoke dispenser system, which can launch multi-spectral smoke grenades to block both standard optics and thermal vision. However, its armor is notoriously unreliable. The Leclerc relies on modular composite arrays that frequently fail to stop modern APFSDS rounds, meaning you cannot rely on your armor to save you; you must rely entirely on your speed, camouflage, and positioning.

B Tier

B Tier vehicles are solid, reliable workhorses. They will perform well in the hands of a skilled player, but they possess distinct drawbacks that prevent them from consistently dominating top-tier matches. They often require a specific playstyle to excel and can easily be punished if mistakes are made.

T-90M

The T-90M represents Russia's latest modernization effort, featuring Relikt ERA and a new welded turret. It has improved survivability over the T-80BVM and features a highly effective Sosna-U thermal sight. However, the T-90M suffers from being incredibly heavy, which has noticeably degraded its mobility compared to earlier Soviet gas-turbine designs. Furthermore, despite the Relikt ERA, the turret ring and hull cheeks remain massive weak points that experienced players will exploit without hesitation. It is a tough tank, but it lacks the overwhelming firepower or speed needed to push into the upper echelons of the meta.

ZTZ99A

The Chinese ZTZ99A is a solid, all-around performer with good turret armor and a reliable 125mm gun firing potent APFSDS. It features an impressive autoloader and good gun depression for a Soviet-derived design. However, it suffers from an identity crisis; it does not do anything uniquely better than the tanks in the tiers above it. Its armor is decent but not as reliable as the Challenger 2 or Strv 122B, its speed is good but not Leclerc-level, and its firepower is outclassed by the Type 90 (B)'s handling and laser warning system. It is a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none.

M1A1 HC / M1A2 (Base)

The earlier iterations of the American Abrams are still highly capable, featuring excellent thermal optics and good mobility. However, they lack the CITV system of the SEP variant, which severely limits your situational awareness. Furthermore, they fire the older M829A1 round, which struggles to reliably penetrate the thickest composite armor and ERA arrays of modern S Tier tanks without aiming for specific weak spots. They require much more precise aim and map knowledge to pilot effectively compared to their upgraded cousin.

Leopard 2A5

The Leopard 2A5 was once the undisputed king of War Thunder, but power creep has slowly pushed it down to B Tier. It retains the excellent mobility and gun depression of the Leopard family, and its wedge armor is still highly effective. However, the introduction of the 2A6, 2A7V, and Strv 122B has left the 2A5 outclassed. Its DM43 APFSDS round requires much more careful shot placement to secure one-shot kills against heavily armored targets compared to the DM53/DM63 rounds found on higher-tier Leopards. It is a good tank, but the competition has simply moved past it.

C Tier

C Tier tanks are the bottom of the barrel at top tier. These vehicles suffer from fundamental flaws—usually related to armor, firepower, or mobility—that make them frustrating to play. They require an extraordinary amount of effort from the player to achieve average results, and they are generally outclassed by almost everything they face.

Type 16 MCV

While technically classified as a Mobile Combat Vehicle (wheeled tank destroyer) rather than a true MBT, the Type 16 sits at top tier and suffers immensely for it. It has absolutely no armor; heavy machine gun fire and artillery splashes can easily cripple or destroy it. While it is very fast and features a good 105mm gun, this gun lacks the penetration to reliably fight heavy MBTs frontally. You are forced to play a purely reconnaissance and flanking role, but in the tightly constrained, urban, or mountainous maps of top-tier War Thunder, a flanking tank with no armor is usually just an easy kill waiting to happen.

TAM 2IP

The Argentine TAM 2IP is a medium tank from the 1970s and 1980s that has been artificially up-towered to 10.7 via the addition of modern composite armor and a laser warning system. Unfortunately, underneath the bolted-on modern armor, it is still a lightweight medium tank with a 105mm gun. Its APFSDS round struggles immensely against the heavy composite armor of actual 11.0+ MBTs. It has decent mobility, but its large profile and paper-thin hull armor mean that if you are spotted, you will be instantly eliminated by any nearby MBT. It is a prime example of a vehicle that simply does not belong in the top-tier ecosystem.

OF-40 Mk.2A

The Italian OF-40 Mk.2A is another case of an obsolete medium tank being thrust into a top-tier environment. It features a 105mm rifled gun and TURMS fire control system, but its armor is completely inadequate. It can be penetrated by almost any anti-tank weapon in the game at almost any angle. While it has good gun depression, the lack of stabilizer (or a very poor one, depending on the patch) means you must fully stop to fire accurately, leaving you as a sitting duck. It has virtually no carrying potential in a 11.0+ match unless the entire enemy team inexplicably ignores you.

How to Use This Tier List

Understanding this tier list requires a firm grasp of War Thunder's dynamic nature. Unlike traditional shooters or RPGs, War Thunder is a living simulation that is subject to constant patches, balance changes, and the introduction of new vehicles that can shift the meta overnight. An S Tier tank today might find itself in B Tier next month if the developers adjust its armor values or introduce a new counter-measure system.

• Playstyle Matters More Than Tier: A highly skilled player in a C Tier tank will almost always outperform a novice in an S Tier tank. The Challenger 2, for example, requires a highly passive, calculated playstyle to maximize its armor and gun. If you are an aggressive player who prefers pushing flanks, the Challenger 2 will feel awful to play, and you will have much more success in an A Tier Leclerc or a B Tier M1A1 HC. Match the tank to your personal playstyle before blindly following the tier list.
• The Reverse Gear Meta: At top tier, "hull-down" is the name of the game. Tanks like the Leopard 2A6 dominate because they can expose only their heavily armored turret, fire, and reverse back into cover in a fraction of a second. When evaluating where to position yourself, always ensure you have hard cover directly behind you that you can retreat into without having to turn your hull around.
• Know Your Weak Spots: Even S Tier tanks have vulnerabilities. The Leopard 2A6 has a well-known machine gun port weak spot on its turret cheek. The M1A2 SEP has a vulnerable lower front plate and turret ring. Knowing where to aim when you face these vehicles is just as important as knowing how to drive them. Spend time in the protection analysis viewer in the hangar to understand the internal module layout of the tanks you fight most often.
• Ammunition Selection: The meta heavily revolves around ammunition choice. While APFSDS is the standard go-to for most engagements, knowing when to switch to HEAT-FS or ATGMs is crucial. HEAT-FS is highly effective against tanks that rely on spaced armor or ERA, as it bypasses these mechanisms and relies on raw penetration and spalling. ATGMs, while slow, allow you to secure kills on enemies who are barely peeking over a ridge, as the missile can arc down onto their turret roof.
• Patch Notes Are Law: Gaijin Entertainment, the developers of War Thunder, frequently tweaks vehicle armor thickness, shell penetration values, and repair costs based on community feedback and declassified military documents. Always read the latest patch notes before investing your Silver Lions or Golden Eagles into a new vehicle. A tank's position on this list is a snapshot of the current meta and should be treated as a guideline, not an absolute rule.

Ultimately, War Thunder is a game of knowledge, patience, and execution. The best tank in the world cannot save you if you expose your hull to an enemy gun, and the worst tank in the game can feel incredibly powerful if you leverage its unique strengths against an unaware opponent. Use this tier list to understand the battlefield landscape, but remember that your own skill and battlefield awareness will always be your greatest weapons.