I’ve finally upgraded to the M3 Lee. After the hugely fun M2 Medium, this tank is a total disappointment. What the hell were the Americans thinking? I’ve read up about this tank before buying it and the comments all pointed to the fact that this tank is bad. Well, it’s worse than bad. I’ve never experienced such a terrible driving machine. Even the VW Beetle is a better feat of engineering and beauty.
The ghastly M3 Lee, next to two devastating Russian KVs
The tank is slow, ungodly slow for a medium. It’s also built like a barn, with a high profile and a very low turret. This means that you’re exposed long before you can shoot at whatever is coming over that hill.The 75mm cannon, which was effective in the M2 medium, is suddenly underpowered against the higher classes you now face. Thankfully it is more accurate than the M2, which could be likened to a shotgun shooting into a dark room and trying to hit an apple hidden behind a wall.
Then there’s the worst feature: the turret itself. Instead of the turret being mounted on top like EVERY OTHER tank in the game, it’s mounted on the front left. This means that it’s effectively a tank destroyer… or should I say ineffectively. Its high profile and flat frontal armor makes it much more vulnerable than the sloped, low profiles of the TDs, and the gun does not suit sniping at distance much either. Your only option is to hide behind buildings and wait for the enemy to stick its nose around the corner, and then pray that you get him disabled or dead before he can swing his turret around you. Against a heavy this doesn’t work very well, and you end up having to run like mad to hide behind something before he one-shots you with his huge gun. Against a light this doesn’t work either, as it can simply outmaneuver you, get behind you and shoot at your soft ass while you try to swing that ungainly body around to get a second shot off.
Thus you’re left to hang around in the middle and hope that the enemy gets distracted by your allies, giving you a chance to fire off a shot or two before being exposed. Or finding another medium and somehow getting that first shot off true.
If it wasn’t for the T1 Heavy, I would have given up on this monstrosity after the first battle, but I so do want one. I’m also working through the USSR ranks, aiming for a KV at some stage. The devastating effects of that lumbering monster is something I must experience.
Anyway, only another 12000 experience (Much more if I want the other tanks this thing unlocks) and MANY more credits to go to the T1, guess I better start grinding…
