IS-3 with M3 is a Tier 8 Soviet premium heavy tank. After its rework and increased characteristics in patch 1.3, it began to sparkle with new colors and now in the premium store has become even more expected than the well-known “Defender”. The reason for this is a unique mechanism for reloading shells; previously only Italian high-level medium tanks could boast of this, but now the IS-3 with M3 has it.
Let's take a closer look at what this machine is, its gameplay features and performance characteristics, and answer the main question - is it worth buying?
Review
General performance characteristics
gun
Tower
Chassis
Engine
Radio station
Crew skills and perks
Crew members can be trained according to the standard scheme. First, let's explore perks that increase the survivability of vehicles on random fields. In particular, we are exploring the repair and firefighting perks. You don’t have to worry about camouflage: the IS-3 with MZ is the happy owner of a squat silhouette and a quite decent stealth coefficient.
After this, you can upgrade your core skills:
- For the commander - a light bulb;
- Mechanical drive - smooth ride;
- To the gunner - smooth rotation of the turret.
After that, we pump in “Combat Brotherhood”. Please note that the proposed order of crew training is advisory in nature, and you can learn perks in any order, guided by your own playstyle.
From additional equipment, you can install the MK-2 stabilizer and reinforced aiming drives. The third slot is filled with a choice, such as a toolbox or improved ventilation.
Near_You chooses the following option:
Peculiarities
- Damage per minute. Without additional equipment, the new IS-3 is capable of inflicting up to 2000 units of damage per minute - this is one of the best indicators among Tier VIII heavy tanks. Thus, with the proper skill and a successful combination of circumstances, the new Soviet “prem” can send even an IS-7 or an AMX 50 B to the Hangar in a minute plus one shot.
- Armor penetration. The base ammunition used is sub-caliber shells with an armor penetration value of 221 millimeters. With this indicator, the IS-3 with a loading mechanism will feel great both in battles with same-level vehicles and in battles with vehicles of a higher level. An additional advantage is the high flight speed of sub-caliber projectiles: this will greatly facilitate firing at a moving target.
- High one-time damage. The IS-3 with MZ is distinguished not only by its excellent rate of fire, but also by its high one-time damage of 390 units per shot.
- Good armor for the hull and turret: the “pike nose” and cast turret provide excellent protection from fire from similar-level vehicles. Thanks to the rational angles of the armor, the IS-3 with MZ is capable of unpleasantly surprising its opponents at the most inopportune moment: a projectile with the highest armor penetration can ricochet off the upper frontal part of the tank.
- Increased profitability and other advantages of premium vehicles: earn more credits and experience in battle.
Advantages and disadvantages
After a detailed acquaintance with the tactical and technical characteristics of the IS-3 with the M3, we can name its strengths and weaknesses.
Advantages:
- the presence of a reverse reloading drum for shells;
- frontal armor of the “pike nose” type;
- high flight speed of basic projectiles;
- strong tower.
Flaws:
- mediocre dynamics;
- low visibility;
- overload of commander specializations;
- very low flight speed of gold projectiles.
Specifications
| Level | 8 |
| Balance weight | 48 |
| Strength | 1 550 |
| Hull armor | 110 / 90 / 60 |
| Tower armor | 249 / 172 / 100 |
| Maximum speed | 40 / 15 |
| Armor penetration | 221 / 270 / 61 |
| Damage | 390 / 390 / 530 |
| Rate of fire | 3.87 |
| Accuracy | 0.46 |
| Aiming time | 3.4 |
| View radius | 350 |
| Communication range | 720 |
| Weight | 48 725 |
| Power density | 10.7 |
| Price | 100 gold |
Crew training
The tank's crew consists of three people, so some crew members feel overworked. The commander combines his specialization with the radio operator and loader, the gunner only with the loader, and only the driver mechanic performs his role exclusively. We recommend the following skill set:
Order of learning and influence of skills
First of all, we study Repair for all crew members, after which we reset the commander and set the Sixth Sense. Then it is better to move on to learning the skills depicted at level 3, because they are effective from the moment they are learned. When there is a reserve of 2.5 levels of experience, you again need to reset the skills to select the Brotherhood of Battle, which only works if all crew members have 100% mastery.
Now let's move on to core skills. The combination of Smooth Move and Smooth Turret Rotation will reduce the spread, which will allow you to more effectively implement damage from the reel. Virtuoso will make the car more maneuverable, and the Off-Road King will help you reach maximum speed faster. Radio interception will add 10.5 meters to the review, and Eagle Eye will add 7 meters. The Sniper will increase the likelihood of critical damage against enemy modules, effectively if you discharge the drum into the ammunition or tanks, and the Non-Contact Ammunition Rack will increase the strength of your own module.
Loading mechanics
Remember the Italian mechanics? So here everything is exactly the opposite. There is a cassette for three shells, which are sequentially loaded into it. You can shoot immediately after loading the first or second shell, your choice. The shot resets the time of the projectile being loaded at that moment. The charging time for the first projectile is minimal and amounts to 12 seconds in the basic configuration of the tank. The next projectile takes 15 seconds to load, and the last one takes as much as 18.
The difference from the Italians is obvious: the IS-3 with MZ seems to hint to us that waiting for a full charge is beneficial only in certain cases, when there is time that needs to be spent usefully: charging the cassette and giving out as many as three surprises to your opponents. And then continue the battle like a regular tank with cyclic reloading: the reload time of the first projectile allows this.
Now in each battle you will not only have to think through various battle scenarios in advance and choose directions and positions for your own actions in advance. In addition to confrontation with the enemy team, in every battle the owner of the car will have to fight with himself. Should I load all three shells or start firing with the first shell? Or maybe give a “D”? The right combination of capabilities based on the combat situation is the key to success.
TTX IS-3 with M3
Let's take a closer look at the tank's characteristics against the background of the upgradeable IS-3, two other Soviet premium tanks Ob.252U Defender and IS-6, and also compare with two more Tier 8 premium drum TT tanks.
Firepower
As armament, the tank received a 122 mm gun with a single damage of 390 units and armor penetration with a basic (sub-caliber) 221 mm projectile. As a special cumulative projectile with 270 mm armor penetration.
Subcalibers are distinguished by a high projectile flight speed, which will allow you to shoot more confidently while moving. But the speed of cumulative bullets is much lower; they are best used only at close range.
The aiming time is good at 2.8 seconds, but the accuracy is not at all pleasing at 0.44, so even at medium distance it will be difficult to target the enemy’s vulnerable areas. The problem with Soviet tanks is the poor vertical declination angle of the gun -5°, but it rises by +19°.
The IS-3 with M3 is the only heavy tank in the game with an automatic shell reloader, which gives it certain advantages. The full reload time is 45 seconds, and there are 3 seconds between shots. Potential damage per minute is about 1992 units, one of the maximum values for a level 8 TT.
How the recharging system works on the IS-3 with M3
Many players are familiar with similar mechanics on Italian tanks; here the situation is similar, but exactly the opposite. The IS-3 with M3 has a reverse loading mechanism, that is, each subsequent projectile is charged longer than the previous one by 3 seconds: the first - 12 seconds, the second - 15 seconds, the third - 18 seconds. Therefore, in this situation, it is no longer profitable to wait until the drum is fully charged and play like a regular tank with cyclic reloading (this is the optimal tactic for Italian tanks), because 18 seconds of reloading is very long, and therefore the damage per minute will be significantly reduced.
What's the best way to implement a drum?
When approaching the enemy, you need to try to discharge all three shells at him at once with a potential damage of about 1170 units, but then there is no need to wait for the drum to be fully loaded, but it is better to continue the battle like a regular tank, playing from the cyclical reload (12 seconds is quite fast KD). This is precisely the strength of this tank, because having shot all the shells of the drum, it does not turn into a “whipping boy” (as happens with the Italians or with ordinary tanks with a drum), it remains in full combat readiness at any stage of the battle.
If there is a break or you need to move, then you can wait until the drum is fully charged and, when meeting with the enemy, give him a .
Vitality
The safety factor is large: 1550 units. The IS-3 with MZ has good hull armor with the legendary “pike nose” in the frontal projection, in the center of which, on the fold, there are two reinforced plates.
Due to rational armor angles, this tank can sometimes unpleasantly surprise enemies of the same level. In addition, it has screens along the side that provide additional protection. A strong cast turret has become one of the trump cards, so you can tank through it if the enemy does not have a height advantage. The roof of the tank protrudes slightly due to the plate, which in scale reaches 229 mm.
Other indicators
The vehicle weighs 49 tons, which, with a low specific power of 10.61 hp/t, still allows it to accelerate to 40 km/h, which is more than enough to reach the enemy. It will not be possible to carry out dashing raids along the flank, but the most important thing is to move closer to the first line in order to reduce the distance for more accurate fire. Chassis traverse speed 26°/s. The overview is typical for Soviet level 8 heavy duty systems - 350 meters, and the communication range is 720 meters.
Tactics
The new tank is distinguished by the versatility characteristic of the Soviet branch: it is capable of operating equally successfully both in attack, supporting the attacking impulse of the allies, and in defense, holding the line’s defense even against a superior number of enemies. This is a well-protected vehicle, with perfectly balanced firepower.
The tank is slightly less dynamic than the IS-3 or IS-6, so aggressive raids together with attacking groups of allied medium tanks are not exactly its profile. The IS-3 with a loading mechanism feels much more confident as a breakthrough tank, slowly but surely closing in on its opponent right up to the clinch.
In close combat, the IS-3 with MZ shows its best side. Its high damage per minute makes it one of the most dangerous melee tanks at Tier VIII, and its armor penetration allows it to operate quite effectively even against heavily armored opponents.
Try to avoid artillery duels at long distances - the accuracy of the 122 mm D-25TA gun does not allow you to effectively act as a sniper.
During the defense, first of all, try to take a comfortable position that will hide the lower armor plate as much as possible. Or use side screens, “tanking” with the side. Properly taking a defensive position will extend the life of your IS and help inflict sufficient damage on your opponents.
Is it worth buying an IS-3 with an M3?
The IS-3 with M3 offers interesting gameplay, besides, the tank is very rare and few people can boast of having it in the Hangar. After the performance characteristics update, the tank went on sale for the first time in September 2022. Previously, it could only be obtained from New Year's boxes (at random, some were lucky).
There are 4 types of sets available for purchase, ranging in price from 2,740 rubles to 4,399 rubles (the sets are distinguished by an additional supply of gold, personal reserves, equipment, consumables and combat missions).
Conclusion
It turns out that, regarding certain parameters, the tanks are identical? As it turned out, with the same concept of combat, individual indicators, their shortage or excess, are not felt on the battlefield, unless we talk about the weapon.
After spending 20 battles on each of the tanks, I noticed the lopsidedness of the clone’s gun and the unprofitability of the original. So, this tank can only be bought if you don’t have any premium tanks in your hangar at all. If this is not the main thing for you, the classic version of the tank will be much better.
Modules:
Turrets/guns
| Lv. | Tower | Armor (mm) | Rotation (deg/sec) | Review (m) | Weight, kg) | Price (credits) |
| VIII | IS-3 with MZ | 249/172/100 | 22 | 350 | 10 000 | 30 000 |
Compatible weapons:
| Lv. | gun | Penetration (mm) | Damage (HP) | Rapid fire (rounds/min) | Spread (m/100m) | Mixing (c) | BC | Weight, kg) | Price (credits) |
| VIII | 122 mm D-25TA | 221/270/61 | 390/390/530 | 5.13 | 0.46 | 3.4 | 28 | 2 590 | 125 140 |
Engines
| Lv. | Engine | Power (hp) | Fire probability (%) | Weight, kg) | Price (credits) |
| VIII | V-11-IS-3 | 520 | 15 | 750 | 55 000 |
Chassis
| Lv. | Chassis | Max. load (t) | Turning speed (gr/sec) | Rmin | Weight, kg) | Price (credits) |
| VIII | IS-3 with MZ | 53.56 | 26 | B/2 | 10 000 | 30 000 |
Radio stations
| Lv. | Radio station | Communication range (m) | Weight, kg) | Price (credits) |
| X | 10RK-26 | 720 | 160 | 51 600 |
