Picking the wrong loadout in War Thunder Mobile doesn’t just cost you a match – it can kill your entire session. Every shell type, gun caliber, and torpedo placement actually matters here. After grinding through countless battles and digging into how the mechanics really work, I’ve put together everything worth knowing. Bookmark this; you won’t need to look anywhere else.
Weapon Types in War Thunder Mobile
The arsenal covers three domains, and each one plays by its own rules.
Ground weapons are all about tank guns. Caliber, shell choice, reload speed, and accuracy determine how deadly you are. Get these wrong, and you’ll just be bouncing shots off surfaces that should’ve been Swiss cheese.
Naval armaments split into three: main batteries for ship-to-ship brawls, secondary casemates for close-in fights, and torpedoes for area denial. Ship weapons hit differently – damage is about crew percentage and breaking modules rather than just pure penetration.
Air weapons range from autocannons to guided bombs and air-to-air missiles. Planes aren’t independent; they’re support assets for your ground lineup. Knowing when to spawn them is just as vital as what they’re carrying.
Anti-aircraft systems bridge the gap. You’ve got everything from radar-guided guns to fire-and-forget SAMs. These are mandatory at higher tiers where enemy CAS (Close Air Support) is a constant headache.
Missiles show up everywhere – ATGMs on helis and light tanks, SAMs on dedicated AA, and guided ordnance on jets. Every guidance type feels different and requires its own technique to actually land a hit.
Best Shell Types and Ammo Guide
This is where most players either dominate or wonder why their shots aren’t doing anything. You can only carry two shell types at once, so the choice is huge.
APHE (Armor-Piercing High-Explosive)
The undisputed king. APHE punches through the armor first, then explodes inside. That post-pen blast shreds crew and modules in a way no other round can touch. If the TNT equivalent is high enough, one well-placed shot is a guaranteed delete.
Pro tip: Aim for the Jumbo Sherman’s MG port or German cupolas. Even if the front plate is a “no,” APHE through the hatch usually ends the fight. If your tank has APHE, put it in slot one. Period.
HE (High-Explosive)
HE doesn’t care about penetration; it’s all about overpressure. Against open-topped vehicles or thin skin, HE is brutal. It works best with 120mm+ cannons carrying over 3.5kg of TNT. Hit the right spot, and the blast wave travels through the armor to wipe the crew. Against heavy tanks, though? Don’t bother.
Solid AP (Armor-Piercing)
Simple and, honestly, kind of mid. It punches a hole but doesn’t explode. You’ll usually need multiple shots to get a kill unless you hit the ammo rack directly. It’s okay for early tiers, but swap it out as soon as you unlock something better.
APCR, HEAT, and the Rest
APCR has high raw pen but terrible post-pen damage because the projectile is so small. Use it only as a last resort against flat, heavy plates. HEAT is situational – it uses chemical energy to burn through armor, making it decent for high-caliber guns against targets that shrug off kinetic rounds, but the damage can be inconsistent.
Naval Ammo
Ship shells are divided into HE (great for starting fires and crew attrition), SAP (a balance of pen and frag), and AP (for punching deep into armored hulls). Torpedoes are the wild card – they aren’t direct-fire, but they deliver catastrophic hull damage if you catch a big ship sleeping.
Quick Shell Reference
| Shell Type | Best For | The Good | The Bad |
|---|---|---|---|
| APHE | Armored targets | One-shot potential | Struggles vs spaced armor |
| HE | Light/Open armor | Overpressure kills | Useless vs heavy plates |
| Solid AP | Early game | Decent pen | Low internal damage |
| APCR/HEAT | Specific hard targets | High pen | Inconsistent post-pen |
| Naval HE | Unarmored ships | Disables modules | Bounces off belts |
| Torpedoes | Capital ships | Massive damage | Slow and avoidable |
Top Performing Vehicles
Best Tank Guns
The gun defines the tank. Here’s what actually puts in work:
- Panther D: The 75mm KwK 42 is a laser. It’s built for long-range snipes with great APHE and a fast reload.
- Tiger H1: The legendary 88mm. It hits hard and the tank is tanky enough to let you stay in the fight.
- Panzer 4/70: Features the long 75mm in a low-profile hull. It punishes heavy tanks that think they’re safe.
- KV-1: The Soviet starter pack that actually works. The 76mm is forgiving, and the armor saves you from your own mistakes.
- M4A1 76: The Rank 3 US staple. Use the stabilizer to fire on the move and you’ll win most duels.
- Leopard A1A1: The Tier 8 king. The 105mm L7A3 fires APFSDS with pinpoint accuracy. If you like mobility, this is it.
The common thread? All these guns have reliable APHE or high-velocity sub-caliber rounds that reward good aim.
Best Ship Weapons
Naval is all about rhythm. Main guns dictate the range, while torpedoes keep people from rushing you.
IJN Tosa is a beast. Ten 410mm guns across five turrets means your opening salvo can end a fight before it starts. It also carries 610mm Long Lance torpedoes – the biggest in the game – which forces enemies to turn away or sink. Just watch the skies; the AA is pretty trash, so don’t get caught alone.
Best Aircraft Weapons
Planes are game-changers, but timing is everything. Don’t spawn in a plane if your tank is sitting in the middle of an open field.
- F-4E Phantom (USA): The ultimate multi-role. Guided bombs for tanks, AIM-9s for planes. Just remember: TV-guided stuff hates the dark. If it’s a night map, you’ll need flares to see anything.
- MiG-29 (USSR): Pure speed. It’s an interceptor first, but the missile loadout can still ruin a tanker’s day from distance.
- AH-64D Apache (USA): The king of “peek-a-boo.” Use terrain to hide, pop up, fire a Hellfire, and disappear. The fire-and-forget tech on the top variant is nasty.
- Tiger UHT (Germany): This one is unique. The optics are above the rotor, so you can stay completely behind a hill, fire a PARS 3 missile, and the missile does the rest of the work.
Anti-Aircraft and Missile Systems
AA is a whole different beast now. You can’t just spray and pray.
- Roland: You have to manually steer these missiles. Use the radar button (top-left) to find the target, then guide the missile in by hand.
- XM975: Fire-and-forget SAMs with a fast reload. It’s great, but if the enemy drops flares, you have to relock immediately.
- Gepard 1A2: Probably the best AA in the game right now. The radar lock is sticky, and it has a backup radar if the main one gets shot off.
- ZSU-23-4M4: The “Shilka” upgrade. The missiles are fire-and-forget, but the radar dish turns like a snail. You have to predict where the planes are going before they get there.
Pro Tip: If your radar lock is bugging out, close the lock circle and reopen it. It usually resets the tracking and fixes the issue.
Maximizing Your Effectiveness
- APHE is the default. Unless you’re facing a Maus or something equally ridiculous, APHE should be your first shot.
- Upgrade Firepower first. Faster reloads and better accuracy win games. Maintenance and crew stuff can wait until the gun is sorted.
- Use Crew Pre-sets. Don’t waste time manually swapping vehicles. Set up your lineups once and switch with one click.
- Naval Targeting. Don’t just fire at the middle of the ship. Aim for the engines to stop them or the turrets to disarm them. Spread your fire to overwhelm their repair crews.
- Night Fighting. If you’re in an M1A1 HC at night, turn off the IRCM. It glows like a neon sign and tells everyone exactly where to shoot you.
The Bottom Line
There’s no “perfect” weapon, just the one that fits your style. If you like to hold W, go for Soviet MBTs. If you like to snipe, Germany is your best bet. If you want to control the map, learn the Apache or the Gepard.
Everything you need to dominate is right here. Check back when you hit a new tier – the meta shifts, but these rules stay the same.
