The Type 59--The Most Overpriced Tank Ev--err I mean Premium Tier VIII Medium

The Type 59...Tier 8 Chinese Medium, and the first Chinese tank at that. I know it's already off sale, but if you don't own a Type, stick around for tips on how to kill it.

How good is the Type 59?
Well, that depends on how good you are with high-tier Russian mediums. This tank has one of the most troll turrets and one of the most troll profiles. If you can use that to your advantage, then you probably think it's pretty damn good. If you have trouble getting hull down or knowing when to assault heavy tanks, then you probably think it's a sack of shit. I think this tank is a reasonably balanced tank that really challenges the skill of the player. Typically, if you see a Type 59 on the enemy team, you can figure out how good that player is just by watching him for a few seconds. If he's good, he'll stay away from cities, he'll stay in the hills, and, most importantly, he will side hug the f*ck out of poor heavy tanks. More on that later.

First, let's talk stats.
Hull Armor
Frontal:100
Side: 80
Rear: 45

Turret Armor
Frontal: 200
Side: 150
Rear: 65

Power-to-weight Ratio: 14.27 hp/t
Traverse Speed: 46
Turret Traverse Speed: 42

Shell Damage
AP: 210-351
HE: 262-437

Penetration
AP: 136-226
APCR: 181-301
HE: 37-62

ROF: 6.00
Aim time/Dispersion/View Range: 2.5/0.39/260

So...what does all that mean?
This tank (IMO) is pretty much an upgraded T-44 with a T-54 turret. Why?
It has the characteristic T-54 and up turret. Bouncy, troll, and very very dangerous to approach if situated behind a hill or embankment.
However, its hull is almost identical to the T-44. Be careful taking shots to the left side (from your camera perspective), because, like the T-44, an ammo rack is placed right next to the driver, with another ammo rack directly behind that and another in the back of the turret.

How do I play this tank?

• Look for hills. Always go for the hills and peek-a-boom behind embankments (check out Alexander_Cheng's post to learn more on peek-a-booming). When coming out to fire, be in sniper mode already and reveal as little of your turret as possible. Because it is a rounded turret, THERE ARE WEAK SPOTS. Any bad Type player will come out and sit to let the sights settle and then fire. If you do that, I guarantee you'll take a shot straight into those weak spots. Reveal as little as possible, sneak out, keep the turret moving, take your shot, and get back into cover.
  

• Stay back. Make sure you're not the first one spotted (unless the other meds on the enemy team are a tier lower) because you don't have the health pool to be trading shots back and forth with other people. Also, with a ROF of 6 rounds, your DPM is not all that great. Best to be patient, let the noobs rush and spot, and stay behind half covers to hit opportune targets.
  

• Learn to side hug. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and, next to peek-a-booming, is this tank's next greatest strength. There's truly nothing like side hugging a big, stupid heavy tank and having them bounce off your turret or miss because they don't have the gun depression. Like I said, this tank has a troll profile. It is so small (vertically) that virtually all heavy tanks cannot hit the tank because they don't have the gun depression. If they can hit you, just make sure to back your mantlet into their gun before they fire. Nothing will pen, unless it's HE. I'll put some photos below to show you, if you're still confused. But just remember...make sure that heavy has no friends around, otherwise your joyride will come to a quick end. Park next to him, and, using your maneuverability, drive back and forth and deny him a shot at you.
  

You'll know whether or not you're doing this right, because when you win, you should be winning with very little damage taken. All of the pictures above were taken towards the end of the fight, yet I had taken barely any damage. Also, because alpha damage of this gun is about the mid-200s, games of 2.7k damage are pretty decent. 3k and up are typically uncommon for me and require a truly monster game to achieve.




So, to succeed in this tank, I really suggest playing second-line in the beginning. Like a TD. Not necessarily camping, but second-line supporter. Once a "front" forms, then drive up to hills, stay behind an embankment, and hit opportune targets. There are exceptions, of course. Maps like Desert and Canal really depend on Meds to push through to make a breakthrough, or your team could be overrun. This tank is truly a thinker's tank. Use logic and plan ahead.

Now...I see a Type 59...how do I kill it?
So, you don't own a Type, but you encounter them all the time in battles. Like I said, super strong turret. Don't even bother trying.
If you're playing heavy, you shouldn't run into them too often, actually. Medium tanks should be countering the Type, not heavies. But, if you do bump into a Type, do NOT be alone. If the driver is competent, he will side hug you and make you a quick snack.
If you are a heavy with high pen, aim at the right side of the hull, assuming you can see it. This is because, like I said before, of the ammo rack right next to the driver. When looking at the tank head-on, the rack is on the right side. Try to hit that right side. Or, for a higher chance of racking, hit an unsuspecting Type in the right, forward side of the hull. The side armor is weak, so you have a pretty good chance at racking. But in either circumstance, if you're a heavy, stay with your friends. That Type won't get too close.

Now, if you're a medium tank, then your job should be to kill the Type. Honestly, because it's a pretty damn good tank, my strategy is to wait for the driver to make mistakes. If you see his turret, don't bother shooting. Unless he's holding still, hold your shot. If you have a wolf pack, assault the Type and kill it. At this tier, I would suggest targeting the Type 59 first, assuming that the rest of the tanks are Tier 7 tanks. This is because no other Tier 7 medium has a turret like the Type. Because of this, the Type can become a huge problem the longer you let it live. If he's alone, rush him all at once to force him from his position. By the way, if you're in a T54, the Type won't be able to pen your hull without APCR. Just saying.
If the Type has friends, you'd better hope that your teammates are good. Monitor your surroundings. If things aren't looking good, run while you still can. Regroup with the heavies and let the heavy tanks deal with them. The Type 59 is very dangerous in the hands of a good player on hills, so be very careful when approaching one that is under cover.

Last Thoughts:

Honestly, I started out hating the Type 59. I was really dejected because I thought I had wasted my money. However, after learning how to really play this tank through repeated failure (>100 battles), I have learned to love this tank. This tank is comparable to the IS6, honestly. It's got a larger learning curve, but it's such a great break from the IS6. This tank can and will hit 55 kmh in a straight beeline, and will exceed 60 when going downhill. It is so much fun to maneuver and side hug.
Now that I have 124 battles in it and I have learned and figured out how to play it, I've been able to raise the WR in this tank to 51%, and I've begun winning on my own. When I first started this tank, I found that I could only win in platoons.
That being said, this tank is a GREAT compliment to any tank in platoons. However, I really cannot suggest more an IS6/Type 59 platoon or a double Type 59 platoon. In the IS6/Type 59 platoon, make sure the IS6 works as the shield while the Type works around the sides. In double Type 59 platoons, toon mates can easily sweep through medium lines and flank through behind the heavies. This tank really shines through in platoons.

I really hope this review has been helpful. I hope that if you have the Type, you've learned a thing or two about how to play this tank. If you don't own it, I hope you've learned a little more on it's weak spots and how to exploit them. As always, comments and additions are ALWAYS appreciated; I am always learning, and although I consider myself proficient at this tank, I am far from mastering it.
If anybody needs help on this tank, whether it be how to play it or where to go in maps, hit me up with a platoon request whenever I'm on. I will be happy to help.

Below is a YouTube video by BushkaOnBlitz. It's a bit long (30 minutes), but it really details this tank and how to play it. I highly suggest it if you're on the learning curve
Best of luck!!


Keep those barrels hot!

Super well written, Harlan! And effort you put into this is extremely appreciated. Gonna try a lot of this out! Thanks!

-PoD