Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent accuracy, good alpha damage and DPM
- Strong upper glacis and decent side armor, good at sidescraping
- Good top speed and heavy weight, excellent at ramming enemy tanks
- Good gun depression
- Good viewrange
Cons:
- Sluggish acceleration and agility
- Mediocre turret armor
- Large, poorly armored lower glacis, penetrations often lead to engine damage
- Low base penetration
- Large profile with poor camouflage
Performance
The E-50 is a massive improvement over the Panther II in terms of survivability, maneuverability and damage, if you play it correctly. It is still not a heavy tank, but it can last a minute or two going up against tier 9 and sometimes 10 heavies. Always try and turn your hull so you're not 90 degrees to the enemy attacking, the German medium hulls are great for bouncing angled shots if the enemy is just shooting at the largest target; which is usually your hull. The 8,8 cm KwK L/100 is great for sniping, and you should use that to your advantage in long distance standoff fights with heavies as you can still make critical hits at 500m and more with a competent gunner, this will improve with the 10.5cm's increased damage. A nice fast shell speed goes with the 88/L100 so hitting moving scouts is easy and it has half decent damage output even against heavy tanks, but don't expect to win a 1 on 1 head on. Using the speed of the E-50 and its maneuverability will win you many tank on tank battles as it has decent acceleration but is hampered by slow track turn speed. Most players either look at you as a very low HP heavy tank, or a slow fat Medium tank, use it to your advantage and flank them while they ignore you or think you've run away.
A common misconception with this tank is that it is significantly better armored than Panther II and that you can brawl. Although some stats say so, this is far from truth. Avoid being shot at all costs, no matter which gun you use. You will get penetrated about 8 out of 10 times, even by tier 8 mediums. Sidescraping can help a bit, but this tactic is only viable with 10.5 cm gun, where you can trade shots to a certain extent. And even then, your turret is cheese and will rarely ever bounce.
With the top 8.8 gun, and with a 100% crew plus rammer and vents, you get an insane reload time at around 4 seconds (slower as of 1.10.1, due to the rework to the L/100), which can be further lowered with chocolate. This is very good for perma-tracking other tanks, as your rate of fire is too high for the enemy unless they use their repair kit or they trained their crew for repair. While the alpha damage may seem underwhelming and tier 9, the rate of fire and penetration values (223 for AP and 261 for APCR) as well as the VERY good accuracy (about 0.29 with the top turret, 0.3 with stock) are not to be overlooked. Just make sure you are far from the battle and that you cannot easily be shot at.
With the 10.5 cm gun, this tank will feel almost like an IS-3, only a tier higher, faster, more agile, German, and able to more easily swing its weight around. The 10.5 cm's alpha, muzzle speed, decent reload speed allow it to very easily pick off tanks that are nearly dead, saving other teammates a potential headache. The alpha of the 10.5 cm is equivalent to most other T10 and T9 Mediums, but again, the E50's top guns (both the 8.8 and 10.5) are the most accurate in the game. Make sure those in your line of fire feel that fact.
With the 10.5 cm gun, Tier 8 heavies should all but avoid getting into a firefight with you, especially if you can avoid retaliation fire. Tier 9 heavies like the T-10 will also have to become wary, as you can very easily shred their health to bits. However, avoid confrontations with tier 10 heavies entirely if you can, or if possible, flank and pump shells into their backs. The 10.5 cm's very good accuracy allows you to cripple enemy tanks and possibly take out enemies with fires or exploding ammo racks, even from across the map.
With the top components unlocked and installed and good playing skills, you are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Just remember: keep your distance (at least until the late game, when you will hopefully have most of your HP preserved) and avoid getting shot at all costs.
- Note: As of Patch 1.10.1, the E 50 has been buffed, and the 8.8cm L/100 reworked. Previously, the stock and top turrets had a frontal face effective of about 124 and 190, respectively, which has now been increased to 190 and 220 effective (roughly). The slopes are the same, but the thickness of the front of the turrets were increased. While more usable than before, it's not to be relied on in the premium shell meta. The 8.8cm L/100 gun from the Panther II has been reworked on the original tank and on the E 50 to have 280/280/370 alpha instead of 240/240/295. This has significantly increased its DPM when stock, up from 2,176 with a 100% crew, to 2,539. However, the DPM with the top turret has been lowered with the L/100 from 3,003 to 2,920. It does grant better trading potential than before, though. Lastly, the 10.5cm has been buffed, with the AP penetration being increased from 220 to 230. While not a huge change, it does make it a little more reliable without premium shells.
Early Research
- All 8.8cm guns and the FuG 12 radio carry over from the Panther II, but only the radio can be mounted immediately
- Research the suspensions for a much needed increase in carrying capacity
- Mount the 8.8cm KwK L/100 gun, it can be installed with the stock turret
- Research the upgraded turret
- Research the top 10.5cm gun or the engine in whichever order you prefer
