Tip of the Tank - M4 Sherman

How to use the M4 Sherman in battle.

The M4 Sherman is an excellent all-rounder tank that allows players to straddle the line between the fast and weak Light tanks and the strong and powerful Heavy tanks. Being that it’s a Tier 5 tank, it will take more time to reach it and unlock it. Tier 5 is when World of Tanks begins to change, so read on to learn how to effectively use the M4 Sherman in battle.

What is Tip of the Tank?

Tip of the Tank is about learning and discussing a specific tank in World of Tanks. The goal is to open up the floor for everyone to talk about the tank and offer suggestions on how to use it in battle, what to research, and general tips you might not know. Hopefully, at the end of the article, we’ll all be a little more enlightened on how to approach the M4 Sherman!

M4 Sherman

M4 Sherman, a USA Tier 5 Medium Tank
M4 Sherman, a USA Tier 5 Medium Tank

As a Tier 5 Medium tank, the M4 Sherman is one of the most popular tanks to aim for when working down a USA Medium tank line. It offers a large variation in playstyle thanks to being a Medium tank, which typically encourages adaptability on the battlefield. While not excelling at any given role, it will hold its own in just about every aspect of play. Don’t rely too heavily on its armor, but do enjoy the excellent gun depression and the possibilities of high armor penetration from its guns.

M4 Sherman Playstyle

When attacking, stick to the walls and use the sloped front
When attacking, stick to the walls and use the sloped front

As a Medium tank, the M4 Sherman is able to fit into many different roles during a battle. Players more comfortable with playing as a Light tank will be able to specialize and improve upon the high view range while Heavy tank lovers will enjoy the power of the 105 mm gun.

Scouting

Boasting an incredibly competitive View Range, the M4 Sherman can fit into the role of a scout fairly easily. This is even more of an appealing option given the lack of armor on the vehicle and the guns' poor accuracy.

Attacking

The M4 Sherman has two extremely enticing weapons that can be used in different manners when attacking. Firstly, there is the 76 mm Gun M1A1, which offers an incredibly high level of armor penetration for a Tier 5 tank. A lot of other armored vehicles will be unable to withstand the penetration of this fixture so long as you continue to aim for the weak points in their armor.

However, if you’re looking for raw power, the 105 mm M4 offers over triple the amount of damage of its counterparts. To take advantage of this power, you will need to ensure you enter into close-range of your opponents to ensure your shots land. This will obviously put you in an increased level of danger as you will have to rely heavily on your armor and position to defend yourself from attacks.

To help with bullying, tankers using the M4 Sherman should try and use the sloped armor at the front to bounce shots. Couple this with hilly terrain and you will be able to optimize your attacks using the excellent gun depression that the M4 offers.

Researching

Researching both guns is a good idea
Researching both guns is a good idea

Part of what makes the M4 Sherman appealing is its ability to transition into the M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo with relative ease. Any plans to move toward the Tier 6 Medium should be prefaced with purchasing the 76 mm Gun M1A1, a gun with decent armor penetration that will help the beginning stages of the Jumbo.

In terms of upgrading the M4 for its own purpose, upgrading the tracks will help with traversal speed and load limits, meaning you can put on a more powerful engine without weighing down the entire vehicle.

Pros

  • Variety of guns which transition to the next tank
  • High armor penetration on the M1A1 gun
  • Good gun depression
  • View range

Cons

  • Poor camouflage rating
  • Poor armor
  • Poor accuracy

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing really to write home about when it comes to the M4 Sherman, as it boasts no extreme qualities and instead suffers the double-edged sword of being an all-rounder. It’s an excellent stepping-stone tank to the Jumbo Sherman and should be used to get comfortable with the higher tiers. Either take advantage of its spotting capabilities or press the charge with one of the other gun modules to use the M4 Sherman effectively. Let us know in the comments what tips you’d give for anyone looking to try out the M4 Sherman!

Sam Chandler is the Australian piece of the AllGamers puzzle. Out of all his gaming-related passions, collecting N64 games, speedrunning, and Souls games rank among the most important. You can reach Sam through Twitter, @SamuelChandler, or through his email, sam.chandler@allgamers.com, at any time of the day or night on either side of the globe.

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