World of Tanks Terminology

Hull Down

The phrase "hull down" refers to the strategy of using the terrain to your advantage in a certain way so as to protect your tank’s hull by only allowing your turret to be visible. This is a way of angling your tank to maximize its armor values and ensuring greater survivability.

One of the most common ways to achieve the hull down position is to be below a ridge on sloped terrain, only allowing the turret to be seen over the ridge. This requires a tank with a decent degree of gun depression, because it technically requires you to aim the gun downward relative to your hull. Another way to achieve this is to position your tank behind rocks or other structures so that only the turret is exposed.

Lemming Train

The phrase “lemming train” is often used to refer to a group of players who simply follow one another or move to an area of the map without thinking, often forming a train to one location. This type of herd mentality often leads to an imbalanced distribution of tanks throughout the map, as lemming trains inherently involve a majority of a team to gather on a single side.

Lemming trains can be avoided through vigilence and communication. If you see a lemming train form at the start of a match, consider moving in the opposite direction to defend another flank, or urge players in the lemming train to retreat and reposition themselves. Your other option is to simply become a lemming as well, following the train and hoping the group can make an agressive push. 

Normalization

Normalization refers to the degrees a tank’s round will subtract upon hitting an angled armor plate, bringing the angle of the round slightly closer to a 90 degree impact angle. Normalization reduces the angle at which the round impacts the armor plate. The closer a shell is to a 90 degree angle upon impact, the more likely it will be to penetrate.

Normalization occurs due to various factors, including the caliber of the round and the thickness of the armor it hits. Most ammunition is effected by normalization, except for HE,HEAT,HESH shells. Check out our video below for a quick explanation of each shell type and their differences in World of Tanks.

Peek-a-Boom

Peek-a-boom is a term to describe the act of moving out from behind cover, taking a shot, and retreating back behind cover. It's much like a game one would play with a child, except instead of a child, it’s an enemy tank, and instead of your face being the surprise, it’s a 10-pound explosive.

Peek-a-booming often occurs around corners or at intersections, with multiple players on a team lined up behind one another. The first player will peek, shoot, then retreat to reload. Meanwhile, another player behind them will do the same, peeking to shoot in the same direction before retreating behind cover. This scooting tactic allows players to work together to whittle down an opponent through subtle back-and-forth movements. 

Tank War Room Staff