How to Dig Out a Hull-Down Tank

Learn how to move the immovable object, the hull-down tank.

Knowing how to dig out a hull-down tank in World of Tanks is one of the most important pieces of information for tankers looking to improve their skills. While it might appear as if digging out a hull down tank is impossible, with the right teamwork and strategies, you’ll find you're capable of budging an immovable object.

Before you can even consider digging out a hull-down tank, you need to ensure you know what the term hull-down actually means. While veteran players likely know everything about this strategy, newer players will need to familiarize themselves with its nuances before attempting to dig out an enemy tank.

Be sure to read the linked article for a detailed explanation and tips, but the short of it is this: the term hull-down refers to a tank that is protecting its hull in such a way that it cannot be hit by its opponent.

How to Dig Out a Hull-Down Tank

A tank in a hull-down position is extremely difficult to budge, but there are ways to dig out a hull-down tank without having to wait.

Now that you understand the concept of a hull-down tank, you can move on to learning about how to dig out a hull-down tank in World of Tanks. The most difficult way to attack a hull-down tank is from the front due to its heavily armored frontal turret armor, so other avenues of attack are necessary.

One of the first things you can try when attacking a tank in a hull-down position is to use Premium shells. Premium shells have greater penetration values and thus have a greater chance of penetrating the frontal turret armor of your enemy. This is an expensive means of digging out a hull-down tank, but one of the easiest strategies, as the only person you have to rely on is yourself.

Firing Premium shells, while expensive, is a good way of digging out a hull-down tank thanks to the shell's increased penetration.

Alternatively, if you don’t have Premium shells and want to try your luck at shooting the hull-down tank, you should attempt to aim at its turret’s weak points. It will be difficult, but the commander’s hatch and cupola are generally good places to aim, as is the turret ring (the place where the turret meets the hull).

Another way to dig out a hull-down tank is to wait until it’s reloading and move to attack it from a different angle. This is a risky strategy, as you could be caught between cover, or even encounter more enemy players. It’s important not to be greedy and to take your time if you do consider this avenue.

This is very similar to another method, but it requires more coordination. To dig out the hull-down tank, you could also rush its position with a platoon of allied tanks. As it can only shoot one tank at a time, your chances of survival are higher than attacking alone.

One of the best ways to dig out a hull-down tank is to ask for SPG support. Thanks to their firing angles, an SPG will have a field day raining down fire on a stubborn enemy.

Finally, one of the best ways to dig out a hull-down is to call in artillery support. For the layman, this means pinging your team’s SPGs and directing them to fire on your position. With any luck, your SPGs should be able to deal substantial damage to the hull-down tank, forcing it to either relocate (often giving you a view of its weak points) or simply destroy it in a few hits.

It’s also a good idea to keep these strategies in mind when you decide to enter a hull-down position, that way, you will be prepared for whatever strategies your enemies might use against you.

A hull-down tank poses an incredible threat for a team looking to advance on a position. They are proverbial immovable objects that deal impressive damage. By keeping in mind the above tips, and practicing them during combat, you will be able to dig out a hull-down tank in World of Tanks.

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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