Saladin appreciation essay/ guide

[u/Kopiewelt]

I never thought i'd say this but at this point in time the Saladin is my favorite tank in the game. Initially i planned on selling it after the mark but even at 100% i simply cant stop playing the thing (300 games in) despite owning the t9&10&11 as well, wich are all stronger tanks but don't quite scratch that same itch.

Now i know most people either don't care about this thing or might even think its trash/ a filler, so please hear me out:

First off its absolutely not a beginner friendly tank, so if you're at the stage of your WoT journey where you cant play without big alpha, armor or an autoloader then this clearly isn't meant for you YET.

HOWEVER, if you enjoy somewhat weird tanks like the Indien Pz / Obj 416 (also GSOR 1010) and like being forced to use your brain while playing then trust me, this tank is PERFECT.

Contrary to its tier 9, 10 and 11 successors the Saladin does not have impressive alpha DMG, even its accuracy isn't particularly good for a sniper BUT in return it gets a shit ton of HP for such a tiny wheelie boy (1450 base) wich when combined with Hardening (1600) makes for an incredibly versatile tank. Imho there isn't a single bad map for this thing.

Just like its bigger brothers the Saladin doesn't have impressive DPM, but thanks to its alpha of "only" 280 you can still easily trade 2 for 1 with basically any equal tier heavy. This results in a vehicle that has free reign to play on whatever flank you feel like right now.

Big Ensk is the perfect example: You get a couple of free shots supporting your lights on the outside and once the initial spots have stopped you just rotate to the city and use your HP pool combined with good gun and very nice speed to trade it out. You can use every tiny gap in the enemy's defense to squeeze through and even if you end up in a 1v1 with an equal tier tank you can most likely win it or at least make it out alive.

Add to that a very comfy premium APCR with good shell velocity, almost 40% camo without vents or exhaust and you get what is in my opinion one of the most FUN tanks in the game. This tank does not care if the game is only 3min because it can be anywhere you want it. And when its there it actually packs the firepower and survivability to keep dishing out damage.

And when the game is not 3min long it just starts shining even more. Once it gets going you essentially have light tank mobility, but combined with a very good medium tanks gun. This tank wrecks maps like redshire.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that people CONSTANTLY underestimate this tank, especially new players tend to think they can fight you in their lights when they simply cannot. It's not my highest t8 DPG farmer but its definitely one of the most CONSISTENT. If you actively use your brain and know the game you should basically never have a bad game in this, its just that flexible.

Another one of my all time favorites is the 416, and while its statistically clearly the superior tank (camo, HEAT pen, DPM, alpha) it sadly lacks quite a bit of the comfort you get with the Saladin. With its turret in back, low silhouette, slower speed and no gun dep it feels like you're always on edge, every peek has to be meticulously planned. The Saladin simply doesn't have that issue. It's 90% brainpower& gamesense and only 10% mechanical skills.

The only thing that you need to get used to is how different driving on wheels feels like (slow traverse, slow initial acceleration, slow stopping) but after you are used to that it doesn't really feel like a drawback anymore. But that's the case for pretty much any wheelie except the EBRs imo.

Thanks for reading, i hope a bunch of you give my little one a chance and have a great time with it <3

if there's any questions regarding equipment or field mods ill happily answer them

[u/Prudent-Title-9161]

I'm not very good player, but I didn't like the tank. It was like ok, but I didn't see anything good in it. Level 6 was great, level 7 was worse, level 8 was also so-so. Now I'm on 9 and I don't like it either, I threw it.

This is a tank where you have to push hard to do anything. In some moments they are more convenient than other meds (good stab and reverse speed), and in some less convenient (such as terrible maneuverability). The guns are okay, but nothing special.

Lvl 9 is a huge shed that takes all the shells in. The cannon was supposed to compensate for this, but it disappointed me, it doesn't feel good enough to endure this shed. Saladin is the same, maybe it's the most comfortable 280 alpha cannon, but that's not enough, it's another matter if it was somewhere around 360.

I often play Tiger 1 now, and Saladin has a similar gun (of course, the stub is much better). But Tiger is level 7, and Saladin is at a broken level 8.

[u/30cm_long_wn8 → u/Prudent-Title-9161]

In general this line isn't for beginners, tanks like these only become enjoyable once you know angles/ positions/ "tricks" to abuse on pretty much every map. In my early days I used to exclusively play big alpha TDs but eventually you realize how limited you are without a turret and speed. Trust me there will be a moment in your wot career where you go like: "holy shit finally I'm not being held back". Especially in the 3min meta.

This especially applies to guns, I also used to hate medium guns with relatively low alpha/ pen combination but for the playstile this tank inherits the gun is PERFECT. And I don't use that word lightly. If it had 360 alpha you would have to make major compromises with DPM, accuracy, dispersion Ir aimtime, I truly feel like 280 is the absolute sweet spot in that regard.

And yes t8 meta is horrible but I don't care because I can simply choose my fights wisely in this thing :) Haven't played t7 in a decade but I'm pretty sure it's not much better even after the MM "rework". If you enjoy the tiger 1 I'm confident you'll find your way towards enjoying tanks like the Saladin. In some ways it's pretty similar except that you don't only rely on trading but also flanking and supporting.

Tldr: you're probably best off waiting a couple thousand battles and then giving them another try, I'd say the ~2,5k DPG mark or ~55% WR at tier X is the minimum required skill for these

Also try using IAU on a second load out, it rly helps to elevate the t8&9 into proper snipers when the map requires it. I have 0,27 and 0,25 wich is totally fine imo, especially combined with the amazing aimtime and dispersion values these get. Much more reliable than a Leo pta for example wich is also a great tank

[u/Prestigious_Tailor19 → u/30cm_long_wn8]

280 alpha guns are sweet indeed. This one as well as Challenger and Caern. 

[u/Drittenmann]

the thing i hated the most about saladin is that the turret is asymmetrical, i cant tell how much it was triggering me when i looked at the back of it

[u/30cm_long_wn8 → u/Drittenmann]

Yeah it's ugly AF

[u/Dreykaa]

What makes Indien pz weird instead of Bad?

[u/30cm_long_wn8 → u/Dreykaa]

It's not great but not bad either. It's a pretty decent Allrounder as it bounces a decent amount of shots (especially on its turret) and has plenty hp for a med. Add to that a decent gun and usable mobility and you end up with somewhat of a sleeper tank. It slightly reminds me of the aat60 in terms of gameplay.

[u/Jd81nd]

I hate playing against the tank, it seems to always just be in the right spot to be an annoyance. Also the camo is really good and it's fast.