In World of Tanks Modern Armor, every tank can be classified as either a Premium tank or a Tech Tree tank.
But what's the difference between those two distinctions? What, exactly, are Premium tanks?
Premium tanks are vehicles that you can purchase with Gold (with Gold being the in-game currency that you can get using real-world money). Occasionally, you can also receive them as rewards or War Chest drops, or purchase them using other in-game currencies during special sale events. Tech Tree tanks, however, are vehicles that you can research, unlock, and purchase using the Vehicle XP and Silver that you earn just by playing battles.
As you might guess from the name, Tech Tree tanks exist along branching paths. Playing a Tech Tree tank of a certain Tier or Era will help you unlock the next tank in the line, all the way up to Tier X in World War II mode or the highest level of Era 3 (Détente) in Cold War mode.
But Premium tanks don’t exist as part of a line and don’t unlock higher-level tanks. Although Premium tanks share the same nationalities or factions as Tech Tree tanks, you’ll find them listed separately from the Tech Tree vehicles on the game’s “Tanks” tab. Scroll all the way to the left on this tab to see the Premium tanks from every nationality or faction. Premium tanks are not always available for purchase; the ones that are currently available will be noted with their cost in Gold.
Premium tanks come equipped with fully upgraded modules. They do not unlock module upgrades through the Linear Vehicle Progression system the way that Tech Tree tanks do. Also, certain Premium tanks have multiple gun options to choose from that are available right from the moment you add that tank to your garage.
Plus, because Premium tanks come fully upgraded, they already have Elite Status, which provides an additional 25% accelerated Commander training bonus starting from your first battle! And speaking of Commanders, Commanders that are of the same nation as your Premium tank can be transferred into that tank for free.
One more important difference: each Premium tank has its own specific earn bonuses. Although, like Tech Tree tanks, Premium vehicles can earn Vehicle XP, Silver, Free XP, and Commander XP in each match, the earn bonus on a Premium vehicle will cause it to earn more of at least one resource. You can see a tank’s earn bonus or bonuses on its Tankopedia page.
