Siege Mode vehicles are equipped with a unique hydropneumatic suspension that allows them to raise and lower the front of their hulls. Because the guns are fixed to the hull, they have a small gun traverse range and rely on their hull to change their gun direction and elevation.

Due to these traversal limitations and the reliance on hull movement, these vehicles have two firing modes: Drive Mode and Siege Mode.

Drive Mode

As the name suggests, Drive Mode is mainly for traveling. While in Drive Mode, you’ll have full mobile capabilities of your tank but will also have limited gun performance.

When your tank is in Drive Mode, the mode indicator will be two chevrons. It will also display the time it takes to switch to Siege Mode.

Siege Mode

Once you move into position and are ready to engage the enemy, it’s time to switch to Siege Mode. This mode is mainly for engaging the enemy, as it allows you full control of your gun. While in this mode, the mobility of your tank will be reduced.

When your tank is in Siege Mode, the mode indicator will be cross-hairs. It will also display the time it takes to switch to Drive Mode.

Switching Between Modes

To manually change between Drive Mode and Siege Mode, press the Siege Mode button to activate the change. This function will be located on the same button as Hull Lock.

Please check your controller settings in the Options Menu to check your controller layout.

While your tank is changing from one mode to the other, it will be unable to move or shoot. This takes a few seconds to complete, so time it carefully!

Auto-Siege Mode

Although some tanks require you to manually press a button to switch between Drive Mode and Siege Mode, other tanks employ Auto-Siege Mode, which will activate automatically when the tank’s speed drops below a certain point. When activated, the suspension can change the tank’s angle of inclination up or down, which increases the amount of available gun depression and elevation.

NOTE: The actual bonus in gun elevation/depression you gain from the hydropneumatic suspension depends on the turret’s orientation to the hull. For example, you’ll have the most gun depression if the turret of your tank is oriented forward. If the turret of your tank is oriented sideways, then the benefit is provided will be less!

Use this feature in those game situations when it’s important to get a larger angle of gun depression and try to align the position of your turret relative to the hull (or vice versa, try to align your hull position relative to the turret of your vehicle).

Aiming System

While in regular first-person and Sniper Mode, you’ll actually be controlling the camera instead of your gun. The gun will move based on where your camera is pointing, similar to third-person mode.

As you continue to move your camera, the tank will rotate, and in Siege Mode the suspension will rise and lower to follow your camera.

Tanks That Have Siege Mode or Auto-Siege Mode

Although Siege Mode is commonly associated with upper-tier Swedish tank destroyers, those aren’t the only vehicles that use it! Below are the current lists of tanks that feature either Siege Mode or Auto-Siege Mode: