If you’re going to call a tank a “superheavy,” you’d better make sure it lives up to its name. This week’s edition of Tanks Reforged gives the massive Type 5 Heavy and the tanks in its Tech Tree line the attention they deserve. And we’re not holding back—get ready to take a look all the way down to Tier V!

Japanese Tier X Type 5 Heavy Tank

The Type 5 Heavy stands at the top of the Japanese superheavy line and features two gun options: a 140mm gun that proves to be a reliable and consistent performer on the battlefield and a massive 150mm gun that packs a punch if it manages to penetrate.

In this update, we are going to address a few of this tank’s shortcomings. To start with, it shares the same engine that is found on the rest of the line all the way down to Tier V. It’s time for this behemoth to get its own powerhouse, so we’ve replaced the engine with a more powerful 1500 horsepower engine. This will more adequately handle this tank’s size and weight, especially with the newly increased hull armor.

With the mobility and survivability taken care of, the next item on the list is the firepower! The 140mm gun is already a solid performer but received a decrease in reload to help dish out some more damage. The 150mm gun is where things get a little more complicated. Being a HE-based gun, most rounds are only doing splash damage, which leads to lower damage output. Its DPM is already one of the best at this tier, so it doesn’t need any help there. Increasing the penetration would give more consistent results but starts to lose its personality, and this tank already has the 140mm gun option. So in this case, we increased the alpha damage so that you’ll deal more splash damage when you don’t penetrate and when you do…the enemy is going to feel it! To go with this, it’s also more accurate to help your shots land a little closer to where you are aiming.

This change will improve the 150mm gun’s damage consistency and make it more rewarding when you land that well-placed shot on an unarmored foe.

Details:

• New engine: 2x Kawasaki Type 98 V-12 1500 Kai
  • Results:
    • Horsepower: 1200 -> 1500
• Hull armor
  • Front hull: 260 -> 270
  • Upper hull corners: 250 -> 270
• 140mm gun
  • Reload: 17.7 -> 17.1
  • Turret rotation shot dispersion: 0.14 -> 0.12
  • Premium shell penetration: 282 -> 310
• 150mm gun
  • Accuracy: 0.50 -> 0.45
  • Damage: 1100 -> 1300
  • Turret rotation shot dispersion: 0.22 -> 0.20
  • After shot dispersion: 4.5 -> 4
  • Premium shell penetration: 264 -> 330

Japanese Tier IX Type 4 Heavy Tank

The Type 4 shares similar problems as the Type 5 and received a similar treatment. Both engines have been replaced to provide the additional horsepower needed to get this tank across the battlefield. This additional power should help maintain your speed across flat terrain better than before.

The 150mm gun was updated with the increased damage as well as improvements to its accuracy, aim time, and general gun handling. The 140mm gun also received a slight boost in reload and gun handling improvements to enhance its performance on the battlefield.

Details:

• 150mm gun
  • Damage: 1100 -> 1300
  • Accuracy: 0.52 -> 0.48
  • Aim time: 3.2 -> 3.1
  • Turret rotation shot dispersion: 0.24 -> 0.22
  • After shot dispersion: 5 -> 4.5
  • Premium shell penetration: 264 -> 330
• 140mm gun
  • Aim time: 2.9 -> 2.7
  • Reload: 20.8 -> 19
  • Turret rotation shot dispersion: 0.16 -> 0.14
  • Premium shell penetration: 282 -> 310
• New stock engine: 2x Kawasaki Type 98 V-12 1300
  • Results:
    • Horsepower: 1100 -> 1300
• New upgraded engine: 2x Kawasaki Type 98 V-12 1400
  • Results:
    • Horsepower: 1200 -> 1400

Japanese Tier VIII O-Ho Heavy Tank

The O-Ho is a superheavy that didn’t quite have adequate armor to live up to this role. The improved armor provides much better frontal protection and is more forgiving when having to angle your hull to aim down past the mini-turrets.

The guns also received adjustments to improve their combat effectiveness.

Details:

• Hull armor
  • 200mm -> 230mm
    • Lower hull plate
    • Upper front hull plate
    • Mini-turrets
  • 105mm -> 110
    • Upper sloped hull plate
• Turret front armor
  • 200mm -> 250 mm
• Gun mantlet for all guns
  • 200 -> 250
• 10 cm Experimental Tank Gun Kai
  • Accuracy: 0.42 -> 0.36
  • Aim time: 3.1 -> 2.3
• 15 cm Howitzer Type 96
  • Accuracy: 0.54 -> 0.51
• 10 cm Cannon Type 92
  • Accuracy: 0.41 -> 0.38
  • Aim time: 3.1 -> 2.5
  • Reload: 10.5 -> 9

Japanese Tier VII O-Ni Heavy Tank

The O-Ni has adequate armor for its tier and the engines are powerful enough for its size and weight, so no adjustments are needed here. The main focus for the O-Ni was some general gun improvements to help it deal a bit more damage.

Details:

• 10 cm Cannon Type 92
  • Accuracy: 0.41 -> 0.38
  • Aim time: 3.5 -> 2.8
  • Reload: 11 -> 10.5
• 15 cm Howitzer Type 96
  • Accuracy: 0.56 -> 0.53
  • Aim time: 3.8 -> 3.5
• 10 cm Experimental Tank Gun
  • Accuracy: 0.42 -> 0.40
  • Aim time: 3.6 -> 2.6

Japanese Tier VI O-I Heavy Tank

The O-I is just an honorable mention. We didn’t overlook this tank; it’s just kicking tank-butt on the battlefield, so it isn’t in any need of adjustments. Keep on doing your thing, O-I!

Japanese Tier V O-I Experimental Heavy Tank

The O-I is the first real superheavy of the Japanese heavy tank line, but it was made out of origami paper instead of steel. Let’s fix that. We’ve reworked the armor from top to bottom to give new life to this tank and look forward to seeing how the improved armor impacts its performance on the battlefield.

Details:

• Turret frontal armor: 75 mm -> 130 mm
• Gun mantlet armor for all guns: 75 mm -> 130 mm
• Hull armor
  • Armor panel 1: 75 mm -> 130 mm
  • Armor panel 2: 75 mm -> 85 mm
  • Armor panel 13: 75 mm -> 130 mm
  • Armor panel 14: 75 mm -> 115 mm

Keep an eye out for the next line of legendary vehicles that will be overhauled in Tanks Reforged!