The updated Pearl River map returned to the game on March 22nd. We decided to remind tankers of its features and suggest the best strategies in this guide prepared by Wizard, our CIS community manager.

The long-awaited Pearl River map is back!

Pearl River hides a network of winding paths, nooks, and crannies where you can hide or approach the enemy base without being seen.

• World War II: Available to Tier III-X
• Cold War: All Eras
• Size: 1000 x 1000
• Season: Summer

Unlike most maps with predictable directions for each vehicle type, the revamped Pearl River map will delight you (or upset you) with its unpredictability. The bases on this map are divided by a large mountain with many passages where enemy vehicles can hide. So you’d better navigate quickly.

When playing on Pearl River, it is extremely important to analyze the composition of both teams at the beginning of each battle. Below you can find some examples of how to use setups, but there are certainly many more variations at your disposal.

The map can be divided into three areas:

• North-East (A7-C9)
• Mountain Region (D4-D6) and Central Village (F4-F6);
• South-West and West along the edge of the map.

Heavy Tanks

North-East and the Mountain Region are intended for battles between heavy tanks; the North-East direction is more important. The light arrows below indicate the non-priority direction

If the enemy does not have SPGs, the North-East direction becomes safe for heavy tanks.

Medium Tanks

Medium tanks are responsible for Mountain Region battles, but depending on the team setup, the directions may change:

The South-West and West areas along the edge of the map are the areas where mobile tanks, as well as medium tanks with a sturdy turret, sort things out like machines. The team that can push through this direction will have access to the enemy rear areas, where tank destroyers and SPG are located.

If there are no light tanks in a battle, or if a team ran out of them, someone will have to drive a medium tank to the Central Village location and spot enemy vehicles from there.

Light Tanks

Pearl River is notable for the following: no vehicle class has a clear advantage here, as opposed to the Prokhorovka or Malinovka maps where light tanks usually dominate. Here, light tanks have the hardest time – few open areas, many turns, as well as ups and downs. Therefore, you need to play as carefully as possible and not run into enemy heavy tanks.

The main direction for light tanks is the Central Village location.

If the enemy does not have tank destroyers (or they’re rookies), you can safely enter the base through the South-West location (the non-priority direction, marked with light arrows).

Tank Destroyers

Common locations for tank destroyers:

When playing with tank destroyers, don’t try to drive in the direction of light, medium, or heavy tanks. Your task is to stay close to the base and shoot anyone you spot. If you drive far from the base, you will not be able to return in time to protect it from attackers.

Below are the most popular spots for tank destroyers:

If the enemy manages to break through, your last defense zones are the following:

Artillery (SPG)

SPG positions:

In summary, the Pearl River map is quite challenging, and you will need several battles to explore all directions. The ideal option will be a joint match with friends from your Clan in the Training Room. This way you will be able to experience everything live and play as effectively as possible when you get on this map in Random Battles!

Was our guide useful to you? Head over to our Reddit page or Discord and let us know!