Blitzkrieg: I want my old PZ IV back!

Blitzkrieg is a new regular column devoted to the very popular MMO World of Tanks. If you’ve got a topic you’d like our resident expert Matthew “Scope” Pearce to cover, drop him a line!

With the launch of World of Tanks Patch 8.0 comes some changes, some more shocking than the others.

One of these changes was of the once great tier V German medium tank: the PZ IV.

World of Tanks PZ IV

Erectus Turretus Maximus! That’s what I called my PZ IV back in the days of the L/70 75mm with its amazing long range fighting capabilities.

The PZ IV before patch 8.0 was one of my favourite tanks why? Because it was a darn good sniper not to mention fast, sure its acceleration was terrible but it had that insanely well armoured heavy turret on it of course it’s going to take a little longer to reach your top speed.

This German tier V medium tank was a good “sample” tank for new players because it showed off some of the Germans best qualities in the game and their long range accuracy, rate of fire, and armour. The PZ IV showed players how the later German tanks would play / feel in terms of gameplay, and the time spent playing the PZ IV helped a lot when you finally got to drive the Tiger 1.

The new patch 80 PZ IV

World of Tanks PZ IV

Why you no snipe??

With the introduction of patch 8.0, the PZ IV had its upgraded turret and 7,5 cm KwK 42 L/70  gun removed.

Which left us with the Turm Ausf.h Turret with its terrible 50mm of frontal amour and 30mm of side and rear armour and the pitiful 7.5 KwK 40 L/48, leaving us the only viable option to choose the “DERP CANNON” the 10,5 cm KwK 42 L/28.

Now the PZ IV feels like it has lost its place in the game – it was once an amazing sniper tank now it’s not even a brawler. Its turning circle is just too big even with its faster acceleration, now that the turret is lighter its top speed remains the same at 48kmph.

The PZ IV feels like a really bad M4 Sherman tank now. The only reason you would play this tank is if you wanted to get to the Maus but why would you do that when there are far better tanks out there – but thats a subject for another post and another day 🙂

Over to you: what do you think of the new patch 8.0 PZ IV and do you miss your old PZ IV?