Why I Think Wittmann is Top Class
Jan 11, 2024 9:03:29 GMT
jonblend, journeykeen, and 1 more like this
Post by Erich von Manstein on Jan 11, 2024 9:03:29 GMT
Wittmann has been regarded as being inferior to Manstein and Guderian by a lot of people due to a number of reasons, but I disagree. In my opinion, they are pretty much on the same page, with pros and cons for each one of them. In this thread, I will try to support my viewpoint by addressing some of the main concerns people have about Wittmann.
In general, the people find Wittmann having 3 key problems. I will respond them one by one.
1. Lack of speed?
Wittmann starts off with 3 movement and ends up with 4. 1 star lower than Guderian and 2 lower than Manstein. I won't argue in Manstein's case because he's faster than everyone. However, this claim isn't that strong in Guderian's case.
Right now we have 4 main types of tank units: heavy tank, super tank, King Tiger, and M26. Heavies and Supers both have 12 movement and KT has 11/12. Both Wittmann and Guderian will move 5 grids on plain on all these units. The only exception is M26, which Guderian will move 1 grid faster when you have high level M26. Therefore, although Wittmann's disadvantage exists, I don't think it's THAT decisive.
2. Overhyped skillset?
Wittmann's has Ace Armor as his unique skill, paired with Tide of Iron, which is generally considered as a mediocre skill.
As for Ace Armor, you don't need to be a WC4 expert to understand how good this skill is. That being said, people do believe Manstein and Guderian's PF + Inspiration combo is enough to catch up with that. But is it? To verify this claim, I made this spreadsheet, with 3 comparisons made between KT Manstein, M26 Guderian, and Heavy Tank Manstein. All comparisons assume AA and PL medals, high morale, max tank tech, lvl 5 red ribbon, and PF + Inspiration.
Summary from the spreadsheet: Wittmann matches approximately 100% damage of KT Manstein at 31 defense, M26 Guderian at 22, heavy tank at 16. Each change in unit of defense will change this ratio by slightly more than 1% in the same direction (Wittmann beats KT Manstein by around 10% for 40 defense, etc.).
That explains very clearly of Wittmann's expertise. He is born to crack the tough nuts. Using MW9 Osborn as an example, Wittmann can deal more than 130% of Manstein and Guderian's damage. All elite force tanks have defense much higher than 22.
Tide of Iron is weak indeed, but Ace Armor alone is enough to make Wittmann competitive.
3. Lack of versatility?
Besides damage against normal units, people sometimes would also like to add Explosives and/or Rumor onto Manstein and Guderian, but Wittmann doesn't allow that.
For Explosives, Wittmann cannot catch up in case of cities. However, if it's against forts, Ace Armor is equivalent to Explosives at 25 defense.
For Rumor, there's no way Wittmann can make that up, but surely he can take the place of a tank general that cannot have Rumor, which is almost everyone except Manstein and Guderian.
And don't forget, having either skill on them means sacrificing PF, which will reduce the matching threshold of defense by 4-5.
Conclusion:
No doubt Wittmann has a few shortcomings, but is still a top level tank general. While not as effective in bullying fragile units, Wittmann's damage is at least on par with and sometimes slightly better than Manstein with biography, let alone Guderian. He deserves a high rank in IAP priority.
In general, the people find Wittmann having 3 key problems. I will respond them one by one.
1. Lack of speed?
Wittmann starts off with 3 movement and ends up with 4. 1 star lower than Guderian and 2 lower than Manstein. I won't argue in Manstein's case because he's faster than everyone. However, this claim isn't that strong in Guderian's case.
Right now we have 4 main types of tank units: heavy tank, super tank, King Tiger, and M26. Heavies and Supers both have 12 movement and KT has 11/12. Both Wittmann and Guderian will move 5 grids on plain on all these units. The only exception is M26, which Guderian will move 1 grid faster when you have high level M26. Therefore, although Wittmann's disadvantage exists, I don't think it's THAT decisive.
2. Overhyped skillset?
Wittmann's has Ace Armor as his unique skill, paired with Tide of Iron, which is generally considered as a mediocre skill.
As for Ace Armor, you don't need to be a WC4 expert to understand how good this skill is. That being said, people do believe Manstein and Guderian's PF + Inspiration combo is enough to catch up with that. But is it? To verify this claim, I made this spreadsheet, with 3 comparisons made between KT Manstein, M26 Guderian, and Heavy Tank Manstein. All comparisons assume AA and PL medals, high morale, max tank tech, lvl 5 red ribbon, and PF + Inspiration.
Summary from the spreadsheet: Wittmann matches approximately 100% damage of KT Manstein at 31 defense, M26 Guderian at 22, heavy tank at 16. Each change in unit of defense will change this ratio by slightly more than 1% in the same direction (Wittmann beats KT Manstein by around 10% for 40 defense, etc.).
That explains very clearly of Wittmann's expertise. He is born to crack the tough nuts. Using MW9 Osborn as an example, Wittmann can deal more than 130% of Manstein and Guderian's damage. All elite force tanks have defense much higher than 22.
Tide of Iron is weak indeed, but Ace Armor alone is enough to make Wittmann competitive.
3. Lack of versatility?
Besides damage against normal units, people sometimes would also like to add Explosives and/or Rumor onto Manstein and Guderian, but Wittmann doesn't allow that.
For Explosives, Wittmann cannot catch up in case of cities. However, if it's against forts, Ace Armor is equivalent to Explosives at 25 defense.
For Rumor, there's no way Wittmann can make that up, but surely he can take the place of a tank general that cannot have Rumor, which is almost everyone except Manstein and Guderian.
And don't forget, having either skill on them means sacrificing PF, which will reduce the matching threshold of defense by 4-5.
Conclusion:
No doubt Wittmann has a few shortcomings, but is still a top level tank general. While not as effective in bullying fragile units, Wittmann's damage is at least on par with and sometimes slightly better than Manstein with biography, let alone Guderian. He deserves a high rank in IAP priority.
