Sun Tzu: How to defeat a tank with infantry

[Wolfe]

Move not unless you see an advantage;
Use not your troops unless there is something to be gained;
Fight not unless the position is critical.
-Sun Tzu

1st Rule of warfare: Know the enemy.
Tanks are a formidable weapon; their range of sight is matched only by their awesome firepower. In this lies their greatest flaw. Brave not is the warrior who exposes his own weakness by granting his enemy its strength, but victorious is the warrior who transforms his enemy's strength into it's own weakness.

• Strengths:
  • Superior visibility over wide, flat terrain
  • Superior firepower at medium to long range
  • Immune to light and medium weaponry
  • Fast movement
• Weakness:
  • Must remain visible over long distances
  • Diminished firepower at close range
  • Easily distracted by light and medium weaponry, leaving it vulnerable to landmines, heavy AT, and other tanks
  • Movement severely limits accuracy

Use a tank's strengths against it
The tank's greatest asset is simultaneously its greatest weakness. It must remain stationary and visible so that it can see over long distances. This means that it's a big fat target just begging to be hit. The strategy to defeat a tank becomes clear:

• Remain hidden, let the tank become comfortable in the open
• Attack only when lethal hits are guaranteed.
• Attack only when you have an exit strategy to survive
• Attack only at long range, remaining hidden between attacks
• Attack from multiple angles simultaneously; as close to 180 degrees apart as possible
• Force the tank to search for cover, this will:
  • dramatically reduces its range
  • dramatically reduce its accuracy
  • open the door for close assault with landmines
• Remain hidden, remain hidden, remain hidden. Again, remain hidden.
• Patience, patience, patience. Again, patience.

Remember, C4 and slams are useless against tanks. Light AT is also useless, other than to provide a distraction away from a friendly tank or heavy AT from a safe distance. Be smart. Think. Plan. Then execute. Failure to do these in order results in the reverse; your execution, then thinking about what you should have planned.

Good luck soldiers.

edit:
The moral of the story is that far too many players engage tanks like they would another soldier. They run towards it, stand on hilltops and stare at it, or ping away single shots with their m16 as if they're going to score a miracle Capt. Miller hit. They run through a tank's field of fire with their eyes closed thinking they can't be seen. They die, respawn, then do the exact same thing all over again, after which, they post on the forums how tanks are overpowered.

The only effective weapon against tanks is a mine, HAT or another tank. Everything else is most likely to get you killed and unless your death results in the destruction of the tank on a 1:1 ratio, you're not doing your team any favors by senselessly losing valuable tickets and infantry positioning.

This guide was written not to show all the possible ways to defeat tanks, but that they can be defeated with a little planning, a little coordination, and a little patience.

[nedlands1]

Originally Posted by Wolfe

Remember, C4 and slams are useless against tanks. Light AT is also useless, other than to provide a distraction away from a friendly tank or heavy AT from a safe distance. Be smart. Think. Plan. Then execute. Failure to do these in order results in the reverse; your execution, then thinking about what you should have planned.

Good luck soldiers.

I disagree with the statement about the useless of L-AT against tanks.
It takes:

• 12 L-AT rounds to the front,
• 7 L-AT rounds to the side,
• 6 L-AT rounds to the tracks or
• 4 L-AT rounds to the rear

To destroy a tank.

A squad with two light AT and a rifleman can easily destroy a tank from the rear. If they both fire simultaneously and hit the tank then it will seem as though there is only one attacker. The rifleman can resupply his two rifleman AT ready for the final volley. If the tank is facing the front it only takes one more volley(as long as they are all track hits) to take it out.

[Outlawz7]

Ahh, the good old tracks weak point exploit...
But 4 Light ATs to the rear, I have to test this one out

Also, I disagree with C4 not being effective. It IS effective.

[milobr]

Indeed, it's effective as hell.

If I can remember two slams at the back of a tank can easily blow him up. I think that was when I used to play 0.5, though.

[Outlawz7]

Originally Posted by milobr

If I can remember two slams at the back of a tank can easily blow him up. I think that was when I used to play 0.5, though.

Two Slams?

[milobr]

I think so..

I record at least 2 situations where I've killed a tank using two slams on its back.

Maybe he was already heated?

[nicoX]

• If you are a squad, smoke the area around you and the tank. Smoke will distract the tank and gain your squad. Have one spotter telling H-AT when to move for a strike. Remember to smoke as the tanks visibility is far much bigger than your and much more protected.

[Reddish Red]

I've took out Tanks with C4 and Light AT.

Heck, I've took out APCs with Grenadiers, its not that hard you just have to distract its fire

[Masaq]

The difficulty with hurling smoke at a tank when your squadmates are creeping up on it is that most tanker's reaction to getting smoked is to move out of the smoke. Often, this makes it hard to tell which way the tank's moving until it's just rolled over your engineer(s) in the confusion.

Certainly I've been run over (and have run over people myself) without the driver even realising I was there.

[Wasteland]

Originally Posted by milobr

I think so..

I record at least 2 situations where I've killed a tank using two slams on its back.

Maybe he was already heated?

He must have been pretty injured for two SLAMs to take him out.