Holiday Ops is in full swing, but Wargaming has another surprise in store for us. It’s become a tradition for every tanker to receive a free Tier IX tank for Christmas, and this year is no exception. However, for the first time, a special holiday Battle Pass is joining the tradition.
But what sort of Holiday Ambassador would Benedict Cumberbatch be without his own tank? Players can look forward to the Fantôme, a brand-new French Tier IX medium tank.
Battle Pass: Holiday Havoc
A major highlight of this Christmas season is the launch of the Battle Pass: Holiday Havoc event right in the middle of Holiday Ops. This event gives players the chance to grind for Base Rewards completely for free or purchase the Improved Battle Pass for Gold to unlock even better loot.
Among the rewards you can earn just by playing and completing 50 stages, you’ll find days of Premium Account, Credits, Personal Reserves, Bonds, Santa Claus as a crew member (fully voiced with enough XP for 3 perks), Crew Books, Universal Blueprints, the “Nice List” 3D attachment set, and decals.
Source: Official WoT web
If you invest in the Improved Battle Pass, you’ll also receive extra Credits, Premium Account days, Free XP, Personal Reserves, Components, Commander Charles Krampowski (fully voiced with enough XP for 3 perks), the “Night Raid” 3D attachment set, National Blueprints of your choice, and much more.
Source: Official WoT web
There’s plenty of time to clear all 50 stages, as the event runs from December 19th through January 12th.
A Gift from Benedict Cumberbatch: Fantôme
This new French Tier IX medium tank boasts typical French characteristics, such as excellent mobility and an autoloading gun. But what sets this newcomer apart from the rest—and makes it such a great gift for this year’s Holiday Ops—is its automatic hydropneumatic suspension.
French vehicles in the game haven’t had this feature until now. It activates automatically once the vehicle’s speed drops below a certain threshold, significantly improving gun depression angles. This turns the tank into a master of uneven terrain and “hull-down” tactics.
How to Get the Tank? To claim this tank, simply log in to the game between December 19th and January 1st, 2026. The tank will be waiting for you in a gift box right in your Garage. Don’t miss this opportunity, as WG has surprisingly delivered a very capable machine. They’re likely trying to make amends for the underwhelming gift that was the Black Prince II.
Fantôme Tank Characteristics
The tank features a 4-round autoloader with 360 alpha damage on AP (totaling 1,440 clip potential). If, for some reason, you decide to load HE shells, the 460 alpha damage can push your burst potential up to 1,840 HP. The intraclip reload is 3.5 seconds, while the full magazine reload takes 35 seconds. Penetration is 260 mm on standard rounds and 300 mm on special ammo, giving you a huge advantage when fighting higher tiers.
But that’s not all. With shell velocities of 1420/1050/1050 m/s, sniping EBRs at long range won’t be an issue.
The hydropneumatic suspension further enhances the already excellent -8 degrees of gun depression, allowing you to work ridges where other French tanks would fail. However, the above-average firepower is balanced by subpar gun handling. You’ll have to wait 3 seconds to fully aim and then pray your shot lands with its 0.4 m dispersion at 100 m.
Source: Official WoT web
Armor isn’t exactly a strong suit for French tanks, and this vehicle is no exception. The turret has 150 mm and the hull 120 mm of frontal armor; this will mostly only protect you against lower calibers, but fortunately, you have a healthy pool of 1,700 HP.
With a top speed of 50 km/h and a reverse speed of 17 km/h, backed by a specific power of 20.8 hp/t, you’ll be able to relocate across the battlefield with ease. Remember, you only have until January 1st to claim the tank, while you can grind the Battle Pass until January 12th. Enjoy the holidays and good luck on the battlefield with your new Fantôme!
