The garage is festive, Benedict Cumberbatch welcomed us as the new ambassador, and the Large Boxes are on the way. For the first time in 15 years of WoT history, we have a chance to get two special Tier X vehicles. Is the gambling worth it? We analyzed the drop rates, the gold value, and most importantly – took a look at the new Premium Tanks.
Large Boxes: What May Be Inside
Let’s recap the percentage chances of getting rewards from the Christmas loot boxes. Unfortunately, WG has reduced the chances of getting premium vehicles in recent years by adding completely useless 3D attachments to it.
What hasn’t changed is the 250 guaranteed Gold and 200 random resources on top. This base reward can be supplemented by the following items:
Chance to get 1, 3, or 7 days of Premium Account; 200, 500, or 1000 Gold; 100,000 or 500,000 credits is 85.94 %.
Decorations have 25% chance to drop.
You have also an 11.66% probability of getting low Tier (II-V) premium tanks.
With the two special Tier X tanks, you have actually a lower chance to get a premium Tier IX or VIII than the presented 2.4 %. It is more realistic that one of the two biggest useless items WG placed in the boxes will drop for you – 3D styles and 3D attachments.
Because there is a 5% probability that the large box will turn blue precisely because of one of the ten 3D styles. WG at least introduced five new 3D styles for the Kunze Panzer, Char Futur 4 (yes, you read that right), Rheinmetall Panzerwagen, CS-63, and BZ-75.
And there is even a 6 % chance that it will happen because of one of the 15 3D attachments.
Ranking the New Premium Tanks
Here is what you are really hunting for. We ranked them from “Must Have” to “Better than a 3D attachment”. To begin with, we must realize that this year’s boxes contain, in addition to four Tier VIII and IX Premium vehicles and five Tier II-V premium vehicles, 2 special Tier X tanks that are not premium. Which brings us back to the question – is it worth buying this year’s Christmas boxes? After all, we want premium tanks for the money spent, don’t we?
And since no one takes lower Tiers seriously, we are left with 4 premium vehicles for our ranking (3x Tier IX, one VIII). This is not an overview of detailed statistics, but a subjective view.
Stridsyxa
Definitely the best reward you can get is the Swedish Tier VIII medium tank Stridsyxa. This highly mobile tank with a strongly armored turret features a 105 mm gun and great (although typical for Swedes) gun depression of -10/+20 deg. For the average player, it offers pleasant gameplay and the balanced characteristics of a versatile tank.
Jagdpanzer E 90
The German Tier IX tank destroyer definitely has the potential to become a fun machine against lower tiers, especially thanks to its gun. An average damage of 750 HP (950 with HE shell) combined with good gun handling parameters and good frontal armor makes it a formidable tank for pushing through enemy lines.
Projet Louis
For some, the most favorite class of tanks; for others, the biggest stumbling block. The French Tier IX light tank Projet Louis will be a dangerous saboteur in the hands of an experienced player. An eight-round magazine with a 1 sec intraclip reload can slice 1000 HP off your vehicle in an instant. I consider it the best premium tank from this year’s boxes, but as I mentioned, less experienced players won’t appreciate it as much.
TBT
The imaginary “Better than a 3D attachment” tank is the Czechoslovakian Tier IX heavy tank TBT. Dispersion of 0.39 at 100 m and a penetration of only 247 mm on AP ranks this heavy tank among the worst premium Tier IX HTs. Add a reload of over half a minute to that, and you have a ruined Christmas.
Unprofitable Fun
And what about those special Tier X tanks? They definitely offer the most fun, but don´t be surprised that you won’t really make credits with them.
The new Chinese heavy tank BZT-70 arrives on four tracks. This gargantuan, clumsy heavy will be perfect for aggressively minded players who aren’t afraid of the front line. Great armor and an average damage of 850 HP on AP shell and even 1200 HP on HE shell will scare many an opponent.
The Italian medium tank Coccodrillo brings the typical Italien magazine, as its key is its ability to use either the full auto-reloader clip or fire individual shells cyclically for a different playstyle. Thanks to a top speed of 50 km/h, you will quickly occupy key positions, and with the help of its very well-angled armor plates on the turret and hull, you will easily hold them.
It is definitely not advisable to underestimate these two vehicles.
The Math: Gold Value vs. Real Money
Should you buy boxes just for Gold? Although the boxes seem like overpriced entertainment, you can profit from them in the end. Even if you have the worst luck, 75 boxes guarantee 18,750 base Gold. But you can also count on compensation for lower tiers. In general, buying boxes is usually 30-40% cheaper than buying pure Gold in the Premium Shop. Plus, you get premium days and credits. Don’t forget that you are guaranteed to get at least one Tier VIII or IX premium tank every 50 boxes (and one of the new X as well).
Buy or Pass?
That is the Hamlet’s question that interests all tankers the most. But it cannot be answered universally. WG offers 12, 28, 80, 160 or 240 Large Boxes of all four types. You can also buy 3, 11, 25 or 75 single Large Boxes.
If you need Gold for the upcoming year and want to stock up on Premium days, you can take the tanks as a pleasant bonus. But if you are hunting specifically for one tank, the odds are against you, and you might spend a lot of money only to get the one you didn’t want.
Wheter you do decide to buy boxes or not, don’t despair if you don’t get your dream reward. If you find enough Gold in the boxes, you can later exchange it for Free XP to faster research a new line, which we wrote about here.
Personally, I will definitely not invest in loot boxes this year because the 3D attachments and two non-premium tanks discourage me. But I wish you to find your dream machine under the Chrismas tree.