An open plain, zero cover for heavies, and the thinnest margin between total dominance and an immediate return to the garage. Welcome to Prokhorovka, a map that doesn’t forgive a single positioning mistake. Prokhorovka will perfectly test your patience and your knowledge of spotting mechanics. Here, more than anywhere else, the rule holds: “One bush to rule them all, one bush to find them…” Whoever controls the magic bushes and lights up the enemy wins. It is a battlefield promised to light tanks, patient tank destroyers, and accurate sniper meds. But there is one crucial condition: as an LT, you must survive the opening minutes at all costs. If you go dark, the team’s hopes often go dark with you. Let’s look at how to prevent that on Prokhorovka.
The progression of the battle on open maps is most often influenced by the performance of light tanks. However, I often encounter situations where an LT goes on a senseless suicide run right at the start of the match. You know the rest. The opponent gains the upper hand because you are constantly spotted by an undisturbed enemy light, and you just wait for the opponent to shoot you up, ending in a 2:15 garage debacle.
Light tanks
If you are the only light on this map, don’t experiment with trips to the hill or driving in the middle. While you might spot a few heavies behind the ridge, you will likely be hit by lurking TDs and medium tanks without your team being able to return fire.
Instead, try to take the most advantageous positions on lines 1 and 2 as quickly as possible. But “most advantageous position” doesn’t mean heading immediately for the most lucrative bush on this map in sector E1. And remember the golden rule: as a light tank, you are most important to your team alive. Your main task in the first minutes is not to shoot, but to survive and spot.
North Spawn
From the northern base, I recommend taking a safe lower bush first. From there, you can spot not only tanks moving along the path in line 2 but also daring enemy LTs hungry for a view of E1. Try not to knock down that tree and preferably squeeze in to the right of it. This will help you avoid being spotted by daredevils heading into the dip or “yolo” fools trying to rush line 2. If you find yourself with patient teammates, you basically don’t have to change positions until the late phase of the battle, when the enemy team has no light tanks left.
Where I personally never go with an LT at the start of a battle on Prokhorovka is the path between the bushes on line 2. The risk of being spotted is simply too high. You could be revealed by heavies from the middle, an enemy LT with the same idea ahead of you, or some speedster rushing into the dip.
If you still feel the urge to choose this route, do not drive any further than the halfway point of the map. You can venture down the bush line at the end of the match when you need to spot the last few tanks camping in the back.
If the enemy has lost their spotter, you can head for the reward in the bush in sector E1. However, watch out for blind fire; this position is often shelled just in case because it is so well-known. One lucky shot from the “Death Star” and you can head straight back to the garage.
Of course, the best-case scenario is managing to get into this bush right at the start of the battle. To pull that off, however, you must carefully check the enemy team composition, keep an eye out to see if the enemy LT gets spotted elsewhere, and hope that no fast tank pushes the middle and reveals you.
South Spawn
Even from the southern side, I wouldn’t advise heading straight for E1 immediately. Instead, take up a position near the center of the map, from where you can spot any enemy LT that might venture there. Likewise, you’ll light up the meds and TDs lurking up by the redline.
Then you can try another, safer option, from which you’ll have the “Green” in the palm of your hand.
You can see a bit further from the bush by the redline, which is best to try and reach right at the start of the battle. However, don’t drive there directly from spawn. It’s better to get there along the map border through sectors J1 and H1.
Just as with the north spawn, I don’t drive along the path from the south side either. However, toward the end of the game, you can use this route to get almost all the way to the enemy base.
If you are playing with the fast EBR, utilize its speed to rotate between the flanks. Thanks to its wheeled chassis, you can jump over the railway while spotting enemy heavy tanks. But don’t overdo so.
Heavy Tanks
On Prokhorovka, you might suffer, especially if there are SPGs in the battle. Against them, you aren’t safe anywhere on such an open map.
North Spawn
Definitely make use of your turret armor and gun depression on the ridgeline in areas 1 and 2. However, don’t be impatient, peeking your turret just a tiny bit more than necessary can lead to getting shredded very quickly.
If your heavy has a good view range, you will spot tanks with poor concealment hiding on the 2-line. If you run into an unskillful LT, you might even be able to reveal them.
With more mobile heavies, you can head out to support the hill and fire at enemy tanks in the middle. Definitely don’t try to push the hill right away, as you would become an easy target.
If you trust your armor, you can slowly head into the line of fire along the 1-line. However, don’t drive directly on the path between the bushes. Use it as a protective berm and move across the field next to it.
South Spawn
It doesn’t pay to take risks from the southern side either.
Just as in area 2 from the north side, keep an eye out for enemy fire from the hill here as well. The position on the hill is slightly less advantageous from this side because the rock you have to crest in order to fire is quite slippery. And if you pull into the bush at the top, you will be easily spotted by the enemy.
Medium Tanks
Medium tanks have a wide range of options on this map. Utilize unexpected angles and flanking.
North Spawn
Medium tanks clash most often on the hill, from where they can not only harass heavies in the middle but also control the situation on the hill itself. Mediums with accurate guns can choose one of the areas 1, 3, 4, and 5, or ideally rotate between them to support the sectors that currently need it.
South Spawn
On the southern side, there is a popular position near the redline in area 1, where experienced players use HE shells to knock down a tree for better cover.
You can play more aggressively on the hill and push as far as area number 3. However, teammate support is necessary for this, otherwise, you would find yourself “trapped” there alone.
Alternatives for sniper meds also exist if you spawn at the southern base. You can provide fire support from the tracks or from the small forest in the corner of the map.
Tank Destroyers
After light tanks, Tank Destroyers likely enjoy this map the most, as they have relatively many options from which to fire at their targets, even though it might not seem so at first glance.
North Spawn
The classic positions in the back bushes of the 1-2 line will probably surprise no one.
If there are more heavy tanks in the game, it might not be a bad decision to choose the railway spot, from where there is a great view of the ridgeline. However, if there are more medium tanks in the game, try betting on areas 4 and 5, from where you can easily cover the hill. I personally like going to area number 5 because there is a good view from there of the tanks peeking on the hill.
South Spawn
Although I have highlighted only three areas for the southern side, this in no way reduces the number of shooting opportunities.
The map layout doesn’t allow for camping behind the hill like on the other side. Similarly, it’s not worth pushing out to the right side of the tracks from the southern spawn. Supporting the LTs and heavy tanks in the middle remains the top priority.
Artillery
For SPGs, it doesn’t really matter which side you are playing from. The tasks remain the same. The most important objective is digging enemies out of their “hull-down” positions. Focus on camping enemy TDs in the alley and tanks on the hill. Use stun shells to daze tanks with strong turrets trying to play with their gun depression. And most importantly – finish off low HP targets.
Summary
Light tanks absolutely rule this map. That’s why the battle on Prokhorovka is always won by the team with the more capable spotter. Force deployment is also crucial – the battle certainly cannot be won from the corner of the map.
Do you think this map would benefit from the automatic artillery concept that WG is testing on the new map? And let me know in the comments which position on this map is your favorite.
