A platoon in WOT is a group of two or three players who enter battle together, playing on a specific side. It allows players to complete various missions, improve their statistics, earn more experience and credits, and simply have a good time.

To effectively benefit from cooperative gameplay in this formation, it is important to follow a smart strategy, choose the optimal vehicles for battle, and adhere to key principles when playing in a platoon. All of this will be explained below.

How to create a platoon in the game

There are three different ways to create a platoon:

1. Go to the contacts list, which is marked by an icon located at the bottom left of the screen. From the list, choose a suitable nickname and right-click on it. Then click on the "Invite to Platoon" option.
2. To the left of the red "Battle" button, there is a "Create Platoon" option. When you enter this section, you will be given the choice between "Search for Players" or "New Platoon." "Search for Players" is used for automatic matchmaking if you don't have friends from your contacts list.
3. You can also create a platoon directly in battle. To do this, press "Ctrl" and hover the mouse over a player's nickname in your team, then confirm the platoon invitation with a "+" symbol.

Main principles to consider

Prior to forming a platoon and engaging in close combat, it is important to understand the basic principles of teamwork. A newly formed team should not resemble random players who move chaotically among themselves. To achieve this, it is necessary to adhere to the following basic principles:

• Have good synergy among team members. Players should have a clear understanding of their ally's actions and know how to interact effectively with specific vehicles. If the team has just formed and there is no understanding of how to act after a few battles, it is recommended to improve communication in training mode.
• Possess a high level of proficiency in certain vehicles. In WOT, there are various types of vehicles with different characteristics. Players should choose the tanks they are most skilled at dealing damage or spotting enemies. Some players select platoon mates based on their personal efficiency rating. The most optimal choice is to have "green" and "yellow" players with average performance in battles. It is advisable to avoid obvious "rookies" who can disrupt the gameplay and fail to achieve the desired results; they are usually marked in "orange" or "red" colors by a mod. It is also recommended to exercise caution with skilled "purple" players if you are not familiar with them, as they tend to prioritize their personal statistics over teamwork.
• Communication. This distinguishes platoon gameplay from random interactions. The dynamics of battle can be too fast-paced, making typing and reading text messages time-consuming. It is best to use voice communication to quickly give instructions to your friends, inform them about your actions, and request immediate support. Swift information exchange provides a significant advantage over solo players. You can use the in-game voice chat by enabling voice notifications in the system settings, or you can use third-party programs like Discord, TeamSpeak, and others.
• Dynamic platoons. They are best utilized for specific purposes. They are useful for quickly completing missions or regrouping during a battle.

Strategy and tactics in platoon battles

Having good skill and mastery alone does not guarantee successful team play. The key to maximizing effectiveness and domination lies in applying various tactics and strategies during battles. To win a large number of engagements, let's consider the main tactical elements of platoon interaction:

1. Try to focus fire on a single target and finish off weakened opponents. Randomly distributed fire not only preserves the lives of your enemies but also helps them quickly break through your flank if they actively rush. Marking the enemy target with a red font will assist in coordinated engagement on a single target.
2. Coordinate actions on the same flank. It is a big mistake to think that a platoon should control all three fronts on the map by splitting up. If the platoon members are skilled, it may produce some results, but it is best to work side by side. This increases the likelihood of breaking through one side of the enemy's defense, provides proper resistance to enemy advances, and allows for immediate assistance to platoon mates.

Choosing vehicles for a platoon

Forming a lineup of specific tanks for battle is an important aspect of improving statistics and winning more matches. There are interesting combinations of vehicles that can provide strong resistance on the battlefield.

1. 3 heavy tanks (IS-4 - IS-7 - E100)

This is a classic lineup for selecting vehicles. Heavy tanks are the main destructive force for conducting attacks. Three formidable "warriors" in a platoon can quickly crush one of the directions on the map. Good coordination allows you to pick off enemies one by one.

There is a wide choice when selecting specific types of heavy tanks: using tanks with good armor (such as Maus, E100, and Type 5 Heavy), employing one or two autoloading tanks (AMX 50 or T57 Heavy) for short-range support, or choosing tanks with strong turrets (IS-7 or Super Conqueror).

2. Light tank + 2 Tank destroyers (LT100 - Grille 15 - FV4005)

This lineup is designed to maximize damage and spotting. The light tank in this combination should act as an aggressive scout and draw enemy fire for allied tank destroyers. Using fast anti-tank vehicles allows for easy movement across different parts of the map, providing support and advancing towards the enemy base.

The light tank driver should have a good understanding of scouting and follow all survival rules. The longer the scout survives, the more damage they can assist their platoonmates in dealing.

3. Light tank + 2 Self-propelled guns (EBR 105 - G.W. Panther - E100 - T92 HMC)

A similar setup, but this time with artillery involved. The light tank in this case is not required to provide active spotting; they can engage in combat from concealment, while the self-propelled guns reposition when their guns have a long reload time.

4. All medium tanks (Object 430U - TVP T50/51 - Object 140)

Almost every map has areas that require quick capture and securing of key positions. These can be hills, various terrain features, urban strongholds, etc. That's why three medium tanks can provide significant firepower. It is recommended to use tanks with different roles and characteristics. For example, in addition to a tank with good armor (Object 430U), adding a tank with an autoloader or a reloading mechanism can provide support when capturing positions.

5. 2 medium tanks + Tank destroyer (Progetto 65 - Leopard PT A - Strv 103B)

With this vehicle configuration, the two medium tanks should work together, occupying different sides of the map. The main task of the player in the tank destroyer is to control the positioning of their teammates from a distance and execute precise attacks on the target.

Tanks that are undesirable to use in a platoon

When learning about the best vehicle combinations for forming a platoon, it is worth mentioning combinations of vehicles that will not provide significant advantages in platoon gameplay.

1. Three light tanks

Indeed, having effective scouting is always valuable for the team, but the ultimate result depends on the damage dealt by players. If your platoon consists only of scouts, your success in gaming will depend only 50% on you. It is much better when reconnaissance data is supported from the rear, for example, by artillery or tank destroyers.

Moreover, for effective reconnaissance, two light tanks in the team are sufficient, which can spot enemies in opposite areas of the map. Having an excessive number of light tanks will only hinder you and your friends from gaining more skill and data from successful spotting.

2. Three artillery pieces

If the aforementioned light tanks can contribute somewhat to achieving victory, the situation is much worse with artillery. It is almost irrelevant unless there are active spotter tanks or if enemy vehicles are breaking through the flanks. Such a composition would resemble random battles rather than a coordinated team platoon.

3. Heavy tank + medium tank + tank destroyer

This combination can be called a "mixed bag" since these types of tanks have different characteristics and roles in battle. Using all of them in one area of the map is highly illogical, and dividing the vehicles into different directions is inefficient. Therefore, it would be best to replace the medium tank in this lineup with artillery or a light tank.