The World of Tanks Supertest has welcomed an impressive addition to the French heavy tank lineup: the Terrifiant, a Tier IX premium heavy tank that continues the design philosophy of France’s “alternative” heavy branch.
Firepower: Punchy and Precise
The Terrifiant brings a potent firepower package that balances alpha damage with accuracy:
High Alpha Damage: The gun delivers 490 HP of damage per shot, placing the Terrifiant among the harder-hitting Tier IX heavy tanks. This alpha damage creates meaningful trades and allows the tank to punish exposed opponents decisively.
Decent Accuracy: With 0.36 dispersion, the Terrifiant offers respectable accuracy for a heavy tank. This isn’t sniper-level precision, but it’s sufficient for reliable shot placement at medium ranges and enables more confidence in longer-distance engagements than many heavies can manage.
Balanced Reload: With a 13.33-second reload time and a rate of fire of 4.5 rounds per minute, the Terrifiant maintains steady pressure on opponents while delivering significant per-shot impact. The balance between alpha damage and reload creates a comfortable rhythm for sustained engagements.
Penetration Values: The gun features 246mm standard penetration and 276mm with premium ammunition, providing adequate penetration for most same-tier confrontations, though heavily armored targets may require premium rounds or careful aim at weak points.
The firepower package creates a versatile weapon system capable of adapting to various engagement scenarios rather than being specialized for a single role.
Armor Profile: Alternative Heavy Branch DNA
The Terrifiant carries forward the armor characteristics that define the alternative French heavy line:
Strong Frontal Hull Armor: With a nominal value of 150mm on the hull front, the Terrifiant features respectable frontal protection. While not impenetrable, the armor provides meaningful protection when properly angled and positioned, especially against lower-tier opponents.
Robust Turret Armor: The turret boasts 250mm of frontal armor, creating a strong defensive position for hull-down gameplay. This substantial turret protection allows the Terrifiant to trade shots confidently when only the turret is exposed.
Alternative Branch Philosophy: Like the AMX M4 54 and other vehicles from this line, the Terrifiant emphasizes frontal armor protection over mobility, creating a more traditional heavy tank experience than the autoloading oscillating-turret branch.
Visual Connection: Community members have noted that the Terrifiant has visuals reminiscent of a Tier XI progression after the AMX M4 54, though the statistics remain firmly at the Tier IX level. This design continuity reinforces its position within the alternative heavy line.
The armor profile supports aggressive positioning while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to defensive situations when necessary.
Gun Depression: The French Advantage
One of the Terrifiant’s most significant advantages is its exceptional gun depression:
Outstanding -10° Depression: The maximum gun depression of -10 degrees is exceptional for any heavy tank, let alone a vehicle with this much armor. This depression capability opens up numerous positioning options that most heavy tanks simply cannot access.
Terrain Mastery: The combination of -10 degrees depression, strong turret armor, and decent accuracy creates a vehicle that excels at ridge-fighting and utilizing terrain features. Hills and undulating terrain become significant tactical advantages rather than obstacles.
Flexibility in Positioning: The exceptional gun depression means commanders can take aggressive positions on hills and ridges that would be impossible for tanks with standard -5 to -7 degrees of depression, expanding the Terrifiant’s tactical toolbox considerably.
This gun depression is a defining characteristic that separates the Terrifiant from most heavy tanks and enables a more dynamic, terrain-focused playstyle.
Mobility Characteristics
The Terrifiant offers respectable mobility for a heavily armored Tier IX heavy tank:
Top Speed: With a maximum forward speed of 33 km/h, the Terrifiant won’t be racing around the battlefield, but maintains adequate pace for a heavy tank. This speed allows for tactical repositioning without feeling completely immobile.
Specific Power: The 17.5 hp/t power-to-weight ratio provides decent acceleration and ability to maintain speed over varied terrain. While not exceptional, this specific power ensures the Terrifiant remains relevant as battle lines shift.
Balanced Mobility Package: The mobility characteristics suggest a tank designed for measured advances and tactical repositioning rather than aggressive flanking maneuvers. You can relocate when needed, but you won’t be executing rapid flanking movements.
The mobility profile complements the Terrifiant’s role as a versatile heavy tank that can adapt to battlefield developments without being locked into static positions.
Tactical Considerations
The Terrifiant’s characteristics create clear tactical opportunities:
Ridge-Fighting Excellence: The combination of -10 degrees gun depression, 250mm turret armor, and decent accuracy makes the Terrifiant exceptional at ridge-fighting. Seek out hills and terrain variation where this advantage can dominate.
Versatile Positioning: Unlike specialized tanks limited to specific positions, the Terrifiant can function in hull-down positions, sidescraping situations, or frontal confrontations. This versatility allows adaptation to evolving battle situations.
Measured Aggression: The strong frontal armor and punchy gun enable aggressive plays when opportunities present themselves, while the excellent gun depression provides escape routes and defensive options when pushes stall.
Support or Lead: The Terrifiant can function as either a frontline leader using its armor to push positions, or as a second-line support tank leveraging its gun depression and accuracy to provide covering fire.
Playstyle Implications
The Terrifiant rewards commanders who can read terrain and leverage positioning advantages:
Terrain-Focused Gameplay: Understanding map topography becomes crucial. Seek positions where the -10 degrees depression creates unfair advantages over opponents with limited gun depression.
Hull-Down Priority: While the frontal armor is respectable, the turret armor is stronger. Prioritize hull-down positions where only the turret is exposed, maximizing survivability while maintaining offensive capability.
Adaptable Approach: Don’t lock yourself into a single playstyle. The Terrifiant’s versatility means you should adapt to what each situation demands rather than forcing a predetermined approach.
Shot Patience: The decent accuracy and meaningful alpha damage reward patient, aimed shots rather than snap-shooting. Take the extra second to ensure hits, especially at longer ranges.
Commanders looking to master the Terrifiant should consider:
- Prioritizing positions with terrain variation where gun depression advantages matter
- Using the strong turret armor aggressively in hull-down situations
- Leveraging the -10 degrees depression to engage from unexpected angles
- Balancing aggressive pushes with the tactical retreats the gun depression enables
- Taking advantage of the decent accuracy for longer-range engagements when needed
- Supporting teammates by holding key terrain features that control map flow
Community Reception
Initial community reactions to the Terrifiant have been generally positive:
Design Continuity: Players appreciate that the Terrifiant clearly belongs to the alternative French heavy branch, with design elements and capabilities that echo the line’s established identity.
Visual Appeal: Community members have praised the visual design, with some noting it looks like it could be a Tier XI vehicle in terms of aesthetics, though the statistics remain appropriately balanced for Tier IX.
Gun Depression Enthusiasm: The -10 degrees of gun depression generates particular excitement among players who understand how powerful this capability can be in skilled hands.
Versatility Appreciation: The Terrifiant’s ability to function in multiple roles appeals to players who prefer flexible vehicles over one-trick specialists.
What Sets the Terrifiant Apart
The Terrifiant occupies a compelling niche in the Tier IX heavy tank landscape:
Alternative Branch Identity: Clear lineage to the alternative French heavy line creates instant understanding of the tank’s philosophy and playstyle for experienced players.
Gun Depression Elite: The -10 degrees of gun depression places the Terrifiant among the absolute elite for heavy tanks in this regard, creating tactical possibilities most heavies can’t access.
Historical Significance: As a Franco-American hybrid design, the Terrifiant represents an interesting “what if” moment in tank development history, bringing a canceled project to virtual life.
Versatile Heavy: Unlike specialized tanks that excel narrowly, the Terrifiant offers genuine versatility—functioning effectively in hull-down, frontal engagement, and support roles depending on situation demands.
What’s Next?
As a Supertest vehicle, the Terrifiant’s final statistics and characteristics remain subject to change. Wargaming will evaluate whether the combination of gun depression, armor, and firepower creates balanced gameplay or requires adjustment.
Key questions for the testing phase include:
- Is the -10 degrees gun depression too powerful when combined with the armor profile?
- Does the 490 alpha damage with decent accuracy create too favorable trading scenarios?
- Is the mobility sufficient to allow repositioning without making the tank too flexible?
- How does the tank perform across various map types and terrain profiles?
- Will the frontal armor prove adequate in the current high-penetration meta?
- Does the reload time properly balance the alpha damage and gun handling?
The Supertest phase will reveal whether the Terrifiant becomes a beloved addition to the alternative French heavy line or requires tuning to find its proper balance.
Final Thoughts
The Terrifiant represents the alternative French heavy philosophy executed at Tier IX with thoughtful design choices that create tactical depth. The exceptional -10 degrees of gun depression combined with strong turret armor and punchy firepower creates a vehicle that rewards terrain awareness and positioning intelligence.
For commanders who appreciate versatile heavy tanks that can adapt to circumstances rather than being locked into rigid playstyles, the Terrifiant offers a compelling package. The requirement to understand terrain and leverage gun depression advantages creates a skill ceiling that rewards mastery while remaining accessible to competent players.
The combination of French and American design elements creates something greater than the sum of its parts—a heavy tank that can fight from ridges, brawl in cities, or provide supporting fire depending on what each battle demands. If you embrace the terrain-focused gameplay that the exceptional gun depression enables, the Terrifiant becomes a powerful tool for controlling key positions and dictating engagement terms.
Whether you’re excited about continuing the alternative French heavy line or intrigued by the historical Franco-American collaboration, the Terrifiant offers a distinctive take on Tier IX heavy tank design that prioritizes tactical flexibility and positioning advantages over specialized dominance in narrow circumstances.r in close quarters above all else.
