Ammo selection for dummies

I know it's a noob question but anyway.

I'd like something on when/How and where to use what ammo and also on what to aim for on specific tanks with specific ammo (if this is an issue).

I have been given some contradictory advice on how or when to use HE, some say never, some say against higher tier, some say only against flat (un-angled) surfaces

I have seen a Jingles video where someone suggest switching to HE but express doubts as to whether tho commander in question would know what to aim for on the specific target. I for one wouldn't have a clue. Teach me please

AP should be your primary shell. Use it always. Gold ammo should be used on targets that you normally couldn't pen with AP ammo, but I advise to use it only when the game is really close and you absolutely need to pen.

Now, always carry a small amount of HE ammo (3-5 shells is just fine). You should use it on really low HP targets (less than 50 HP) to secure a kill on them without aiming (useful if they're hull down). Also it's used for emergency decapping when you don't have time to aim at weakspots and need to reset. HE will always do some dmg and reset.

I don't recommend shooting HE at arties since it tends not to do full dmg and then arty gets a chance to shoot you. Also shooting HE at tracks means it will never go in since HE explodes on contact and tracks act as spaced armor. It is viable to use HE at eg. a hull down T32 or other hard penetrable targets just to to some dmg, but you'll only do some very small bits of damage. And remember, if HE hits a very, very armored part of a tank (mantlet, upper plates of some tanks) it has a chance of either bouncing or doing 0 dmg.

Oh yeah, if you're able to put a shell inside the turret of open topped tanks, use HE since there is 0 armor and you'll do full dmg, wreck some modules and kill crew (T28 proto, Hellcat, Marder II, T25/2, arties etc.). Mind that you need to be above them to actually shoot inside it from the top. Arties don't have such a problem since they have a falling shell, whilst tanks don't.

Hope this is helpful.

In a hulldown lesson recently we also got the advice to go loco on the target with HE's as with each damaging shot we took out some of the crew and/or destroyed modules.

I tried it not soon after on a sidescraping E100 and totally destroyed his opportunity to do anything remotely reasonable afterwards. With 5 penetrating shots i took out 3 crewmembers and a couple of modules.

Maybe it only gives real value in special situations where you can hit a weakspot with HE, but it sure worked.

HE is pretty usefull for decapping and wrecking modules of tanks. I use HE shells for guns with calibers of 7,5cm and higher, other calibers just dont do decent HE damage (7,5cm and 76 already barely do).

I often use HE to kill of arties. Arty has usually got terrible armor, so it will almost every time go through. the higher alpha damage will kill off the vehicle at once (HE alpha is better than AP alpha), and if I don't I will proabably mess up his crew/modules.

Thanks all so fare, some very useful tips there, especially about the decapping and about going for modules and crew if you can't pen anyway.

How about these following specific circumstances.

Target is a KV3 with it's big flat side of the hull turned directly against you. Do you go HE or AP
Target is a T29 in close combat and toy have a good chance of a cupola shot. Do you go HE or AP

What about other specific targets and situations

All good advice so far, the main difference is caliber of gun and the targets you are shooting.  Take the T5 PzIV with the 10,5 gun..its HE derp all of the way these days, same for the KV-2 T6 heavy 152mm cannon and I also use HE on the SU-152 T7 USSR TD although opinions differ there

easy rule of thumb, if you bounce twice with AP switch to HE, ok the damage may be less but killing a commander/loader etc is equally imobilising a tank for your team.

bufferzone wrote:
Target is a KV3 with it's big flat side of the hull turned directly against you. Do you go HE or AP
Target is a T29 in close combat and toy have a good chance of a cupola shot. Do you go HE or AP

This very much depends upon on the gun, both caliber and pen values you have on your tank. The KV3 question id go through the rear of his wheels to hope to destroy the engine or the front/rear wheel to track him to allow others of your team to hit an east target, whilst alos dealing damage yourself.
The T29, personally i would avoid the cupola shot with low pen AP as its likely to bounce, id use HE.  Although in the same situation, if facehugging a T29, as im about to be reloaded, id pull back and shoot his lower hull then return to the face hug.... again, other factors could change my opinion on that such as height difference, turret armour, mobility of my own tank etc

There's only 2 situations I ever use HE. Securing a decap by shooting tracks. Killing low hp heavily armoured targets (nothing better than snapshotting a T1103 with E-100 and killing him HE  ). HE is more useful with tanks with bigger guns as they have more dmg and splash.

In every other situation I choose AP/APCR as it's more reliable and there is less change to get screwed by RNG, which you will anyway.

Everything with 90mm caliber or higher should do up to 70 dmg unless you shoot the most armored part. I once killed a KV-4 with my Hellcat by shooting one HE shell in his frontal lower plate (angled). He had around 60 HP. My last such kill was a snapshot at Conqueror's turret with M103. He had like 80 HP. Well, you get the point