Matilda Guide

This is a tank guide for the British tier IV medium tank Matilda. I hope that with this guide, I will be able to show that unlike what surprisingly many people think that this tank is one of the worst tanks in the game, in fact this tank is one of the most overpowered tanks in the game, especially in the hands of a player that knows what he is doing.


During my battles with the Matilda, I've encountered a very large number of opposing Matilda's that have displayed a complete lack of understanding on how to play this tank. I hope that this guide will help on improving the ability to play the Matilda to its full potential for whoever reads it.

Now, let me show you loads of numbers first:

Detailed characteristics:
-Modules



Characteristics, stock and fully upgraded.


Armor Model:


Characteristics explained:
Obviously, the information above is a lot to take in at first if you're not familiar with this tank. So let me first paint the bigger picture with words before you can go back and study them in more detail.

Two things make this tank an excellent tank. Firstly, with its 75/70/55 hull armor and all around 75mm turret armor, it is the best armored tank of its tier, especially because it's a very small tank with a small silhouette. The only tanks that come close to the Matilda's level of armor on its tier are the French tanks B1 and AMX 40, and the British Valentine. But unlike the French tanks and the Valentine, the thing that makes the Matilda truly shine is the QF-2 pdr Mk. X-B gun.

Before I continue, let me show the statistics for the Matilda's three guns. They are all equipable with its stock turret and can be researched first and mounted without needing the tracks:



Let me get one thing straight here. Never ever equip the Howitzer for this tank. It's a horrible piece of junk compared to the 2 pounder X-B, but I still see a lot of people mount it instead of the X-B. What too many people don't seem to understand is that just because the 55 alpha damage is low, it doesn't mean that it's a bad gun. With its 121mm penetration value, you can damage almost any tank you will meet, frontally. The only frontal armor that the X-B cannot penetrate from all the tanks that the Matilda can meet is the frontal armor of the AT-2 and AT-8 British tank destroyers. But because of it's incredible rate of fire, accuracy and aim-time for its tier, you can target their massive weak-spots easily. Do not be fooled by the designated tier IV rank for that gun, it certainly is far better than that. It should be the first thing for you to research.

The Matilda's main weakness, something that you will notice right off the bat when you drive it for the first time, is its mobility. It is one of the slowest tanks in the game. With it's top engine and tracks, it can only get to 24 kmh and with its 7.05 HP to weight ratio, it accelerates very slow too. This is bad even for a heavy tank, let alone by a medium. This means that you will have to adjust your playstyle a lot if you are used to fast tanks. But I will show you how you can use its slow speed somewhat to your advantage.

Playstyle and Tactics:

The first thing you need to be aware of when playing the Matilda is that you need to judge the battle before it begins. The most important aspects in this regard are the map and the types and tiers of the opposing enemy tanks.


Because of the Matilda's slow speed, you do not have the luxury of playing a roaming supporting role. You need to decide where you want to be on the map before the counter reaches zero. Choke points should be your priority. The E7-F7 main road in Himmelsdorf is an obvious example. Because of your low mobility, it means that you will almost never be able to lead a push, but your excellent gun makes it possible to support the push quite easily from a distance.

I recommend that you do not go far from your base, but roam around the different critical spots near it. You should support or hold a flank, but always watch the map and be ready to head back to your base if another flank breaks. Don't try to just walk through a flank to their base, you won't lose the game if you don't cap their base immediately, but you will certainly lose if you go too far and have no time to go back and decap if somebody is capping yours, leave the capping of the enemy flag to faster tanks. Only go for a cap when you're absolutely sure. Try to stay in between your base and theirs. If your team is winning, good for you, if not, the enemy tanks will have to pass through you to get to your base. That's where your Matilda will shine the most. In certain situations, the Matilda is capable of holding and destroying three or four enemy tanks with ease. It is one of the best tanks to try for a Kolobanov's medal. Try to occupy a spot where you can easily snipe because the Matilda is a very good sniper. Do not go to into the open heedlessly because you're an easy target for artillery with your low mobility.


But the most important role that you need to be aware of when playing the Matilda is the role of countering the enemy's best tanks. Firstly, you need watch for the battle tier of a game. If you land in a tier 6 battle, you should stay far from the enemy tanks and use your excellent gun to snipe them rapidly. Its accuracy allows you to aim for different weak spots easily and the most important thing I recommend is trying to hit the engine when you are able to.

When fully equipped and trained, you can manage a reload time of less than 1.8 seconds on the X-B. If you shoot a and hit a typical tank's engine five times, which you can do in less than 10 seconds if the opportunity presents itself, there's a chance of around 50% that you will set it on fire.


But never try to brawl on a tier 6 match. Your armor is useless in those matches and your mobility is even more exposed. A KV-1S or a SU-100 will almost always one-shot you, most of the others will two-shot you. Find a good cover spot and annoy them with your rapid firing gun, they will try to hit you but if you are at a reasonable distance, they will find it difficult because of the Matilda's small frame. You can manage up to 1000 damage per game this way, nearly three times your 370 HP pool.

Tier 5 games should be played the same defensive way, let them come to you because campfests are a very rare occurrence in those battle tiers, and pick them off with your excellent gun. Also try to use the terrain to your advantage because you have a very small turret and -10 gun depression which allows you to hull-down excellently. If you're confident that the most dangerous tanks pose no threat anymore, then it's time to move forward.


On a tier 4 game, the Matilda is almost always the most dangerous tank on the field. Therefore you need to position yourself so that you will have a good opportunity to take out the best tanks of the enemy first. If they are gone, the rest of the game will be a walk in the park. So, for example, if you run into a Pz.I ausf C and an Alecto, don't try to damage the PzI C first, his 38mm penetration won't hurt you at all, take out the more dangerous tank first.

Here's a list of tanks that you should consider your top targets, in order.

Matilda

Obviously, if there are Matilda's on the other team, and if its a tier 4 game, they should be top priority. Try to predict their movements and catch the off guard. If you can land two shots on an enemy Matilda before he can shoot at you, he's dead.

Hetzer

There's a large amount of Hetzers derping around tier 4 matches, and with a very good reason. It has a small profile, very good frontal armor, especially the upper part which can bounce even your 121mm penetrating rounds at times, it's agile and can mount a very good Howitzer. That Howitzer will take more than a third and up to half of your health in one shot. That is, of course, if he is shooting regular HE. If the Hetzer is shooting HEAT, and if it hits you, either you will be left with a very low amount of health, or you will be one-shot.

All other tier 4 TD's

The reason I'm singling out the Hetzer above is that it's the preferred tier 4 tank choice for good players who just want to have fun on lower tiers, while other tanks played by people who are mostly just grinding them. Therefore if there are good players in the enemy team, they are usually playing a Hetzer or a Matilda. Otherwise, tier 4 TD's like the SU-85B and the Alecto should be a priority.

Valentine

The Valentine is slightly faster but has poorer armor and a worse gun. The reason you should take this tank down is because it can easily kill your less armored team mates and it also has the ability to penetrate you should the opportunity be presented.

T82

This is the only tier 3 tank that can reliably hurt you. It too can equip a crippling Howitzer.

T-28

It's one of the most played tier 4 tanks because of the trees in which it leads to. It can equip a very good gun which can penetrate your Matilda reliably on the hands of a good player, therefore you should be aware of those. It's large frame means that you can shoot at it when moving without a problem, so if you get caught with one on a duel, don't stay in one place, move.

SU-26

Obviously, the SU-26 is not a tank that you will meet head on most of the time, but if you see one in the opposing team, you can almost bet on the fact that a good player is driving it because like the Hetzer as a tank, it's the most popular arty to play in lower tiers. Good players will know that you are the most dangerous tank in your team, and the slowest. For that reason, those pesky little SU-26's will almost always target you when the opportunity presents, therefore be aware who the SU is targeting and stay near cover just in case.

On tier 5 and 6 matches, usually you won't have the ability to of who to face based on the map because you can't go head on against them. A KV-1 will three-shot you for example, as will all tier 5 TD's. You need to stay back and support, but your top targets should always be the most heavily armored tanks because you will have one of the most high penetrating and accurate guns on the field. It will be your responsibility to do the damage to those big, bulky heavies while they are distracted. Don't try to take out smaller tanks or scouts first if you have the opportunity to shoot at the heavies.

As for duel tactics. Because the Matilda is very well armored on all sides, angle your tank up to 35-40 degrees, this way you can increase your effective armor above 100. Use the sidescraper maneuver when possible too, it's an excellent tank to do it on. As mentioned earlier, on close fights, move your tank around because you have a very accurate gun even on the move because of your slow speed but your turret turns very fast. Against high tier tanks like the KV-1S, if the opportunity presents, use your gun to de-track them and keep them that way. Often, if you find yourself on lower ground, you can cripple their tracks and the proceed to trade shots between their hull and their tracks, slowly killing them while they can do nothing about it because they have not enough gun depression.

Also, because of the nature of low tier matches, positioning your tank is of uttermost importance. I'm not talking just about positioning on critical routes, but also about the little details, like that small sloped hill here that reduces your already small frame even more, or that little rock there that gives you plenty of cover. The reason is simple, for example on a high tier game, say a tier 7 duel, a Tiger would need on average 6-7 penetrating shots to kill another Tiger. With a reload time of about 8 seconds, that's up to 54 seconds, plenty of time to find cover, position yourself and wait for support. On the other hand, a Matlida also needs a 7 penetrating shots to take out another Matilda, but with a reload time of 1.8 seconds, you can kill another Matilda in just 13 seconds, a time frame where a Tiger would be able to shoot only two times. Thus, if you get caught out of position on a Matilda, which is even slower than a Tiger, you have made a critical mistake that might cost your team the game.

Therefore, knowing the limits of the Matilda and how far it can travel is very important. It really needs to be played like a very slow heavy so you don't get caught on open ground, surrounded by tanks where even the red flashing bounces are enough to distract you. You can put in two-three shots at a tank before he even realizes where you're shooting from because they almost always underestimate the reload time of your X-B. It is a lot more deadly to be caught out of position in those lower tiers than on higher ones.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:
- Best armored tier 4 tank
- Very high penetration for its tier
- Very accurate and great aim time
- Very rapid firing gun
- Presents a small target

Cons:
- Very very slow
- Low Alpha damage

Recommendations:

Equipment:

Improved ventilation

Because the Matlida is a very good all-round tank, improved ventilation is an obvious choice, and anything that helps moving faster is appreciated.

Tank-gun rammer

The Matilda’s best feature is its gun. Even if it has an already low reload time, this will definitely help.

Enhanced Gun-Laying Drive

Often enough, you will notice that you can fire faster than your gun can aim, especially at distant targets, so my third recommendation goes for the EGLD, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

Binocular Telescope

Because of your sniping ability and your low mobility, you will often find yourself sitting on a spot, just waiting to shoot at something. Binos are an obvious choice here but you’d have to compensate one of the above three for this.

Consumables

Here, I recommend the standard three if you’re just playing for fun but want to make some credits too:

Fire extinguisher


Small repair kit


Small first aid kit


Fires are very rare on the Matilda, but it’s moderately susceptible to crew and module damage when penetrated.

Crew Skills

This is recommended path:


Commander
Repair -> Sixth Sense -> Brothers in Arms -> Eagle Eye


Gunner
Repair ->Snap Shot -> Brother in Arms ->Deadeye


Driver
Repair ->Off-Road Driving ->Brothers in Arms -> Clutch Breaking


Loader
Repair -> Safe Stowage -> Brothers in Arms -> Adrenaline Rush

Research

Your top priority is the X-B. After that, get the tracks and the engine, then go for the turret.


Originally written by lfcfan

Top quality article about a top quality tank. Article says all, Tilly does all.
Read it with tears in my eyes Thanks !!!

Read this once, bought what i could afford. Just had my most productive random battle yet. Thank you!

I got my ace tanker in this last night after 55 games, in a T5 battle i managed 2095DMG, and 5 kills.  Currently on a 60% win rate and i have reason to believe apart from very bad luck, that this will improve.  Even in T6 battles this tank can offer genuine support to the front line as long as you stay safe.