Few people know it, fewer people adore it. It is the VDV's vehicle of choice should they need MBT equivalent firepower in a nimble and speedy package, it also is amphibious! It is bound to be a headache for any unlucky foe that crosses path with its powerful cannon, but don’t be fooled! It can be just as easily destroyed.
| Pros | Cons |
| Access to the 3BM60 | Very tall silhouette (can be somewhat negated by suspension control) |
| Gen. 3 gunner and commander thermals | Poor depression angle of just -4° |
| Suspension control | Little to no armor protection |
| Amphibious | Slow gun elevation speed |
Armament and ammunition
The Sprut boasts an impressive fully stabilized 125mm smoothbore cannon that is the 2A75-1, it is basically the same 125mm cannon used by Soviet MBTs. It is supplied by an ammunition carousel with a capacity of 22 rounds below the turret with a mediocre 7.1 seconds of reload and can load these shells:
- 3BK18M HEAT-FS: We all know it and we all love it. It is the Soviet stock round of semi-modern and later MBTs with a nice penetration value of 550mm at a 0° angle of attack.
- 3BM42 APFSDS “Mango”: The first obtainable APFSDS round with comfortable penetration of 445mm at 500m at a 0° angle of attack. Unlocking it should be among anyone’s top priorities if they wish to be released from the “hell” that is low velocity HEAT-FS slinging on big maps.
- 3BM60 APFSDS “Svinets-2”: The Soviet top tier round of choice, it is a long body kinetic penetrator with an impressive penetration capability of 567mm at 500m at a 0° angle of attack. It makes easy work of any enemy it strikes while having great potential of over-penetrating and possibly damaging or even destroying a second unlucky enemy in its path of flight.
- 9M119M1 Tandem charge ATGM “Invar-M”: A SACLOS tandem charge ATGM with a nice penetration of 850mm at a 0° angle of attack, it can be quite situational and is not really worth carrying.
- 3OF26 HE: The
ultimate troll round. Soviet engineers encapsulated the power of a Tsar
bomb in a 125mm HE round which makes short work of any tank it faces.
That is if it hits areas with thin armor near the point of detonation.
Survivability
The Sprut’s armor is nothing to boast about, its frontal protection is poor at best, however it may be able to survive a .50cal AP point blank but anything above that is guaranteed penetration and possible death. Remember the survivability onion and treat every engagement as final.
The Sprut does have a few aces up its sleeve, mainly the fact that it is full of “void”; empty spaces between crew members which can make them just out of reach of shrapnel and penetrating rounds.
Another notable feat is commander gun control. In the event that the gunner is knocked unconscious and the breech remains operational; the commander can take over control of the main gun and fire back with minimal delay; it can be the difference between being knocked out or surviving an encounter.
However it does have drawbacks, it is very tall and easy to spot due to its size. Its height can be adjusted thanks to the adjustable suspension it has, unfortunately it is limited to simple raising and lowering.
The other drawback is also the poor gun depression, which is just measly -4° making any engagement on hilly terrain a nightmare since any peeking may result in a hit without the option to return fire.
Mobility
The main powerplant of this tank is the Transmash UTD-29 providing 500 horsepower at 2600 rpm. Combined with the tank’s low weight of just 18 tons it gets about 27.8 horsepower per ton making it a very agile tank. Another nice thing is the fact that the Sprut gets a fast reverse gear compared to soviet MBTs.
Its max speeds are 70 km/h going forward and 20.4 km/h going backwards making it one of the faster tanks in game, of course any light tank or a faster MBT such as the Leopard 2K or the M1 Abrams can catch it with ease.
Its offroad capabilites are mediocre however, on hilly terrain you will reach your maximum speed with some difficulties, you should expect 60-65 km/h tops. It retains good handling on soft terrain but climbing is generally not recommended.
Playstyle
The 2S25M should be played with caution and vigilance, it is a “glass cannon”; packs a heavy punch but shatters at nearly every shot returned its way, be it an IFV, an MBT, plane or a helicopter so pick fights wisely.
The two main playstyles are sniping and flanking:
Sniping
Generally recommended for long range maps, maximum utilization of its generation 3 thermals, laser rangefinder and high zoom (4.0x-12.0x) is vital to succeed in this playstyle. Choosing an adequate position is important as well due to poor gun depression, typical peek and shoot positions do offer some options but most of them are not viable. The depression really is that poor. Combined with the slow gun elevation speed the Sprut is at a big disadvantage. Choosing map edges is your safest bet on most maps.
Flanking
Works with both long range maps and close quarters maps, or combined ones (e.g. Fields of Poland or European Province). Usage of tactics, mobility and positioning is key to flanking correctly. Keep in mind the loud engine and high silhouette as they can alert to your position. Trigger discipline is crucial too, fire at the wrong moment and risk being detected. The Sprut can hold its own if brawling with 1 or 2 foes but isn’t recommended due to the poor armor and lengthy reload.
