Bhishma TWMP: A Legend from an Epic

The Bhishma TWMP is nothing short of a legend itself. Being a T-90, its survivability is top-notch against almost all enemy vehicles that come face-to-face with this beast. With top-notch composite protection, a low silhouette, and a powerful fire-control system to boot, this beast of war is nothing short of formidable, hence the name "Bhishma", meaning "the formidable one". Despite the flaws of the inherited weak reverse speed and other weaknesses, this Indian beast of war can hold its ground in all cases when played in the right hands.

Mobility

This MBT from India is very fast, boasting a very good forward speed of 60km/h, which, like many MBTs, is particularly fast, allowing players to reach critical chokepoints and advantageous areas in a short time.

The only downside to such a good forward speed is possession of a terrible reverse speed of -5km/h, limiting retreat options if ever heavily damaged or in a heated combat engagement.

Armor and Survivability

The composites on this vehicle are nothing to talk smack about, being the export version of the T-90A, but without the Shtora APS. The hull composites in the front of the MBT are sloped, which allows them to deflect and/or dismantle rounds that attempt to penetrate it; similarly, the turret composites boast a more rigid composite layout compared to the T-72's more cast layout, allowing it to eat APFSDS rounds.

Applied on the hull and turret of the Bhishma is the Kontakt-5 ERA, a special type of ERA that protects against not only chemical penetrations but also against kinetic penetrations, making it the second-best ERA behind Relikt ERA.

The main weakness of the T-90S Bhishma is its own strength: the autoloader. As is known of all Warsaw Pact MBTs, the Bhishma's ammo is stored in the floor of the ammo carousel; a single shot there will either cripple its autoloading capabilities or send the turret to Mars. While most players will panic to take this tank out, more well-seasoned players will know to aim for the LFP or driver's port, or simply flank it. 

The crew count is 3, with the driver in the front of the tank and the gunner and commander housed within the turret, along with the ammo carousel and the autoloader. A single shot at the turret will either kill the crew or cause a jack-in-the-box effect should the ammo get hit by a penetrating round. Fortunately, compared to T-64s/T-80s, the ammo placement is horizontal rather than the vertical placement of those tanks, which makes ammo rack shots less likely.

Firepower and Ammunition

Bearing an autoloader that rams rounds quickly into the gun breech, the Bhishma TWMP takes about 7 seconds to load a round, eliminating the need for a loader (for reload speed would be hindered with the loss of an active loader). Do note that if the autoloader is out of commission, it stops feeding rounds into the breech, though any shell already loaded in the barrel can still be fired, assuming the cannon breech isn't also damaged. After that single shot, it cannot fire again until the autoloader is successfully repaired.

This tank has high-zoom optics of 2.7x to 12.0x for the Gunner, allowing players to scope from a safe distance, though it bears Generation 1 thermals, so the imaging will be basic and fuzzy, but enough to identify targets at a distance. It also has access to Commander Control for the turret, though it lacks thermals for the commander optics, so it's best to use it for scouting targets without the need for binoculars. It also receives a laser rangefinder, allowing players to quickly lase and acquire the range of the enemy they're aiming at, though keep in mind that moving targets and those with LWS (Laser Warning System) are able to dodge/avoid any fired rounds entirely.

The TWMP Bhishma possesses a roof 12.7mm 6P49 machine gun and 7.62mm PK machine gun for gunning down lightly armored vehicles, clearing obstacles and rangefinding if players lack the LSR at the moment. It also boasts smoke grenades to conceal its position and/or retreat, and ESS to blind the enemy while also allowing the players of the tank to utilize thermals through the smokescreen, though enemies with thermals equipped and turned on can also see through the ESS smokescreen, so be wary.

Below is a list of the ammunition fielded by the Bhishma TWMP:

• 3BK18M: A HEAT-FS round that all MBTs start with. In top-tier, players will encounter a lot of ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) and NERA (Non-Explosive Reactive Armor) elements on many MBTs that render chemical rounds like HE and HEAT rounds useless, so utilizing this round requires nuance to hit critical spots without the round hitting the armor and doing nothing but giving a simple "Hit" message.
• 3OF26 EDK: A High Explosive Time Fuze round that swats away or shoots down aerial targets such as aircraft and/or helicopters. They're best used against aircraft by rangefinding the aircraft in question, setting the fuse range to the needed range based on the target's movement/position trajectory, and leading the crosshair appropriately. It is also very effective against ground targets like LAVs and SPAA. Again, just like the HEAT-FS round, moving targets must be taken into account, since simply using the LSR on aerial and ground targets and firing will ensure a miss.
• 3BM42: An APFSDS round nicknamed Mango that is the first and only kinetic penetrator that players will receive. This armor-piercing round enables players to penetrate and damage tanks in spots that the stock HEAT-FS round could minimally do before. It also has a near-linear flight path at high velocity, which, paired with the LSR, can deal some powerful damage. Do take into account that NERA elements on other MBTs can either absorb or deflect the round, so aim for areas where said elements are weaker or not present, like the LFPs of Abrams and Leopards.
• 9M119M1: A barrel-fired, beam-riding tandem-charge ATGM that boasts high penetration, as many tandem-charge ATGMs in-game do. Being a beam-riding missile, it can be fired on the move, allowing the Bhishma to aim at a target and fire at will at the target of interest. Since it bears a tandem-charge warhead, it can penetrate through ERA and melt the interior of the enemy's MBTs, and may also be able to penetrate the NERA elements of MBTs. Keep in mind that it lacks an IRCCM, so Active Protection Systems (Soft-Kill and Hard-Kill) will be able to intercept and disrupt it.

Playstyles

Playing in the Bhishma TWMP is no different from playing any Warsaw Pact MBT, giving it a low profile in urban and rural environments to play around in. Its high muzzle velocity with its APFSDS round makes it a very deadly vehicle in-game. With this in mind, there are a few playstyles that resonate with it:

Sniper: With a muzzle velocity of 1700m/s and proper aim, the Bhishma can hit targets on near-linear trajectories over long distances, added with the APFSDS and laser rangefinder that boost its capabilities. On top of that, the dozer blade allows you to dig into a ditch that hides the two primary front weaknesses of this tank: the Driver's viewport and the LFP. Its low profile also allows it to blend into hilly environments and trees and bushes in matches where the environment is natural and not city-based.

The only downside of this playstyle is the poor gun depression. It makes peeking over hills virtually impossible (even a small incline is your worst enemy) and forces players to reposition to a spot, leaving them vulnerable to potential attacks from enemy snipers.

Assault/Brawler: With very sloped composite armor, ERA with 200mm of kinetic protection, strong forward mobility and turning, and the earlier-mentioned powerhouse of the main gun, the Bhishma is a minotaur on city or village maps. Given the tank's low profile and ability to turn tightly at chokepoints and corners, it will undoubtedly dominate the urban field alongside your Warsaw Pact companions (teammates). But that doesn't mean it isn't vulnerable to the same tactics employed by your enemies, Warsaw or NATO. Some notable tanks, like the Leopard 2s, Chinese MBTs, and even T-Series tanks in other nations, are equally capable of corner/chokepoint exploitation on urban/village maps, which should serve as a reminder to study the battle map and understand the surroundings, so as not to let these enemies get the jump before getting the jump on them.

Notable Enemies:

Below is a list of the notable ground and air targets you may expect to face in the battlefield that may (or may not) pose a threat to the TWMP Bhishma:

Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs):

These vehicles either boast an autocannon or a main cannon, sometimes in between. They offer much more flexibility in mobility and chokepoint dominance, and their armament can destroy your tank at all ranges when given the opportunity. They can also launch UAVs and scout your teammates' positions, letting their allies deduce your position and engage appropriately.

Autocannon LAVs are one half of the LAV threat, having access to APFSDS belts and eliminating the need to reload a round, unlike main-gunned LAVs, allowing them to immobilize and destroy allied vehicles on a dime. Some even possess Explosive Reactive Armor, like the PUMAs and the Chinese QN506.

LAVs with main guns are as threatening as any main battle tank, as they often serve as flankers on the battlefield. Commonly boasting a powerful 105mm cannon, swift mobility, and the ability to scout with UAVs, they assist their allies on the battlefield while being equally threatening, such as the M1128 Stryker or the Type 16.

Fortunately, their light armor allows players, with the appropriate round (kinetic or chemical), to bring them down dead in their tracks. But caution is advised, as these rats of the battlefield are often the more situationally aware players on the field, whether rural or urban, who play to their weaknesses.

The BMP-3s, BMDs, and the ZBD04A are a mix of autocannons and main guns, featuring a 100mm main barrel that fires beam-riding tandem-warhead ATGMs and a 30mm autocannon on the side. These glass cannons have exceptionally wunderbar performance in firepower and mobility in exchange for armor, and are most often the most unnoticed vehicles on the battlefield. Keep an eye on your surroundings for these vehicles.

Main Battle Tanks:

These tanks are a balance of armor and firepower, much like the Bhishma TWMP. With composite armor, fielded 105 - 125 mm main guns, and sufficient mobility to boot (particularly NATO in the reversing field), they are no different from the Bhishma's capabilities in battle.

Their composite armor, or NERA Elements as they are referred to, is similar to the Bhishma's in that they nullify chemical projectiles and either dismantle or deflect kinetic projectiles. Players will encounter many MBTs with such composite armor, and there will be Warsaw Pact MBTs that, just like the Bhishma, also feature kinetic ERA that acts like an extra layer of composite armor against kinetic and chemical projectiles at the same time.

With these key points in mind, kinetic and HEAT-based projectiles should be used appropriately against MBTs, notably at the sides, the LFP, and even the gun mantlet. APFSDS rounds are most commonly used given the BR of the Bhishma TWMP, so be prepared for a swift wipeout or critical immobilization. Chemical projectiles like HEAT-FS may also do serious damage, but won't be as frequent; ATGMs (especially ones with Tandem-Charge warheads), however, can be threatening.

Some MBTs like Type 90 and Leclercs, as well as Russian and Chinese MBTs, all feature autoloaders, which eliminate the need for a loader and also allow them to ram a round into the breech quickly and fire back quickly. Unlike the Warsaw Pact autoloading MBTs, the NATO ones are less armored; therefore, an APFSDS round or two can quickly sweep them out compared to the former.

Helicopters and Aircraft:

Aircraft, most notably jet aircraft (though very rarely propeller craft if players feel like doing so out of pure humor), are notable battlefield threats, with payloads ranging from minimum to maximum damage. Jet payloads can range from long-range missiles to heavy close-range ordnance. And given their speeds (even propeller aircraft), they are extremely hard to shoot out of the sky. If engaged by enemy aircraft, attempt to spot them and try to use the machine gun to swat them down, or try to use the HE-TF round to blow them out of the sky thanks to its variable time fuse.

Helicopters, on the other hand, are much slower-moving and easier to hit, which would be the case if the Bhishma were at a much lower BR. At the BR the Bhishma is at, it'll encounter helicopters with armaments and munitions that exceed the normal range of the battlefield, with many fielding AGMs that either boast tandem warheads or FAF (Fire-And-Forget) capabilities that render the tank's ERA useless and smoke the MBT out of the match. But, thankfully, they remain relatively slow in mobility despite modern upgrades, so the 12.7mm machine gun and tank ammunition can shoot them out of the sky. They can easily maneuver out of harm's way if any form of ammunition is fired at them, so keep that in mind as well.

BMPTs:

BMPTs are a plague in top-tier for all MBTs and players alike, being a hybrid of the T-90 (or a T-72 hull with the BMPT-72) with a notable amount of Relikt ERA on the front and sides of the chassis, spall liners to absorb the shrapnel of penetrating rounds to minimize or negate damage to zero, and a nightmare of an unmanned turret with two autocannons that can be individually fired should one be overheated or out of commission. The turret boasts a high profile, so even though it boasts -5° of gun depression, the tall profile and the additional information that any round that strikes the turret is rendered useless allow it to shoot over hills and use its autocannons to disable, dismantle, and destroy tanks with its APDS belts. Along with the autocannons are beam-riding, tandem-charge ATGMs that, like Warsaw Pact barrel-launched ATGMs, can be fired on the move and have a fast flight speed that often reaches targets before they can recover from the initial onslaught of the autocannons.

With immaculate armor protection, game-breaking firepower, and a top speed of 60km/h, what could be this tank's weakness? The same weaknesses that plague all Warsaw Pact MBTs. Even with its mobility, it retains the -5km/h reverse speed weakness that plagues the T-72/T-90s, the LFP and the rear (side shots can sometimes be rendered useless due to Relikt ERA and internal spall liners) can be shot to kill the crew inside immediately. Alternatively, the ATGM launchers can also be shot to destroy the BMPT

All in all, it's generally best to have teammates nearby in the scenario that a BMPT makes an appearance, so as not to fall victim to its arsenal.