The T-80UK is a modified command and control variant of the T-80, equipped with multiple systems not present on some other T-80s, such as Shtora-1 soft kill APS, and a laser warning system. This, like many other T-80s, makes the T-80UK a dangerous opponent; however, it has a few fatal flaws that render it ineffective in certain situations. Being a squadron vehicle it means you have to research it and stock grind it. So, how is it played, and what modifications should be prioritised?
| Pros | Cons |
| Good variety of ammunition | Lacklustre armour |
| Great top speed | No gun depression |
| LWS/LR and APS | Terrible reverse speed |
| Roof mounted machine gun; great for anti-air against slow flying targets | Low amount of crew, autoloader is fragile, not very survivable if shot at. |
| Weakspots are relatively small and hard to hit at long ranges |
Armour and General Survivability
The armour of the tank is all around okay, with only the highest penetration rounds like outlined above being able to penetrate frontally. The frontal armour is about 550 mm equivalent, however this is nullified by the fact that there is no armour anywhere else to speak of. The lower frontal plate is a glaring weakspot, and shooting the turret next to the gun barrel can result in death. The sides and rear may as well not have armour, with almost anything able to penetrate that armour. This is why you always go hull-down in top tier. The tank comes with entrenching equipment if you want to be special. The low profile of this tank can do the same thing a hole can do anyway, making it harder to spot a T-80 than a M1A2 or Leopard. To be fair, the protection against kinetic penetrators is all around good, especially on the turret, it just struggles against late APFSDS, or the LOSAT.
In terms of other features, there is ERA all over the tank, for increased survivability against chemical munitions, which can save you if your APS doesn’t work against ATGMs. On the topic of the APS, it is designed to scramble and confuse missile targeting systems (which is why it is a soft kill APS), which works well against missiles that use IR tracking. This only works against older missiles that the turret is facing, making it somewhat useless. This is further compounded by the fact that it lights you up like a flare in night battles. Make sure it is turned off during night battles, otherwise you may as well charge straight into the enemy spawn due to the massive IR signature. You also have a Laser Warning Receiver, helpful in the case against both helicopters and tanks attempting to snipe you from range. You also have smoke grenades, which block thermals, and ESS, which doesn’t. These extra things nicely complement and help the original armour, making this tank fairly survivable under certain circumstances.
Armament and ammunition
The T-80UK is equipped with a 125 mm 2A46M-1 cannon, with a two-plane stabiliser. It comes equipped with 5 different shells, each either useful or not, and for different purposes.
| Shell Name | Type | Penetration @ 100m (mm) | Muzzle Velocity | Usage |
| 3BK18M | HEAT-FS | 550 | 905 m/s | This is your stock shell. Decent penetration, however it is nullified by distance, ERA, and shooting against moving targets. Rather painful to use, and should not be used over APFSDS. |
| 3OF26 EDKV | HE-TF | 42 | 850 m/s | HE shell with a timed fuse set to your rangefinder (if you use it). Nice against light vehicles, always good to have a couple. |
| 3BM42 | APFSDS | 454 | 1700 m/s | The first APFSDS shell you unlock. Great velocity, alright penetration, will suffice until unlocking the next APFSDS shell. |
| 3BM46 | APFSDS | 531 | 1700 m/s | The final shell you unlock, and your main anti-armour shell. Very useful in most situations against MBTs, might overpenetrate light vehicles. |
| 9M119 | ATGM | 750 | 470 m/s | A barrel launched ATGM. You need to maintain line of sight with your target, so either snipe at unsuspecting vehicles, or use it in CQC. Very good against light vehicles, albeit situational. Bring a couple. |
The gun has a 6.5-second autoloader, allowing consistency, however the autoloader is easily taken out, which can be a pain in the fast-paced environment of top-tier. The gun depresses 5° and elevates 15°, which are alright values for a Russian tank, however, it destroys your ability to fight on hilly maps. The turret has a rotation speed of 16.8°/s horizontally and 3.1°/s vertically, which are overall slower values than Western counterparts.
Your first stage ammunition is 28 rounds out of 30 total. I would recommend bringing mostly APFSDS, some HE, and 1 or 2 ATGMS. This will keep you covered for most situations. In terms of secondary armaments, the T-80UK has a 12.7 mm machine gun on the roof for anti-air, able to rotate and cover angles higher than the gun traverse. It is also great for shredding lighter targets like the HSTV-L or Centauro RGO. If you lose the commander, you lose the ability to use this gun. The coaxial 7.62 mm is really only viable for clearing obstacles or searching for targets through smoke.
Mobility
The mobility of the tank is like any other Russian tank, or T-80 more accurately. A weight of 46 tons and engine power of 1250hp gives a power-to-weight ratio of 27.2hp/t. As a T-80U variant, it is slightly lighter than other T-80s, however the handling and acceleration feel the same. The tank has a top speed of 70 km/h and a top reverse speed of 11 km/h.
The vehicle does not slide much, accelerates fast, can climb fairly steep slopes, and overall feels great to drive. It is marginally faster than Western tanks, however it accelerates a lot faster, allowing it to leave them in the dust. A good tip to bear in mind is make sure that if you are climbing a hill and struggling, climb the hill at an angle i.e. don’t drive straight up. You will find getting over the hill much easier.
Stock Grinding!
If you have just unlocked the T-80UK and are not sure which are the best modifications to grind, here, I’ll give the ones you should (probably) prioritise in order.
- Tier 1 — Improved Parts, 3BM42, Tracks
- Tier 2 — LWS/LR, Smoke grenade, Improved FPE
- Tier 3 — NVD, Crew replenishment, 9M119
- Tier 4 — 3BM46, ESS and Engine
Hopefully, if you follow this to some modicum of accuracy, and speed, stock grinding this vehicle won’t be as painful, even when starting blind, deaf and dumb.
Playstyle
While the T-80UK excels at a number of roles, whether sniping, brawling, or flanking, certain traits hold it back from being very effective in those roles. For sniping, your low gun depression can be your end, as you have to sit on top of a hill to shoot anyone, making it painfully obvious where you are. For brawling, your fairly weak frontal armour cannot be relied upon against heavier opponents like the Leopard 2A7V. Flanking can be very situational and once again if you’re on a hilly map you’ll struggle. Instead, the T-80UK works best as an ambush predator.
When playing ambushes, it can be very tempting to scream round a corner. Typically the result of that is APFSDS to the face. You need to be more strategic about the way you ambush. Urban maps are typically best, as it is easiest to stay hidden and there are more covered routes, allowing for the setting of traps and such. Despite this, ambushes can be set up on open and hilly maps, a typically easy way to do so is look in third person view, try to peek over a hill or around a corner, wait until the enemy is distracted, then rush around the corner and take them out. Just make sure you don’t miss, as the enemy will sometimes notice and respond, and they have more time to do so. The small weakspots are a lot easier to hit at close range, so wiggling your tank may make them miss their shot. The APS helps with if you have ATGMs shot at you by light tanks, although if that happens you are almost certainly scouted so you need to think about your strategy again. Be aware that your terrible reverse speed and poor gun handling make it a pain to fight your way out if you overextend, make sure to watch the minimap and not push too far.
Enemies of note (and what to do)
This section will cover 4 enemies of note, and the easiest way to deal with them. It will also cover penetration, and weakspots of yours and theirs that you need to watch for.
Type 90, TKX (most Japanese MBTs)
These MBTs are armed with 4 second autoloaders, making it impossible to play peekaboo or stay in a brawl with them if you miss. Out of these two above, the TKX is easily the most scary with a 4 second autoloader and over 600mm of penetration. Easily, their biggest weakness is their armour, which is almost non-existent. These MBTs will usually be found sniping, so if you can stay vigilant in case you end up facing of them. They are easy to kill, but can easily kill you.
The easiest place to shoot is either of the turret cheeks. As well as almost knocking out the entire crew, it usually takes out the cannon breech if placed close enough. Despite this, the turret cheeks are the most heavily armed section of the tank, so especially on the TKX, you may not always penetrate. Other than that, always aim for the lower frontal plate, as that will usually result in instant death.
Leopard 2A7V (or similar like STRV 122B+)
These tanks, or similar ones, are incredibly heavily armoured. It can be incredibly hard to hit a shot from range, especially if just the turret cheeks are showing. To pair with this, a devastatingly powerful cannon pairs with great mobility, creating a monster. Easiest way to deal with them is flank them, or take out their barrel and find another angle of attack. Other than that, it is best to leave them alone as you’ll find it tough to destroy them.
If forced to attack from the front, there are two main weakspots. Right next to the gun, you can shoot and take out a couple of crewmembers and the cannon breech, otherwise you must aim for the LFP. The upper section of the UFP and the turret ring are also viable, but less affective and harder to hit weakspots.
M1A2 SEP V2
The M1A2, while fragile, possesses a powerful gun. You will rarely see a competent player rushing in an Abrams, it is best they stay behind to hide their weakspots. As the weakspots are so large (and on the rest of the Abrams), it is easy to exploit them, whether at range or in a brawl. The turret ring is the easiest weakspot to hit, resulting in death or crippling damage. The LFP is a very good place to hit, usually resulting in instant death. Just try to prevent them from firing at you, or you will end up very dead. Make sure if you aim for the UFP you are careful, as it can result in a ricochet.
I hope this guide helped!
