Difference between revisions of "Striker"

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(Modified text, since it's not uncommon to get rocket bombed in AB with recent patch and APDSFS'd by french at 8.3 BR. Also, visual editor seems to damage text, whenever you click away from text blocks, esp at that 9.7-10 part it did so 4 times. Idk why.)
(Some edits)
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The first thing to notice about the Striker is a giant missile panel on its back. Being hit there lights the vehicle on fire, the missile area to light up like a firework, and be unable to fire back. As such, try not to get hit in the missile launch area. In case the Striker gets shot at an empty tube, there is a chance the entire rack won't break in one hit and the vehicle will still be able to fire while having the option to repair it back to 100%. In case all of the ammo is spent, the rear is actually the safest place to be hit as only ammo and fuel is stored there and will otherwise be open space; it can even completely absorb artillery shots or fire from the BMP-1 cannon, which normally hull breaks or destroys the much better protected Warrior. The missile rack also covers the ammo rack from planes strafing from the sky, so as long as they can't fire inside of the vehicle, the Striker should be fine. Also, since the launcher is now closer to the front of the hull, the Striker cannot fire in 10 m dead zone in front, so try to destroy the opponents before the missiles go out of control.
 
The first thing to notice about the Striker is a giant missile panel on its back. Being hit there lights the vehicle on fire, the missile area to light up like a firework, and be unable to fire back. As such, try not to get hit in the missile launch area. In case the Striker gets shot at an empty tube, there is a chance the entire rack won't break in one hit and the vehicle will still be able to fire while having the option to repair it back to 100%. In case all of the ammo is spent, the rear is actually the safest place to be hit as only ammo and fuel is stored there and will otherwise be open space; it can even completely absorb artillery shots or fire from the BMP-1 cannon, which normally hull breaks or destroys the much better protected Warrior. The missile rack also covers the ammo rack from planes strafing from the sky, so as long as they can't fire inside of the vehicle, the Striker should be fine. Also, since the launcher is now closer to the front of the hull, the Striker cannot fire in 10 m dead zone in front, so try to destroy the opponents before the missiles go out of control.
  
On its mid-left, there is a commander cupola which has a machine gun and supports ATGM camera on it. Cupola has less armour than the hull and it's possible to lose both gunner and commander by being hit there. Despite that, many players tend to aim for much more imposing weapons or supposedly weak hull instead. Not much to be said about machine gun, at 8.3 it barely does anything, so use the machine gun to remove fences, since hitting anything with the Striker slows it down considerably. Fighting planes with this machine gun is redundant, it's easier to just fire ATGM at them and hope they care enough to disengage, but it can be done in RB just to do minor damage.
+
On its mid-left, there is a commander cupola which has a machine gun and supports ATGM camera on it. Cupola has less armour than the hull and it's possible to lose both gunner and commander by being hit there. Despite that, many players tend to aim for much more imposing weapons or supposedly weak hull instead. Not much to be said about machine gun, at 8.3 it barely does anything, so use the machine gun to remove fences, since hitting anything with the Striker slows it down considerably. Fighting planes with this machine gun is redundant, it's easier to just fire ATGM at them and hope they care enough to disengage, but it can be done in RB just to do minor damage.
  
 
Slightly to the right, there is a main ATGM camera, the optics. Because of how it's placed, the Striker cannot fire down well, the inclination of +20° to the enemy ground increases the difficulty of firing down, as well as the major problem firing at people that is on the other side of the same hill. The Striker also cannot fire at long range without exposing itself or risking a complete miss. All of this is a downgrade from Swingfire. Accuracy problem can be somewhat compensated by extreme mouse manipulations in Third person view, as long as leading shots can be scored. However, it's better at controlling missiles, as long as the Striker stand on a semi-flat surface or have direct sight of the enemy. It's also better at aiming shots behind the Striker and at correcting missed shots since commander's camera assists automatic missile leading.
 
Slightly to the right, there is a main ATGM camera, the optics. Because of how it's placed, the Striker cannot fire down well, the inclination of +20° to the enemy ground increases the difficulty of firing down, as well as the major problem firing at people that is on the other side of the same hill. The Striker also cannot fire at long range without exposing itself or risking a complete miss. All of this is a downgrade from Swingfire. Accuracy problem can be somewhat compensated by extreme mouse manipulations in Third person view, as long as leading shots can be scored. However, it's better at controlling missiles, as long as the Striker stand on a semi-flat surface or have direct sight of the enemy. It's also better at aiming shots behind the Striker and at correcting missed shots since commander's camera assists automatic missile leading.
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<!-- I'm pretty sure it's same in RB, but correct this if I'm wrong, also the note in "pros and cons" of that person who posted before about 5 shot ammo rack.-->
 
<!-- I'm pretty sure it's same in RB, but correct this if I'm wrong, also the note in "pros and cons" of that person who posted before about 5 shot ammo rack.-->
It may look like Striker is supposed to reload 5 missiles at once after it shot them all, but it's actually reloading them one by one at a certain rate, depending on crew skill. The ammo pool is shared. This can lead to an advantage in Arcade battles, as the ammo can be portrayed as limitless since tubes generally reload while guiding the missiles to the target, and full ammo rearm time after spending all missiles is just 15 seconds, leaving most of them ready to fire again. However, missiles cannot be used recklessly as it still takes at least 8 to 10.4 seconds to reload one launcher. In Realistic battles, this advantage is less important since the Striker only has 10 shots, and if hit by a missile in the rack, it will explode all of the ammo in the launcher, leaving the Striker with even less. In short: Practice the Striker's aim in AB and abstain from RB until able to control the missiles properly, having a wasteful attitude to missiles and missing shots will force a constant rearming period at a control point.
+
It may look like Striker is supposed to reload 5 missiles at once after it shot them all, but it's actually reloading them one by one at a certain rate, depending on crew skill. The ammo pool is shared. This can lead to an advantage in Arcade battles, as the ammo can be portrayed as limitless since tubes generally reload while guiding the missiles to the target, and full ammo rearm time after spending all missiles is just 15 seconds, leaving most of them ready to fire again. However, missiles cannot be used recklessly as it still takes at least 8 to 10.4 seconds to reload one launcher. In Realistic battles, this advantage is less important since the Striker only has 10 shots, and if hit by a missile in the rack, it will explode all of the ammo in the launcher, leaving the Striker with even less. In short: Practice the Striker's aim in AB and abstain from RB until able to control the missiles properly, having a wasteful attitude to missiles and missing shots will force a constant rearming period at a control point.
  
 
The mobility of the Striker is better than of the Swingfire's, so it can actually get to capture points along with the team's push, so the Striker can assist in intercepting and destroy enemy team while rearming at the point. If travelling by asphalt roads with all the upgrades, the Striker can temporarily reach a maximum speed of 87 km/h. This is possible because Striker is much lighter than the Swingfire. Unfortunately, the lighter hull is easier for the enemy to push around, temporarily disabling the weapon and potentially ramming the Striker into a wall. It is important for the Strikers to take mobility upgrades as soon as possible, because:
 
The mobility of the Striker is better than of the Swingfire's, so it can actually get to capture points along with the team's push, so the Striker can assist in intercepting and destroy enemy team while rearming at the point. If travelling by asphalt roads with all the upgrades, the Striker can temporarily reach a maximum speed of 87 km/h. This is possible because Striker is much lighter than the Swingfire. Unfortunately, the lighter hull is easier for the enemy to push around, temporarily disabling the weapon and potentially ramming the Striker into a wall. It is important for the Strikers to take mobility upgrades as soon as possible, because:
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As the right-side team on the "Vietnam" map, the Striker cannot hope to take hold of C capture point, as the left-side team has an absurd advantage over that capture point. Even the idea of it is so unthinkable, that nobody even checks the river near to town (and even if they do, using both smoke launchers can give enough breathing space to get past them), so the Striker can dash to the river entrance of C cap point, which is exactly the size of Striker and is heavily fortified from every direction, and attempt to destroy entire enemy team right there, as it tries to leave C. Not only the chance of success is quite high, as heavily insulted enemy team will probably come straight at the Striker's position, but even if this fail, teammates can snipe remaining opponents with little to no effort as they converge onto the Striker's position here.
 
As the right-side team on the "Vietnam" map, the Striker cannot hope to take hold of C capture point, as the left-side team has an absurd advantage over that capture point. Even the idea of it is so unthinkable, that nobody even checks the river near to town (and even if they do, using both smoke launchers can give enough breathing space to get past them), so the Striker can dash to the river entrance of C cap point, which is exactly the size of Striker and is heavily fortified from every direction, and attempt to destroy entire enemy team right there, as it tries to leave C. Not only the chance of success is quite high, as heavily insulted enemy team will probably come straight at the Striker's position, but even if this fail, teammates can snipe remaining opponents with little to no effort as they converge onto the Striker's position here.
  
As the south-side team in "American Desert", A point only variant, it is possible to use the road to reach max speed and then fall off the cliff straight into the cover below, then immediately proceed to fire at completely confused enemy team. There is a high chance of being shot mid-air or breaking the tracks due to fall damage, however, sometimes this idea is just crazy enough to work, and if they fail to stop the Striker in time, the entire enemy team is at the Striker's missile's mercy. At this point, the Striker should take out as many of them as possible, preferably pushing them back to their spawn point or even destroying them all.
+
As the south-side team in "American Desert", A point only variant, it is possible to use the road to reach max speed and then fall off the cliff straight into the cover below, then immediately proceed to fire at completely confused enemy team. There is a high chance of being shot mid-air or breaking the tracks due to fall damage, however, sometimes this idea is just crazy enough to work, and if they fail to stop the Striker in time, the entire enemy team is at the Striker's missile's mercy. At this point, the Striker should take out as many of them as possible, preferably pushing them back to their spawn point or even destroying them all.
  
 
[[File:Striker HorizontalAttack BehindCover.jpg|x150px|thumb|right|Use teammates as a cover (don't block their escape path though!) and destroy the enemy when they think they are safe behind their cover.]]  
 
[[File:Striker HorizontalAttack BehindCover.jpg|x150px|thumb|right|Use teammates as a cover (don't block their escape path though!) and destroy the enemy when they think they are safe behind their cover.]]  
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'''Combat and teamwork''': Striker excels at holding choke points and indirect horizontal missile fighting, so just give the enemy something to think about by firing 1-2 missiles at their corner, then use their confusion and fear to get closer and adjust missile aim, then actually blow them up. If they try something as stupid as rushing without smokes, show no mercy and fire all launchers, until they are crippled or destroyed.
 
'''Combat and teamwork''': Striker excels at holding choke points and indirect horizontal missile fighting, so just give the enemy something to think about by firing 1-2 missiles at their corner, then use their confusion and fear to get closer and adjust missile aim, then actually blow them up. If they try something as stupid as rushing without smokes, show no mercy and fire all launchers, until they are crippled or destroyed.
  
Having scout vehicle working with the team to actually mark enemy through walls and smokes is best. Having someone to draw attention from the Striker, like a Chieftain tank, is even better, as nobody normally prioritizes the innocuous Striker, especially if next to a bunch of scarier, tanky teammates. avoid using them as a shield at 9.3 and especially 10.0, as APDSFS, which can go through multiple tanks while doing damage, is used there very often, if not always.
+
Having scout vehicle working with the team to actually mark enemy through walls and smokes is best. Having someone to draw attention from the Striker, like a Chieftain tank, is even better, as nobody normally prioritizes the innocuous Striker, especially if next to a bunch of scarier, tanky teammates. Avoid using them as a shield at 9.3 and especially 10.0, as APDSFS, which can go through multiple tanks while doing damage, is used there very often, if not always.
  
 
In case the situation is such that the Striker must hurriedly capture the point or protect allies '''immediately''', the Striker can dash in and use any suitable combat cover as brakes by crashing into it, then immediately fire on the enemy. Make sure to '''not''' crash with just one track, since it will break it, especially if driving above 40km/h.
 
In case the situation is such that the Striker must hurriedly capture the point or protect allies '''immediately''', the Striker can dash in and use any suitable combat cover as brakes by crashing into it, then immediately fire on the enemy. Make sure to '''not''' crash with just one track, since it will break it, especially if driving above 40km/h.
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Striker LastStand (Fail).jpg|'''Last stand failure''': Operator failed to destroy even one of the enemy tanks with 6 shots because he panicked. After that, he tried to run to cover, exposing vehicle's side to one of the opponents and is ultimately destroyed by a third opponent, because striker cannot fire ATGM while moving, only guide them. Moral: If caught in open - fight till the bitter end.
 
Striker LastStand (Fail).jpg|'''Last stand failure''': Operator failed to destroy even one of the enemy tanks with 6 shots because he panicked. After that, he tried to run to cover, exposing vehicle's side to one of the opponents and is ultimately destroyed by a third opponent, because striker cannot fire ATGM while moving, only guide them. Moral: If caught in open - fight till the bitter end.
 
Striker LastStand (Success).jpg|'''Last stand success''': Despite being severely damaged, striker managed to hide all vital points in between damaged cistern and wooden logs, minimizing chances of being obliterated by massive artillery barrage, being shot to the hull, or rammed to smithereens, and proceeded to fire at incoming enemy in cold blood, despite being alone in literal hell. Moral: even if entire enemy team fires onto the position, as long as the player remains calm, the Striker can survive or destroy most of them before perishing.
 
Striker LastStand (Success).jpg|'''Last stand success''': Despite being severely damaged, striker managed to hide all vital points in between damaged cistern and wooden logs, minimizing chances of being obliterated by massive artillery barrage, being shot to the hull, or rammed to smithereens, and proceeded to fire at incoming enemy in cold blood, despite being alone in literal hell. Moral: even if entire enemy team fires onto the position, as long as the player remains calm, the Striker can survive or destroy most of them before perishing.
</gallery>[[File:Machine gun shows ATGM direction striker.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Screenshot of "ace" MG scope. The missile does not go for turret reticle, but instead for machine gun crosshairs. Thus, you can launch missile behind cover and just point it at the enemy. Scope '''is not''' precise when firing into machine gun dead-zones, but is precise, when firing into cover like this. If firing at <100 m it shows where missiles will '''actually''' drop.]]'''Overcoming dead zones and other weaknesses of a vehicle:'''
+
</gallery>[[File:Machine gun shows ATGM direction striker.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Screenshot of "ace" MG scope. The missile does not go for turret reticle, but instead for machine gun crosshairs. Thus, you can launch missile behind cover and just point it at the enemy. Scope '''is not''' precise when firing into machine gun dead-zones, but is precise, when firing into cover like this. If firing at <100 m it shows where missiles will '''actually''' drop.]]'''Overcoming dead zones and other weaknesses of a vehicle:'''
 
<!--This section is more about the technical and non-standard approach to tactical problems this vehicle has. May or may not be intended by developers...-->
 
<!--This section is more about the technical and non-standard approach to tactical problems this vehicle has. May or may not be intended by developers...-->
 
Since Striker is unable to fire in sniper mode without exposing itself, most enemies will have to be attacked indirectly regardless of range. This may seem extremely harsh at longer ranges, however, when the turret loses direct sight on the missile and the target at the same time, the missiles are then controlled by movements of the turret (therefore, directly guided by the mouse, not by the targeting reticle.). Since BAe Swingfire missiles are very slow and mobile, they can be directed wherever necessary, negating sniper aim disadvantage by some extent. Regaining control over missile will send it into a crazy spiral and/or towards the targeting reticle, so try to avoid it, unless the Striker's position is suddenly compromised.
 
Since Striker is unable to fire in sniper mode without exposing itself, most enemies will have to be attacked indirectly regardless of range. This may seem extremely harsh at longer ranges, however, when the turret loses direct sight on the missile and the target at the same time, the missiles are then controlled by movements of the turret (therefore, directly guided by the mouse, not by the targeting reticle.). Since BAe Swingfire missiles are very slow and mobile, they can be directed wherever necessary, negating sniper aim disadvantage by some extent. Regaining control over missile will send it into a crazy spiral and/or towards the targeting reticle, so try to avoid it, unless the Striker's position is suddenly compromised.
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'''Attack planes''': While bombers generally approach their targets directly, can be shot down with ATGM, and their bombs generally make enough noise to notice them and dodge, attackers at 8.3+ are extremely fast, maneuverable and can suddenly carpet-bomb your vehicle with rockets '''more than once'''. Do not show them the sides of the Striker, and try to not let them fire rockets precisely from top, by hiding in smokes.
 
'''Attack planes''': While bombers generally approach their targets directly, can be shot down with ATGM, and their bombs generally make enough noise to notice them and dodge, attackers at 8.3+ are extremely fast, maneuverable and can suddenly carpet-bomb your vehicle with rockets '''more than once'''. Do not show them the sides of the Striker, and try to not let them fire rockets precisely from top, by hiding in smokes.
  
'''9.7-10.0 tanks''': If you took the Stiker to endgame battle, make sure you never get hit. Even one hit, even by default ammo, breaks missile launcher almost 100% of the times. Avoid being sniped at all costs, as even a glancing hit to commander cupola might explode entire vehicle. Also avoid driving next to your teammates, since almost everyone use APDSFS at that point, and it can hit you through them.Take notes, which tanks have ERA and NERA. For example: Abrams and IPM1 have so much NERA, that attacking them with missiles from front is extremely hard and time consuming (Though their hull sides are still weak), and challenger MK3 has enough ERA to survive 2 critical hits, but in Realistic battles they are your allies, and rest of nations generally have NERA only in turret, while some factions have not even nearly enough to stop direct hit, so even limited ammo is not that much of an issue. Because of that, you can often indirectly attack enemy hull to destroy most opponents 1-2 hits, you still can break one track and finish them off with quick follow-up side shot, as they topple over, you can even try to hit their turret or engines from top to set them on fire. It's also worth noting, that many players try to skip 8.0-9.0 really fast and either don't know what to do with you, or just don't understand what NERA does, so they may be extremely scared and avoid attacking you directly, after you destroyed or heavily damaged their party.
+
'''9.7-10.0 tanks''': If you took the Striker to endgame battle, make sure you never get hit. One hit, even by default ammo, can break the missile launcher almost 100% of the times. Avoid being sniped at all costs, as even a glancing hit to commander cupola might explode entire vehicle. Also avoid driving next to your teammates, since almost everyone use APDSFS at that point, and those shells can penetrate straight through teammates and hit you. Take notes on which tanks have ERA and NERA armoour. For example: [[M1 Abrams]] and [[IPM1]] have so much NERA that attacking them with missiles from front is extremely hard and time consuming (Though their hull sides are still weak), and the [[Challenger Mk.3]] has enough ERA to survive 2 critical hits. But in Realistic battles, these two class of tanks are your allies, and rest of nations generally have NERA only in turret, while some factions have not even nearly enough to stop direct hit, so even limited ammo is not that much of an issue. Because of that, you can often indirectly attack enemy hull to destroy most opponents 1-2 hits, you still can break one track and finish them off with quick follow-up side shot, as they topple over, you can even try to hit their turret or engines from top to set them on fire. It's also worth noting, that many players try to skip 8.0-9.0 really fast and either don't know what to do with you, or just don't understand what NERA does, so they may be extremely startled or scared and avoid attacking you directly after you destroyed or heavily damaged their party.
  
 
====Counter-tactics====
 
====Counter-tactics====

Revision as of 17:28, 20 February 2019

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Chinese A-5C Pack
uk_fv102_striker.png
Striker
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Description

GarageImage Striker.jpg


The FV102 Striker is a Rank VI British tank destroyer with a battle rating of 8.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."

The Striker is a direct upgrade to the Swingfire and is better than its predecessor in almost every way, even though it has its own problems. Just as the Swingfire, the Striker's purpose is to blast enemy out of cover by firing at them indirectly with easily controllable missiles, but it has some trouble at attacking long range, as BAe Swingfire missiles are slower than normal ones. Striker has a much better fire rate and bigger room for error than its predecessor, due to having five launchers at once, better cameras and being more mobile, so its push-preventing powers are godlike, however, it has problems with firing downwards in front of itself and use of long-range scope requires exposing the vehicle.

Much like the Swingfire, it's a box with sloped front, however, it has a smaller profile than the Swingfire and has more armour on front. It still has little to no armour on other sides and there are fewer points where the Striker can get shot without consequences. Still, the sloped armour makes it difficult to be destroyed with weaker machine guns and even stock autocannons, so the Striker should face the enemy's push direction, not just to make aiming easier, but to reduce the chances of being instantly destroyed. If the Striker is in a good enough cover, it's not important. Having high ground might help to negate even upgraded autocannons due to ricochets and transmission protecting the bottom of the vehicle. Hull doesn't have hull break mechanic, so technically it can tank chemical round hits of any power, but unless it was a transmission hit, the vehicle will be very likely lost.

The first thing to notice about the Striker is a giant missile panel on its back. Being hit there lights the vehicle on fire, the missile area to light up like a firework, and be unable to fire back. As such, try not to get hit in the missile launch area. In case the Striker gets shot at an empty tube, there is a chance the entire rack won't break in one hit and the vehicle will still be able to fire while having the option to repair it back to 100%. In case all of the ammo is spent, the rear is actually the safest place to be hit as only ammo and fuel is stored there and will otherwise be open space; it can even completely absorb artillery shots or fire from the BMP-1 cannon, which normally hull breaks or destroys the much better protected Warrior. The missile rack also covers the ammo rack from planes strafing from the sky, so as long as they can't fire inside of the vehicle, the Striker should be fine. Also, since the launcher is now closer to the front of the hull, the Striker cannot fire in 10 m dead zone in front, so try to destroy the opponents before the missiles go out of control.

On its mid-left, there is a commander cupola which has a machine gun and supports ATGM camera on it. Cupola has less armour than the hull and it's possible to lose both gunner and commander by being hit there. Despite that, many players tend to aim for much more imposing weapons or supposedly weak hull instead. Not much to be said about machine gun, at 8.3 it barely does anything, so use the machine gun to remove fences, since hitting anything with the Striker slows it down considerably. Fighting planes with this machine gun is redundant, it's easier to just fire ATGM at them and hope they care enough to disengage, but it can be done in RB just to do minor damage.

Slightly to the right, there is a main ATGM camera, the optics. Because of how it's placed, the Striker cannot fire down well, the inclination of +20° to the enemy ground increases the difficulty of firing down, as well as the major problem firing at people that is on the other side of the same hill. The Striker also cannot fire at long range without exposing itself or risking a complete miss. All of this is a downgrade from Swingfire. Accuracy problem can be somewhat compensated by extreme mouse manipulations in Third person view, as long as leading shots can be scored. However, it's better at controlling missiles, as long as the Striker stand on a semi-flat surface or have direct sight of the enemy. It's also better at aiming shots behind the Striker and at correcting missed shots since commander's camera assists automatic missile leading.

Take the missile characteristics into consideration. The missiles start out to be slow and start increasing their speed with each second, becoming less controllable and taking crazy turns when trying to guide on target, so if there's something weird that needs to be done, it's better to do in close range from the third person view or in open fields. They still drop down on launch and take super sharp turns on new targets, so keep attention at where the missile is going, or it will hit the ground or overshoot. If there is nothing around the target, the missiles will hit whatever the reticle points at, even from one km away if still intact. In fact, it's usually so accurate, the missiles can even drop them below train carriages if someone uses them as cover. Only the missile the Striker launched last can be controlled though.

Since missiles are launched up, the semi-automatic guidance system expects targets to be at least 100 m away, so if the enemy is closer than that, it is suggested to aim at the ground near to them, not at the vehicles themselves or the missiles will overshoot. This system, however, allows firing above covers very precisely.

BAe Swingfire does not care about cover.

It may look like Striker is supposed to reload 5 missiles at once after it shot them all, but it's actually reloading them one by one at a certain rate, depending on crew skill. The ammo pool is shared. This can lead to an advantage in Arcade battles, as the ammo can be portrayed as limitless since tubes generally reload while guiding the missiles to the target, and full ammo rearm time after spending all missiles is just 15 seconds, leaving most of them ready to fire again. However, missiles cannot be used recklessly as it still takes at least 8 to 10.4 seconds to reload one launcher. In Realistic battles, this advantage is less important since the Striker only has 10 shots, and if hit by a missile in the rack, it will explode all of the ammo in the launcher, leaving the Striker with even less. In short: Practice the Striker's aim in AB and abstain from RB until able to control the missiles properly, having a wasteful attitude to missiles and missing shots will force a constant rearming period at a control point.

The mobility of the Striker is better than of the Swingfire's, so it can actually get to capture points along with the team's push, so the Striker can assist in intercepting and destroy enemy team while rearming at the point. If travelling by asphalt roads with all the upgrades, the Striker can temporarily reach a maximum speed of 87 km/h. This is possible because Striker is much lighter than the Swingfire. Unfortunately, the lighter hull is easier for the enemy to push around, temporarily disabling the weapon and potentially ramming the Striker into a wall. It is important for the Strikers to take mobility upgrades as soon as possible, because:

Brakes are very important in towns, as stopping one moment too late can push the Striker out of cover and now the vehicle is exposed at the mercy of medium tanks, who would most likely really hate missile launchers, or are just more than happy for an easy target. Better brakes also help in hill battles, especially when the Striker gets flanked and need to do something about it. Also, since the "Supersonic" update, the Striker can no longer fire on the move, so better brakes = less time is taken before the Striker can actually fire.

Maximum inclination upgrades allow the Striker to climb hills and mountain rocks better, and also stay on them. The Striker may have issues with controlling missiles when not staying on flat terrain, but getting a good sight on choke point is still a major benefit, as attacking position when it's raining missiles is scary, even if they don't really destroy anyone. And if accurate enough at angling missiles despite this problem, they are all doomed regardless of their numbers.

The Striker is slower than light tanks, so unless the scouts are willing to take a hit for the Striker, there's no expectation to take cap points solo, or get there first, so that's out of the question. But getting better acceleration from modifications and keeping map situation in mind still can make a difference, because, despite the "Supersonic" update removing the ability to fire on move, the Striker can still fire a missile and follow it, as it guides the missile onto the enemy. That way, the missiles can be fired and make the enemy think otherwise while the Striker moves to the next cover. Even if that is not enough to deter them, more missiles can just be fired at the next stop.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Aluminium Alloy AA7017
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 25 mm (69°) 12.7 mm 12.7 mm 12.7 mm
Missile launcher 50 mm (55°) 50 mm 50 mm (55°) 0-10 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 25 mm 12.7 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick
  • Belly and hull undersides over the tracks are 12.7mm thick
  • Outdoor ammo rack is 50 mm thick everywhere, except hinges that are 10 mm thick. The strafing plane can attack the launcher, but at such attack angle, it's easier to just fire at ammo racks and crew inside of Striker instead.

Crew

  • Commander
  • Loader
  • Driver

Total: 3 Crew members

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armour
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
8.3 N/A 87 (AB)
80 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 270 332
Realistic/Simulator 168 190
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 32.53 40.00
Realistic/Simulator 20.24 22.89

Armaments

Main armament

170 mm BAe Swingfire ATGM
Capacity Fire rate
(shots/second)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
10 0.6 N/A N/A Two-plane
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 18.6 N/A 22.6 25.04 26.64
Realistic 12.6 N/A 15.3 16.92 18.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
10.4 9.2 8.48 8.0

Notes:

  • Turret, in the case of Striker, is represented by cameras (optics). The faster they move, the more responsive missiles become.
  • Launcher has a dead zone of 10 m in front of the vehicle. If Striker is not standing on flat terrain, then the dead-zone is extended further below vehicle (generally up to 50 m).
  • Automatic guidance system has a soft dead-zone of about 100 m, which results in an inability to hit the enemy if the reticle is simply pointed at them. Point reticle into the ground near an enemy to hit or use indirect attack technique.
  • Reloading only happens for one tube at a time. If the weapon is broken, then reloading is stopped to prevent potential ignition on follow-up shots. If out of ammo, the reload will still happen so when fully rearmed, all racks are ready to fire again.
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
BAe Swingfire ATGM 500 500 500 500 500 500
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity on launch in m/s Maximum Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Range (m) Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
BAe Swingfire ATGM ~89 250 37 3,000 0.0 0.01 3470 +0° 80° 82° 90°
  • Model of the missiles, that are used on Striker, is different from ones used on Swingfire, despite having the same name. It has 3 km maximum range instead of 4 km, but it has better maximum velocity. It also has better turn rate, though it still has some drag, when forced to take sharp turns at high speed.
Ammo racks
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
10 XX (+XX) XX (+XX) XX (+XX) No

Machine guns

Main article: L37A1 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm L37A1
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
2,500 (100) 650 -5°/+25° ±45°

Usage in the battles

With team help and enough upgrades, the Striker can use this spot on 38th parallel to suffocate any push onto capture point before they even get there.

Moving around: Find building, teammate, hill, or rock that is as tall as the hull of Striker, then find the enemy and destroy them using the ATGM. Use the machine gun only for destroying fences and against planes. In other words "Be sneaky and shoot at the range".

Driving out in the open will not end well for the Striker unless the enemy has someone else to shoot. The Striker can drive around in enemy sight, but make sure that they are afraid and in cover, or at least can't fire at the Striker first before the Striker sends a missile their way. Use smokes to cover the Striker from enemy snipers while opening fire on someone else. The Striker can use the opposite side of the cover that the enemy is using, as long as the missiles can fire at them from above and the Striker isn't opened for flank shots. At that point, it doesn't matter if they know where the Striker is.

Trade one for eight.

In extreme situations, the Striker can be sacrificed by driving straight to cover inside of enemy territory (preferably at the start of the match), hoping that nobody expects missile launcher of all things to drive right into "their" part of the map and ruin their plans. There are several examples of this tactic:

The tables have turned.

As the right-side team on the "Vietnam" map, the Striker cannot hope to take hold of C capture point, as the left-side team has an absurd advantage over that capture point. Even the idea of it is so unthinkable, that nobody even checks the river near to town (and even if they do, using both smoke launchers can give enough breathing space to get past them), so the Striker can dash to the river entrance of C cap point, which is exactly the size of Striker and is heavily fortified from every direction, and attempt to destroy entire enemy team right there, as it tries to leave C. Not only the chance of success is quite high, as heavily insulted enemy team will probably come straight at the Striker's position, but even if this fail, teammates can snipe remaining opponents with little to no effort as they converge onto the Striker's position here.

As the south-side team in "American Desert", A point only variant, it is possible to use the road to reach max speed and then fall off the cliff straight into the cover below, then immediately proceed to fire at completely confused enemy team. There is a high chance of being shot mid-air or breaking the tracks due to fall damage, however, sometimes this idea is just crazy enough to work, and if they fail to stop the Striker in time, the entire enemy team is at the Striker's missile's mercy. At this point, the Striker should take out as many of them as possible, preferably pushing them back to their spawn point or even destroying them all.

Use teammates as a cover (don't block their escape path though!) and destroy the enemy when they think they are safe behind their cover.

Note that this rush tactic is not feasible without spaded vehicle, as it's significantly harder to hit a Striker when it is driving at 60-87 km/h, compared to 40-60, weaker suspension may stop the Striker from moving altogether after hitting any bumps on a road, weaker tracks tend to break easier, and so on.

Combat and teamwork: Striker excels at holding choke points and indirect horizontal missile fighting, so just give the enemy something to think about by firing 1-2 missiles at their corner, then use their confusion and fear to get closer and adjust missile aim, then actually blow them up. If they try something as stupid as rushing without smokes, show no mercy and fire all launchers, until they are crippled or destroyed.

Having scout vehicle working with the team to actually mark enemy through walls and smokes is best. Having someone to draw attention from the Striker, like a Chieftain tank, is even better, as nobody normally prioritizes the innocuous Striker, especially if next to a bunch of scarier, tanky teammates. Avoid using them as a shield at 9.3 and especially 10.0, as APDSFS, which can go through multiple tanks while doing damage, is used there very often, if not always.

In case the situation is such that the Striker must hurriedly capture the point or protect allies immediately, the Striker can dash in and use any suitable combat cover as brakes by crashing into it, then immediately fire on the enemy. Make sure to not crash with just one track, since it will break it, especially if driving above 40km/h.

In case the opponent is not in visual range, either because of how far they are, or there are simply too many of them for precise targeting, in arcade mode the Striker still can select/target the specific opponent and hold the right mouse button, or simply hold right mouse button (by default controls) as the mouse aiming is dragged near them, to activate automatic aim. This allows the Striker to semi-precisely fire missiles on the faraway enemy without manual aiming nor the gunner's scope to make a quick hull shot. This does not really help against foes that are in the automatic guidance dead zone (100 m or out of camera sight) or have cover against the missile path. It also does not help against foes which move, unless the sniper scope is manually aimed at them. You don't have such option in realistic and simulator battle, however in RB it's much safer to use sniper scope anyway, since opponents do not automatically spot you across the map there.

When choosing choke point, aim for certain criteria to be flexible if trying to make a difference:

  • Can this help at holding control point from here? Can the Striker destroy the enemy before they can run away?
  • Is it fortified to a point it's impossible to take out the Striker without heavy losses or air support?
  • Can the Striker control more than one direction from here? If not, is this the only really important capture point on the map?
  • (In RB) Can the Striker rearm fast there?

Gallery of examples:


Typical day of Striker driver.

Surviving counterattack: The Striker's actions will draw attention, so expect to be bombarded by artillery almost constantly. Standing under artillery fire is a bad idea, but at some point it will be required to tough it out, hoping the blasts or shrapnel won't end the Striker. However, focus at stopping whatever called the artillery, as enemy tanks probably will come after the bombarded area soon enough. If just focused on the artillery, keep in mind that it has fewer chances of hitting the Striker on mountain rocks and other unorthodox types of cover, especially if close to several covers at once. However, it's harder to be protected against vehicles on unstable steep surfaces and without direct sight.

If someone is rushing towards the Striker's position, keep calm and turn as much attention as possible to the direction of assault. First disable everyone's gunner, turning your front towards them, while guiding missiles. Weak machine guns have problems with disabling the Striker's weapon system from the front, so medium french, Soviet, Japanese and any heavy tanks are a priority. Once everyone is pacified, destroy them. Don't attempt an escape, unless, in need of some convenient temporary cover, there is no way the Striker will outrun a bunch of tanks with cannons without fighting them back first.

In case the enemy breaks the Striker's weapon, remember that Neutral steering turn on flat terrain (at 0km/h) does not prevent field repair of weapons, so simply keep turning towards enemy and hope for the best. In case you got high ground, you may resist even BMP2's and similar autocannon fire, regardless of the rate of fire, and they rely on it too much sometimes, giving you or your teammates just enough time to destroy them before they decided to launch ATGM at you.

In case only the hull can be hidden, and the enemies got the weapon constantly in field repair mode, force it into manual repairs, allowing the Striker to fire back in a desperate situation. Unlike field repair, manual repair is not prevented by continuous attacks on the launcher, sometimes restoring the launcher to 100% right after the enemy hit. Granted, not every enemy will just stand and fire at the launcher for 14-34 seconds, and manual repair prevents you from turning around, however, that knowledge can help in expediting the enemy's destruction. Manual repair can be prevented by hitting the missiles in the rack and setting the vehicle on fire, which is likely to happen since finishing repairs causes reloading to resume, and by pushing your vehicle around, so start firing immediately.

Even when enemy destroyed Striker, you still have indirect control over missile for a few seconds. Keep guiding it into them, or don't move the mouse, if you are sure it's onto them.

Screenshot of "ace" MG scope. The missile does not go for turret reticle, but instead for machine gun crosshairs. Thus, you can launch missile behind cover and just point it at the enemy. Scope is not precise when firing into machine gun dead-zones, but is precise, when firing into cover like this. If firing at <100 m it shows where missiles will actually drop.
Overcoming dead zones and other weaknesses of a vehicle:

Since Striker is unable to fire in sniper mode without exposing itself, most enemies will have to be attacked indirectly regardless of range. This may seem extremely harsh at longer ranges, however, when the turret loses direct sight on the missile and the target at the same time, the missiles are then controlled by movements of the turret (therefore, directly guided by the mouse, not by the targeting reticle.). Since BAe Swingfire missiles are very slow and mobile, they can be directed wherever necessary, negating sniper aim disadvantage by some extent. Regaining control over missile will send it into a crazy spiral and/or towards the targeting reticle, so try to avoid it, unless the Striker's position is suddenly compromised. Mostly this kind of attack is done in third person view, as sniper mode restricts the vision way too much, and missiles are way too sensitive for it, even at 800 m range.

There is also weird glitch: When you have maxed out targeting AND aced crew, you start to see where your machine gun is pointed, by blinking crosshair. It's extremely annoying, but for some reason, it shows the true direction your missiles are going to, as long as the target is not in your dead zone. This immensely helps at close ranges and indirect duels at close range.

All of this allows the Striker to attack the enemy from extremely advantageous angles. First, position in such a way that the Striker can launch missiles using semi-auto mode in general direction of enemy outside of the line of control (behind terrain, high ground, or building). When choosing the place, make sure that the Striker is also stable, as even moving it a bit will make missiles take unexpected turns. When the missile goes out of the turret's sight, direct it into enemy's weak spots by moving the mouse. That way, the Striker can hold off entire army's of tanks and attack fortified positions without ever being critically hit, or even seen while being in the middle of the enemy ground.

Press for detailed settings.

This way of firing adds another problem - there are still dead zones (because of launcher's placement and turret's camera's inability to look down) and also blind spots, because it is hard to see what the missiles are heading towards (due to how camera works and the angle of missile's launch), and "directing" missile still moves the camera, usually into the ground, obscuring direct vision. To overcome this and become even stronger, activate "relative camera control" in the "control-tank-view in battle - Ground (y/x axis)". For specific settings and control explanations relate to the screenshot to the right.

Basically, this will temporarily detach the camera from the reticle by a certain degree. Be extremely careful when using this option because it makes the Striker specifically designed for close or ultra long range combat or battles at certain altitudes, and the camera must have a reset and apply button on hand, in case anything unexpected happens. In case everything goes wrong, the Striker still can use sniper mode, as it's unaffected by camera modifiers and will still guide missiles straight into the crosshairs.

Examples of using missile control specifics and camera adjustments together. Note how reticle is initially aimed in most of these fights. This kind of performance is rarely ever expected, and sometimes is impossible otherwise. In less extreme situations it simply helps to see. (Picture refresh rate is ~8 seconds. If it doesn't change - click on it.)


Specific enemies worth noting

Other ATGM launchers: Don't fight them directly at close range, it will be foolish. Instead, bait enemy closer to cover, then just destroy them by firing over it. Another way is to just set them on fire and let them burn, there is nothing they can possibly do about it themselves.

Light tanks and SPAA: As fun as it may be to trigger them by firing all over their cover, they still can destroy the Striker easily and have enough speed and mobility to actually do that. Let them ignore the Striker and do their business, though keep an eye on them. If they try something sneaky - destroy them. If it's possible to hit them within first two shots to trigger hull break - do it.

Soviet tanks: Aim for the hull, as it usually destroys or immobilizes them. Aiming for right (their left) side is better for self-defence. They are also more dangerous than German ones, so prioritize them over others.

MBTs with autocannon coaxial (mainly French): They can penetrate your commander cupola and sides with their coaxial weapon from any angle at 100 m, so try to not expose them, without exposing the front of the hull, so they have something to fire at and don't get any better ideas. Spending your ammo fast makes side shots less lethal, since coaxial autocannons seem to not have explosive filler, and if they don't hit your crew or ammo directly, the damage is minimal.

Helicopters: In case the Striker provokes half of the enemy team and didn't succumb to artillery, they will probably send one of these flying birds directly at the Striker's location. If they have ATGM, immediately run behind some tall cover and fire back with a missile. If they are too far away, there is not much the Striker can do. Rockets can destroy the Striker as well if the pilot manages to carpet-bomb the position, so helicopters should be prioritized as a target and a threat.

Attack planes: While bombers generally approach their targets directly, can be shot down with ATGM, and their bombs generally make enough noise to notice them and dodge, attackers at 8.3+ are extremely fast, maneuverable and can suddenly carpet-bomb your vehicle with rockets more than once. Do not show them the sides of the Striker, and try to not let them fire rockets precisely from top, by hiding in smokes.

9.7-10.0 tanks: If you took the Striker to endgame battle, make sure you never get hit. One hit, even by default ammo, can break the missile launcher almost 100% of the times. Avoid being sniped at all costs, as even a glancing hit to commander cupola might explode entire vehicle. Also avoid driving next to your teammates, since almost everyone use APDSFS at that point, and those shells can penetrate straight through teammates and hit you. Take notes on which tanks have ERA and NERA armoour. For example: M1 Abrams and IPM1 have so much NERA that attacking them with missiles from front is extremely hard and time consuming (Though their hull sides are still weak), and the Challenger Mk.3 has enough ERA to survive 2 critical hits. But in Realistic battles, these two class of tanks are your allies, and rest of nations generally have NERA only in turret, while some factions have not even nearly enough to stop direct hit, so even limited ammo is not that much of an issue. Because of that, you can often indirectly attack enemy hull to destroy most opponents 1-2 hits, you still can break one track and finish them off with quick follow-up side shot, as they topple over, you can even try to hit their turret or engines from top to set them on fire. It's also worth noting, that many players try to skip 8.0-9.0 really fast and either don't know what to do with you, or just don't understand what NERA does, so they may be extremely startled or scared and avoid attacking you directly after you destroyed or heavily damaged their party.

Counter-tactics

Don't attack the enemy's position without artillery support and smoke screens. If Striker is using a single fortified position and can't move, an option is to fire smoke shells at it to not only protect oneself but blind it all together. (just make sure they don't have friendly scout vehicles around, otherwise, there is a chance they will be able to guide missiles towards a covered position.)

Enemy used buildings to sneak behind Striker, who couldn't see him, broke it's track and weapon, and pushes it around as a shield, denying repairs.

If it only exposes its missile racks, fire at it, preferably with explosives, APDSFS, or 30 mm autocannons with at least 70 mm of penetration. Usually the tubes on your right (their left) fire first and are already empty, so initially aim for the left (their right) to set them on fire. After breaking weapons, destroy the hull. The front of Striker may be surprisingly resistant to machine gun fire, however, if in possession of high calibre machine guns, move around Striker and penetrate its back or sides with them. If you have autocannons as a coaxial weapon (which are ~23 mm and insufficient to damage launchers), attempt to damage commander's cupola, which has much worse protection. 7.62 calibre does nothing to it even point-blank, so don't use those on it.

If attacks didn't set Striker on fire, it will be about 9 seconds before the Striker repaired the launcher back. Firing at launcher again will reset the "field repair" timer, so take some time after a successive hit. Try firing at different tubes, if need be, it may set the vehicle on fire if actual ammo is hit. Pushing vehicle around also resets the repair timer.

It has problems firing at the opposite side of the same hill if it's too steep. It will not help destroy a Striker, but at least the location is somewhat safe.

It's best to attack from many directions at the same time, preferably from behind. Even better if the operator didn't see it coming. Sniping and terrain based flank are working better in arcade battle, since there they only have vision in front of their driver and in direction they point camera at, but at great range, while sneak attacks from any direction are more reliable in realistic battle, though they themselves are much harder to notice in time.

Don't forget that it can fire from any sort of cover. Aside from already mentioned steep hills, its firing potential is only limited by operator's skill, as Striker is better at leading missiles behind it.

Destroy its weapons if unable to take out its gunner reliably before it fires the missiles. A cornered enemy is the most dangerous one. However, remember, that it does not have hull-break. The only real way to destroy it is to attack the hull or set it on fire.

This is why one must always fire at Soviet tank's hulls: T-54 used terrain to get into melee range with the Striker. Despite being hit several times in turret, it managed to push striker into a wall, then smoked entire area to make teammates unable to save him. Because of T-54 low profile and mountains around the battle, Striker cannot fire back.

Since "Supersonic" update it must stop before firing, so if surprising one - destroy it before it hit the brakes, make them panic and try to push vehicle around, ultimately dragging them into a wall. If the vehicle profile is low enough, a blind spot could be created and force the Striker to attempt a miracle shot, which is inaccurate and will not work, unless there is enough room for a missile to turn around. This provides an opportunity to take a free direct shot at crew compartment. One can even use disabled Striker as a shield against their own teammates.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Fast, even on stock modules
  • Five ATGMs in rack means five fast shots without reloading, with aced crew easily pulling off 6.
  • Smokescreen is not a liability for this vehicle and is unlocked earlier
  • Infinite ammo in AB
  • Can fire in covers like artillery, but more precise
  • No hull break

Cons:

  • No side armour whatsoever can be easily destroyed by heavy machine guns with 12.7 mm and any weapon larger than a 12.7 mm machine gun
  • It is a large target and it's not easy to find cover that protects the weapon well
  • Practically impossible to fire at long range without exposing the vehicle or using third person view
  • Low ammo capacity with 10 ATGMs in RB
  • Using it too well draws attention and may cause massive attacks of all kinds on the Striker's position

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read also

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Britain tank destroyers
Infantry tank derivatives  Archer · Gun Carrier (3-in)
Light tank derivatives  Alecto I
M10 Achilles  Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.)
Centurion derivatives  FV4005 · Conway
ATGM  Swingfire · Striker
Other  Tortoise · ▄M109A1
Canada  QF 3.7 Ram
South Africa  G6 · ZT3A2