To increase survivability in a battle, some vehicles have duplicate control functions. For example, in some vehicles, the commander can fire the gun, and in others, the gunner can drive the tank. The mechanic was implemented to War Thunder in Update 2.7 “Red Skies”.
Simply put, duplicated control allows a crew member to take over the functions of a disabled crew member without spending time switching to their position.
Mainly, duplicated control refers to the commander’s ability to control the gun’s aiming if the gunner is incapacitated, but the mechanic is not limited to this: for example, on the Sd.Kfz.234, the MG gunner can drive the tank in case the driver is lost, and on the Strv 103, the commander can both fire and drive.
In the game, this is a passive mechanic—for example, if the gunner is knocked out, the commander can automatically take control of the gun. Provided, of course, that the commander is still alive.
“Double” Mode
If a tank has both of them, the duplicated fire control mechanic for the commander and a commander’s sight, the commander can fire using his own sight even if the gunner has not been incapacitated.
To use this mechanic, you need to assign keys to the following functions:
- Activate commander’s sight: Controls → Ground vehicles → Camera control → Commander sight
- Activate “Double” mode: Controls → Ground vehicles → Weaponry → Commander fire control
After activating this mode, the word “AIM Mode” will appear in the upper left corner of the screen, and the commander will be able to control the gun.
The main advantage of this mechanic is that the commander’s sight often has better optics than the gunner’s: it has a wider field of view and is placed higher, which allows, for example, aiming ATGMs while staying behind cover. It also usually includes night vision (NVG) or a thermal imager.
In addition, most modern tanks have a laser rangefinder with automatic range correction, which significantly simplifies long-range shooting.
However, when you are using this mechanic, it is worth considering the placement of the commander’s sight. For example, on the Black Night, the commander’s sight is located on the right, so when firing at an enemy tank, you should aim slightly to the right.
Interesting fact: If the player is looking through the commander’s sight when the gunner gets incapacitated, there will be no delay in weapon control.