The Physics of Tank Battle
Tank Battle isn't just "aim and shoot." There's a real physics simulation running under the hood, and understanding it gives you a massive advantage. Every shot follows a ballistic trajectory affected by gravity, power, and wind.
Think of it like this: your shell is launched at an angle with a certain force. Gravity pulls it down over time. Wind pushes it sideways. The terrain can block its path. Understanding these forces turns random lobbing into precision strikes.
How the Physics Engine Works
The Three Forces
1. Gravity (0.3 units per tick) Gravity constantly pulls your shell downward. Higher angles mean more time in the air, which means more time for gravity to act. Low angles create flat trajectories but less distance.
2. Power (scaled at 0.8x) Your power setting determines initial velocity. At 100% power, your shell launches at 0.8x multiplied by the power value. This scaling prevents shots from flying off the screen while maintaining satisfying arcs.
3. Wind (scaled at 0.15x) Wind ranges from -20 to +20 and applies a constant horizontal force to your shell. Positive wind pushes right, negative pushes left. At wind 20, your shell drifts significantly - you'll need to compensate by aiming into the wind.
Trajectory Calculation
The game simulates 500 physics steps per shot. At each step:
This means a shot at 45 degrees and 50% power in zero wind creates a symmetric parabolic arc. Change any variable and the arc changes dramatically.
Angle and Power Fundamentals
The 45-Degree Rule
In classic physics, 45 degrees gives maximum range with no wind. In Tank Battle, this holds approximately true:
Power Control
Wind Compensation
Rule of thumb: For every 5 units of wind, adjust your angle by approximately 3-5 degrees into the wind.
Examples:
Advanced: Stronger wind requires exponentially more compensation at longer ranges because the wind acts over more time. A shot that travels 3 seconds in wind +10 drifts more than three times as much as a 1-second shot.
Terrain: Your Best Weapon
Destructible Terrain
Every explosion creates a crater with a radius of approximately 40 pixels. This permanently deforms the terrain, creating opportunities:
Terrain Destruction Tactics:
Reading the Terrain
The terrain is procedurally generated using layered sine waves, creating hills and valleys:
Terrain Regeneration
Between rounds, terrain is completely regenerated. Player positions are reshuffled. This means:
Scoring System Explained
Understanding scoring helps you prioritize targets and play strategically.
Placement Points (Rank-Based)
At the end of each round, surviving tanks are ranked:
The exact formula scales linearly between 100 (max) and 10 (min) based on your rank among all players.
Elimination Bonus
Each tank you personally destroy earns you +10 bonus points. These bonuses are cumulative across all rounds.
Strategy implication: Actively hunting eliminations adds up. In a 3-round game with 6 players, getting 3 eliminations adds 30 bonus points - potentially the difference between 1st and 2nd place.
Total Score
Final Score = Sum of Round Placements + Total Elimination Bonuses
This system rewards both survival AND aggression. You can win by:
Tank Combat Strategy
Target Selection
Against many players (4+):
In 1v1 or small groups:
HP Management
Each tank starts with 3 HP. There's no healing between turns within a round.
The 30-Second Turn
You have 30 seconds per turn. If time runs out, your tank automatically fires with its current angle and power settings. Use this knowledge:
Game Presets
Advanced Tactics
The Ranging Shot
Not sure about your aim? Fire a ranging shot at slightly wrong power. Watch where it lands, then compensate next turn. This works because:
Wind Reading
Pay close attention to the wind indicator. Experienced players develop an intuition for wind compensation:
Multi-Target Awareness
With up to 8 players, the battlefield gets chaotic. Keep these priorities:
Play Tank Battle Online
Ready for artillery combat? Our Tank Battle offers:
Share a code with friends and let the shells fly!