Log in or create account GamesarrowServicesarrow

Premium Shop Support

Welcome to Wargaming.net Wiki!
TankDiscussion
View Source View history

Search
SEARCH
Example: Diesel engine

Games
World of Tanks
World of Warplanes
World of Warships
WoT Blitz
Navigation
Tools
In other languages
Homepage/World of Tanks/IS-3
IS-3

IS-3
AnnoR19_IS-3.png
USSR | Heavy Tank | Tier VIII
Battle Tier
1234567891011
Overview
Mouse over "^
" for more information
[Client Values; Actual values in ^
]
2,568,500 Credits
Cost
1450 HP
Hit Points
48.68/50.56 t
Weight Limit
Crew
Commander (Radio Operator)
Gunner
Driver
Loader
Mobility
650 hp
Engine Power
38/15 km/h
Speed Limit
27 deg/s
Traverse
13.35 hp/t
Power/Wt Ratio
No
Pivot
Armor
110/90/60 mm
Hull Armor
175/120/100 mm
Turret Armor
Armament
AP/APCR/HE
Shells
1025/4800/608
Shell Cost
390/390/530 HP
Damage
175/217/61 mm
Penetration
4.08 r/m ^
Rate of Fire
1587.3 ^
�
^
Damage Per Minute
0.46 m ^
Accuracy
3.4 s ^
Aim time
28 deg/s
Turret Traverse
360�
Gun Arc
-5�/+23�
Elevation Arc
28 rounds
Ammo Capacity
General
15 %
Chance of Fire
330 m ^
View Range
440 m ^
Signal Range
Values are Stock - click for Top
IS
IS-3
T-10Object 257
Additional Statistics
(Top Configuration)
Camouflage
Stationary: 7.1%
When Moving: 3.7%
When Firing: 1.4%

Terrain Resistance
On Hard Ground: 0.96
On Medium Ground: 1.34
On Soft Ground: 2.01

Dispersion Change Values

Turret Contribution
Rotation: 0.08
Shot Recoil: 2.88
Suspension Contribution
Acceleration: 0.2
Turning: 0.2

With 100% Crew

 VIII

AnnoR19_IS-3.png
2568500

The IS-3 is a Soviet tier 8 heavy tank.

Mass production of the vehicle started in May 1945. On September 7,1945, IS-3 tanks
took part in the Allied Victory Parade through Berlin. A total of 1170 vehicles
were manufactured by the end of 1946, when production was canceled. From 1948
through the late 1950s, the tanks underwent a number of modernization refits.

The IS-3 has more agility and speed than the German Pz.Kpfw. Tiger II, and finds
itself at home engaging in close-quarters combat. While the frontal hull armor is
not as thick as its German counterpart, it more than makes up for as it is sloped
and the tank is agile enough to use it effectively. The front of its upgraded
turret is also very well armored and has small weak points, making it difficult to
penetrate. However, it cannot use this to hull down in common locations because the
tank has a low profile and lacks gun depression. Instead, use rises in the ground
to engineer yourself extra gun depression, or hull down behind the wrecks of enemy
tanks. Another technique the IS-3 excels at is reverse sidescraping; the act of
showing its side armor at an extreme angle by parking its back up against hard
cover; as the front-mounted turret limits exposure from doing so. However, due to
the low profile of the tank, the turret roof or engine deck can often be penetrated
in this position. In addition, the IS-3 cannot use classic sidescraping techniques
due to its pike nose negating the sloping of the frontal armour and forward mounted
turret; doing so only exposes the already thin frontal hull at a flatter angle.
Despite this, the IS-3 is a devastating tank up front when it is equipped with its
top gun, boasting solid alpha damage and high penetration.

The IS-3 leads to the T-10, and the Object 257.

Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables

ModulesTech ListTech Tree
Ico_gun_alpha.png

Guns
Tier Gun Penetration
(mm) Damage
(HP) Rate of fire
(rounds/minute) Dispersion
(m/100m) Aiming time
(s) Weight
(kg) Price
(Credits)
VII 100 mm D10T 175/235/50 250/250/330 6.82 0.42 2.9 2257 78180
VII 122 mm D-2-5T 175/217/61 390/390/530 4.08 0.46 3.4 2600 84980
VIII 122 mm D-25T 175/217/61 390/390/530 4.88 0.46 3.4 2590 125140
IX 122 mm BL-9 225/265/68 390/390/530 4.51 0.4 3.4 2790 178500
Ico_turret_alpha.png

Turrets
Tier Turret Turret Armor (front/sides/rear)
(mm) Turret Traverse Speed
(deg/s) View Range
(m) Weight
(kg) Price
(Credits)
VIII Kirovets-1 175/120/100 28 330 11200 30000
VIII IS-3 249/172/100 26 350 11500 31500
Ico_engine_alpha.png

Engines
Tier Engine Engine Power
(hp) Chance of Fire on Impact
(%) Weight
(kg) Price
(Credits)
VIII V-11 650 15 750 55270
IX V-2-54IS 700 12 700 79290
Ico_suspension_alpha.png

Suspensions
Tier Suspension Load Limit
(?) Traverse Speed
(??/???) Rmin Weight
(kg) Price
(Credits)
VII IS-3 50.56 27 B/2 10000 17780
VIII IS-3M 53.9 30 B/2 10000 31450
Ico_radio_alpha.png

Radios
Tier Radio Signal Range
(?) Weight
(kg) Price
(Credits)
VII 10RK 440 100 18600
IX 12RT 625 110 33600
X R-113 730 80 52200

Compatible Equipment
Vertical Stabilizer Mk 2 Heavy Spall Liner Camouflage Net Fill Tanks with CO2
Coated Optics Stabilizing Equipment System Experimental Optics Wear-Resistant Gun
Laying Drive Venting System Innovative Loading System Extended Spare Parts Kit
Enhanced Gun Laying Drive Enhanced Torsion Bars 5+ t Class Cyclone Filter Improved
Ventilation Class 3 Large-Caliber Tank Gun Rammer Binocular Telescope Toolbox "Wet"
Ammo Rack Class 2

Compatible Consumables
Stabilizer Greasing Automatic Fire Extinguisher Natural Cover Optical Calibration
Aim Tuning Experienced Firefighters Manual Fire Extinguisher Vent Purge Large First
Aid Kit Large Repair Kit Duty Comes First Lend-Lease Oil Shell Organizer Orderly
Ammo Rack Focus on Target Extra Combat Rations Removed Speed Governor Increased
Focus Small First Aid Kit Small Repair Kit Gearbox Intricacy Steady Hand Pre-Battle
Maintenance Combat Course

Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:

Very tough frontal turret armor. Excellent spaced & internally angled side armor,
great at reverse sidescraping
Good mobility & low profile for a heavy tank. Pike frontal armor can give
surprising bounces
Excellent top gun - high alpha damage with good penetration, gun handling and
accuracy
Tracks on the front hull count as 20mm of armor, bringing effective armor in
certain areas up from ~190 to ~230
Low profile means that face hugging and side hugging Japanese and German heavies
can prevent them from hitting you

Cons:

Noticeably poor view range.

Big lower plate that can be penetrated by many other tier 8 heavys.
Weakspot above the gun that has only 30-50mm of armor

Performance
Low profile, sloped armor, mobility and alpha damage make this tank very useful in
all situations, particularly in urban and close-range combat. At this tier the
once-fearsome 122 mm D-25T bounces off enemy armor more frequently, so try to get
side shots when you can until you can research the BL-9. The upgraded BL-9 gun
wreaks havoc on tier 9 tanks and below, boasting very high alpha and penetration
for its class but lacking in the fire rate department. The Gun Laying Drive and
Vertical Stabilizer are reasonably effective, although the usefulness of these are
eclipsed by that of the Gun Rammer and Vents. Due to the horrible accuracy and aim
time of the IS-3, taking more than the occasional potshot beyond 300m is not
recommended. However, the excellent on-the-move gun handling allows it to snap
shots without aiming them at close range. Angled properly, the IS-3's armor will
consistently bounce shots from other tier 8's and below, especially from the front.
Whilst the front plate is only ~190mm thick in effectiveness, it requires no
angling at all, allowing you to charge enemies down to deny them effective shots at
you. Be careful at close range, however, as the center turret roof panel is
extremely prone to being overmatched, especially against taller tanks, which most
heavy tanks you face are.

Its playstyle is well-suited to aggressive force leading and peek-a-booming when at

top tier. The IS-3 will find itself at home on urban maps and other maps that allow
it to take cover and move to get close to a target. A semi-hull-down position works
well at mid-range, covering the somewhat vulnerable frontal armor and forcing shots
to be taken on the extremely hard-to-penetrate turret. One thing of note is that
unless the IS-3 is angled upward, the lower plate is generally just as strong as,
if not stronger than the rest of the frontal hull, preventing it from being used as
a weakspot. Thanks to its spaced side armor, it often takes non-damaging shots on
the sides, but the tracks tend to get damaged often. Once the 122 mm BL-9 is
unlocked, the IS-3 displays truly fearsome power and is among the kings of tier 8
tanks, able to threaten even tier 10's.

It cannot be stressed enough how glorious of a gun the BL-9 is to those used to
having only 175mm of penetration. With its 225mm of penetration, the IS-3's top gun
one of the highest penetration guns among non-premium tier 8 heavies, eclipsing
competitors such as the 110, the O-Ho and T32. Although it is not nearly as
accurate as most guns, the IS-3's top gun is still accurate enough to land shots
into somewhat small weak spots at closer range, such as the cupola of the AMX M4
mle. 49. However, due to low profile, the cupola of the T29, T34, T30, and even the
M103 and Conqueror is quite often impossible to hit. Just don't try out firing most
enemies, as they will likely have a better rate of fire than you. With the BL-9, it
is even possible to pen the side of most tanks in game, such as the E100's turret,
though the premier steel walls of the game such as the E100 and E75 from the front
still prove to be very frustrating opponents.

Aiming at flimsy weakspots, as with most heavy tanks, can amplify the effectiveness
of the IS-3. Using this method, it is not too difficult at all for you to beat out
a multitude of Tier 9 tanks, or skilled players in tier 7s or even tier 8s, as they
will not expect you to pummel their weak spots rather than shooting for possibly
hidden locations where you know you will pen; this is especially effective against
T29s and T34s if they are using plenty of cover or are hiding behind dead tanks.

Enforce your supremacy when at top tier, especially if the opposing team has no IS-
3 of their own. With your alpha damage do not be afraid to knock out lower tier
medium or light tanks that could prove to be a nuisance first as long as they are
within your "brawling ring". Otherwise focus on eliminating other heavies.

When not at top tier, as with the IS, it becomes more rewarding to be "plucky", or
clever, especially in T10 games, as if you join your fellow T10 heavies you will be
out-alpha'd and creamed by higher tier enemy tanks, especially tanks like the E100
and E75 on flat terrain if you are unable to flank fast enough. But it can become
extremely rewarding for you if you are able to get behind a higher tier tank and
potentially cripple them.

However, unlike in the IS, you have a ridiculously strong turret, particularly from
the front. It is so strong in fact that it should be no surprise that even premium
rounds from a Maus or even the much more lethal E100 will just bounce right off
your turret like it is nothing. If you have allies with a line of fire on such
tanks and have a good position in which you can bounce such shots off of your
turret, do not keep your pride from letting your allies knock these tanks out while
they are distracted with trying to assert their power upon your tank.

The IS-3, strangely however, has weaker points on its pike nose which skilled
players who are aware of them can easily exploit, this makes playing against such
players (of which there are many) a slightly poor proposition for the IS-3, as
virtually anything with 175mm of penetration or more can easily punch through these
weak spots. Try to expose them as infrequently as you can, or if you have to expose
them, angle them in a way shells will easily bounce off if enemies are not careful
with their aim.

Contrary to popular belief, the little hole on the front of the turret is not a
weak-spot, the tracks are very good at eating shots, and the sides and corners have
spaced armor, thus making them areas where you can fire at but almost certainly do
no damage whatsoever. However, the tracks will get damaged to most side shots,
since experienced players know that shooting through the tracks is the best wat to
penetrate the side of the IS-3. Also, in coming shells that hit the angled side
behind the spaced armor often ricochets towards the tracks, making them more
suspectible to taking damage.

Early Research
The V-2-54IS engine, the 12RT radio, and the 122 mm D-25T gun carry over from the
IS and can be installed immediately, putting the IS-3 in a great starting position,
research wise.
If you prefer survivability, you can start by researching the upgraded turret. The
extra meters of view range, additional 50 hit points and greatly increased armor
and sloping can make a difference. However, do not that this increase in
survivability only grants you bonus cursing time due to the woeful inadequacy of
the stock gun.
Alternatively, the fearsome BL-9 next will boost firepower drastically, turning
this tank from an opportunist to a grade A brawler. This upgrade provides some much
needed penetration, as the 175/217 offered by both D25T guns and the 175/235 from
the D10T just do not cut it. Additionally, the BL-9 improves the reticule bloom and
overall accuracy of the tank greatly.
For better terrain resistances and traverse, one can research the upgraded
suspension before the top gun or turret, but the added weight capacity isn't
necessary.
Crew Training:

With retraining:

First go for the full repair crew, since you are a brawler and close combat tank
you get tracked often. You don't want to be permatracked in the engagement. Once
you reached your full first skill, drop the commanders repair for sixth sense and
safe stowage for the loader. Than for the second skill, pick repairs for the
commander and loader, snap shot for the gunner and off road driving for the driver.
After reaching the second skill. Drop all for: Brother In Arms (BIA) first skill,
second skills: Commander sixth sense and loader safe stowage, gunner and driver
repairs. Train the third skill the same as you did with the second skill. After
reaching three skills you can go with your commander for jack of all trades, gunner
Deadeye, driver controlled impact for ramming, and the loader the Intuition.

Without retraining:

First go for sixth sense on the commander, safe stowage on the loader and repairs
on the other two crew members. After that you pick all 4 crew members BIA. For the
third skill, the commander trains repairs (or jack of all trades, depends on your
choice), gunner smooth ride, the driver off-road driving and the loader repairs.

Suggested Equipment

Tank Gun Rammer Vertical Stabilizer Improved VentilationEnhanced Gun Laying Drive

External Reviews and Opinions

Gallery
Historical Info
Designed in 1944, with 29 vehicles produced by the end of WWII and 2,282 by mid-
1946.
click to read more...

Historical Gallery
Sources and External Links
USSR
Heavy Tanks
ko:Tank:R19 IS-3
Categories:
USSR TanksHeavy TanksTier VIII Tanks
This page was last modified on 26 December 2017, at 23:41.
This page has been accessed 837,042 times.
Privacy policyAbout Global wiki. Wargaming.netDisclaimers
� 2011�2018 Wargaming.net. All rights reserved.

Powered by MediaWiki