War Thunder Best French Tanks By Tier

Updated:

29 Sep 2022

Do these guys have the best tanks in the world? No, but they’re still worth giving a try if you’re sick of seeing USSR/Germany/USA/British tanks all over the place. If you take your time to give their tanks a try, you’ll learn and have plenty of fun playing as the French. I’ll quickly discuss the best features of each tank from each tier, how you should play them and why they’re kick-ass. Anyways, let’s start!

Tier 1

The best tank: D2

It looks like a toy but it’s mostly covered with thick armor from all sides. The 47 mm SA35 L/32 cannon can be decimating at this tier, thanks to its penetration. Thanks to the stabilizer, you can aim more effectively and score easy shots and it’s also worth adding that the tank is equipped with a crew of 3 people - it’s a lot since we are discussing french tanks.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/D2

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2ECQFIUKdI

The second-best tank: S.35

Just like the previous tank, it’s covered with thick metal(40mm) both on the turret and other parts of the tank, making it relatively survivable. It’s advisable to stop the tank before you want to fire a shot, to maximize the chances of scoring a hit. It also has a decent speed for a T1 tank, it can reach around 45 KM/H.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/S.35

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFl7fBEUO8M

Tier 2

The best tank: Crusader Mk.II

A low-profile tank that can easily sneak across the battlefield and destroy unsuspecting scrubs before they can notice what’s going on. The tank can reach a speed of almost 50 KM/H, which makes him an effective flanker/zergrusher. You should keep in mind that tanks such as Panzers can easily instagib him, thus it’s important to be aware of your surroundings.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Crusader_Mk.II_(France)

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR_Ajxe8tls

The second-best tank: M4A1 Sherman

I think it’s more of an American tank but whatever… It has a pretty strong cannon with an acceptable reload speed, combining this with the excellent turret traverse speed, it makes this one of the coolest tanks for flanking gameplay. It also has an alright speed of 40 KM/H and in case of an attack from the air, you can use your HMG mounted on the top to take care of it!

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/M4A1_(France)

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx3hp6Iy1_8

Tier 3

The best tank: M4A4 (SA50)

Perhaps the best sniper tank in this tier, it has decent optics for its rank(x7 magnification) and a tough 75mm cannon that can instantly destroy other tanks. Although the armor is not the best and it’s not recommended to go full Rambo, the tank’s armor is kinda sloped, which could bounce off incoming projectiles.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/M4A4_(SA50)

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFFLjdAL2uo

The second-best tank: M4A3E2

Also known as Jumbo, this chunky boy is best played in a hull-down position, due to the turret being well-armored from all sides. This tank is equipped with a 75mm cannon and a short reload time, making it one of the most dangerous tanks in urban settings. It’s kinda slow but due to its tankyness, it can shelter weaker tanks and lead an assault.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/M4A3E2_(France)

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw1RxwGXU7Y

Tier 4

The best tank: Lorraine_40t

What can I say? This tank has a cannon capable of 1-shotting other enemy tanks and a reload time of 4 SECONDS. Combining this with the x6 magnification optics makes this a decent tank for close combat settings but far distance sniping as well. You could also try flanking, as this tank is faster than Keemstar himself!

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Lorraine_40t

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R78sz6w_qUE

The second-best tank: AML-90

This is one of the most annoying tanks in the game, as it has a small profile and can be played as a scout, a sniper, or a flanker. It can reach a whopping speed of over 100 KM/H, making it an absolute pain in the ass for the enemy team to pin down. The most dangerous role for this tank though is the flanking - you need to be aware of your surroundings, as a single hit can mean immediate death. Scouting&Sniping is safer, you could also play with your teammates and deploy smokes if they are in trouble.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/AML-90

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCszs4cJ0DU

Tier 5

The best tank: AMX-50

It’s a decent tank capable of flanking and dealing significant amounts of damage to enemy tanks. It’s not the fastest tank in the game but 50 KM/H is good enough. The reload speed of the main cannon is 6 seconds+the turret’s traverse speed is pretty fast, making it possible to focus multiple targets at once and allowing you to react to enemies sooner.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/AMX-50_Surbaisse

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlHaDj5YzDQ

The second-best tank: AMX-13-90

In short, this tank can reach a decent speed of 60-67 KM/H, keeps a small profile, and is capable of dealing serious damage to other tanks thanks to its HEAT missiles. The 90mm is a pretty attractive cannon(that’s what she said) and it has an even better reload speed of 5 seconds. Play this fella carefully and you’ll be good!

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/AMX-13-90

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riEiI4udGdQ

Tier 6

The best tank: AMX-30B2 BRENUS

This tank has reactive armor and protection against chemicals, besides it’s fast and keeps a low profile. Such features as night vision/laser rangefinder make this an excellent tank for long-distance sniping, plus loading the cannon with APFSDS shells makes this a fearsome tank to play against. The second armaments are also worthy of mention, as they can easily dispose of helicopters and lightly-armored vehicles!

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/AMX-30B2_BRENUS

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rox_Z5LYvI

The second-best tank: AMX-40

A useful tank for leading the assault, thanks to the frontal armor being rather sturdy. The forward speed(over 70 KM/H) allows for effective flanking and the backward speed(31-28 KM/H) can become handy while trying to get away from dangerous situations. The 120mm cannon is quite deadly and getting a direct hit from this thing will send you and the turret to the moon. If you’re being harassed by helicopters, you can use your 20mm cannon to fend them off or even destroy them.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/AMX-40

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZtAnLiTXyY

Tier 7

The best tank: Leclerc SXXI

This tank performs well in close combat but also as a sniper. If you’re gonna be in urban areas, such as cities and such, take advantage of the quick reload of your cannon(6 seconds) and try to not be in the center of attention. If you’re gonna get spotted and eventually shot at, you can always deploy smokes+reverse back.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Leclerc_SXXI

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykJvPDfToHY

The second-best tank: Leclerc_S2

Another Leclerc, cuz other tanks suck ass from my experience. Maybe I just sucked ass. Probably the second option…

… Anyways, for a medium tank, this feller has an impressive forward speed of 79-72 and a backward speed of 42-38, meaning that you can easily escape dangerous situations. The 120 mm GIAT CN120-26 F1 cannon is pretty terrifying and you can expect to obliterate others with it. The autoloader grants you a 6-second reload speed, which allows for some action in urban areas, keep in mind though that the armor has some weak spots that can get you killed if you’re up against skilled players.

More info: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Leclerc_S2

See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxQlVrc8QtE