The Best Tier IX Vehicles in World of Tanks
By global win rate

Introduction

If you want to check out the best WoT Tier for Tier vehicles with our in-depth selection method explanation and analysis, go here.

This article will feature Five of the best Tier IX World of Tanks vehicles. I have based my selections on a global win rating charts; feel free to check previous articles in this series for an in-depth explanation. For those  not interested in a lengthy explanation, here is a tl/dr version: Winning should be your main goal in a WoT team battle, and the win rating of an average gamer should be higher in a vehicle that is easy-to-play, well-rounded, and forgiving, because an average gamer is, well... "average". So this list will feature vehicles that are the best in hands of a casual WoT community member, and not necessarily the ones with the highest potential that could be exploited only by fabled Unicorns. And of course, this list might differ from your opinion; that is ok because it is based on raw statistics, and as we know opinions and statistics don't go too well with each other usually.

BEST TIER IX TANKS

50TP Tyszkiewicza
Position	5
Global WN8	1474
Global win percentage	52%
Firepower and Gun Handling - 50TP's top gun is a formidable 130mm cannon with very good 8° of gun depression. It has second-best Alpha Damage of its Tier (560), with a bit derpy Gun Handling statistics (3s Aim Time, 0.4 Dispersion, below average soft stats), however, all things considered, these stats are good for its caliber, just a bit worse than the ones of its peers. DPM is respectable at 2100 and the penetration is good enough to do consistent damage (AP 250mm, APCR 303mm, HE 68).
Armor - Very strong Turret Armor (F230mm, S160mm, R100mm), reaching over 500mm effective on the gun mantlet. Cupolas are quite weak, but somewhat difficult to hit. Hull armor, while relatively strong because of steep angle (F120mm, S90mm, R60mm), has some obvious weak spots in Lower Glacis and Driver's Hatch. Sides and rear are rather weak and should not be exposed to enemy fire if possible. Overall, staying Hull Down is recommended in this tank.
Mobility -  Below average top speed of 35km/h is somewhat compensated for by good terrain resistances and reasonable 13HP/ton power to weight ratio. T50 is surprisingly nimble considering the armament and armor that it is carrying, be aware of low traverse speeds, however. All in all, it has no problems relocating but will struggle to keep up with some other Heavies.
Other features - Above average Hit Point pool (2000). Rather underwhelming View Range at 380m. Expensive standard ammunition cost at 1350 credits/shot.
Performance - 50TP Tyszkiewicza is a hard-hitting Heavy Tank with very good frontal protection. It does the best in Hull Down locations where it can use its 8° of gun depression. High Alpha damage allows it to trade favorably against most Tier VII-IX tanks that it faces; using pick-a-boo tactics is recommended because of long reload and the danger of being shot twice by lower caliber enemy guns. Please remember that 50TP's armor is concentrated at the front, and its sides and rear are vulnerable to enemy fire.

Object 705
Position	4
Global WN8	1474
Global win percentage	52,1%
Firepower and Gun Handling - 705's main armament, the 130 mm S-70 gun is a hard-hitting (490 Alpha Damage) close range weapon with bad aim time (3s) and terrible accuracy (0.44), soft stats are average compared to other Tier IX HT's. Penetration is acceptable for its caliber and Alpha (AP 250mm, APCR 303mm, HE 68mm). As I said before, this gun is best used in close range engagements, where its bad accuracy and aim time are nullified. Be aware of 705's terrible 5° of gun depression.
Armor - Thanks to very strong, well-angled Side Armor with decent spacing (F 155mm, S90mm, R60mm), and really tough, rear mounted Turret (F 300mm, S150mm, R100mm) Object 705 is one of the best Side-Scrapers in the game. Front Hull holds up reasonably as well, with about 300mm of effective upper front plate armor. Lower Glacis is a weak spot and should be hidden whenever possible. Both Hull and Turret roofs are only 40mm thick and can be overmatched from above, or by taller tanks with 120+mm guns.
Mobility - Top speed of 40km/h, and 13,85HP/ton ratio are respectable, but terrible Medium and Soft Terrain resistances make 705 struggle to reach its top speed in most situations. Effective traverse speeds are underwhelming; it will struggle when circled by agile Medium and Light Tanks. Object 705 is regarded as Super Heavy Tank, and its overall mobility is adequate for a vehicle of its weight (65 tons unequipped) and size.
Other features - Good health pool (2000). Below average View Range (380m). Rather low Radio Range (625m); 705 will struggle to keep radio contact with all allies on larger maps.
Performance -  Object 705 is one of the best City Brawlers in the game thanks to its very strong Side Armor and rear placed Turret. Bad gun handling and terrible gun depression will make it struggle in long-range engagements, however. Closing the distance is preferable in almost all cases. Please remember that your armor, although tough will not protect you against artillery; very thin Hull and Turret roofs can be penetrated by SPG's.

Object 430 Version II
Position	3
Global WN8	1638
Global win percentage	52,6%
Firepower and Gun Handling - Good standard round penetration for a Russian Tier IX Medium with an incredibly strong premium Heat ammunition (AP 246mm, HEAT 330mm, HE 50mm). Alpha damage is below average at 320, which is easily compensated by high Damage Per Minute (2560), great Aim Time (2s), decent accuracy (0.35) and really good soft gun statistics. There are some drawbacks as well, however; the turret is not fully traversable, and gun depression is horrible at 4°. All things considered, Object 430 Version II's gun performs the best at long ranges.
Armor -  Very unreliable Turret (F 180mm, S 120mm, R 50mm) with obvious weak spots and pathetic all-around Hull Armor  (F 80mm,  S 60mm, R 40mm). 430 vII is a glass cannon that relies on its good camouflage ratings rather than armor protection for survival. With that in mind, this tank is best played in a second line, as far from trouble as possible. Side Scraping is not really an option because of weak Turret.
Mobility - Respectable 55km/h top speed paired with good power to weight ratio of 16,74km/ton and incredibly good terrain resistance make for a very nimble Medium Tank. Reaching good positions and relocating will not pose a challenge, and high top speed will let you stay out of trouble for a large portion of the battle. Good mobility paired with low side profile makes 430 vII hard to hit when it is moving.
Other features - Below average health point pool (1600). Very good 400 meters view range. Turret traverses only 90° to each side.
Performance - Object 430 Version II is a second line support sniper, and should be played as such. It relies on its good camouflage values rather than its armor for protection and will get obliterated when spotted in the open. Not fully traversable turret makes close quarters combat rather awkward. Side scraping is advised only against lower Tier tanks, because of unreliable Turret front.

Object 430
Position	2
Global WN8	1520
Global win percentage	53%
Firepower and Gun Handling - Object 430's gun differs greatly from other Russian Tier IX medium tank guns. It has higher Alpha Damage (390), but worse accuracy (0.42) and somewhat bad Aim Time (2.5s). Its DPM is a respectable 2412, but penetration is rather low (AP 238mm, APCR 270mm, HE 61mm). Because of below-average soft stats and terrible standard shell velocity (880m/s), 430's gun performs best at medium to close ranges, but 5° of gun depression makes working ridgelines rather tricky.
Armor - Very tough, well sloped Frontal Hull armor, especially for a Medium Tank (F 120mm, S 80mm, R 40).  Turret, although pretty strong as well (F 248mm, S 185mm, R 63mm) is weaker than T-54's. Lower plate can withstand most of Tier VII and tier VIII Medium Tank armament. Cupolas are quite weak as well, but very hard to hit. 430's overall armor is reliable and can be counted on, especially in good matchups.
Mobility - Average 50km/h top speed, and lowish 14.82HP/ton Power to Weight Ratio, compensated by great terrain resistance values. Object 430 may be not as fast as the T-54 is, but is by no means slow. It can keep up during fast flanking attacks and is capable of relocating quickly when needed. Very good terrain resistance values paired with above average effective traverse speeds enable circling slower enemies with relative ease.
Other features - Highest Health Pool of any Tier IX Medium Tank (1800). Below average View Range (380). Incredibly high camouflage values (this is a very sneaky tank). Stock grind is painless, and researchable modules are not really an improvement.
Performance - Object 430 started its life as a Tier X Medium Tank and then got dragged down a Tier, but its stats stayed the same in many respects. Because of that, it is regarded as one of the strongest Tier for Tier tanks in the game and called overpowered by many. It performs the best at medium to close ranges, and its incredible camo values let it sneak unseen to aggressive positions early in the game.

AMX M4 mle. 51
Position	1
Global WN8	1675
Global win percentage	53,9%
Firepower and Gun Handling -   AMX M4 mle. 51 has a choice of two competitive guns, 127mm, and the 120mm. 120 has better overall statistics and will, therefore, be a focus of this review. It has good penetration on its standard rounds (AP 257mm, APCR 315mm, HE 65mm), and respectable 2143 Damage per Minute. Great aim time (2s) and good dispersion values (0.34) enable accurate sniping. Its Alpha Damage is below average (400) for a Tier IX Heavy, however, but good 8° gun depression gives it a lot of flexibility.
Armor - Very tough from the front with well sloped frontal Hull Armor (F 180mm, S 60mm, R 40mm) and thick Turret  (F 300mm, S 80mm, R 40mm). Frontal weak spots are rather small, and will generally hold up well against lower Tier tanks (lower glacis has about 200mm of effective armor). Side scraping is not advised because of angled front hull cheeks, that will then get exposed at a flat angle. Sides and rear are very weak. This tank is a real monster if you manage to hide its lower plate and keep its front towards the enemy at all times.
Mobility - Above average for a Heavy Tank of its size (it weighs over 72,5 tons). With a high 15.16HP/ton Power to Weight Ratio, it reaches its top speed of 40km/h quite easily on even terrain, bad ground resistances make it struggle uphill a bit, however. Thanks to its heavy weight and good top speed  AMX M4 mle. 51 is a very capable rammer.
Other features - Average Health Point pool for a Tier IX Heavy (1900). Below average view range (380). Very east stock grind.
Performance - AMX M4 mle. 51  is called a "French Conqueror" by many, and for a quite good reason. It does the best at ridgelines, and in frontal engagements, where it can hide its weak side armor and the lower plate. It is also a capable medium to long range sniper (for a Heavy) because of its good gun handling characteristics and accuracy. Overall, the M4 mle. 51 is a very flexible tank that can adapt easily to rapidly changing battlefield situation.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Wargaming Group Limited.