What's the best tank to grind in WoT in 2026–2027?
The best World of Tanks tech tree lines for new players and for each class: light, medium and heavy tanks, tank destroyers and artillery, with EU server battle stats.
New players should grind the Japanese heavies, the line up to the Type 5 Heavy. Of all the widely played lines it lifts win rate the most, and its sheer hit points forgive mistakes. After that it comes down to class: the Progetto 65 for mediums, the new German line for heavies, the T110E4 for tank destroyers.
This is about Wargaming’s World of Tanks, version 2.4.1. Mir Tankov is now a separate game with different lines, so advice written for it doesn’t apply here.
The main measure below is win rate difference: how much more often players win in this tank than they do on average across all their tanks. The data comes from Tomato.gg for the EU server over the 30 days up to November 4, 2026. Credit figures are from the same site, based on a sample of about 6.6 million battles. The picks are ours, built on those numbers.
Best line for new players
The Japanese heavy line runs Chi-Nu → O-I → O-Ni → O-Ho → Type 4 Heavy → Type 5 Heavy.
| Tank | Tier | Win rate difference | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-I | VI | +0.05% | 48.41% |
| O-Ni | VII | +3.67% | 52.88% |
| O-Ho | VIII | +2.30% | 51.28% |
| Type 4 Heavy | IX | +1.16% | 50.68% |
| Type 5 Heavy | X | +1.01% | 52.12% |
At Tier X this line is one of the few in the green, while most Tier X tanks show a negative difference. It has downsides too. The Type 5 Heavy tops out at 25 km/h, an average battle loses 12,675 credits, and the line doesn’t continue to Tier XI. None of that matters much while you’re learning: a tank like this shows you how armor and positioning work without asking you to master maneuvering first.
If that speed puts you off, go for the Soviet mediums: T-34-85 → T-43 → T-44 → T-54 → Object 140. The T-43 sits at +2.19%, the T-54 at +0.47% and the Object 140 at just −0.30%. It’s a good school in case heavies get boring.
We wouldn’t start with light tanks or artillery. Tier X lights range from −1% to −3%, and they need map knowledge a beginner doesn’t have yet. Also, stick to one line: two grinds at once stretch the road a lot and drain your credits. For something to earn alongside it, see our list of the best tanks for farming credits.
Best light tank line
WZ-131 → WZ-132 → WZ-132A → WZ-132-1 → WZ-219. Since update 2.4, light tanks have roles: scout, versatile and support. This Chinese line is versatile, so you don’t have to hide in a bush all game and can actually shoot.
The WZ-132-1 sits at −0.98%, the best result among popular Tier X lights (AMX 13 105 −1.43%, Manticore −1.80%, T-100 LT −2.20%). It also makes 4,340 credits net per battle, while the Manticore loses 4,956. And it continues to Tier XI.
Want pure scouting? Take the Manticore: 736,470 battles in a month, the most played Tier X light tank and the best survivor among them at 24.6%.
Best medium tank line
P.44 Pantera → Standard B → Progetto M40 mod. 65 → CAV 71. Few other lines start paying for themselves this early.
The Progetto 65 makes 10,531 per battle, the best result among researchable Tier X vehicles if you leave SPGs out. The CAV 71 brings in 6,364 at Tier XI, first place again on a tier where most tanks lose money. The Progetto 65 is also the most played Tier X medium with 750,119 battles. Its difference is −0.36%, and a 65 km/h top speed gets you to the right flank in time.
The backup is the UDES 15/16 and the Swedish line up to the BV-111. At +0.03% it has the best difference among widely played mediums, but it wants you to use the terrain. The Object 140 is the simplest of them and still looks respectable, it just has no Tier XI successor.
Best heavy tank line
Tiger I → Pz.Kpfw. 55 → Versuchspanzer 57 → Kampfpanzer 67 → Pz.Kpfw. Neu. The line arrived with update 2.4 in September 2026. Its new vehicles start at Tier VIII, and you reach them through the Tiger I.
| Tank | Tier | Win rate difference | Battles in 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger I | VII | +1.54% | 542,952 |
| Pz.Kpfw. 55 | VIII | +1.17% | 1,475,163 |
| Versuchspanzer 57 | IX | −0.12% | 1,256,426 |
| Kampfpanzer 67 | X | −1.11% | 1,171,398 |
| Pz.Kpfw. Neu | XI | −1.43% | 824,091 |
Across Tiers VIII to XI the difference is −0.19%, against −1.01% for the IS-7 line. The Pz.Kpfw. Neu wins 50.28% of its battles, one of the best figures among Tier XI heavies. You pay for that in credits: the Kampfpanzer 67 loses 8,018 per battle and the Neu 14,985, with shells costing almost 54,000. You’ll need a money maker next to it.
Lines with big reputations look weaker in numbers than in chat. The Object 277 sits at −1.81%, the Super Conqueror at −1.49% and the Kranvagn at −1.35%. They’re good tanks in skilled hands, but they help the average player less than people assume. If you’d rather have armor than a new mechanic, go back to the Type 5 Heavy.
Best tank destroyer line
T25/2 → T28 Prototype → T30 → T110E4 → Gorilla.
The T110E4 holds a −0.10% difference across almost 491,000 battles, while the most played Tier X TD, the Grille 15, manages only −1.54% and a 47.97% win rate. People love the Grille for its long-range shot, but it doesn’t forgive mistakes. The American is also cheaper to run: −3,548 per battle against −14,967 for the Strv 103B.
For sniping, the Swedish line is better: Strv 103-0 → Strv 103B → Strv 107-12. The Strv 103B survives 35.6% of its battles, more than any other popular Tier X TD. There’s no rush to get the Gorilla, though. Its difference is −1.79%, and the T110E4 plays better for now.
Best artillery line
SU-8 → S-51 → SU-14-2 → 212A → Object 261.
The Object 261 is the most played Tier X SPG (719,934 battles) and the best by difference at +0.46%. It also earns 5,292 per battle. If money is the goal, the G.W. E 100 makes 11,420, the best figure among all researchable Tier X vehicles, with a difference of +0.10%.
We don’t see many other reasons to grind artillery. There’s none at Tier XI at all, and SPGs make up just 5.6% of battles on the server. It’s fine as a second line for when you’re in the mood, not as a first one.
Which lines are played the most
Wargaming doesn’t publish who researches what, so the closest substitute is battle counts. The EU server logged 84.1 million battles in those 30 days. The table sums battles at Tiers VIII to XI of each line.
| Line | Battles in 30 days | Share |
|---|---|---|
| German heavies, Pz.Kpfw. 55 → Pz.Kpfw. Neu | 4,727,078 | 5.6% |
| German TDs, Rhm.-B. WT → Hirschkäfer | 2,275,381 | 2.7% |
| Soviet heavies, IS-3 → KR-1 | 1,584,509 | 1.9% |
| American mediums, Ares 75 → Ares 90 C | 1,467,130 | 1.7% |
| German mediums, Indien-Panzer → Leopard 120 | 1,412,124 | 1.7% |
| Czechoslovak heavies, TNH 105/1000 → Vz. 63P | 1,385,954 | 1.6% |
| Italian mediums, P.44 Pantera → CAV 71 | 1,301,638 | 1.5% |
The German line leads by a factor of two, but it’s only two months old. Everyone is grinding it right now, and that kind of spike usually fades. The Grille 15 and IS-7 are better signs of lasting popularity.
By class, battles split like this: heavies 32.3%, mediums 25.5%, tank destroyers 24.5%, lights 12.1%, artillery 5.6%. By tier, X leads with 30.4%, then VIII (22.6%) and IX (19.4%). Tier XI accounts for 10.3%.
There’s no need to rush Tier XI. Unlocking one takes 325,000 XP on the Tier X tank plus 7.4 million credits (the launch price from update 2.0), and an average battle there loses 12,514 credits. Collect a few Tier X tanks first, and the 2027 balance will be clearer by then.
