The only unique feature this tank has is the 4 shell clip, so far only seen on high tier Italian heavies and the Progetto 65. Rest seems standard for an Italian medium with most power going into the firepower and mobility.
Design Philosophy: Italian medium tanks have historically favored mobility and gun handling over heavy armor, a philosophy clearly evident in the Predatore’s design. The emphasis on support roles rather than frontline brawling reflects Italy’s practical approach to armored warfare—using terrain, positioning, and superior gun handling to compensate for armor limitations.
Autoreloader Heritage: The autoreloader mechanic that defines modern Italian medium tanks represents a unique approach to balancing sustained fire with burst damage potential. The Predatore continues this tradition, offering commanders the flexibility to adapt their fire rate to battlefield demands.
The Predatore embodies the Italian philosophy: be smart, be flexible, and let your opponents make the first mistake.
Autoreloader Mechanic: Italian Flexibility
The Predatore features the signature Italian autoreloader system with a four-shell clip:
Four-Shell Magazine: The autoreloader holds four shells, each capable of dealing 320/320/420 HP of damage depending on ammunition type. This clip capacity provides substantial burst potential while maintaining reasonable magazine management.
Reload Timing:
- Autoreload time: 7/10/14/18 seconds for the first/second/third/fourth shell
- Full reload time: 49 seconds to completely reload all four shells
- Reload time in clip: 2.5 seconds between shots when firing the full clip
Tactical Flexibility: The autoreloader creates fascinating tactical decisions. Do you fire shells as they become available for sustained DPM? Or do you wait for multiple shells to load for a devastating burst? The answer changes based on battlefield circumstances.
This mechanic rewards intelligent decision-making and situational awareness, making the Predatore more mentally engaging than simple autoloaders or single-shot guns.
Firepower Characteristics
The Predatore brings solid firepower fundamentals to complement its autoreloader system:
Shell Damage: 320 HP for standard AP, 320 HP for premium APCR, and 420 HP for HE rounds. You’ll have to rely on your clip in order to trade effectively due to the rather low alpha for a tier 9.
Penetration Values:
- Standard AP: 251 mm
- Premium APCR: 290 mm
- HE: 105 mm
These penetration values are not very competitive for Tier IX in the current meta dominated by superheavies. You’ll have a hard time going through the weakpoints of the tier 10 tanks. Premium penetration is horrible at only 290 mm; tier 11s heavies like the Tashenratte are going to be incredibly hard to engage.
Shell Velocity:
- AP: 1100 m/s
- APCR: 1400 m/s
- HE: 1000 m/s
The shell velocity is lackluster on standard rounds and fine on the premium rounds. Sniping without gold is going to be hard.
Accuracy: With 0.34 dispersion at 100m, Predatore offers excellent accuracy for a medium tank. This precision enables reliable shot placement at medium to long ranges, supporting the vehicle’s role as a support medium.
Aim Time: The 2.3-second aim time is quite good, allowing for relatively quick shot preparation. Combined with the excellent accuracy, Predatore can deliver aimed shots efficiently.
Ammunition Capacity: 64 shells provide generous ammunition for extended battles, important given the autoreloader’s flexibility, which encourages active shooting.
Gun Handling
Limited Depression: With -7 degrees of gun depression, Predatore is not the most flexible tank; it will feel like playing a soviet tank.
Elevation: The +20 degrees of gun elevation provides flexibility for engaging targets on elevated positions or firing over obstacles.
Armor Profile: Paper Protection
The Predatore follows Italian tradition with minimal armor protection:
Hull Armor:
- Front: 60 mm
- Sides: 40 mm
- Rear: 30 mm
These values provide essentially no effective protection against Tier IX weaponry. Considering the poor angling of the frontal plate, it seems like you’ll pull off bounces a lot less often then you would on something like the Progetto 65.
Turret Armor:
- Front: 80 mm
- Sides: 50 mm
- Rear: 40 mm
The turret offers slightly better protection than the hull but remains inadequate against most opponents. Occasional bounces might occur against lower-tier vehicles, but commanders should never count on armor.
Hit Points: With 1650 HP, the Predatore has a respectable health pool for a medium tank. This HP buffer allows for absorbing some damage during aggressive plays or when retreat isn’t immediately possible.
The armor profile makes positioning and awareness absolutely critical—every mistake that results in taking fire reduces your limited HP pool.
Mobility: Light tank Speed
The Predatore offers really good mobility characteristics:
Maximum Speed:
- Forward: 66 km/h
- Reverse: 22 km/h
The 66 km/h top speed is making it one of the fastest mediums in its tier, allowing for excellent map mobility and repositioning. The 22 km/h reverse speed is also very nice.
Specific Power: 19 hp/t provides decent acceleration and ability to maintain speed over varied terrain. While not leading-class, this power-to-weight ratio ensures the Predatore remains relevant as positions shift.
Traverse Speeds:
- Hull traverse: 55 deg/s
- Turret traverse: 34 deg/s
The hull traverse is excellent for a medium tank, enabling quick facing adjustments. The turret traverse is adequate, though not exceptional—sufficient for tracking most targets but potentially challenged by very fast opponents at close range.
The mobility package supports an active, repositioning-focused playstyle where you leverage terrain and positioning rather than armor.
Camouflage and Concealment
The Predatore features respectable concealment values:
Stationary Concealment: 13.45% stationary and 2.66% with a stationary vehicle bonus provides decent stealth for a medium tank.
Moving Concealment: 10.09% moving and 2% with vehicle bonus allows the Predatore to maintain reasonable stealth while relocating.
View Range: 390m view range is competitive for Tier IX, allowing for effective spotting when positioned properly.
Signal Range: 670m signal range is more than adequate for communication needs.
The concealment values support a second-line support role where the Predatore can fire from positions that minimize detection while maximizing damage output.
Tactical Considerations
The Predatore’s characteristics create specific tactical guidelines:
Autoreloader Management: The key to success is understanding when to fire shells immediately versus waiting for multiple shells. Against isolated targets, burst damage can secure kills. In sustained fights, continuous fire maximizes DPM.
Support Positioning: The paper armor and excellent gun handling suggest second-line positioning where you can leverage terrain for protection while delivering accurate fire.
Terrain Utilization: The -7 degrees gun depression doesn’t allow you to use many positions, so good map knowledge is key.
Mobility Leverage: Use the 66 km/h speed to reach strong positions early and relocate when positions become untenable. The Predatore excels at dynamic positioning rather than static defense.
Ammunition Selection: The high shell velocities make leading targets easier. The 1400 m/s APCR is particularly effective against fast, distant targets.
Playstyle Implications
The Predatore rewards intelligent, adaptive gameplay:
Dynamic Positioning: Success requires reading the battle and positioning accordingly. Strong initial positions become death traps when flanked—be ready to relocate.
Burst vs Sustained Decisions: Every engagement presents the choice: fire immediately for sustained DPM or wait for multiple shells for burst potential? The correct answer depends on target HP, your HP, backup availability, and tactical situation.
Vision Game: The 390m view range and decent concealment enable effective spotting when teammates lack vision. Position to provide vision while remaining safe.
HP Conservation: With only 1650 HP and no armor, every point of damage matters. Play intelligently to maximize your battlefield presence—dead tanks deal no damage.
Commanders looking to master the Predatore should consider:
- Learning autoreloader timing to maximize damage output
- Using mobility to reach strong positions before opponents
- Managing HP carefully given the paper armor
- Adapting fire patterns to battlefield demands
- Supporting teammates rather than attempting solo carries
- Leveraging the excellent accuracy for consistent damage
- Using high shell velocity to hit mobile targets reliably
Community Reception
As a Supertest vehicle, community feedback is still forming, but initial impressions suggest:
Italian Enthusiasm: Players appreciate seeing Italy get another autoreloader medium, expanding the nation’s distinctive playstyle.
Tier IX Positioning: Some question whether the characteristics justify Tier IX placement or if it feels more like a premium Tier VIII with inflated stats.
Armor Concerns: The paper armor profile raises concerns about survivability in the current high-alpha meta where a single mistake can result in massive HP loss.
What Sets the Predatore Apart
The Predatore occupies a specific niche in the Tier IX medium landscape:
4 Shell Clip: this would be the first tier 9 medium with 4 shell clip in its autoreloader, while 3 shells are the standard.
Support Specialist: Designed specifically for support roles rather than frontline brawling, with characteristics that reward intelligent positioning over aggressive plays.
High Mobility: Probably one of the most mobile Italian tanks.
Balanced Package: Rather than excelling dramatically in one area, the Predatore offers a well-rounded package where strengths and weaknesses create interesting gameplay rather than domination or frustration.
What’s Next?
As a Supertest vehicle, the Predatore’s characteristics remain subject to adjustment. Key questions for testing include:
- Are the autoreload times properly balanced for the 320 HP alpha?
- Does the paper armor create frustration or interesting gameplay challenges?
- Is the mobility sufficient for the support role the tank is designed for?
- How does the four-shell clip compare to three-shell Italian autoloaders?
- Will the Predatore be a tech tree vehicle, premium, or reward tank?
The community eagerly awaits answers as testing progresses.
Final Thoughts
Predatore doesn’t introduce anything new or groundbreaking to the game; it would be an alternative to the Standard B, with having 1 more shell in the clip, but trading that for lower alpha damage while they both have horrible armor and are highly mobile.
With current statistics not being very competitive, there could be a chance that this could be a premium tier 9.
Note: All characteristics shown are from Supertest and are not final. Stats may change before release.
