Sudden Strike 5 - Community Guide Part 1: Armor Mechanics
Generals,
Fall in for a deep-dive into the mechanics of Sudden Strike 5. In order to succeed in a tactical game like this, it is important to understand how combat actually works behind the scenes. Why do shots bounce off one tank while another gets destroyed in seconds? Why do some attacks hit hard while others seem to do nothing?
In this first guide, we'll dive deep into the mechanics that decide whether your units survive or get knocked out in seconds.
We will go over three questions:
How does armor work?
Where can you see all unit stats in detail?
Why are units sometimes not shooting?
How does armor work?
Armor is directional, and positioning matters.
Front armor > Side armor > Rear armor
This means attacking from the side will often deal more damage, and attacking from the rear can be even more effective.
Every armored unit has armor values, and every anti-armor weapon has an armor penetration value (ARP). These values are checked against each other when being hit.
As a general rule:
If ARP is equal to or higher than the armor value, the shot penetrates and deals full damage.
If the armor value is higher, the shot will fail to penetrate and does no damage, except for a rare lucky hit.
Example:
A T70-M struggles against a Tiger I E, as its ARP is too low to penetrate.
A T-34/76 can penetrate the Tiger I E’s armor from all sides reliably.
A Panzer IV H can damage an IS-2 from the side or rear, but not from the front.
A Puma can only threaten an IS-2 from the rear.
Panzer III J vs. T34 / 76
Two Panzer III J losing vs. 1 T34/76 in a frontal attack
Two Panzer III J flanking vs. 1 T34/76 - winning without losses
If you can’t penetrate the armor from the front, reposition and flank!
Where can you see all Unit Stats in detail?
You can see additional values and stats for all units by selecting them and pressing Alt in-game.
480 HP, 197 Fuel, 1800 Ammunition for the machine gun, 34 Armor Penetration Ammo, and 20 HE-Ammo.
With ALT pressed:
Armor: Front Armor 90, Side Armor 24, Back Armor 20,
Cannon: 100 Range, 80 Armor Penetration, 111 Penetration Damage, 76 HE Damage
Machine Gun: 60 Range, 6 Damage
General Role: Anti-Tank
Why are units sometimes not shooting?
Sometimes units will deliberately hold fire and not attack other units.
For example, Infantry will usually not waste ammunition on heavily armored targets they cannot damage.
Target priorities also matter:
Tanks and anti-tank guns prioritize armored targets.
Machine guns prioritize infantry.
Some weapons cannot engage air units at all.
Positioning can also affect target selection.
Example:
A towed anti-tank artillery cannon may be safe from infantry in the front, but vulnerable if infantry attacks from the side and can hit the crew directly.
Understanding how combat works is the first step towards becoming a better commander. Use the knowledge to your advantage, and don't be afraid to reposition when a direct attack isn't working.
Stay tuned for Part 2!