War Thunder Team Composition

War Thunder is a simulation game where you are either a pilot or driver in the settings of World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

Running over the air mode first, there are set objectives unique to each map which include: destroy all enemy planes, destroy all marked ground targets, destroy the enemy's bases and airfield and in dominion mode, occupy the marked landing strips. Offering various ways to win a match, this appealed to me due to the fact that I and most likely everyone doesn't want to play the same sort of game style over and over. With 383 air planes and 145 ground vehicles all modelled with characteristics received from museums, historic archives and files across the world, War Thunder holds the record for most number of real life modelled air planes and tanks in a game. With the countless of air planes offered across five nations, they all fall under the categories of:

Fighters

Fighters play one of two roles in the game. The first is to form up with their wingman or into a formation and climb together whilst on the look out for tell tale signs of the enemy where in realistic and simulator modes, can only be identified at close distance and seen as a black spotted in the sky. Fighters tend to engage other fighters in dogfights (close quarter fighting), are escorts for high altitude bombers protecting them from enemy fighters or provide cover for ground attackers. Fighters are the most played role in the game.

Bombers

Bombers fit the objective play style in the game. Instead of engaging in dogfights, bomber pilots group up together in a close formation allowing their gunners to focus their fire on preying fighters and make their runs on bases, the enemy airfield and other important ground targets. Being able to switch into first person view in the gunners position, bombers provide a unique style of game play. Bombers often require the protection of allied fighters to keep enemy fighters from getting easy kills on their slow lumbering plane.

Attackers

Attackers, the most least played role in War Thunder. This is due to the characteristics of attackers being slow, horrid turn times, and fairly large, they're sitting ducks to the popular role of the fighter. Attackers, with the use of their large cannons differ from bombers who use ordnances (bombs) to destroy targets. Aiming for ground vehicles, attackers are by far the hardest role to master due to the sluggish characteristics of their planes, needing to "fly on the deck" meaning hugging the ground to strafe ground targets, and are easy prey for diving fighters.

In ground forces mode, the objectives are identical to that of the air mode. Team compositions in this mode comprise of:

Light Tanks

Light tanks are used as a default tank when you first start ground forces. However they're used for their mobility during the mid to late stages of the game. This helps with flanking tactics, rushing to capture bases and scouting out enemies from vantage points. Although they have great mobility, the main draw back for light tanks is their lack of heavy armament. Unable to penetrate thick armour, light tanks opt for attacking other light tanks and AA vehicles.

Medium/Heavy Tanks

The most played type of vehicles along side tank destroyers, the medium/heavy tank class serves as a brute force method to win games. With the strongest cannons in the game alongside the tank destroyers, they pack a punch and will decimate lighter vehicles. However due to their immense offensive power, med/heavy tanks suffer from long reload times and sluggish movement making them easy prey if caught out or pinned down in the open. This class serves as a zone protector once the light tanks have captured the base.

Tank Destroyers

Tank destroyers are another heavy hitter class in the ground forces mode in War Thunder. Living true to its name they roam around or sit in vantage points destroying passing tanks. Although tank destroyers have immense fire power, just like their med/heavy tank counterparts, they face long reload times, large recoil from firing their cannons, small angle of attack, and have relatively thinner armour. Although the tank destroyers have a number of negatives, they serve as a deterrent for the popular medium/heavy tank class. 

Anti-Aircraft Vehicles

In ground forces mode, once a player has reached 2, 3 and 4 kills, they can hop into a fighter, attacker or bomber for 45seconds or until they're shot down. This serves as an effect method for scouting enemies and destroying clusters of enemy vehicles. The anti-aircraft vehicles purpose is to shoot down air planes with their rapid fire machine guns and low calibre cannons. They're also used to fill in the light tank role due to their high mobility. However, one direct shot from a medium/heavy tank or tank destroyer will bust up anti aircraft vehicles due to the non-existent armour.

Offering many types of aircraft and vehicles, War Thunder offers a diverse game play in terms of each team's composition. Each type of vehicle/plane will benefit from each other if team work and communication is applied concluding in an all rounded team or a specialised team of fighters,bombers, and med/heavy tanks.