War Thunder does a poor job of explaining itself, and that first week can be brutal: you don't know which nation to grind, why your shells bounce, or why you keep ending matches poorer than you started. None of that is your fault — the game just throws you in. Here's the orientation it should have given you, so you spend your time climbing instead of flailing.
Pick one nation and commit
The single biggest beginner mistake is spreading Research Points across three or four nations at once. Every line you dabble in is a line you're not finishing. Pick one, stick with it, and you'll hit competitive vehicles far faster.
For a first nation, the USA is the safest all-rounder — strong ground, air and naval trees with reliable, forgiving vehicles and plenty of fallback options if a lineup goes wrong. Germany and the Soviet Union are also beginner-friendly, and Russia in particular offers a comfortable air grind. What you want to avoid early is Japan and France: their tanks reward map knowledge, gun depression discipline and autoloader timing you won't have yet, and they punish mistakes hard.
Ground or air — choose, don't split
Ground and air are effectively different games with different economies. Trying to grind both at once doubles your workload. Decide which fantasy you're here for — the slow, tense armor duels or the fast three-dimensional dogfights — and pour your early RP into that. You can always come back for the other tree once you're established.
Grind smart, not long
A few habits will save you dozens of hours:
- Finish (“spade”) your vehicles. Completing the module research — parts, FPE, better shells — turns a weak stock vehicle into a good one and earns an RP multiplier. A spaded lineup is worth more than three half-researched ones.
- Keep a full lineup, not one tank. Bring three or four vehicles of similar battle rating so a single death doesn't send you back to the garage. It also lets you spawn support roles like SPAA.
- Use your boosters and complete daily/battle tasks. They're free RP and Silver Lions you're otherwise leaving on the table.
- Don't chase the top tier. The mid-tier stretch into early Cold War vehicles is where most new players burn out. Slow down, enjoy the WWII brackets where the matchmaking is kinder, and let your economy build.
Survive longer to earn more
Rewards scale with what you do in a match, and dead tanks do nothing. Staying alive is the real skill:
- Stop pushing into the open. Let the aggressive players trade first, then clean up. Most first-week deaths come from rushing a cap alone.
- Play hull-down. Crest a ridge so only your turret shows, angle your hull, and you'll bounce shots that would otherwise gut you. This is why gun depression matters — and why Japan and France, which often lack it, are rough starters.
- Aim for crew and ammo, not center mass. Knocking out the gunner or setting off an ammo rack ends fights instantly. Learn where each enemy stores its shells.
- Scout, then shoot. In ground RB, spotting an enemy for your team earns rewards even when you don't get the kill.
When (and where) to spend money
If you decide to spend, buy a premium account before premium vehicles. The account multiplier boosts RP and Silver Lions across everything you play, which does far more for your grind than any single premium tank. A Battle Pass season is also strong value if you play regularly. Premium vehicles are fine as a bonus earner, but they won't teach you the game — and a premium you can't play well just feeds the enemy team.
The short version
Pick one nation (start USA), pick one mode, and finish your vehicles before you move on. Play patiently, stay alive, and let your economy grow with you instead of racing ahead of it. Do that, and the moment War Thunder finally clicks — and it will — you'll be ready for it.
