Ferdinand

## Basic Information

The **Ferdinand** is a German tier 8 tank destroyer.

Developed on the basis of the Porsche Tiger, with a total of 90 vehicles produced in April and May 1943. They first saw combat in the Battle of Kursk (Operation Citadel).

Widely known in real life as "Elefant", it is a slow but powerful Tank destroyer, reasonably well-protected for its class, the Ferdinand can be an intimidating opponent & can utilize its armor to engage enemies more closely than most tank destroyers, assuming they are firing AP ammo. The Ferdinand's mantlet is extremely strong, but not invincible, & the rather big target silhouette means that you will have a lot harder time hiding than in the Jagdpanther. However, upgraded with the 12,8 cm PaK 44 L/55, you pack quite a lot more punch than the Jagdpanther, & will be able to terrorize tanks & support pretty much every tier heavy tank from distant positions. The Ferdinand should not be taken lightly as an opponent.

Many players compare this tank with its twin, the Jagdpanther II as it carries the same guns, but keep in mind the Ferdinand puts emphasis on raw armor thickness & survivability, allowing it to soak up hits more often, & take more shots. While being slower than the Jagdpanther II, it makes up with the very good gun traverse, superior gun arc as well as better gun depression, requiring moving much less than a Jagdpanther II when readjusting the aim against an enemy.

The Ferdinand leads to the Jagdtiger.

## Pros & Cons

##### Pros:

* Thick frontal armor & great gun mantlet, useful when top tier.
* Very high HP for a TD since (1500HP, equal in hitpoints to the IS-3).
* Superior gun depression and gun traverse arc than the Jagdpanther II
* Decent maneuverability once upgraded with top engine, only a bit behind Jagdpanther II power/weight ratio wise.

##### Cons:

* Absurdly underpowered stock engine makes the stock grind frustrating.
* Big & boxy silhouette, extremely prone to flanking & sniping
* Terrible camoflauge values
* While reasonably thick, the front armor has practically no slope at all
* Inferior to Jagdpanther II in terms of mobility.

## Performance

With a front & superstructure bolstered with 200mm of armor, as well as its powerful top gun, this tank functions very well as a hull down sniper. Tier 6, 7, & even some tier 8 tanks are going to have some major problems penetrating you from the front, but your armor is no match for gold shells, especially of tier 9 & 10 tanks. You're not particularly fast, nor can you turn very quickly, thankfully however it is a bit more agile than the American T28 of the same tier, so it is not quite as easy to flank.

Unlike the Jagdpanther II, which promotes an Aggressive hit-and-run-like playstyle, the Ferdinand, with its mediocre top speed & rather poor (but not the worst when upgraded) hull traverse, promotes a brawler/Defensive playstyle (defensive especially when stock) like the American T40. However, unlike the T40, the Ferdinand boasts thick frontal armor, all that a Ferdinand driver has to do is cover the lower glacis.

The 8,8 cm from the Jagdpanther proves very useful when top tier, as it does not suffer from a sluggish reload (it actually reloads pretty quickly & can give you a jump on unsuspecting players that peek out at you one too many times!), & is able to penetrate tier 6 tanks easily & will have little issue with tier 7s, the 8,8 cm & 10,5 cm will also not have much issue against most tier 8s, especially if weak spots are focused upon. The Alpha of the 8,8 cm is sufficient for the most part against tier 6, 7, & some tier 8 tanks as well, but if it does feel unsatisfactory, the 10,5 cm is an alternative option. However, the JPanther's guns effectiveness are greatly hampered against tier 9s & are rendered nearly useless to the Ferdinand against tier 10s. This is not because the JPanther's guns cannot penetrate tier 9s & 10s (which they actually *can* depending on the target tank.), but that the Ferdinand is too sluggish to get into a position where it can penetrate these tiers with them.

In synopsis: When Top Tier (without the 12,8 cm gun):

* Pick a position from which can provide your Ferdinand not only good cover for the lower glacis but also has a good view on a choke point. This will give you plenty of shot opportunities on enemy vehicles without having to relocate for a while (unless an arty can get a shot on you, even then you have enough hit points to take a few indirect hits.)
* Use your hit points to overmatch enemies, when necessary, but remember you are *quite* slow to turn, try to avoid face-hugging proximity bouts.
* The Ferdinand's armor gives it a distinct edge at medium and long-range distance firefights, do not forget to use this to your advantage, but remember that the lower glacis is weak.

When not Top Tier (Without the 12,8 cm gun):

* Tier 9s (if fully upgraded) and especially tier 10s will have no trouble at all overpowering your armor, your best bet is to go to the front that will likely see more vulnerable targets.
* If that is not an option, keep your distance and wait for opportunities to present themselves, a tier 10 that exposes their side to you from your position can still be penetrated!
* As stated above, patience can be a virtue with the Ferdinand in these situations, wait for faster tanks to cross your line of fire or for them to expose themselves to a shot or two from your gun.

## Historical Information

Elefant is the common name of a German tank-destroyer of World War II. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P). The ordnance inventory designation was Sd. Kfz. 184.

The Elefant (German "elephant") was a "Schwerer Panzerjäger" (heavy tank-destroyer) of the German Wehrmacht, initially built under the additional name Ferdinand, after their designer Ferdinand Porsche, before it was changed to Elefant.

## Historical Accuracy Errata

The 8,8 cm Pak 43 was the Ferdinand's primary armament throughout its service. There were never any plans to replace it.

* The breech of the 12,8 cm Pak 44 L/55 main gun is too big to fit into the Ferdinand's fighting compartment.