ISU-152

## Basic Information

The **ISU-152** is a Soviet tier 8 tank destroyer.

Developed on the basis of the IS. The ISU-152 was conceived as a replacement for the SU-152, which was based on the KV-1s chassis. A total of 4,635 vehicles were built from November 1943 through June 1945.

One of the most difficult tanks in the game to resist the urge of an aggressive play style, largely due to its top gun which packs an incredible punch for its tier, the ISU-152 is still not recommended for front-line duty. While being an immense threat to the enemy team when equipped with its top gun, the D-4S, it will only serve as a shot magnet which will indubitably draw the bulk of the enemy's attention and fire onto your tank. And should you find yourself the main target of enemy guns, the laughably thin armor of the ISU-152 will ensure a speedy confrontation and an early grave for your vehicle. Instead, the ISU-152 exceptionally fulfills the traditional role of an ambushing tank destroyer as well as that of a fire-support vehicle if accompanied by more heavily armored allied tanks. In addition to its poor armor and while fearsome, the D-4S main gun of the ISU-152 is a mixed blessing due to its average accuracy, significant aim time and a long reload. But the above average penetration combined with its phenomenal alpha damage output will ensure that should your shell find its target it will cause tremendous damage if not a one-shot kill. Due to these aspects, the player of the ISU-152 should employ a crew which is first and foremost proficient in camouflage. This tank has a very good camouflage rating and will sorely need to stay out of sight for as long as possible when engaging the enemy in order to avoid being shelled. Artillery will have no problem decimating your hit point count and it is inadvisable to allow it the chance to do so. In short, a skilled player of the ISU-152 will know the most advantageous position which either masks the tank well or provides enough cover for a successful ambush while they in turn have a clear line of sight on an advancing enemy team. If these requirements are met, the ISU-152 will be a merciless opponent, annihilating anything foolish enough to get in front of its main gun and becoming a main contributor to its team.

The ISU-152 leads to the Object 704.

## Pros & Cons

##### Pros:

* Huge alpha damage (Best in tier-class) with decent penetration.
* Surprisingly decent gun handling and very good DPM for such a large caliber gun.
* Decent top speed, can be reached fairly reliably.
* Good camouflage values.
* Can be a threat to any tank regardless of tier spread, thanks to its top gun.

##### Cons:

* A glass cannon - poor armor and frequent module/crew critical damage.
* Poor reload speed, aim time, accuracy, and shell velocity, unreliable at higher tiers. Penetration drops off for its APCR.
* Limited gun depression and horizontal guidance.
* Poor reverse and hull traverse speed: easily overwhelmed and/or flanked.
* Low ammo capacity.

## Performance

The mighty D-4S makes you a threat that no tank can safely ignore, but the gun's own temperamental nature can severely limit your performance. Accuracy, penetration, and damage dealt can all fluctuate wildly, and the same gun that can sometimes 3-shot the overpowered Object 268 Version 4 one minute can and often will be completely missing the Hot TOG at 100m, failing to penetrate scout tanks, and dishing out repeated sub-600 damage rolls the very next. Penetrations with the D-4S standard AP rounds are a bit odd because on paper, 260mm of penetration is still enough to go through nearly any armor you come across, but unlike the BL-10 that used to be available on this tank, you'll have to be more mindful of shot placement. Shells will still overmatch thin, angled armor, but be prepared to see opponents' tracks and spaced armor eat more shots because of its lower penetration compared to the BL-10. Tricky, low-percentage shots are strongly discouraged, unless you have absolutely no other option. This is not to say, however, that the D-4S is inaccurate. It can choose to thread the most impossible shot imaginable with no effort at all if fully aimed. The D-4S can be best described as 'moody' (or as least as much as a piece of digital code can be) without at any point sounding ironic, and it is entirely possible to have one game where nothing can stand before you, only to have a 10% hit rate the next.

## Historical Information

ISU-152 was a Soviet multi-role fully enclosed and armored self-propelled gun developed and used during World War II, with a subsequent use, mainly in the Soviet military, till the 1970s.

## Historical Accuracy Errata

Like many Soviet tanks in game the ISU-152 has increased gun depression. In reality it had:

-3° with the ML-20 152mm howitzer

-2° with the BL-9 122mm cannon

And although the ISU-152 was never equipped with the D-4 cannon it is very unlikely to have featured more than -3°

Engine is considerably more powerful than in reality, with 700 hp compared to the historical 520.