The tale of a premium Tier 4 tank destroyer: strengths and weaknesses, how to win, and what equipment to buy
From the history
The concept of self-propelled anti-tank guns found wide application on the fronts of the Second World War. In subsequent years, the design bureau of the Soviet Union created more and more prototypes of this class of technology. Trying to keep up with the development of alternative anti-tank weapons and ammunition of a new type, Soviet engineers in 1969 began to develop a new generation of tank destroyers. It was 2S14 “Sting-S”.
The research institute “Petrel” was engaged in the development. The creation of a vehicle based on the BTR-70 was delayed at each stage. The sample equipped with an 85 mm cannon began factory tests only in 1975. The tests were completed by 1980. The Sting showed itself confidently on them, but it turned out to be morally obsolete: like its French colleague, it could not fight modern tanks. In addition, it did not fit into the concept of the widespread use of anti-tank guided projectiles due to the limitations of the gun’s caliber.
Tactical and technical characteristics (TTX)
In Armored Warfare: Project Armata, the 2S14 Sting-S is a premium Tier 4 tank destroyer that can be purchased either 1,000 gold or snatched from one of the bundles. “Sting-S” is a very complicated machine, which has many advantages and disadvantages. Its closest analogue in the game will be the LAV-300 in the Sophie Welfli branch. If you are reading this guide, then most likely you are choosing not between LAV-300 and Sting-S, but Sting-S and AMX-10P PAC 90 . Comparison with the latter will be carried out.
“Sting-S” is not intended for indiscriminate dumps, in such situations it is better to turn around and take a position a little further away
The 2S14 has an excellent weapon in its own way. It has a slightly lower alpha (340 damage versus 382 damage for the PAC 90), but at the same time has an incredible rate of fire (reload in just 4 seconds), accuracy and aiming speed (2.25 seconds). Because of this, the “Sting-S” cannon produces a monstrous DPM 5,100 units. On the other hand, it is this that imposes an important limitation on the player – in order to fully realize the potential of the gun, you need to conduct almost continuous fire, constantly keep the targets in focus and not fall into the field of view of the enemy.
Other characteristics of the machine lead to this. Despite the decent dynamics (5.16 seconds to 32 km / h, top speed 80 km / h), the four-axle wheelbase, long body and inconvenient positioning of the gun turn the “Sting-S” into an anti-tank iron. Together with the terrible geometry, a safety factor of 1,790 units flies into the furnace. A sedentary and clumsy tank destroyer, it would seem, has almost no chance on the battlefield, but an excellent weapon pulls out the situation. Thanks to him, the gameplay on “Sting-S” differs not only from other light cars, but also from colleagues in the class.
What equipment to install
Stealth and fast legs are key to survival for Sting-S. The situation with the latter is almost catastrophic, so we advise you to install a “filtration system”. It will be possible to remain unnoticed only if you fire from a significant distance and detect the enemy first: we recommend installing “improved optics” and “adaptive optics”. This will be especially useful on open maps such as Frontline.
Do not go forward until the front is guaranteed to be broken – 2C14 is not suitable for hurried players
Helpful Tips and Winning Tactics
The key advantage of the 2S14 Sting-S is its rapid-fire gun with high DPM. It is more difficult to implement it in full than, for example, in the AMX-10P PAC 90. To be most useful on the battlefield, you must always have time to take a key position in your area (usually a hill just behind the contact line, dotted with bushes).
Your main task is to provide direct fire support, not collect frags. Concentrate fire on the thickest opponents with a high margin of safety so that allies can finish off an already weakened victim. Always keep an eye on the approaches to the position and be ready to retreat at any second. It doesn’t make much sense to carry HEAT shells. The lead when shooting from the standard “Sting-S” distances will be too great. But the place for five or six land mines is better to leave: the battle can always turn in an unexpected way.
It is better not to enter into the exchange of damage and wide flanking maneuvers. “Sting-S” lacks dynamics for this. In the first half of the battle, the optimal strategy is to maintain allies from sniper positions. If the front line was broken in one of the sectors, join your allies and help build on your success. Friendly tanks will benefit from your range of sight, and light vehicles will need your rate of fire.
At first glance, the 2S14 “Sting-S” does not have tangible advantages over the LAV-300 at the same level. But for experienced players, the Soviet tank destroyer can offer a little more skill-demanding gameplay and one of the best at the level of weapons.
