Keep your Buddies Loltraktor in the Garage

So I have been noticing an alarming trend lately that is occurring in matches in World of Tanks. More and more often a Leichtraktor, MS-1 or Cunningham is populating the lower ranks of my team’s roster. I suppose the problem isn’t so bad if it is only one tier-one tank in a fight with tier 7 and up opponents, but what about 3 or 4? Just recently I started a match that included no less than 3 tier 1 tanks in a fight with a tier 7 low end.

This is becoming more and more prevalent lately as many of my matches now include this instant handicap to a team. Most players laugh it off with comments in chat like “nuke carrying Cunningham” or calling out dibs for shooting the Loltraktor, but the reality is in a game where every tank counts losing several worthy teammates to ineffective target practice drones makes the game a little frustrating at times. 

This is most likely happening because newer players are brought into the game by friends who are already many tiers above them. These friends in a desire to play together and advance the new player as fast as possible create a platoon and join the queue together. The games mechanic awards them an overall score when placing them and thus you get lower tier tanks in high tier battles.

            There is nothing that says “you lose” more than starting out with only twelve worth while teammates against an opposing team of 15 properly tiered tanks. Is this a major problem in the grand scheme of tank battles? No not really, but if left alone it could become worse. Imagine when that 3 tank disadvantage becomes 5 or maybe even 6, is it still not a problem? Keep in mind the recent patch that now allows two people to join a platoon without a premium account. Could this increase the frequency that we see lower tier tanks in a fight? I imagine that it will and not only will we get the privilege of fighting along side tier 1 tanks but all the subsequent tiers that player must climb.

            I think its time for the developers to institute a tier restriction on the type of tanks that can platoon and until then I only ask that my fellow tankers play down the tier tree if running with friends is their desire.