WZ-111 model 5A

Last updated 29th September, 2024

The WZ-111 5A is a tier 10 Chinese heavy tank. It has a very strong engine and high top speed, with an accurate and high DPM 130mm gun. Its hull armour is fairly weak, but turret is very strong.

Click the table of contents below to access the section you want:

1. Armour
2. Playing against a WZ-111 5A
3. Gun
4. Mobility
5. Equipment, provisions, & consumables
6. Gameplay advice
7. Overall
8. Is it worth getting?
9. Most recently sold for:
10. Camo cost:
11. Historical info:

Armour

(The WZ-111 5A in the images is using Improved Assembly)

Image slider may take a few seconds to load

Drag slider right -> to view 257mm AP
Drag slider <- left to view 330mm HEAT
When facing head on:
Upper plate 240-250mm (545mm strongest point)
Lower plate 205mm
Turret 340-600mm
Cupolas 205-290mm

Note how the hatch edges can’t be penetrated by standard ammo, they must be hit in the center.

Important note: The turret is fully impenetrable unless you hit the hatch, or the tiny areas under and next to the gun. The mantlet is fake grey, it was tested against 345mm HEAT, 335mm APCR, 330mm AP, all multiple times and none of them were able to penetrate the mantlet reliably.

Armour vs all tier 9-10 tanks:
The hull is weak if not angled. Some low penetration tier 9-10 tanks (such as the T-54 or Sheridan) might struggle against the upper plates, but generally most shots will go through easily.

If the hull is angled, then the furthest upper plate from the enemy will be able to bounce shots.

There are multiple troll auto-ricochet areas on the upper plate, one is right under the gun mantlet, and the other two are right at the front of the hull. these can occasionally catch shots and make them bounce off.

The turret is extremely strong, and won’t be penetrated by essentially anything. Only a few stray shots into the bottom of the mantlet or the tiny weakpoints of the turret cheeks may go through. The cupolas are small and strong, and become mostly hidden when using gun depression.

Playing against a WZ-111 5A

Dealing with the turret armour:
The above image shows the weakest points on the turret where you can shoot if the hull is hidden.

The 2 green triangles are on the gun mantlet, these 2 areas are the only areas on the mantlet where you can penetrate the tank.

The gun mantlet was tested with 30 shots from the 3 highest penetration HT premium rounds in tier 10:
345mm HEAT from WZ-113 penetrated 0/30 shots.
335mm APCR from Vz.55 penetrated 0/30 shots.
330mm AP from Type 71 penetrated 2/30 shots.

The only area where each of these tanks could penetrate the mantlet with decent consistency were these 2 small areas highlighted in green in the image above. They are at the bottom of the mantlet, so it can be quite a hard shot to hit.

If the tank isn’t using gun depression, you can aim for the 2 small cupolas on the roof.

When shooting the side armour, aim lower on the hull.
The upper sides are 120mm, and they are angled at 45 degrees (when shooting at them from flat), so when a 5A’s hull is turned, this area is a very high effective thickness.
5A also has spaced armour along the sides, just like an IS-3 or IS-7, but the area is thinner. This is the thin, un-angled bar right above the tracks, and under the 120mm angled part. This area is over 440mm thick even when viewing it from flat-on.

Shoot where the tracks are, the armour behind this is only 80mm thick, and easy to penetrate at most angles.

If a 5A sidehugs you:
Firstly try to not let a 5A do this to you, if you see one approaching aggressively, try and get close to some hard cover so the 5A can’t actually be in a good position for sidehugging.
If they do manage to sidehug you, try to look for hard cover where you will be able to push them off.

If you are going to try shooting them, then try aim for the engine deck of the hull, if they put their turret in the way, aim for either of the hatches. If you are not confident in your ability to hit the hatches in their center, use premium ammo. Take your time to aim, what the 5A wants is for you to panic and then miss your shot.

If you aren’t confident you will even hit the hatch, then just shoot HE at the roof of the turret. Though you won’t be able to overmatch the 5A’s roof, it is only 55mm thick so HE should do quite good splash damage.

Gun

The WZ-111 5A mounts a 130mm gun

-Alpha damage is 440 on AP, 380 on HEAT, and 580 on HE
-It has a 9.1s reload giving it 2896 DPM
-Penetration on AP is 260mm, HEAT is 303mm, and HE is 65mm.
–Estimated aim time is 3.3/3.5s
–Base aim time is 2.2s, but it can get down to 1.69s.
-Dispersion is 0.344/0.292
–Gun handling is 0.18/0.18/0.08, or 0.15/0.15/0.07 with Vertical Stabilizer.
-Gun depression is -7 degrees, an extremely good angle to have with this tank, and its amplified by low profile and strong turret.

The WZ-111 5A has the 2nd highest penetration among tier 10 HT on its standard rounds, this is due to them losing a very small 3.85% penetration at over distance, meaning that even at 500-720m (maximum firing range) the WZ-111 5A will still have 250mm penetration on AP. (This is only beaten by the VK 90 which has 275mm AP penetration).

Overall the WZ-111 5A’s gun is near-perfect, it has high DPM for its good 440 alpha, and quite good DPM for tier 10 overall. It has great gun handling, quick aim time, and great gun depression.
Its accuracy is just average, but it still feels consistent due to great aim time and gun handling (you can also use refined gun to improve it to an amazing 0.292 dispersion).

The only aspect the gun really lacks is premium penetration, which has roughly the same amount as tier 10 medium tanks, though this is compensated by very good standard penetration, and you could choose to use different equipment to increase its penetration.

Mobility

-Top speed is 45km/h forwards, and -15km/h in reverse
-Traverse speed is 36.7 deg/s on hard terrain, and 28.2 deg/s on medium terrain.
-In game acceleration rate is shown as 17.8 hp/t, it has a strong 891 horsepower engine for its 50 ton weight.
-Actual acceleration rate is 17.8 hp/t on hard terrain, and 13.7 hp/t on medium terrain.
–Terrain resistances are 1/1.3/1.7

The mobility of the WZ-111 5A is overall quite good. The top speed and acceleration rate are both high, and traverse speed is decent on hard terrain, however it turns quite slowly on medium terrain.

Overall the mobility feels good. Even though the tank turns quite slowly on medium terrain, it accelerates so quickly that its not as noticeable as you would think. This tank also doesn’t have much hull armour, so hull turn rate isn’t as important for armour angling on this tank.

Equipment, provisions, & consumables

The WZ-111 5A has no special consumables or provisions.

Gun Rammer:
Calibrated shells can work well on this tank. Using it would increase the penetration of AP from 260mm to 281mm, HEAT from 303mm to 342mm, and HE from 65mm to 70mm.
However, with the quick aiming and great gun handling of the 5A, and also its great standard penetration, it generally doesn’t struggle to penetrate enemies.

The WA-111 5A is a tank with a focus on its high DPM/good alpha combination; it has 2.9k DPM with 440 alpha, which is one of the highest amounts for any heavy tank with over 400 alpha.

Using calibrated shells takes away from the unique aspect of the tank, which is its DPM advantage it has over similar alpha tanks and even some lower alpha tanks. Don’t use calibrated shells if you value what the tank offers in its DPM and playstyle, however if you really find the tank too hard to play with that low HEAT penetration, then calibrated shells is definitely a valid choice on this tank.

Use gun rammer, its utilizes the higher DPM that this tank is unique for. Gun rammer gives improves the reload from 9.6s down to 9.1s, and increases the DPM from 2751 to 2896.

Improved Assembly:
As the WZ-111 5A doesn’t have much hull armour, and generally won’t be relying on it in battle, its better to take improved assembly.

Improved assembly would increase the tank’s HP from 2350 up to 2444, and will allow you to take more hits in battle, and trade damage with enemies better.

Vertical Stabilizer/Refined Gun:
Both of these equipment pieces are good choices on this tank.

Refined gun works on this tank, as the 5A has great gun handling, with good aim time. Even without improving the stabilization, you can still get the gun aimed in quite quickly, hence why refined gun is a viable option on the 5A.
This would improve the dispersion from 0.344 down to 0.292.

Vertical stabilizer also works on this tank, as its quick aiming and improved handling would be able to make up for the lost accuracy, especially in mid to close ranges, where good dispersion is less necessary. The stabilizer overall makes the gun more consistent in its active playstyle at mid and closer ranges, which is very useful with its quick reload, and constantly having to turn/change targets in a brawl.
Vertical stabilizer would improve the gun handling from 0.18/0.18/0.08 to 0.16/0.16/0.07.

Gameplay advice

The WZ-111 5A is a true and proper heavium tank, with a weak hull but a strong turret, and a high DPM gun, with high speed.

Unlike some heaviums (T95E6, Strv K, Obj. 260), the 5A has very reliable turret armour, so its more similar to the Concept 1B in that sense. It has a big focus on hulldown gameplay, and also damage trading.

General gameplay:
Playing as a heavium means that this could also work on the medium flank, just like the other tier 10 heavium tanks, the 5A would be the spearhead of a push on the medium flank to try and win that side of the map. This is the correct play for a heavium, as if you’re going to take it to the medium side, you play aggressively and actively.

On the medium flank, the 5A has enough mobility to easily keep up with the mediums, and much higher alpha than any medium or heavium it faces, allowing the tank to trade very effectively.
Try to keep allied mediums with you, since you’ll struggle if there are multiple enemies against you. Play aggressively, you can ram tanks, facehug enemies, and easily dominate hulldown positions.

On the heavy flank, use the great speed of the tank to get into positions early, and get off unexpected shots into enemies. You can also cap bases or take advantageous hulldown positions for your team, to keep the enemy from advancing.

Always use gun depression/hulldown positions:
This is an essential part to the 5A’s gameplay, and its part of what makes it an very powerful tank when played correctly. The turret of the 5A is one of the strongest in game, being nearly impenetrable to most tank’s ammo on every area except a few small weakpoints.

Due to its high alpha and great gun consistency, the strong turret amplifies how effective this tank is at dealing with its enemies. It thrives off peek-a-boom due to having higher alpha and sometimes higher DPM than many other tanks it faces.

Utilize its DPM advantage:
The 5A has seriously high DPM for a 440 alpha heavy tank, and you should not underestimate what this can achieve when coupled with great gun handling, turret armour, speed, and gun depression.

This DPM should be utilized by playing aggressively against tanks which you know have both less alpha and less DPM than the 5A.

-If the enemy has more alpha, then you should try and avoid them or bait a shot, and once they shoot, then put in 1-2 shots while they are reloading.
-If the enemy has less alpha but a quicker reload, they will try to put in 2 shots for every time you shoot. Try avoid the enemy as long as possible until you’re reloaded. You have quite high alpha for a tier 10 tank, so you can out-trade many enemies, you just have to not let them shoot you multiple times for each time. Do this and your DPM alpha advantage will deter enemies from continuing trying to trade damage.

Sidehug enemies:
Sidehugging is where you drive alongside (usually taller) enemy tanks, and use your strong turret to bounce their shots while you move back/forwards along their hull.
The 5A is by far one of the best tier 10 heavies to be able to use this tactic. Its great mobility, combined with low slung hull, and extremely strong turret armour make it the perfect combination to sidehug.

Use the great speed of the 5A and drive alongside an enemy (Usually heavy tank, as they are slow, and usually a tall one, so they cant actually hit your hull.) Tanks like the E 100, Maus, AMX 54, and VK 72 are all very prone to sidehugging.
Most of these tanks cant actually depress their guns low enough to hit the hull. If the enemy can hit the hull, you put your turret in the way of their gun. The only way to penetrate the turret are the 2 small hatches, and the only way to penetrate these hatches is to hit them dead center (the edges are 280-330mm thick). If you continue moving back and fourth, these tanks cant evne hit the hatches due to slow turret traverse, and your constant movement.

Enemies will have a hard time to get you off if you do this, as the tank is quite fast and can keep up if the enemy tries to leave the sidehug.

Use HE:
The 5A doesn’t have special HE, what’s special is how quickly it reloads, and how much damage it deals.

The 5A’s HE does 580 alpha, with a 9.1s reload, for 3898 DPM. This can very quickly take down HP of tanks like FV4005, Grille 15, or the rears of any medium or light tanks you face. Even if enemies have spall liner on, HE still deals 464 damage on average.

This shell is also good if you don’t have time to aim at an enemy before getting into cover, as it can deal quite good splash damage.

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The 5A’s gameplay is quite simple. Go hulldown, utilize good speed, and trade damage and DPM. This tank is a turret armour/speed/gun focussed tank, and shouldn’t rely on its hull armour in gameplay.

Overall

Armour – 5/10
Gun – 8.5/10
Mobility – 8/10
Speed – 9/10

WZ-111 5A is overall a great tank.

Armour is decent, fairly weak on the upper plates, but they can be angled, and have some troll areas. Side armour is decent, HE protection is good. Turret is one of the best in game due to angling, weakpoints very small. Not angle/sidescrape usable.
Gun has great DPM, alpha damage, standard penetration, aim time, and gun handling. Gun depression is good, accuracy is mediocre, and premium penetration is very low.
Mobility is good, a strong engine and good acceleration rate, traverse speed is just average, reverse speed is average.
Speed is very good, 45km/h.

Overall the WZ-111 5A is a great tank. This tank has good stats in essentially every area, except its hull armour. It has great speed and good mobility; and the gun only really lacks premium penetration.

Is it worth getting?

The WZ-111 5A is worth getting for players who like heavy tanks in general, or players who like heaviums. If you just want a very reliable gun and hulldown capability, with great speed and good mobility, this is your tank.

The only players who wouldn’t enjoy this tank are players who just don’t like heaviums, or can’t get around low premium penetration or a weak hull.
All other players should be able to enjoy this tank as it does just offer a good bit of everything, mobility, turret armour, gun depression, great gun, the 5A really has all aspects.

The WZ-111 5A is worth 20,000 gold. 
 This tank can be a good tank for really any player, but in the hands of a great player this tank will be extremely powerful, just due to the fact it has every stat it needs to perform well. It has a fun/interesting playstyle, is quite a unique tank, and is also a fairly competitive tank.

Most recently sold for:

20,000 gold (Full bundle) – March 2023
20,000 gold (Full bundle) – May 2023
25,000 gold (Full Bundle), 20,000 gold (Tank only) – September 2023

Camo cost:

Historical info:

Upgrade of the WZ-111.
Though only one WZ-111 was built and photographed, there were multiple versions planned for it, and thus they are represented in game as:
WZ-111 (first version)
WZ-111 1-4 (versions 1-4)
WZ-111 5A (version 5)

As with most Chinese tanks there is very little information known about these, so the upgraded armour that the WZ-111 Model 5 has (with 140mm on hull instead of 120, and 300mm on the turret) may just be made up by WG for balancing the tank into tier 10.
The gun it carries is a Type 59 130mm field gun modified for the turret of the WZ-111, this gun was used as the intended Y174 122mm gun’s development was slow, so the 130mm Type 59 was used in its place.

Other than its hull armour, the WZ-111 5A is quite accurate to the planned real life version of the Model 5. (As of the 10.3 update, this is no longer true due to the balance changes the 5A received).

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