Steel Legends: Tank Assault Guide – Best Tanks, Upgrades and 3-Star Tips
Steel Legends: Tank Assault is a free 3D tank game you can play in your browser. You start in an M4A3 Sherman in Normandy and fight through 30 missions across six theaters, all the way to the 1,000-tonne P.1000 Ratte. This guide covers what the game doesn’t tell you outright: which tanks are worth the coins, how to spend upgrades, and how to get 3 stars on every mission.
How stars and theaters work
Every mission you win gives 1 to 3 stars, based on how much hull you have left at the end:
| Hull left when you win | Stars |
|---|---|
| 60% or more | ★★★ |
| 30% to 59% | ★★ |
| under 30% | ★ |
Stars unlock the next theater. You need 10 stars for Desert Storm, 22 for Frozen Front, 34 for Ruined City, 46 for Autumn Woods and 58 for Red Canyon. Six theaters × 5 missions × 3 stars makes 90 possible stars, so you can afford to 2-star a few missions and come back later with a better tank.
Each theater has the same five missions in the same order:
- Spearhead (Assault): destroy every enemy across 3 waves.
- Take the Hill (Capture): hold the zone until the flag is yours (40 s in the first theater, longer later).
- Hold the Line (Defend): protect the supply depot for 90+ seconds.
- Ambush (Survive): stay alive until reinforcements arrive.
- Boss: a super-heavy tank leads the enemy.
From Frozen Front onward, helicopters join missions 3 to 5. From Desert Storm onward, Defend and Survive missions also bring artillery, so keep moving in those.
Every tank, its cost and when to buy it
You unlock tanks with coins once you reach the required rank. Ranks come from XP, which you earn by finishing missions.
| Tank | Nation | Cost | Rank | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M4A3 Sherman | USA | free | 1 | Fast 2.5 s reload, easy to drive |
| T-34-85 | USSR | 2,500 | 2 | Quick, hits harder than the Sherman |
| Tiger I | Germany | 6,000 | 4 | Huge hull and 88 mm gun, slow |
| AMX-13 | France | 9,000 | 5 | 1.45 s autoloader, fastest light tank, paper armour |
| Centurion Mk.3 | UK | 14,000 | 7 | Well-rounded, fast shells |
| T-72B3 | Russia | 20,000 | 9 | First 125 mm main battle tank |
| Type 99A | China | 28,000 | 11 | Tough and fast for its price |
| Leclerc | France | 36,000 | 12 | 2.1 s reload, the fastest-firing MBT |
| Challenger 2 | UK | 46,000 | 14 | Best armour of the regular tanks |
| Leopard 2A7 | Germany | 58,000 | 15 | Hard-hitting and very mobile |
| T-90M Proryv | Russia | 70,000 | 16 | Tough all-rounder |
| M1A2 Abrams | USA | 85,000 | 18 | Highest hull, damage and shell speed |
Our recommended path: Sherman → T-34-85 → Tiger I → Centurion → Type 99A → Leclerc or Challenger 2 → Abrams.
- The Tiger I is the biggest early jump. It has 860 hull points against the Sherman’s 520, and its shots hit 50% harder. It is slow, so let enemies come to you.
- The AMX-13 fires almost twice as fast as anything else early on, but its armour is thin. Buy it only if you like hit-and-run play.
- The Leclerc suits aggressive players: a 2.1 s reload with good speed. The Challenger 2 suits careful players: the most armour before the Abrams.
Upgrades: what to buy first
Every tank has four upgrade tracks, each going up to level 10:
| Upgrade | Per level |
|---|---|
| Firepower | +7% shell damage |
| Armor | +8% hull points |
| Mobility | +4% speed and turning |
| Reload | −5% reload time |
Upgrade prices go up by about a third each level, and later tanks cost more to upgrade. A good order:
- Reload first. Ten levels cut the reload in half, which is the same as doubling your damage per second.
- Armor next. It directly protects your 3-star threshold.
- Firepower, then Mobility last.
Upgrades belong to one tank. Don’t fully upgrade a tank you’re about to replace: two or three levels of Reload and Armor are enough to get through the next theater.
Equipment worth buying
You buy each piece of equipment once and keep it, whichever tank you drive. You can fit three pieces at a time, so pick the three that suit the mission. In order of value:
- Side Skirts (2,500, rank 2): +15% hull points. The cheapest survival boost in the game.
- Reactive Armor (4,000, rank 3): −18% damage taken. Stacks with Side Skirts.
- Smoke Launchers (2,000, rank 2): smoke recharges 40% faster. Smoke breaks enemy aim, which saves Defend missions.
- Gun Stabilizer (3,500, rank 4): +60% turret speed and better aim while moving.
- Autoloader (6,000, rank 6): −15% reload time, on top of your Reload upgrades.
- Repair Crew (7,000, rank 8): slow healing between fights. Great for 3-starring long missions.
- APFSDS Rounds (9,000, rank 10): +15% damage and flatter shells, for the late theaters.
A strong all-round loadout is Side Skirts + Reactive Armor + Autoloader. In Defend missions, swap the Autoloader for Smoke Launchers. Thermal Optics (x8 zoom, see through smoke), Turbo Engine and the Remote MG are good alternatives once you own them.
Boss tanks
| Theater | Boss | Hull points |
|---|---|---|
| Normandy Fields | KV-2 Behemoth | 2,600 |
| Desert Storm | T95 Tortoise | 3,400 |
| Frozen Front | Maus | 4,400 |
| Ruined City | Object 279 | 5,200 |
| Autumn Woods | T-14 Armata | 6,000 |
| Red Canyon | P.1000 Ratte | 10,000 (two guns) |
Bosses reload slowly (3 to 4.5 seconds, except the Armata at 2.6 s). The trick is to shoot right after the boss fires, then move or reverse behind cover before its next shell. Clear the escorts first. Two or three small tanks chipping at you cost more stars than the boss does. Save your air strike for the boss: call it when the boss is slowed or stuck behind cover.
Abilities and controls
- 1 / Q: Repair. Use it at about 60% hull, not at 10%. Repairing early keeps you above the 3-star line.
- 2 / E: Smoke screen. Drop it when several tanks are aiming at you, or before you cross open ground.
- 3 / R: Air strike. Best on bosses and on groups in Capture and Defend missions.
- Shift: Overdrive. A short speed boost for reaching cover or the capture zone.
- Hold right click: gunner’s sight zoom, for long-range shots.
Grab parachuted supply drops whenever it’s safe. They are the only free healing in a mission.
Quick tips
- Ricochets are real. Shells that hit at a shallow angle bounce off. Aim at the side or rear of heavy tanks, and angle your own hull towards enemies.
- Explosive barrels and fuel tanks do heavy splash damage. Lure enemies next to them.
- Destroying cover goes both ways. You can drive through fences, cars and trees, and so can enemy shells. Don’t trust a wooden fence to protect you.
- Claim your daily reward every day. It grows from 300 coins on day 1 to 2,000 coins on day 7.
- Replay early missions with a stronger tank to collect missing stars. They are quick, and you still earn coins and XP.
Ready to roll out? Play Steel Legends free in your browser.