The Edelweiss, the first player-controlled tank in the series, with crew members Welkin Gunther and Isara.
Tanks are armored fighting vehicles encountered in many missions over the course of Valkyria Chronicles. While they are formidable against ill-prepared infantry, properly equipped Lancers can make short work of them.
In-Game
"Tank" is a special unit type in Valkyria Chronicles, defined by specific properties:
- Controlling a tank unit uses one to three Command Point(s) depending on the type of the tank and version of the game.
- Tanks use AP when turning, not just when moving. Rather than moving in the direction indicated, left and right rotate the tank while forward and back move it.
- Tanks cannot interact with base flags; they cannot capture, retreat, or be called from reserves. They also cannot perform special scenery actions, though it's not particularly surprising that a tank can't climb a ladder or hide in long grass.
- Tanks have multiple hit locations. Reducing the tank's Body HP to zero will remove the tank from combat (and with player tanks, usually fail the current mission), while reducing its Tread HP to zero will significantly cut down on its available AP (A tank with destroyed treads can just about do a full 360 degree turn, this may be so Imperial tank destroyers can still hit you). Tanks do not heal HP every turn like infantry unless they are inside a base area, and can only have their HP restored using the Engineer Tool; they cannot be healed with Ragnaid.
- Most of a tank's hit locations are immune to standard gunfire.
- Tanks typically possess a weak point; a glowing radiator which is vulnerable to all forms of attack and functions like a normal infantryman's head for purposes of critical damage. In Valkyria Chronicles 2, however, conventional firearms can no longer deal any noticeable damage to radiators.
- Tanks are the only unit able to trigger anti-tank mines (In VC only, in VCII Anti-tank mines look no differant and will normally kill your unit instantly if triggered).
The player controlled tanks in Valkyria Chronicles are the Edelweiss and Shamrock. During the Behind Blue Flame DLC, an Imperial Light Tank is also available for control.
History
Interior of a tank
At the turn of the 20th Century, a time when trench combat was the primary form of warfare, these armored vehicles were created to break across defensive lines.
Their design employs a ragnoline fuel combustion engine in which energy is harnessed from the explosive ignition of liquid ragnite. Byproducts include a distinctive blue light and extreme heat, requiring the addition of a radiator at the tank's rear to prevent overheating. Originally used to cross trenches and as foot soldier support, economic and technological advances have seen tanks grow to fill a number of combat roles.
After the Empire employed highly mobile attack tanks in EW1, all of Europa began to develop new vehicles, leading to the diverse array of models seen today.
Gallian Tanks
A Gallian light tank, circa 1935
Gallian light tanks, being supported by infantry, advance on the Naggiar Plain, Circa 1935.
As part of a defensive force, Gallian tank designs favor small, highly mobile units suited to Gallia's topography over heavy tanks focused on firepower. In EW1, the Gallian force used light tanks and foot soldiers to stop the Empire's invasion rather than squaring off against the attack-heavy Imperial tanks. After witnessing the Empire's fearsome armored corps, a group of Gallian engineers led by Professor Theimer came together to develop a new kind of tank that could be mass produced to check the Imperial force. Theimer proposed the necessity of a line of tanks specialized in offensive power, but Gallian Army leaders dismissed his ideas. Consequently, most of Gallia's tanks remain primarily defensive units.
After the Gallian-Imperial war, the Edelweiss had made an impact on tank development. A modular tank called the Type 36 (presumably developed in 1936-7 EC) was produced, and included Medium and Heavy Tanks, which also had similar sloped frontal armor akin to the Edelweiss.
Mass produced tanks
Notable Gallian tanks
Gallian Revolutionary Army Tanks
A heavier model GRA Tank
By 1937, the Gallian army had commissioned medium and heavy tanks in addition to its pre-existing light tank units. Some of these tanks were appropriated by the GRA and put to use during the civil war. The tanks fielded by the GRA Armoured Division, under the command of Audrey Gassenarl, feature a much smaller radiator and a more modern design, including reduced armor around the treads and slightly more sloped armor around the turret. The length of the barrel was also increased for the heavier designs.
All GRA tanks belong to the Type 36 series of modular tanks.
Imperial Tanks
Imperial Light Tank
Born in the late 19th Century as a means to break the stalemate of trench combat, Europa's first tanks were Imperial in design and manufacture. The Empire's armored corps took to the field shortly after EW1 began as a force of extremely powerful, highly mobile tanks, easily tearing apart the Federation's defenses. In the medieval military philosophy of the Empire, the tank represented the new knight, and stood at the army's core as it marched across the continent.
Unable to stand up to the Empire's tank force directly, neighboring countries were left to develop small ambush tanks, which in turn led to Imperial designers to build bigger and tougher juggernauts. In the tank technology race, the Empire has long remained one step ahead.
During EWII, the Empire fielded four types of mass produced tanks in addition to numerous prototypes:
Mass produced tanks
Unique tanks
Federation Tanks
Partially due to barrel arsenals and a lack of infrastructure in the Federation prior to EW1, the war saw the Empire secure a broad head start in the field of tank technology. To Federation forces centered around foot soldier tactics, the Imperial armored corps represented a new and terrifying form of warfare. By the end of EW1, the Federation military knew well the necessity for heavy tanks with large cannons, and the development of armored vehicles began in earnest.
Unable to rival the Empire in technology or military prowess, they instead chose to exercise their economic superiority, building a force of tanks with middling capabilities large enough to combat the Imperial force by sheer numbers.
Trivia
- The single "normal" Gallian light tank seen in-game in Valkyria Chronicles is in Chapter 13: The Clash at Naggiar, and is shown to have 100 HP. This tank only appears on the map on Selvaria's turn,probally to stop it being seen as a real unit. This is obviously a gameplay conceit to make it impossible for Selvaria Bles to not destroy it, but it is rather amusing that a twelve year old girl is at least twice and potentially almost four times tougher than a tank, However, in Selvaria's DLC mission, Gallian tanks are part of the enemy force and are seen quite frequently within the DLC's missions.
- Gallia's ideas for tanks heavily resemble those of early in World War II Germany; mobility over armor. The major flaw in Gallia's war plan is that the German fast tanks were part of a combined arms system which included heavy use of close air support from attack aircraft like the infamous Stuka; it's not entirely clear how far developed fixed-wing aircraft are in the Valkyria Chronicles world.
- The call for offensive tanks and the subsequent rejection for defensive units in Gallian doctrine bears a vague similarity the U.S. Army doctrine during the Second World War concerning the role of the tank as not being meant to fight enemy armour and that role being left to towed AT-guns and specialist tank destroyers; although a good portion if not the majority of militaries have suffered from equipment and doctrine squabbles at one time or another.
- The Empire is a mix of early and late war German doctrines. They attempt a Blitzkrieg like Germany did to Poland and France during the real WWII; like Germany, at the start of the war much of their armour is on the verge of being obsolete. When the Gallian war shifts into a defensive one, heavier machines appear, similar to how Nazi Germany shifted gears from lightweight, mobile tanks like the Panzer III and IV to heavier, slower tanks like the Tiger and King Tiger, if on a smaller scale and for a different reason. In Germany's case, they had encountered superior foreign tanks, the British Matildas being all but immune to anything short of Rommel's giant 88mm fixed guns in France and the Soviet KV-series in particular causing massive problems for their tanks in the USSR.
- The Federation uses distinctly Soviet tactics, which is to simply swarm the field. Since a Federation tank is never seen in game, it is speculated that the "Middling" tanks used by them might resemble Panzer III's or M4 Shermans, or a mix thereof.
- Tanks in the game are armed with machine guns, their main cannon and a "mortar." The only modern tank mounting a mortar in addition to its main gun is the Israeli Merkava; however, the "mortar" in game is actually a specialised low-velocity high explosive round rather than a separate weapon. Realistically, such a round would induce spalling on a target vehicle and easily smash open vehicles with riveted armor, but presumably for balance reasons, no damage is done by Mortar rounds against enemy tanks.
- None of the tanks in game have particularly long barrel length of the main cannons which contributes to increased velocity, therefore increased accuracy and penetration of solid shot at longer range. Against Imperial Light and Medium Tanks, and Gallian Tanks it would make little difference due to lack of armour or use of riveted armour. By Valkyria Chronicles 2, though, tanks barrels have grown considerably in length and presumably have much better penetration, presumably in counter to a more prominent use of welded tank hulls.
- Tank guns like field artillery pieces are measured in calibres. For example with the Krimm N-324 24/76.2mm, 24 indicates its barrel length which is 24 calibres long. 76.2mm indicates bore diameter which is the calibres. The length of the gun is measured in the number of times the diameter fits side by side along the entire length. The gun barrel is therefore 1.83 metres long.
- Tanks are made slightly more realistic between Valkyria Chronicles 1 and 2, with the introduction of directional armor into the engine, though it's no longer possible to remove an enemy tank's treads with grenades. It's possible that, in the future, the next PS3 release will bridge the gap, having both directional armor and the ability to destroy treads.
Gallery
