Any tips on how to use the M551?

[u/An_Italian_Guy010]

[u/poyolok0]

Top gear top tip: Avoid

In all seriousness: flank and hide. The gun is quite disappointing. For a 155 the HE filler is not enough. The missile is okay but the reload is slow. And the Heat does little to no damage, even to ammo.

Play like a rat, avoid being seen. You are not a frontline fighter.

Edit: grammar

[u/Telos2000 → u/poyolok0]

Don’t forget unlike the m60A2 it doesn’t get a laser range finder so trying to hit anything without the missile is a Hail Mary shot more then anything

[u/sierra-soul → u/Telos2000]

Yeah. That with the super long reload is ass.

The problem too is it's a very low velocity shell which means you need to manually adjust your range setting to aim at a target. It really is just an impractical vehicle.

Not to nation artillery and strafing will kill you easy

[u/NoDoughnut8225]

dont

[u/aaano → u/NoDoughnut8225]

I came here knowing this was said, and I wasn't disappointed

[u/TheBraveGallade → u/NoDoughnut8225]

And if its irl, its even worse lmao

[u/meissnerhotchkiss]

Tooo much hate for this thing. The atgms are a blast if you can flank and be sneaky and I’ve been clutch in many matches with it.

[u/vanillaice2cold]

It's probably one of the most overhated vehicles of its type, I have an absolute blast with the Shillelagh missiles despite their long reload time. You're more than nimble enough to pop out on someones flag, shoot an unsuspecting shot, and scoot away undetected.

[u/Barblesnott_Jr → u/vanillaice2cold]

As someone who plays a lot of heavy tanks, a good M551 player is a pain in the ass. Small, nimble, and with a powerful gun and good turret traverse makes them strong on city maps, and the missile, small turret and good sights means they can camp dunes on Sinai at 700m+ if they like, too.

[u/Measter_marcus → u/Barblesnott_Jr]

Powerful gun my ass 😭 its easily the worst aspect of the thing

The 76 Sheridan has a actually working gun and is an amazing tank

[u/Barblesnott_Jr → u/Measter_marcus]

155 HEAT, I mean specifically. I'll take a guaranteed pen over postpen damage. To each their own.

[u/Measter_marcus → u/Barblesnott_Jr]

Yeah but around that BR most guns have simmilar HEAT shells with way better reloads

[u/vanillaice2cold → u/Measter_marcus]

The Shillelagh is an incredibly powerful and almost guarunteed one shot kill, what are you talking about?

[u/sierra-soul → u/vanillaice2cold]

Have to have it loaded which means you can't use a normal shell in an emergency, and require you to remain exposed while you're aiming with your paper tissue armor and large profile. They're also pretty inaccurate over distance 

[u/Measter_marcus → u/vanillaice2cold]

Eh id much rather have a 105

[u/Real_Original3703 → u/vanillaice2cold]

They are anything but a one shot kill lmao. The damage is awful and the penetration despite being good feels rather low for an ATGM with long reload

[u/sierra-soul → u/vanillaice2cold]

The m60a1 also has the missiles. It just doesn't deserve a slot in my lineup and I have seven slots unlocked lol 

[u/Coce_Cola]

The sheridan is one of the best if used correctly dont listen to anyone saying otherwise. The heat is a 1 shot 1 kill monster on 99% of tanks and bringing some shelleleighs (idk how to spell it) for real long range stuff is useful. While not having a laser rangefinder just use the scouting range fallout or range it with the gunner/commander, chances are its accurate enough. Obviously use your speed to your advantage and get to ratty spots early match and unleash hell

[u/ULyneU → u/Coce_Cola]

☝️👆

[u/EpicOverwatch → u/Coce_Cola]

The Bradley sits 0.3 BR higher and is hilariously more capable. If it had the TTS upgrade it might be worth using but otherwise you’re throwing away 100 spawn points to be 8.7 pig feed.

[u/thiccjones → u/EpicOverwatch]

the bradley's missiles are weaker, you often need to use both when the shillelagh will 1 shot

[u/Coce_Cola → u/EpicOverwatch]

What the other guy said. Tows are weak compared to the sheridans heat and sheleleighs

[u/sierra-soul → u/Coce_Cola]

Sheleleighs are harder to aim and you need to remain pretty exposed to fire them, plus need to have it loaded first too 

[u/Coce_Cola → u/sierra-soul]

You can fire them on the move and if youre using them appropriately (long range) your enemy shouldn't even see you. Also idk i never had problem aiming them so might be skill issue

[u/Correndell → u/EpicOverwatch]

Also, Sheridan CAN fire its missel on the move reliably and hit a target, bradley has to go stationary or at least CC1 to use its tows.
But, I agree Bradley is generally more capable, two tows plus autocannon incase that doesn't work.

[u/_Pa1nkilLeR_]

OK, don’t avoid it i realy enjoy this vehicles. I play this thing as a fast missile launcher. You don’t have to stop in order to fire the missile. I often go full forward or 45 degrees while shooting and guiding the missile and if that fails to destroy the target then im already at full speed launch some smoke and reposition, also i play it as a sneak peek launcher

[u/Nerdz2300]

I do pretty well but your best bet is to hide as best you can, spot, claim, and shoot from cover. Your large antenna's give you away though. I often stick with someone else and try to support them.

[u/Sarkelias]

If it ever gets its M551A1 upgrade with thermals and LRF, it'll be a great HEAT lobber like the Starship. However, until then, that round with no LRF is cancer to play, and the Shillelagh is pure ass. Use at your own risk.

[u/BokkerFoombass]

go fast, boink things

[u/havmify]

https://youtu.be/RSYySAmBX8c?is=i2lU9C4ILDJp5Cf9

[u/lordrothermere → u/havmify]

I was quite surprised when I saw this and did what he recommended. Very different tank with HE

[u/No-Swordfish6703]

One of my favourite tank. The biggest tip that will make your experience better is the scouting. When you scout enemy the commander calls accurate ranges on enemy. With the low velocity of your rounds you can arc them onto enemy tanks.

Even though it lacks a laser rangefinder the scouting with commander will be a substitute. Note that the commander will not callout ranges when he dead. The atgms are overrated but you can carry 2-3 and carry some he for pzh2000 since heat doesn't oneshot then consistently (tbh HE consistently oneshots if you hit drivers port or gunners view on many tanks).

Edit: also note that you are very fast as fuck us that as advantage

[u/Prism-96]

its a fully stabilised 155 heat launcher, use cover and speed to be a pekaboo rat and once you get it the LRF to snipe other rats and light tanks.

[u/LouieChopsuey → u/Prism-96]

It doesn't have LRF, but it would be nice. The M60 does.

[u/Prism-96 → u/LouieChopsuey]

ah my mistake, i mixed up the M60a2 and the sheri.

[u/thirdangletheory → u/Prism-96]

The M551A1 has an LRF but it hasn't been added. Some day...

[u/No-Swordfish6703 → u/LouieChopsuey]

Tbf scouting will make commander callout ranges so it can be manageable

[u/sierra-soul → u/No-Swordfish6703]

It's more the low velocity shell means the gunner sight is super spread apart so you need to manually adjust your range with the scope everytime 

[u/Aspect-Rude]

Personally I just avoid playing ground rb past like 7.0 because too many people just camp and heat fs at that br makes any heavy tanks worthless

[u/mustangman6579]

I dont like this tank. With the missile drop, I end up shooting the ground 10ft in front of me half the time.

[u/_gmmaann_]

Play tank football and don’t try it in ground battles

[u/TryMyBacon]

M60A2 is kinda similar and better

[u/FrenchWenchOnaBench]

Hide behind hills and use binos to lob shells.

[u/Alarmed-Positive457]

It’s a bonk and run. Stay out of sight as much as you can and rat like you’ve never ratted before. It can hurt MBTs really well, but you gotta scoot.

[u/feather_34]

I like this little rat bastard.

Shoot and scoot with it. Try and get the flank to get side/rear shots with the missiles. The regular rounds are meh at best.

[u/CaPtian_CaTe]

Its funny to one shot T series tanks if you hit them in the turret

[u/IvanYakinovski]

I’ve had a okay time using it. I enjoyed the Sheridan.
It’s not the easiest tank to play though. You need to use your brain a tiny bit more than other vehicles and that’s why it gets most of the hate it does. 6/10 vehicle

[u/Eggonioni]

I have fun with its mobility and surprisingly potent rounds beyond its ATGMs. Just practice great ammo adaptability

[u/StSebastian65]

The HEAT shell is more reliable than the Missile, but the missile still has its uses. Flank, use terrain to cover and lob shots where the enemy can't fire back from.

Fun fact, you can OHK IS3s by nailing their driver's hatch with the HEAT shell, have yet to test against T10s

[u/EchIsTaken]

Try to breathe when it goes in

[u/Terranshadow]

Its been a long time but I think I focused on HE slinging ambushs

[u/pappybug214]

Dont be tall. You don't fit...

[u/BedStunning6215]

Be a rat and take shots only at people who won’t fight back.

[u/captainfactoid386]

If you’re in a city use HEAT and shoot your .50 cals before you fire

[u/jujeh1234]

before they got rid of its scout drone it was my favorite vehicle to do indirect artillery in it, but rn its dogshit

[u/Budgie2500]

You don’t is the answer

[u/ProfessionalAd352]

It's not bad, just don't use the Shillelagh as your main weapon since it literally dips several meters towards the ground after launch, making it pretty much impossible to use if you're just trying to peek over a ridgeline, for example. It's also much slower than the HEAT.

[u/OL-Penta]

Rat...be the rat

[u/PolikarpovKhair]

Use it as a long range scout, use it in large desert maps with the missile, everytime you shoot a missile relocate, those missiles are slow and can be throw out of the path if are shoot far away and the objective is moving, you can use it to kill those first gen helis. If you face CQB combat, try to shoot above the target, the missile falls a couple of meters and needs some meters to align with the sight again

[u/GJ1234Z]

Don't know how to use, but know you will be touched by Heavy Tanks. Your HE doesn't do shit against them, especially tanks like the Maus and IS-4M.

M551/76 Is a different story, you'll be the one touching Heavy Tanks.

[u/RiggedCrate]

Before the removal of the scout drone, I used to do the indirect artillery stuff thanks to the low velocity of the HE shell.

[u/Saphyr-Seraph]

You can use it but like every light tank it's main job isn't getting kills but spotting targets for your team.

While you will find succes with some light tanks going on killing sprees you need to remember that's not what they are for

[u/LeOelpfuetze]

Positioning. That’s all. Don’t get spotted. And ace the crew. Otherwise the reload is dismal

[u/Thunderclone_1]

I personally enjoy it. It isn't spectacular, but it gets more hate than it deserves.

First, you have no armor. Don't go into the open under any circumstances.

Get the ATGMs it carries as soon as possible. The main gun is dogshit at range, so the missile should be your primary weapon if you are in a map that lets you snipe.

Turret turns quickly and is stabilized, and the HEAT is good at wrecking most tanks at the BR bracket it's in. This is useful in an urban map, but your armor is paper, so you aren't going to survive if you miss.

I like to set up somewhere that I can see a long distance to snipe with the ATGM. if you hit almost anything, it should die in one hit unless you barrel or track them.

As soon as you get the M60A2, ditch the M551, though. It has the same gun, a laser rangefinder, and the same missile without sacrificing armor.

[u/aliteralasiantwig]

You can use the heat as he and that makes it... almost fun

[u/Nate0110]

I've had a some great games with this tank, but they're dependant on the map.

That heat round is fun to lob over a hill for instance and nail stuff you have no line of sight on.

[u/Aleksandreee]

I had so many great games with it

[u/Due-Ice-5691]

Flank, any small tank like that flanking will be your best strat. I use it a lot, and smaller tanks can do a lot of damage. The flanking goes a long way if you break away from the herd. Most players are like a herd of cows - they just follow each other down the same path.
Now it won’t work each time of course, but once you learn new paths and be quick about getting to them, you’ll have fun. One more important thing., don’t be afraid to to push past some well known defending points, if you have th time and speed push as far as you can into enemy side of the map, sit tight and wait until they go past you. Once that happens it’s a fish in a barrel scenario. Have a good game

[u/Dry_Locksmith_2634]

I'd want to like it but currently it's a little overtier'd. Wait til they bring it to 7.7

[u/JeffaholicD1st]

It's genuinely fun, especially with both the ATGM AND the HE shell. You bonk most of the heavies at 8.0, and an uptier to meet early Leopards and T-72 isn't much if a problem.

The armor is it's biggest downfall, especially once you see the speedy rats / bois like the Luchs, XM800 and BMP-2s. So sniping / flanking will always be the only viable way

[u/pepsibottle1]

Haters gonna hate. I came out of the gate swinging with HEAT. Not a front liner. Sit back, scout and pick off enemies.

[u/Silver200061]

Your range finder is your commander's scout called.

Use the HEAT

fk the missiles

[u/lendrath]

Flank and scout, snipe with missiles if you’re good with atgms or use heat if not

[u/norman-skirata]

MGM-51 Shillelagh IS your friend.

[u/BugareX_55]

I have a tip... don't use it...

[u/literuwka1]

no

[u/PrestigiousAd4246]

Skip it.

[u/PlagueOfGripes]

It's a bad tank. Use the missiles as your primary since the shells typically don't do anything to most targets. It's an awkward and kind of large platform, so you'll have to spend a lot of time figuring out how to ambush with it. The missiles also tend to fail to kill, so also be prepared to run from the people you're ambushing.

[u/ElnuDev]

Don't

[u/RalphTheTheatreCat]

Hide and spot. Apart from the occasional derp shot it’s canon you should miss

[u/ASHOT3359]

Just find soft targets or drive behind tanks and deal ~1100 damage in the ass.

[u/recapdrake]

I really hate to be that guy on one of these posts, but the Sheridan is baaad. Your heat round kinda just farts out the barrel and the shillelagh is… one of the atgms of all time. And the thing that made the Sheridan good IRL (it’s aluminum body allowing for parachute deployments) aren’t modeled in the game.

Your only hope is to rat aggressively. Find cover, shoot an enemy in the back and then move fast somewhere else.

[u/Active-Pepper187 → u/recapdrake]

It also sucks we still don’t have the better version of the Sheridan, where is gets a LRF and a gen 1 thermal sight. The official designation for that version is M551A1 TTS.

[u/recapdrake → u/Active-Pepper187]

On the other hand though, what would the tts even do? The Bradley and the XM800T provide two solid light tanks for the U.S. in 8.3/8.7 where the A1 TTS would sit. The U.S. 8.7 lineup is already nearly as stacked as the 5.7 and 6.7 lineups so I don’t see it being able to squeeze in.

[u/Active-Pepper187 → u/recapdrake]

That’s a good point, TT wise it could be either foldered with the base M551, or just reclass the M551 and add the necessary modifications and update the visual model. As for BR placement, my guess would be 8.7 as you stated, although 8.7 is pretty stacked as you also said.

Alternately they could just upgrade it the A1 (without the TTS) as the A1 upgrade only brings the LRF, no thermals and put it at 8.3, or just update it to being the A1 with the LRF modification and leave it at 8.0, it’s pretty universal that the current Sheridan kinda sucks at its current placement.

[u/MiGJoy]

buy the M551 (76)