Earlier, we saw the loadingscreen to the Malinovka map. Let's now take as an example, that this is your first map. It's here your first battle is to be fought. According to the picture, your team will "spawn", start at the base in the southern cornor, while your enemy spanws, or starts in the northern. (To see the direct opposit picture, visit the danish version of this guide on the page "På banen" ("On the battlefield").
The minimap as on the picture will be for a standard battle.
Now, there are two ways in which to win a battle. To cap the enemybase, or destroy all enemyvehicles. Actually, there have been cases where each team have capped eachother's bases, taken each their way around the battlefield.
Once a base is capped a line appears on your screen. If this line is green, your own team is capping, if is red and a sirene sounds in the background, the enemy is capping. If that happends, it's about having attention. Quick descitions are to be made.
Is your own team capping at the same time?
How far in the process is your own teams capping compare to the enemy's capping?
Is my tank fast enough to go reset the cap?
It is possible in some cases to go to homebase, try firing some shots at enemy capping tanks, to reset the cap. If there are more than one enemy tank, it should mostly be the one with most capping points.
But everything in World of tanks is about teamwork, -even some players would call it "luck".
In the bottom of the loading screen, there's a little box with small advices and tips worthy to think about. One goes; "a well coordinated team, is a wining team."
If the team has got the teamworking right and manages to work well together, the liklyness of a victory is bigger. And let's just agree, it is a bit more fun in a game, when you win, than when you lose.
The other way will give a slightly more xp. What really matters, and counts most is to give damage and destroy enemy tanks, or "kill" them, as many players choses to say. Gaining some medals in the higher tiers, you have to fire shots, and work together with your team is the way.
I got my first "Topgun" medal few tiers after started playing the game myself. It was in a german lowtier artillery. To get this medal you have to destroy at least 6 opponents or enemy tanks
Through the first few tanks, it's lights all the way, some cannons of the tanks may be more aggressive, but except from that, the tanks are not dangerous as such. Later on, you will be introduced to the other types of the tanks in the game as you get higher in tier.
For a while, we now return and repeat the chat-commandos and functions in the game.
F1
This key is wise to remember. If you need some kind of help, in most programmes finding around, it's the F1 function key, to type. And so is the case, in World of tanks. Being in the garage, it shows you what is what. On the battlefield, you see different spots of the tank, and the basic chat and manouvering keys in a big screanpicture in the middle.
-I would recommand you however, only to use this key, when your attention is not required, somewhere else, as it could be on the battlefield. So type the F1-key if you need help, only, while the timer's counting down, or when you have done, what you could, and have fallen. (Don't do anything unwise, don't rush out falling, only so you can type the F1-key, to see the screen. It is allowed thinking in this game. And you learn most, by try it out yourself)
F4-"Defend the base"
If you grab a look on the minimap, which all players are recommanded to do more, than it seems to, out of their gameplay, and you see that the base and maybe even your artillery is threadned and in danger, you can type this key, and the message, "Defend the base" turns up in the battlechat. Your teammates now get their attention to the minimap, and those closest to the base and the artillery, should be returning to the base, try to interrupt any capping process or maybe even your artillery, from being destryoed.
No tank, can make much of a difference, or give much assistance to the team, as a smoked, burning and rusty wreck. You do much bigger difference as well-functioned driving around. (-or hiding in bushes).
F5-"Affermative"
This commandmessage is used as answer to generel questions, or other small commandmessages. It's shown as a green checkmark in standardsettings, above the tank of your team pressing this key. Typically, the situation can be if you or a teammate of yours meets more enemy vehicles, than you think you can handle, you or the teammate calls for help. The answer for that supply-call could be the "Affermative" commandmessage.
F6-"Negative"
This is the other responding option you have. I mostly use it, when the assistance-call or the message "Follow me" comes in the beginning of a battle. I have bad experiences following other players that says; "Follow me" and my advice for you is to use it wisely and with care. Watch videos of good and experienced players and see how they use this "Follow me" order, which we get back to later on. But the answer to the "SOS" calls in the start of a battle, or the "Follow me" order, I mostly respond with a "Negative" reply. It's better to make your own strategy, and tactic, make it fit with the tactics of the team, than just let them decide for you.
F7-"SOS"
Here is the assistance call. Many players use for example this call only to make their teammates following them. And it is a bit more polite and humble to ask for help, than it is to tell others to follow you. But I wouldn't be using that message myself. I mostly call for help, if I or together with my teammates, meet more enemy vehicles, than we think we can handle.
In the heat of the battle, you get irritated, if the help doesn't arrive, when you call for it, but it is important to have in the backside of your head, that your teammates might be busy with other enemies elsewhere on the battlefield. The symbol of this "SOS" call, is a green circle with the three letters inside.
F8-"Reloads/Ready to fire"
I use this message, mostly as arty, but other tanks can use it as well. It tells your teammates why you aren't firing at a certain time. You are busy reloading and getting the next shot ready. The reloading symbol, is small green dots following eachother in a little circle.
T-mark
The last thing there is to point out as a basic, is t-marking. When you t-mark an enemy, you have to let your cursor point on it, and type the t-key; that's why it's called a "t-marking". When playing tankdestroyers, light-, medium-, and heavy tanks, you ask your team, in the chat with this marking-command to assist their fire on the target you have pointed out. As artillery, you announce your team, that you're about to attack the target, about to land a shell on it.
Artillery, have a hidden request to teammates, to keep enemies lighted up long enough, so they can manage to aim and fire a shell on an opponent, and keep the opponent tracked, so they won't go anywhere.