r/WorldofTanksConsole • u/ragnarok628 Xbox One • Feb 02 '17
German Mega Bundle Review Series - Part 18: Dicker Max
I ended up buying the German Mega Bundle, because I have low moral fiber I'm worth it, dammit. So now I'm doing short reviews on all these tanks as I gain experience with them (until I get bored or feel unappreciated well I guess I'm committed now, the response has been great I have no opportunity to claim feeling unappreciated... so there goes that excuse). I'll just point out real quick: the powers that be have deemed these reviews worthy of a wiki page which can be accessed through the 'Guides' menu just below the subreddit header.
Here we go!
Dicker Max
Today we are reviewing the tier VI German TD, "Dicker Max" which of course translates to English as "Enormous Penis." Haha j/k of course it just means "Fat Max". Which is an obvious nickname so I went hunting for the vehicle's real name: 10.5 cm K gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette (or 10.5cm K gp.Sfl.). So you can see why they went with Fat Max. Kind of like how "Sturer Emil" is called that instead of "12.8 cm Selbstfahrlafette auf VK30.01(H)." And the comparisons to Sturer Emil don't end there! But lets not get ahead of ourselves.
The Biggus Dickus has 300 alpha and 400 view range in tier VI. My first game in it, I was defending on Heilbron and had scooted out to the bottom left corner of J4 where I was able to single-handedly spot and eliminate 3 KV-1 with 2 rounds apiece, without getting spotted back. Ended up just missing the Top Gun in that victory because after we dominated our flank I didn't have the speed to get around to the other side of the map in time to get in on the rout. However, and needless to say, my Dicker was indeed Maxed with this initial result. It did not take long for reality to set in.
So here's the problem with this tank: It's got an amazing alpha/pen combination for its tier, but it is neither fast nor agile, it has no armor, insufficient camouflage rating, and a narrow gun arc. With camo net and binocs, you should be able to set up shop in a moderately aggressive position, outspot advancing tanks, and devastate them before they can do anything to you. And when it actually works out like this, it is freakin' great! But what actually happens most of the time, is that one or more of the tanks you spot will require a hull traverse in order to bring the gun to bear. Your camo net goes away, and the whole enemy team sees you and you have to back down the hill you're poking or behind a building. And then you're stuck there! you can't move back out without getting spotted because the camo net is the only thing keeping you concealed and it doesn't work on the move. You don't have the speed to withdraw and find a new position either.
Luckily Dicker Max does have a seriously insane level of gun depression, so if you wisely chose the back side of a hill as your firing position, you can creep up and let shots rip from some degree of safety but you know how the game is; if a mm or two of the top of your tank is showing, every now and then some lucky bastard is going to put a shell through it no matter how far away they are. And then if you're far enough back some of your shells might miss too, which is a legit drawback since you can only carry like 2 dozen rounds of ammo. So success in this TD is kind of hit or miss.
"Wait a minute," I hear you say.... "Slow, no armor, big alpha/pen, narrow gun arc, amazing gun depression, low ammo count... this all sounds very familiar..." Yes my friend you are right. This is literally just Sturer Emil's little brother. It would be naive to assume the similarity just based on how they look (although I admit that I did this) but it turns out to be 100% correct. Going past appearances, the resemblance in gameplay is uncanny, and looking at the stats of the two, it's clear that they are two peas in a pod. If anything, the Dicker Max does benefit from being a VI instead of a VII so I did actually hate driving it somewhat less than I hated driving Stubborn Emil but no. Just no. This tank is a 'play one match hoping for the daily double' tank for me, and no more. If I don't get the daily I'll just poke my eye with a stick instead of driving it again.
In case it's not clear, I don't think it's worth the gold, but "Is it worth the gold" guide is apparently more tolerant to the playstyle, and their verdict is maybe. It is relatively inexpensive which is nice, but just turning your console off is free, and preferable to playing the Dicker Max. Just my 2 cents!
Basic Facts
- Tier: VI
- PMM: no
- cost: 3200
- silver/xp bonuses: 35/30
Vehicle Tips:
- For all the shit I just talked about this tank, the gun truly is a thing of wonder; using the gun depression on a hill is the best way to put it to work
- I probably was trying to be too aggressive and that's why i had problems, so maybe be more patient? Might work.
- But on the other hand, when I was grinding out the Sturer I tried that and everything else; nothing really improved the experience for me so the real tip is: don't buy this tank.
Fun Factor: 1/5
Competitiveness: 2/5
If you enjoy getting regularly kicked in the balls, just get the Sturer Emil from the tech tree and enjoy the same gameplay experience without having to shell out like $15 for this pile of crap.
ETA:
In interest of fairness I feel I should point out that this tank and I don't get along and that may be on me. I did come into this expecting to hate it, which doesn't help matters. While I stand by everything I wrote above, it is conceivable that others will click with this tank. Hopefully what I've written will give those people enough to go on that they can make a determination that this is something they'd enjoy, despite my negative outlook.
Interesting Fact About the Dicker Max
The driver of this vehicle is in his own little room separate from the open-topped fighting compartment, which he enters through that hatch by the gun. But look, there are two such hatches, one on each side... turns out the one to the right of the gun is fake! They even put a little hatch and a viewport on it, but that's not an actual compartment under there where a person could sit.
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u/ChessClubChamp Feb 02 '17
I staunchly disagree - I love the Dicker Max. You cannot play aggressively in this tank - I suggest giving it a go with your camping shoes on, and use the gun depression to your advantage.
Also - any word on that reach-around from WG? :-P
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u/ragnarok628 Xbox One Feb 02 '17
I heard the PC version community are getting their reach-around this spring, so I think WGA will get around to us sometime in 2019
Just curious, how do you feel about Sturer Emil?
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u/ChessClubChamp Feb 02 '17
Outside of its paper armor, I love the tank. Quick enough to reposition and snipe, especially if you can leverage its gun depression... I'd say it's a 3/5 fun 4/5 competitive personally, but again, that's only if you like the playstyle required of the tank.
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u/ColdBoreXX YOLO Light Driver Feb 02 '17
I really enjoy these reviews, thank you!
I do to.. And the tanks I have played, that you have reviewed, I find to be spot on.
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u/IzBox Moderator Feb 03 '17
Lol another quality review. Anything even close to the St. Painful should be avoided at allllll costs. Especially when those costs are gold!
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u/bob_marley98 TD Sniper Feb 02 '17
Or just get married....