Tank Squad Guide (Season 2)
Tanks in Season 2: The Defensive Backbone
Tank squads enter Season 2 with no new heroes or Exclusive Weapons, but their role is more clearly defined than ever. In a season built around city capture, furnace defence, and alliance coordination, Tanks are the squad type that keeps your alliance alive. They are not the flashiest option — that title belongs to Aircraft — but they are the most reliable.
Tanks are your garrison squad, your Beast Crisis anchor, and your Missile counter-pick. They do not dominate open PvP, but Season 2 has less open PvP and more structured alliance combat. City garrisons, Alliance Furnace defence, and rally leadership are where Tanks earn their place. If your alliance has zero strong Tank players, your captured cities will not stay captured for long.
What Changed from Season 1
No New Tank Upgrades in Season 2
Season 2 does not introduce new heroes, UR promotions, or Exclusive Weapons for Tank squads. Your formation is identical to late Season 1:
- Murphy, Williams front row
- Kimberly, Mason (UR), Marshall back row
- All Exclusive Weapons from Season 1 carry forward (Kimberly's Rocket Shadow, Murphy's Mitigation Master)
- Scarlett's UR promotion comes in Season 3 — collect her shards now but do not invest further yet
Carlie's Exclusive Weapon Strengthens Your Rival
Carlie gets her Exclusive Weapon in Season 2, further boosting Aircraft squads. This widens the gap between Aircraft and Tank in open PvP. Your Tank squad will lose more head-on fights against fully invested Aircraft squads than in Season 1.
Temperature Affects Everything
The -20C lockout is the defining mechanic. For Tanks, this means:
- Your garrison squads need to be deployable at all times — if your base drops below -20C, you cannot rally to defend captured cities
- Beast Crisis defence is a Tank job — Murphy and Williams anchoring the Alliance Furnace garrison is one of the most impactful things your squad can do
- Coal and furnace management is a prerequisite — a Tank player who cannot rally because of a temperature lockout is useless, no matter how strong their squad is
Rare Soil Capture Requires PvP
Capturing and holding dig sites and cities is the path to ranking. Tanks play a specific role:
- Garrison defence — your Murphy/Williams front line is the hardest wall to break through
- Rally leadership — Murphy with Mitigation Master leading capture rallies provides the most durable rally force
- Counter-pick against Missile defenders — when the enemy garrisons with Missiles, Tanks are the answer
The Squad: Season 2 Formation
The formation is unchanged from late Season 1.
Playing Tanks in Season 2
Beast Crisis Defence
This is where Tank squads shine in Season 2. The Alliance Furnace must be defended, and Tanks are the best squad for it:
- Garrison the Alliance Furnace before the event — Murphy and Williams make the garrison extremely durable
- Kimberly's AoE clears waves efficiently — Beast Crisis sends escalating waves that benefit from multi-target damage
- Mason's PvE bonus applies — Beast Crisis enemies trigger his Zombie Purge passive for extra damage
- Coordinate with your alliance — Tank players should be the first to garrison, with Aircraft and Missile players reinforcing
City Garrison
Rare Soil production requires holding captured locations. Tank garrisons are the hardest to break:
- Murphy with Mitigation Master in garrison forces enemies to send significantly more rally power to break through
- Williams' damage reduction scales with attacker strength — the stronger the enemy rally, the more Williams mitigates
- Rotate garrison duty with other Tank players to prevent burnout while maintaining strong defences
Rare Soil Capture Rallies
When your alliance needs to capture new locations or recapture lost ones:
- Murphy leads the rally — his defensive buffs protect the entire rally force and his Exclusive Weapon provides unmatched survivability
- Type-match against Missile garrisons — if the defender has Missile squads garrisoned, Tanks are the correct rally type
- Coordinate with your alliance's capture plan — remember the daily capture limit of 2 towns and 2 dig sites
Cold Wave Survival
During Cold Wave events, your Tank squad's value depends entirely on your temperature management:
- Keep your furnace fuelled and upgraded — a locked-out Tank player helps nobody
- Stay within Alliance Furnace range — do not teleport away from your heat sources
- Prioritise Beast Crisis defence during Cold Waves — losing the Alliance Furnace when temperatures are already dropping creates a cascading crisis
Hero Investment Priority (Season 2)
With no new upgrades available, Season 2 is about completing what Season 1 started:
Gear in Season 2
No fundamental gear changes. Continue Season 1 priorities:
- Star promotion remains the focus — push carry Gun and tank Radar toward 4-star and 5-star Mythic
- Complete any missing gold gear pieces for secondary heroes
- Furnace upgrades compete for resources — do not neglect your furnace in favour of gear. Furnace provides temperature AND virus resistance, which affects all combat in Season 2
For the full gear progression path, see the Season 1 Gear Guide.
Preparing for Season 3
- Scarlett UR promotion arrives in Season 3 — she could rejoin the Tank formation as a defensive powerhouse
- Marshall's Exclusive Weapon also arrives in Season 3 — this significantly boosts Tank squad damage through better support
- Continue maintaining Aircraft as a secondary squad — the Murphy Exception means your Murphy investment benefits both squads
- Do not dismantle your Tank squad — Seasons 3+ bring upgrades that reward long-term Tank investment
Related Guides
- Season 2 Overview — Polar Storm season mechanics
- Season 2 Temperature Guide — furnace upgrades and heat stacking
- Season 2 Capture Strategy — city capture and Rare Soil ranking
- Season 2 Aircraft Squad Guide — the dominant PvP squad with Carlie's new weapon
- Season 2 Alliance Squad Coordination — how all three squad types work together
- Season 1 Tank Squad Guide — Season 1 Tank reference