Unlike other tier 8 and up German tank destroyers the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm has a gun with a low damage per round and a higher rate of fire than other German tank destroyers. German tank destroyers tier 8 and above have 490 damage per round guns and also guns that do 750 damage per round. The Jagdtiger 8.8 cm’s 240 damage per round is lower but it makes up for it with a 11.11 rounds per minute value. This gives the Jagdtiger 2,666 damage per minute which is higher than all other tier 8 German tank destroyers. The .31 accuracy and 2.0 second aiming time values are also the best compared to other German tank destroyers. Penetration wise you do have lower penetration with your AP round having 203mm of penetration, the APCR round having 237mm of penetration, and HE having 44mm of penetration. Since the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm does not see tier 10 tanks this slight loss of penetration is of no real concern since 203mm penetration is plenty against most tanks you will face.
Jagdtiger 8.8 cm | 240 Dmg | 11.11 RPM | 2,666 DPM | .31 Accuracy | 2.0s Aim Time | 203mm/237mm/44mm Pen
Jagdpanther II | 490 Dmg | 5.13 RPM | 2,514 DPM | .35 Accuracy | 2.3s Aim Time | 246mm/311mm/65mm Pen
Ferdinand | 490 Dmg | 5.00 RPM | 2,450 DPM | .35 Accuracy | 2.3s Aim Time | 246mm/311mm/65mm Pen
Rhm.Borsig Waf | 490 Dmg | 5.22 RPM | 2,558 DPM | .35 Accuracy | 2.3s Aim Time | 246mm/311mm/65mm Pen
AT 15 | 230 Dmg | 12.00 RPM |2,760 DPM | .30 Accuracy | 1.7s Aim Time | 226mm/258mm/42mm Pen
Looking at the chart above you can clearly see the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is unlike most tier 8 German tank destroyers due to its gun being vastly different. Even comparing it to the tier 9 Jagdtiger it is still an oddball since the tier 9 Jagdtiger has a 560 damage per round gun. The closest tank destroyer to compare it to is the British AT 15 tank destroyer. The AT 15 has 10 less damage per round but slightly more damage per minute due to a higher rate of fire. The Jagdtiger 8.8 cm also have slightly worse accuracy, aiming time, and penetration when compared to the AT 15. Albeit the Jagdtiger is slightly inferior to the non-premium AT 15 tank destroyer firepower wise the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm’s values are still excellent for a tier 8 tank destroyer that does not see tier 10 tanks. 240 damage per round is sufficient against tier 8/9 tanks and the damage per minute is capable of chewing tanks into pieces very quickly.
One of the main strengths of the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is its frontal armor since its chassis is virtually the same as the tier 9 Jagdtiger. At tier 8 the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm’s frontal armor is superior to all other German tier 8 tank destroyers and can effectively bounce incoming rounds with 200mm of penetration or less without angling. The main weak spot on the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is the frontal lower glacis that is only 120mm thick with 170mm of effective armor. Hiding this weak spot makes the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm very tough to damage against most foes since the upper glacis and superstructure is very strong. The frontal upper glacis is 150mm thick and has 238mm of effective armor. The 250mm thick superstructure(around the gun) has 255mm of effective armor since it is sloped less than the glacis. Add it all together and the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm has excellent frontal armor for a tier 8 premium tank and as long as you do not give enemies a “flat” shot at your side/rear armor you will deflect a lot of incoming shells.
Jagdtiger 8.8 cm | 250mm/80mm/80mm Hull Armor
Jagdpanther II | 100mm/60mm/40mm Hull Armor
Ferdinand | 200mm/80mm/80mm Hull Armor
Rhm.Borsig Waf | 20mm/10mm/8mm Hull Armor
AT 15 | 228.6mm/152.4mm/101.6mm Hull Armor
Comparing the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm and the Ferdinand, which is the heavily armored German tier 8 tank destroyer, the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm still comes out on top. Frontally the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm has all around better effective armor values compared to the Ferdinand and even has better side/rear armor. The AT 15 does have very similar effective armor values, but on the other hand the AT 15’s armor has many more weak spots and is inconsistent compared to the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm. When it comes to armor as long as you can prevent enemies from hitting the frontal lower glacis then the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm will hold up better than other tier 8 tank destroyers.
Due to the weight and lack of a strong engine the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm does disappoint in the mobility department. Weighing in at 69.4 tons before equipment and with only a 700 horsepower engine the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm does not reach a very high speed on level ground and struggles to climb uphill. The top speed is also capped at 28 km/h and the 12 km/h reverse speed is also very low. The terrain resistance values are average and won’t hold the tank back very much aside from on poor terrain(swamps, etc.) where the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm will move extremely slow. Mobility is clearly not a strong trait for the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm and properly planning where you want to go and also need to be a minute ahead of time is a must.
Jagdtiger 8.8 cm | 69.4 Tons | 700 Horsepower | 28/12 Km/h | 1.0/1.5/2.4 Terrain Resistance
Jagdpanther II | 52.8 Tons | 700 Horsepower | 55/12 Km/h | 0.8/1.0/2.1 Terrain Resistance
Ferdinand | 66.5 Tons | 840 Horsepower | 30/10 Km/h | 1.1/1.7/2.9 Terrain Resistance
Rhm.Borsig Waf | 20.5 Tons | 207 Horsepower | 35/12 Km/h | 0.9/1.1/2.1 Terrain Resistance
AT 15 | 60.2 Tons | 650 Horsepower | 20/10 Km/h | 1.3/1.5/2.6 Terrain Resistance
Looking at the numbers for the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm against the other tier 8 tank destroyers points out the mobility issues it faces compared to its peers(aside from the AT 15). The Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is more mobile than the AT 15 due to its better terrain resistance values even though it weighs nearly 9 tons more than the AT 15 with only 50 more horsepower. Against the Ferdinand which is the slower/heavily armored German tier 8 tank destroyer the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is noticeably slower in every area. While the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is slow it still has just enough speed to get to the fight in time to be useful as long as you plan ahead and choose smart areas to focus on for this slow tank.
Small aspects of a tank can sometimes alter the way it performs drastically and can make a seemingly good tank perform terribly in some areas. The Jagdtiger 8.8 cm does not fit into this group and while its smaller stats won’t wow you they complement the tank well. With 390m view range the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm has more view range than the slower tank destroyers found at tier 8 but lower values than the fragile Rhm. Borsig. With 7 degrees of gun depression and 15 degrees of gun elevation the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm has even gun movement to fight over small hills/terrain without to many issues. The 15 degrees of gun elevation does make it hard to fire upon enemies situated above you on a ledge which does pose some risks on certain maps.
A 710m signal range for the radio is standard for a tier 8 tank destroyer and won’t pose any problems with communicating with your teammates. With 1,300 health points the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm ranks best among the German tier 8 tank destroyers and slightly behind the British AT 15. 1,300 health points is great for a tier 8 tank destroyer and the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm could have been given less considering its armor/gun. With 68 pieces of ammunition the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is capable of carrying a varied amount of AP/APCR/HE which helps adapt to specific enemies. AP will be used for most targets since APCR doesn’t provide a huge penetration gain, and HE shells will be there for resetting a capture point.
A positive of the 8.8 cm L/71 on this tank is the low ammunition cost associated with it. Ap shells cost 252 credits, HE shells cost 252 credits, and APCR cost 4,400 credits. Since APCR isn’t needed in most cases the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm’s ammunition costs will be very low and will allow you to pull in a very good net profit. As mentioned earlier the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm does not see tier 10 tanks which is huge for it and further increases its performance.
Jagdtiger 8.8 cm | -7/+15 Depression/Elevation | 390m View Range | 710m Signal Range | 1,300 HP | 68 Ammo
Jagdpanther II | -6/+15 Depression/Elevation | 380m View Range | 710m Signal Range | 1,150 HP | 30 Ammo
Ferdinand | -8/+14 Depression/Elevation | 370m View Range | 710m Signal Range | 1,200 HP | 30 Ammo
Rhm.Borsig Waf | -5/+15 Depression/Elevation | 400m View Range | 700m Signal Range | 1,100 HP | 30 Ammo
AT 15 | -10/+10 Depression/Elevation | 370m View Range | 750m Signal Range | 1,450 HP | 60 Ammo
The key to playing the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is knowing maps well and also knowing your limitations against the enemy team. This tank is not mobile and its armor is only going to protect you if the enemy hits the front armor and also not the lower frontal glacis. Focusing first on putting yourself in locations that you can cover up your weak spots and also keep the enemy in front of you is crucial. You won’t be able to do damage if you end up dying quick to enemies hitting you in the side/rear or your lower glacis. At the same time you want to keep at least 2 allies near you so that enemy tanks don’t see an easy opportunity to flank you and kill you before help arrives. To do this either sit a little behind the front lines(but still in a spot where you are deflecting shells for your team) or further up with a few allies close to you.
The Jagdtiger 8.8 cm’s gun doesn’t hit very hard but does reload very quickly. This is a plus since you have multiple shots to track enemies, finish off low hp targets, and/or kill an enemy quick by your excellent damage per minute. However, more importantly you need to understand that you cannot trade shots with a tank with a 400+ damage gun or even worse a 750 damage gun. Doing this will most likely get you killed since the enemy will simply pull back into cover and thus negate your fast firing gun. Avoid getting into close fights with enemies like this since they will often be able to hit your weaker armor or be able to pull into cover.
Typically playing the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm you will want to play cautiously as to prevent yourself from being flanked or hit in your lower glacis. Taking a slower and more gradual approach will allow you to set up in good locations to improve your frontal armor and allow you to cover a larger area to support your team with your accurate fast firing gun. When a situation presents itself you can then start advancing forward and since your armor is still above average you can then help push your teams line forward. In any situation always keep an eye on where the enemy is and possible routes to flank you. If you do get flanked and your allies can’t help you then 9 out of 10 times you will be destroyed.
Even if you do not own a German tank destroyer crew the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm is a great premium tank to have in your garage. It has great armor and an accurate fast firing gun that does not rely on premium ammunition to function well. This keeps your costs down and will see you to very large net profits as it is one of the top earning tier 8 premium tanks. While it does have issues with mobility and some difficultly for players unable to plan ahead, these can be covered up with playing to the Jagdtiger 8.8 cm’s strengths. When played correctly this tank can rack up damage very quickly and since it does not see tier 10 tanks it only has to worry about tier 9 tanks for difficult opponents to face.
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