Tank Battle is a retro arcade shooter game where survival hinges on protecting your central Star Base. Unlike traditional shooters, this title is a race against the clock and the map’s physics, demanding expert knowledge of the enemy hierarchy and the five available tanks. Your objective is clear: navigate 15 progressively difficult stages, survive 5 rounds of attack in each, and, most importantly, prevent your base from being destroyed even once.
This guide delivers the specific economic and tactical data necessary to master the full 15-stage campaign.
Game Fundamentals
| Publisher | Infrexa Games |
| Release Year | 2021 |
| Genre | Retro Top-Down Combat, Shooting, Base Defense |
| Platforms | Web Browser (Desktop, Mobile) |
| Controls | Arrow Keys for Movement, Spacebar to Fire |
The Tank Arsenal: Costs and Maximum Upgrades
Success in Tank Battle is based on smart investment. You must purchase new tanks and upgrades using Gold Coins earned by killing enemies. The crucial factors are the maximum upgrade units for Attack, Speed, and Armor, plus the availability of the powerful Rocket weapon.
Note: Attack, Speed, and Armor upgrades cost 100 Gold Coins per unit. Rocket upgrades cost 300 Gold Coins per unit.
| Tank Name | Unlock Cost (Coins) | Max Attack (Units) | Max Rocket (Units) | Max Speed (Units) | Max Armor (Units) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT vz. 34 | Default | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Sherman | 3,000 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| T-34 | 4,000 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Matilda | 5,500 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| King Tiger | 7,500 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Economic Strategy: When to Upgrade
The LT vz. 34 (your starter tank) can clear Stage 1 and perhaps Stage 2, but its low 2/2/2 stats are a severe liability later. Your priority should be saving for the Sherman (3,000 coins) to gain crucial Speed and access to the Rocket.
The mid-game goal is the Matilda (5,500 coins) or King Tiger (7,500 coins). The King Tiger is the true endgame choice, offering the highest max Speed (4) and Armor (4), making it essential for the later, more chaotic stages.
Based on my own 15-stage run, my first King Tiger unlock felt like a whole new game – the boost in speed and armor is worth the grind. Watch my Gameplay Video for Level 7 here.
Stage Structure and Life Mechanics
The campaign consists of 15 unique stages, each featuring its own complex battlefield structure. Every stage is broken into 5 intense rounds. Enemy tanks spawn from the Red Stripe areas and attack your Star Base (your base is always the Star, positioned in the middle of your home side).
- Round Structure: Enemy groups can consist of 5, 10, 15, or 20 tanks, shuffled unpredictably each round.
- Player Lives: You have a total of 3 lives per stage. If an enemy tank destroys your Star Base one time, the game ends immediately. If enemies destroy you once or twice, you are instantly revived on a blue strip near your base and must quickly travel back to the battle.
- The Fixed Turret: Like your tank, enemy tanks can only fire in the direction they are currently turned. You control movement using the Arrow Keys, and firing (bullets or rockets) is handled by the Spacebar. This fixed-aim system allows for precise flanking maneuvers, as long as you stay out of their single firing angle.
Map Manipulation: The Yellow Brick Walls
Every battlefield is constructed with various walls, but only the Yellow Bricks are breakable. These bricks obstruct free movement for both you and the enemy. Expert players use Rockets or heavy firepower to selectively destroy these walls, creating personal shortcuts to flank enemies or opening clear lines of fire on the Red Stripe enemy spawn points. Be careful: sometimes a wall is better left intact to protect your Star Base.
Danger of Green Grass Strips
Every battlefield also contains Green Grass Strips, which serve as stealth zones. If your enemy drives their tanks over this grass, they become invisible to you. However, they can continue to fire while hidden. This mechanic creates dangerous ambushes, as an enemy can hide and keep shooting, making visual tracking impossible. The key is to fire a defensive shot into the grass or quickly drive through it to flush the enemy out.
Power-Up System: Shield and The Running Man
The power-up drops are critical, especially since the Star is your base, not a temporary power-up.
- Shield Icon: This grants temporary protection from enemy bullets. Grab it when you need to make a risky run across the map or when engaging a Destroyer tank head-on.
- Running Man Icon (Base Repair/Damage): This is the most unique and dangerous power-up.
- If you grab it: It instantly repairs any damage to the protective walls around your Star Base.
- If the enemy grabs it: It immediately damages your Star Base without any direct attack, proving a critical threat to your single life-line. You must prioritize this icon over almost everything else when it appears during intense fights.
Advanced Economic Combat Strategy
To afford the King Tiger, you need to maximize coin generation. This is achieved through aggressive play:
- Attack the Source: Your enemies spawn from two separate Red Stripe areas near the corners of the opposite horizontal axis.
- The Bonus Zone: If you drive deep into the enemy territory near their Red Stripes and eliminate them there, you earn significantly more coins per kill compared to killing them near your Star Base.
- Risk vs. Reward: The best coin farming requires camping near the enemy’s Red Stripes. This is high risk (you are far from your base) but high reward (faster tank unlocks).
Final Strategy: Focus and Prioritization
Forget just killing tanks; your true job is base defense and resource management.
- Prioritize the King Tiger: Focus your initial coin earnings on unlocking the Sherman, then aggressively save for the T-34 or jump straight to the Matilda or King Tiger. The armor and speed of the later tanks are non-negotiable for the final stages.
- Defend the Running Man: Never let an enemy touch the Running Man icon. It is a direct threat to your base’s one-hit game-over condition.
- Flank and Ricochet: Never meet enemies head-on. Use the fixed turret against them by continuously pivoting and using the yellow brick walls and concrete structures to bank shots around corners. This keeps your momentum high and your armor safe.
- Hidden Enemy under Grass: The Green Grass Strips are a high-risk stealth tool. If you see an enemy vanish, do not proceed until you have fired a warning shot into their location or rapidly driven past the zone. Never let enemies hide and continue to fire unchallenged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where can I play Tank Battle online free?
A: Tank Battle is a widely available retro browser game that can be played for free on many popular arcade sites, including Infrexa.
Q: What is the best tank to beat all 15 stages?
A: The King Tiger, despite its high unlock cost of 7,500 Gold Coins, is the superior endgame choice. Its maximum 4 Armor and 4 Speed units are essential for beating the final, most chaotic stages.
Q: Does Tank Battle have an ending?
A: Yes, the primary objective is to beat all 15 unique stages while protecting your Star Base.
