History[]
The M50 Ontos, also nicknamed as "The Thing" for its weird design, was officially referred to as the Rifle. It was an American light armored tracked anti-tank vehicle developed in the 1950's. It mounted six M40 106 mm recoilless rifles as its main armament, which could be fired in rapid succession against single targets to guarantee a kill. Originally conceived as a fast tank killer, it was employed by United States Marines who consistently reported excellent results when used for direct fire support against infantry during the Vietnam War. Its mobility and firepower were proven in numerous battles and operations. Produced in limited numbers and largely expended towards the end of the conflict, the Ontos was removed from service in 1969.
In-game[]
Compared to other tanks, the Ontos has an extremely fast rapid fire capability and remarkable speed. When the Ontos is in close range combat, it is known to be a sure-killer when going against other tanks that may not have very good armor or a large health pool. Its rapid fire ability and firepower have been known to obliterate some tanks before it even uses up all of its six rounds if the tank has medium to low armor. It would take about two whole clips to completely destroy high armored tanks, often by only shooting in the weaker regions. The most notable disadvantages of the Ontos is its health and armor. Many tanks that have HEAT shell compatibility are almost guaranteed to kill the Ontos in only a couple shots, as its thin armor makes it very easy to take out this tank. The Ontos also suffers from poor accuracy in its guns, so it is recommended to stop and fully aim before firing in order to hit, and effectively hit in the correct areas of enemy tanks. The turret does not rotate all the way around, so it's limited to forward and side targets. In games above its max level of 16, these tanks lose their effectiveness very rapidly unlike other tanks, so it's best to be kept around rooms where its max level is around the max level of the range of the room. The vehicle does not do well when driving backwards to evade from enemy fire either, as its reverse speed is lacking. So, it is best to drive the tank straight forward, and not try to turn much or hit obstacles. This tank is an excellent backup to heavier and slower tanks such as the T-10, because as they reload the Ontos can volley shots and distract the opponent until they can finish them off. But, the Ontos still does reverse extremely slowly, thus making it harder to escape from enemy fire.
*Note when using the M50 Ontos the firing pattern of the guns is Left, Right, Right, Right, Left, Left
Pros and Cons:[]
Pros:[]
- Versatile tank destroyer in its class.
- Powerful burst damage, takes out many tanks in just one clip
- Fast forward speed.
- Already equipped with Heat shells.
- Can also be equipped with HE to take out lighter targets.
Cons:[]
- Armor is horrible, and the health pool is not big either
- Turret is not full traversible, and its rotation speed is slowest in the game
- Penetration values are rather bad against highly armored vehicles.
- The Ontos has the slowest backwards speed of all vehicles in game, meaning that if the Ontos were to pop out of cover and fire and going back into cover would be impossible.