IRON NEST Ammo vs Targets Guide

Choose by required effect

Use AP when the mission explicitly identifies an armored emplacement, coastal battery, bunker-like hard point or armored mobile target. Mission messages can reject a non-penetrating hit and tell you armor held; that is a shell mismatch, not a reason to increase the powder charge. Use ordinary HE for a precise soft target and a wider high-capacity explosive option when several soft units are close enough for one blast. The map-table iris helps compare the intended blast area before loading.

Utility shells are objective tools

Smoke is not a weaker HE round. Use it when friendly units request a screen or when a mission orders support for movement; aim at the requested friendly grid rather than an enemy. Recon, illumination, denial and other specialist effects should be selected only when the mission or current shell description calls for them. Do not infer that a larger visual effect penetrates armor.

Fast target-to-shell table

| Target or task | First choice | Why | |---|---|---| | Armored emplacement, coastal battery, Enemy Iron Nest | AP | Penetration is required | | Single infantry or other soft point target | HE | Direct lethal blast without wasting specialist ammunition | | Several soft targets close together | Wider HE-family round | More useful blast coverage | | Friendly advance asks for concealment | SMK | Mission support rather than damage | | Uncertain contact | Recon or another information source first | Avoid wasting a loaded shell on a guess |

Loading mistakes and recovery

Confirm the target icon, mission wording and intended effect before the shell enters the gun. The gun cannot simply be unloaded after a wrong choice. If the wrong round is already chambered, use the other barrel for the urgent armored target or preserve the loaded round for a valid later target. Exact blast values and the complete ammunition roster may change with patches, so this guide uses verified roles rather than freezing a numeric table.