Editing IS-2 (section)

===IS-2===
[[File:Is-2 statcard.webp|thumb|left|Da Statistika]]
Being introduced in 1944, the IS-2 is only available in Late War.

The IS-2 is pretty much the epitome of the Red Army playstyle, with rather impressive hard stats balanced by a whole host of soft stat issues that the player needs to work around to get the most out of their points investment. 

The most glaring one is the cannon: AT14, FP 2+, and Brutal. This would all be relatively impressive (even if it's ahistorically weak) if it wasn't for the (historically accurate) Slow firing rule. This means that your tanks are going to have a really hard time killing things on the move, but whatever they do hit tends to die. Fortunately, the IS-2 has some important features that help mitigate this issue. The first is the next of it's impressive hard stats: Front Armor 10. This is some of the heavier armor in game, making it capable of standing up and dueling with the Tigers and Panthers that German players love to bring (you save on a 3 at range). This will let you roll up, take a round of shooting, then dish it back in equal measure. The second is the 3+ skill rating on your crew, letting you use movement orders like blitz and shoot and scoot along with terrain to protect your tanks until they're ready to fire (though the 3+ cross will fail you more than you'd like). The mobility is ok, letting you get where you need to, but try and avoid area terrain, since 3+ cross will result in you probably leaving behind a valuable tank or 2.

You are left with a peculiar tank that requires a very particular style of play to maximize its great strengths against its plethora of weaknesses and make its points back. Fortunately, these weaknesses give you a tank that is relatively cheap for what it brings at a bit over 7 points each. This makes it actually feasible to build a list out of at tournament conditions (looking at you, Tiger). And a phenomenal support vehicle for any list. Roll them up, relying on artillery to take care of enemy anti tank guns, and use terrain to block enemy lines of fire until you get in range. Use your skill to mitigate your slow firing rule through blitz checks, then assault infantry on the objective. Chances are, your opponent will focus on those heavy tanks moving on their objectives, leaving the rest of your army a lot of room to maneuver. Focus your IS-2 on dealing with enemy heavies; this will remove something they're uniquely suited for and help them make their points back. The IS-2 isn't like German heavy weights, able to operate with minimal support, but rather a cog in a well oiled machine. When it works with the rest of the army, it can contribute well beyond its weight. When isolated and left alone, it will die and not do anything.