This article is considered accurate for the current version (1.56) of the game.
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The Silverhand assault tank is fitted with destructive dual-barrel armaments, and heavy frontal and rear armour. Its 68mm frontal cannon is paired with a lighter 40mm turret.
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— In-game description
The Silverhand - Mk. IV (abbreviated as SvH) is a late-game WardenAssault Tank. It is equipped with a 40mm main cannon and a hull-mounted 68mm anti-tank cannon.
The Silverhand - Mk. IV has 3100 HP and is disabled under 30% health. It has "Heavy Armor" resistance: it can soak small arms fire, shrapnel, and 12.7mm machine guns, and it is immune to Flamethrowers. But heavy explosives and anti-tank weaponry are a real threat to it. It has subsystems that have a chance to be disabled by heavy explosives and anti-tank weaponry if hit specifically: Tracks: 30% (Anti-Tank Mines always disable them), Fuel Tank: 20%, Turret/Cannon: 20%, Second Turret/Cannon: 15%. It has Tank Armor. With it, in best case scenario, penetrating projectiles only have a 27% chance of penetrating and doing damage. That chance goes up quickly if the armor is worn or if it is shot from up close, or on the side or rear from a direct angle, or with ammo that has penetration bonuses. It takes 170 Basic Materials to fully repair it from 1% to 100% health with a Hammer. Its health, subsystems, and Tank Armor can be instantly repaired at a Garage for 100 Basic Materials.
The Silverhand Mk. IV is a frontline combat vehicle which can be used against both structures and armored vehicles, with it best being used in frontal assaults. While its 40mm cannon and 68mm AT cannon can out-damage certain enemy vehicles in short intervals, it is only possible to utilized both cannons in short-distance frontal engagements, as the crew is limited by the short-ranged, hull-mounted 68mm AT cannon.
Due to this limitation, the tank should primarily be used for frontal assaults to take advantage of this firepower. Its fast speed gives it good forward and reverse movement, giving it ample flexibility on the battlefield compared to other Assault Tanks. While it has good movement speed, its low turn rate makes the tank susceptible to flanking attacks. When flanked, only the 40mm main cannon can turn to return fire, which means the crew must keep the enemy towards the front of the vehicle at all times to increase its survivability. Due to these disadvantages, it really benefits from friendly infantry covering it.
Although it is possible to use the tank without a Commander, it's not recommended as it will limit your awareness on the battlefield.
Standard Equipment Loadout
Like with every other armored vehicle, the crew should ALWAYS equip themselves with a Gas Mask and multiple Filters to avoid dying to Gas Grenades. Additionally, they should bring a Hammer and Basic Materials to repair the tank. These tactics can be buffed by wearing either a Tank Uniform or an Engineer Uniform.
Trivia
The name “Silverhand” is a reference to the mythological figure of Nuada Airgetlám, or Nuada the Silverhanded (A prominent character in Welsh and Celtic folklore).
Historical Reference
The Silverhand - Mk. IV is an amalgamation of Interbellum tank designs that doesn’t have a determinate real world counterpart
While a plethora of tanks possessing multiple cannons in the style of the Silverhand existed; most were equipped with short-range howitzers that were incapable of transversal and supplemented by a multipurpose turret, somewhat similar to the Silverhand Chieftain - Mk. VI. Of the remaining designs, none utilized the encasement for the primary weapon
Technicalities aside, the Silverhand does take clear influence from continental European models, noteably the Char B1 BIS heavy tank and experimental Großtraktor
Lore
Click on the image to enlarge the text
To compete with the Colonial's ever-expanding presence in Caoiva, Warden engineers mulled over a multitude of armour designs in response. The assault tank emerged as a major contender. Equipped with its destructive dual-barrel armaments, the Silverhand is of the Warden's most offensive tools on the battlefield.
Though it was largely a collaborative effort among Caoivish engineers, the twin cannon design comes from Rowan Dewar, one of Colleen Caine's inner circle. Though many of his collaborators wanted to award him the armour's namesake, he denied such a privilege on the matter of honour. Instead, they collectively dubbed it the Silverhand for an ancient king and god of warfare.
The design itself took some iteration to perfect. Early trials saw armour plating more evenly distributed only to have a frontal assault foiled by a lucky shell. Others had single-turret designs, but Mr. Dewar was unsatisfied with its destructive power. Once, in frustration after a failed trial, he referred to it as no more devastating than "The purr of a stray cat." He made it his personal mission to ensure the Warden arsenal was feared, would instead roar in the face of their adversaries.
Gallery
The Silverhand - Mk. IV from the front
The Silverhand - Mk. IV from the rear
A Silverhand - Mk. IV with a Warden soldier popping out of the hatch
