FV229 Contender

FV229 Contender stats at a glance

The FV229 Contender has 1600 hit points , 165mm of frontal hull armor , and a top speed of 34 km/h. Its strongest gun configuration deals 390 damage per shot with 248mm of armor penetration , giving it a theoretical maximum DPM of 2250. The vehicle can equip 4 different gun configurations, allowing for varied playstyles.

Hull & survivability

The front-to-side armor ratio is 1.8:1.

Mobility

Forward-to-reverse speed ratio is 2.8:1. Reverse speed is limited, so pre-aim and exposure timing matter more on this vehicle.

Camouflage

Available guns (4)

With the top-tier gun, the Contender can theoretically output up to 2250 damage per minute at sustained fire (shot damage × rounds per minute). Lower-tier guns generally trade DPM for faster reload or better handling — see the full gun table above.

How Contender compares to its peers

There are 69 tier 9 heavy tanks in WoT, including the Contender. Its 1600 HP places it in the top 19% for hit points among same-tier heavy tanks (peer average: 1482). Frontal hull armor of 165mm ranks in the top 32% for the class (peer average: 153mm). Top forward speed of 34 km/h is faster than 19% of peer vehicles in this tier and class. The strongest gun deals 390 damage per shot, higher than 16% of comparable vehicles. Best penetration of 248mm puts it in the top 60% for armor-piercing capability in its class.

Direct comparisons

• Contender vs AE Phase I — tier 9 heavy tank from USA
• Contender vs Concept 1B — tier 9 heavy tank from USA
• Contender vs M-VI-Y — tier 9 heavy tank from USA
• See full tier 9 heavy tank tier list — all 69 vehicles ranked

Related tier 9 heavy tanks

• 50TP Tyszkiewicza — Poland
• 63TP Rycerski — Poland, premium
• AE Phase I — USA, premium
• Ambassador — Sweden, premium
• AMX 50 120 — France
• AMX M4 mle. 51 FL — France, premium
• AMX M4 mle. 51 — France
• Buryan — USSR, premium
• All UK tanks · Tier 9 premium tanks

Understand the stats

Want a deeper grasp of what these numbers actually mean in battle? Read the glossary:

• What is DPM — the most important offensive metric
• Alpha damage — single-shot damage and what it means for playstyle
• Penetration — and how it interacts with armor angling
• Hull-down position — the king of defensive plays
• View range — how spotting actually works

About this vehicle

A heavy coastal defense tank developed in the late 1950s as part of a corresponding program. It was chiefly designed for effective defense against the Soviet Army, which was expected to land on the English Channel shore during wartime. The tank was planned to be equipped with a double-barreled gun system able to cause guaranteed damage to light LSTs and amphibious vehicles, as well as fight tanks on the coast. Its armor, in turn, was supposed to ensure protection not only from tank ammunition but also from naval artillery supporting the landing. The project remained in blueprints.

Frequently asked