ISU-152

"Developed on the chassis of the IS tank. The ISU-152 was conceived as a replacement for the SU-152, which was based on the KV-1s chassis. A total of 4,635 vehicles were built from November 1943 through June 1945." The ISU-152 is a Soviet tier 8 tank destroyer.

Pros

 * Highest non-SPG alpha damage in tier, good penetration.
 * High fear factor with the top gun, remains a threat at any tier.
 * Fairly bouncy gun mantlet, which happens to be very large as well.
 * Near medium tank like mobility with the top engine.
 * Good camouflage values.

Cons

 * Gun mantlet aside, the armor is overall very weak.
 * Poor gun handling, accuracy, view range, and ammo capacity.
 * Difficult and frustrating stock grind. Feels very underwhelming to play without its top gun.
 * Priority target due to its dangerous top gun. Will attract a lot of attention if spotted.

Stock, it comes with the same ML-20S gun on the SU-152, at a tier higher. The stats on the stock 152mm gun are barely an improvement over the SU-152's, but if you prefer the high damage over the 122mm gun's rate of fire on a grind to the D-4S it is recommended to use the same playstyle as on the preceding tank. The 122mm BL-9S is not the greatest tank destroyer gun, but it does have an improved fire rate over it's IS-3 counterpart, while also having slightly improved aim time and accuracy.

The mighty D-4S makes you a threat that no tank can safely ignore, but the gun's own temperamental nature can severely limit your performance. Accuracy, penetration, and damage dealt can all fluctuate wildly, and the same gun that can sometimes 3-shot an Object 268 Version 4 in one minute can and often will be completely missing TOG's at 100m, failing to penetrate scout tanks, and dishing out repeated sub-600 damage rolls the very next. Penetrations with the D-4S standard AP rounds are a bit odd because on paper, 260mm of penetration is still enough to go through nearly any armor you come across, but unlike the BL-10 that used to be available on this tank, you'll have to be more mindful of shot placement. Shells will still overmatch thin, angled armor, but be prepared to see opponents' tracks and spaced armor eat more shots because of its lower penetration compared to the BL-10. Tricky, low-percentage shots are strongly discouraged, unless you have absolutely no other option. This is not to say, however, that the D-4S is inaccurate. It can thread the most impossible shot imaginable with no effort at all if fully aimed. It is entirely possible to have one game where nothing can stand before you, only to have a 10% hit rate the next.

As for equipment, it is recommended to get a large caliber tank gun rammer and improved ventilation. These two together increase your RoF by 15%, and with 100% crew, you'll be firing 25% faster than the advertised 3.41 RoF, which leads you to about 4.1 RoF, which is a shot every 14 seconds compared to a shot every 18 seconds. With those two pieces of equipment, you can fire an extra shot every 4 shots you fire. Your last slot should either be a camo net to improve your stealth or a gun laying drive to improve the abysmal aiming time.