I have consolidated working tactics fo bringing down all machine types which include sniping runners and hunters, attacking from elevated terrain or in cover behind building structures or rocks and trees. I die rarely during fights now and I’m only a few points from level 30. But I can’t handle tanks in open terrain. I get intensely beated up and it is no fun at all (except for the tank, I suppose). I’ve watched videos that you guys have uploaded, and it seems so easy for you. But not for me. I can’t aim and run, mostly because the Xbox game controller (my excuse anyway). I would appreciate tips, thanks.
There is a reason you know, that using cover to your advantage is a good idea - just saying. 
Since a tank is so big it can’t really take cover, the first and foremost way to turn the fight to your advantage is using cover. Why would you ever fight an enemy to his advantage and not yours? 
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It mirrors real life pretty well, actually. Tanks are the most effective in open terrain. You always escort tanks with ground personnel and other vehicles if you’re moving through towns and densely forested areas.
It might sound a bit cheesy but if you can outsmart a Tank by taking potshots at it from afar, or force it to pursue you into a forest, do it. As for taking them on in the open, here’s my advice.
Fireworks
Sneak up to a Tank as close as you can. Then throw fireworks at it to confuse it. You can tell it’s successful when it’s lights turn purple. Then fire away at it’s attached weapons until they detach. This will take several tries so bring many fireworks.
Once the weapons are detached, it’ll charge you. It normally makes some kind of noise before it “locks on” to you and charges. Strafe to the side and shoot it in the back. It may have a Shockwave weapon as defense, or gas, which it will use at the end of each charge so watch out. Repeat until it’s dead.
Medium EMP Cells
Same procedure; sneak up, then toss the cell. The Tank will be stunned for 10 or so seconds. Unload at it’s weapons at close range. I recommend the AI-76 for this. After that, same technique as before.
Large EMP Cell/Car Battery
The suicide method. Sneak up, then plant one close to the Tank. Shoot it (or the Tank does a shockwave) and the Tank’s disabled for about the same time as the Medium Cell. Once the weapons are off, and you still have cells or batteries left, you can put them in the path of the Tank’s charge, so it disables itself.
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Yes, you are right ofcourse, but there are plains where you can’t get the advantage. Take the mills as an example, but I’ve met quite a few in open terrain. And I’m not always successful in getting then to follow me to where I would like to take the fight. And they do hide! I’ve always enjoyed taking tanks down from church towers. Yes, the fire grenades at you, but if you are quick to hide in a corner, you are safe. But now they run and hide behind trees and foliage, which you often find around churches, making them practically invisible. And they can still hit you! That kind of evolution is not appreciated 
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Fireworks! Haven’t done fireworks for anything else than ticks. I’ll give it a go. Thanks.
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I really thought them useless for a while, but I think that changed after the August Update. Only problem with Fireworks; they’re loud. You’re bound to attract attention if you’re in the northern parts of the island.
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My method if there is two tanks by each other is: first get destroy the escorts from a distance. Then use a sticky flare on one tank. Next get behind the tank firing at the sticky flare. Use a semi auto shotgun and blast its weapons off. It may take a few tries but should work. That tank shouldn’t be able to hurt you unless with gas or a concussion pulse. Now for the other tank you need to disable that tanks guns. Strafe the bullets that it is shooting if you stick close to the tank it can’t hit you with explosives. Use fire works to distract it. Get behind it and blast off its weapons. Now stay at a distance and shoot their weak points and you should be able to destroy them.
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I just run in circles around them and that works really well for me. 
The advantage you have when facing a tank is your agility. Standing in one place for extended amounts of time when fighting a tank will have you dead within seconds. So always be moving, which is why you should definitely buy the bullet spread skill upgrades.
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Try to keep one of the tanks or a harvester between you and the other tank. Then the far tank will continually blast the closer machine. They block you from the machine-gun fire and take a lot of damage.
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Fireworks have always been great and I notice that now they also operate as flares - i.e. the machines run over to them to investigate, even if they aren’t caught in the radius. Good things firewoks, but not as easily available as flares, or even, for me, sticky flares.
Here’s me using a combination of cover, EMP and fireworks to do a FNIX tank. Some elements might be used in the open, but I still by far prefer to fight using cover like this, combining the the tactics mentioned by others. 
There was a bunch of runners both before and after, that I took down with the rifle to clear the area…
(sorry for the quality, only 480p)
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But you died! That’s not the subject of a “how-to” video!! We need you not to have died. You finally got the fire position right, and then he was toast.
I say all that - the last tank I took on, somehow found his way up a sheer cliff and came running at me screaming. I ran away…
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My Xezr’s Hardcore Challenge character got killed, and I’m really p*ssed off about it! I made it from entry-game house in the far South East, all the way to the North Bridge (so escaped), but then I got punchy and took on a pack of Dogs and died. Dogs! Poxy Dogs! Tricksy buggers them Dogs…
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Okay, that’s bad. And dogs! Dogs! They are sooo easy kills … 
(sorry, THAT was cruel. Please go ahead and flame me, if it’ll make you feel better )
Thanks for sharing this clip. Yes, I see the point of using fireworks now, That is effective if you get it close to the Tank. And I never pick up EMP grenades, but they are effective too. My strategy would probably have been to wait for the Tank to be occupied with something else (perhaps fireworks) and the run like hell for the blue house. Once in here I would fight from one of the bedroom windows while standing in the hallway. Usually that puts me out of harms way. But like you I do sniping a lot too. And once the Tank drops the weapons, I beat it hard with automatic weapons,
I do believe, however, that I met this tank in Garphammar too. I convinced it to sit down with me as civilized sentient beings and work on our differences. We had a very nice chat:
And then, of course, I trashed it.
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I think it’s perfectly clear that I died because I didn’t pay attention, and not because the tactics didn’t work out for me… 
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Flame, flame, flame! If you’re in a house, easy peasy. In a built up area, easy peasy. I was stuck on the end of a peninsular in the woods, with the dogs between me and anything I could hide in, and that was a good 600 metres away. I made a mistake, got punchy - I was picking a fight with runners and hunters the other side of the water from the end of the peninsular and a seeker pinged me. Never saw the damn thing to kill it, and they can in waves after that, and no way off the peninsular. Rats!
You try it, Ian, see how far you get - two weapons, nine slots, one life. Start at beginning - make it all the way to the Bridge in the North without dying once. It’s a fascinating game - scary all over again.
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That’s how I always die, too! You’re right, it was perfectly clear. There, I thought, go I…
People say Tanks are bad, and don’t get me wrong, you play hardcore and they’re something you want to avoid unless you’ve 100% sure you’ll have the upper hand for the entire fight. But one FNIX Runner up close with a shotgun loaded with slugs, and it’s all over. Not even Hunters are so deadly 
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