Crew skills are War Thunder’s way of simulating experienced crews. A trained crew spots enemies sooner, reloads faster, repairs quicker and survives more hits. They’re easy to ignore as a new player — and that’s a mistake. Here’s how the system works and which skills to upgrade first.
Table of Contents
How crew skills work
- Crews belong to slots, not vehicles. Each nation has a set of crew slots. The skills you train stay with that slot, whichever vehicle you put in it.
- You train crews with crew experience (crew XP) earned in battle, then spend points on skills with the + buttons.
- Basic training gets you part of the way. For aircraft crews, spending points covers about 50% of the maximum; for ground crews about 40%.
- Qualifications fill the rest. “Expert” adds a big boost (about +30% / +3 levels to most skills) and “Ace” adds roughly another +20% / +2 levels. Ground crews also get extra from the commander’s Leadership skill.
- Expert and Ace are per vehicle in a slot. If you move a vehicle to a different slot, its Expert/Ace status doesn’t move with it.
Getting Expert and Ace
- Expert is bought with Silver Lions (or Golden Eagles) once the crew has enough skill.
- Ace can be bought, *or* earned for free by playing that vehicle after it has Expert — every battle you play counts toward free Ace.
That’s why experienced players recommend buying Expert on vehicles you play a lot as soon as you can afford it: it’s a big jump in performance and it starts your free Ace progress.
Which ground crew skills to upgrade first
| Priority | Skill | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loader – Reload speed | Faster reloads win duels |
| 2 | Gunner – Targeting / Vertical & horizontal targeting | Faster aiming onto targets |
| 3 | Commander – Leadership | Boosts the rest of the crew |
| 4 | Keen Vision (General) | Spot enemies, and spot them behind cover, sooner |
| 5 | Driver – Driving / Repair | Better handling and faster field repairs |
| 6 | Vitality / Field repair | Crew survives hits and repairs faster |
Many guides also recommend boosting the Driver early, since it improves overall handling.
Which aircraft crew skills to upgrade first
| Priority | Skill | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot – G-Tolerance | Avoid blacking out in hard turns (vital in Realistic) |
| 2 | Pilot – Stamina | Sustain high G longer |
| 3 | Keen Vision / Awareness | Spot and track enemies earlier |
| 4 | Ground Service – Reload / Repair speed | Back in the fight faster after landing |
| 5 | Gunners – Accuracy / Precision | For bombers and heavy fighters with turrets |
Tip: keep one crew slot for bombers and train gunners there, and keep fighters on slots focused on the pilot.
Naval crew skills
Naval crews cover the ship commander, observers, engine room, gunners and damage control. Prioritise gunners’ accuracy and reload, then damage control (fire fighting and flooding).
Tips to level crews faster
- Play the vehicles in your best slots most — XP goes to the crew you use.
- Transfer points: players note you can spend crew points earned in one branch on another branch’s crews (for example, air points on ground crews).
- Watch for discounts on Expert and Ace during sales and events.
- Don’t spread too thin: train a few main slots well instead of every slot a little.
FAQ
Do crew skills reset when I change vehicles?
No. Regular skills stay with the slot. Only Expert and Ace are tied to a specific vehicle in that slot.
Is Ace worth buying?
Usually not early on — buy Expert, then earn Ace for free by playing the vehicle.
Are crew skills pay-to-win?
They can be bought, but everything can also be earned by playing. Expert with Silver Lions plus free Ace is the efficient path.
Related: best nation for beginners and how to earn more Silver Lions.
Hi, I’m Emam Hasan — an English teacher and the founder of Anirban Lexicon Center in Mirpur, Dhaka. I run Takedownloads to share honest game guides, tips and app reviews that help players choose well and play better. Alongside teaching, I work in digital marketing and SEO, and I enjoy turning complex topics into simple, helpful lessons anyone can follow.
