Introducing Lil Tank Cat and Tank Cat
The Battle Cats is a popular tower defense game developed by PONOS for iOS and Android devices where players collect and deploy different types of cats to defend against enemy attackers. The game features hundreds of unlockable cats with different looks, stats, and abilities.
Tank Cat is one of the starter cats available early on in the game. He is a basic close-range attacker with high HP but low damage and speed. Lil Tank Cat is a special variant that can be unlocked later by upgrading Tank Cat.
Both cats have a military tank theme in their design. Tank Cat is a gray armored tank with a green cat face peeking out. Lil Tank Cat is smaller with a red armored body and yellow face. He adds a spiked roller on the front of his tank for extra attack power.
While they share similarities, Lil Tank Cat and Tank Cat have some key differences in stats that make them useful in different situations. This article will compare the two cats in detail across multiple factors.
Appearance and Design
Li’l Tank Cat is smaller in size compared to the regular Tank Cat. It has blue fur and is wearing samurai-style armor that is red and gray in color. The armor has spikes on the shoulders and a helmet with horns. Li’l Tank Cat moves around on tank treads instead of legs.
Tank Cat, on the other hand, is much larger in size. It has beige fur and is wearing black samurai-style armor. The armor covers its entire body and head, with a menacing horned helmet. Tank Cat also moves on tank treads instead of legs.
Both cats have a similar samurai motif in their design and make use of tank treads for mobility. But Li’l Tank Cat appears much smaller and nimbler compared to the bulkier Tank Cat.
Stats and Abilities
Li’l Tank Cat has 8,160 HP and deals 67 area damage per hit, with a range of 100 and attack frequency of 67 frames per attack. Meanwhile, regular Tank Cat has 27,000 HP and deals 600 area damage per hit, with a range of 100 and the same attack frequency of 67 frames (source).
So Li’l Tank Cat is much weaker in terms of health and attack power. However, they share the same 100 range and attack speed. Li’l Tank Cat’s significantly lower stats are balanced by a much faster recharge time of just 30 seconds, compared to 134 seconds for Tank Cat (source).
In terms of abilities, both cats have the tank role with high health but slow movement speed. They can absorb hits from enemies while dealing area damage. Neither of them have any special abilities.
Cost and Recharge Time
Both Tank Cat and Li’l Tank Cat serve as cheap meatshields, but Li’l Tank Cat has a lower resource cost at only $150 compared to Tank Cat’s $175 according to the Battle Cats Wiki. This allows Li’l Tank Cat to be spawned more frequently. However, Tank Cat has a faster recharge time at 4.2 seconds versus Li’l Tank Cat’s 5.6 seconds recharge as noted on the Li’l Cat Wiki page. So while Li’l Tank Cat costs less, Tank Cat can be deployed more often over time.
Usefulness in Levels and Against Enemies
When comparing Li’l Tank Cat and Tank Cat in levels with different enemy types, there are some key differences in performance to note:
Against Red Enemies:
Both cats are resistant to Red enemies due to their high health. However, Tank Cat has higher health and damage overall, making it more useful in prolonged battles against tough Red enemies like One Horns. Li’l Tank Cat can still serve as a meatshield, but doesn’t last as long (Li’l Eraser Cat (Enemy) | Battle Cats Wiki | Fandom).
Against Floating Enemies:
Li’l Tank Cat has a slight edge against Floatings. Its faster attack rate allows it to land hits more frequently versus floating foes. Its lower cost also enables it to be spammed more easily. Tank Cat is still decent thanks to its knockbacks, but Li’l Tank can output damage quicker (Li’l Tank Cat (Special Cat) – Battle Cats Wiki).
Against Angel Enemies:
Tank Cat’s higher HP gives it better survivability against Angels, especially those with high damage like Angelic Gories. Li’l Tank Cat can act as a temporary meatshield but struggles to last long. Overall, Tank Cat is more recommended for Angel heavy stages.
Against Alien Enemies:
Li’l Tank Cat’s quicker attack rate makes it useful for stacking up damage against Aliens, especially if protected by other meatshields. Tank Cat has slower TBA which reduces effectiveness versus fast attacking Aliens. However, it still has uses in Alien levels thanks to knockbacks.
Ease of Upgrade
Both Lil Tank Cat and Tank Cat require catfruit and XP to upgrade. However, Lil Tank Cat has lower upgrade costs overall. Upgrading Lil Tank Cat to level 10 requires 2 epic catfruit seeds, 20 catfruit, and 750,000 XP. In comparison, upgrading Tank Cat to level 10 requires 3 epic catfruit seeds, 30 catfruit, and 1 million XP [1]. So Lil Tank Cat’s upgrade costs are about 25-30% lower across the board.
Both cats also need their true forms unlocked to reach their full potential. Unlocking Lil Tank Cat’s true form requires 5 epic catfruit seeds, 30 catfruit and 1 million XP. Tank Cat’s true form takes 10 epic catfruit seeds, 60 catfruit and 1.5 million XP [2]. Again, Lil Tank Cat’s true form is much cheaper to obtain.
Overall, Lil Tank Cat has a clear advantage in terms of upgrade and evolution costs. You’ll save on catfruit and XP by investing in Lil Tank Cat over Tank Cat.
Talents
Both Lil Tank Cat and Tank Cat have access to talents that can enhance their abilities. According to the Battle Cats Wiki, Lil Tank Cat’s recommended talents include Resist Toxic, Soulstrike, and Dodge Attack. These talents help Lil Tank Cat resist toxic damage, do more damage to traited enemies, and have a chance to dodge incoming attacks. In comparison, popular talents for Tank Cat include Resist Slow, Strong, and Defense Buff which help Tank Cat resist slow effects, do more damage, and take less damage (Li’l Tank Cat Talents, Tank Cat Talents). While both cats have access to defensive talents, Lil Tank Cat’s talents seem more specialized for dodging attacks whereas Tank Cat focuses more on raw defense and damage. Overall, the unique talents give each cat a slightly different flavor and specialization.
True Forms
Both Tank Cat and Lil Tank Cat have powerful True Forms that can be unlocked through completing specific stages. Tank Cat’s True Form is Manic Eraser Cat, while Lil Tank Cat’s is Li’l Eraser Cat.
Manic Eraser Cat becomes a spiky, intimidating black tank with even higher HP and defense than the original Tank Cat. His abilities make him one of the best meatshields in the game, able to absorb huge amounts of damage from enemies. However, he is difficult to obtain, requiring completion of the Manic Stages.
Li’l Eraser Cat trades some HP for a faster recharge time compared to Lil Tank Cat. His quick deployment makes him excellent for spamming at the front lines. Unlocking him is easier than Manic Eraser Cat, requiring completion of a monthly Deadly Stage. While not as tanky as Manic Eraser, Li’l Eraser’s speed and cost efficiency make him a top-tier meatshield.
Overall, both cats gain outstanding True Forms. Manic Eraser is the ultimate tank, while Li’l Eraser excels at rapid blocking. Their strengths complement each other nicely when deployed together.
Synergies with Other Cats
Both Lil Tank Cat and Tank Cat synergize well with other meatshield cats like Li’l Eraser, Manic Eraser, and Wall Cat to build strong defensive lines. Pairing multiple meatshields allows you to stall powerful enemies while your damage dealers chip away at them.
Lil Tank Cat’s quick recharge time makes it easy to stack with other meatshields. Its strong synergy with Manic Eraser in particular can help shut down enemy pushes, buying time for your ranged attackers. Tank Cat doesn’t recharge as quickly but has higher health, so pairing it with a faster meatshield like Li’l Eraser offsets that weakness.
Both cats also synergize well with critical/weakness hitters like Seafarer or Ramen by stalling enemies while they land their strikes.
Final Verdict
In summary, while Li’l Tank Cat and Tank Cat share some similarities, they each have distinct strengths that make them useful for different situations.
Li’l Tank Cat is easier to upgrade and has faster recharge time, making him a great early game meatshield. His higher health allows him to absorb more damage from enemies like Bun Buns. However, his lower damage output limits his usefulness in later levels with stronger enemies. His true form gains freeze immunity, further boosting his defensive capabilities.
Tank Cat has higher DPS which helps take down tough enemies faster. His talents provide additional crowd control effects like slow and weaken. However, his slower speed and recharge make him less spammable. His true form unlocks more health and damage to push further.
Overall, Li’l Tank Cat is more useful early on for basic meatshielding while Tank Cat scales better into the late game. Players should aim to unlock and upgrade both cats over time to have defensive options for all occasions.