Should You Start a New Nation in War Thunder?

Research does not transfer between nations in War Thunder. Every nation is a separate tech tree with its own vehicles, crews, and modification costs, which means starting a new nation means starting over at rank one. That is the sunk cost, and it is large. The question is whether the benefit justifies it.

What a new nation costs

Cost	Detail
Research time	Every vehicle re-researched from the bottom of the tree
Crew training	New crews, new skill investments — see crew skill priorities
Modification spending	The same one-off costs, paid again per vehicle
Economic learning curve	New vehicles, new repair bills, new weaknesses to learn
Split attention	Two half-progressed nations advance slower than one focused nation

The last row is the one that hurts. Splitting playtime means both trees move slowly, and slow trees make the economy feel worse — you spend more matches in vehicles you are outgrowing.

What a new nation buys

• A different playstyle. Nations genuinely play differently, and a second tree can teach you the game from a new angle.
• A second lineup at a Battle Rating you enjoy. More variety in the same bracket, without climbing higher.
• A fix for a stalled main line. If your current nation’s next vehicles do not suit you, a second tree beats forcing a vehicle you dislike.
• Event and mission synergy. Some activities reward nation diversity.

The decision framework

Start a new nation when at least two of these are true:

1. Your main nation’s core lineup at your favorite BR is finished or nearly finished.
2. You want a specific playstyle your current nation does not offer.
3. You have the weekly playtime to advance two trees without stalling both.
4. Your economy is stable — a solvent account funds a second tree; a broke one cannot.

If fewer than two are true, the honest answer is to finish your current line first. The unlock time framework tells you how long that actually takes, which is usually less than it feels.

The alternative: depth over breadth

Before opening a second nation, check whether your main line has more to give. Many players bounce to a new nation because their current vehicles all feel bad, when the real issue is Battle Rating creep — fighting above your vehicles’ comfort zone. Dropping your lineup a bracket, per the negative match fixes, often makes the same vehicles fun again.

Nation choice guidance for the first tree is in choosing a nation.