- The movie's opening exhibition match really sets the standard for the rest of the movie. First we start in the middle of a match that is apparently Oarai + Chi-Ha-Tan Vs. St. Gloriana, with Gloriana trapped in a golf course's sand pit and surrounded by Oarai. A section of Oarai is also holding back an unknown force trying to reinforce the surrounded force. After Chi-Ha-Tan's fluke in their attack, Oarai's defensive perimeter folds and retreats from a cliff. Moments later we see Pravda coming in full-force of T-34s and an IS-2 charging in to reinforce St. Gloriana.
- Despite the complete lack of tactical sense, the breaking of formation, and failing to take out even a single enemy tank, Chi-Ha-Tan's suicidal charge is still rather impressive in it's idiotic bravery. Especially since it's the first we hear of Chi-Ha-Tan's Leitmotif, Yuuki to Shingun, in the film.
- The KV-2's usage in the opening battle is shown to the extreme with its 152 mm howitzer demolishing buildings. Mind you, this is supposed to be an exhibition match.
- This scene has a Real Life Writes the Plot entry in the Funny Moments pagenote ; and the involved people having the humor sense to roll with the idea is, on itself, kind of awesome, too.
- The movie also puts away any doubt that Nina's strength is anything to joke about. She and her fellow co-loader Alina (who looks just as young and short as her) have no problem reloading a gun that uses 40 kilogram (88 lbs.!) shells . Comparing to historical notes, a 152 mm gun will be good enough to shoot 3-4 rounds in a minute, these two loaders manage to load three rounds in 30 seconds!.
- The game-winning Taking the Bullet moment was when Katyusha's T-34-85 appeared at the top of the stairs instead of the Churchill, allowing Darjeeling to beat the Panzer IV's reload.
- Saunders' rescue of all the Ōarai's tanks that were about to be "taken into MEXT custody" after closing down Ōarai school: they landed a C-5 Super Galaxy
in the schoolship's gardens, loaded all tanks, somehow managed to take off again (despite the load surpasing the plane's stated maximum capacity - Saori was worried they couldn't manage it) and flew them all to safety - only to return a few days later to the Ōarai girls' provisional lodging and deliver them via an eight-tank LAPES drop.- They topped themselves with their stated reason of why they were doing that.
Arisa: This favor won't come cheap! To repay the favor, you have to keep practicing Senshado!- As mentioned around episode 10, anyone with even a passing experience in any sort of competitive sport or martial art will understand what makes that line awesome.
- Supplemental material explained how Saunders able to pulled all of that out. Saunders' C-5 Galaxy is already upgraded to carry 180 tons from normal capacity of 122 tons. Since Ooarai tanks added up to 200 tons and thus still pushed over weight limits, Saunders under-fueled their plane to keep the weight minimum, and had two KC-10 taking turns refuelling it in mid air in order to keep it flying. They even did it twice: first to get the tanks back to Saunders, and then to get the tanks to Oarai. The fact that Saunders has a strategic cargo plane is already awesome, but the fact that they have two tanker aircraft to support its operation is on another level.
- They topped themselves with their stated reason of why they were doing that.
- Shiho Nishizumi, of all people, standing against the dissolution of Ōarai is a sight to behold. Granted, she claims she's doing it so that Kuromorimine can have a chance to defeat them in a rematch, but when the Jerkass Corrupt Bureaucrat ordering the liquidation claims that Ōarai won out of luck, she slams her cup down and snaps back with the grace and sharpness of a katana.
- Anzu puts in a lot of leg work into opening a new path for Ōarai.
- She meets with Education Minister/"Government Slug" and cites specific law codes in the Japanese constitution that basically says verbal promises are valid and therefore should be upheld. When the official invokes Exact Words, she leaves. She returns with the support of one government official, Ami Chouno (a member of the JSDF and a Sensha-do committee official), and the head of the high school Sensha-do committee and upcoming head of the Japan's sensha-do committee, Shiho Nishizumi herself. When it was just Anzu alone, the minister was cold and smug and implacable; now we see him squirm. This is the kind of political machination the student council president is capable of when she applies herself.
- Now when the MEXT guy offers a match between the University All-star team, Anzu quickly jumps at this chance, and to ensure that he doesn't go back on his word again, she makes him sign a written agreement. The amount of Anzu's effort in order to save Ōarai is, without a shadow of a doubt, extraordinary and awesome.
- Our first impression of the University Team. It showed them defeating an adult team filled with Panthers and Jagdpanthers while they only had M4 Shermans. During World War II, Shermans were chew toys against Panthers, yet the University Team manage to win!
- The arrival of Ōarai's backup! They managed to gain the support of every team they had faced throughout the series and even some that they hadn't, turning what would have been an 8v30 stomp into a full, thrilling match.
- What makes this more awesome is that no one from Ooarai contacted any of the schools that came to their aid to ask for their help. They just show up by themselves, though it is somewhat implied that this was set up by Darjeeling. Even Continuation High's participation is both surprising and awesome, since their school was only mentioned in passing in the Anzio OVA.
- Miho being chosen as the CO of the entire high school team. Keep in mind that Miho divided the teams into 3 platoons and assigned a commander and lieutenant for each one (herself, Maho, and Kay as commanders with Darjeeling, Katyusha, and Nishi as lieutenants) possibly as a way of ensuring each platoon can act independently of each other. Maho just elects Miho as CO, and everyone agrees to it without question. Nobody even complains about the rather girly platoon names Miho assigns them. When the strategy meeting gets kind of rowdy due to the commanders' different suggestions, Maho keeps them in line and reminds everyone that Miho's in charge.
- Related to the above, when Katyusha voices a complaint about not being chosen as a platoon commander, Maho glares at her and she shuts up. This is notable because aside from Nonna, Katyusha isn't known to take crap from anybody (evidenced by the fact that she's assertive of her position as the girl-in-charge during the practice match) and Maho frightens her by just giving her a stern look.
- Operation: Kill Serve, the sole operation to ever outdo the trick against the Maus in the main anime. All of it.
- Everything to do with Continuation High and their BT-42. They managed to take one of the most underperforming tanks of WWII, and made it run literal circles around the University Team's more advanced Pershings, proving to be possibly the craziest tank crews in the series yet. All to the tune of Säkkijärven Polkka.
- Their attitude to the absurdity of the whole situation also takes the cake. Basically, they were told to take their BT-42 and go against three M26 Pershings. Their take on the whole situation is nothing less than a "bring it on".
- With a nod to Genius Bonus as well! First we see their BT-42 lose both of their tracks and fall over a cliff, making us think they are written off. Then Mikko brings out a steering wheelnote .
- Taking down the Morser-Karl. The small group of Ōarai vehicles couldn't possibly dent it in any way. So what do they do? Load the CV33 on top of the Type 89 and use the latter's unditching tail as lever arm to launch the CV33 skywards to fire at the Karl!
- No luck with the shooting? The CV33 has fallen upside-down? No problema; just have the Hetzer use it as ramp to fly up to the Morser-Karl's barrel and get a critical hit!
- Also kind of counts as Fridge Brilliance on Anzu's part: the reason why she asked Anchovy to start up the Carro Veloce's tracks was not just for the Hetzer to jump; the tankette's running tracks also acted as a form of a slingshot so the slightly heavier Hetzer can clear the gap.
- Everything to do with Continuation High and their BT-42. They managed to take one of the most underperforming tanks of WWII, and made it run literal circles around the University Team's more advanced Pershings, proving to be possibly the craziest tank crews in the series yet. All to the tune of Säkkijärven Polkka
- Chi-Ha-Tan switching out their normal tactics for more sensible guerrilla warfare, harassing and delaying the enemy with their smaller tanks. Especially Fukuda standing up to her team-mates, criticising their traditional tactics.Fukuda: If we charge in and get ourselves needlessly sacrificed... that would be the real shameful thing to do!
- The T28's introduction. All you see of it at first is the barrel, the rest being covered by the smoke of it's entry. A blast from a missed shot slams Rosehip's Crusader straight into a wall, and then When Johnny comes marching home starts up. It takes the entirety of the Saint Gloriana, Saunders, and Oorai teams and basically forces them into a full rout singlehandedly.
- And after aforementioned CMOA, we are treated another one when Maho, Erika and Katyusha curb-stomping three Pershings and force one surviving Chaffee to flee for its life, still with same music blaring at background.
- Rabbit Team's plan to force back the University's tanks after they corner most of Ōarai is Operation Mifune. They shoot the supports on the ferris wheel to turn it into a rolling wheel of destruction is probably one of the craziest plans in the series, and is all thanks to the rabbit's film knowledge.
- Props also go to the rest of the high school units for taking advantage of the Rabbit team's idea and continue rolling with it by directing the ferris wheel towards the University Team's units instead of just let it roll past them. Bonus points go to Naomi for being able to shoot the ferris wheel in such a way that it creates an opening for their encircled units to escape.
- Hippo Team's "Operation Macaroni Zwei", using camouflage to hide their Stug-III in plain sight, getting two kills on unsuspecting targets. Though they get taken out on their third attempt.Saemonza: Master Arm, on!
Erwin: Fire! - In the hedge maze, Anglerfish Team use a fork in the path to rotate their turret, ambushing an enemy coming around a bend.
- Turtle Team taking an elevated position for shooting straight through the walls.
- Darjeeling taking out the T-28 by lodging her Chuchill under a bridge, waiting for the enemy to pass over her, having Saunders Firefly take out the section of bridge between her and the target and then firing at point blank right up in the T-28's fuel tanks, disabling it. Although afterward she's easy picking for the UST.
- The two Chaffee who chased after Anzio have an insane amount of guts for going after a tankette on top of a narrow rollercoaster with full-on tanks. And props to Team Rabbit for sniping them from the ground.
- Anzio's "Operation T-Square" involves skipping their little CV33 tankette across a body of water with their speed. They manage to make this work against a Pershing with assistance from Mallard Team.
- Pepperoni's statement before T-Square just points out how absurd it is, yet it still works!
Pepperoni: This has never worked! - Where is the Anzio team during the rest of the amusement part phase of the battle? They're parked at the top of a rollercoaster and tracking the enemy's movements in real time. Anzio's job of spotting enemies is shown to be a crucial factor in the latter stages of the match, as they provided valuable information to the rest of the high school teams such as enemy position and strength. This enables several awesome moments for their teammates, such as the kills in the hedge maze. "Leave the GPS to us!"
- Katyusha gets a small one, and possibly a small Throw the Dog a Bone after usually being Butt-Monkey. Her preference for setting traps mixing cunning and brute force pays dividends when she orders Leopon team and Anteater team to just drive right through the flimsy Wild West sets in the theme park, allowing them to outflank the University teams expecting them to charge down the main street.
- Despite being on the enemy team, Alice Shimada's performance throughout the match shows why she's spoken so highly of.
- She forces the high school teams on a defensive battle from the start, maneuvering her forces in such a way to set the bulk of the high school teams units in a certain spot so they are open to the Morser-Karl's bombardment. Her choice of terrain to do this is also noteworthy, as forcing the enemies on the highest ground (a hill in this case) makes it easier for the Morser-Karl to bombard them. The above plan was in accordance to her initial objective of taking out the high school team's heaviest hitting tanks like Pravda's KV-2 and the two Panthers of Kuromorimine, and successfully doing so. The best part? She forces Maho Nishizumi to make a tactical retreat.
- She sets up a strategy to break her opponents forces and force them to disperse. When that fails, she adjusts and lets the enemies regroup, orders her own force to make their enemies go in a certain area (an amphitheater in this case) and finally, surround the entrapped enemy while keeping any backups at bay. As one of her commanders stated, the battle would've been so one sided it'd be painful to watch. If not for the Rabbit team's intervention, the high school team would've lost a great number of their units.
- When her forces start to waver due to the high school team tactically outmaneuvering them, she boosts their morale by singing, and it works. She also joins the battle herself, takes on half of Ōarai's fighting force, and takes them all out one by one by herself. To elaborate, she takes out 4 Chi-Ha tanks, Duck team, Rabbit team, Turtle team, Anteater team, Anzio's CV33, and Mallard team, all in rapid succession.
- Bonus points for the Theme Music Power-Up that contains her Badass Creed and that she uses as Rousing Speech of sorts being the theme song of a plushie toy, yet the whole scene NOT being a Big-Lipped Alligator Moment.
Rumi: The commander is singing!
Azumi: That means...
Megumi: Company forward!
- The climax of the battle is filled to the brim with awesome.
- Miho and Maho working together to take on Alice and her two remaining subordinates Azumi and Megumi is simply a sight to behold. They take out Azumi's tank by Maho luring it into a tunnel then stopping just outside the other side to block the tank, in order for Miho to take it out from the top of the tunnel's entrance.
- Maho then takes out Megumi's tank by using an amusement park ride as a trap/battering ram.
- Alice's Centurion being able to counter the Panzer IV's sliding kill shot that took out Maho's Tiger I in the anime by shooting first. She also holds so well on her own against two tanks who are commanded by two of the best high school sensha-do practitioners. She is shown using the field to her advantage, creating diversions and distractions in order to separate the Pz IV from the Tiger I.
- Finally, the game winning strategy Miho and Maho execute: Have Maho's Tiger I shoot the Panzer IV from behind to give it a speed boost to take out the Centurion. Yes, the final play was a tank variant of a Fastball Special, and IT WORKS.
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