The mobility is not that better than the other MBT’s.
400p HEATFS means nothing if it currently behaves like an APCR round.
The only advantage the Leopard I has is the zoom. But is it really an advantage if they keep castrating maps into 1x1km CQB Call of Duty Shipment?
I have much much much easier time playing the Chinese USSR tank derivatives, than Leopard I to the point I gave up on it entirely. There is absolutely no point in playing Leopard if we have better options in the TT.
IMO 7.3 was too low, but 8.0 is too high.
Leopard I at 8.0 shines only on huge maps like Red Desert where it can utilise its zoom, speed and gun depression, sniping behind mounds. These maps were effectively cut out of the game as its a detriment to the bias nation - they suffer and need more handholding.
why do people think HEAT doesnt work? They havent changed HEAT. its APDS that does that, HEAT is fine.
I spaded the Leopard 1 at 8.0 and it was great.
the BR decompression raised everything 0.3, so the Leopard (along with almost everything else at its BR) got the 0.3 nerf to 7.7, and then raised up another 0.3 nerf to 8.0, so compared to when it was 7.3 its still only 0.3 higher than it was relative to everything else, which, as you say, should be fine for it.
If they lowered it to 7.7 again it’d just be back to the old effective 7.3 BR, where it was frankly busted OP.
as for having a stab:
the USA doesn’t get a stab on their MBT at 8.0, the M60 has a the same gun, is much slower, and only gets 8x zoom.
The UK does get Stabs, but they only get APDS and as everyone knows the APDS rounds are incredibly unreliable currently because “shell shattered”. (and they only get 6x zoom)
Russia gets a T-54 with no stab at 8.0, and 7x zoom.
Japan doesn’t have any 8.0 MBTs, only 8.3.
China does actually get a vertical only stab on the Type 59, and a full stab on the Type 69 with what looks to be the worst dart on a main gun I’ve ever seen (I have no idea of its performance as I’ve never played china)
Italy doesn’t get a stab, on the OF-40, which otherwise looks similar to the leopard 1 on paper with the same gun and zoom.
France doesn’t learn what stabs are on their MBTs until 9.3 lol
Sweden gets copypaste Centurion and T-54 with same features as the originals above, unless you count the STRV 103A. (which doesnt have a stab)
And Isreal, finally, gets both a stab and a good HEAT round on the Shot Kal Alef. but only 6x Zoom and its a centurion so its slow. (also the Magachs which dont have stabs)
As you can see from this list, not having a stab on an 8.0 MBT is being in the majority here. You have to get to 8.3 before everyone starts getting stabs.
This is equally true of all 8.0 MBTs, however the Leopard is probably one of those that is least affected by this. It’s strengths in speed and long range firepower don’t degrade nearly as much as that of armor in an uptier. You have to play much more carefully, as the lack of a stab means you cannot rush people aggresively like you can in a downtier, but you can still position well and take shots at enemies who don’t know you’re there.
Meanwhile, tanks like the M60 and T-54s handle these uptiers very poorly, as the armor they sacrifice so much for becomes effectively meaningless.
Even the stabilized Cent doesn’t do that well, as it’s up against similarly stabilized tanks with armor that can defeat it’s rounds, guns that can lolpen it anywhere, and mobility that allows them to effortlessly outposition them. Often all three at once.
The only tank that deals with uptiers better is probably the Vickers MK1, although it’s extreme vulnerability to autocannons makes it very easily countered by IFVs which are prevalent in the 8.3-9.0 BR range.
That BR is one of the most compressed in the game, where you’ll have fully stabilized, mobile, dart-slinging vehicles sitting just a single step above much older tank design.
I feel like OP is relying far too much on armor at the tier where armor is barely functioning.
That thing still has massive issues like gun handling, depression, reload speed so I think Vickers is still a better package overall.
I think my conclusion is that the Leopard 1 is just average. It works fine at 8.0 but it like some other vehicles it feels underwhelming due to some vehicles at 7.7-8.0 just being better.
Leopard 1 and amx30 just either move down or the OF-40 up. All very similar except the OF-40 has a lrf which is a big advantage on sniper tanks. Both tanks could get better firerate ainstead, but gaijin needs to balance the game. It cant be that these 3 tanks are the same br
I’m also curious myself. I just made up some provocative statement 😂
I want to say the Lorrain 40t but I haven’t played it, so no idea.
But thunderskill stats are at least suggesting I’m right.
It’s very mobile, has a very fast turret traverse and great firepower with the 4s auto-loader.
That’s just ideal on +80% of WT maps.
Guess that’s pretty much it. It’s really more that BR for BR, a lot of vehicles are more effective than the Leopard.
You shouldn’t use french tanks thunder skills as an argument. the amx 30 has much better stats than the leopard, while being actually identical in practice. The Lorraine isnt better than the leo, it is just a better flanker, because of the 4s reload, the leopard is a more balanced tank overall