The Marder 1A1 and Marder 1A3 are German Cold War IFV’s sitting at 7.7 and 8.0 BR respectively. They are armed with the 20mm Rh202 cannon (with the 1A3 having access to APDS) and the MILAN ATGM. They also have access to a laser rangefinder. With the 20mm dealing lackluster damage (esp at range or using HVAP), players are forced to heavily rely on the slow MILAN ATGM, which travels at only 200m/s. This means most opponents will have ample time to react or simply reposition out of chance. The performance matches that of the Ratel 20, featuring the same armament, while sitting at 6.7. So why do the Marders sit at 7.7-8.0?. Although they feature a laser rangefinder, if you’re using 20mm at over 500m, you might as well be throwing snowballs. Other IFV’s like the BMP-1 are just outright better, featuring a 73mm main gun and a much better ATGM. Uptiers are also common, meaning there is a high chance of meeting tanks with ERA or composite like the M60 RISE - your ATGM is useless.
I’d say that the Marder 1A1 should sit at 7.3 while the 1A3 should be at 7.7 because of it’s APDS belt
Ratel is great but its got 8mm of armour and a very unforgiving damage model. Until the update goes live its mobility is worse than a centurion tank. after it will be much more comparable.
Ive gotten more nukes in the thing than any other, but this is more from ratty ambushes and trash 6.7 german mains.
the marders should be 8.0 and 8.3 respectively as a 20mm. with only HVAP is still perfectly good for disposing of rat vehicles as well as deleting barrels and tracks. The Milan is also a monster all the way up to 9.7
a marder at 8.0 with only HVAP is adequate. Ratel does ok despite not being machine gun proof that high.
Marder is machine gun proof which gives a lot more time to dispose of people with the ATGM or saw their gun off.
8.3 apds is more needed as youre gonna be seeing the swine that is XM800T a lot
HVAP, ESPECIALLY 20mm, is straight up horrible. I have seen “SHELL SHATTERED” on the SIDE of 5mm plates of XM800’s far to many times. It shatters on the lightest armor that should be able to pen which is stupid.
HVAP is done really badly ill agree there. shell shatter is a poorly implemented and unfairly installed mechanic, it should affect APHE and harder solid AP shells a lot too, yet it only screws over early APDS and APCR adopters until the russians start picking it up into use.
XM800T seems to have a really buggy damage model too, ive had them survive L15a3 APDS from chieftains loads of times.
the shell still works for track and barrel torture at least
Yh at least, barrel and tracks are an option as well, then finishing them off with an ATGM, but you only get 4 MILANS meaning that u have to drive back to a cap to restock (even worse if it’s the single cap layout). And they ain’t even 4 guanranteed kills, either you have to spend 2 on a single target or it simply misses.
When your depleted of your ATGM’s all you are is a much larger Wiesel 1A4.
only 4 milans is an issue, ratel does much better with 7 but im always having to run back to points for a resupply. But to be fair to the vehicle its not a scout tank. Its an AFV that does best in a supportive role with tanks, rather than spearheading and probing forward.
Little trick i like abusing in the ratel, the reload of missiles on cap points is faster than its natural reload. You can spam them faster on points for a very effective cap zone defence. I do a similar thing with the Cromwell Tulip (RP-3), its very useful in places like the shopping mall cap point on the holland map, also works decently on other urban maps that are a bit more open.
Honestly, the ammo crate isnt a total game changer for anything other than SPAAs that like camp in their spawns from my own experience. Using AFVs like ratel properly requires staying mobile a bit too much for the ammo crate to not still be obscructive to the playstyle. the poor ammo count will never not be an obstacle to be worked around
Would be much better IMHO than running back to cap points. a 20mm gun with APCR covering a flank is still better than nothing covering a flank. The ammo crate allows that cover for a little longer.