Its servicable.Obviously its gonna fail when people try to play it like MBT - it simply isnt one.
But playing it like light rank, its entirely different story.
However one thing people are overlooking is that it does not matter whenever 2S38 sits at 10.3 or 10.7 - nothing will change about the way 2S38 is played.
It will have to engage enemy tanks the exact same way. It will die the exact same way.
The only question that should be asked is what it can meet in downtier - and it simply shouldnt meet 9.3, which are often poorly armored tanks without proper gun handling and most importantly, armor to effecticely force 2S38 to go for weakspots.
BR of 10.7 is perfectly fine because it does not change how 2S38 plays while it helps 9.3s.
Has the best turret for hull down, unlike other light tanks it can take infinite number of darts to the turret without having to worry about your crew’s health. A bad vehicle for cqc maps but brilliant for large maps that allowing it to abuse hull down.
Rarely happens to mine, only cook off, third time I am without any ammo left but vehicle and crew still remain 100% healthy. Die to ATGM from Adats to the turret cheek like once
The regular PUMA has NO Atgms, at all. None, zero, zilch. And no, it does not have armor. It can be 50cal’d from the entire back and even some areas on the side. And 30mm punches clean through everywhere.
To then, sit there and do nothing. Because the peashooter is literally incapable of penning most everything unless it’s fully side on to you. And after two hits to the turret you’re usually out of ammo. Oh and any HE to the turret or MUSS cone instantly kills it. Same for many ATGMs. Which you can absolutely and do absolutely meet at that BR.
I’d trade you the PUMA instantly for the 2s38. I doubt you’d do the same. One is massively more played for a reason. And it aint the PUMA.
What exactly do you have trouble “believing in”. 2s38 is slower than leo2s and abrams (FACT), which means that you cannot flank, and your survivability is too bad for frontal engagements (3 crew members in front of a carousel of ammo). Your rate of fire is nothing to write home about (0,5s) which means that you cannot disable cannon barrels reliably.
You can flank but you need to expect that your enemies can get there before you, which puts you at a disadvantage.
Getting in a good hull down position with that gun depression is also a problem. Even if you find something you can get ammo racked or die to overpressure from HE/HEAT.
Meanwhile OTOMATIC is at BR 11.3 and is much weaker than 2s38
OTOMATIC:
Disadvantages:
High profile reduces survivability
Ammunition stored anywhere inside the turret and hull; if hit, you will explode, greatly reducing survivability
Can only carry 12 APDFSDS shells, so you are unable to pose a threat
Advantage:
Only good at destroying helicopters
2s38:
Disadvantages:
Nobody
Advantage:
Low profile, high survivability
Amphibious vehicle, high mobility
More Faster than the OTOMATIC
More mobile than the OTOMATIC
Can perform scouting despite being an SPAA, but Gaijin has classified it as a light vehicle to give it this additional bonus
Cannon never overheats, can continue firing indefinitely.
Can target both aircraft and helicopters, as in real life it was designed as an SPAA and in the game it can also perform that role despite being classified as a light vehicle, so the 2s38 can perform scouting.
It can carry 148 APDFSDS. Enemy vehicles that the 2s38 struggles to penetrate with its frontal armour can be easily neutralised by destroying their tracks and gun barrel with extreme simplicity since his cannon can fire continuously without overheating, allowing you to safely flank the enemy and then destroy it.
Now I bet you’ll use the excuse of greater penetration of OTOMATIC shell, despite the OTOMATIC only having 12 APDFSDS rounds, which makes it totally useless in battle.
The truth is that the 2s38 is a “pay to win” vehicle.
