The Leopard A1A1 review

A simple guide that describs the Leopard A1A1

Overview of the Leopard A1A1

One of the first Rank 6 tanks you are likely to unlock when playing Germany. The Leopard A1A1 is a medium tank for Germany. Armed with a 105mm L7A3 gun, 60mm Smoke grenades, and two 7.62mm MG3A1s. The difference between this and the first Leopard 1 is the added "spaced" armor, a Stabilizer and a new Ammo type.

How to play the Leopard A1A1

The recommended usage is the Hit and Run tactic. Try to avoid the detection.

Scan and use the terrain to your advantage. Take into consideration the moderate vehicle height, which allows you to go turret down in certain locations, allowing you to safely use your commander's binoculars to locate targets! Then, after you have located the enemy, fire a few rounds in quick succession and relocate when spotted, especially when the enemy shots come dangerously close. The Leopard is quite fast, so taking hits from a distance while on the move is a risk that you may consider worth taking.

Always remember: The Leopard is not designed to take hits from large caliber guns, nor fight in stand-off situations against heavier enemy vehicles. Frontally, the angle of the hull can bounce shots once in awhile, but you're better off not to rely on this. The turret front is also the same, it's best to attempt to only fire when you can avoid receiving a shot or relocating to a position if possible. The main goal is to make the opponent incapable of returning fire.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Fast and agile.
Extremely destructive DM23 APFSDS shell.
Very quick reload time.
Wide gun depression and elevation.
Fast turret rotation speed.
Better fire on the move accuracy due to the stabilizer.
Additional turret armour.
Side skirts provide additional spaced armour.


Cons

Extra armour increases weight.
Insufficient armour (basically a glass cannon) for protection.
APFSDS is tier 4 upgrade.
Ammo rack in the front.
Small internal compartment (only 4 crew members).
No explosive filler on any AP shells.
Stock APDS is rather lackluster.
Relatively slow turret traverse.

Ammo Types

The ammo types are the DM13 APDS, the DM502 HESH, DM12 HEATFS and the DM23 APFSDS.
First with the DM13; although the default ammo loadout for the Leopard A1A1 this ammo should not be put to shame. With 296mm penetration at 500 meters and a travel speed of 1,498 m/s it is a good starting round. SL cost: Free
The first round you will unlock however is the DM502 HESH shell; Being a HESH shell and how they reworked how HESH shells react with Armor in Update 1.79 it is now a good shell with decent characteristics. with a penetration of 127mm of armor that is at any distance and angle it is good when fighting tanks with sloped armor like T-62s and T-54s. Although it being a slower velocity round at only 750 m/s it is more of a challenge to use at range. SL cost: 260
The next shell you will unlock is the DM12 HEATFS; with overall good characteristics at all ranges, the DM12 is a solid round that you will most likely see the most when facing the Leopards A1A1 older brother, the Leopard 1. With a max penetration of 400mm at 500 meters on un-slopped armor. The speed of the DM12 HEATFS shell is also pretty solid, at 1,173 m/s. SL cost: 420
The final round you will unlock will be the DM23 APFSDS shell. Being the most expensive shell and the best one overall the DM23 is no joke. With a max speed of 1,455 m/s the DM12 can get 375mm of penetration at 500 meters and is the best round for the Leopard A1A1. SL cost: 820

[STR4NG3R]

I am aware, thats why i pointed it out for anyone one else who didn't know. Not criticizing you at all, pretty good guide actually.

[JERICHO]

STR4NG3R_D4NG3R This was made in 2018, Some information is not going to apply anymore.

[STR4NG3R]

DM23 nerfed to shit, now the max pen is 337 mm, not 385.

[DeadManWalking]

man these really do suck

[krabb]

@Thunderbirdlead I can make the tiger 2 work, but for most new players its a nightmare and they will just skip it, everything for germany needs insane skill

[krabb]

Germany is good at dying, that's literally it, thats the point of germany in this game

[Phil]

just shoot the tiger on the right side of turret.. sherman 76mm can pen there, or sometimes even frontal armor. if you have weaker gun than that tbh i'd suggest just dont attack head on

[JERICHO]

@SleepySkull because it doubles as both

[SleepySkull]

Why is there a review in the G U I D E section?

[polikarpovcat]

people think germany is op because they haven't invested any time into the other nations, and haven't realized their shortcomings.