Equipment 2.0 and Light Tanks

So I've actually gone and tested the new sandbox features with my favourite lights and I have a couple thoughts to share with you guys. Unlike popular opinion, I actually love the WZ-132-1 at tier 10 and it's borderline my favourite tank in the game; the Centurion 7/1 is my most favourite, but that's another topic.

The sandbox test has loads of new equipment choices at high tiers and allows for us to "build" our favourite tanks in ways we have not been able to. This is a fun aspect of the game and it adds a lot more depth in strategy in my opinion. More options are good, if they're not too good. And in this case, which I will explain here, these new options are definitely not too overly powerful.

The biggest thing to understand with all of this, though, is how light tanks compare to the other classes of tanks.

Lights are the least forgiving class of vehicle in the game. They have the worst armour as a class and they have the lowest health of any tanks in the game (come on, we know arty is not really a tank). So, getting spotted in a light tank, even if you're on the move, can often lead you to your demise, especially since the introduction of the EBR 105. You get punished hard in lights.

So, when thinking about what equipment to put on a light tank, you have to be very wise and careful about your decision. Mounting a spall liner instead of vents or optics in a light is a stupid decision not because it doesn't fit the playstyle of a light, but because it won't contribute to your means of surviving: not being seen in the first place. A lights specialty is to spot enemies and rack up loads of assistance damage in the process, only using your gun when you are confident it's safe to do so and when your team needs it. No, I'm not saying don't use your gun, but use it carefully in order to increase your likelihood of surviving. A light tank at the end of the game on a map like Redshire or Mannerheim Line can be a huge asset.

Point 1

Lights don't realistically have as many options for equipment as other classes due to their highly unforgiving nature. Optics, vents and V. Stab is the correct setup prior to the Equipment 2.0 system without question. The only exception to this would be something like an ELC Even 90 that runs cammo net and binos for a full passive scout roll.

Point 2

Most of the new equipment modules are not good enough or too specific to realistically choose over existing modules. Take the Radio Jammer or the Commander's visuals boost (or whatever it's called) as an example. Yes, reducing the time you're spotted by 4 seconds is really nice or being able to more easily spot people behind bushes is cool respectively, but it's not going to help you fullfill your scouting roll all the time. Other modules like the improved transmission help on, say, the AMX 13 105 because that tank handles like a yacht (be real, it's traverse speed is aweful). Other than that, the old classic setup is still going to be one of the best.

Point 3

There is another, an old green man once said. There is a new equipment that is, imo, very viable and that I will likely run in the future on my WZ-132-1. The Low Noise Exhausts are the most intriguing equipment in the sandbox test. Yes, going faster is nice, but with the EBR 105 in the game, extra speed for normal lights is useless. And anyways, in the case of my WZ, even with V. Stabs, I am not always hitting shots on the move nor am I always inclined to take a shot on the move because the consequences for revealing my position in the middle of any game can often result in my demise. A 9% increase in my cammo rating, however, is going to help me out in a lot of situations where I am actually able to play the game. No, playing in a light tank on a map like Ruinberg or Himmelsdorf when matched against an EBR 105 is not playing the game; it's 3 minutes of torture and pain that makes you want to delete the game. Nor is having to be the only tracked light tank in a game with 7 EBR 105s on Prokhorovka. Playing the game is when I am on Redshire matched against a 13 105 or a T100 and I get to scout like was always intended. In those cases, having 41% cammo instead of 33% is a huge deal. And I believe that having amazing view range is the most important aspect of a light tank, so I run Vents and Coated Optics along with the Exhausts and the result is a much more enjoyable scouting tank.

In conclusion, then, I believe that it is viable to possibly mount the Low Noise Exhausts on a light tank instead of a V. Stab because of the huge improvement it gives to scouts when they're trying to do their role. However, that is the only variation from the best setup that I would recommend. As a non wheeled light tank advocate and dedicated player of, I would say that is your biggest new tool to use in the sandbox. Everything else is much more questionable.

Hope this post is at least somewhat understandable and I hope that we can have some good chats in the comments. Stay safe, and have a good day.

Cheers!

TL;DR: Lights are super vulnerable, so the only viable new equipment for them is the Exhausts and everything else for scouting is DOA.