Since 9.18, light tanks have arguably been in a worse state than before the introduction of template matchmaking.
With nerfs ranging from Light (French and Russian) to Medium (American) to Flat-out Demolished (Chinese and German), with very few exceptions, the non-premium tanks largely became irrelevant to their premium counterparts. In general, players do not using them for their position in the meta, but a niche area of game-play they enjoy or would like to try out. These disparities is most evident with comparisons such as:
- AMX 13 75 vs. AMX 13 57
- 59-16 vs. Type 64
- LHMTV vs. Senlac
- HWK 12 vs. M41 90/HWK 30
While these tanks are not necessarily poor vehicles, they are certainly not "meta".
Beyond this, mediums and wheeled vehicles have long been encroaching on the roles that light tanks have traditionally performed. With B-C 25 t's and EBRs able to deal damage in ways that traditional light tanks are now struggling to do. Now, more than ever, light tanks need some love.
So, how do we deal with it?
In my opinion:
- On a case-by-case basis, buff the DpM to levels close to the pre-9.18 statistics. However, not to the point of rivaling medium tanks. Not all tanks need DpM buffs (AMX 13 57, T71 DA Type 64, LT-432), but some certainly do. Tanks such as the WZ-131, Setter, and SP I C are all in dire need of increased damage output. While they shouldn't rival the damage output of MTs, they should still be viable. Perhaps about 100-150 DpM less than the average for same-tier mediums?
- Remove the ability to mount a Gun Rammer and substitute this with a LT-exclusive View Range module. Again, LTs should not be intended for pure damage-dealing. As a class, they should sacrifice DpM for view range and camouflage. This should be offset buy an increased efficiency of their optic modules. Add a small bonus to their Coated Optics/Binoculars modules and improve the activation time of Camo Nets as well to make passive scouts more flexible.
- Buff. The. Accuracy. A T37 should not have the accuracy of an IS. The WZ-132 should not have the accuracy of an IS-3. It's that simple. "Sniping Light Tanks" have never been a problem. Moreover, teams love to call out poor play by LTs. While camping LT players exist, they are by far and away the exception, not the rule. If you want to prevent sniping, add the penetration drop-off shenanigans to the rounds on lower-tier LTs.
What do you guys think?
