Panther A - Revision history

U64362282: WIP edit of the most glaring factual errors, and some minor changes in wording

2024-11-24T22:18:24Z

WIP edit of the most glaring factual errors, and some minor changes in wording

Show changes

U157566095: omitted minor pros and cons that don't really matter

2024-11-13T03:21:31Z

omitted minor pros and cons that don't really matter

U157566095: more notable enemies

2024-11-13T03:19:41Z

more notable enemies

U44629479: Edits

2024-06-10T16:50:21Z

Edits

U28580205: /* Usage in battles */ Slimmed down the list, keeping only vehicles that require extra aiming care

2024-05-07T04:55:36Z

‎Usage in battles: Slimmed down the list, keeping only vehicles that require extra aiming care

U28580205: Reverted edits by U28580205 (talk) to last revision by U151393429

2024-05-07T04:37:55Z

Reverted edits by U28580205 (talk) to last revision by U151393429

U28580205: Reverted edits by U151393429 (talk) to last revision by U155534892

2024-05-07T04:37:02Z

Reverted edits by U151393429 (talk) to last revision by U155534892

U151393429: /* Notable Enemies */

2024-04-23T12:04:03Z

‎Notable Enemies

U151393429: /* Usage in battles */

2024-04-23T11:59:10Z

‎Usage in battles

U151393429: /* Notable Enemies */

2024-04-23T11:50:09Z

‎Notable Enemies

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 * Engine has 50 more horsepower compared to the D variant, acceleration is noticeably faster and is on par, if not slightly faster, than T-34s
 * Adequate gun depression of -8° adapts most terrains well
 * Has a wide range of good-looking camouflage to unlock. Suitable for almost every terrain
 * Two machine guns available for emergency use against airplanes or lightly-armoured vehicles.
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 * Roof armour of 16 mm is vulnerable to [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|M2 Brownings]] which are widely seen on American planes. Any autocannon can cause strafing damage.
 * Although heavily armoured, it can still get frontally penetrated easily by a rather common heavy tank: [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]]
 == History ==

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 As with all other Panther-series medium tanks, it is best played in a supporting role or as a front-line offensive tank due to its agility. The cannon mounted is more than forgiving and powerful enough to destroy any potential target, so use it to an advantage; long-range shooting is effective as the muzzle velocity is extremely high, owing to the long-barreled 75 mm, the penetration values are more than capable of punching through any opposing armour, and the shell weight will, if the shell penetrates, consistently deal decent amounts of crew and module damage, if not immediately make the target on combat ineffective.
-Sniping may be a fun and tempting strategy, but you can get outmatched at those longer ranges where your fast reload and turret traverse no longer matter. A good strategy is to push objectives with the Panther A considering it has the improved turret traverse and thus is able to fight in both the city and open ground. Do not attempt to use the Panther like a Tiger tank that being a meatshield breakthrough tank. Instead, spearhead assaults on objectives and flank the enemy. Your gun will be able to take care of most targets medium to close range and your armour should do its job. Make sure you check every corner and shoot and scoot. If you move methodically behind cover or on flanking routes you should be able to destroy many tanks. You can brawl quite well if you watch your flanks and flank others.
+Sniping may be a fun and tempting strategy, but you can get outmatched at those longer ranges where your fast reload and turret traverse no longer matter. The Panther A is frequently uptiered into oblivion, meeting tanks at 6.7 BR frequently. A good strategy is to push objectives with the Panther A considering it has the improved turret traverse and thus is able to fight in both the city and open ground. Do not attempt to use the Panther like a Tiger tank that being a meatshield breakthrough tank, blindly rushing into objectives frontally, only to inevitably die in a traffic jam. Instead, spearhead assaults on objectives and flank the enemy. Your gun will be able to take care of most targets medium to close range and your armour should do its job. Make sure you check every corner and shoot and scoot. If you move methodically behind cover or on flanking routes you should be able to destroy many tanks. You can brawl quite well if you watch your flanks and flank others.
-Another viable strategy is ambushes. The good camouflage for the tank can hide you if you hide behind a bush. Hide near a choke point and hope an enemy tank comes by.
+Another viable strategy is ambushes. The good camouflage for the tank can hide you if you hide behind a bush. Hide near a choke point and hope an enemy tank comes by. Use the Panther's speed to get into position quickly, and shoot at targets from a safe distance.
 Because Panthers have relatively weak side armour that even 20 mm autocannons can penetrate it, most enemies would make it their goal to flank around and penetrate the Panther's side armour (it does not help that the Panther's target profile is much larger from the side compared to the front as well). The Panther A's significantly improve turret traverse speed makes it better able to counter this trick than the Panther D, but it can still struggle against enemies that are moving at high speed like Shermans and T-34-85 at close ranges.
-As the Panther's suspension rocks violently during the start and stop of the tank movement, it is recommended to not drive too fast when enemies are expected to be close by in order to reduce the gun sway and gun sight stabilization.
+As the Panther's suspension rocks violently during the start and stop of the tank movement, it is recommended to not drive too fast when enemies are expected to be close by in order to reduce the gun sway and gun sight stabilization. However, the panther drives very smoothly thanks to its double torsion bars.
 '''Playing against Panther A:'''
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 '''Heavy tank/tank destroyer''': While heavy tanks are more well-armoured, caution is still needed as the Panther's high-velocity cannon can easily penetrate tanks like the IS-2 from a distance. Continue to approach the Panther A as one would with a medium tank, making the most of existing cover and terrain to avoid staying in the Panther's gun sights for very long. That said, heavy tanks and tank destroyers often have cannon armament more than able to penetrate the Panther's front armour without relying on weak points. With this attribute, heavy tanks and tank destroyers should take on the "Panther-destroyer" role by having allies attempt to expose the Panther tank in the open and keep it in placed for the heavy tank/tank destroyer to aim at the Panther tank and penetrate their armour with ease.
 ; Notable Enemies
-* '''M18 Hellcat:''' The M18 Hellcat are annoying enemies due to their great ability to flank on the battlefield with their large 76 mm guns. Keep an eye on the Panther's flanks for these vehicles. The saving grace is the M18's light armour meant a single shell should be sufficient in taking these out should they be spotted.
+The Panther is able to penetrate any possible enemies from the side, so here are the characteristics and frontal weak spots of common enemies.
-* '''M4A3E2 Jumbos:''' More heavily-armoured counterparts of the M4 Sherman, their front armour is strong enough to defend against the Panther's gun, allowing them to close in with their guns to hit the Panther in its weak spots. Luckily the M4A3E2 have weakspots of their own like the machine gun port in the hull, or with APCR and some luck, on the flat gun mantlet dead-on.
-* '''IS-2:''' A dangerous heavy tank which 122 mm is more than sufficient to destroy the Panther in one shot through the front glacis armour. The Panther A should be able to return the favor in the original IS-2 through the driver's vision port in the front armour, however the 1944 variant would have eliminated this hull armour weak spot. The only other location in the front angle would be the turret cheeks or lower glacis armour, both can be risky due to some chance of bouncing the fired shot, but it may be the Panther's only chance. If the IS-2 can be made to miss however, then the Panther A can take its leisurely time approaching the IS-2 while it reloads.
+* '''M18 Hellcat:''' The M18 Hellcat are annoying enemies due to their great ability to flank on the battlefield due to their amazing speed. Keep an eye on the Panther's flanks for these vehicles. The saving grace is the M18's light armour means a single shell should be sufficient to make any hellcat cease to exist, but they often pop up in places where you don't expect, most likely due to your teammates not doing its job protecting you while you assault.
-* '''T26E1-1 "Super Pershing":''' While a relatively rare sight, the T26E1-1 is a stronger M26 Pershing that would warrant some attention due to the more powerful 90 mm cannon. The applique-like armour on the front can be enough to resist against the Panther's gun, though weak spots like the machine gun port or parts of the turret cheek. Aim for the right side (their left) of the turret when firing at the T26E1-1 as the ammunition are all stored at that area.
+* '''M4 Shermans:''' Shermans are no problem to defeat for any Panther, but they are also incredibly petty. They will shoot your gun barrel and then 50. cal your track, dooming you to a slow, painful death. Wiggle your turret while reloading in close quarters to prevent this.
 * '''T-44:''' Another relatively rare sight for the Panther A, but the T-44 front armour can be quite tough against the Panther gun. Luckily, the turret remains somewhat vulnerable to a good hit, so hit that area for a penetrating shot.
-* '''ISU/SU tank destroyers with large-calibre guns:''' These large lumbering beasts are lethal with their large-calibre howitzers. However, their large profiles (except for the SU-100) means getting a good hit on them with the Panther A is doable, especially during their long reload periods. A general rule is to avoid shooting their gun mantlet as that area is complicated enough to bounce some shots.
+* '''ISU/SU tank destroyers with large-calibre guns:''' These large lumbering beasts are lethal with their large-calibre howitzers. However, their poor reloads (except for the SU-100) means getting a good hit on them with the Panther A is easy, especially because they don't possess great armor. A general rule is to avoid shooting their gun mantlet as that area is complicated enough to bounce some shots. The only thing you should run from is the Objekt 268, which you cannot penetrate frontally.
+* '''M-51 (W) and friends:''' The powerful HEAT and APDS shells of glass cannon tanks like the M-51, M41 bulldog or M56 will penetrate the Panther easily, however, they often take more than 1 shot to destroy a Panther. The Panther only needs to fire 1 return shot and maybe a couple of burst from the MG but shoot fast!
 === Pros and cons ===

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 * '''IS-2:''' A dangerous heavy tank which 122 mm is more than sufficient to destroy the Panther in one shot through the front glacis armour. The Panther A should be able to return the favor in the original IS-2 through the driver's vision port in the front armour, however the 1944 variant would have eliminated this hull armour weak spot. The only other location in the front angle would be the turret cheeks or lower glacis armour, both can be risky due to some chance of bouncing the fired shot, but it may be the Panther's only chance. If the IS-2 can be made to miss however, then the Panther A can take its leisurely time approaching the IS-2 while it reloads.
 * '''T26E1-1 "Super Pershing":''' While a relatively rare sight, the T26E1-1 is a stronger M26 Pershing that would warrant some attention due to the more powerful 90 mm cannon. The applique-like armour on the front can be enough to resist against the Panther's gun, though weak spots like the machine gun port or parts of the turret cheek. Aim for the right side (their left) of the turret when firing at the T26E1-1 as the ammunition are all stored at that area.
-* '''T-44:''' Another relatively rare sight for the Panther A, but the T-44 front armour can be quite tough agains the Panther gun. Luckily, the turret remains somewhat vulnerable to a good hit, so hit that area for a penetrating shot.
+* '''T-44:''' Another relatively rare sight for the Panther A, but the T-44 front armour can be quite tough against the Panther gun. Luckily, the turret remains somewhat vulnerable to a good hit, so hit that area for a penetrating shot.
 * '''ISU/SU tank destroyers with large-calibre guns:''' These large lumbering beasts are lethal with their large-calibre howitzers. However, their large profiles (except for the SU-100) means getting a good hit on them with the Panther A is doable, especially during their long reload periods. A general rule is to avoid shooting their gun mantlet as that area is complicated enough to bounce some shots.

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 As with all other Panther-series medium tanks, it is best played in a supporting role or as a front-line offensive tank due to its agility. The cannon mounted is more than forgiving and powerful enough to destroy any potential target, so use it to an advantage; long-range shooting is effective as the muzzle velocity is extremely high, owing to the long-barreled 75 mm, the penetration values are more than capable of punching through any opposing armour, and the shell weight will, if the shell penetrates, consistently deal decent amounts of crew and module damage, if not immediately make the target on combat ineffective.
-Sniping may be a fun and tempting strategy but you can get outmatched at those longer ranges where your fast reload and turret traverse no longer matter. A good strategy is to push objectives with the panther A considering it has the improved turret traverse and thus is able to fight in both the city and open ground. Do not attempt to use the panther like a tiger, and that is being a meatshield breakthrough tank. Instead, Spearhead assaults on objectives and flank the enemy. Your gun will be able to take care of most targets medium to close range and your armour should do its job. Make sure you check every corner and shoot and scoot. If you move methodically behind cover or on flanking routes you should be able to destroy many tanks. You can brawl quite well if you watch your flanks and flank others.
+Sniping may be a fun and tempting strategy, but you can get outmatched at those longer ranges where your fast reload and turret traverse no longer matter. A good strategy is to push objectives with the Panther A considering it has the improved turret traverse and thus is able to fight in both the city and open ground. Do not attempt to use the Panther like a Tiger tank that being a meatshield breakthrough tank. Instead, spearhead assaults on objectives and flank the enemy. Your gun will be able to take care of most targets medium to close range and your armour should do its job. Make sure you check every corner and shoot and scoot. If you move methodically behind cover or on flanking routes you should be able to destroy many tanks. You can brawl quite well if you watch your flanks and flank others.
 Another viable strategy is ambushes. The good camouflage for the tank can hide you if you hide behind a bush. Hide near a choke point and hope an enemy tank comes by.
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 '''Heavy tank/tank destroyer''': While heavy tanks are more well-armoured, caution is still needed as the Panther's high-velocity cannon can easily penetrate tanks like the IS-2 from a distance. Continue to approach the Panther A as one would with a medium tank, making the most of existing cover and terrain to avoid staying in the Panther's gun sights for very long. That said, heavy tanks and tank destroyers often have cannon armament more than able to penetrate the Panther's front armour without relying on weak points. With this attribute, heavy tanks and tank destroyers should take on the "Panther-destroyer" role by having allies attempt to expose the Panther tank in the open and keep it in placed for the heavy tank/tank destroyer to aim at the Panther tank and penetrate their armour with ease.
-=== Notable Enemies ===
+; Notable Enemies
 === Pros and cons ===
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 '''Pros:'''
-* Excellent cannon has a range of ammo for any type of enemy: great stock AP for common targets (eg. [[T-34-85]], [[M4 Sherman (Family)|M4 Sherman]] or even the [[M4A3E2]]), piercing APCR for early cold war tanks (e.g. [[M26 (Family)|M26]], [[T-44]], early [[Centurion (Family)|Centurions]]) and HE for light vehicles. Great accuracy and velocity allows easy long-range sniping. Plenty of ammo capacity allows flexible ammo setups. It even has a fast reload.
+* Excellent cannon has a range of ammo for any type of enemy: great stock AP for common targets (eg. [[T-34-85]], [[M4 Sherman (Family)|M4 Sherman]] or even the [[M4A3E2]]), piercing APCR for early cold war tanks (e.g. [[M26 (Family)|M26]], [[T-44]], early [[Centurion (Family)|Centurions]]) and HE for light vehicles. Great accuracy and velocity allows easy long-range sniping. Plenty of ammo capacity allows flexible ammo setups.
 * Heavily armoured frontal hull is immune to most guns at 5.7 like the 85 mm D-5T and 76 mm M1
 * Almost 300% faster turret rotation than the previous D model. Is more responsive to flankers
-* Fast top speed, good hull traverse. Can get to positions in time. unlike other tanks it has neutral steering.
+* Fast top speed, good hull traverse. Can get to positions in time.
 * Engine has 50 more horsepower compared to the D variant, acceleration is noticeably faster and is on par, if not slightly faster, than T-34s
 * Adequate gun depression of -8° adapts most terrains well
 * Reasonably cheap repair cost
 * Has a wide range of good-looking camouflage to unlock. Suitable for almost every terrain
-* 2 machine guns to get rid of airplanes or light tanks.
+* Two machine guns available for emergency use against airplanes or lightly-armoured vehicles.
 '''Cons:'''
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 * Roof armour of 16 mm is vulnerable to [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|M2 Brownings]] which are widely seen on American planes. Any autocannon can cause strafing damage.
 * Although heavily armoured, it can still get frontally penetrated easily by a rather common heavy tank: [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]]
-* Gun mantlet traps shots (shells may deflect into the hull roof weak armour). This is incredibly rare.
+* Gun mantlet traps shots (shells may deflect into the hull roof weak armour), although this is rare.
 == History ==

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 * '''M18 Hellcat or any hellcat variation:''' These guys are super annoying and will flank shot you by sneaking into a bush. Honestly a waste of ammo to shoot. Just watch your flanks because if you shoot it, it will crumple like a tin can and the crew will simply cease to exist.
-* '''M4 Sherman 76 variants:''' These guys are dangerous for a different reason. Never underestimate how petty a m4 is. They will shoot your gun and then take your tracks with their 50 cals. Then they will flank shot you as you flail around helplessly. Best way to brawl them is to wiggle your turret while reloading causing them to miss.
+* '''M4 Sherman 76 variants:''' These guys are dangerous for a different reason. Never underestimate how petty a M4 is. They will shoot your gun and then take your tracks with their 50 cals. Then they will flank shot you as you flail around helplessly. Best way to brawl them is to wiggle your turret while reloading causing them to miss.
-* '''Jumbo sherman variants:''' These are a bit different because they will play like m4 and remove your gun and tracks and flank you, but they have super tough armor combined with godawful mobility. Shoot the hull mg port and wiggle your turret while reloading. It might seem like a small target but it is impossible to miss in a close range slugfest. Do not even think about shooting the turret anywhere because it is extremely heavily armoured. Any side shot is possible but in a face to face brawl a clean shot to the hull mg port will cause the jumbo's entire crew to flatline.
+* '''Jumbo sherman variants:''' These are a bit different because they will play like m4 and remove your gun and tracks and flank you, but they have super tough armor combined with god-awful mobility. Shoot the hull mg port and wiggle your turret while reloading. It might seem like a small target but it is impossible to miss in a close range slugfest. Do not even think about shooting the turret anywhere because it is extremely heavily armoured. Any side shot is possible but in a face to face brawl a clean shot to the hull mg port will cause the jumbo's entire crew to flatline.
 * '''M-51 Super Sherman:''' Despite its name, the only thing super about it is its gun. The HEAT shell will penetrate you easily but struggles to spall and will likely take two shots to kill you. Despite this meaning you can easily kill them with just a single shot in retaliation still be weary. If you find it pointing its gun at you, take cover immediately.
 * '''PT-76B:''' Like the super sherman, this tank is deadly for its HEAT shell. Thankfully it is not particularly fast and has paper thin armour. There isn't much of a strategy for these guys. All you have to do is shoot first and that will be easy considering it takes about 2 shots for them to finish you off because of the bad spalling from the HEAT shell. It is possible that you will need 2 shots as well because the hollow insides of the tank, but always go for the turret crew first unless they are facing hull towards you, then, shoot the front hull plate and watch the 75mm round take out all 3 crew members.
-* '''IS-2:''' The best and most spectacular way to kill an IS-2 is to ammorack it. Frontally, shoot the drivers vision port unless it is a mod 1944 variant. Other weak spots include the (your right, their left) turret cheek to take out the gunner and commander and pray that the 17 grams of RDX finish the job. The last an most surprising weak spot is the lower front plate which is poorly angled. This might sound risky but will likely result in a 1 shot because of the shrapnel bouncing off the floor of the tank. The IS-2 has a gun capable of penetrating you anywhere frontally but the chances are about 50/50. However, it is devastating if it does penetrate you. Bait the IS-2 into shooting because you have a 3× faster reload. they you can toy around with them as they scream for help. Treat any soviet tank with an abnormally long gun(ISU-122S, SU-100Y, KV-2(ZiS 6))with caution. Fear not, for big soviet guns have slow reloads. (If you want to be extra cheeky when you have a side or rear shot of the IS-2 turret, do not aim for the crew, aim for the turret rear for a guaranteed beautiful ammorack.)
+* '''IS-2:''' The best and most spectacular way to kill an IS-2 is to ammorack it. Frontally, shoot the drivers vision port unless it is a mod 1944 variant. Other weak spots include the (your right, their left) turret cheek to take out the gunner and commander and pray that the 17 grams of RDX finish the job. The last and most surprising weak spot is the lower front plate which is poorly angled. This might sound risky but will likely result in a 1 shot because of the shrapnel bouncing off the floor of the tank. The IS-2 has a gun capable of penetrating you anywhere frontally but the chances are about 50/50. However, it is devastating if it does penetrate you. Bait the IS-2 into shooting because you have a 3× faster reload. they you can toy around with them as they scream for help. Treat any soviet tank with an abnormally long gun(ISU-122S, SU-100Y, KV-2(ZiS 6))with caution. Fear not, for big soviet guns have slow reloads. (If you want to be extra cheeky when you have a side or rear shot of the IS-2 turret, do not aim for the crew, aim for the turret rear for a guaranteed beautiful ammorack.)
-* '''M26 Pershing and variants:''' Not all that common of a threat but still notable for being hard to kill. Shoot the hull or turret mg ports and aim for the lower and upper glacis joining point all the way up to the middle of the upper glacis. The gun of the normal pershing is potentially dangerous but nothing to be worried about only worry about the guns of the super pershing or the M26E1.
+* '''M26 Pershing and variants:''' Not all that common of a threat but still notable for being hard to kill. Shoot the hull or turret mg ports and aim for the lower and upper glacis joining point all the way up to the middle of the upper glacis. The gun of the normal pershing is potentially dangerous but nothing to be worried about only worry about the guns of the Super Pershing or the M26E1.
 * '''Super Pershing:''' Super rare but possible. Best idea is to get a side shot perhaps by ambushing. The frontal weak points are the exposed(your right their left)turret cheek to ammorack it or go for the hull mg port. You can also shoot the tubes above the turret to disable the vertical drive and then scramble up to high or low ground and flank shot it.
 * '''T-44:''' Also a rare sight. Shoot the(your right their left)turret cheek for a clean instant kill.
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 * '''M41A1:''' Small tank with an impressive APDS shell, but the spalling effects of this round is laughable. They will try to ammorack you because of this and will take 2-3 shots to kill you. You can kill them easily but the luck and the skill of their ammoracking is uncanny.
 * '''Strv 74:''' Again, poorly armoured HEAT shell user. Extremely high HEAT penetration but this time with a easy to spot tall profile.
-* '''FV4005:''' Possible to meet but very rare if not impossible. Never get hit by this thing. It is literally the size of a refrigerator there is no missing this thing. You can ammorack by going to the sides of the turret.
+* '''FV4005:''' Possible to meet but very rare if not impossible. Never get hit by this thing as it's 183mm shell will most likely atomise your tank.. It is literally the size of a refrigerator so there is little to no chance in missing this thing. You can ammorack by going for the sides of the turret.
 * '''R3 T20 FA-HS:''' We have all grown to hate this thing and it can side shot you but it is very rare. Most used by players trying to be funny. Machine gun into oblivion on sight.
-* '''2S3M:''' Getting more and more common these days. It has a super dangerous HE shell and will snipe you. Also very easy to kill. The rear hull houses a large ammorack
+* '''2S3M:''' Getting more and more common these days. It has a super dangerous HE shell and will snipe you. Also very easy to kill. The rear hull houses a large ammorack.
 * '''Any ISU or SU series tank destroyer 100mm gun and up:''' Shoot anywhere except gun mantlet. Be aware of the slow reload for the 122mm ones as well as their tall profile unless it is a SU-100.
 === Pros and cons ===