Magach 2

This page is about the Israeli medium tank Magach 2. For other versions, see Magach (Family).

Magach 2

Magach 2

Description

The Magach 2 is a rank Israeli medium tank with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced in Update "Wind of Change".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull roof, hull rear - engine vents, turret roof, turret ring)
• Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	85-200 mm (59-74°) Front glacis 63-200 mm (13-60°) Lower glacis	76 mm (5-45°) Front 51 mm (0-44°) Rear	35 mm Top 25 mm (32-62°) Bottom	57 mm (0-58°) 30 mm Engine access panel 12.7 mm (76°) Engine vents
Turret	83.2-173 mm (0-48°) Turret front 152 + 82 mm (17-26°) Gun mantlet	69-100 mm (12-36°)	51-55 mm (2-71°) 25.4 mm (75-82°) Underpart of the turret	25-69 mm
Cupola	70 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
• The turret ring is 70 mm thick.

The armour of the Magach 2 is identical to the M48A1. The ammo rack in the turret is removed and the shape of the front hull ammo racks are improved. The front armour is able to handle almost most APHE shells it might face, but struggles against HEATFS and APDS rounds. The lower front plate is a weak spot. The sides are decently armoured, but not thick enough to make angling the hull a valid tactic. Some thin vents on the top of the hull are vulnerable to strafing runs by enemy aircraft, which may cause engine fires. Overall, the Magach 2 has excellent armour protection for its tier.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade				_,___		__.__	__.__
Realistic				_,___		__.__	__.__

Armaments

Main armament

Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.

90 mm M41					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	64	-9°/+19°	±180°	N/A	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	9.75	8.63	7.95	7.50
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M332 shot	APCR	321	316	292	265	240	218
T142E3	HESH	102	102	102	102	102	102
M82 shot	APCBC	185	182	170	155	142	130
M431 shell	HEATFS	320	320	320	320	320	320
M71 shell	HE	13	13	13	13	13	13

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M332 shot	APCR	1,249	5.7	N/A	N/A	N/A	66°	70°	72°
M82 shot	APCBC	853	10.94	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M82 shot	APCBC	853	10.94	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M431 shell	HEATFS	1,216	5.8	0.05	0.1	712.64	65°	72°	77°
M71 shell	HE	823	10.55	0	0.1	925	79°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M313	821	10.7	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
64	57 (+7)	46 (+18)	28 (+36)	21 (+43)	1 (+63)	No	__

Notes:

• As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired both shells in the set.
• Racks 4 and 5 are first stage ammo racks. They totals 27 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
• These racks are also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 5 - 1 - 2 - 3.
• Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready racks 4 and 5. If the ready rack is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 3 into racks 5 then 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
• If you pack 21 (+43) shells, it will keep the front hull and the turret bustle empty of ammo.

Machine guns

Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	900 (200)	577	-10°/+60°	±180°

7.62 mm M73
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,950 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Stock Gameplay:

The stock grind of the Magach 2 is problematic since the M332 APCR shot is the only stock ammunition provided, excluding the HE shell. Because of the lacklustre performance of APCR shots against angles, and the limited post-penetration damage it inflicts, players need to aim very carefully. Players may find the most success through flanking, and assisting teammates disable enemy armour. Sticking close to allies is near mandatory, as being caught off guard with the APCR is often times a death sentence. Players should prioritize unlocking the M82 APCBC round immediately, as it improves the tank's offensive capability significantly. Along with the Magach 2 decent manoeuvrability while stock, flanking with the APCBC shell is a viable, and quite effective, option.

Spaded Gameplay:

The Magach 2 is a powerful tank. The M431 HEATFS round has adequate penetration, and in the event that a round with higher post penetration effects is needed, the M82 APCBC is also available. The gun and reload rate are comparable to other main battle tanks of the battle rating, although the Magach 2 relies on its HEATFS round for most situations. The armour on the Magach 2 is adequate, able to bounce enemy shells depending on the angle. The night vision image intensifier equipment and IR lamp can be a big advantage during night battles, but Magach 2 players should be careful not to expose themselves using their own IR lamp. The Magach 2 does not excel spectacularly in any way, but it is an adequate medium tank that is well suited to most situations.

Close Range Engagements:

The Magach 2 is capable at close range, but it is not exceptional. It has decent acceleration and gun handling, meaning it will do decently. Additionally the armour can prove useful even at close range. The only issue for the Magach 2 at close range is the post penetration on the HEATFS round. Generally using the APCBC round is more effective at close ranges.

Long Range Engagements:

The Magach 2 is very capable at long range. The HEATFS round will easily penetrate almost any enemy tank at any range. The biggest issues the Magach 2 will face in regards to long range engagements is the velocity and drop on the HEATFS round. Once this can be accounted for, it will perform very well. Additionally, the armour is even more effective at long range.

Gameplay summary:

Although the Magach 2 is very difficult to play when stock, it is an adequate frontline tank while spaded. The good HEATFS round gives it a strong position in the German tech tree. The Magach 2 is a true main battle tank, and will perform well in any situation. The one disadvantage the M48 may suffer from is a lack of a stabilizer on the main gun. While most tanks which it faces also lack stabilization, those that have it will have a big advantage over the Magach 2.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent frontal hull armour, impenetrable UFP for most conventional ammo
• Good firepower
• Good mobility
• Has a commander's .50 calibre machine gun
• APCBC round with devastating high-explosive filler for great damage upon penetration
• Surprisingly survivable, two crew members often survive a shot
• Gun mantlet tend to stop conventional rounds
• More favourable matchmaking compared to other 90-mm armed M48 Pattons

Cons:

• Difficult APCR stock grind
• Turret armour isn't reliable
• Commander's cupola weak spot
• Ineffective armour in an uptier
• No stabilizer
• Ammunition explosions are common as most of the shells are in the front next to the driver

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

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• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.