Commanders,
The upcoming fortnight will be dedicated to the stars and stripes! This edition of the Top of the Tree special will focus on the American way of ruling the battlefield. Follow the research line leading to the M48A1 Patton and enjoy great discounts and credit income bonuses:
30% discount on purchase and 30% more credits earned with the following American vehicles:
| Tier X |  |
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M48A1 Patton |
| Tier IX | |
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M46 Patton |
| Tier VIII | |
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M26 Pershing |
Use this opportunity to earn extra credits while driving these extraordinary tanks, or get them for 70% of their normal value!
These bonuses will be available from 1st November 06:10 until 15th November 06:00 CET (GMT +1). That’s two full weeks to show your enemies who’s the boss!
M48A1 Patton
“Peek-a-boo! I see you!”
In-Game Performance
Due to its unique characteristics, the M48A1 Patton is definitely a valuable addition to any team in Tier X battles. The most prominent feature of this vehicle is its outstanding base view range of 420 metres. This gives it the advantage of being able to spot the enemy at very good distances, way before they can spot it themselves. In addition, the tank is quite manoeuvrable and sports reliable rounded armour, capable of deflecting a good deal of shots. The armour is supported by a very high HP pool that makes the M48A1 one of the most durable vehicles in its class. Furthermore, just like most American tanks, the Patton enjoys good values for gun depression, accuracy and damage, serving as a very versatile team member.
Just like any other tank in the game, the Patton also has its downsides. The most prominent of these is the large silhouette, which makes it an easy target when spotted, and the huge cupola on the turret – an obvious weak spot. In addition, this vehicle falls behind other mediums in terms of top speed and is cursed by a rather weak ammo rack – a major disadvantage when facing a skilled opponent. Last but not least, the M48A1 is one of the few Tier X tanks that has additional guns open for research. This means that once you buy the vehicle you will need to grind for an additional 45,000 XP to unlock the top gun, and then spend 325,000 credits to buy it, mount it, and achieve your tank’s full potential.
Tactics
The M48A1 Patton can be described as a jack-of-all-trades, which means it can assume a multitude of roles on the battlefield including sniping, scouting, brawling and providing flanking support. Regardless of the role you choose, always try to utilise your biggest advantage – the extremely good view range. Knowing the enemy’s positions can greatly influence the outcome of the battle. Having said that, do not hesitate to back up your team’s light tanks and scan your nearest area for enemy tanks.
Player Tip: While scouting, never forget that you cannot match a light tank in this role – you may have the view range advantage, but remember you’re driving a bigger and slower vehicle. This means that if you’re spotted in the open field, you may not make it to safety before being de-tracked and destroyed by enemy fire. When scouting, do it in a passive manner and take short peeks at your surroundings from behind cover, such as a house, a huge rock, or from a natural hollow in the terrain (in the latter position, your good gun depression value will also come in handy).
In order to maximise your performance on the battlefield, we suggest mounting the following equipment:
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In addition, your crew members should learn the following skills:
| Crew member | 1st skill | 2nd skill | 3rd skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commander |  |
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| Gunner |  |
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| Driver |  |
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| Loader/Radio Operator |  |
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*Please note that all of your guns already have quite comfortable reload-time values. Therefore you could also consider replacing the Gun Rammer with Improved Ventilation and make all your Crew Members learn the Brothers in Arms skill in order to improve the vehicle’s general performance.
History
The development of this tank, very commonly regarded as the most successful armoured vehicle of the immediate post-war period, was ordered on 27th February 1951 with the aim of replacing the M47 and M4 medium tanks. On 2nd April 1953, the project was standardised by the Ordnance Technical Committee (OTCM) and approved for production. By 1959, around 12,000 vehicles were built.
The early designs utilising a 12 cylinder gasoline engine combined with an 8 cylinder auxiliary engine proved to be highly unreliable. It even posed significant danger to the crew, as it made the vehicle suffer from low operating range and was prone to catching fire. As a result, the decision was made to replace the gasoline engine with a diesel one. This, as well as further design upgrades, enabled the engineers to modify the armament and replace the initial 90 mm gun with a 105 mm one, making the final version of the Patton complete.
The M48 Patton remained in U.S. Service until the mid-1990s, when it was replaced by the U.S. Army’s first main battle tank (MBT), the M60 Patton. During its years of service, the vehicle was used extensively in the Vietnam War and in the Cold War period. Even though the tank has been retired in the U.S., many foreign countries still have it in service. These include the NATO countries of Belgium, Germany, Greece, Norway, Spain and Turkey. Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Taiwan and South Korea are also known to be using the vehicle.
Fulfil your American dream and get one of these babies in your Garage!
