French light tanks have always had quite a unique gameplay rhythm to their gameplay. Their small size, decent maneuverability and speed, solid camouflage values, plus their autoloader guns pretty much defined their role in Random Battles. True hit-and-run masters, this swift bunch cultivated an army of fans over the years. And once these tanks fall in line with the regular ±2 matchmaking, are re-balanced and stretched to Tier X, there’s a good chance they’ll attract a few more.
Today, we’ll dive deeper into the changes coming to the AMX light tank line in the fast-approaching Update 9.18. Let’s get to it!
Gameplay
Following the switch to the normal ±2 matchmaking spread, the Tier V AMX ELC bis no longer sees Tier VIII battles, creating a much more enjoyable experience. To bolster its combat parameters, we also increased its firepower and mobility, while bringing penetration values down to keep it from being OP. Combined with a low silhouette, excellent camo values and superb speed, these changes make the tank incredibly efficient in bursts and at providing flanking support to teammates. Finally, its turret now traverses left and right by 360° with all guns except the 90 mm D. 915.
Remember how the AMX 12t (Tier VI) would end up in Tier IX Random Battles? Vulnerable to virtually any Tier VIII–IX vehicle, it rarely survived the first five minutes, unless it hid, of course. Now such sad situations are a thing of the past! But that’s not all. To prevent the AMX 12t from being OP, we cut its drum load to four rounds, while also boosting its specific power to 27.25 hp/t. You receive improved mobility that, paired with great camo values, small size and impressive view range, solidifies the AMX 12t as an excellent passive scout. Find a nice bush with a good field of view and assist your team by spotting enemies, and then later you can play the sniper, finding wounded tanks and clipping them back to the Garage.
Next up is the small and stealthy AMX 13 75 (Tier VII). This one gets more mobile thanks to an increased engine capacity and receives a smaller clip of four rounds. To compensate for this, we improved its reload time. It also takes less time to fully aim the gun. Gameplay-wise, the AMX 13 75 can be played as an invisible passive scout or an active scout/flanker.
Residing on Tier VIII is the all-new Bat.-Châtillon 12 t. Swift, dynamic and maneuverable, it has a shorter drum reload time than the AMX 13 90. This tank is great as an agile, active scout and at offering support fire to help allies by outflanking enemy tanks.
The scout with “teeth,” the AMX 13 90, moved up to Tier IX and with it came a boost in mobility and firepower. Now, it can pierce through 205 mm with AP shells. Its small size, great camo, and excellent view range make it an efficient scout, while a four-shot drum-autoloader comes in handy for finishing off crippled enemies and dueling enemy scouts.
Rolling out on Tier X, the АМХ 13 105 combines small size (and hence solid stealth parameters) with an autoloader gun. A three-round drum capable of dealing 360 damage per shot makes it an intimidating adversary that excels in both spotting enemy vehicles and hitting them when they least expect it.
What happens to modules, XP, Crew, emblems and camo you have on light tanks?
Configuration: If you have vehicles that changed a Tier in 9.18 and they are researched to the top configuration, they retain it upon changing.
Crew moves with the tank: Fully-trained Crew is transferred back to the Barracks and re-trained to 100% for a new Tier. If you have Crew trained to 100% on a light tank that moves up a Tier, but don’t have this tank in the Garage at the update’s release, the Crew will be retrained for a higher Tier regardless.
Emblems and camo: Emblems and camo bought with Gold and mounted on Tier VIII vehicles that move up to Tier IX will be removed. But fear not; you’ll get the amount of Gold they cost you credited to your account. Temporary emblems and camo you have on vehicles that move up a Tier will be removed as well. In this case, you receive the amount in Credits proportional to their remaining duration. Unique emblems and camo are here to stay: they’ll get de-mounted from Tier VIII vehicles and you can apply them to any other tank.
Finally, changes to the branch structure won’t affect XP you’ve earned on light tanks. They stay at the Tier they were earned on.
In case you missed it, we recently reviewed the Soviet light tank branch. Check out the link for insights into the changes and new vehicles coming to the U.S.S.R. Tech Tree, and stay tuned for more articles about the massive light tank revision.
The team is actively monitoring game data and welcomes your feedback on vehicle balance and other changes being tested in the 9.18 Common Test. Jump in to test them, stop by our forums, and share your thoughts!