In the game World of Tanks, due to the Global Map and Clan Wars modes, as well as Ranked Battles and the economic policy, a certain trend has emerged: the focus is on progressing through even tiers, specifically the sixth, eighth, and tenth tiers. The sixth tier is where all the tasks begin, and it's the first "grown-up" tier where you can start earning silver. The eighth tier is needed for Ranked Battles, and the tenth tier is for Global Maps, earning bonds, and so on.

However, the ninth tier is left behind, even though it has quite interesting and unique tanks. The problem is that in random battles, they often end up facing tier tens, making it difficult to compete. One of the few tanks at this tier is the T-54 Lightweight, to quote Schwarzenegger, "old but not useless." This light tank can hold its own and bring great benefits to the team, although it functions more like a medium tank than a light one.

A Medium Lightweight

This specimen of Soviet engineering has significant armor for a light tank, but unfortunately, it's only on the front. The 80mm of steel on the front, with the optimal angling, turns into 160mm of effective armor, significantly increasing the chance of non-penetration or ricochets. The turret, with its 180mm of armor, can compete in duels even against medium tanks.

The problem that many tanks face with a lower glacis plate is irrelevant for the T-54 Lightweight, as this part is a narrow strip that is difficult to hit when the tank is actively moving. The side and rear armor are also armored with 60mm and 45mm respectively, but such thickness is easily penetrated even by tier 7 tanks, not to mention tier 10s.

Crocodile Dundee

There was a character, a very cool and tough guy who chopped enemies left and right but had one flaw... he was blind. Well, that description fits the T-54 Lightweight quite well. It has fast acceleration thanks to its good power-to-weight ratio, an enormous top speed of 69 km/h, and a record-breaking pivot speed of 52.15 degrees per second. These dynamics, with a weight of 30 tons, are quite impressive. The 100mm D-10TМ mod. 1945 gun deals 250 hit points of damage every 6.9 seconds with good penetration of 208mm.

It's a good, fairly powerful gun, but with a dispersion of 0.4 meters per 100 meters, it makes precise long-range shooting impossible. Therefore, you can only engage in close-quarters combat with it. The view range of 390 meters doesn't allow for passive scouting; the tank is genuinely blind. Hence the nickname Crocodile Dundee. It's also worth mentioning the awful negative gun depression angle of only 5 degrees.

How to Play

The key is not so much to exploit its strengths but to avoid exposing its weaknesses. Therefore, the most effective tactic for earning silver is to quickly scout at maximum speed and then provide support to allies from the second line. With this approach, not all shots will hit the target, but our armor will produce many bounces. In general, the profile of this light tank is quite large, making it easy to aim at the T-54 Lightweight, which is also something to consider.

It's not advisable to try to hull-down on reverse slopes because of the poor gun depression, which would require exposing the entire hull, risking the loss of hit points, of which there are only 1300. On hilly and mountainous maps, one should be very cautious, carefully choose positions from below, and quickly occupy them due to the tank's good speed characteristics, as shown in the following picture.

However, it's not recommended to adopt this kind of position because the lower glacis plate is exposed, and the gun depression doesn't allow you to shoot at half of the visible area.

What to Upgrade

In order for the tank to stop being blind and fulfill the role of a scout to some extent, it's essential to paint it and install Coated Optics or even Improved Optics. Of course, a Gun Rammer is necessary for faster reloads, and as for the third equipment, you can choose from Improved Radio Equipment, Improved Rotation Mechanism, or Enhanced Ventilation.

For the crew, choose the following skills in this order: Sixth Sense, Camouflage, Eagle Eye, and, accordingly, any skills that improve aiming and shooting on the move, such as Smooth Ride, Snap Shot, and so on.