Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Great speed and mobility; it's as fast as, sharper turning, but not as quick to accelerate as the Bat Chatillon 25 t
- Second best p/w ratio
- One of a few tanks with the most accurate guns in the game
- Decent camo for its size
- Good gun depression
- Very good view range. On par with the tier IX M46 Patton
Cons:
- Very weak armor, only slightly stronger than Bat Chatillon 25 t. However, you can bounce a shot now and then due to auto-bounce
- Modules are easily damaged: most notably the turret and the ammo rack
- Diesel type engine provides lowered fire chance, but does not allow for the use of high octane fuel, something a tank like this would have benefited greatly from
Performance
The Leopard 1 can fill two main roles to great effectiveness. One's first thought when looking at the Leopard one is the role of a sniper, and it is an excellent sniper indeed. Boasting the most accurate gun in the game, it combines high accuracy, good alpha damage, and good DPM, all on a highly mobile, fairly well camouflaged tank. The Leo 1 can quickly position itself in advantageous sniping positions, positions which also often make great use of its very high 410m view range (only theM48A1 Patton has it beat in this category). All of this rolled into a single package makes it a threat from any distance, able to reliably hit weak points with its high penetration 105mm cannon, remain hidden while doing so, and re-position quickly to either get a new shot or retreat to a safe distance. In this role and for the purposes of spotting, it is highly recommended to run Coated Optics, most likely in place of Vents.
The other roll is excels at is that of a supporting flanker. It hasn't the armor to brawl or lead a charge on its own, but it has the acceleration, maneuverability, and top speed to quickly flank occupied tanks and shoot them in the rear with its good rate of fire. This of course puts you more at risk for taking damage, especially module damage, so you must be careful. In this role it is recommended to run Vents over optics, though you can still run Optics if you wish to help scout as well. Gun Rammer and Vertical Stabilizer are practically a must for both sets, and especially this one.
Another, lesser role it can fulfill to good effect is that of a scout. With 410m base view range, good camo, speed, and acceleration, it can do a fine job of passive or active scouting. However, it is large for a scout, and while the acceleration is good, it is not going to kick you up to 65kmh in a few seconds. Typically this means the Leopard will be far more comfortable passive scouting from bushes with its large view range, lighting up all but the most well camouflaged tanks at near the maximum view range of 445m (when properly equipped). This is only considered a lesser role for several reasons. Namely, the size is not conducive to active scouting as it would be fairly easy to hit, secondly the p/w ratio is not quite strong enough to keep this tank at a fast enough speed when going up slopes of a certain angle or more, or for accelerating to top speed from a standstill, and finally, it's simply a waste of a fantastic gun and damage potential.