A-20
A-20
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[Client Values; Actual values in
334,000  Cost |
| 520112 HP Hit Points |
| 17.53/19.57.61/19.95 t Weight Limit |
- Commander (Loader)
- Radio Operator
- Driver
- Gunner
| 480500 hp Engine Power |
| 72/23 km/h Speed Limit |
| 4446 deg/s Traverse |
| 27.3865.7 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
| NoNo Pivot |
| // mm Hull Armor |
| 25/25/2537/37/25 mm Turret Armor |
AP/APCR/HE
AP/APCR/HE Shells |
14/800/14
35/800/10 Shell Cost |
| 47/47/6240/40/50 HP Damage |
| 51/88/2346/62/19 mm Penetration |
|
26.09 r/m ▲
54.35 r/m Standard Gun ▲ Rate of Fire Magazine-fed Gun |
|
1226.23 ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
204.4 Standard Gun ▲
Magazine-fed Gun
▼
Magazine-fed Gun
▲ Damage Per Minute Magazine-fed Gun |
|
0.42 m ▲
0.45 m With 50% Crew: 0.52 m ▲ Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.557 m |
| 1.9 s 2.3 s Aim time |
| 4550 deg/s Turret Traverse |
| 360° Gun Arc |
| -7°/+25°-7°/+27° Elevation Arc |
| 160210 rounds Ammo Capacity |
| 1515 % Chance of Fire |
| 350 m 360 m View Range |
| 325 m 615 m Signal Range |
V
334000
The A-20 is a Soviet tier 5 light tank.
Development of the A-20 tank started at Kharkov Factory No. 138 in December 1937. The project was a further development of the BT-7 tank and became a predecessor of the legendary T-34. Work on the vehicle was led by Mikhail Koshkin. On May 18, 1938, technical characteristics of the tank designated BT-20 were approved. Only a few experimental prototypes, with a wheeled caterpillar suspension, were built for training purposes.
The A-20 is a very fast tank with a high top speed, but suffers from poor maneuverability at high speed. It's considered one of the most agile tanks in the game in terms of speed, however that high agility comes with paper armor. It is sloped and there will be a chance to block some lower-tier shots but it's useless when facing more armed opponents.
The A-20 leads to the MT-25.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Guns
| Tier | Gun | Penetration (mm) |
Damage (HP) |
Rate of fire (rounds/minute) |
Dispersion (m/100m) |
Aiming time (s) |
Weight (kg) |
Price (  )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | 76 mm L-11 | 68/75/38 | 110/110/156 | 12 | 0.43 | 2.3 | 660 | 25990 | |
| IV | 45 mm VT-42 | 75/110/23 | 55/55/65 | 31.58 | 0.37 | 1.7 | 312 | 20540 | |
| III | 37 mm ZiS-19 | 58/92/19 | 40/40/50 | 26.09 | 0.39 | 1.9 | 200 | 4250 | |
| II | 45 mm 20K | 51/88/23 | 47/47/62 | 28.57 | 0.42 | 1.9 | 250 | 2530 | |
| V | 37 mm Automatic SH-37 | 46/62/19 | 40/40/50 | 54.22 | 0.45 | 2.3 | 200 | 26980 |
Engines
| Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | V-2 | 480 | 15 | 750 | 18750 | |
| VI | V-2-34 | 500 | 15 | 750 | 27860 |
Suspensions
| Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | A-20 mod. 1938 | 19.5 | 44 | B/2 | 5000 | 2840 | |
| V | A-20 mod. 1940 | 19.95 | 46 | B/2 | 5000 | 7160 |
Radios
| Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ( )
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | 9R | 325 | 80 | 1980 | |
| IX | 12LL | 615 | 110 | 33600 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Amongst all Tier V lights . . .
- Best rate of fire, gun elevation, accuracy, forward and reverse speeds, view range (tied with four others), and gun and hull traverse speeds
- Second-best aim time and specific power
- Decent concealment and above average signal range
Cons:
- Worst penetration of all the Tier V lights and almost the worst alpha
- Hull armor is auto-penned by many same- and higher-tier tanks
- Poor agility at high speeds
- Somewhat large for a light tank
Performance
On paper the A-20 seems to be a decent Tier V light tank. While its gun selection is lacking in terms of penetration, it seems to have a very high top speed and good hull traverse. Unfortunately the A-20 has issues which are not immediately obvious from just looking at the in-game statistics.
The A-20's mobility statistics are a lie. It has a tendency to bleed an incredible amount of speed on turns, and its acceleration and maneuverability are nowhere near as good as other lights. Active scouting is very dangerous and requires a lot of skill and forethought, although the turning radius and speed are surprisingly tight (much like the BT-7). The A-20's view range is average for passive scouting, tying with the Covenanter and only 10 meters worse than the other Tier V lights. However despite the A-20's camouflage bonuses as a light tank, investment in the Concealment skill is still required in order to negate its rather large size. Mounting equipment like Coated Optics will also help in passive scouting.
Firepower-wise the A-20 was badly hurt by its move to Tier V. The stock guns, the 45 mm 20K, and the 37 mm ZiS-19, which were previously used on the Tier V BT-2 and Tier V BT-7, were excellent and mediocre on those tanks, respectively. At Tier V they are completely useless and should be gotten rid of as quickly as possible. There is one viable weapon and two semi-viable. The 37 mm Automatic SH-37 is, as the name suggests, a magazine-fed autocannon. It is good enough to kill lightly armored artillery, tank destroyers, and light tanks, but little else. This gun should be avoided because it has absolutely horrible penetration for a Tier V. The 45 mm VT-42 offers good accuracy, rate-of-fire, and aim time, as well as the best penetration of all the A-20's guns, in exchange for low alpha damage, making it a near-ideal sniper weapon. The 76 mm L-11 is the complete opposite, with terrible accuracy, aim time, and a low rate-of-fire, but good alpha damage; it works better at close ranges. Despite its disadvantages, against Tier IV, V, and even VI tanks the A-20 can still do some damage.
Unsurprisingly, since it is a light tank, the A-20 has no armor to speak of, and despite the good sloping it should never rely on its armor to save it from enemy fire (although the armor can occasionally bounce some shots from lower-tier tanks).
(As of Update 1.9.1 the A-20 has received further buffs. The 45mm VT-42 has been buffed in several regards. The reload time has decreased from 2.00 to 1.90, slightly improving its DPM, but more importantly it received significant accuracy buffs. The bloom after firing has been almost halved, vastly improving its long range capabilities. The fully aimed dispersion was also buffed from 0.37 to 0.35, along with a turret bloom buff from 0.10 to 0.08. Lastly the tank itself also received 60 additional health points, 3km/h faster reverse speed, very slightly higher Concealment values and 10 meters more view range.)
With a crew setup of Commander (Loader)/Gunner/Driver/Radio Operator the A-20 is crew-compatible with the BT-SV and M3 Light, making both tanks more or less perfect crew trainers. You can also send individual crew members to these premiums with no skills "wasted":
- Gunner: T-50-2
- Driver: BT-7 Artillery, LT-432, LTP, T-45, Tetrarch, T-50-2, T-116, T-127, Valentine II
- Loader: T-127
Early Research
- The 37 mm ZiS-19 and 12LL radio carry over from the BT-7, and should be installed immediately
- The SP-3 turret is absolutely necessary to mount the viable guns, as well as providing an increase to view range
- The 45 mm VT-42 should be researched next
- The V-2-34 engine provides a small, but not insignificant, increase in horsepower
- The 37 mm Automatic SH-37 can be researched next, or may be skipped entirely if there is no intention to use it
- The A-20 mod. 1940 suspension should be researched next
- The 37 mm Automatic SH-37 should be researched last, after the MT-25 is researched, due to the 37mm being terrible overall
Suggested Equipment
Documented Tank and Crew Builds
In a tie for first on view range and with decent concealment, fast speed, but a low-pen gun, the A-20 is probably best employed as a passive scout. Grab that strategic bush before the other lights on your team do and light up the enemy, and avoid the temptation of shooting, unless perhaps to finish off an opposing light or if you're about to be detected. Late in the battle when the map opens up (if the battle isn't the usual one-sided ROFLstomp) you have the stealth, mobility, and accuracy to snipe remaining enemies, focusing on their rear armor and weak points.
Recommended skills (in priority order): Concealment, Situational Awareness, Recon, Deadeye (to leverage your excellent RoF while sniping), and Brothers in Arms.
Recommended equipment: Binocular Telescope, plus Camouflage Net, Improved Ventilation, or Low-Noise Exhaust System (pick two).
Gallery
Historical Info
Once it was realized that the BT tanks didn't have sufficient armor or armament, a new design was developed for a fast medium tank. In 1937, the Kharkov factory was ordered to design a new tank, and the design work started in November 1937. The chief designer was Mikhail Koshkin and his deputy, Alexsandr Morozov.
Design features The A-20 had sloping sides and a small angular turret with 25mm of armor. The tracks could be removed and could be run on just the wheels. The chassis itself was based on the BT-7M. The hull had a V-shaped glacis plate and was angled at 60°. The A-20's hull also overhung the tracks with the sides angled at 25°. In 1939, a 76.2 mm gun was installed and the vehicle was designated as the A-30. This was the same gun that was installed in the BT-7. There was an attempt to place a short barrelled 76.2 mm gun in the A-20's turret, but it just didn't work, as the turret ring couldn't absorb the recoil.
Prototype In May 1938, a wooden model of the A-20 was shown to the Defense Council of the Soviet People's Commissars (Soviet Narodnykh Komissarov, or SNAKE). Some didn't like the wheel / tracks feature carried over from the BT series, and Koshkin said it added weight that just wasn't necessary. The design had a 45 mm gun, which Koshkin said should be replaced by a 76.2 mm gun, as it was inadequate. Stalin was at this presentation and ordered that the Kharkov factory build not only a full-size prototype of the A-20, but also make the requested design changes and build a prototype that would be designated the A-30. In August 1938, the High War Council, let by the People's Commissar for Defense, K. J. Voroshilov, discussed the A-20 and T-32. Many on the Council disliked the T-32. In July 1939, the Kharkov Locomotive Factory had completed the prototypes for the A-20 and T-32. They were both then tested and it was decided to go with the T-32. On December 19, 1939, the People's Commissariat for Defense released the T-32 to the Red Army. It was soon designated the T-34.
In 1939, tests were conducted with the T-32 and A-20: the T-32 was selected as it had better fire power and armor.
