AT-1

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Very small silhouette and good camouflage values.
• Good hull traverse speed.
• Superb firepower.
• Good alpha damage with the 75mm
• Good sustained damage with the 57mm

Cons:

• Very weak armor.
• Terrible view range (one of the shortest in the game).
• Long aim time and poor accuracy on the 76mm

Performance

The AT-1 has some of the most powerful guns available at Tier 2, balanced by its atrocious view range, long aim times, and poor armor. Unlike the American T18, with its fantastically thick 51 mm of armor, the AT-1 is poorly suited to the assault gun role, with even worse armor than its predecessor, the Tier 1 MS-1.

To start with the AT-1 receives the 45 mm 20KS, which for all intents and purposes is the same as the 45 mm mod. 1932 on the MS-1, except with somewhat better aim time and accuracy. It is quite adequate against most Tier 2 tanks, but will struggle against the T18's frontal armor or the heavily armored French tanks. The 37 mm ZiS-19S is significantly more accurate and has somewhat more penetration, but also deals slightly less damage. The 76 mm L-10S is a very powerful gun, with damage comparable to a tier 5 TD, comparable to the T18's 75 mm Howitzer M1A1. Unfortunately, like all howitzers, it is very inaccurate and has a long aim time. While the T18 can nullify these disadvantages using its excellent armour at close range, the AT-1 cannot. However, the L-10S on the AT-1 can be used as a form of pseudo-artillery, especially with HE rounds. The 57 mm ZiS-8S is probably the best weapon for the AT-1. With 75 mm of penetration, it is easily capable of dispatching any tank the AT-1 will normally encounter, but is not as accurate and has a longer aim time than the ZiS-19S.

Mobility-wise, the AT-1 is quite good. It turns better than the T18, though it is not as fast in a straight line. This can occasionally be very helpful, especially at the fast pace at which Tier 2 and Tier 3 matches tend to take place, although close combat in the AT-1 is to be avoided.

The AT-1 has thin 15 mm armor that is almost vertical, with nearly no sloping. Bouncing an enemy projectile is a very rare event, and with only 125 HP, the AT-1 absolutely cannot afford to take hits.

Probably the AT-1's greatest weakness is its view range. 250 m is one of the shortest view ranges in the game, and the AT-1 is almost completely dependent on other tanks to spot targets for it.

Crew Skills

• Like on most other tank destroyers with weak armor, Camouflage is absolutely necessary on all crew members and should be prioritized over other skills.
• Upon reaching 100% on the first skills, dropping the commander's skill for Sixth Sense is highly recommended, especially given the AT-1's poor view range.
• Once Camouflage and Sixth Sense have been trained, more specialized skills may be considered. Situational Awareness is almost mandatory for the commander (who is also the radio operator), since it helps increase that atrocious view range, if only by a small amount. Snap Shot on the gunner (who is also the loader) provides less accuracy bonuses on limited-traverse tank destroyers like the AT-1, but is helpful nonetheless. Smooth Ride is probably the best skill for the driver, since it reduces the accuracy penalty incurred after moving in a straight line.
• Brothers-in-Arms is a good perk to have on any tank, but requires all crew members to have it at 100% before it works. The bonus to crew skills is particularly noticeable when combined with Improved Ventilation. It should be saved for later on the AT-1, at least until after Camouflage and Sixth Sense have been fully trained.

Early Research

• No modules carry over from the MS-1, but the engines and radio can be researched on the T-26.
• The 37 mm ZiS-19S is not required to unlock anything and is not used on future tanks, so it may be skipped entirely.
• The AT-1 bis suspension is required to mount the L-10S and all but the lightest of equipment, and should be researched first.
• Priority should then be given to either the 76 mm L-10S or the 57 mm ZiS-8S first for a dramatic increase in firepower. The ZiS-8S is also required to unlock the SU-76.
• The T-26M engine provides negligible benefits, and it will be more economical to simply wait to unlock and buy the final T-26F engine.
• The 71-TK-3 radio's longer range is important, allowing the AT-1 to communicate with spotters.