Editing Chieftain (section)

===Iran===
[[File:IRANCHEIFTAIN.jpg|300px|left|thumb|For 𝚀̶𝚞̶𝚎̶𝚎̶𝚗̶ 𝚂̶𝚑̶𝚊̶𝚑̶ Allah and Country]]
Iran received 700 mk.3P and mk.5P Chieftains from the UK during the 1970s, with more planned until the 1979 revolution happened. The P in mk.5P stands for Persia, meaning the rather good British original was stripped of all the fancy stuff like laser rangefinders and long fin rounds, while of course Stillbrew armour wasn't introduced until the 80s, so the Iranian Chieftains are basic AF.

Most obviously, Iran lacks decent ammo and so the main gun drops to (a still respectable) AT 20, but it also loses some dash speed and suffers +1 to hit long range targets while on the move. Despite this, the Iranian Chieftain is still formidable, as most of its deficiencies can be compensated for by '''just staying still''' and relying on the halted RoF 2 and ''Accurate''. Having ''Brutal'' is excellent and front armour 17 will laugh at Leopard 1 105mms, giving a single platoon the firepower of twice its number's worth in T-72s, with better armour to boot.

Another major difference is the quality of the crew. The Iranians are obviously less well trained than the British with a Soviet style skill of 5+ and are hit on 3+ as opposed to the Brits' 3+ skill and hit on 4+. However, the Iranians do have a better Morale, Courage, and Counterattack, suggesting a zealous, zero-fucks-given mentality in battle, and staying to the bitter, bloody end. 

The main appeal is you can buy 3 for 10 points, barely over half the cost the British pay per tank, which makes the Chieftain an excellent choice. They should present a wall of RoF 2 Brutal shots to the enemy front, absorbing attacks with their armour while your Pattons or T-62s maneuver for the all important side shots. A full company of 11 costs 37 points, but with only 3 platoons of 3 tanks each, formation break is an important consideration, so always attach a mechanised platoon. Hit on 3+ will take its toll eventually, so as good as they are, expect casualties to mount very quickly.

As such the Iranian Chieftain is an entirely different beast from its British ancestor. Essential as a source of high armour and high AT in an army that lacks both, the Persian Chieftain is competitive and a rather attractive option for your wallet. Why buy 5 boxes of T-62s when 2 boxes of Chieftains is the same amount of points?

{{clear}}