Leopard 1

Hey Baby, wanna ride in my BMW?

"Panzer vor!"

– Girls und Panzer, all the time.

The Leopard was the very first tank produced by Germany post WWII, and boy did they knock it out of the park. Armed with the legendary Royal Ordinance L7 105mm main gun and and capable of a top speed of 65 kph, the Leopard set the benchmarks for MBT design alongside the Centurion and T-55, when it first took to the field in 1965.

In Team Yankee

The Leopard 1 is an increasingly obsolete vehicle by 1985. It will definitely struggle to defeat any modern main battle tank like the Abrams or the T-64, and therefore typically serves a support role. All Leopard 1s share the same movement profile of 10" tactical movement with a moving ROF of 2, encouraging their use as a mobile firebase. While all models are excellent at popping light armor or enemy tank skirts, certain nations do gain access to brutal main guns which turn them into absolutely versatile and deadly units.

Assuming the meta continues revolving around BMP/BTR + infantry spam, the Leopard 1 will become an increasingly comfortable tool to the commanders of the free world. Cheap enough to be bought in numbers and mobile enough to engage targets of opportunity, the Leopard 1 excels against anything with less than 16 frontal armor. While unacceptably squishy against ATGMs, such fragility can (and SHOULD) be offset through the use of orders. Unlike most tanks, Leopard 1s have 2+ cross and excel in maneuver warfare: you can drive through a treeline and deliver a full volley of rounds in the same turn. (Insert Ardennes joke here)

Most come with machine guns, allowing you to return fire against charging melee troops or charging melee helicopters.

West German

Die Statistik, ja!

The ancestor of the Leopard 2, the Leopard 1 serves as the spearhead of armoured recon forces (PanzerAufklarung) and the backbone of Leopard 1 Panzer Kompanies (found in PanzerTruppen) in the West German arsenal. While inferior to the Leopard 2 in movement, AT and technology (Advanced Stabilisers, Thermal Vision), the Leopard 1 has a key role in providing affordable anti-armour firepower. While incapable of engaging any modern armour, the Leopard 1 can comfortably engage other Second Generation tanks like the T-55AM2 and the Patton. At close range, the L7 gun has an AT value of 19, which means that enough shots may eventually penetrate the front of a T-64. However, AT19 means that the Leopard 1 may have a use to players capable of getting a Panzer Zug into your enemy's flank where their moving ROF of 2 can threaten tanks from the side or artillery pieces with their 2+ FP.

However, the affordability of the Leopard 1 comes at a severe cost: the absence of any notable armour. With a pitiful front of NINE, bazooka skirts grant front AND side armor of 10 against HEAT. While immune to autocannons, the Leopard 1 collapses in the face of most anti-tank weapons. RPG-18s and BMP 1s can reliably defeat Leopard 1s, with the winner in such engagements being the one who gets the first shot off. As with most other tanks, the Leopard 1 can put out 4 MG shots against infantry within 16", or probably as defensive fire against helicopters and assaulting infantry.

Overall, the Leopard 1 is a competitive option, if somewhat inferior to some other nations' offerings. The second cheapest NATO tank in-game at 3 points each, the Leopard 1 can be purchased in platoons of 2, 3, or 4. Part of the Armoured Recce Company, they may also be taken as a Leopard 1 Kompanie under the rulings for Panzertruppe.

Addendum (Free Nations): the Leopard 1 has been dethroned! See ANZAC and Canadian Leopard 1 entries for the strongest tank in the game!

Canada

Sorry for the latecoming, eh?

The boys from the Royal Canadian Dragoons have arrived, and they're not happy with the BMP meta.

Designated the Leopard C1, this vehicle is a Leopard 1A3 with an upgraded targeting system. On a surface level, it appears to be about as effective as the regular West German variant despite costing an extra point to field. However, one key detail makes the C1 better than the standard Leopard 1: BRUTAL. The Leopard C1 can engage infantry and light targets using the main gun with dramatic efficiency. Forcing these unarmored targets to re-roll successful saves has turned the Leopard C1 into a bare-faced killing machine. This versatility meshes incredibly well with the Canadian list as a whole, considering how most of their units are already versatile options in and of themselves. Though still more expensive than the German and Dutch Leopard 1s, the same philosophy applies to fielding them: field lots of them. Get as many of these evil little cats on the table as possible, and let your M150 TOW and ADATS platforms worry about the big nasties.

You can take a whole fucking lot of C1's, too. Up to 63 of them for a theoretical 238 points (just 4 points under what it would cost to take 22 Leo 2s), if the math lines up. The C1 Armoured Troop is one tank larger than the West German counterpart, enabling a much needed increase in both firepower and unit survivability. Your command unit is also mighty beefy, being up to 3 units strong and therefore capable of getting into the thick of it. However, you do not want to bring these to the table on their own, so don't get too Leopard-happy if that means you're missing out on necessary supports. Never skimp on the essentials for just one more tank; remember your backbone units such as the Blowpipes and the Lynx. While the C1 will be the centrepiece of any competitive-oriented Canadian list, neglecting your support will inevitably result in some gargantuan blind spots arising in inopportune moments, regardless of the Leopard's multirole capabilities.

That said, the lack of armour is still present and a problem. Start your tanks in cover when possible, and take every effort to be the side to fire first. If these things can be accomplished, then the ball is firmly in your side of the court.

Tank HQs come in 1-3 vehicles for 4, 7 or 10 points, while tank platoons (armoured troops) come with 3-4 tanks at 10 or 13 points respectively.

Dutch

Sometimes, you see smoke from the hatch outside of combat.

This thing is probably the worst Leopard 1 iteration. That's not to say it's bad - the Leopard is pretty damn good at what it does - but the Dutch iteration is not great compared to its counterparts. It might actually be worth it to take their Leopard 2 formation instead, seeing as how much of the Dutch fighting capacity comes from their APCs and TOW platforms. It lacks the Brutal or Skill 3+ that make the other models so great, and isn't quite as abundant, either. It'll still serve its role, but will struggle on some move orders and can't do the same infantry-hunting as the Commonwealth versions. Consider the alternatives when possible.

Though, if you're sticking exclusively to the Dutch, this may be your only real option if you're unwilling to burn points on a Leopard 2. If so, there is still a way to use it. Specifically, treat it like the British treat their armour: be defensive, don't try moving around too much. It may even be worth it to treat them akin to how AT guns work in vanilla Flames of War. Worst comes to worst and there's really nothing to shoot at, you can still drop smoke on friendly targets in need of cover. In fact, it may be wise to use this function as a means to get your other units into position a lot of the time.

All in all, not great. But still a Leopard 1, and therefore a pertinent option nonetheless.

Tank squadrons may only purchase 1 tank for their HQ at 3 points, while platoons come in 3-4 tanks at 3 points each.

ANZAC

“Drive me closer, I want to hit them with my sword!”

"If there's two things he loves it's fighting and...
Fightin' Round The World!"

– South Park

Another upgraded Leopard 1A3, the AS1 is a bit of a monster. Just look at those base stats: the Australians just do not give a fuck. While not as abundant as the C1, this thing is a force of nature in its own right. When taken all together, the Skill, Courage, and Assault values of this tank should give you a good idea of what it's for. The AS1 should be right up in the enemy's face, squarely at ramming speed. Use your MRV's to propel your AS1s forward or into cover, then make a beeline into the enemy, guns-a-blazing. Firing on the move is your friend, as is soft cover. You can play this thing like a more traditional Leopard 1, but you're wasting the points you spent for the AS1's uniquely ANZAC attitude towards life.

As previously stated, this thing is a little hard to bring en masse. Consequently, it probably won't be the fulcrum of your list. Instead, it should be on the board to dish out Brutal shots and draw attention. If these things are right up in the opponent's business, chances are they'll be so focused on it that they'll be less worried about your Land Rover or MRVs flanking and taking objectives. Casualties will be high.

Tank HQs come in 1-2 vehicles for 4 or 7 points, while tank platoons (armored troops) come with 3-4 tanks at 10 or 13 points, respectively.

IRL

A Canadian Leo-1 at the Bovington Tank Museum

The Leopard 1 was a second generation MBT for the west Germans. It was meant to hold the line until the MBT-70 program bore fruit. That never happened so the west was at a severe disadvantage in MBTs. The Leopard 1 would serve well into the 21st century with the Canadian military but overall the tank is not that innovative or ground-breaking. Mobility had priority, while firepower came second; armor was seen as literally useless, since while maybe that spaced armor could stand up to a RPG, APFSDS was like a needle through fabric.

Canadian Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	Leopard C1
Transports:	M113 APC
Infantry:	Canadian Mechanized Platoon
Artillery:	M109 Field Battery - M125 81mm
Anti-Aircraft:	ADATS - M113 Blowpipe
Tank Hunters:	M150 TOW
Recon:	Lynx RECCE Patrol - M113 OP
US Support:	M1 Abrams - M60 Patton - US Mech Platoon - A-10 Warthog
WG Support:	Leopard 2 - Marder Panzergrenadiers - BO-105P - Tornado

ANZAC Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	Leopard AS1
Transports:	M113 (T50)
Infantry:	ANZAC Mechanized Platoon - Milan AT Section
Artillery:	M125 Mortar Platoon
Anti-Aircraft:	M113 Redeye SAM section
Tank Hunters:	AT Land Rover
Recon:	Scorpion - M113 MRV - M113 LRV
British Support:	Abbot Field Battery - M109 Field Battery - FV432 FOO - Harrier Jump Jet - Lynx HELARM