Tank Review: M24 Chaffee

The Chaffee is one of my most-played tanks, so you will probably suspect that I like it. (I do)

I have the Chaffee 2-marked, and I've been tantilizingly close to 3-marking it for a while. I always seem to get it up to about 93%...then I hit a string of bad battles and drop back into the mid 80s. One of these days I'll make another run at that 3-mark though.

Before I get into details I should mention that I do have a pretty good crew (4 skills) on it, and since I'm trying to mark it I do have Cola and a Vent Purge directive. I also run some bounty equipment, which I'll get into more shortly.

The basics

It's a Tier 5, American, light tank and it's been in the game a loooong time. It has a crew of 5 which seems like it should be pretty standard...but the next tank in the line, the T37, only has a crew of 4 which is frustrating because you lose the radio operator. Which probably means you're going to lose Situational Awareness if you move your Chaffee crew to the T37.

So what's great about the M24 Chaffee?

The mobility on the Chaffee is extremely comfortable. Especially for a Tier 5, the P/W ratio of 26.89 lets you accelerate well, and the top speed of 62 lets you shift around the battlefield with ease.

Like most American tanks the view range is quite good. Granted I have mine really maxed out, but I get 473 on my Chaffee.  It's pretty easy to get to 445 on it, though, if you have a decent crew and optics.

The gun aims fast and loads at a decent rate; and has the American knack for snap shots. 

At tier 5 it's probably the best light tank in the game; though I do like the A-20. (Note: I don't have a T-50-2 so I can't compare that).

So what's not so great?

Like most American tanks the camo is merely fine - though I have mine pretty well maxed with the low noise exhaust, 4-skill crew, etc. and I have got it up to a very impressive 40%.

The gun fires fast, but pen isn't great and accuracy is .38 - even with my sharp crew and Cola. Also the shell velocity on the AP shells is a pokey 619 m/s which feels kinda sluggish for a non-Derp gun. It's workable, but it's not a reliable sniper.  It does have good DPM though, so if you can hit and pen your shots consistently you can do decent damage.

From a playstyle standpoint like most light tanks you can be pretty dependent on your team. You can spot 16 tanks (no, not really) and keep them lit for minutes but if your team doesn't shoot them you really don't get much benefit. And, especially at lower tiers, that is not an unusual experience. Many times I've lit multiple enemy tanks in the open, called for fire, and waited...in silence...while my team did zero damage to them. It is what it is my lovely friends. 

Small thing but...it's a Tier 5 and a lot of the in-game missions (like Battle Pass) require Tier 6 or higher. So that sometimes discourages me from playing the Chaffee because I won't progress on my missions.

Frequently asked questions about the Chaffee

What equipment do you run?

Currently I'm running Low-noise Exhaust to boost the camo, Bounty Optics to max the view range (especially for active scouting), and Vents to just boost overall stats.

I also run a Large Repair kit, Large First Aid kit, and Cola.

Finally I run a Vent Purge directive to give just a slight extra boost.

Once I'm done 3-marking it I'll probably replace the Cola with a fire extinguisher and maybe drop the Vent Purge directive. I'll also probably move the Bounty Optics to another tank, and put regular Coated Optics back on this one. 

What are your crew skills?

I have my crew trained for scouting so....

Commander: Sixth Sense, BIA, Recon, Camo (Next: Repairs)

Gunner: BIA, Camo, Snap Shot, Repairs (Next: I'll reset Repairs for Designated Target, and restart Repairs)

Driver: BIA, Camo, Off-Road Driving, Smooth Ride (Next: Probably Controlled Impact, but maybe Clutch Braking)

Radio Operator: BIA, Situational Awareness, Camo, Repairs (Next: Will reset repairs for Call for Vengeance and restart repairs)

Loader: BIA, Safe Stowage, Camo, Repairs. (Next: Probably reset Repairs for Adrenaline Rush, and restart Repairs)

What does LemmingRush think?

Got any other questions or thoughts about the Chaffee? Do you love it or hate it? Post them in the chat below!