Firepower
The Cobra is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or Bruce Banner and the Hulk. It combines two distinct playstyles into one versatile medium tank that you don’t want to make angry. Which personality shows through mainly depends on the type of shells loaded into the autoloader. The 120 mm QF gun is loaded with HEAT shells by default but can also fire powerful HESH ammunition with 490 HP of alpha damage.
Always check the enemy team’s composition and watch the development of the battle closely to determine when it’s time for typical British restraint or the perfect opportunity to let loose and smash. Select the HEAT shells with exceptional 268 mm penetration at the early stage and when faced with well-armored opponents. Once the battle has progressed and the enemy lines have thinned out, switch to HESH projectiles to finish off your enemies with 4 punches in 4.5 seconds, dealing 1,960 HP of damage.
Survivability
The Cobra's 130 mm overall frontal armor and 1,600 HP are nothing exceptional, but still strong enough to take a hit. However, the side armor of 80 mm is rather thin, so you'll want to avoid being flanked by an opponent that manages to sneak up on you. Hiding away and relying on concealment isn’t a great tactic either, as the camouflage values are at the lower end, and the gun accuracy isn’t good enough to act as a sniper.
Investing in view range, hanging back to support allied heavy tanks, and using the –10 degrees of gun depression for hull-down tactics is far more likely to get the Cobra to the end of the battle with enough HP to push forward and land hits.
Mobility
The top speed of 40 km/h is enough to stay close to allies, retreat when necessary, and occasionally chase an opponent away when the opportunity presents itself, but you could not say that the Cobra is a sprinter. It is more of a long-distance runner striving to see the end of the match. Equipping a turbocharger is an excellent option to increase your mobility, but boosting the already excellent turret and hull traverse speeds with an Improved Rotation Mechanism will make it easier to outmaneuver your opponents in close combat. Complete your equipment selection with a Vertical Stabilizer to mitigate the gun's biggest weaknesses and take out opponents on the go.
Equipment
Check out the setup below to ensure the maximum performance of your tank.
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Boost the vehicle's strengths with a Turbocharger in the first slot, and Coated Optics in slot two for the bonus of full field modification, as well as a Vertical Stabilizer to mitigate the cannon's weaknesses. Alternatively, adding an Improved Rotation Mechanism will make it easier to outmaneuver an opponent.
Crew Skills
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Similar to other Support Medium Tanks, the crew only consists of three members. This choice of skills focuses on gun reliability and applies if you don't want to reset your crew. Repair should always be among the first skills, since you never want to get caught with your tracks down, especially when you need to reload your magazine. With Brothers in Arms, you improve multiple values, including your gun parameters, which is always useful.
Battle Pass Season VIII
The Cobra is one of the reward vehicles available for Battle Pass Tokens. If you want to speed up your progress and unlock this new Tier IX vehicle even faster, check out the Improved Pass for Battle Pass Season VIII. Upgrading the Battle Pass for 2,500 unlocks additional rewards and allows you to buy Battle Pass Stages for 250. Take a look at the article for more information, an overview of the reward tracks, a list of all available bundles, and much more.
