This World of Tanks Update 2.4 light tank guide ranks the best Scout, Versatile, and Support picks for Random Battles, with strengths, drawbacks, equipment priorities, and specialist alternatives.
The T-100 LT is the best all-round Scout after World of Tanks Update 2.4, the AMX 13 105 is the strongest Versatile pick, and the Vz. 71 Tesák is the leading Support light tank. Each wins for a different reason: dependable vision control, flexible burst damage, or direct offensive pressure.
Update 2.4 makes those differences more important. Light tanks are now divided into Scout, Versatile, and Support roles, and the matchmaker attempts to place vehicles with similar roles against one another. Wargaming also adjusted 33 light tanks and introduced role-specific Field Modifications. From Tier VII onward, each team is limited to two light tanks.
This is an editorial ranking for general Random Battles. It weighs practical scouting value, survivability, firepower, mobility, flexibility across different maps, and the significance of each Update 2.4 adjustment. A specialist tank can still be the better choice for a player whose preferred style matches it.
Role: Scout
Best Overall Pick: T-100 LT
Best Alternative: Manticore
Specialist Pick: Panhard EBR 105
Main Tradeoff: Firepower is secondary to vision control
Role: Versatile
Best Overall Pick: AMX 13 105
Best Alternative: WZ-132-1
Specialist Pick: Rheinmetall Panzerwagen
Main Tradeoff: Does not fully dominate either pure scouting or damage support
Role: Support
Best Overall Pick: Vz. 71 Tesák
Best Alternative: XM551 Sheridan
Specialist Pick: T49
Main Tradeoff: Larger profiles and weaker concealment make early scouting riskier
The safest single recommendation is the T-100 LT. Its Update 2.4 improvements directly strengthen the qualities that matter throughout a Random Battle: speed, view range, gun reliability, reverse mobility, and sustained pressure.
The AMX 13 105 is the better choice for players who want to scout early and carry through damage later. The Vz. 71 Tesák is the most specialized of the three winners, rewarding players who understand when to stop scouting and begin supporting a damage exchange.
Scouts are built around reconnaissance, concealment, small size, and mobility. Their primary job is to detect opponents, deny enemy vision, preserve hit points, and keep providing information as the battle develops.
The new matchmaking system gives dedicated Scouts a better chance of facing another vision-focused light rather than a vehicle designed mainly for damage. It does not guarantee an identical matchup in every battle, so players must still inspect both lineups before contesting an opening position.
Versatile lights combine useful reconnaissance with dependable firepower. They are not expected to outspot a Manticore in the ideal bush or overpower a dedicated Support tank in a direct damage race. Their advantage is being able to change jobs.
A Versatile light can gather early information, punish an exposed target, relocate, and become a late-game flanker without abandoning the strengths of its platform.
Support lights sacrifice some concealment and pure scouting efficiency for stronger offensive tools. They work best when allied vision already exists or when terrain allows them to approach a fight without crossing open ground.
Their role icon does not remove the need to spot. It changes the priority. A Support light should provide opportunistic reconnaissance while looking for isolated targets, exposed sides, and short firing windows.
The T-100 LT takes first place because Update 2.4 improves both its reconnaissance and combat consistency without changing its familiar low-profile playstyle.
Its top speed rises from 72 to 75 km/h, reverse speed improves from 25 to 30 km/h, and view range increases from 390 to 400 meters. The reload drops from 7.8 to 7.5 seconds, while dispersion improves from 0.46 to 0.40. Chassis traverse falls slightly from 56 to 54 degrees per second, but that is a manageable cost for the broader package.
These changes make the T-100 LT more comfortable in every stage of a battle. It reaches active scouting lanes quickly, reverses away from dangerous ridges more safely, and no longer gives up as much gun reliability when it must contribute damage.
The T-100 LT ranks above the Manticore because it is less dependent on ideal bushes and allied firing support. It can actively scout, survive brief contact, defend itself against another light, and exploit openings after enemy vehicles become isolated.
Its limitation remains the gun. The improved accuracy and reload help, but the tank should not begin a battle by trading damage with mediums. Vision control and survival still create more value than an early speculative shot.
Recommended equipment: Commander's Vision System, Coated Optics, and Low Noise Exhaust System for a reconnaissance-focused setup. Players who favor active movement can replace Low Noise Exhaust with a mobility or gun-handling option.
Best for: Players who want one Scout capable of handling passive vision, active spotting, counter-scouting, and late-game cleanup.
The Manticore remains the strongest pure passive-scouting choice. Its tiny profile, excellent concealment, and strong view-range platform allow it to occupy positions that would expose larger vehicles.
It does not appear among the 33 vehicles in the official Update 2.4 stat-adjustment table. Its main improvement is therefore structural: the Scout classification and role-aware matchmaking better recognize what the tank is built to do.
The Manticore is at its best when the player can reach a concealed position, avoid unnecessary firing, and keep several allied guns supplied with targets. It becomes even more valuable late in a close battle, when fewer enemy vehicles remain available to blind-fire bushes or cover multiple approach routes.
Its weaknesses are still significant. Limited ammunition, low sustained damage, and little tolerance for positioning mistakes make it a specialist rather than the safest recommendation for every player.
Recommended equipment: Commander's Vision System, Coated Optics, and Low Noise Exhaust System.
Best for: Experienced passive scouts who understand bush mechanics, proxy spotting, common blind-fire locations, and when to preserve ammunition.
The Panhard EBR 105 remains the most distinctive active-scouting option. Update 2.4 increases its hit points from 1,400 to 1,500 and its view range from 340 to 350 meters in both mobility states.
Those are meaningful improvements, but they do not turn the vehicle into a passive-vision specialist. Its real strength is still movement: crossing dangerous lanes, forcing enemy guns to turn, detecting vehicles from unexpected angles, and leaving before opponents can aim properly.
Wheeled matchmaking remains a special case. The system continues to pair wheeled vehicles against wheeled counterparts, while the Tier IX VCS 6x6 TS 90 is treated as a Versatile exception.
The EBR 105 ranks below the T-100 LT and Manticore for general use because its low base view range and demanding driving model leave less room for error. On maps that reward active spotting routes, however, it can be the most disruptive Scout available.
Best for: Players with excellent route planning, driving control, timing, and awareness of enemy shell velocity.
The ELC EVEN 90 remains the standout Tier VIII passive Scout. It receives no listed direct stat adjustment in Update 2.4, but its extreme concealment, compact silhouette, and three-shell magazine continue to give it a clear purpose.
It is less dependable when forced into active movement or a direct fight. Choose it for vision-heavy maps and patient scouting rather than general damage output.
The AMX 13 105 is the strongest Versatile choice because Update 2.4 improves the exact areas that previously made its combination of scouting and burst damage uncomfortable.
Top speed increases from 68 to 70 km/h and reverse speed from 22 to 25 km/h. Chassis and turret traverse improve, hit points rise from 1,600 to 1,700, dispersion improves from 0.42 to 0.40, and standard APCR velocity increases from 1,000 to 1,100 m/s. Movement and turret-dispersion penalties are also reduced.
The three-shell autoloader remains the reason to choose it. Early in a match, the AMX 13 105 can gather information without spending its hit points. Later, it can use the magazine to remove a damaged vehicle, punish an isolated target, or create a numbers advantage before relocating.
The tank should not empty its magazine simply because a target appears. Preserving one or two shells can maintain pressure and avoid a long period with no response available.
Recommended equipment: Coated Optics, Vertical Stabilizer, and Improved Ventilation provide a balanced setup. A Commander's Vision System can replace Ventilation when reconnaissance is the priority.
Best for: Players who understand autoloader discipline, safe early scouting, target isolation, and late-game timing.
The WZ-132-1 is the most conventional hybrid in the Versatile group. Update 2.4 raises its view range from 400 to 410 meters, engine power from 1,080 to 1,170 horsepower, hit points from 1,700 to 1,750, reverse speed from 23 to 25 km/h, and gun depression from 5 to 6 degrees.
Chassis traverse falls from 60 to 45 degrees per second, so the vehicle is less eager to change direction at very close range. The stronger engine helps acceleration, but players should avoid treating the revised WZ-132-1 as a circle-fighting specialist.
Its appeal is consistency. It can scout from conventional positions, use ridge lines more comfortably, trade with a practical single-shot gun, and move into open space once enemy positions are known.
The WZ-132-1 ranks below the AMX 13 105 because it lacks the same burst-finishing potential. It is easier to manage, however, and may be the better choice for players who dislike magazine downtime.
Best for: Players who want a straightforward balance of view range, mobility, terrain use, and single-shot firepower.
The Rheinmetall Panzerwagen receives a mixed redesign. Its standard and premium alpha damage rise from 320 to 350, penetration improves to 251 mm with standard APCR and 285 mm with HEAT, and its firing dispersion after movement and turret rotation becomes more comfortable.
The cost is lower mobility and sustained fire. Top speed falls from 75 to 72 km/h, chassis traverse from 54 to 44 degrees per second, engine power from 1,100 to 1,050 horsepower, and reload time increases from 8 to 9 seconds. Hit points rise slightly to 1,850.
The result is a more deliberate vehicle. It is better at taking a prepared shot from a second-line angle, but worse at making sudden direction changes or maintaining constant DPM. That keeps it behind the AMX 13 105 and WZ-132-1 in an overall ranking.
Best for: Players who prefer accurate supporting fire, long sight lines, and controlled repositioning over close-range light-tank duels.
The Bat.-Châtillon 12 t remains a useful Tier VIII bridge between scouting and magazine damage. It can begin from a safe reconnaissance position and become more aggressive as enemy hit points fall.
Its modest protection and long magazine recovery punish early overcommitment. Preserve the vehicle until isolated targets make the autoloader valuable.
The Vz. 71 Tesák receives one of the clearest role-focused upgrades. Reverse speed increases from 25 to 27 km/h, chassis traverse from 45 to 50 degrees per second, engine power from 650 to 700 horsepower, view range from 390 to 400 meters, and hit points from 1,650 to 1,900.
Its rapid twin autocannon gives it a completely different damage pattern from conventional light tanks. Instead of depending on one accurate shot, the Tesák wants a target that will remain exposed long enough for repeated hits.
The additional 250 hit points make those firing windows less punishing, but the tank should not trade carelessly. Its Support classification reflects the central limitation: it cannot compete with dedicated Scouts for concealment-based control on equal terms.
Use allied vision during the opening stage, stay close enough to exploit tracked or distracted opponents, and save hit points for the moment when a flank becomes mobile. Once enemy guns are separated, the Tesák can turn its rate of fire and mobility into sustained pressure.
Recommended equipment: Coated Optics, Vertical Stabilizer, and Improved Ventilation form a dependable general setup. Adjust the third slot toward mobility if the tank feels too slow when changing flanks.
Best for: Aggressive support players who can judge exposure time, maintain aim on vulnerable targets, and avoid unsupported scouting contests.
The XM551 Sheridan becomes more durable and responsive. Update 2.4 raises its hit points from 1,850 to 1,950, reverse speed from 25 to 30 km/h, chassis traverse from 55 to 57 degrees per second, and turret traverse from 43 to 50 degrees per second. Movement and turret-dispersion values also improve.
The 152 mm gun receives a major ammunition redesign. Its HEAT round now has 250 mm of penetration but deals 600 damage instead of 700, while its HE options receive higher damage with lower penetration. This makes the large gun more deliberate and less dependent on unrealistic penetration expectations.
For consistency, many players will still prefer the conventional gun. The Sheridan's size and camouflage prevent it from replacing a T-100 LT or Manticore as a pure Scout, but its gun depression, hit-point pool, and improved handling give it a useful offensive role.
Best for: Players who want a forgiving Support platform with flexible gun choices and enough view range to provide secondary reconnaissance.
The T49 follows the same offensive philosophy at Tier IX. Its top configuration gains 100 hit points, reverse speed improves to 27 km/h, and its traverse values increase. The 152 mm gun's HEAT penetration rises from 152 to 220 mm, although damage falls from 700 to 600.
The rework also reduces its concealment, reinforcing the idea that the T49 is a damage-oriented Support light rather than a bush-contesting Scout.
It remains inconsistent by design. A strong firing opportunity can decide an engagement, while a rushed shot can leave the vehicle exposed with little to show for the risk. The T49 is therefore a specialist recommendation rather than the safest Tier IX light.
Best for: Players who enjoy opportunistic high-impact shots and accept more variable results than a conventional light tank provides.
The WZ-219 is the Tier XI wildcard rather than the safest general recommendation. Its Infrared Search and Track system scans a narrowing sector, increases view range within that sector, and reduces the concealment of opponents inside it. Detection can progress from mutual UI indicators to full mutual spotting, while cancelling the scan early remains a valid tactic.
That ability can break a concealed defensive position, but it can also expose the WZ-219. The mechanic becomes strongest when allied guns are ready, hard cover is close, and the player already has a strong estimate of the target's location.
For coordinated teams or elite light-tank specialists, the WZ-219 can create information that no conventional Scout can reproduce. For ordinary solo Random Battles, the T-100 LT is the more consistent recommendation.
It has the fewest severe conditions among the leading picks. It can scout actively or passively, defend itself, and remain relevant on maps that offer limited concealment.
Pick it when patient concealment play is the main attraction. Its influence depends heavily on map knowledge and allied guns, but few vehicles match its ability to remain hidden.
Its autoloader becomes increasingly dangerous as enemy vehicles lose hit points. The tank rewards players who survive the opening and keep a full magazine for a decisive attack.
It is the best fit for players who want light-tank mobility without making passive scouting their main contribution.
Its movement creates opportunities unavailable to tracked lights, but the driving and route-planning requirements make it less forgiving.
The Tier XI scan has a high ceiling, especially with coordinated fire support. It is also the riskiest recommendation because using the mechanic can reveal the vehicle.
Commander's Vision System, Coated Optics, and Low Noise Exhaust System form the standard vision-focused combination at eligible tiers. This setup strengthens detection and concealment rather than trying to turn a Scout into a medium tank.
Begin with Coated Optics, then use Vertical Stabilizer and Improved Ventilation when available. A Commander's Vision System can replace a combat slot on maps and vehicles where spotting is more important than gun consistency.
Support lights should retain enough view range to operate independently, but gun handling and mobility become more valuable than maximum concealment. Equipment availability differs by vehicle and gun system, so avoid copying one setup across every Support tank.
The labels clarify existing strengths; they do not remove each tank's familiar limitations. A Support light still has light-tank armor, and a Scout still needs to contribute damage when a safe opportunity appears.
A Vz. 71 Tesák or Sheridan should not automatically contest a Manticore's preferred position. Use a safer route, preserve hit points, and create value through firepower.
An opening shot may reveal a position that could have generated thousands of points of assistance damage. Confirm that the damage is worth losing vision control before firing.
Light tanks become stronger as firing lanes open and isolated targets appear. Early damage trades often remove the mobility and confidence needed to influence the late game.
Spotting a vehicle produces little value if no ally can shoot it. Check allied positions before taking a risky ridge, crossing, or scan.
Wargaming states that similar light-tank roles are matched whenever possible. Queue conditions can still affect the final lineup, so read the enemy roster before committing to an opening route.
The T-100 LT is the best all-round recommendation for Random Battles. Its improved speed, view range, gun accuracy, reload, and reverse mobility make it effective across more maps and battle stages than the other light tanks.
The T-100 LT is the best general Scout, while the Manticore is the best pure passive Scout. The Panhard EBR 105 remains the leading active-scouting specialist.
The AMX 13 105 is the best Versatile pick. Update 2.4 improves its mobility, survivability, accuracy, handling, and shell velocity while preserving its three-shell burst potential.
The Vz. 71 Tesák is the strongest dedicated Support choice. Its additional hit points, engine power, view range, traverse speed, and reverse speed make it much more comfortable when creating sustained damage pressure.
Yes. It receives no listed direct stat adjustment, but it remains exceptional at passive scouting. The role system also makes its reconnaissance identity more meaningful to the matchmaker.
No. Its listed changes are improvements: hit points increase from 1,400 to 1,500 and view range rises from 340 to 350 meters.
From Tier VII onward, Update 2.4 limits battles to no more than two light tanks per team. Lower-tier rules differ, and the matchmaker still has to account for queue conditions and other restrictions.
The WZ-219 has a more specialized information-control mechanic and a higher coordinated-play ceiling. The T-100 LT is the safer solo Random Battles choice because it creates value more consistently and does not need to expose itself through a scan.
The best World of Tanks light tanks after Update 2.4 are:
T-100 LT — Best all-round Scout
AMX 13 105 — Best Versatile light tank
Vz. 71 Tesák — Best Support light tank
Manticore — Best passive Scout
WZ-132-1 — Best conventional hybrid
Panhard EBR 105 — Best active Scout
The T-100 LT is the safest overall choice because its role is clear and its revised platform remains useful even when the map does not favor passive scouting. The AMX 13 105 offers the strongest transition from early vision to late-game damage, while the Vz. 71 Tesák turns the Support role into a distinct offensive playstyle.
Update 2.4 does not create one universal light-tank hierarchy. It creates three more meaningful comparisons. Choose a Scout for vision control, a Versatile light for adaptability, or a Support vehicle when direct damage is the priority.
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