The Self Propelled 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer was a World War II British tank destroyer. Designed and manufactured by Vickers-Armstrongs, it used the Valentine Mk I tank chassis and fitted with an QF 17 pounder. 655 Archers were produced between March 1943 and May 1945. It was used in North-West Europe and Italy during the war; post-war, it served with the Egyptian Army. The vehicle was unique in that its gun faced the rear of the chassis instead of the front.[1]
Battlefield V[]
— In-game description
The Valentine Archer is a tank destroyer introduced in Battlefield V during the second Tides of War chapter, Lightning Strikes. It could be unlocked by completing the week six challenges, afterward becoming purchasable in The Company for 2,500
.
The Archer is the British equivalent of the German Sturmgeschütz IV. Both are turretless tank destroyers, but have several key differences in terms of appearance, armament and passenger layout.
The Archer is a two-seater vehicle with the driver operating the main gun, the QF 17PDR and a coaxial MG. For gameplay purposes, the vehicle is oriented so "forward" is considered where the main gun is pointing, which also places the engine at the "front".
The second seat, Back Gunner, is armed with a hull machine gun orientated to the direct "rear" of the vehicle, with the seat serving to protect from enemies flanking the tank. A small hatch will open when the seat is occupied, alerting players of potential danger.
The key strengths of the Archer is its good mobility and high speed, as well as main gun performance - while its limited traverse requires the driver to point the vehicle at its intended target, the QF 17PDR has equivalent velocity to a 6 Pounder, low drop, and high penetration. Although relatively low in damage the weapon's high accuracy and projectile speed assists greatly in combating tanks at distance, in addition to a high ammunition count of 30 rounds, which coupled with a relatively short reload time allows the Archer a much greater volume of fire than most armored opponents. The main drawbacks of the vehicle are due to its unusual configuration - the vehicle presents a larger target than the StuG IV due to the high silhouette of the casemate, and the placement of the engine and weak armor at the front of the vehicle means it is more likely to suffer a mobility critical in head-to-head combat than other tanks.
The two main paths of the Specialization tree of the Valentine Archer each grant upgrades to the tank's survivability and role as a tank hunter. The left side combination of Track Repair, Reinforced Engine, Engine Upgrade and AT Mines seek to preserve the tank's good mobility, reduce the chance of immobilization and allow the tank use of an area denial weapon. On the right is Increased Ammo Capacity, directional Smoke Launcher, Maintenance Drills and APDS Round, the latter of which provides a limited supply of high penetration ammunition. Middle tier alternatives include the 10% rate of fire increase provided by Improved Loading Mechanism, as well as the Spotting Scope which allows targets to be passively spotted when zoomed in with the scope.
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- Wrecks of the Valentine Archer can be seen on Hamada, and were present before the vehicle became playable in Lightning Strikes.