Centurion Action X

This page is about the British medium tank Centurion Action X. For other versions, see Centurion (Family).

Centurion Action X

Centurion Action X

Britain

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	7.7	7.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:6 090

Show in game

Description

The Centurion Action X is a premium rank IV British medium tank with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack".

The imponent-looking prototype, the Centurion X, is a tank with a unique personality. The vehicle will be appreciatively friendly to the aspiring tankers and veterans of the British tanks, while also setting a small peak of what the latter ranks got to offer.

With a fair share of mobility and firepower, the Centurion X is a good premium vehicle in the British Post-war lineup. The novelty is about the now, more sloped turret armour features. Despite the evidence of some inadequate armour angles, the tank can surely stand on its own, if played appropriately, with a playstyle pretty much comparable to its tech tree development cousin, the FV4202.

Overall a good way to research higher ranks, learn more about the game style and earn some nifty Silver Lions rewards!

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull76 / 51 / 38

Turret198 / 89 / 89

Crew4 people

Visibility119 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, cupola sides and center)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	76.2 mm (57°) Front glacis 76.2 mm (45°) Lower glacis	50.8 mm (12°) + 6 mm	38 mm (7°) Upper plate 20 mm (62°) Lower glacis	29 mm (8°) Front 30 mm Engine deck
Turret	89-198 mm (1-67°) Turret front	89-98 mm 76 mm (43-49°) Side glacis	89 mm (10-18°)	76 mm (20°) Front glacis 29 mm
Cupola	152 mm	152 mm Front half 90 mm Rear half	90 mm	29 mm Outer ring 29 mm (spherical) Centre

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks and bogies are 20 mm thick.
• The belly is 17 mm thick.
• An internal structural plate of 17 mm thickness separates the forward ammo rack from the driver as seen in X-ray mode.
• Another internal 17 mm structural plate with large openings separates the driver compartment from the crew compartment.
• The steel boxes and the mudguards are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB39 / 14 km/h

RB and SB35 / 13 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

2 back

Weight50.8 t

Engine power

AB1 240 hp

RB and SB650 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB24.4 hp/t

RB and SB12.8 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	39	14	50.8	1,007	1,240	19.82	24.41
Realistic	35	13		575	650	11.32	12.8

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB2 743

RB3 158

SB4 414

Crew training10 000

Experts440 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces1 340 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 130 / 200 / 220 %

2 × 190 / 190 / 190 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment	Horizontal Drive Adjustment of Fire 84mm_britain_20pdr_APDS_ammo_pack Elevation Mechanism Smoke grenade Artillery Support 84mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack

Armaments

Main armament

84 mm 20pdr OQF Mk.I cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition63 rounds

First-order12 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.1 → 6.3 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

84 mm 20pdr OQF Mk.I					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	63	-10°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	17.1	23.7	28.8	31.8	33.9	8.19	7.25	6.68	6.30
Realistic					10.7	12.6	15.3	16.9	18.0

Ammunition

The ammunition available to the Centurion Action X offers a wide range of projectiles to engage most types of targets:

• Shot Mk.1: APCBC; an armour-piercing capped shell with ballistic cap that has a good penetration power but a rather average post-penetration damage effect. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximize the damage inflicted.
• Shot Mk.3: APDS; an armour-piercing discarding sabot shot that has a very high penetration power but a poor post-penetration damage effect. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximize the damage inflicted.
• Shell Mk.1: HE; a shell useful for destroying open and lightly-armoured vehicles but travelling at a low speed.
• 20pdr Shell SS Mk.1: Smoke; useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives. However, it is a very slow shell.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Shot Mk.1	APCBC	232	229	216	201	187	173
Shot Mk.3	APDS	285	283	262	239	218	198
Shell Mk.1	HE	15	15	15	15	15	15

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Shot Mk.1	APCBC	1,000	9.1	N/A	N/A	N/A	48°	63°	71°
Shot Mk.3	APDS	1,430	3.2	N/A	N/A	N/A	75°	78°	80°
Shell Mk.1	HE	600	7.5	0	0.1	1,130	79°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
20pdr Shell SS Mk.1	250	9.3	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Centurion Action X

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty
63	61 (+2)	59 (+4)	57 (+6)	54 (+9)	52 (+11)	49 (+14)
7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
46 (+17)	38 (+25)	13 (+50)	6 (+57)	1 (+62)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear from the rack after having been loaded in the breech.
• Racks 10 and 11 are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
• These 2 racks are also emptied first when firing: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 10 - 11 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 9.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-9 into racks 11 then 10. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Optics

Centurion Action X Optics
	Default magnification	Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics	X4.9	X6.0
Comparable optics	Strv 104

Machine guns

7.62 mm L3A1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition3 750 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

7.62 mm L3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	3,750 (250)	500	-10°/+5°	N/A

The small calibre of the L3A1 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

Usage in battles

At first glance, the Centurion Action X does not bring a significant change in playstyle. Compared to equivalent-rank vehicles, battle usage can be straightforward. But there are some meaningful lessons for future medium tanks that excel at support roles down the rank, namely the Chieftains.

One way to master this tank's capabilities is to minimize its weaknesses. Knowing the limited maximum speed, the commanders often should resort to long-distance gunnery. This long-range shooting is, in fact, very healthy for the Centurion X. The firepower is more than sufficient to cause damage in most ranges; thus, sniping is where most mainstream British medium tanks will excel. 

The shoot-and-scoot tactic benefits the Centurion Action X. It will protect the vehicle from prolonged exposure as the lower turret is poorly armoured to withstand serious firepower. One way to stay alive is never to expose your lower half of the turret.

An early game planning of the map positioning will allow the Centurion Action X to strike lethally without being immediately obliterated. However, players should keep in mind another forte of most British MBTs down the line; this is the flexibility of the gun elevation. Therefore slopes, cliffs and trenches on maps such as Ash River, Carpathians or Fulda, should be used to multiply the damage the Centurion can cause. 

The sniper or support role can provide the best results in the long run, as most tanks at its rank will often struggle to fire effectively when on the move or at long ranges. Meanwhile, the Centurion Action X will quickly get in and out of cover thanks to the gun stabilizer, firing whenever enemy targets are spotted.

New players may learn the best way to help your team win the game is by being in the rear supporting the offensive of the most aggressive tanks. Not only covering the fronts but also on the lookout for light flankers.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful high penetrating 20 pdr gun, available with an APDS choice
• Very quick reload time, down to 6.3 seconds per round when in full crew and ace experience
• Has good gun depression and with gun stabilizer like other Centurion
• Slopped upper turret armour, up to 240+ mm thick in some areas

Cons:

• With only 39 (AB), 35 (RB and SB) km/h top speed, its mobility is mediocre when compared to some contemporary mediums
• Ammo rack in the front like other Centurions
• Small internal compartment (only 4 crew members), easy to knock out with one hit
• Although APDS provides high penetration even in long distances, it provides little post-penetration damage
• Lower turret armour is not reliable sometimes, very thin armour
• No explosive filler on any AP shells

History

Devblog

Development of the Centurion Action X began in the early 1950s. The aim of the project was to improve the Centurion's ballistic protection by fitting the vehicle with the recently developed 'mantletless' turret design. The turret was fitted on a Centurion Mk.7 hull and featured thick, heavily sloped surfaces which further increased its effectiveness.

Furthermore, the vehicle was tested with both the QF 20-pdr as well as the 105 mm L7 cannon. In the end however, only a couple prototypes were built and tested in addition to a few turrets being used separately for ballistic trials. The Centurion Action X never passed the testing stage and was thus also not ordered into production. However, the experience gained during its development, specifically regarding the use of the mantletless turret, was later incorporated into subsequent tank designs such as the FV4202 and the well-known Chieftain main battle tank.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Centurion Action X from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Should You Buy The Centurion Action X? - Sako Sniper

Centurion Action X - Tank Review - Napalmratte

Centurion Action X - ConeOfArc

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• Centurion (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] Centurion Action X - The Chiefturion
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] Centurion Mantletless Turret

Department of Tank Design
Medium Tanks
Sherman Firefly	Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"
MBTs
Centurion	Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Action X · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10
Challenger*	Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Tank Destroyers
Achilles	Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.)
Centurion-based	Conway · FV4005
Export
Sherman Firefly	Sherman Ic · ▄Sherman Vc
Centurion	Centurion Mk.5/1 · Strv 81 · Strv 81 (RB 52) · ▄Strv 81 (RB 52) · Strv 101 · Strv 104** · Strv 105** · Sho't
See also	US Ordnance Department · Israeli Ordnance Corps · Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
	*By successor, the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment
	**Swedish modernizations incorporating innovations from the Israeli Sho't Kals.