A method for treating a steel article to form a high hardness and ductile alloy comprising the steps of: (a) providing a steel composition having a material thickness less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm), having an initial microstructure of ferrite and pearlite, and having a composition consisting of, by weight, carbon between 0.25 and 0.55%, silicon between 0.15 and 0.35%, manganese between 0.40 and 1.0%, chromium between 0.80 and 1.10%, molybdenum between 0.15 and 0.25%, sulfur less than 0.040%, phosphorus less than 0.035%, wherein the balance is iron and incidental ingredients; (b) heating, preferably by using an induction heater, the provided steel composition to a peak temperature between 850-1150 °C (1562-2102 °F) in less than ten seconds; (c) holding the heated steel composition at the peak temperature range for between two and sixty seconds; (d) quenching the heated steel composition to below 100 °C (212 °F) in less than four seconds; (e) removing residual quench media from the surface of the quenched steel composition, preferably by at least one of mechanical wiping, blown air, and combinations thereof, (f) tempering the quenched steel composition at a temperature between 100 °C and 260 °C (212-500 °F) for less than ninety minutes, preferably for less than 10 minutes, more preferably in a time between 1 and 10 seconds, (g) air cooling the tempered steel composition to less than 100 °C (212 °F) having a transformed microstructure of at least 80% martensite and up to 5% bainite, a yield strength of at least 1800 MPa, and a total elongation between 5% and 12%, and preferably a V 50 protection ballistic limit at 30° obliquity angle between 2300 and 2510 feet per second (701-765 m/s) with a 0.30 caliber armor piercing round for a thickness of 0.25" (6.35 mm). (a) providing a steel composition having a material thickness less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm), having an initial microstructure of ferrite and pearlite, and having a composition consisting of, by weight, carbon between 0.25 and 0.55%, silicon between 0.15 and 0.35%, manganese between 0.40 and 1.0%, chromium between 0.80 and 1.10%, molybdenum between 0.15 and 0.25%, sulfur less than 0.040%, phosphorus less than 0.035%, wherein the balance is iron and incidental ingredients; (b) heating, preferably by using an induction heater, the provided steel composition to a peak temperature between 850-1150 °C (1562-2102 °F) in less than ten seconds; (c) holding the heated steel composition at the peak temperature range for between two and sixty seconds; (d) quenching the heated steel composition to below 100 °C (212 °F) in less than four seconds; (e) removing residual quench media from the surface of the quenched steel composition, preferably by at least one of mechanical wiping, blown air, and combinations thereof, (f) tempering the quenched steel composition at a temperature between 100 °C and 260 °C (212-500 °F) for less than ninety minutes, preferably for less than 10 minutes, more preferably in a time between 1 and 10 seconds, (g) air cooling the tempered steel composition to less than 100 °C (212 °F) having a transformed microstructure of at least 80% martensite and up to 5% bainite, a yield strength of at least 1800 MPa, and a total elongation between 5% and 12%, and preferably a V 50 protection ballistic limit at 30° obliquity angle between 2300 and 2510 feet per second (701-765 m/s) with a 0.30 caliber armor piercing round for a thickness of 0.25" (6.35 mm).