(4v4) Countering Allied medium spam.

I've had two games now where there were a couple of Soviet players who spammed T34/85s like nothing else, and I was just at a loss for what to do against it.

A wolfpack of 85s decimate infantry very quickly, and smash enemy armor to pieces using pure numbers advantage. It's just so effective. I've been bashing my head up against it a few times and I just can't seem to figure out the right way to counter.

After being soundly buttf*cked by the 85s the first time, I decided that the numbers were just too much, and they needed to be countered by a semi-equal number of STUGS, because they trade better. As well as snaring troops nearby because they liked to dive.

Me and my friends play on discord together. I tried to coordinate a push in the middle with all of our tanks. One of my friends had 3 panthers and I had 2 STUGs, as well as some other tanks, I don't remember exactly.

The plan was to go in, and target each tank one by one to whittle down the number of tanks firing on ours. It worked, somewhat, we made progress, but even with a lot of allied tanks dead, the 3 panthers died in the fight, and both of my STUGs. I think that overall it was still a bad trade. But I just didn't know what else to do, because it was Lanzerath and we were completely pushed out of the forest, leaving us no choice but to have to push through the middle, where all the Allied tanks were.

Forgive me for the long-winded post. I have a feeling it's starting to look like a rant. I'm not saying it's OP, I'm just saying I'd like some help figuring out what I'm doing wrong here.

Should I be making Panthers instead of STUGs? Obviously plant more mines but they aren't necessarily reliable (considering the enemy can just go around them without realizing if you're unlucky) and you can't use them offensively.

I have a feeling you've got to counter them with panthers maybe but I'm just at a loss here.

Please and thank you.

Panthers best option probably. If your panthers are being outclassed quickly, use AT guns to support.

Theoredically if you know your opponents like to dive, mines are great investments.

I wouldn't make StuGs against 34/85s unless it's guarded heavily by fausts and on a lane map, or you're on the verge of losing and can't wait for a panther. Even then if it's premium spam the StuGs will get out flanked. StuGs are basically just more mobile AT guns that are immune to small arms. They shoot fast, they're pretty cheap, but they do nothing once flanked.

Panther with skill smoke is overall best option against medium spam.

The Stug might provide more firepower for the cost than the Panther, but it lacks its HP, armor, speed and turret. Furthermore, you'd have more of them, leading to more pathing issues and micro strain. Stugs might work if you get Panthers to tank and distract while Stugs come from the flank, but this is hard to coordinate (especially cause the Panthers will probably be your teammates') and you still sacrifice staying power. Panthers have the survivability to kill their target and get out safely before getting killed themselves, retaining your investment and their veterancy, which is what makes them especially useful in 3v3 and 4v4 with those gamemodes their concentrated AT.

Panthers best option probably...

Panther with skill smoke is overall best option against medium spam.

The Stug might provide more firepower for the cost than the Panther, but it lacks its HP, armor, speed and turret...

After reading your guys' responses and looking over the differences in health (85s with 5 shots of health, Panthers with 6) what you're saying makes a lot of sense.

I guess I just thought that it was more important to get more guns out on the field so you could kill them quicker, but I guess I was probably just overestimating the STUG in this situation.

I know for sure that STUGs are very good even in teamgames, but against 85 spam, panthers are the way to go. Thank you for the replies!

You can go 1 panther 1-2 stug and 1-2 PG Sherk. Use Panther as bait.