Hey man, I think the Panther is one of the best tanks in the game, if used properly. Dont rush into paks, and dont get too close to inf, it sucks vs. inf. Always try to make sure that your enemies shoot at your front armour, its much thicker than the sides or the rear. The Panther is a mobile tankkiller, easily cutting down enemy armor. It can handle most of enemy Armour, it is only having trouble with the ISU or IS-2 sometimes. So dont attack those big ones alone with your Panther alone, because most soviet players will have a Zis around.
As OKW I mostly get it as a mobile AT-unit, using if defensive but sometimes pushing in combination with my Volks and Obers or Fallschirms. If your mate is also having some tanks, as OKW the Command Panther is the better choice because it gives nice buffs ( Aura at Vet 1 gives additional sightrange [20%], speed and acceleration [10%]) and the mark target ability pwns, but I would not recommend it in 1v1.
If the enemy got more armor than you, and thats likely in a even game, it is helpful to have other at-units like raketenwerfer or shrecks on the field to support your panther. Never rely on a Panther as your only AT. Mostly the enemy will try to shut down your panther fast, its the most valuable piece of your army for that moment. Dont overestimate your panther, stickys or at nade are pain for the panther, in combination with a pak, the panther dies quite fast. So use it wisely and it can easily bring you the victory. With veterancy, it gets even better and the blitz ability helps to get out dangerous situations.
Hope it was helpful to you
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