Like I am told all the time about Panthers and Tiger Spam. One needs not KILL the IS2 only push it back for repairs. Its a VP game after all.
Shreks are a crutch because players are Lazy. I loved playing OKW when they had the reduced Muni income. And I am still higher ranked with them then I am with any other faction. This was before they recieved all the wholesale buffs.
Somehow I think they would be OK. As Soviet players have had to do on and off again. Convert Fuel to muni and spam mines Mines plus JP4 is even better then the Old SU85 plus Mines for the Soviets...
Shreks are a crutch because that is how OKW is designed, you have to pick between 1 of 2 starting HQ's. 1 has light-medium AT in the form of the Puma, and the other as Medium AT in the form of the Jadgpanzer. Then your third HQ gives you the options of: Panther.
So if you go Mechanized to Schwer your going to need to stall till you have 175 fuel to get a Panther if you want a serious counter to mass medium armor/IS2's. If you go Battlegroup you can get the Jadg out earlier than a Panther but it's going to critically delay your Schwer, which is vital to keeping map control.
Plus going Mechanized plus Battlegroup so you can convert and have the Jadg is suicide since your not going to get an Obers out to deal with shocks/rifle blob any time soon. Better pray they don't have mine sweepers either.