Medium tanks armor is NOT supposed to protect them from TDs.
What would be the point of TD if it was otherwise?
P4 armor bonus is supposed to give edge against mediums, not their own hardcounters which cost MORE then them.
The idea that FF, SU-85 and M36 should be able to hard counter from range 60 frontally medium, premiums and Super heavy alike, making PzIV obsolete, is simply flawed.
The claim that allied TDs become better vs super heavies but worse than PzIV also holds no water.
The accuracy bonus make SU-85 better vs mediums
The rotation makes SU-85 better vs mediums
The smaller target size makes SU-85 better vs medium
The unit is actually buffed considerably for small increase in cost while maintaining lower XP value and Pop.
Even if it used to shoot faster having a the change to hit a PzIV increased from 55% to 88% at max ranged is over-weighted.
Firefly
Lower reload makes FF better vs all targets
FF now need 2 tullip to land to kill a medium but now blind tanks
Changes to accuracy have little impact when stationary due to commander and mid range 45.
M36
Reduce reload make M36 better vs medium
Damage change does not effect number of hits to kill
The unit is actually buffed considerably while maintaining lower XP value.
To sum up these TDs become better vs heavily armored vehicles nullifying PzIV armor bonus while losing very little against the PzIV. These unit can not Hit and Penetrate a PzIV at max range reliably while the veterancy of the PzIV does not really help it.
SU85 lost late vet super ROF for extra pen (extra pen useless vs Pz4) = Nerfed vs Pz4
Jackson lost 240 dmg shot for 160 dmg shot for extra pen (extra pen is useless vs Pz4) = Nerfed vs Pz4
Firefly tulips nerfed hard. And it's dmg also nerfed in exchange for extra pen (extra pen useless vs Pz4)
= Nerfed vs Pz4.
That creates a whole new problem of having to create 3 specialist units to create a single tank of a single faction, unless you want to throw regular tier and panther into that bag as well, in which case brits and USF would be left without stock mechanized answer to meds.
Modders went with "lesser evil" way of high penetration, but lower DPS, which does give meds a fighting chance(which still should not be too big as TDs are still supposed to counter tanks and not only heavy ones).
No it does not. It can be a simple switchable munition ability.
No, Relic did not chose "lesser evil", allied TDs destroy PzIV very fast even from max range. They simply used the KT as benchmark when balancing allied TDs and they are currently OP vs anything else.
Imo the problem is not what to do with KT but what to do with Allied AT.
Imo using KT as benchmark to balance allied TDs creates far more problems than it solves.
If one want to balanced "super heavy tanks" one can try the approach of separate balance by increasing target size to x2 or x3 of that of medium and giving MU with high penetration low accuracy to specific TDs.