M3 with penals has been good against OKW to push them around, but like any vehicle, just needs a little support and good micro. Very good against Ost when they decide to spam the old MG42's. So fun to see the retreat alert over the MG'S when you bring a M3 on their flank.
I have found that no HMG'S are worth the wait. As a wise man once said, "Time to go mobile". The small arc for HMG doesn't seem to outweigh the utility of a Conscript or Penal pushing ground.
On a side note, shocks don't seem to be as hardcore as they used to be. I used to be able to put a shock squad in the middle of two grenadiers or two volks with great bleed to the germans. But now....the amount of damage you receive doesn't seem worth it anymore.
Thank you for reading this far.
Yes you're right. Shocks are no longer in that sweet spot.
There are so many g43 upgrades which improves the axis infantry's capability. Shocks have no chance to catch them.