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The sloped armor effect helps certain AFV like the T-34, panther, Jagdpanther, King Tiger, IS-2, etc. quite a lot. Other tanks however are unlucky and have vertical plates.
The first time I played MOW:AS..I used COH tactics and I lost 15+ tanks (stug IIIG, Pz4 H, pzIII J, 1 Tiger) before I took Caen. I used hardly any infantry.
I quickly realized that infantry was king of defense in this game and now I spam infantry & bazookas constantly. The longer I play, the thicker and less porous the 'infantry line' is. My infantry kill over half of the attacking enemy tanks. Still, they can't really hold that well against a heavy panzer attack. The Panzers absolutely wreak infantry in this game and a single HE round will kill a bunched up squad. The infantry also have limited anti-tank grenades and the bazooka men have to get real close.
However, I need tanks to attack successfully and infantry & a mortar alone does not cut it. Tanks have the speed and power to seal the deal and take a cap zone in a way that infantry simply cannot (especially since fire fights between infantry can last a long time).
It's just easier to have good tanks, with good front armor and capable of long range overwatch... like the Germans do and not have to sacrifice infantry against explosions, tanks and anti-tank guns.
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Does this mean that AS2 FULL VERSION will be coming out around May 26??
First of all the text you are writing i am a long time player of this series and i am taking part in the beta development since it started. I cannot agree when you say the sloped armor helps only some units when it helps every single tank with sloped armor. I can only guess you lack the knowledge of tank battle. M4 sherman was a huge success in africa with his M3 lee brother against the german panzer such is true in the game. You will note that angling a tank in this game and choosing the correct encounter is the key to its performance ( Not all tanks are meant for spearhead assault). Also here is a quick tip for you load APCR ( otherwise known as gold ammo in other games) those baby's whie only 75mm can destroy panthers frontal sloped armor.
Infantry and infantry that s the key to this game there is no tank that a guy with a bazooka cannot destroy. Trust me when i say if you spam enough of these guys and put them behind walls or in bushes just so that they are stealth they will prove to be your greatest weapon of all. Ambush is the key for this squads this game although old uses the true sight mechanic for a very long time. Next at guns if you put them in key positions across the map which everyone can see they are capable of also killing every german armor that comes around or tracking it which in this game means the tank itself is as good as dead. Next thing you are given the might of the US motor the Pershing and the Super Pershing which have 1 of the best armors in the game. They also have an insane range of firing 1 of those can take on the whole of the german assault.
Good tanks are only as good as the player in the game is. All i can say for you if its too hard for you try co-op practice makes perfect in this game the more you play the more you will start thinking in the game it is not pure micro it is a true battlefield in which decisions must be made quickly.
AS2 Full Version release does not have a set date all i can say that it is Q2 2014 but that can also be moved to Q3 depends on the games progress