Adaptation is the name of the game but if you get a unit that comes early and can deal easily with lategame units, you know there is a problem.
I agree, nerf PaKs and shrecks.
If I get Luchs killing IS-2s frontally reliably, no one would be happy.
Not even relevant as luchs have no AT capabilities.
Now, if we take enough Stuarts and put them against Tiger, you might be surprised a bit.
3 or more Pumas circling IS-2 will give it a hard time as well.
I don't see anything wrong with fragile, turretless tank destroyer being able to take on and destroy heavy armor when massed. To me its WAI.
Balance in a game is all about risk vs reward. The risk in playing out SU-76 is relatively low compared to proper AT guns, but the reward is disproportionally high. That's the main problem with it.
Balance in the game is all about cost efficiency, risk and reward comes with different BOs, specific unit/doctrine usage and the way you actually use the units. Baserushing T-70 is about risk vs reward, making a wall of TD, even cheap ones, really isn't.
I mean fine if it performs well early-mi game with decent damage + free barrage as it should. It's the endgame performance that I find ridiculous. Buff the SU-85 if it needs a buff by all means.
By that logic we should completely butcher all the infantry units, because most of them perform ridiculously good late game.
Again, what do you mean here is scaling. Light vehicles scale as well, there is nothing wrong with it.
Light vehicles also scale nicely with numbers. They still are fragile and have clear counters, Su-76 isn't exception here, it dies to shrecks just like any other armor.
EDIT: Like in VCoH, Tier 3 in sovs is designed for Early-midgame performance. M5 is the same in both Americans and Sovs, M8=T70, AT = SU-76 except the sovs can get AT and SU-76, SU-76 is mobile and SU-76 has barrage. There is no justifiable reason IMO to give it the endgame performance it has currently.
PE T3 was designed for early game harass with 222s and hard AT with light tank destroyer that could be pierced by small arms, it arrived early and units scaled into late game no problem.
Marder III is nothing more then axis version of SU-76, only difference is Marder was pure TD while SU-76 still have that divisional field gun capable of both AT and barrage.
Hell, whole PE army is a proof that lights have all the right to scale into late game and engage heavier armor as long as that is their role.