If it’s early, that means it would’ve been built before the engine governor was installed (late 1943). Therefore it would be far more mobile than the late Panthers. And not having the MG port is purely an advantage since it’s non-functional in game as well, and that removes a weakspot.
Maybe they should add a mechanic that the engine can overheat. It really doesn’t make sense that the early modell would be every single way better than the late. It just feels wrong.
I feel like it could work just like the planes. You can go faster but if you don’t manage your speed and just press the W, than your engine would get cooked. Maybe this could be annoying enough to justify a lower or same br.
It would be a new vehicle and there were a few prototype variants of it, so a slightly different tech tree model wouldn’t be impossible either (or y’know, just do the ol’ different camo scheme = premium).
There’s also this thing, a recovery Panther. Fitted with the Pz IV H turret to save weight and cost. Would much rather see it as a tech tree light tank at 4.7-ish though.
I doubt it that this panther will be lighter than the vk3002 with 35 tons. Additionally it may have the govenor which reduces the hp by 50 compared to the vk3002 aswell.
If the vk3002 isn’t a light tank this tank wont be aswell. But it could be fill the gap between the pz4H and vk3002
The turret is smaller, with about half the armor thickness everywhere, and a much smaller cannon. It was based on a D hull.
My reasoning for it being a light tank is the much worse armament it would have.
I had to look this up to make sure and unfortunately you’re right. So gaijin would have to use some… “creative liberty” to make it functional, a la Yak-141.
I’ve got my turret ring knocked out enough times in the Panther so that would barely feel any different to me lmao. I am sure Youtubers would love to make videos with a wacky tank like that. But Germany already has that Panzer IV J commander variant thing for a low-tier premium that has terrible turret traverse, so it’s not something Germany needs.
The point is to have greater mobility in order to be plausibly classed as a light tank. But the inside of the turret was completely stripped, including the breech, to make space. It was just intended to cover up the turret ring hole.
Pz IV J and early Pz IIIs got their turret traverses buffed a while ago, they’re pretty decent now. Much better than before!
Think the better option for a premium is still the Daimler-Benz Panther though.
For one, it was actually functional and could have seen combat if the turret wasn’t delayed or its turret ring wasn’t slightly too narrow for the MAN turret that was ready for production.
Could chances be it won’t since the turret didn’t function at all? given it was a Bergepanther. The turret was just a field modification that gave it more storage space.
I’m not sure on how different the Bergepanther was to regular Panthers, but they had most of a Pz IV H to cannibalize for this modification. So its not impossible they could also transfer the turret drive mechanism over. Would actually take less effort to not strip the inside of the turret to just the outer shell, too.