Panther v Pershing in Cologne

[Extraordinarius]

CM Panthers seem properly modelled in general. The problem is the relative cost to the Tiger, which is utterly incomprehesible. With no Rarity, any Panther costs approximately 30 points more than a Tiger. Referring specifically to CMAK, the advantages of the Panther are:

4-5 mph speed
'Slow' turret as opposed to 'Very slow'

The advantages of the Tiger are:

much heavier side and rear armor
much more effective HE round
11 rounds more ammo

Apparent difference found by me in game play:

A Tiger seems much more likely to survive a penetrating hit.

Different but apparently irrelevant:

frontal armor - seems funtionally equivalent; Panthers' better slope gives similar results.
penetration - Panthers' higher armor penetration does not matter because either one will blow through the armor of any Allied AFV at any range achievable on game maps.

In real life (source = Panzertruppen by Thomas L. Jentz), a Panther cost half what a Tiger did, counted in Reichsmarks or man-hours as you prefer. Actual total unit inventories on all fronts peaked for the Tiger at about 675 in July 1944 and then dropped to less than 300 by October. Panther totals peaked at 2300 in September 1944 and never dropped below 1900 until after February of 1945.

In this game a German player would be foolish not to select a Tiger in preference to a Panther except in cases of bad luck with variable rarity. Unfortunately, this is a major perversion of reality.